Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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This invention relates to apparatus for and a method of dispensing
gaseous, powdered or liquid ma~erials including creamy and foamy materlals of
relatively low viscosity.
Several methods and apparatus are known for dispensing materials. The
siphon and the so-called aerosol products are the best-known. Their common
eature is that they have a pressure vessel containing material to be dispensed
and overpressure is developed in the pressure vessel by a carrier gas ~so- -
called propellant). The overpressure is used for dispensing in the desired
direction the material in the pressure vessel through a valve.
The propellant enters the pressure vessel of the siphons from outside~
~ from a replaceable tank. The pressure vessel can be repeatedly reused, the
; material to be dispensed can be repeatedly refilled. This construction is
preferable if a large quantity of material is to be prepared for dispensing or
especially preferable if chemical reaction is required ~etween the material to
be dispensed and the propellant providing overpressure.
A çharacteristic of the aerosol products is that the material to be
dispensed and the propellant are fllled in the tank under overpressure. Another
characteristic is that because refilling them is very complicated they are gen-
eral~y non-refillable, being designed to be thrown away after use.
The aerosol products comprise fluorohydrocarbons such as those known
by the trade marks Freon, Frigon~ Kaltron, etc., as propellants. The fluoro-
hydrocarbDns are chemically inert and as inert gases would be very advantageous.However, their environment pollutant effect~ and the eventual decomposition
of the ozone shield of the atmosphere in their presence are widely investigated
and the use of hydrocarbons has been already banned in many countries on
account of their presumed negative conse~uences. This tendency is expected to
spread throughout the world. ~ide ranging experiments for replacing hydrocar-
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bons are being made, but a material which is similarly inert~ cheap with
favourable features of use has not been found up to now. Generally the other
propellants are relatively expensive or their chemical reaction with the
material to be spread is unfavourable for use.
Apart from the propellant being even~ually dangerous for the environment,
the aerosol products are relatively expensive: the high cost of the container
is not commensurate with the value of the material to be dispensed, and their
disposability, owing to safety requirementsJ significantly increases the cos~
of production. ~here the material to be dispensed is incendiary or possibly
explosive, the empty vessels require special care, because the material left
behind inevitably in the vessel may cause accidents when opening the vessel
carelessly.
The methods of and apparatus for refilling the aerosol vessels are com-
plicated and not hygienic while they do not prevent the contents of the vessel
from getting into the atmosphere, in this way further polluting environment.
Another drawback is that the refilled vessel can not be sealed safely except
by eMploying more expensive materials and constructions further increasing costs.
An object of the present invention is to provide a method of and
~- apparatus for dispensing materials without polluting the environment and which
is cheaper than all the kno~n methods~ eliminating the drawbacks mentioned
; above. Another object 1S ~o provlde a method and apparatus that can berepeatedly used5 is inexpensive and uses a propellant which does not require
skill to handle.
According to one aspect of the invention there is provided a method of
dispensing material~ comprising disposing material to be dispensed in a first
sealed container within a first portion of a casing~ disposing a propellant
in a second sealed container within a second portion of said casing~ closing
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the casing, piercing the second container within the closed casing to permit
the propellant within the second container to escape and to pressurize the
first container, and dispensing said material from the first container to a
point outside said casing.
According to another aspect of the invention there is provided apparatus
for dispensing material, comprising a casing, a first sealed container of the
material to be dispensed disposed within said casing, a second sealed container
of propellant also disposed within said casing, means to close said casing9
means operable through said closed casing to pierce the second container
thereby to apply the pressure of the propellant to the outside of said first
container withou~ admixing the propellant with the material to be dispensed,
and means to dispense said material from the interior of said first container
under the pressure of said propellan* to a point outside said casing.
Preferably the first container is movable~in said casing under *he
influence of the pressure of said propellant and the appara*us includes pier-
cing means within the casing to pierce the first container when the first
container moves toward the piercing means under the impe*us o:E said propellant,said dispensing means comprising a dispensing valve for dispensing material
- from the pierced ~irst container.
In a preferred arrangement wall means separates said first and second
containers within the casing, the propellant moving said wall means toward the
first container when the second container is pierced and the propellant is
released within the casing. ~;
By the method and apparatus according to the present invention
powdered, gaseous and liquid materials can be effectively spread, atomized or
pressed out without polluting environment. Compressed air or other similarly
cheapg easy to sell gas can ~e used as propellant as it does not get into
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contact with the material to be dispensed. If desiredJ a two-component chemical
system can also be used as propellant. There is no need for throwing away the
pressure vessel after use, new tanks of propellant and material to be dispensed
can be inserted into it, and the apparatus can be put in~o service again very
simply. This way a new commercial amlly of goods can be developed incorpora-
ting interchangeable members.
Different methods according to the present invention can be provided.
Basically however, a pressure vessel is used comprising a spreading nozzle with
valve. The lower end cap of the vessel is removed, and the separate material
tank is inserted into it, next to the spreading nozzle, and then the propellant
tank is inserted in the vessel. The material tank is used for closing the path
of the gas in the direction of the spreading nozzle. As the end cap is screwed
on, the opening of the propellant tank is ensured by a pricking mechanism. The
developed overpressure moves the material tank towards the spreading nozzle.
The spreading nozzle may be, for example, a valve comprising an inlet tube and
the tube rips the wall of the taDk nnd as it sinks into the material tank at
the same time, the opening of the valve enables spreading.
Alternatively~ the valve may be omitted so that when a pricker or other
sharp member situated in the space of the material tank effectuates the ripping
of the material tank in the pressure vessel, the material exits immediately in
the desired directlon.
According to another method the pressure vessel is divided into two
~ parts and their sealing effectuates both the air-tight sealing of the pressure
i~ ; vessel and the opening of the propellant tank. A movable dividing wall is
effected between the two parts, and the dispensing nozzle of the material tank
is covered with a layer of easily rippable material. In this way a dispensing
device suited for single use with single assembly~ comprising a spreading
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no~zle which is ripped by the overpressure developed by opening the propellant
tank is obtained.
The invention will now be described in greater detail with reference
to the accompanying drawing which is a cross-sectional view o a dispensing
clevice according to the invention.
The apparatus comprises a pressure vessel 5 sealed on one side by a
dispensing nozzle, a valve mechanismJ in this case comprising an exit tube 4, ?
a valve 3, and an atomizer 1 supported by a finger piece 2, and on the other
side oy an end cap 13. The end cap 13 connects to the pressure vessel 5
*hrough packing 7 and is secured to the vessel with a screw thread, bayonet-
lock ~not shown in the fig~re) or other appropriate mechanism. The end cap 13
comprises an evacuation valve 14 communicating with the internal space of the
pressure vessel and a pricking mechanism comprising a pricker 6 and a push but-
ton 8.
The steps of operating the apparatus of the present invention are prQ-
vided as follows.
A material tank 9 containing a material 10 to be dispensed is inserted
into the pressure vessel 5. The wall of the material tank 9 next to the end
cap 13 is pressure-tight while its wall next to the spreading nozzle and to
the valve mechanism, respectively, can be easily ripped. The wall next to
the end cap 13 can be a stiff wall 15 or an elastic wrapper 15 bearing tightly
against and guided by the inside wall of the pressure vessel (shown in the
figure). After the material tank 9 has been inserted, a propellant tank 11 con-
taining a propellant 12, for example~ compressed air, is inserted. The
pressure vessel 5 is sealed by the end cap 13. After sealing the pricker 6 is
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pricked into the wall of the propellant tank 11 by pressing the push button 8.
The expanding propellant 12 presses the stiff wall 15 or the elastic wrapper 16 ~ -
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of the material tank 9 agains~ ~he wall of the pressure vessel 5 and hereby
blocks its own further passage. As a result of the developed overpressure the
material tank 9 moves towards the spreading nozzle and in this case it i5
pricked by the wall of the lnlet tube 4 whereupon a communication is effected
between the spreading noz~le and the internal space of the material tank 9.
Upon opening the spreading nozzle by pressing fingerpiece 2 the material lO to
be spread~ contained in the material tank 9 is forced by the overpressure to
exit through the atomi~er l transformed into tiny drops. As the material tank
9 keeps deflating, the pressure moves the wall dividing the internal space of
the pressure vessel 5 always more and more against the spreading nGzzle. As
soon as the material tank is empty the propellant 12 left is removed by using
the evacuation valve 14 and the deflated tanks in the pressure vessel 5 can be
removed by opening the end cap 13 and can be replaced by new ones.
The method according to the present invention enables an effective
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apparatus to be built with remarkably inexpensive, simply manufactured elements.The tanks can be thrown away after use; the propellant used can be s0lected
from i~expensive gases which do not pollutc the environment; the apparatus is
explosion- and fire-proof even when subjected to violent handling. The material
tanks can be filled with materials of various kinds.
2a The apparatus and method according to the present invention provide
prefabricated material tanks of pleasing and diversified ext~rior for dispensingand their content can be checked easily and without errors. It should be noted,
that the material tank may contain the propellant tank for providing easier
sale, transport and use. The invention results in a 50-80 per cent decrease
in cost compared to the conventional constructions. The tank containers that
are thrown away are very small and the apparatus pollu~es the environment much
less than the previous constructions.
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