US3435998A - Aerosol container - Google Patents

Description

MM. KAHN 13,435,998 AEROSOL CONTAINER I April 1, 1969 Sheet Filed Aug. 9, 1967 April 1, 1969 Filed Aug. 9, 1967 Sheet United States Patent Int. (:1. Basd 83/14 US. Cl. ZZZ-402.24 6 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE In an aerosol container, a valve seat formed by an annular surface provided on the outer surface of the container collar, a retaining joint formed by the edge of a circular passage made in the elastic bottom of a mounting cap sealingly mounted around the can by its opening and an opening for permitting the aerosol from the can to escape in the direction of the valve, this opening being made in part of the collar surmounted by the mounting cap, with the space between the bell and the can forming an expansion chamber for. the aerosol passing through this opening.

The invention is concerned with an improved aerosol container assembly.

The accompanying drawing represents by way of example one embodiment of the present invention:

FIGURE 1 is an elevational view partially broken away of an improved aerosol container in accordance with the invention;

FIGURE 2 is a cross-sectional view thereof showing details of construction; and

FIGURE 3 is a view similar to FIGURE 2 and illustrating the operation of the valve.

The aerosol container shown in FIGURE 1 comprises a can 1 filled with aerosol material 2 the upper part of which carries a mounting cap 3 secured on can 1 by a rigid ring '4 and surmounted by a push button 5, forming the actuating pusher for a valve, the characteristics of which will be described later, and pierced by opening 6 through which can exit the aerosol material when the valve has been operated.

Can 1, which can be of metal or of plastic material, has a diminished truncated top section 1a and has a short cylindrical part capped by a cylindrical flare 1b to finally form a substantially cylindrical collar '16 the upper extremity of whose external surface is a truncated flare 1d. This flaring out forms the seat of the aerosol valve.

The opening of collar 1c is closed by a stopper 7 which is solid in the part thereof extending above a passage 12 made in the wall of the collar and which on the contrary is hollowed out to form a conduit 7a below this passage; a diametral opening 71; connects this conduit to passage la. The lower part of the stopper 7 which plunges inside the can is slightly curved on its outer surface in order to be able to fix thereto, by slight deformation, the upper extremity of an elastic tubular 8 which extends to the bottom of the can and by means of which the aerosol material can ascend toward neck 10 of the can.

The vacuum joint bearing on previously mentioned seat 1d is constituted by the upper edge of opening 3a of a small collar 3]; with which is provided the upper part of mounting cap 3 and which extends around neck 10 of the can coaxially thereto. This mounting cap 3- has additionally on its inner face an annular groove having a shape and size corresponding to flare 1b of the can and placed at a distance from the edge of the opening of the mounting cap which corresponds to the width of the groove 1f of the said flare 1b.

'Mounting cap 3 also has on its upper surface a sleeve 3d in which can sealingly engage pushbutton 5 previously mentioned.

Mounting cap 3 is of plastic or elastic material such as rubber; it is thus possible to fit it on can 1 by deforming it slightly in order to make it assume the position illustrated in FIGURE *1; ring 4 which is next driven around the the bell-shaped member prevents all relative axial movement thereof with body '1 and exerts on this bell-shaped member a sufficient radial stress to guarantee a sealed assembly between the two elements at the level of the opening of the bell-shaped member.

Mounting cap 3 moreover is such that it bears elastically on seat 1d by the edge 3a of its smaller collar 3b and with a force suflicient to prevent all passage of aerosol.

Besides, the space between the inner wall of the mounting cap and the can 1 constitutes a first expansion chamber for the aerosol material.

In order to open the valve which has been described, it will be suflicient to exert a slight vertical pressure P on the pushbutton 5 which will transmit the stress received on the upper surface of the mounting cap 3. Since the same is of an elastically deformable material, it will tend to slightly deform as shown in FIGURE 3, which will permit the aerosol material to pass between the bellshaped member and seat 1d of the can and to penetrate inside pushbutton 5 from where it will be distributed by opening 6.

When pressure F is relaxed, mounting cap 3 will tend to assume again its rest position of FIGURE 2, on the one hand because it is of plastic material and on the other hand because the aerosol contained in the mounting cap, which is at a pressure greater than atmospheric pressure, will exert on the lower surface of the mounting cap a return force which will be all the greater as the pressure will be considerable.

It is also to this eflort that is due a perfect sealing of the valve even when the aerosol contained in the can is under very high pressure, since the force with which the mounting cap bears on the seat is equal to the sum of this stress and that due to the elasticity of the mounting cap and the slight deformation to which its upper part is subjected even for the inoperative position of the valve (FIGURE 1).

The filling of this aerosol can take place before the mounting cap is mounted andbefore stopper 7 has been forced in the neck of the can, the stopper being put in after filling.

-It is also possible to fill the can when the stopper 7, the bell-shaped member 3 and the ring 4 are fixedly secured on the can; it suffices then to apply on mounting cap 3, around the small collar 3d, a tube connected to a reserve of aerosol material and to press on the mounting cap to open the valve.

The present aerosol container can be made of extruded and blown plastic material or still of light metal such as aluminum, the forming of the upper part of the container being made by repeated passes through a turning machine.

What is claimed is:

1. Aerosol container comprising in combination a can adapted to contain aerosol material and a propellent, said can having a top integral therewith and including a peripheral shoulder, an annular rib spaced from said shoulder and terminating into an open collar, said collar having a peripheral flare forming a valve seat, a radial opening in said top between said flare and said annular rib, a stopper closing said collar, said stopper being closed at the upper end thereof and having an axial passage in the lower part thereof communicating with the inside of said can, a radial opening in said stopper for placing said axial passage in communication with said radial opening in said top, a deformable mounting cap having the lower part thereof fluidtightly engaged over said annular rib with its extremity abutting said peripheral shoulder, said cap having inwardly thereof a peripheral collar positioned below said valve seat and normally bearing against said valve seat to prevent all passage of aerosol material; a space between said cap and the outside of said top forming a first aerosol expansion chamber; said cap terminating in a peripheral upstanding sleeve spaced from said valve seat, a hollow pushbutton member fitting around the sleeve and having an inner portion constituting a second aerosol expansion chamber, said member having an outlet orifice for discharging said aerosol material.

2. A container according to claim 1 having a rigid ring force-fitted around said cap for preventing all axial movements thereof.

3. A container according to claim 1 wherein said pushbutton member is of inverted cup-shape form with an oblique top to facilitate actuation.

4. A container according to claim 1, wherein said stopper has an externally curved lower part for receiving the upper part of a deformable tubular stem extending to the bottom of said can.

5. A container according to claim 1 wherein said cap has an annular groove in the inner lateral wall thereof, said groove fitting over said rib.

6. A container according to claim 1, wherein the lower portion of said peripheral collar is outwardly flared so as to provide a greater space between said lower portion and the part of said open collar below said valve seat than between said part and the upper part of said peripheral collar.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,015,846 10/1935 Falthauser 215-95 2,499,149 2/1950 Lippold 251-354 X 2,554,570 5/1951 Harvey 222-214 X 2,835,418 5/1958 Manetti 222-5118 X 3,195,787 7/1965 Kitabayshi 251-353 X SAMUEL F. COLEMAN, Primary Examiner.

N. L. STACK, JR., Assistant Examiner.

US. Cl. X.R.

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