Fluent material handling – with receiver or receiver coacting mea – Processes – Filling dispensers
Reexamination Certificate
1999-11-23
2001-01-09
Douglas, Steven O. (Department: 3751)
Fluent material handling, with receiver or receiver coacting mea
Processes
Filling dispensers
C222S402160, C141S020000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06170537
ABSTRACT:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
This application relates to French Patent Application Serial No. 98-14,724 filed Nov. 23, 1998, from which priority is claimed.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a valve for dispensing a product, particularly a liquid, to a container intended to contain this product and fitted with this valve, and to a method of packing such a container under pressure under the action of a propellent gas. More specifically, the valve according to the invention is designed to simplify its mounting on such a container and, from an industrial point of view, to make pressurizing easier. Such a container, commonly known as an aerosol dispenser, is intended, in particular, for the packaging and dispensing of a fluid product, such as a cosmetic, dermatological, household, food or workshop product, such as, for example, a hair spray, a hair mousse, a disinfectant spray, a lubricant spray, a paint or a cleaning product.
The valve fitted to this kind of aerosol container comprises an operating stem arranged axially in a valve body. The operating stem has a passage for the product that is to be dispensed. The valve comprises sealing means capable of closing the passage. The operating stem can be moved elastically by tilting the stem sideways in the valve body between a first position in which it closes off the passage, where the stem occupies a position in which the passage is isolated from the pressurized product by the sealing means, and a second, open, position. In this second position, the stem is inclined relative to the axis of the valve body, said passage being in communication with the pressurized product, to allow the product to be dispensed. The valve furthermore comprises elastic return means which urge the stem into the first position. Furthermore, the valve may also be made to open by depressing it axially, thus being advantageous for filling the container on a packaging line.
In general, an aerosol product is packaged as follows: the product that is to be dispensed, generally liquid, is introduced through the open orifice of a container, then the container is closed by crimping a valve-holder dished part fitted with a valve. To pressurize the product, an appropriate amount of propellent gas is then injected through the valve stem, keeping this stem in a depressed position.
2. Description of the Related Art
A valve of the aforementioned kind is described in European Patent No. 850,851. In practice, a valve of this kind operates satisfactorily. However, the inventor has noticed that a dispenser fitted with such a valve does have a drawback—namely that the rate at which propellant can be introduced using industrial packaging equipment leaves something to be desired.
The inventor has therefore sought a solution to make an aerosol container quicker and easier to pressurize, particularly on an automatic packaging line.
The present invention sets out to remedy the drawbacks of the valve described in European Patent No. 850,851, by proposing a valve of a simple construction which is easy to fit to any type of pressurized container. Furthermore, the cost price of the valve envisioned by the invention is advantageous.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A first aspect of the invention relates to a dispensing valve intended to be fitted to a container containing a product which is pressurized by a propellent gas. The invention comprises a valve body made of an elastomeric material and an activation means for, in response to an actuation command, causing the valve to move from a closed position into a position which allows the product to be dispensed via an outlet passage of the valve body, said valve being, in the absence of any actuation command, forced into the closed position, said valve body comprising first mounting means to allow the valve to be mounted in a first position in which the valve body defines, with an edge of the container, at least one passage communicating with the container, so as to allow the container to be filled with a propellent gas, and second mounting means to allow the valve to be mounted in a second position in which the valve body is mounted in a sealed fashion on the edge of the container.
Advantageously in the invention, the first and second mounting means are arranged in such a way that, in the first position, the valve is positioned at a first axial height relative to the container, and that the valve is, in the second position, arranged at a second axial height relative to the container. Thus, simply by moving the valve axially on the container after filling with propellent gas, the valve can move from the first to the second position. For this purpose, the valve body advantageously has a profile which, once the container has been filled with propellent gas, is suitable for facilitating the movement of the valve from the first position into the second position.
Thus, according to an advantageous embodiment, the first and second mounting means are arranged on the valve body at different axial heights, said first mounting means being arranged between the second mounting means and a lower end of the valve body, said valve body having, between the first and second means, a cross section which diminishes in the direction towards the first means.
The second mounting means may, for example, be formed of an annular groove formed on the outer surface of the valve body and capable of collaborating in a sealed manner with a corresponding edge of the container, for example, with the edge of an orifice made at the top of the container.
The containers that can be used for mounting this valve may be selected from the containers customarily used, for example aluminium, tin plate or plastic cans, generally of cylindrical shape. The container may therefore have one open end, a free edge of which delimits an orifice capable of collaborating directly with the valve body mounting means. Alternatively, the container may be equipped with a dished part crimped onto the container provided with the orifice, in which the valve body is engaged.
Any elastomeric material which has a Shore A hardness of from 30 to 70, for example natural or synthetic rubbers, particularly thermoplastic or vulcanizable elastomers, may be used to produce the valve body. Thus, the elasticity of the material of which the valve body is made on the one hand provides the deformation needed for mounting the valve body on the container, in the first position, and allows the valve body to move into the second position. On the other hand, the elasticity of this material also provides sufficient sealing in the second position, so as to resist the internal pressure in the container.
As to the first mounting means, they may also be formed of an annular groove formed on the outer surface of the valve body and capable of collaborating with the corresponding edge of the container, said groove being interrupted by at least one passage formed on the outside of the valve body and opening to the inside of the container, the depth of the passage exceeding the depth of the groove. Advantageously, the passage is directed roughly at right angles to the groove.
In this case, the first and second mounting means are advantageously designed to collaborate with the edge of the container by snap-fastening.
The valve may be a valve which is opened by the sideways tilting of an operating stem through which the outlet passage passes and which constitutes the activation means, this stem being mounted in an outlet duct formed inside the valve body and opening into an internal chamber.
In particular, in this case, the outlet duct may have a longitudinal axis, the valve stem having, inside the outlet duct, a profile capable of collaborating with a complementary profile of the outlet duct, to define an articulation roughly about a predetermined point so that, irrespective of the angular position of the stem relative to the longitudinal axis, the stem is in sealed annular contact with the duct.
According to a preferred embodiment, the stem has, inside the outlet duct, an
Douglas Steven O.
L'Oreal
Oblon & Spivak, McClelland, Maier & Neustadt P.C.
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