Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
1~28~79
AN AEROSOI VALVE ~IOUSIN
~ he speed of filling an aerosol container with propellant
is a significant cost consideration in the total packaging cost.
~illing with propellant is generallyaccomplished in one of two
basic methoas, namely, the so-called "under-the-cup" method,
wherein the mounting cup is loosely lodged in the oontainer
opening, the propellant introdiiced to the container between the
mounting cup and the closure bead of the container, and then the
mounting cup and container opening bead are crimped. This proced~re
has been widely utilized, particularly in -the United States, in
association with the filling of chlorofluorohydrocarbons. The
other basic filling method, so-called "around the valve stem,"
involves passing the propellant exterior to the valve stem and
interior of the valve housing; the propellant passage not being
solely through the constricting orificeæ in the val~e stem.
typical valve structure of this second type is disclosed in
~nited States Paten-t No. 3,319,669. While the structure of the
aforemen-tioned patent provides an improvement to the original
me-thod of filling through the valve s-tem, the propella~t filling
rates æ e not as rapid as desirable; the filling rates being
limited by the internal diameter of the dip tube connecting the
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housing to the interior of the contailler and by the orifice size
of the vapor tap in the housing, if any.
Attemp-ts have been made to ciroumvent all restricting
orifices`of the valve unit by having the propellant ~low between
the valve gasket and the contigl~ous surface of the mounting cup
and then around the housing into the con-tainer, so called "arounnd
the nousing" method. Illustrative of this type are the filling
me-thods and associatecl valve structures disolosed in United
States Patents Nos. 3,158,297, 3,838,799 and 4,015,752. Most
of the "around -the housing" structures have not seen commercial
light; while some have recèived limited commercial acceptance.
~he principal difficulty with these structures is that to permit
sufficient compression of the gasket to enable rapid passage of
propellant over the gasket necessitates a loose crimping of
the pedestal and housing. Loose crimping is disadvantageous.
~ he present inventionp~o-.~ ,a valve unit wherein
the aerosol container may be filled, through the mounting
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cup and~assembled valve unit have been afflxed in operating
posi~ion in the con-tainer opening through the standara crimping
pressure employed in the industry.
In the invention, a filling head and valve unit combination
is provided such that during the filling operation, the filling
head provides a mechanical force through a stem-actuating member
to displace the valve body away from the mounting cup and
further, to seal, bhough not hermetically, the valve stem opening
against the entry of propellant.
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In its broadest aspect, the present invention provides a valve unlt
for controlling flow from a pressurised entrance and which comprises a container
closure member having a pedestal member enclosing a valve housing and an
associated valve gasket, and wherein the valve housing is urged against the gas-
ket to provide a seal between the closure member and the gasket by crimping the
pedestal member, and wherein the valve housing has a flexible slotted flange
integral with its outer wall, the flexible flange being disposed on the outer
side wall of the valve housing below an upper gasket contacting surface of the
housing, and having an outer surface in contact with the closure member, the
outer surface being inclined downwardly and inwardly to lie in one inclined
plane and mating with the inner surface of the crimped part of the pedestal
member.
The peripheral flange is disposed on the valve housing such that in
assembling the valve unit to its mounting cup, the indentations on the pedestal
of the mounting cup resulting from crimping the pedestal to the valve unit pro-
vide a means for affixing the valve housing and valve gasket of the valve unit
in sealing relation to the top under surface of the pedestal, and yet allowing
the flange to flex inwardly toward the outer wall of the valve housing during
filling. The inward flexing of the flange permits the valve housing to be
displaced away from the top surface of the pedestal, and concomitantly, for the
gasket to be displaced in the same direction, both resulting in a relatively
large opening between the top surface of the valve gasket and the under surface
of the pedestal during the filling operation. Upon removal of the filling head
and the associated propellant pressure and/or mechanical force against the valve
unit, the valve unit will return to a position wherein the container contents
are sealed to the atmosphere, to be opened and released only upon actuation of
the valve during usage of the pressurised package.
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In the preferred embodiment, the peripheral flange of the valve
housing extends outwardly and downwardly from the outer surface of the valve
housing and has a series of slots ex-
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tending through -the top of the flange and within the d.ownw3r(~y
extending wall of the flange.
In a second embodiment, the flange compr:ises a .ser.ies of
outwardly and downwardly extenaing lugs disposed about the
valve housing, the spacing between the lugs providing a flow
path fox -the propellan-t auring filling.
. In other embodiments, the flange extends outwardly and
upwar~ly from the valve housing and has a series o:E slots as
in the preferred embodiment, or a series of lugs as described
above for the second embodiment.
~ he present invention, while useful wi-th all types of
propell~nts, chlorofluorohydrocarbons, hydrocarbons, carbon
dioxide or nitrous oxide, has a specific u-tility and advantage
when used with hydrocarbons. Presently, ill some countries,
chlorofluorohydrocarbons aerosol propellant may be discontinued
in the near future in all but a limited number of end products al1e
to alleged detrimental environmental impact. ~his has resulted
in the aerosol industry turning to liqueEied hydroca~bons as
the principal propellant for use in aerosol containers. ~he. ~ ~.
"under the cup" method of filling is not a commercially
attractive procedure when filling with hydrocarbonsO With
the ''under the cup" method, there is always a loss of pro~
pellant to the atmosphere accompanying -the filling of each
container. With hydrocarbons, loss to the atmosphere is not
`~ . tolerable for safety reasons. Atmospherio presence of hydro- ~
carbons could lead to a hydrocarbon concentration within the ~ :
combustible hydroca~bon-oxygen concentration range. ~hus,
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1~2~3479
utilization of the "under the cup" filling method will necessitate a hydrocarbon
recovery system that will add considerable expense to the overall cost of the
filling operation.
With the present invention, hydrocarbon loss to the atmosphere is
substantially non-existent, or so miniscule as not to present the need for a
recovery system.
The valve unit of the present invention has particular significance
in the filling of a valve of the type described in German Offenlegungschrift
2,807,927 wherein there is disposed within the valve housing an impact chamber
comprising, in general, a plurality of propellant carrying conduits leading
to an impact zone into which also leads a substantially perpendicular product
conduit.
Embodiments of the present invention as applied to valve units of the
type described in German Offenlegungschrift 2,807,927 published September 7th,
1978 will now be described, with reference to the accompanying drawings
wherein:-
Figure 1 is an elevational view in section of a valve according to a
preferred embodiment of this invention, showing the valve in normal closed
position.
Figure 2 is an elevational view in section of the valve and filling
head according to the preferred embodiment of this invention, showing the pro-
pellant being filled through the filling head and valve.
Figure 3 is a top view of the valve housing along the line 3-3 of
Figure 2.
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~ !'i~re ~ an elevational view of a va]ve housing of a
fulther e~bodiment of the inven-tion.
Fig~re 5 is a top view of the valve hovæing of ~igure 4.
Figure 6 is an elevational view o a valve housing of a
further embodiment of the invention.
FiglIe 7 is a top view of the valve housing of Figure 6.
~ Figure 1 shows a mounting cup with assembled valve joined
to -the bèad of a oontainer opening.
The valve unit, general:Ly designated aæ 10, includes a
mounting cup 12 having an upstanding pedestal portion 14 and
a beaded portion 16 which affixes to the bead 18 of the
container, generally designated as 20. Assembled within the
_pedes~al 14 is a valve housing 22. Valve body 24 is disposed
within the housing 22, which houslng has an outer wall 23.
Spring 26 in the ~_~al closed position of the valve biases
the valve body 24 upwardly agains-t the valve gasket 28. Hollow
valve stem 30 is an extension of the valve body 24 and when
in its normal closed position its openings 32 are sealed by
the gasI~t 28. A-t the bottom of the valve housing 22 is plug
member 34 ~rhich at one end serves to position the lowe~el~ of
the spring 26 and at its other end defines together with the
lower end of the valve housing 22 an impact chamber, generally
designatea as 36. ~he oomponent members of the impact chamber
comprise a housing orifices 38, gaseous propellant conauits 40,
a proauct conduit 42, and an impact zone 44. Extendm g from the
bottom of the valve housing 22 is a housing nipple having a recess
which receives a dip tube 48.
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lr.he valve llousing ~2 has c~l annula~r f:Le~ible flange 50,
h3,vlng ail out~/~dl~ extendi~1g por-Lion rj2 and a do~mwardly
extending port.ion 54, said c3.o~lwardly extenaing portio-n. having
an upper sloped portioll 56 and ter.mina-ting in a lower slopetl
portion 58. r~he outwardly extencling portion 52 of the flange
50 is set slightl~ below tlle upper edge 60 of the valve housing
22 and fo~s with t:he outer wall of the housing 22 a stepped
shoulder 62.
~he propellant passages, through the fl.ange 50 are best
shown in ~igure 3. As shown in Figure 3, the housing wall 23 has
integrally molded -to it the outwa~dly extending portion 52 and
the upper. downwaraly extending slope 56. A series of openings
or slots 64 are disposed in the outw~rdly extending portion 52.
. ~s shown in the cLrawings the ou1,side diameter 29 of the
valve gasket 28 does not, as is the usual case in -the type of
valve depiotea in the arawing, extend to the side ~Qll 15 of
the pedestc,l 14. I-Iaving -the diameter of -the gaske-t truncated
together with the stepped shoulder 62, allows the outer portion
of the gasket to flex down~/ardly into the free space between
the side wall 15 of the pedestal 14 and the housing wall 23.
Filling heads of the t~pe generally described in United
States Patent ~o. 3,122,180 may be used with the valve unit
of this inven-tion. :
Whell filllng an aerosol container with the valve actuator
not in pIace on the valve stem u-tilizing the valve unit~filling
head combination of this invention~ the general type of filling
head descri.bed in United States Paten-t ~o. 3,122,180 is moaified
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as described. hereafter. Only -the rnodi~`icatlon.s and assot:i.ated
structurt ~ e ~iscussetl, since thc :cem1inder of the ~illi.ng head
structure is well ~r:ithin the skil:l of tlle a.rt.
In ~ re 2~ tho filling head is shown posit;:iollt3d in
place for filling on -the pedestal 14.
~ he filling head, to the extent shown, comprises c~n
atdaptor generally desi~nated as 72~ having arl outer wall 73~
said wall having a lower shovlder 74~ tO" r.ing 76 is disposed
on the shol~der 74~ Withill the ~lall is a sli.dable U-shaped
member 78 wllich has its leading edge 80 slopetl to compress the
"O" ring 76 against the padestal 14. Within a recess 82 of.
the slidable U-shaped member 78 is t~isposed a slitlable stem
actuator 8~ ~ld spring 85 which biases the stem actua-tor 84
towara the sloped edge 80 of the U-shaped member 78~ Tn the
face of the stem actuat.or 84 nearest the sloping edge 80~ there
is an annular groove 86 disposed -to reot7ive -the top of the valve
stem 300 ~he stam actuator 84 may be covoluted ln shape to allo~r
passage of propellan-t pas-t the actuatt()r. Propellant enters the ::
filling adaptor through the opening 88.
~ he components of the valve u.nit in ~igure 2 are slmilarl~
numbered and conform to the component description of Figures
1 and 3~ .
~ en the filling adaptor is positioned on the mo~mting
cup, as sho~rn in ~igure 2? the spring es urges the stem actuator
84 agàinst the valve stem 30, ~m-ti.l the spri.ng 26 compresses
and bottoms the valve body 24. throu~h -the spring 26, agains-t the
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shol~Ld~r 7 :i.n ~ e `botl:om of the valve housi.ng 22. ~hereaf-ter,
addi-ti~-na:LI~ging of -the spring ~35 ~rill disp1ace thc-~ ~alve unit,
inc:Luding the valve hous:ing, a~iay ~rom the top of the ped.estal
14.
Ut:ilizing a sp-ing 85 having al~ expc~lsi~,e force sufficien'-
l;o urge -the valve housing a dista~nce of ~01~" ~ oO25ll has been
found satis~c-tor~J to aocomplish the rapi.d filling of the
container with propellallt.
Essentially sealing o.~f the valve stem tiLrough cvntacting
with the stem actuator, orecloses a pressure surge through the
stem orifi.ces that may tend to dislodge the gasket from its
normal ori.entation vis-a-vis the valve stem-~body openings.
ile -the mechanioal force provided -through the filling
head described herein is preferred, the valve housing of this
invention may be filled with a conventional filling head
wherein the head seals orito the pedestal o the mounting cu.p.
In such a system, the valve housing is displaced away from the
top surface o the pedestal through the propellant pressure
in the head.
During filling, the propellant flows through the adap-tor
por-t 88 and into the interior of the adaptor 72, from there
the flow is through the central opening in the pedestal of the
mounting cup, between the gasket and pedestal, and through the
openings or slots in the flange to the container~ Termination
of propellant 10w and withdrawal of the filling head allows
the valve housing and gasket to return to the normal sealed
position shown in ~igure 1~
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Other embodiments hereinafter described differ only in
respect to the construction of the flange on the valve housing.
Thus, in ~igures 4~7 only the flange modification i8 shown.
In other respec-ts the housings of the embodiments of ~igures
4-7 are similar to bhe housing of Figures 1-3.
In Figure 4 the valve housing 22' has a wall 23' from
which extends a flange, generally designated as 90, comprising
a series of flexible lugs 92, said lugs having an outwardly
extending portion 94 and an upwardly extending portion 96.
Figure 5 best shows the slots 98 between the lugs 92
which provide a flow passage for the propellant.
In Figure 6 the valve housing 22~ has a wall 23 " from
which there is a flange generally designated as 100, comprising
a series of M exible lugs 102, said lugs having ~n outwardly
extending portion 104 and a downwardly extending portion 106.
Figure 7 best shows the slots 108 between the lugs 102.
~ he filling adaptor can also be used for filling an
aerosol container with the valve actuator already placed on the
valve stem. In such use a filling head, such as is aescxibed
in United States Patent ~o. 3,122,180, may be used~
lhe travel distance of the adaptor before the ultimate
positioning is adjusted such that the inner sleeve first contacts
the shoulder on the periphery of the actuator and thereafter
there is an additional travel distance of .015" - .025" whioh
permits seating of the flange of the actuator against the pedestal
while simultaneously moving the valve housing by flexing of the
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flange on the valve housing. ~he adjustmen-t of the travel
distance may be accomplished through lengthening the valve
stem or shortening the height of the actuator.
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