U.S. patent application number 10/559381 was filed with the patent office on 2006-12-07 for valve seal and device for dispensing a fluid product while being provided with a seal of this type.
This patent application is currently assigned to VALOSIS S.A.S.. Invention is credited to Sandrine Barranco, Fleur Pardon.
Application Number | 20060273117 10/559381 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 33443184 |
Filed Date | 2006-12-07 |
United States Patent
Application |
20060273117 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Barranco; Sandrine ; et
al. |
December 7, 2006 |
Valve seal and device for dispensing a fluid product while being
provided with a seal of this type
Abstract
The invention relates to a valve seal for an aerosol dispenser
serving to dispense a fluid product. The invention is characterized
in that said seal contains an elastomer based on ethylene propylene
(EP) and/or or on ethylene propylene diene (EPDM), and contains a
mineral filler based on quartz (SiO.sub.2) and on kaolinite
(Al.sub.4[(0H).sub.8Si.sub.4O.sub.10]).
Inventors: |
Barranco; Sandrine;
(Saint-Sebastien-de-Morsent, FR) ; Pardon; Fleur;
(Daubeuf la Campagne, FR) |
Correspondence
Address: |
SUGHRUE MION, PLLC
2100 PENNSYLVANIA AVENUE, N.W.
SUITE 800
WASHINGTON
DC
20037
US
|
Assignee: |
VALOSIS S.A.S.
Le Neubourg
FR
|
Family ID: |
33443184 |
Appl. No.: |
10/559381 |
Filed: |
June 2, 2004 |
PCT Filed: |
June 2, 2004 |
PCT NO: |
PCT/FR04/01358 |
371 Date: |
August 8, 2006 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
222/402.2 |
Current CPC
Class: |
C09K 3/10 20130101; C09K
2200/062 20130101; C09K 2200/0243 20130101; C09K 2200/0247
20130101; C09K 3/30 20130101; C09K 2200/0617 20130101; C09K
2200/0642 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
222/402.2 |
International
Class: |
B65D 83/00 20060101
B65D083/00 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Jun 6, 2003 |
FR |
0306835 |
Claims
1. A valve seal intended for a fluid product aerosol dispenser,
characterised in that the said seal includes an elastomer based
upon ethylene propylene (EP) and/or ethylene propylene diene
monomer (EPDM), and a mineral filler based upon quartz (SiO.sub.2)
and Kaolinite (Al.sub.4[(OH).sub.8Si4O.sub.10]).
2. A seal according to claim 1, in which the mineralogical
composition of the mineral filler includes between 65% and 95%,
preferably 80%, of quartz, and between 5% and 35%, preferably about
20%, of Kaolinite.
3. A seal according to claim 1, in which the chemical composition
of the mineral filler includes between 3% and 15%, preferably about
8%, of Al.sub.2O.sub.3, and between 75% and 95%, preferably about
87%, of SiO.sub.2.
4. A seal according to claim 1, in which the mineral filler has a
pH greater than 6, preferably between about 7 and 8.
5. A seal according to claim 1, in which the mineral filler has an
average particle size of between 1.5 and 4 microns, preferably
about 2.2 microns.
6. A seal according to claim 1, in which the said seal, before its
assembly into a fluid product aerosol dispenser, is subjected to a
surface chlorination treatment.
7. A seal according to claim 6, in which the said seal is immersed
in a solution containing water, hydrochloric acid and bleach.
8. A measuring-out valve for a fluid product aerosol dispenser,
characterised in that it includes at least a valve seal according
to claim 1.
9. A dispenser for dispensing a fluid product, that includes a
reservoir containing a fluid product and a propellant gas, and a
valve, preferably a measuring-out valve, mounted on the said
reservoir, characterised in that the said valve includes at least a
valve seal according to claim 1.
10. A dispenser according to claim 9, in which the said valve
includes a valve element sliding in a valve body with the
interposition of the valve seal.
11. A dispenser according to claim 9, in which the said propellant
gas includes HFC-134a gas and/or HFC-227 gas.
12. A dispenser according to claim 9, in which the reservoir also
contains alcohol, and ethanol in particular.
13. A manufacturing process for a valve seal intended for a fluid
product aerosol dispenser, characterised in that the process
includes the following stages: creation of a seal that includes an
elastomer based upon ethylene propylene (EP) and/or ethylene
propylene diene monomer (EPDM), and a mineral filler based upon
quartz (SiO.sub.2) and kaolinite
(Al.sub.4[(OH).sub.8Si.sub.4O.sub.10)]; submission of this seal to
a surface chlorination treatment.
14. A process according to claim 13, in which the said surface
chlorination treatment includes immersing the seal in a solution
containing water, hydrochloric acid and bleach.
Description
[0001] This present invention concerns a valve seal and a device
for the dispensing of a fluid product that includes such a
seal.
[0002] One is familiar, in particular for the dispensing of
pharmaceutical products, with the use of devices of the aerosol
type, in which the product is dispensed by means of a propellant
gas. For ecological reasons, the propellants used previously, which
were generally CFC-based, have been replaced by other propellant
gases, and in particular propellant gases of the HFC-134a or
HFC-227 type. It turned out that this change of the propellant gas
gave rise to various stresses on the seals, whether regarding the
sealing effectiveness of the said seal, or regarding extractible
substances, when the said seal was in contact with these new
propellant gases. It so happened that the seal materials normally
used in aerosol valves in conjunction with CFC gases could not be
applied easily to the new propellant gases. Various materials were
therefore developed for use with these HFC gases. Of these
materials, ethylene propylene (EP) and ethylene propylene diene
monomer (EPDM) turned out to be appropriate materials. Another
problem that arises with HFC gases, is that when they are used with
a latent solvent, such as ethanol for example, there is a tendency
for the alcohol, which is less soluble in the liquid phase of the
HCFs, to separate out, thus exposing the seals to a higher
concentration of alcohol than has been the case previously with the
CFC gases. Ethylene propylene and ethylene propylene diene monomer
have also proven to be appropriate materials for solving this
problem.
[0003] Document EP-0 969 069 describes a valve seal that is
intended for a fluid product dispenser that includes EPDM as well
as a mineral filler that includes magnesium silicate and/or Kaolin.
The purpose of these mineral fillers is to improve the properties
of the seal, and in particular the aspects concerning its sealing
properties.
[0004] The purpose of this present invention is to supply a valve
seal that includes a different mineral filler, in order to obtain
good characteristics for the seal, in particular those aspects
concerning the effectiveness of its sealing properties, its elastic
properties, and the manufacturing process of the seal.
[0005] Another objective of this present invention is to provide
such a valve seal with improved sliding properties and with a
reduced extractible substances leeching rate.
[0006] A further objective of this present product is to supply
such a valve seal which is simpler and less costly to manufacture
than the previously known valve seals.
[0007] The subject of this present invention is therefore a valve
seal that is intended for a fluid product aerosol dispenser,
characterised in that the said seal includes an elastomer which is
based upon ethylene propylene (EP) and/or ethylene propylene diene
monomer (EPDM), and a mineral filler that is based upon quartz
(SiO.sub.2) and Kaolinite (Al.sub.4
[(OH).sub.8Si.sub.4O.sub.10]).
[0008] Advantageously, the mineralogical composition of the mineral
filler includes between 65% and 95%, preferably about 80%, of
quartz, and between 5% and 35% preferably about 20%, of
Kaolinite.
[0009] Advantageously, the chemical composition of the mineral
filler includes between 3% and 15%, preferably about 8%, of
Al.sub.2O.sub.3, and between 75% and 95%, preferably about 87%, of
SiO.sub.2 .
[0010] Advantageously, the mineral filler has a pH greater than 6,
preferably between about 7 and 8.
[0011] Again advantageously, the mineral filler has an average
particle size of between 1.5 and 4 microns, preferably about 2.2
microns.
[0012] Advantageously also, the said seal, before its assembly into
a fluid product aerosol dispenser, is subjected to a surface
chlorination treatment.
[0013] Advantageously again, the said seal is immersed in a
solution containing water, hydrochloric acid and bleach.
[0014] Another objective of this present invention is a
measuring-out valve for a fluid product aerosol dispenser that
includes at least a valve seal as described above.
[0015] This present invention also has as its objective a fluid
product aerosol dispenser that includes a reservoir containing a
fluid product and a propellant gas, and a valve, preferably a
measuring-out valve, mounted on the said reservoir, where the said
valve includes at least a valve seal as described above.
[0016] Advantageously, the said valve includes a valve element
sliding in a valve body with the interposition of a valve seal,
where the said valve seal is made as described above.
[0017] Advantageously, the said propellant gas includes HFC-134a
gas and/or of the HFC-227 gas.
[0018] Advantageously, the reservoir also contains alcohol, ethanol
in particular.
[0019] Another objective of this present invention is a
manufacturing process for a valve seal intended for a fluid product
aerosol dispenser, characterised in that the process includes the
following stages: [0020] creation of a seal that includes an
elastomer based upon ethylene propylene (EP) and/or ethylene
propylene diene monomer (EPDM), and a mineral filler based upon
quartz (SiO.sub.2) and kaolinite
(Al.sub.4[(OH).sub.8Si.sub.4O.sub.10)], and [0021] submission of
this seal to a surface chlorination treatment.
[0022] Advantageously, the said surface chlorination treatment
includes immersing the seal in a solution containing water,
hydrochloric acid and bleach.
[0023] The mineral filler of this present invention has a structure
which is both granular and lamellar. This results in improving the
elastic properties of the seal, improving the effectiveness of the
sealing properties of the seal, and also simplifies the
manufacturing process of the said seal. A material that is
particularly suitable to be used in accordance with this present
invention is Sillitin, which is a natural mixture of quartz and
kaolinite. This material has never been used in the manufacture of
valve seals, in particular of the type of dynamic valve seal in
which the valve element slides.
[0024] The following two tables contain a comparison between
Sillitin and kaolin, firstly regarding the aspects concerning their
chemical formulae, and secondly the aspects concerning the
characteristics of these products. TABLE-US-00001 1) Chemical
formulae Filler Formula Sillitin (Natural mixture of quartz
Al.sub.4[(OH).sub.8Si.sub.4O.sub.10]--Si0.sub.2 (80%) and kaolinite
(20%)) Kaolin Al.sub.20.sub.3--2SiO.sub.2
[0025] TABLE-US-00002 2) Characteristics Characteristics Sillitin
Kaolin Chemical analysis Al.sub.20.sub.3 (%) 8 44 SiO.sub.2 (%) 87
52 Other (%) 5 4 pH 7-8 5-6 Average size of the 2.2 1.4 particles
(.mu.m)
[0026] Referring in particular to the table concerning the
characteristics, it can be seen that Sillitin contains much less
Al.sub.2O.sub.3 and much more SiO.sub.2 in relation to Kaolin. The
granular and lamellar structure of Sillitin results in improving
the effectiveness of the seal in relation to a seal with the same
elastomer, such as EP or EPDM for example, but a mineral filler
composed of Kaolin. The neutral pH can limit the interactions
between the seal and the active ingredient contained in the fluid
product to be dispensed.
[0027] It therefore emerges that a seal that includes EP and/or
EPDM, and a mineral filler that includes Sillitin, is particularly
suitable for use with HFC gases. It is also particularly suitable
to be used with HFC gases in the presence of alcohol, and ethanol
in particular.
[0028] This present invention therefore results in improving the
seal described in document EP-0 969 069.
[0029] According to one advantageous method of implementation, the
seal can also be subjected to a surface chlorination treatment.
This treatment is used in particular to reduce the electrostatic
character of the seal. The properties of the seal, in particular
its sliding quality, are therefore ameliorated. This treatment is
also used to reduce the leeching of extractible substances, and
therefore limits the risk of interaction with the active product.
Advantageously, this surface treatment can be effected by immersing
the seal in a solution containing water, hydrochloric acid and
bleach. This leads to the formation of chlorine which attaches
itself to the surface of the seal.
[0030] Although this present invention has been described with
reference to one implementation example, namely the use of
Sillitin, it is intended that the invention should not be limited
to this single implementation method, but that, on the contrary, a
professional engineer should be able to effect appropriate changes
without moving outside the context of the invention as described by
the following claims.
* * * * *