Aerosol Package

Abstract

The device has two compartments for storing different materials and a single valve for dispensing the two materials simultaneously. The construction provides an effective means whereby either or both compartments can be readily filled with the material before assembly and both can be quickly charged after assembly through the valve, with the required propellants.

Description

This is an improvement on my copending application Ser. No. 704,028, now U.S. Pat. No. 3,455,489 wherein the compartments were individually filled and charged with a propellant through a valving construction adapted to be selectively positioned on the device in filling positions and to simultaneously dispense material from both compartments in dispensing position of the valving construction.

The present invention simplifies the construction of the prior device and the manner of filling the two compartments.

This is accomplished by providing a first container forming the outer compartment with a wide mouth through which it can be filled with material. A second container forming the inner compartment is of a size that will pass through the wide mouth of the first container and has a valve unit receiving well in the top wall, said well being provided with an apertured lower wall through which the material passes as the inner compartment is filled. The well has a vent for facilitating the filling, which vent is closed upon the insertion of the valve unit into the well, said valve unit having a housing forming a force fit with said well and a slidable valve stem having a nondispensing and a dispensing position. The assembled filled inner container and the valve unit are inserted into the outer container through the wide mouth and the mounting device for the valve unit is secured in place closing and sealing the outer container.

The inner container is provided with means for connecting both compartments to the valve housing to be controlled by the valve stem.

The present invention enables both of the compartments to be charged with a propellant simultaneously through the valve stem when the stem is moved to filling position.

If desired, the container forming the inner compartment can have flexible or movable walls, whereby the pressure in the outer compartment can assist in the dispensing of material therefrom.

Under some circumstances the inner container having the valve unit assembled therewith can be provided with an imperforate bottom wall to serve as an aerosol package.

The novel method of filling and assembling the elements greatly expedites the production of the aerosol packages.

Other features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the specification and claims when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a vertical section through a dispensing package of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view showing the filling of the inner container of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 1 of another form of the invention.

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 1 of a further form of the invention.

FIG. 5 is a sectional view showing the filling of another form of inner container.

FIG. 6 is a sectional view showing the container of FIG. 5 with a valve in position thereon.

As shown in the drawings, an outer container 10 has a large open mouth 11 surrounded by a bead 12. The container forms the outer compartment 13 adapted to receive material therein. An inner container 14 is provided having sidewalls 15, a top wall or cover 16, and a bottom wall 17. Container 14 is of a size to pass through the large mouth of the container 10 and forms an inner compartment 18.

In the form of the invention shown in FIG. 1, the cover or top 16 is provided with a valve-receiving well or recess 19. A transverse wall 20 at the inner end of the wall carries a tubular sleeve 21 and has apertures 22 forming passages at points spaced around the sleeve. The well also has a vent aperture 23 to facilitate filling of the inner compartment as shown in FIG. 2. The well receives a valve unit 24 comprising a housing 25 and a valve stem 26, said housing comprising an outer wall 27 and a spaced inner tubular member 28.

When the valve unit is inserted into the well, the outer wall 27 will engage the walls of the well with a force fit with the inner tubular member sealingly disposed within the upper end of the sleeve 21. The insertion of the valve unit also closes the vent aperture 23 as shown in FIG. 1.

The housing has an open upper end which is closed by a sealing washer 29 which forms a chamber 30. The washer is secured in place by a valve mounting member 31. The chamber is connected to the space between the outer wall 27 and inner tubular member 28 by passage 32.

The inner end of the housing has a projecting annular member 33 disposed outwardly of the apertures 22 for receiving an outer dip tube 34 extending substantially to the bottom of the compartment 18. The inner end of the sleeve 21 has a portion 21a for receiving the end of an inner dip tube 35.

The bottom 17 has a central sleeve 36 extending above and below the same and surrounding an aperture 37. The lower end of the dip tube 35 is received in the upper part of the sleeve 36 and a second dip tube 38 is carried by the lower part of the sleeve 36 and extends into the outer compartment.

The upper end of the valve stem 26 normally projects through the sealing washer 29 in nondispensing position as shown in FIG. 1 and is yieldingly held in this position by spring 39. The stem has a shoulder 40 for engaging washer 29 and sealing the chamber 30 and the inner end 26a of the stem sealingly engages an aperture 41 in wall 42 of the housing leading to the inner tubular member 21. Thus both compartments are sealed in the nondispensing position of the stem.

A dispensing passage 43 is formed in the stem and connects a dispensing port 44 in the stem to the dispensing button 45 on the end of the stem. The stem has a diagonal bypass passage 46 for bypassing the wall 42 when the stem is moved inwardly to a dispensing position to connect the dispensing port 44 with the chamber 30 whereby the contents of both compartments may be simultaneously dispensed.

The construction is such as to facilitate the assembly and filling of the package. The container 10 can be readily filled through the large open mouth with a material to be dispensed. The inner container has its elements assembled as shown in FIG. 2 and is filled by a filling nozzle 47 feeding the material through passages 48 thereof to passages 22 and filling the compartment 18 through the outer dip tube while the compartment 18 is vented through aperture 23. Also the portion 47a of the nozzle 47 prevents material from passing through the inner dip tube 35.

After filling the compartment 18, the valve unit is put in the well or recess. This closes the vent 23 and seals the inner compartment and connects the inner and outer dip tubes to the valve unit to be controlled by the stem.

The assembled valve unit and inner container are then inserted through the large open mouth and the edge of the mounting member 31 is crimped to the bead 12, as shown, to seal the package. The valve stem is moved to filling position and propellant is fed through the passage 43, port 44 and the passages in the valve unit to simultaneously charge both compartments with the propellant. The button 45 is then applied to the stem and when the latter is depressed, material will be fed from both compartments.

If desired, the inner compartment can be made of resilient plastic material which can collapse under pressure in the outer compartment to assist or to feed material therefrom.

The form of the invention shown in FIG. 3 is similar to that of FIG. 1 with the exception that the sleeve 36 of FIG. 1 is replaced by a button 50 mounted within the aperture 37a in the bottom wall 17a. The button has a passage 51 connecting the inner dip tube 35 to the inner compartment 18 and has a wall 52 receiving the end of the outer dip tube 34 and is provided with a passage 53 connecting the outer dip tube to the outer compartment 13. The filling and assembly of this form of the invention is similar to that discussed in connection with the form of the invention shown in FIG. 1.

The form of the invention shown in FIG. 4 is similar to that shown in FIG. 1 with the exception that the outer dip tube is eliminated and the inner dip tube 35b extends from the end of the well through a sleeve 55 in the bottom wall 17b of the inner container and connects to the outer compartment. In this form of the invention the walls 15b of the inner container are rigid and the bottom wall 17b is adapted to slide within the wall 15b and upon the inner dip tube 35b under the action of the pressure within the outer compartment to assist in dispensing material from the inner compartment.

In the form of the invention shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the container 14c is molded from plastic material with the top 16c formed integral with the sidewalls and having the well 19c. The lower end is closed by a closure wall 17c. The container can be filled through a filling nozzle or central tube 47c, as shown in FIG. 5, with the aperture 23c providing for the venting of the container. After the container is filled, the valve unit 24c, as shown in FIG. 6, can be inserted into the well into operative relation with the inner compartment and will automatically seal the vent passage and provide a container which can be used as an inner container or used as a package per se. The washer 29c is held in place by the member 31c.

It will be seen with the construction and arrangement of the present invention that a novel method of filling and preparing the packages is obtained. By this method the outer container can be readily filled through the large mouth. The inner container can be filled, preferably by a nozzle, through the well with the container being vented during the filling operation. After it is filled, the valve unit is put in place, sealing the container and enclosing the vent. The assembled valve unit and inner container can then be passed through the large mouth and secured in place by the mounting member for the valve unit, after which the two compartments can be pressurized or filled with a propellant by depressing the stem to a filling position in which the discharge port is within the housing and filling the two compartments to the required extent with the propellant, after which the button is applied. This will enable the two containers to be filled at separate intervals and assembled when ready to provide the ultimate package. Further, by proper selectivity the material can be inserted in the container or not and the package is pressurized to dispense one or two materials simultaneously. If the package is filled with only one material, the propellant in the other container can be used to assist in the dispensing of the material either by an aspiration effect or by applying pressure to the flexible inner container.

In some circumstances the inner container can be filled as above described and be employed so as to function as the ultimate container per se, thus providing a simplified unit.

Variations and modifications may be made within the scope of the invention and portions of the improvements may be used without others.

Claims

I claim:

1. An inner container for use in a dual container dispensing package comprising a housing having an open upper end through which a material to be dispensed is inserted, a valve unit having a stem, said unit being secured in said open upper end of the filled container to seal the same, said housing having a plurality of passages for conducting material, one connecting the interior of the housing to the valve unit and the other passage connecting the valve unit to the exterior of the housing, said valve stem simultaneously sealing and controlling both passages.

2. A dual container for an aerosol material comprising an inner and outer compartment, said inner compartment comprising sidewalls, a top, and a bottom, said top having a cylindrical recess with an open end to receive a valve body, the bottom of said recess having an apertured transverse wall and a depending sleeve, and the side of said recess adjacent the open end having a venting aperture to vent the container when filled through said apertured transverse wall of the recess, said venting aperture being closed when a valve body is inserted into position in said recess.

3. A dual container for an aerosol material comprising an inner and outer compartment, said inner compartment comprising sidewalls, a top, and a bottom, said top having a cylindrical recess with an open end to receive a valve body, the bottom of said recess having an apertured transverse wall and a depending sleeve, and the side of said recess adjacent the open end having a venting aperture to vent the container when filled through said apertured transverse wall of the recess, said venting aperture being closed when a valve body is inserted into position in said recess, and said aperture of the transverse wall of the recess has an inner dip tube connecting portion for receiving and connecting a dip tube to said valve housing.

4. The invention as defined in claim 3 wherein said depending sleeve receives an outer dip tube.

5. The invention as defined in claim 4 wherein there is means carried by said bottom for communicating said inner dip tube and valve housing connected thereto with said outer compartment, said transverse wall having supplemental apertures connecting said valve housing and outer dip tube to said inner compartment.

6. The invention as defined in claim 4 wherein said bottom wall has means connecting said inner dip tube to said inner compartment and said outer dip tube to said outer compartment.

7. A dispensing package comprising a container having a closed inner end and a closed outer end having a valve-receiving well therein, a passage connecting the well to the interior of the said container, the passage being connected to the well in such a position that a filling nozzle inserted in the well will feed material through the passage to fill the container, a vent for the container disposed in the well, said vent being adapted to be located above the filling nozzle to vent the container during the filling operation to enable the container to be filled to the required amount, and a dispensing valve means inserted into and closing said well, said valve means having a portion sealing said vent.

8. An inner compartment for use in a codispensing package comprising a unit having a closed inner end, and a closed outer end having a valve-receiving well therein, a through passage extending from the well through said unit and the closed inner end, a second passage connecting the well to the interior of the said unit, the passages being connected to the well in such a position that a filling nozzle inserted in the well will seal the through passage and feed material to the second passage to fill the unit, a vent for the container disposed in the well, said vent being adapted to be located above the filling nozzle to vent the container during the filling operation to enable the container to be filled to the required amount and to be sealed when a valve means is inserted into said well.