US3349974A

US3349974A - Valve assembly for aerosol containers

Info

Publication number: US3349974A
Application number: US465938A
Authority: US
Inventors: Raehs Wilhelm Josef
Original assignee: Uniplast Dr Raehs KG
Current assignee: Uniplast Dr Raehs KG
Priority date: 1964-11-07
Filing date: 1965-06-22
Publication date: 1967-10-31
Anticipated expiration: 1984-10-31
Also published as: DE1475164A1; NL6514488A; SE300793B; CH458228A

Description

' W. J. RAEHS VALVE ASSEMBLY FOR AEROSOL CONTAINERS Oct. 31, 1967 Filed June 22, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Dr. Wilhelm J. Raehs Inventor.

Oct. .31, 1967 RAEHS 3,349,974

VALVE ASSEMBLY FOR AEROSOL CONTAINERS Filed June 22, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Dr: Wilhelm J. Raehs v Invemar:

Afforney United States Patent 8 Claims. 011222-394 My present invention relates to valve assemblies for aerosol containers of the general type disclosed and claimed in my US. Patent No. 3,138,304 issued June 23, 1964.

In the aforementioned patent and other art relating to self-sealing valves for aerosol containers and the like, there are disclosed valve arrangements wherein a valve member is normally held against a valve seat by the pressure developed within the container and is depressible by the user to release the contents thereof. The container generally is filled with the substance to be dispensed and a propellant therefor, whose vapor pressure at the temperature of use is such that the internal pressure of the container suffices to block the valve.

Valves of this general type can include membranelike support elements for the valve member adapted to bear against a seat-forming member along an annular zone by means of which escape of the contents of the receptacle is prevented. In most of the conventional arrangements of this character the configuration of the valve member is such as to prevent it from being massproduced inexpensively from synthetic resin by highspeed injection-molding techniques, while in almost all of these systems there is the danger that introduction of the substance to be dispensed and the propellant to the container at high pressures or with high velocities will dislodge the valve member and render the container inoperative.

It is the principal object of the present invention to provide an improved valve assembly for aerosol-type containers and like systems for dispensing gaseous, atomized, colloidally dispensed and like substances with the aid of a propellant (low-carbon-number hydrocarbon, fluocarbon, nitrogen-oxide, carbon-dioxide, etc).

One object of my present invention is to provide an aerosol-container valve assembly whose components can be produced inexpensively at relatively high rate and by commercially acceptable techniques without sensitive tolerances and without the danger that the components of the'valve will be dislodged during the filling operation.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a self-sealing valve assembly for aerosol containers which is relatively simple and can be used for filling the unit Without problems.

These objects and others which will become apparent hereinafter are attained, in accordance with the present invention, by providing a valve assembly of the type having a membrane-like sealing member with at least one stop element or projection extending generally transverse to the direction of displacement of the valve member and mounted either upon the valve member or the seat-forming member and engageable with an abutment surface of the other member upon displacement of the valve mem ber in the valve-opening direction. Thus, the valve member can extend generally axially while having a membrane-forming, generally cylindrical shell at its lower portion and a pin-like upper portion integral with this lower portion and extending through the seat-forming member at least past the seat defined between these members for manual actuation to operate the valve. The valve can be formed by this actuating pin which may constitute a plug or the like adapted to be pressed firmly into a sleeve portion of the seat-forming member by the pressure within the aerosol container. Alternatively the pin may be freely slideable within this sleeve while an annular valve seat is formed between the members at the junction thereof with the membrane-like cylindrical portion of the valve. 8iynETAOI The valve member can, accordingly, be formed with the stop element at the upper extremity, i.e. along the end of the pin projection beyond the sleeve which may be provided with an abutment in the path of this stop element for engagement thereby in an extreme open position of the valve. Moreover, the seat-forming member can be provided with an inwardly projecting formation constituting the stop element and disposed in the path of the generally cylindrical diaphragm portion of the valve member. The stop elements of the seat-forming member and the valve member may be resiliently defiectable and provided with inwardly and upwardly convergent surfaces adapted to be bent as the valve member is inserted into the seat-forming member and then to spring back into position to limit the displacement of the valve member in the valve-opening direction. Both the valve member and the seat-forming member may, therefore, be formed from a synthetic resin by injection molding or the like so that the stop elements and abutments are integral therewith. While, in each valve, stop elements can be provided on both the valve and seat-forming members, it is also contemplated that such stop elements will be provided either on the valve member or on the seatforming member. Best results are obtained when both types of stop element are employed. Moreover, I have found that, when the stop elements are to be provided upon the seat-forming member, a plurality of them should be angularly equispaced about the valve axis. The overall peripheral extent of the stop elements are, of course, determined by the total inward force to which the valve member will be subject during filling of the container. When four stop elements are, for example, employed for engagement with the apron of the diaphragm member, the circumferential width of these elements may be half or less than that of the stop element when only two are provided.

As described above, the valve member is provided with a diaphragm-like structure adapted to hold the valve member in annular engagement with the seat-forming member with a force determined by the internal pressure of the container. Best results are obtained from the point of view of sealing engagement and ease of manufacture of the valve when the diaphragm-forming portion constitutes a yieldable inwardly open collar or apron closely juxtaposed with a substantially coaxial sleeve of the seatforming member. The internal pressure thus suffices to urge the valve member and collar axially into the seatforming member and the collar into a spreading or distending engagement of the seat-forming member so that an annular seal can also be formed along the apron portion of the diaphragm. The latter may have a generally frusto-conical chamber converging into the direction of the outlet of the valve so that the force applied to the collar and driving it into sealing engagement with the sleeve of the seat-forming member also has an outward component tending to hold the valve member radially against the seat-forming member.

The arrangement discussed above is advantageous in that each valve requires only the two members described. It is, however, frequently desirable to provide a valveactuating member adapted to cooperate with the pin-like formation of the valve member for depressing same. Each of these elements can be easily produced by injectionmolding techniques. Evidence has shown that the valves are perfectly self-sealing so that even with an energetic actuation of the valve member and a high applied pressure, the valve operates efficiently. As noted above, the valve member cannot be disloged with respect to its seat so that even the filling of the canisters with high pressure devices and the like cannot render the valve ineffective.

The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more readily apparent from the following description, reference being made to the accompanying drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a vertical cross-sectional view of a self-sealing valve for an aerosol canister, according to the present invention;

FIG. 1A is an end view, somewhat enlarged, of the pin-like formation of the valve member of the device of FIG. 1;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken transversely to the valve axis showing the bottom of the seat-forming member of the valve;

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2 illustrating another construction of the seat-forming member; and

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 1 of another embodiment of this invention.

In FIG. 1 I show an aerosol container 8 whose opening is reinforced by a lip 8' to which the fastening rim 7 of a seat-forming member 1 is held; the seat-forming member has an annular bulge 7' drawn against the lip 8 of the container 8 when the rim 7 is locked in place. The seat-forming member 1 is formed with an upwardly tapering tubular frustoconical sleeve 2 through the interior of which extends the pin-like formation 4 of a valve member 3 shiftable axially with respect to the seatforming member 1. The sleeve 2 defines a valve seat for the plug-like pin 4 whose upper extremity projects beyond the upper end 2' of the sleeve 2. At its lower extremity, the valve member 2 is provided with a frustoconioal portion 5 integral with a sealing collar 6, the valve portion 4 being integral with and carried by the membrane-

like support portion

5, 6. The

support portion

5, 6 is, according to this invention, elastically deformable and is normally held by the internal pressure of the container 8 against the complementary portion 1 of the seat-forming member; thus, the frustoconical portion 5 bears against the frustoconical portion 1' of the seat-forming member 1 while the generally cylindrical collar 6 is coaxial with and proximal to the cylindrical portion 1" of member 1, the cylindrical portion carrying the fastening means 7, 7'.

The valve member 3 is provided, in the region of the pin-like portion 4, with a plurality of angularly equispaced openings 9 which discharge fluid received from a syphon tube 10 into the gap between the plug 4 and the sleeve 2 when the valve member 3 is depressed. For this purpose, the tube 10, which generally extends below the surface of the liquid within the container and to the bo tom thereof, is received within a connecting boss 11 integral with the valve member 3. The tube 10 terminates short of the upper end of the internal cavity of the boss or sleeve 11 which thus defines a chamber 12 with which the openings 9 communicate.

A valve-actuating member or head 13 is provided in the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 and has a cylindrical cap-like configuration. At least the upper wall 13 of this cap is elastically deformable into engagement with the projecting portion of plug 4 so as to depress the latter. A tubular formation 13" of this head extends over the sleeve 2 and forms with the interior thereof a compartment 13a from which the contents of the container are dispensed via a nozzle 14 communicating with the com-. partment 13a by way of a passage 14'. The cap 13 can be sealingly held by a rubber ring 13b within the annular recess between the cylindrical portion 1" of the seat-forming member 1 and the connecting formations 7, 7 thereof. The cap 13 and the seat-forming member 1 can be injection-molded from synthetic resin and preferably have lowcoefficients of sliding friction so that the frustoconical configuration of sleeve 2 tends to urge the elastically distendable portion 13" of cap 13 upwardly. When the wall 13 of the cap 13 is depressed, it comes into engagement with the projecting portion of plug 4 and urges the valve member 3 inwardly to produce a clearance between the plug 4 and the sleeve 2 through which the substance to be dispensed flows from openings 9 to outlet 14. When it is desired to fill the container with the propellant and/or the other substance to be dispensed, the cap 13 is removed and inwardly directed pressure is applied by the fluid at sleeve 2. There is, therefore, a tendency for the valve member 3 to be projected inwardly out of the valve seat 1.

According to an important feature of this invention, therefore, the valve-opening movement of member 3 is limited by at least one

stop element

15, 16. These elements also prevent dislodgement of the valve member by overenergetic actuation thereof. Thus a plurality of angularly spaced inward projections 15 can be formed integrally with the seat-forming member 1 during an injection-molding operation, the stop elements 15 being provided at the lower extremity of the cylindrical portion 1" at the junction of the fastening collar 7, 7 thereof; in general, injection-molding of the seat-forming member 2 is facilitated when, regardless of the member upon which the stop element is to be provided, the elements are formed at the extremity of the member so that relatively simple dies can be employed and the molding can be effected without problems with regard to removal of the members from their mold cavities. The inwardly projecting stop elements 15 extend into the path of an abutment surface 6' of the collar 6 to limit the downward displacement of valve member 3. Since the

membrane portion

5, 6 is elastically deformable, as indicated earlier, the valve member 3 can be forced past projections 15 to assemble to the valve without difficulty.

In FIG. 3 I show an arrangement wherein the noselike projections 15 are replaced by segmental formations 15' of relatively large circumferential extent. In almost all cases, however, it is advantageous to form a member with a relatively large proportion of its circumference free from the

projections

15 or 15 so that, in the event the valve member 3 is forced into its extreme lower position with the surface 6 in engagement with the projections 15, 15', there will be sufficient clearance to permit the free influx of fluid into the container during a filling operation.

As is also evident from FIG. 1, the end of the pin-like plug 4 which extends beyond the extremity 2 of sleeve 2 can be provided with a lateral projection 16 engageable with this abutment surface 2' when the valve member 3 is fully depressed. In this case, the elements 15, 15' need not be used although for best results both should be provided. The formation 16 and/ or the sleeve 2 are elastically deformable so that the projection 16 can be resiliently deflected or can spread the sleeve 2 as it is forced through the latter to spring into its position illustrated in FIG. 1. This is facilitated by the frustoconical configuration of the sleeve 2 and the plug member 3. To prevent obstruction of the passage between the sleeve 2 and member 4 during filling and when the member 4 is fully depressed, one or the other is disposed eccentrically, made noncircular, or is provided with channels 1d for the through flow of the material.

In FIG. 4 I show another system embodying the present invention wherein the sleeve portion 102' of the seat-forming member 102 is cylindrical and serves as a guide for the cylindrical cap 113 into which the pin-like formation 104 extends. Annular teeth 104a are formed as the head 113 is forced over the pin 104 and act as ratchet elements preventing withdrawal of the head, which is applied after filling of the container. The elastically deformable collar 106 is urged against the frustoconical sleeve portion 101" by the pressure within the container 108 while, upon depression of the valve member, the liquid to be dispensed flows through the syphon tube 110 and the tubular extension 111 of the valve member 101. The latter is formed with a chamber 112 with which a passage 109 communicates to conduct the fluid past the valve seat 102a formed by a rubber washer. The latter cooperates with the surface 102b to block fluid into the region between the pin 104 and the sleeve 102. This region communicates with the nozzle 114. In this embodiment as well, projections 115, similar to the

projections

15 and 15 described above, are employed.

The invention described and illustrated is believed to admit of many modifications within the ability of persons skilled in the art, all such modifications being considered within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A self-sealing valve assembly for aerosol containers fillable through said assembly, comprising a generally tubular seat-forming member received within an opening of said container and defining an annular valve seat provided with an axially extending sleeve portion extending beyond said seat; and a valve member movably mounted in said seat-forming member and engageable with said seat, said valve member having a first extremity exposed to fluid pressure in the interior of said housing and forming a membrane urged by that fluid pressure in an out ward direction normally to hold said valve member against said seat, and a pinlike portion at its other extremity extending inwardly through said sleeve and projecting therefrom for depression to withdraw said valve member inwardly from said seat and define between said valve member and said seat member a clearance for introduction of fluid into and discharge of fluid from said container, at least one of said members being provided with at least one lateral stop projection extending over only a limited peripheral region of said one of said members and the other of said members being provided with an abutment surface engageable by said projection upon inward displacement of said valve member to limit such inward displacement and prevent said membrane from being withdrawn from said seat-forming member, said valve member being provided with an inwardly open resiliently deformable collar at said first extremity surrounding said membrane and said seat-forming member being generally cup-shaped and provided with a tubular portion coaxially surrounding said collar and closely juxtaposed therewith whereby fluid pressure within said container urges said membrane into contact with said seat and said collar outwardly against said tubular portion in a closed condition of the valve assembly and fluid pressure applied from without to said clearance deflects said collar inwardly to permit rapid filling of the container, said valve member having a tubular boss extending inwardly from said membrane at said first extremity for receiving a siphon to be adapted to extend into said container, said membrane being provided within said boss with at least one aperture for communication between said boss and said clearance for discharge of fluid from said container upon depression of said valve member, said sleeve and said pinlike portion forming a passage between them at least upon depression of said valve member to constitute the sole communication between said clearance and the exterior of the assembly externally of said pinlike portion, said tubular portion of said seat-forming member being provided with said stop projection in the region of its inner end and said collar defines said abutment surface, said collar being yieldable upon insertion of said valve member into said seat-forming member to clear said projection.

2. A valve assembly as defined in claim 1 wherein a plurality of said stop formations are angularly spaced along the inner edge of said tubular portion and are integral with said seat-forming member.

3. A valve assembly as defined in claim 2 wherein said stop projections have nose-like configurations.

4. A valve assembly as defined in claim 2 wherein said stop projections are are segments extending from and spaced about the interior of said tubular portion.

5. A self-sealing valve-assembly for aerosol containers fillable through said assembly, comprising a generally tubular seat-forming member received within an opening of said container and defining an annular valve seat provided with an axially extending sleeve portion extending beyond said seat; and a valve member movably mounted in said seat-forming member and engageable with said seat, said valve member having a first extremity exposed to fluid pressure in the interior of said housing and forming a membrane urged by that fluid pressure in an outward direction normally to hold said valve member against said seat, and a pinlike portion at its other extremity extending inwardly through said sleeve and projecting therefrom for depression to withdraw said valve member inwardly from said seat and define between said valve member and said seat member a clearance for introduction of fluid into and discharge of fluid from said container, at least one of said members being provided with at least one lateral stop projection extending over only a limited peripheral region of said one of said members and the other of said members being provided with an abutment surface engageable by said projection upon inward displacement of said valve member to limit such inward displacement and prevent said membrane from being with drawn from said seat-forming member, said valve member being provided with an inwardly open resiliently deformable collar at said first extremity surrounding said membrane and said seat-forming member being generally cup-shaped and provided with a tubular portion coaxially surrounding said collar and closely juxtaposed therewith whereby fluid pressure within said container urges said membrane into contact with said seat and said collar outwardly against said tubular portion in a closed condition of the valve assembly and fluid pressure applied from without to said clearance deflects said collar inwardly to permit rapid filling of the container, said valve member having a tubular boss extending inwardly from said membrane at said first extremity for receiving a siphon to be adapted to extend into said container, said membrane being provided within said boss with at least one aperture for communication between said boss and said clearance for discharge of fluid from said container upon depression of said valve member, said sleeve and said pinlike portion forming a passage between them at least upon depression of said valve member to constitute the sole communication between said clearance and the exterior of the assembly externally of said pinlike portion, said stop projection being formed integrally with said pinlike portion of said valve member and said sleeve portion of said seat-forming member defining said abutment surface engageable by said stop projection, at least one of said members being elastically deformable to permit said stop projection and said pin-like portion to pass through said sleeve portion upon insertion of said valve member in said seat-forming member.

6. A valve assembly as defined in claim 5 wherein said sleeve portion and said pin-like portion converge axially inwardly and are of frustoconical configuration.

7. A valve assembly as defined in claim 6 wherein one of said pin-like and sleeve portions are non-circular in cross section to form an axially extending passage for the fluid therebetween.

8. A valve assembly as defined in claim 6 where one of said pin-like and sleeve portions is formed with grooves opening in the direction of the other portion to form axially extending channels for said fluid.

(References on following page) References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Ayres 222394 Campbell 222-394 5 Treharne et a1. 222559 X Nebinger 251354 X 8 3,138,304 6/1964 Raehs 222394 3,201,081 8/1965 Lyon et a1. 251--175 X FOREIGN PATENTS 1,073,816 1/1960 Germany.

ROBERT B. REEVES, Primary Examiner.

F. R. HANDREN, Assistant Examiner.

Claims

1. A SELF-SEALING VALVE ASSEMBLY FOR AEROSOL CONTAINERS FILLABLE THROUGH SAID ASSEMBLY, COMPRISING A GENERALLY TUBULAR SEAT-FORMING MEMBER RECEIVED WITHIN AN OPENING OF SAID CONTAINER AND DEFINING AN ANNULAR VALVE SEAT PROVIDED WITH AN AXIALLY EXTENDING SLEEVE PORTION EXTENDING BEYOND SAID SEAT; AND A VALVE MEMBER MOVABLY MOUNTED IN SAID SEAT-FORMING MEMBER AND ENGAGEABLE WITH SAID SEAT, SAID VALVE MEMBER HAVING A FIRST EXTREMITY EXPOSED TO FLUID PRESSURE IN THE INTERIOR OF SAID HOUSING AND FORMING A MEMBRANE URGED BY THAT FLUID PRESSURE IN AN OUTWARD DIRECTION NORMALLY TO HOLD SAID VALVE MEMBER AGAINST SAID HEAT, AND A PINLIKE PORTION AT ITS OTHER EXTREMITY EXTENDING INWARDLY THROUGH SAID SLEEVE AND PROJECTING THEREFROM FOR DEPRESSION TO WITHDRAW SAID VALVE MEMBER INWARDLY FROM SAID SEAT AND DEFINE BETWEEN SAID VALVE MEMBER AND SAID SEAT MEMBER A CLEARANCE FOR INTRODUCTION OF FLUID INTO AND DISCHARGE OF FLUID FROM SAID CONTAINER, AT LEAST ONE OF SAID MEMBERS BEING PROVIDED WITH AT LEAST ONE LATERAL STOP PROJECTION EXTENDING OVER ONLY A LIMITED PERIPHERAL REGION OF SAID ONE OF SAID MEMBERS AND THE OTHER OF SAID MEMBERS BEING PROVIDED WITH AN ABUTMENT SURFACE ENGAGEABLE BY SAID PROJECTION UPON INWARD DISPLACEMENT OF SAID VALVE MEMBER TO LIMIT SUCH INWARD DISPLACEMENT AND PREVENT SAID MEMBRANE FROM BEING WITHDRAWN FROM SAID SEAT-FORMING MEMBER, AND VALVE MEMBER BEING PROVIDED WITH AN INWARDLY OPEN RESILIENTLY DEFORMABLE COLLAR AT SAID FRIST EXTREMITY SURROUNDING SAID MEMBRANE AND SAID SEAT-FORMING MEMBER BEING GENERALLY CUP-SHAPED AND PROVIDED WITH A TUBULAR PORTION COAXIALLY SURROUNDING SAID COLLAR AND CLOSELY JUXTAPOSED THEREWITH WHEREBY FLUID PRESSURE WITHIN SAID CONTAINER URGES SAID MEMBRANE INTO CONTACT WITH SAID SEAT AND SAID COLLAR OUTWARDLY AGAINST SAID TUBULAR PORTION IN A CLOSED CONDITION OF THE VALVE ASSEMBLY AND FLUID PRESSURE APPLIED FROM WITHOUT TO SAID CLEARANCE DEFLECTS SAID COLLAR INWARDLY TO PERMIT RAPID FILLING OF THE CONTAINER, SAID VALVE MEMBER HAVING A TUBULAR BOSS EXTENDING INWARDLY FROM SAID MEMBRANE AT SAID FIRST EXTREMITY FOR RECEIVING A SIPHON TO BE ADAPTED TO EXTEND INTO SAID CONTAINER, SAID MEMBRANE BEING PROVIDED WITHIN SAID BOSS WITH AT LEAST ONE APERTURE FOR COMMUNICATION BETWEEN SAID BOSS AND SAID CLEARANCE FOR DISCHARGE OF FLUID FROM SAID CONTAINER UPON DEPRESSION OF SAID VALVE MEMBER, SAID SLEEVE AND SAID PINLIKE PORTION FORMING A PASSAGE BETWEEN THEM AT LEAST UPON DEPRESSION OF SAID VALVE MEMBER TO CONSTITUTE THE SOLE COMMUNICATION BETWEEN SAID CLEARANCE AND THE EXTERIOR OF THE ASSEMBLY EXTERNALLY OF SAID PINLIKE PORTION, SAID TUBULAR PORTION OF SAID SEAT-FORMING MEMBER BEING PROVIDE WITH SAID STOP PROJECTION IN THE REGION OF ITS INNER END AND SAID COLLAR DEFINES SAID ABUTMENT SURFACE, SAID COLLAR BEING YIELDABLE UPON INSERTION OF SAID VALVE MEMBER INTO SAID SEAT-FORMING MEMBER TO CLEAR SAID PROJECTION.