US3178077A

US3178077A - Valve actuating device

Info

Publication number: US3178077A
Application number: US128725A
Authority: US
Inventors: Frank J Benedetto
Original assignee: Creative Ideas Inc
Current assignee: Creative Ideas Inc
Priority date: 1961-08-02
Filing date: 1961-08-02
Publication date: 1965-04-13
Anticipated expiration: 1982-04-13

Description

A ril 13, 1965 BENEDETTQ. 3,178,077

' VALVE ACTUATING DEVICE Filed Aug. 2, 1961 INVENTOR. Frank J. Benedetto BY: r

United States Patent 3,178,977 VALVE AQTUATENG DEVKCE Frank J. Benedetto, Chicago, llh, assignor to Creative Ideas, Inc., Lake Forest, Ill., a corporation of Delaware Filed Aug. 2, 1961, Ser. No. 128,725 6 Saints. (Cl. 222-4594) The present invention relates to improvements in valve acuating devices and is particularly concerned with the novel construction and assembly of a trigger mechanism for association with the press button for the valve stem of a container of pressurized material such, for example, as a container of areosol mixtures.

It is well known that such containers are provided with a normally closed valve having a valve operating assembly which includes a stem and/or a button, having a dispensing orifice therein and which is placed in flow communication with the interior of the container when the button is held in a depressed or valve-open condition so as to permit ejection of the aerosol mixture in a vaporized or atomized spray. Such valves remain open only so long as they are held manually in depressed condition. In many instances of use of such containers it is desirable to maintain the valve in an open position for prolonged time intervals to eifect continuous spray discharge. The present invention contemplates the mounting on such a container of a novel trigger mechanism which is operable to momentarily depress the valve button for short spray bursts, as during customary operation, or to latch said valve button depressed to elfect continuous spraying so long as the button remains in a latched position.

It is, therefore, an object of the invention to provide novel trigger mechanism for an aerosol container.

Another object is to provide novel trigger mechanism of the character referred to with novel means for latching same in valve open position.

Another object is to provide an integrally molded trig ger mechanism that is not expensive to manufacture, may be easily and quickly snapped into place over the valve mechanism on an aerosol container, and which is simple to use, positive in its operation and is very efficient, whether used for intermittent or continuous spraymg.

With the foregoing and such other objects in view, which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists of certain novel features of construction, arrangement and combination of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and particularly pointed out in the appended claims, it being understood that various changes in form, proportion, size and minor details of construction may be incorporated without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Referring to the drawings in which the same characters of reference are employed to identify corresponding parts:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of an aerosol container showing the trigger mechanism mounted thereon;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view similar to FIG. 1, but viewed from another angle;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged elevational view of the upper end of an aerosol container, showing the trigger mechanism in open position and a covering cap mounted thereon, the latter elements being shown in section;

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 3, but omitting the covering cap and showing the trigger mechanism in a position assumed when actuated for intermittent or manual spraying; and,

FIG. 5 is a View similar to FIG. 4, showing the trig- 7 Referring to the disclosure in the accompanying drawings, the exemplary representation of an aerosol container comprises the usual body 11 having a valve operating assembly 12 mounted firmly in its upper Wall 13. The valve operating assembly is carried in a cap 14 having a peripheral head 15 that is crimped tightly about a related bead (not shown) on the container top wall 13. The valve operating assembly includes a normally elevated vertically reciprocable hollow stem 16 having a button 17 on its upper end and which is adapted to be depressed to carry the stem 16 downwardly for opening the usual normally closed valve structure associated with it whereby the contents of the container may be ejected in the form of a spray through a dispensing orifice 18 (FIG. 1) in the button. Inasmuch as the valve structure per se forms no part of the present invention it is not illustrated.

The trigger mechanism 19 preferably is integrally molded from suitable plastic or other resilient shaperetaining material, such as for example polypropylene, and it includes a circular base wall 21 having a peripheral depending skirt 22 formed on its lower edge with an internal annual flange 23. The skirt and flange are of a size to be snap-fitted over head 15 which retains the mechanism in place with the valve stem and button projecting upwardly thereinto through an opening in said base wall. A substantially rectangular upstanding body or shell, comprised of a front wall 24, a back wall 25 and spaced connecting side Walls 26, surrounds said valve stem and is formed integral with base wall 21 to form a substantially rectangular enclosure for the upwardly protruding valve stem 16 and its button 17. When the mechanism 19 is in place on the container, a window opening 26 in front wall 24 is in registering alignment with dispensing orifice 18.

The back wall 25 carries a relatively thick finger piece 27, integrally connected at one of its ends with the upper edge of said wall by a flexible web 28. The finger piece normally stands in an upwardly inclined position, as best illustrated in FIG. 3, so as to be spaced from the top surface of button 17.

When intermittent manual spraying of the container contents is desired, finger piece 27 is manually depressed into substantially the position shown in FIG. 4 and held in such position manually as long as required. When thus depressed, the bottom surface 29 of said finger piece bears against and depresses the button 17 a distance sufiicient to open the related valve.

In order to effect continuous spraying, the finger piece is latched in button depressing position and retained latched until spraying is to be discontinued whereupon it may be quickly released to permit the valve to close. eferring now to FIG. 5, the finger piece 27 is shown latched in valve open position by depressing same sufiiciently to engage the free upper for-ward edge 31 thereof beneath a downwardly facing ledge or shoulder 32 on one face of an upstanding extension 33 formed integral with the upper edge of front Wall 24. Such engagement is effected by initial camming outwardly of extension 33 by the inclined end surface 34 of the finger piece. The extension 33 is sufiiciently flexible to permit such engagement and the parts are held intenlatched by the inherent resiliency of the material of the trigger mechanism and the normal tendency of the button-stem assembly l6-17 to return to valve closing position. When the latched finger piece is to be released, the upwardly projecting free end of extension 33 is manually urged outwardly sufficiently to disengage its shoulder 32 from said finger piece which then returns 9 to its upwardly inclined ineffective position. Preferably,

an antifriction surface, such as ribs 35, may be formed in the top surface of finger piece 27.

3 7 When not in use, the trigger mechanism may be enclosed in a readily removable cap 36 that may have tight binding engagement with the outside circumferential surface of skirt 22. This cap may be fabricated of any suitable material but preferably is metal. Y

' As many possible embodiments may be made in theinvention, and as many changes might be made in the embodiments above set forth, it is to be understood that all matters hereinbefore set forth or shown in the accompanying drawings are to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A moulded actuating device for a normally closed valve on a pressurized container having a depressible valve actuating stem projecting therefrom and a dispensing orifice in said stem, said device comprising a wall having a depending peripheral skirt engageable with the container and around the stern, an upstanding hollow 2 body integral with said wall and 'into, which said stern extends, a finger enga-ging'element integral with and movable relative to said body into engagement with said valve stem for depressing same, means on the body to latch said finger engaging element in valve stem depressing position, and'an opening in the body wall in register with said orifice.

2. The actuating device recited in claim 1, in which the latch means is integral with thebody and is resiliently displacea'ble to facilitate its disengagement from said element.

3. A moulded actuating device for a normally closed valve on a pressurized container having a depressible Valve actuating stem projecting therefrom and a dispensing orifice in said stem, said device comprising a base, a depending skirt on said base resiliently engageable with means on the container to secure the device to the container, an opening in said base and through which the valve stem extends, a hollow body having upstanding walls integral with said base and surrounding said opening, one of said walls having an opening therein in register with the dispensing orifice in said stem, a fingerengaging trigger element hingedly connected to another of said walls above the valve stem and normally positioned out of contact with said stem, said trigger element being manually depressible to engage and depress the valve stem for opening said valve, and a resiliently yieldable latch integral with one of said walls engageable with said trigger element to hold it in stern depressing position.

4. A valve actuating device comprising a substantially circular base wall, a resiliently deformable skirt depending from said base wall, said base wall having an opening therein, upstanding walls forming a substantially rectangular hollow body surrounding said opening, one of said walls having an opening therein, a trigger element integral with a free edge of another of said walls and movable relative thereto, and latch means for said trigger element integral with the wall having the opening therein.

5. A one-piece actuating device for the valve and op-' erating assembly therefor on 'a pressurized container, said device comprising abody adapted to be detachably mounted on said container overrthe valve operating assembly, a manually'depressi ble member pivotally connected to said body and movable from a first ineifective positionremotely spaced from the valve operating assembly into a second position of operative engagement with said valve operating assembly, and a latch on the body to engage with and latch said depressible member in engagement with the valve operating assembly for holding the valve in open condition.

6. In a valve actuating device and operating assembly therefor on a pressurized container, 'a valve with an upstanding valve stem having a dispensing orifice adjacent to its upperend, a trigger mechanism mounted on said container and including manually engageable means operable to depress said valve stem for opening the valve, and means to latch said trigger mechanism in valve open position, said latch means including a resiliently displaceable element integral with said trigger mechanism and engageable with said manually engageable means.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS.

Claims

6. IN A VALVE ACTUATING DEVICE AND OPERATING ASSEMBLY THEREFOR AN A PRESSURIZED CONTAINER, A VALVE WITH AN UPSTANDING VALVE STEM HAVING A DISPENSING ORIFICE ADJACENT TO ITS UPPER END, A TRIGGER MECHANISM MOUNTED ON SAID CONTAINER AND INCLUDING MANUALLY ENGAGEABLE MEANS OPERABLE TO DEPRESS SAID VALVE STEM FOR OPENING THE VALVE, AND MEANS TO LATCH SAID TRIGGER MECHANISM IN VALVE OPEN POSITION, SAID LATCH MEANS INCLUDING A RESILIENTLY DISPLACE-