US3257035A - Valve assemblies for fitment to containers - Google Patents

Description

G. D. JONES VALVE ASSEMBLIES FOR FITMENT TO CONTAINERS Filed Aug. 24, 1964 1 June 21, 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet l QERM-D D. JONES Attorney United States Patent 3,257,035 VALVE ASSEMBLIES FOR FITMENT T0 CONTAINERS Gerald Dovaston Jones, Worthing, England, assignor to The Metal Box Company Limited, London, England,

a British company Filed Aug. 24, 1964, Ser. No. 391,471 Claims priority, application Great Britain, Sept. 16, 1963,

36,416/ 63 6 Claims. (Cl. 222-82) This invention relates to a valve assembly for fitment to a container from which liquid is to be ejected by internal pressure, for example the assembly may be fitted to a fire extinguisher or to aerosol containers for disinfection and disinfestation preparations.

With containers of the kind above mentioned it is essential that the whole of the contents of the container be discharged Without interruption and valves therefor have heretofore usually been either of a kind which employs a locking device to hold the valve in the open condition thereof, or of a kind which is provided with a diaphragm rupturing device. The kind which uses a locking device is not wholly satisfactory because it is possible either to pull the valve back into the closed position or to initiate operation without the valve being locked in the open position. The diaphragm rupturing devices are also not wholly satisfactory because the act of rupturing. I

the diaphragm may block the discharge channel. It is a main object of the present invention to providea valve assembly which avoids these objections.

According to the invention there is provided a valve assembly for fitment to a container from which liquid is to be ejected by internal pressure, said assembly comprising a valve housing including a tubular portion extending from the bottom thereof and having an axial bore which extends therefrom into the housing, ribs located in the region of said bottom and spaced apart around the interior of the housing, a gasket sealing the end of the housing opposite said bottom, a stem extending through said gasket into the housing, said stem being slidable axially through the gasket'and provided with a longitudinal passage which extends to the outer end of the stem and with an opening which extends through the side of the stem at the inner end thereof, a sleeve frictionally engaged around the stem, and a shoulder on said stem to determine the extent of movement of the stem through the sleeve, said sleeve normally resting on the tops of said ribs while covering said opening, and said shoulder being normally spaced upwardly from the upper end of the sleeve by a distance long enough such that when the stem is pushed inwards until the shoulder engages the upper end of the sleeve the bottom of the sleeve, which rests on the tops of the ribs, is prevented from moving with the stern as the stem descends, whereupon the side opening on the stem is uncovered.

In one embodiment of the invention the stem has a closed inner end and said opening is located adjacent to the closed inner end. In an alternative embodiment the stern has an open inner end closed by a diaphragm closing the inner end of the sleeve, and the inner'end of the stem is adapted on movement thereof towards the bottom of the chamber to puncture said diaphragm so as permanently to expose said opening to permit the flow of liquid from the bore into and out of the passage in the stem.

The valve assembly may include a dispensing button fitted to the outer end of the stem, said button having a dispensing aperture communicating with an expansion chamber which in turn communicates with saidpassage in the stem.

In order that the invention may be clearly understood two embodiments thereof will now be described, by way- FIG. 4 is a section similar to that of FIG. 1 but illustrates a modified form of valve assembly according to the invention, and

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 4 but showing parts in different positions thereof.

In the drawings like reference numerals indicate like or similar parts.

Referring to FIGS. 1 to 3, the valve assembly comprises a housing 1 which includes an open topped chamber 2 sealed by a resilient sealing gasket 3 and which has a bottom 4 opening into an outlet bore 5 formed in a tubular portion 6 of the housing. The portion 6 may be arranged to receive adip tube 7 and be provided with a barb 8 to retain the dip tube in position. The gasket 3 is retained in position by a cup member 9 by which the valve assembly is secured to a container. The cup member 9 maybe similar to the member 5 described in British patent specification No. 832,507. Ribs 10 extend upwards from the bottom 4 and have edges 11 formed in continuation of the bore 5.

A stem 12 extends through the gasket 3 and has a closed inner end 13 which is slid-able between the edges 11 of the ribs 10 to guide the stem for axial movement relative to the housing 1. The stem includes a necked portion 14 which makes sealing engagemet with the gasket 3, a longitudinal passage 15 which extends to the i outerend 16 of the stem, and an opening 17 which is located adjacent to the closed inner end 13 of the stem and extends from the passage 15 through the side of the stem at a position within the chamber 2'and at a position adjacent to the tops 18 of the ribs 10.

A sleeve 19 is frictionally engaged around the stern and closes the opening 17. The sleeve is also so located relative to the bottom 4 of the chamber 2, for example it engages the bottom, that on axial movement of the stem to move the inner end 13 further towards the bottom 4 the stem is pushed through. the sleeve 19 by co-operation of the sleeve with the tops 18 of the ribs 10 thereby permanently to expose the opening 17 to permit the fioW of liquid from the bore into and out of the passage 15 in the stem when the assembly is fitted to a filled container. The stem 12 is provided with a shoulder 20 to determine the extent of movement of the stem throughmunicating with an expansion chamber 23 which, in turn,

communicates with the passage 15 in the stem 12.

The normal position of the sleeve 19 is as shown in FIG. 1 in which position, because it closes the opening 17, when the assembly is fitted to a container none of the contents is released from the container. To eflect the release of the contents of the container, the stem '12 is moved axially, FIG. 3, towards the bottom 4, thus causing the inner end of the stem to slide through the sleeve 19 until further movement is arrested by the shoulder 20. The opening 17 is thus exposed and the contents of the container flow through the outlet bore 5 into chamber 2 and thence through opening 17 and passage 15. During depression of the stem the resilient sealing gasket 3 is moved into thechamber as shown in FIG. 3 and on release of axial pressure from the stem, due to the resilience of the gasket 3 and pressure in the container, the stem tends to return to the starting position thereof. Once the stem has been moved through the sleeve the latter cannot return to the original position thereof because of the friction between it and the stem and it will, therefore, be understood that the opening 17 remains permanently open so that the whole of the contents of the container are dispensed immediately following the exposure of opening 17. Should the stem not be returned to the starting position thereof the discharge will nevertheless continue because the contents of the container flow out of the bore and between the ribs 10. Thus even though the opening 17 may be located at a position below the tops 18 of the ribs the contents will flow through the opening.

The modified embodiment of the valve assembly illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5 is similar to that described above except that the stem 12 has an open inner end and is provided with a cutting edge 24, the opening 17 in part is contiguous with the open inner end of the stem, and the sleeve 19, at the inner end thereof, has a diaphragm 25. The sides and diaphragm of the sleeve normally close the opening 17 and the inner end of the stem but on axial movement of the stem towards the bottom 4 the cutting edge 24 ruptures the diaphragm 25, as illustrated in FIG. 5, thus exposing the opening 17 so that the contents of the container flow through the outlet bore 5 into chamber 2 and thence through opening 17 and passage 15 as indicated by the arrows 26, FIG. 5.

One side of the inner end of the stem 12 is provided with a radiused portion 27 to obviate complete severance of the diaphragm 25 from the sleeve 19 as shown in FIG. 5.

I claim:

1. A valve assembly for fitment to a container from which liquid is to be ejected by internal pressure, said assembly comprising a valve housing including a tubular portion extending from the bottom thereof and having an axial bore which extends therefrom into the housing, ribs located in the region of said bottom and spaced apart around the interior of the housing, a gasket sealing the end of the housing opposite said bottom, a stern extending through said gasket into the housing, said stem being slidable axially through the gasket and provided with a longitudinal passage which extends to the outer end of the stem and with an opening which extends through the side of the stem at the inner end thereof, a sleeve frictionally engaged around the stem, and a shoulder on said stem to determine the extent of movement of the stern through the sleeve, said sleeve normally resting on the tops of said ribs while covering said opening, and said shoulder being normally spaced upwardly from the upper end of the sleeve by a distance long enough such that when the stem is pushed inwards until the shoulder engages the upper end of the sleeve the bottom of the sleeve, which rests on the tops of the ribs, is prevented from moving with the stem as the stem descends, whereupon the side opening on the stem is uncovered.

2. A valve assembly according to claim 1, including a dispensing button fitted to the outer end of said stern and having a dispensing aperture which communicates with an expansion chamber formed in the button and which in turn communicates with said longitudinal passage.

3. A valve assembly for fitment to a container from which liquid is to be ejected by internal pressure, said assembly comprising a valve housing including a tubular portion extending from the bottom thereof and having an axial bore which extends therefrom into the housing, ribs located in the region of said bottom and spaced apart around the interior of the housing, a gasket sealing the end of the housing opposite said bottom, a stem extending through said gasket into the housing, said stem being slidable axially through the gasket and having a closed inner end, a longitudinal passage which extends from the closed inner end to the outer end of the stem, and an opening located adjacent to said closed inner end and extending through the side of the stem, a sleeve frictionally engaged around the stem, and a shoulder on said stem to determine the extent of movement of the stem through the sleeve, said sleeve normally resting on the tops of said ribs while covering said opening, and said shoulder being normally spaced upwardly from the upperend of the sleeve by a distance long enough such that when the stem is pushed inwards until the shoulder engages the upper end of the sleeve the bottom of the sleeve, which rests on the tops of the ribs, is prevented from moving with the stem as the stem descends, whereupon the side opening on the stem is uncovered.

4. A valve assembly according to claim 3, including a dispensing button fitted to the outer end of said stem and having a dispensing aperture which communicates with an expansion chamber formed in the button and which in turn communicates with said longitudinal passage.

5. ,A valve assembly for fitment to a container from which liquid is to be ejected by internal pressure, said assembly comprising a valve housing including a tubular portion extending from the bottom thereof and having an axial bore which extends therefrom into the housing, ribs located in the region of said bottom and spaced apart around the interior of the housing, a gasket sealing the end of the housing opposite said bottom, a stem extending through said gasket into the housing, said stern being slidable axially through the gasket and having a longitudinal passage open at both ends of the stem, an opening which extends through the side of the stem at the inner end thereof, and an inner end formed as a cutter, a sleeve frictionally engaged around the stem and having a diaphragm which closes the inner end of said longitudinal passage, a shoulder on said stem to determine the extent of movement of the stem through the sleeve, said sleeve normally resting on the tops of said ribs while covering said opening, and said shoulder being normally spaced upwardly from the upper end of the sleeve by a distance long enough such that when the stem is pushed inwards until the shoulder engages the upper end of the sleeve the bottom of the sleeve, which rests on the tops of the ribs, is prevented from moving with the stem as the stem descends, whereupon the inner end of the stem punctures said diaphragm and permanently exposes the side opening on the stem.

6. A valve assembly according to claim 5, including a dispensing button fitted to the outer end of said stem and having a dispensing aperture which communicates with an expansion chamber formed in the button and which in turn communicates with said longitudinal passage.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,667,991 2/1954 Boyer 169-31 X 3,051,652 8/1962 Olandt 1693l 3,096,003 7/l963 Nesin.

RAPHAEL M. LUPO, Primary Examiner.

Claims (1)

1. A VALVE ASSEMBLY FOR FITMENT TO A CONTAINER FROM WHICH LIQUID IS TO BE EJECTED BY INTERNAL PRESSURE, SAID ASSEMBLY COMPRISING A VALVE HOUSING INCLUDING A TUBULAR PORTION EXTENDING FROM THE BOTTOM THEREOF AND HAVING AN AXIAL BORE WHICH EXTENDS THEREFROM INTO THE HOUSING, RIBS LOCATED IN THE REGION OF SAID BOTTOM AND SPACED APART AROUND THE INTERIOR OF THE HOUSING, A GASKET SEALING THE END OF THE HOUSING OPPOSITE SAID BOTTOM, A STEM EXTENDING THROUGH SAID GASKET INTO THE HOUSING, SAID STEM BEING SLIDABLE AXIALLY THROUGH THE GASKET AND PROVIDED WITH A LONGITUDINAL PASSAGE WHICH EXTENDS TO THE OUTER END OF THE STEM AND WITH AN OPENING WHICH EXTENDS THROUGH THE SIDE OF THE STEM AT THE INNER END THEREOF, A SLEEVE FRICTIONALLY ENGAGED AROUND THE STEM, AND A SHOULDER ON SAID STEM TO DETERMINE THE EXTENT OF MOVEMENT OF THE STEM

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