Dispensing – With cleaning means
Patent
1996-03-08
1998-03-24
Huson, Gregory L.
Dispensing
With cleaning means
222330, 2224021, B67D 108
Patent
active
057303320
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention generally relates to actuators or spouts for pressurized packages commonly referred to as aerosol containers, and more specifically, to such actuators that are particularly well suited to dispense foam from aerosol containers.
Aerosol packages typically comprise a pressurized container that holds a fluid or solution, and a valve unit to dispense the fluid or solution from the container. The valve unit is situated in the neck of container and is opened by finger pressure against an actuator that is disposed at one terminal end of a valve stem. The valve unit has a moveable valve body and an associated hollow valve stem that, upon the application of the above-mentioned finger pressure, unseats from a gasket to permit flow of product into the valve stem and then through and from the actuator.
GB-A-1326714 an actuator for an aerosol container is known, comprising a body forming an inlet to connect the actuator to a discharge outlet of the container, in fluid communication therewith, to receive fluid therefrom, a side surface defining a single discharge opening to discharge fluid from the actuator, and a single body passageway extending between the inlet and the discharge opening to conduct the fluid from the inlet to the discharge opening. The body passageway is surrounded by a thin wall of material and has a narrow outer portion, a narrow inner portion and a wider mid portion.
Many aerosol containers are used to dispense a foam that is used for personal or household purposes, such as mousse. It is known that the texture or quality of foams emerging from pressurized foam containers can be improved by making the foam pass through narrow passageways in the actuators of the containers. Heretofore, typically, in order to provide an actuator with a multitude of such narrow passageways, it bas been necessary to make the actuator from two or more pieces that are made separately and then joined or fitted together as described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,767,125. Despite the associated economic advantages, no commercially practical process has been developed for forming a one-piece, integrally molded actuator having a multitude of narrow passageways.
Another disadvantage of prior art foam actuators is that often, after the actuator is used to dispense a quantity of foam, a small amount of that foam remains on the surface of the actuator. Over a period of time, that foam collapses and dries, leaving a sticky residue on the actuator that is both messy and unsightly.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of this invention is to improve actuators for aerosol containers.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an actuator that is able to draw foam back inward, into the actuator, after the actuator has been used to dispense a quantity of foam from an aerosol container.
A further object of this invention is to provide a one-piece, integrally molded actuator for dispensing foam from an aerosol container and having a multitude of narrow passageways that act to improve the texture and quality of the foam dispensed from the container.
Another object of this invention is to form a foam actuator in a plastic injection molding process, and to utilize the natural shrinkage that occurs during the molding process to form pouch-shaped passageways in the actuator that both improve the texture and quality of the foam discharged from the actuator, and also help to draw back into the actuator foam residue from the actuator surface.
These and other objectives are attained with an actuator for an aerosol container, comprising a body forming an inlet, a top surface defining a multitude of discharge slits, and a multitude of body passageways each being joined in a upper massive part of the body to conduct fluid from the inlet to the discharge slits. Each of the body passageways has a pouch shape, including narrower upper and lower portions and a wider mid portion. Preferably, the discharge slits and the body passageways radially extend outward from, and are equally spaced apart around, a central
REFERENCES:
patent: 3767125 (1973-10-01), Gehres et al.
patent: 3785528 (1974-01-01), Mandeltort
patent: 4277004 (1981-07-01), Barlics
patent: 4978035 (1990-12-01), Morane et al.
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