U.S. patent application number 09/760990 was filed with the patent office on 2001-06-07 for aerosol valve assembly for spraying viscous materials or materials with large particulates.
This patent application is currently assigned to Spraytex Inc.. Invention is credited to Woods, John R..
Application Number | 20010002676 09/760990 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 26978240 |
Filed Date | 2001-06-07 |
United States Patent
Application |
20010002676 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Woods, John R. |
June 7, 2001 |
Aerosol valve assembly for spraying viscous materials or materials
with large particulates
Abstract
A valve assembly is disclosed for use in an aerosol spray can
capable of spraying viscous materials or materials with large
particulates without clogging or packing like traditional aerosol
spray cans designed for spraying texture materials. The valve
opening is located at the bottom of the container rather than at
the top, thus allowing highly-viscous materials, such as a fire
suppressant material, or materials having large particulates, such
as stucco, to be sprayed from an aerosol spray can without clogging
of the valves. The valve assembly can spray materials that more
closely resemble the original surface texture found on textured and
stucco-covered walls and ceilings of buildings and structures.
Inventors: |
Woods, John R.; (Woodland
Hills, CA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
Mr. Richard H. Zaitlen
PHILLSBURY MADISON & SUTRO LLP
725 South Figueroa Street, Suite 1200
Los Angeles
CA
90017
US
|
Assignee: |
Spraytex Inc.
|
Family ID: |
26978240 |
Appl. No.: |
09/760990 |
Filed: |
January 16, 2001 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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09760990 |
Jan 16, 2001 |
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09656247 |
Sep 5, 2000 |
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09760990 |
Jan 16, 2001 |
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09312133 |
May 14, 1999 |
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6112945 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
222/402.1 ;
222/464.1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65D 83/32 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
222/402.1 ;
222/464.1 |
International
Class: |
B65D 083/00 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. An aerosol system comprising a container having a top end and a
bottom end, a sprayable material and a valve assembly that sprays
the sprayable material from the container, wherein the valve
assembly includes: a dip tube with a top opening and a bottom
opening, wherein the dip tube is at least primarily disposed inside
the container; a rod with a top end and a bottom end that is
adapted to move lengthwise within the dip tube, wherein the rod is
at least primarily disposed within the dip tube; a sealing member
coupled to the bottom end of the rod, forming a tight-seal with the
bottom opening of the dip tube when the rod is in an up position,
and opening the bottom opening of the dip tube when the rod is in a
down position; a resilient member a first end and a second end,
wherein the first end engages the container and wherein the second
end engages the sealing member; and an actuator with an aperture
forming a nozzle opening, and wherein the depression of the
actuator causes the rod to lower, thereby opening the bottom
opening of the dip tube and allowing the sprayable material to flow
into the dip tube and out of the nozzle.
2. The valve assembly as in claim 1, wherein the diameter of the
dip tube is selected based on a material being sprayed.
3. The valve assembly as in claim 1, wherein the sealing member and
the rod are composed of a unitary member.
4. The valve assembly as in claim 1, wherein the resilient member
is a spring.
5. The valve assembly as in claim 1, further comprising a bushing
coupled to the top opening of the dip tube.
6. The valve assembly as in claim 5, further comprising a cup
coupled to the bushing for attaching the valve assembly to the
container.
7. An aerosol system comprising a container having a top end and a
bottom end, a sprayable material, and a valve assembly that sprays
the sprayable material from the container, wherein the valve
assembly includes: a dip tube with a top opening and a bottom
opening, wherein the dip tube is at least primarily disposed inside
the container; an interior tube with a top end and a bottom end
that is adapted to move lengthwise within the dip tube, wherein the
interior tube is at least primarily disposed within the dip tube;
at least one orifice located towards the bottom end of the interior
tube; a first seal engaging the interior tube adjacent to and above
the at least one orifice to form a seal to prevent the bypass of
the sprayable material into the dip tube when the interior tube is
in a down position; a second seal engaging the bottom end of the
interior tube; a resilient member having a first end and a second
end, wherein the first end engages the container and wherein the
second end engages the bottom end of the interior tube; and an
actuator with an aperture forming a nozzle opening, and wherein the
depression of the actuator causes the rod to lower, thereby opening
the bottom opening of the interior tube and allowing the sprayable
material to flow into the interior tube and out of the nozzle.
8. The valve assembly as in claim 7, wherein a seal is an
O-ring.
9. The valve assembly as in claim 7, further comprising a
bushing.
10. The valve assembly as in claim 9, further comprising a cup
coupled to the bushing for attaching the valve assembly to the
container.
11. An aerosol system comprising a container having a top end and a
bottom end, a sprayable material, and a valve assembly that sprays
the sprayable material from the container, wherein the valve
assembly includes: a dip tube having a top opening, wherein the dip
tube is at least primarily disposed inside the container; an
interior tube with a top end and a bottom end that is adapted to
move lengthwise within the dip tube, wherein the interior tube is
at least primarily disposed within the dip tube; at least one
orifice located towards the bottom of the interior tube; a first
seal engaging the interior tube adjacent to and above the at least
one orifice on the interior tube to form a seal to prevent bypass
of the sprayable material into the dip tube when the interior tube
is in a down position; a second seal engaging the bottom end of the
interior tube to seal the valve assembly when the interior tube is
in an up position; at least one orifice on the dip tube adapted to
be in flow alignment with the at least one orifice of the interior
tube when the interior tube is in the down position; a resilient
member having a first end and a second end, wherein the first end
engages the bottom of the container and wherein the second end
engages the bottom end of the interior tube; and an actuator with
an aperture forming a nozzle opening, wherein the depression of the
actuator causes the interior tube to lower, thereby bringing the at
least one orifice of the interior tube into flow alignment with the
at least one orifice of the dip tube and allowing the sprayable
material to flow into the interior tube and out of the nozzle.
Description
[0001] This invention is a Continuation-in-Part of U.S. application
Ser. No. 09/656,247, which was a Continuation of U.S. application
Ser. No. 09/312,133.
FIELD OF INVENTION
[0002] This invention relates to a valve assembly for use in an
aerosol spray can capable of spraying viscous materials or
materials with large particulates without clogging or packing like
traditional aerosol spray cans designed for spraying texture
materials.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] The practice of dispensing heavy and particulate materials
through traditional aerosol spray can valve assemblies in the
aerosol industry has presented problems in which the heavy and
particulate materials to be dispersed clog up the valve assemblies.
These heavy and particulate materials may include exterior stucco,
heavy sand finishes, drywall and acoustic ceiling patching
materials, fire suppressant materials, adhesive and bonding
materials, and even culinary sauces.
[0004] A traditional aerosol spray can may be filled with these
heavy and particulate materials for spraying. However, because of
the placement of the valve assembly in traditional aerosol spray
cans, these heavy and particulate materials will clog up the valve
assemblies and render the aerosol spray cans inoperative. Constant
operation of these aerosol spray cans in spraying heavy and
particulate materials is not possible due to the inconsistent
ability of these traditional valve assemblies to dispense these
materials without clogging.
[0005] U.S. Pat. No. 5,715,975, issued to Stern et al., discloses
an aerosol spray texturing device that is comprised of a container,
a nozzle, a valve assembly, and an outlet. The valve assembly in
the '975 patent is located in the upper section of the container
near the nozzle. Although the nozzle tube of the device in the '975
patent may be configured to spray texture materials, the device in
the '975 patent still has the problem of clogging or packing of the
valve assembly by the particulates contained in the texture
material for spraying, especially if the particulates are large,
like those found in stucco or other heavy and particulate materials
mentioned above.
[0006] U.S. Pat. No. 5,037,011, issued to the present Applicant,
discloses a spray apparatus for spraying a texture material through
a nozzle. Similarly in this apparatus, there too exists a problem
of spraying texture materials having large particulates, such as
stucco, because the particulates also clog up the valve opening
within the spray apparatus.
[0007] Therefore, a long-standing need has existed to provide an
apparatus that may be used to readily apply heavy and particulate
materials in aerosol form, such as exterior stucco, heavy sand
finishes, drywall and acoustic ceiling patching materials, fire
suppressant materials, adhesive and bonding materials, and culinary
sauces. Furthermore, the heavy and particulate materials to be
applied should be contained in a hand-held applicator so that the
materials may be conveniently stored, as well as dispensed in a
simple and convenient manner without clogging or packing the valve
assembly of the applicator.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0008] An object of the present invention is to provide a valve
assembly for use in an aerosol spray can capable of spraying
viscous materials or materials with large particulates without
clogging or packing like traditional aerosol spray cans designed
for spraying texture materials.
[0009] Another object of the present invention is to provide an
inexpensive and economical means for matching surface texture of a
repaired or patched surface area on a drywall panel, acoustic
ceiling, or stucco-covered surface.
[0010] Another object of the present invention is to improve the
appearance of patched or repaired areas on a textured surface by
employing a spray-on hardenable texture material that covers the
repaired or patched area and visually assumes the surface texture
of the surrounding patched or repaired surface.
[0011] Another object of the present invention is to provide a
hand-held dispensing unit containing a pressurized texture surface
material for spray-on and direct application of the material in a
liquid or semi-liquid form onto a repaired or patched area so that
the surrounding patched or repaired surface will be visually and
mechanically matched.
[0012] Another object of the present invention is to provide a
valve assembly for use in an aerosol spray can capable of spraying
highly-viscous materials, such as fire suppressant materials,
adhesive and bonding materials, and culinary sauces, without
clogging or packing like traditional aerosol spray cans when
spraying these materials.
[0013] The valve assembly comprises a dip tube disposed inside a
container. A rod is disposed inside the dip tube so that it may
move lengthwise within the dip tube. A sealing member is coupled to
the bottom end of the rod, so as to form a tight-seal with the
bottom opening of the dip tube when the rod is in an up position,
and it exposes the bottom opening of the dip tube to the heavy and
particulate material inside the container when the rod is in a down
position. A bushing is also coupled to the top opening of the dip
tube. Finally, an actuator is coupled to the top end of the rod and
the bushing, allowing the user to depress on the actuator, thus
lowering the rod to its down position and exposing the bottom
opening of the dip tube to the material within the container, and
allowing the heavy and particulate material to move up the dip tube
and out of the container.
[0014] Another embodiment of the valve assembly comprises a dip
tube disposed inside the container. An interior tube is disposed
inside the dip tube so that it may move lengthwise within the dip
tube. There is at least one orifice at the bottom end of the
interior tube. A top O-ring is coupled to the interior tube
adjacent the at least one orifice to prevent any bypass of the
heavy and particulate material into the dip tube, and a bottom
O-ring is coupled to the bottom end of the interior tube to seal
off the valve assembly when not actuated. The top opening of the
dip tube is coupled to a bushing. Finally, an actuator is coupled
to the top end of the interior tube, allowing the user to depress
on the actuator, thus lowering the interior tube to its down
position and exposing the at least one orifice on the interior tube
to the material inside the container and allowing the heavy and
particulate material to flow up the interior tube and out of the
container.
[0015] The invention prevents clogging or packing of the valve
assembly because the valve opening is at the bottom of the
container, as opposed to being at the top, as in traditional
aerosol spray cans. The placement of the value opening at the
bottom of the container greatly reduces the clogging or packing of
the valve by texture materials having large particulates. This
improvement allows the efficient and low-cost spraying of more
highly-textured materials, because there is no longer the problem
of clogging or packing of the valve opening by the particulates
suspended within the texture material.
[0016] Other features and advantages of the invention will become
apparent from the following detailed description, taken in
conjunction with the accompanying drawings that illustrate, by way
of example, various features and embodiments of the invention.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0017] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a valve assembly in
accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;
[0018] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a valve assembly in
accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;
[0019] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a valve assembly in
accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;
[0020] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a valve assembly in
accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;
[0021] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a valve assembly in a closed
position in accordance with an embodiment of the present
invention;
[0022] FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of a valve assembly in a
closed position in accordance with an embodiment of the present
invention;
[0023] FIGS. 7A and 7B illustrate perspective views of a portion of
a valve assembly in accordance with an embodiment of the present
invention;
[0024] FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of a valve assembly in an
opened position in accordance with an embodiment of the present
invention;
[0025] FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a valve assembly in an
opened position in accordance with an embodiment of the present
invention;
[0026] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of a valve assembly in
accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; and
[0027] FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of a valve assembly in
accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0028] FIGS. 1 and 3 are perspective views of a valve assembly in
accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. A dip tube
1 is coupled to a bushing 4, which may also be coupled to a cup 5.
An actuator 6 is also coupled to the bushing 4.
[0029] In FIGS. 2 and 4, an aperture on the actuator 6 forms a
nozzle opening 7, in which a dispersing apparatus, such as a nozzle
cap or a dispensing tube, may be attached or screwed. A rod 2 is
disposed inside the dip tube 1 in a way that allows the rod 2 to
move within the dip tube 1 along its length. The actuator 6 is
coupled to the top end of the rod 2, so that when the actuator 6 is
depressed, the rod 2 moves downward within the dip tube 1. A
sealing member 3 is coupled to the bottom end of the rod 2, so that
when the rod 2 is in an up position, i.e., the actuator 6 is not
depressed, the sealing member 3 forms a tight-seal with the bottom
opening of the dip tube 1. However, when the rod 2 is in a down
position, i.e., the actuator 6 is depressed, the sealing member 3
exposes the bottom opening of the dip tube 1 to the heavy and
particulate material inside the container, and the aerosol within
the container will force the texture material through the bottom
opening of the dip tube 1, up through the dip tube 1, and out of
the container through the nozzle opening 7. The heavy and
particulate material may be a variety of sprayable materials,
including viscous materials or materials having large particulates,
like that of stucco.
[0030] The cup 5 acts as a guide to limit how far down the actuator
6 may be depressed, and in turn how far down the rod 2 may travel
within the dip tube 1. If the actuator 6 is depressed too far, the
bottom end of the rod 2 may come in contact with the bottom surface
of the container, which may result in damage to the container. The
cup 5 is also adapted to fit securely over the top portion of an
aerosol spray can and may also provide a surface for attaching the
valve assembly to the aerosol spray can.
[0031] The placement of the valve opening at the bottom of the
container, as opposed to near the top of the container, as
described in the prior references, drastically reduces the clogging
and packing of the valve opening as experienced by traditional
aerosol spray cans when spraying texture materials containing large
particulates, such as stucco. Further descriptions of an example of
a heavy and particulate material is disclosed in an accompanying
patent application (attorney docket no. 81168-248262) entitled,
"Hardenable Texture Material in Aerosol Form," incorporated herein
by reference. In addition to being capable of spraying stucco-like
materials, the valve assembly is also particularly useful in
spraying other types of materials having large particulates or high
viscosities, including fire suppressant materials. These materials
having large particulates or high viscosities may be dispensed
directly from the valve system of an aerosol dispensing container.
The aerosol dispensing container is preferably a size that allows
it to be hand held and may be operated with one hand.
[0032] Ideally, the actuator 6 is made out of an elastic material,
such as rubber, so as to allow the retention of the rod 2 in the up
position when the actuator 6 is not depressed. The actuator 6 may
also be made of a non-elastic material, but there may be a
resilient member, such as a spring, coupled to the bushing 4 and
engaging the actuator 6 so as to spring-load the actuator 6. The
sealing member 3 should be made of a material, such as rubber, that
will allow the sealing member 3 to form a tight-seal with the
bottom opening of the dip tube 1 so as to prevent any entry of the
texture material and the aerosol carrier into the dip tube 1 when
the rod 2 is in the up position, i.e., when the actuator 6 is not
being depressed.
[0033] FIGS. 5 to 9 show another embodiment of the present
invention. A dip tube 1 is coupled to a bushing 4, which may also
be coupled to a cup 5. A spring member 9 may be coupled to the
bushing 4 to spring-load the actuator 6 engaging the spring member
9 on the bushing 4.
[0034] An interior tube 10 with a top end and a bottom end is
disposed inside the dip tube 1 in a way that allows the interior
tube 10 to move within the dip tube 1 along its length. The
actuator 6 is coupled to the top end of the interior tube 10, so
that when the actuator 6 is depressed, the interior tube 10 moves
downward within the dip tube 1. There is at least one orifice 13 at
the bottom end of the interior tube 10 so as to allow the heavy and
particulate material from inside the container to flow up through
the interior tube 10 and out of the nozzle opening. A top O-ring 11
is coupled to the interior tube 10 adjacent to and just above the
at least one orifice 13 so as to form a seal to prevent any bypass
of the heavy and particulate material from the container into the
dip tube 1 when the interior tube 10 is in a down position. A
bottom O-ring 12 is coupled to the bottom end of the interior tube
10 so as to seal off and close the valve assembly when the interior
tube 10 is in an up position.
[0035] As described above, the cup 5 may act as a guide so as to
limit how far down the actuator 6 may be depressed, as well as
provide a surface for attaching the valve assembly to the
container.
[0036] FIGS. 7A and 7B illustrate perspective views of a portion of
a valve assembly in accordance with an embodiment of the present
invention. As may be seen in FIG. 7B, when orifice 13 is aligned
with orifice 14, an opening is created.
[0037] FIG. 10 shows yet another embodiment of the present
invention. There is at least one exterior orifice 14 on the dip
tube 1 that is adapted to be in flow alignment with the at least
one orifice 13 of the interior tube 10. Therefore, when the
actuator 6 is depressed and the interior tube 10 is lowered to its
open position, the at least one orifice 13 of the interior tube 10
aligns with the at least one orifice 14 on the dip tube 1 so that
the material inside the container 17 may flow through the exterior
orifice 14 and into the at least one orifice 13 of the interior
tube 10 and up through the interior tube 10 and out of the
container through the nozzle opening 7. Similarly, there is a top
O-ring 11 and a bottom O-ring 12, as described above, for sealing
off the dip tube 1 to prevent any bypass of the heavy and
particulate material from the container and for closing the valve
assembly.
[0038] FIG. 11 shows yet another embodiment of the present
invention. In this embodiment, a resilient member 16, shown here as
a spring, is located at the bottom of the container 17. One end of
the resilient member 16 is adjacent to the bottom of the container.
The resilient member 16 may be attached to, or may abut, the bottom
of the container 17. The second end of the resilient member 16 may
be attached to, or may abut, the inner tube 10. This resilient
member 16 will serve to spring-load the actuator and will prevent
the inner tube 10 from remaining in its lowered position beyond the
time required by the user. The resilient member 16 may also serve
as a type of anchor or stabilizer for the inner tube 10 and dip
tube 1. This will help to prevent any movement of the inner tube 10
and dip tube 1 that may cause a leakage where the inner tube 10 and
the dip tube 1 meet the top of the container 17. While FIG. 11
shows the resilient member 16 being used with the embodiment of the
present invention that has a inner tube 10 and a dip tube 1, it
should be understood that the spring could be used with any
embodiment of the present invention to center the tube extending
into the container, to provide support to the tube in the
container, and to push the tube back towards the top of the can and
spring-load the actuator.
[0039] The resilient member 16 depicted in FIG. 11 as a coil or
spring. However, it should be understood by one skilled in the art
that this resilient member may be made from a rubber cylinder, a
metal coil or any other means as are known in the art.
[0040] While the description above refers to particular embodiments
of the present invention, it will be understood that many
modifications may be made without departing from the spirit
thereof. The accompanying claims are intended to cover such
modifications as would fall within the true scope and spirit of the
present invention.
[0041] The presently disclosed embodiments are therefore to be
considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, the
scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims,
rather than the foregoing description, and all changes that come
within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are
therefore intended to be embraced therein.
* * * * *