Dispensing – With discharge assistant – Fluid pressure
Reexamination Certificate
1999-12-22
2001-09-04
Derakshani, Philippe (Department: 3754)
Dispensing
With discharge assistant
Fluid pressure
C222S153100
Reexamination Certificate
active
06283338
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to a valve for the discharge of fluids that are under pressure in a container, in particular liquids, pastes, gels, cremes or the like, with a valve body that is fixed in a container lid and by way of which an ascending pipe disposed in the interior of the container can be put into fluid communication with a discharge tube that can be actuated from outside the container, and with an atomizer cap that can be locked to the circumferential edge of the container lid and that comprises an atomizer nozzle corresponding to the discharge tube and oriented approximately perpendicular to the container axis.
Such valves and containers provided with such valves are generally known. For aerosol applications it is very often necessary to dispose the atomizer nozzle in a particular spatial relationship to the ascending pipe in the interior of the container; that is, the spray direction must correspond to the site at which the open end of the ascending pipe, at the bottom of the container, sucks in the medium to be sprayed. This applies in particular to the spraying of ironing starch, furniture polish or the like, during which the user ordinarily tilts the container slightly downward. If the open, bottom end of the ascending pipe is not below the spray nozzle, when only about half of the medium has been discharged the bottom end of the ascending pipe is already above the level of the medium to be sprayed, with the result that from then on, substantially only the propellant is sprayed out through the ascending pipe. The remaining propellant then no longer suffices to empty the container completely. Most manufacturers of containers of the kind concerned here therefore, when assembling the device, orient the valve and the associated atomizer cap in such a way that the spray nozzle is above the open, bottom end of the ascending pipe. However, it has been found that during use the atomizer cap very often is rotated on the circumferential edge of the container lid, with the consequence that the original orientation of the atomizer nozzle in relation to the open, bottom end of the ascending pipe is lost. Then the disadvantage described above again arises.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The object of the present invention is to create a valve with associated atomizer cap in which the originally fixed spatial relations between atomizer nozzle and bottom end of the ascending pipe are preserved, in such a way that the bottom end of the ascending pipe is always below the spray nozzle—i.e., points in the same direction as the spray nozzle.
This object is achieved in accordance with the invention by the characterizing features of claim
1
, while preferred structural details are described in the subordinate claims.
The central concept in the present invention is thus that the atomizer cap is force- and form-fitted to the circumferential edge of the container lid, and in particular is held so that it is unable to rotate. This measure ensures that the user of a container provided with a valve constructed in accordance with the invention cannot alter the originally fixed spatial relationship between atomizer nozzle and bottom end of the ascending pipe without destroying the atomizer cap.
Preferably the at least one projection formed at the periphery of the container lid is sharp-edged, so that when the atomizer cap, which as a rule is made of plastic, is set onto the container, said projection becomes embedded in the cap material by forming a complementary depression. The cross-sectional shape of the projection can be rectangular or preferably like a peaked roof.
The at least one projection at the circumferential edge of the container can advantageously be obtained by deforming the edge outward or by stamping out the material to form a vane which is then bent outward.
In principle it is also conceivable that at the inner circumference of the atomizer cap a projection extending radially inward is formed, which corresponds to a complementary recess at the circumferential edge of the container lid, for the purpose of making a rotationally stable connection between these two components.
A preferred embodiment is characterized by the presence of at least three or more projections or recesses, uniformly distributed over the circumferential edge of the container lid.
Ordinarily the container lid is made of sheet metal, in particular tinplate, and the atomizer cap is made of plastic. Between the circumferential edge of the container lid and the associated opening edge of the container, an elastomer seal is also disposed in the conventional manner. The circumferential edge of the container lid, the cross section of which is approximately C- or U-shaped, in the assembled state is crimped around the opening edge of the container, with the interposition of the above-mentioned elastomer sealing ring.
To improve the interlocking between atomizer cap and circumferential edge of the container lid, the latter is bent outward so as to have an approximately U- or C-shaped cross section and in its upper region has on its outer surface a circumferential groove, which in the assembled state cooperates with a complementary projection that extends at least partially beyond the inner circumference of the atomizer cap, such that the bottom edge region of the atomizer cap projects under the lower limit of the circumferential edge of the container lid. As a result, the atomizer cap is firmly held between the above-mentioned groove and the lower limit of the circumferential edge of the container lid. Superimposed on this axial fixation is the fixation against rotation mentioned above. Hence the atomizer cap is permanently immobilized, avoiding all the disadvantages cited above.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3224645 (1965-12-01), Frost
patent: 5310096 (1994-05-01), Rogers et al.
Andrus Sceales, Starke & Sawall
Coster Tecnologie Speciali S.P.A.
Derakshani Philippe
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