U.S. patent number 3,796,352 [Application Number 05/232,752] was granted by the patent office on 1974-03-12 for valve for dispensing one or more pressurized fluids.
This patent grant is currently assigned to L'Oreal. Invention is credited to Bruno Morane.
United States Patent |
3,796,352 |
Morane |
March 12, 1974 |
VALVE FOR DISPENSING ONE OR MORE PRESSURIZED FLUIDS
Abstract
Valve for dispensing a variable number of pressurized fluids
comprises a central tube with a lateral orifice for each fluid to
be dispensed, and a separate sleeve for each orifice in which said
tube is slidable to move said orifices from positions in which they
are closed by said sleeves to open positions.
Inventors: |
Morane; Bruno (Paris,
FR) |
Assignee: |
L'Oreal (Paris,
FR)
|
Family
ID: |
9074976 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/232,752 |
Filed: |
March 8, 1972 |
Foreign Application Priority Data
Current U.S.
Class: |
222/135; 222/514;
222/402.24 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65D
83/66 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
B65D
83/14 (20060101); B65d 083/14 () |
Field of
Search: |
;222/135,136,402.24,394,402.1,513,514,518,402.17,94 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Reeves; Robert B.
Assistant Examiner: Shannon; John P.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Brisebois & Kruger
Claims
1. In a valve for the top of a pressurized container having a
plurality n of compartments therein, which valve is adapted to
dispense, either successively or in combination, a plurality n of
products stored in said compartments and comprises a stationary
jacket mounted on said container, and a central tube having a
closed lower end which projects through the bottom of said jacket
and an open upper end connected to communicate with the ambient
atmosphere through a dispensing duct in a push-button, said tube
being mounted for axial movement relative to said jacket at least
between first and second positions, the improvement according to
which
a stack of (n-1) cups is suspended from the bottom of said jacket,
and said tube projects through said cups,
said central tube is provided with n orifices in its lateral wall,
one within each cup and one within said jacket,
the lower part of each cup and of said jacket holds an elastic
sleeve sealingly surrounding a portion of said tube provided with
one of said orifices when said tube is in its first position, but
clear of said orifice when said tube is in its second position,
one of said compartments encircles said tube beneath the lowermost
cup,
a chamber is defined inside each of said (n-1) cups above the upper
face of the sleeve in that cup and each chamber is connected
through one of (n-1) ducts to a different one of said compartments,
so that a plurality of said compartments are placed in
communication with the interior of said tube
2. Valve as claimed in claim 1 for a two-compartment container in
which said central tube has two lateral orifices, said valve
comprising two elastic sleeves and a single cup suspended below the
base of said jacket.
3. Valve as claimed in claim 1 in which the distance between two
sucessive orifices in the central tube is equal to the distance
between the planes in which the corresponding sleeves contact the
bottoms of the cups or the
4. Valve as claimed in claim 1 in which the distance between two
consecutive orifices in the central tube is different from the
distance between the ends of said sleeves remote from the open end
of the said
5. Valve as claimed in claim 1 in which the space between the
adjacent ends of two consecutive sleeves is less than the
difference between the ends of these two sleeves remote from the
open end of said tube and the distance between the corresponding
orifices, with the latter distance smaller than
6. Valve as claimed in claim 1 in which said push-button is
rotatable into a plurality of positions and carries external
abutments cooperating with corresponding abutments on said
container to limit the axial movement of said push-button and valve
in dependence on the rotary position of said
7. Pressurized container equipped with a valve as claimed in claim
1.
Description
It is well-known that pressurized containers adapted for the
storage of products which are to be dispensed in the form of a
liquid or aerosol jet are provided at their upper ends with a
dispensing valve. This valve is, in general, mounted in a cup at
the upper end of the container. The valve is actuated by the user
by depressing a push-button or a control member forming part, for
example, of a dispensing cover.
It is obvious that it is desirable to reduce to a minimum the cost
of these valves, which are used in as many forms as there are
embodiments of pressurized containers.
It is also known that it is frequently necessary to make
simultaneous use of a plurality of products which are kept separate
during storage, which products are enclosed inside the same
pressurized container. In order to make simultaneous use of these
products it is necessary to have available a valve which permits
the simultaneous ejection of as many streams as there are products
to be dispensed. For this particular application it is customary to
use valves adapted for the particular purpose in question, taking
into account the number of products to be simultaneously dispensed.
It is therefore necessary to utilize, in the manufacture of
pressurized containers, different valves for controlling single
flows and plural flows.
It is the purpose of the present invention to provide a valve which
may be used for a plurality of different applications regardless of
whether it is to control a single stream or several streams of
several different products to be simultaneously dispensed. This
valve also has the advantage of being especially inexpensive. It is
thus possible to use a single type of valve for all pressurized
containers.
It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide, as
a new article of manufacture, a valve which is particularly adapted
to be mounted at the top of a pressurized container of the aerosol
bomb type, which valve is characterized by the fact that it
comprises:
1. A central tube having at least one orifice in its lateral wall,
which orifice is adapted to connect the inside of the tube to the
inside of the container, said tube having a closed end inside the
container and an open end on contact with a push button.
2. At least one sleeve made of a resilient material sealingly
encircling said tube, the number of sleeves of the valve being
equal to the maximum number of orifices which have been provided in
the central tube, and the outlet of the valve being positioned at
its upper end, with the upper sleeve being mechanically attached to
the central tube by its upper end.
3. A jacket fastened to the container associated with the valve,
said jacket gripping each sleeve in a fluid-tight manner along at
least one part of its lateral surface and providing an abutment at
the lower end of each of the sleeves of the valve, each of said
abutments being positioned slightly below each of the orifices in
the central tube when the valve is in closed position.
4. At least one inlet for products to be dispensed, said inlet
opening into the said jacket between an abutment and the lower end
of an adjacent sleeve.
In a first embodiment, the valve according to the invention is a
single-flow valve comprising a single elastic sleeve, with the
outer jacket gripping the elastic sleeve only at its lower end. The
outer jacket is a cylinder seated in the center of the
valve-carrying cup, said cylinder having at its lower end a base
perforated by a central orifice. A central tube in the valve is
closed at its lower end and has a single orifice in its lateral
wall, said orifice being positioned, when the valve is closed,
inside the elastic sleeve, near the end of said sleeve which abuts
the base of the cylinder outer jacket of the sleeve.
It will be seen that, in this first embodiment, the central tube
may be a hypodermic needle closed at one of its ends and perforated
by a hole in its lateral wall, with the elastic sleeve consisting
of a rubber tube gripping this needle. When the valve is in the
closed position, the orifice in the central tube is inside the
sleeve, the sleeve being held at its lower end inside its
cylindrical outer jacket. When the user desires to open the valve
to dispense the product stored therein, he presses on the open end
of the central tube with a push-button and thus on the free end of
the sleeve which is mechanically attached thereto. Since this
sleeve is held against axial movement at its lower end, it expands
in the zone between the push-button and the cylindrical outer
jacket, and the central tube moves simultaneously relative to the
lower part of the sleeve so that the orifice in the tube is clear
of the sleeve and the inside of the tube is brought into
communication with the inside of the pressurized container. When
the user releases this pressure on the push-button, the sleeve
returns to its initial shape, due to its own elasticity and, due to
the mechanical connection of its upper part to the central tube,
returns the central tube to its initial position, that is to say it
produces a sliding movement of the central tube with respect to the
lower part of the sleeve, without any sliding of the upper part of
the sleeve with respect to the central tube.
It should be noted that this valve serves as a safety device in the
case of an abnormal increase in the pressure inside the container
during storage. In effect, the pressure operates on the lower part
of the elastic sleeve which is held in place only by its frictional
engagement inside the cylindrical outer jacket. The amount of this
friction may be adjusted during the manufacture of the valve by
regulating the hardness of the rubber, the diameter of the sleeve,
and the length of the sleeve which is inserted in the outer jacket.
It is thus possible to regulate the maximum pressure which can be
resisted by the sleeve, so that said sleeve is ejected in case this
pressure is exceeded, thus avoiding explosion of the container.
It should be noted that it is possible, in the case of a valve
according to this first embodiment, to fill the pressurized
container under pressure and place the central tube and the
associated sleeve in position after filling by forcefully
depressing the sleeve in the cylindrical seat provided in the valve
cap. It is also possible to position the complete valve in the
filling head supplying the pressurizing gas for automatic
insertion.
In a second embodiment of the valve according to the invention,
said valve is a two-stream valve comprising two elastic sleeves and
a central tube having two orifices in its lateral wall. The outer
jacket of the two sleeves consists in the first place, of a central
cylindrical seat in the central zone of the valve cup, which seat
holds the upper sleeve of the valve, and forms an abutment at the
base of this upper sleeve as has been indicated in the first
variation hereinbefore described. The valve also comprises a cup
mounted on the recessed seat in which the upper sleeve is located,
said cup being positioned inwardly of the container with respect to
the valve cup, gripping the lower sleeve of the valve, and being
traversed by the central tube of the valve which extends along the
axis of the two sleeves of the valve. This cup has a lateral inlet
duct for admitting one of the products to be dispensed to the tube.
The distance between the two orifices in the central tube of the
valve is equal to the distance between the abutments for the
sleeves of the valve formed respectively by the bottom of the
cylindrical seat and the bottom of the cup gripping the lower
sleeve. When the valve is in closed position, the two sleeves grip
the central tube of the valve in a fluid-tight manner, and the two
orifices in the central tube of the valve are positioned inside the
sleeve near the abutments on which these sleeves rest.
If it be supposed that the valve is positioned upwardly, when the
user wants to open the valve, he presses on the central tube of the
valve by means of a push-button and thereby on the upper end of the
upper sleeve which is mechanically connected thereto. When such
pressure is exerted on the upper end of the sleeve, the free part
between the push-button and the cap of the valve deforms and
expands. It follows that the central tube may slide with respect to
the central part of the upper sleeve and with respect to the lower
sleeve. The two orifices in the tube are then no longer closed by
these sleeves. It follows that the product enclosed inside the
pressurized container, on the one hand, and the product admitted
through the inlet duct which is between the two sleeves, on the
other hand, may penetrate into the central tube and be
dispensed.
When the user releases his pressure on the push-button, the upper
sleeve returns to its initial position and causes the central tube
to slide in the opposite direction due to the mechanical connection
between the upper part of the sleeve and the tube.
It should be noted that, in this variation, when the central tube
of the valve is subjected to an abnormally high pressure from
within the container, it may be displaced toward the exterior of
the container which makes it possible to identify those containers
the pressure in which does not conform to required storage
standards.
In a third embodiment of the valve according to the invention, said
valve is for multiple streams. It comprises more than two elastic
sleeves, said sleeves being at least equal in number to the number
of streams to be simultaneously dispensed and the central tube
comprises an equal number of orifices in its wall. The cylindrical
jacket of the valve consists, in the first place, of a cylindrical
seat sunk into the center of the valve cap, in which seat the base
of the upper sleeve of the valve is inserted. An assembly of cups,
preferably all identical is provided, each mounted on the other,
with the cup nearest the valve cap being mounted on the cylindrical
seat in the center of said cap, each cap holding at its lower end a
sleeve and being axially transversed by the central tube of the
valve. An inlet for one of the products to be dispensed opens
laterally into each of the cups between the sleeve enclosed in that
cap and the bottom of the cup on which that cup is mounted, the
distance between two successive orifices in the central tube of the
valve being equal to the distance between the planes in which the
corresponding sleeves abut the bottoms of the cup or the bottom of
the seat in the center of the valve cap.
It should be noted that, in this embodiment, as in the second
embodiment, the sleeve enclosed in each of the cups is gripped by
said cup or mechanically connected by its outer surface to the
cup.
When the valve is in closed position, all the sleeves grip the
central tube along their entire inner surface, and the orifices in
the central tube of the valve are blocked by said sleeves. When the
user wants to place the valve according to the invention in open
position, he presses on the central tube by means of a push-button,
and thus on the free end of the elastic sleeve inside the
container, which end is mechanically connected to the central tube
of the valve. This movement, as previously indicated, causes the
elastic sleeve to buckle outwardly, so that the push-button is
depressed with respect to the cap of the valve and causes sliding
movement of the central tube with respect to the lower part of the
upper sleeve and with respect to all of the other sleeves in the
valve. This sliding movement simultaneously brings all the orifices
in the central tube outside the sleeves, which permits the inside
of the central tube to be simultaneously supplied with all the
products to be dispensed. When the user releases his pressure, the
sleeve, which has been deformed, returns to its initial shape, and
moves the central tube in the opposite direction, thus
simultaneously closing all the orifices in the tube.
It should be emphasized that, in this embodiment, as in the second
embodiment of the valve according to the invention, if there is an
excess pressure inside the container, the central tube may be
subjected to slight displacement toward the outside, which serves
as an indication that the pressures inside the container are
abnormal. The regulation of this safety factor is a function of the
friction between the upper sleeve and its cylindrical seat in the
valve cap.
It is important to note that, in all the preceding embodiments, the
cylindrical jacket may be molded from plastic material, and may
consequently be relatively inexpensive. Moreover, the central tube
of the valve may be, in all cases, a hypodermic needle closed at
one end, in which needle the desired number of radial orifices are
provided. Moreover the sleeves may simply be section of rubber
tubing. It will thus be seen that the different components of a
valve according to the invention are very inexpensive and that the
same type of valve may be used regardless of the number of products
to be simultaneously dispensed. This makes it possible to envisage
manufacturing processes on a large scale, a circumstance which is
even more favorable for reducing the cost.
In a fourth embodiment of the valve according to the invention,
which may be used if the valve is to dispense at least two fluids,
the distance between two consecutive orifices in the central tube
is not equal to the distance between the abutments on which the
corresponding sleeves rest. In this case, during depression of the
central tube, one of the orifices is opened before or after the
other orifice or orifices. It is thus possible to dispense,
depending upon the extent to which the central tube is depressed,
either a single product, or the mixture of a certain number of
products selected among those which may be dispensed. If the
spacing between the two ends of two sleeves is less than the
distance between the abutments on which the two sleeves rest, and
the distance between the two corresponding orifices is smaller than
the former, the opening of one orifice leads to the closing of a
previously opened orifice. It is thus possible to dispense singly
each of a group of products separately stored in the same
container, the selection of the products being dependent upon the
depth of depression of the central tube. Depending upon the
relative position and the length of the sleeves, any desired
combination of products may be dispensed.
The present invention has a further object the new article of
manufacture which consists of a pressurized container of the
aerosol bomb type, characterized by the fact that it comprises at
its upper end at least one valve such as has just been
described.
In order that the invention may be better understood, several
embodiments will now be described, purely by way of illustration
and example, with reference to the accompanying drawings in
which:
FIG. 1 is an axial sectional view showing a valve for dispensing a
single fluid, in closed position;
FIG. 2 shows the valve of FIG. 1 in open position;
FIG. 3 shows in axial section a valve for dispensing two fluids, in
closed position;
FIG. 4 shows the valve of FIG. 3 in open position;
FIG. 5 shows in axial section in open position a valve for
simultaneously dispensing four products;
FIG. 6 shows the valve of FIG. 5 in closed position; and
FIGS. 7 - 10 show the closed position (FIG. 7) and the three open
positions of a valve for dispensing three fluids separately.
In the embodiments which will now be described, there is no tube
extending toward the bottom of the receptacle, which presumes that
the container is to be used head down at the moment of dispensing.
It is obvious, however, that such a tube could be easily associated
with a valve according to the invention, said tube being attached
to the lower part of the cylindrical jacket so as to supply the
lower orifice in the central tube of the valve.
Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 2, it will be seen that reference
numeral 1 indicates the wall of a container of the aerosol bomb
type and reference numeral 2 the valve-carrying cap which is
mounted on the wall 1 by crimping 3. The cap 2 comprises a central
cylindrical part 4, the bottom 5 of which is perforated by a recess
6 through which the tube 7 is adapted to slide, said tube being
closed at its lower end.
A rubber sleeve 8 encircles the tube 7 and its lower end is gripped
inside the cylindrical part 4. A push-button 9 is mounted on the
top of the tube 7 and has an outlet duct 10, the end of which is
partially blocked by a spray nozzle 11. The push-button 9 bears
simultaneously on the end of the tube 7 and the upper end of the
sleeve 8.
The tube 7 has at its lower end an orifice 12 in its lateral wall.
The orifice 12 is positioned, when the valve is closed, as shown in
FIG. 1, at a level such that it is blocked by the section of the
sleeve 8 gripped in the cylindrical part 4.
When the user presses on the push-button 9, the sleeve 8 expands in
the zone 8a which is intermediate between the section on which the
push-button 9 bears and the section which is gripped in the
cylindrical part 4. This produces a shortening of the sleeve and
simultaneously a sliding of the tube 7 inside the sleeve. The
orifice 12 slides with respect to the sleeve and enters the
container 1 thus permitting the pressurized fluid inside that
container to penetrate into the tube 7 through the orifice 12 and
be dispensed through the duct 10 and the spray nozzle 11.
When the user releases his pressure on the push-button 9, the
sleeve 8 returns the tube 7 to its initial position, due to its
elasticity, since this sleeve grips the tube 7 tightly enough at
its upper end to produce sliding of the opposite end of the said
tube.
Referring now to FIGS. 3 and 4, it will be seen that reference
numeral 21 indicates the wall of a container of the aerosol bomb
type whereas 22 indicates the cap which is attached to the upper
part of said container by crimping 23. The cap has a central
cylindrical seat 24, which has a bottom provided with an orifice
25. In the seat 24 is an elastic sleeve 26 which is a force fit
therein. Along the axis of the sleeve 26 is a central tube 27 which
passes through the sleeve 26 and the bottom of the cap 24 through
the orifice 25. On the side of the cup 22 toward the jacket 21 a
cylindrical cup 28 enclosing at its lower end a sleeve 29 is
mounted on the cylindrical seat 24. The sleeve 29 is mechanically
attached to the cup 28. It is traversed along its axis by the
central tube of the valve 27, said tube passing also through the
bottom of the cup 28 via an orifice 30. The sleeves 26 and 29 are
sections of rubber tube. The upper part of the sleeve 26 is
mechanically attached to the central tube of the valve 27. A
push-button 31 bears on the free end of the central tube of the
valve 27 and the inside of this tube is in communication with a
dispensing duct 32 in the push-button 31. The end of the dispensing
duct 32 is partially blocked by a spray nozzle 33. The push-button
31 comprises a skirt 34 which strikes the cap 22 to limit the
depression of the central tube 27. Two orifices 35 and 36 are
provided in the lateral wall of the central tube 27 of the valve at
a distance equal to the distance between the bottom of the seat 24
and the bottom of the cup 28. The central tube of the valve is
closed at its lower end, that is to say, the end inside the
container 21.
When the central tube 27 is positioned in the sleeves 26 and 29 and
the valve is in closed position, the orifices 35 and 36 are located
at a level slightly higher than the abutments on which the lower
part of the sleeves 26 and 29 rest, as shown in FIG. 3. A duct for
admitting product to be dispensed 37 opens laterally into the cup
28 in the zone between sleeve 29 and the bottom of the seat 24. The
container 21 holds one of the products to be dispensed and the duct
37 is connected to a pressurized container which holds a second
product to be dispensed simultaneously with the first.
When the valve is in the closed position, as shown in FIG. 3, the
orifices 35 and 36 are blocked by the sleeves 26 and 29
respectively. When the user wants to simultaneously dispense the
two products which are separately stored in the container 21, he
turns the container upside down and presses on the push-button 31.
The extent of its movement is limited by the abutment of the skirt
34 against the cup 22. In this movement, the central tube 27 of the
valve moves with respect to the sleeve 29, on the one hand, and
with respect to the lower part of the sleeve 26 on the other hand.
As has been previously explained, the sleeve 26 expands under the
effect of the pressure applied by the user on the push-button 31.
This expansion takes place in the section between the cap 22 and
the push-button 31. The two orifices 35 and 36 are cleared, and the
two products stored are simultaneously dispensed through the duct
32 and the nozzle 33.
When the user releases pressure on the push-button 31, the sleeve
26, due to its own elasticity, tends to return to its initial
shape, which results in a sliding of the central tube 27 in the
opposite direction and blocking of the two orifices 35 and 36, so
that distribution ceases. It should be noted that, after dispensing
has been discontinued, the only place which contains a mixture of
the two products to be simultaneously dispensed is the inside of
the tube 27, which has a small volume.
Referring now to FIGS. 5 and 6, it will be seen that reference
numeral 41 indicates the container of the aerosol bomb type, which
is provided with a four-way valve according to the invention. This
valve is carried by a cap 42 mounted on the container 41 by
crimping 43. The cap 42 comprises a central cylindrical depressed
seat 44, the bottom of which is pierced by an orifice 45. The seat
44 grips the base of a sleeve 46 analagous to the sleeve 26 of the
preceding embodiment. The sleeve 46 axially grips a central tube
47, on the free end of which is mounted a push-button 48
comprising, as has been described in connection with the second
embodiment, a dispensing duct 49, a spray nozzle 50, and a skirt
51. Inside the container 41 are three valve cups 52a, 52b, and 52c
which are mounted one on the other for part of their height, the
cup 52a being mounted on the cylindrical seat 44. They are held
firmly together in any suitable manner, for example adhesively. The
cups 52a, 52b, 52c comprises a lower part which has a diameter
equal to that of the outer part of the cylindrical depressed seat
44. These cups are all analogous to the cup 28 described in
connection with the second embodiment of the invention. Each cup
comprises, laterally, an inlet duct for admitting the product to be
dispensed and designated, for the cups 52a, 52b and 52c
respectively, by reference numerals 53a, 53b and 53c. Each cup also
holds a sleeve which is laterally gripped by the walls of the cup.
These sleeves have been assigned reference numerals 54a, 54b, and
54c. The sleeves are positioned in the parts of the cups which have
the smallest diameter, that is to say the parts adjacent the cup
therebeneath. A central tube 47 is mounted axially of the sleeves
46, 54a, 54b, 54c. This tube is closed at its lower end and has
four orifices 55d, 55a, 55b, 55c. The four orifices in the central
tube 47 are equidistant, and separated by a distance equal to the
distance between the abutments on which the lower parts of the
sleeves 46, 54a, 54b, 54c, rest. When pressure is exerted on the
push-button 48, the central tube 47 slides in the sleeves 54a, 54b,
54c, and in the lower part of the sleeve 46, while the upper part
of the sleeve 46 is attached to and moves with the central tube 47.
This movement is limited by the abutment of the skirt 51 against
the valve cap 42. During this movement, the section of the tube
between the cap 42 and the push-button 48 is expanded. While the
movement is taking place, the orifices 55a, 55b, 55c, 55d are
respectively uncovered by the sleeves 54a, 54b, 54c, and 46. It is
then possible to simultaneously dispense through the central tube
47 the products which reach the valve through the ducts 53a, 53b,
53c, as well as the product directly enclosed in the container 41.
It is obvious that the ducts 53a, 53b, 53c are connected to
pressurized containers which are themselves enclosed inside the
container 41, but not shown on the drawing. As has been previously
pointed out, the illustrated embodiment does not have any tube
extending to the bottom of the container, so that the container
must be used upside down.
When the pressure on the push-button 48 is released, the sleeve 46
tends to return to its original shape and slides the central tube
47 in the opposite direction. Simultaneously, all the orifices in
the central tube are blocked by the corresponding sleeves, which
stops the dispensing action. It is obvious that it would be
possible to add to the valve which has just been described as many
cups as are necessary, each additional cup making it possible to
simultaneously dispense an additional separately stored
product.
FIGS. 7 - 10 schematically illustrate an embodiment of the valve
according to the invention which may be used regardless of the
number of valve cups which may be simultaneously supplied, that is
to say, regardless of the number of products dispensed by the
valve, so hong as this number is at least equal to two. Reference
numeral 61 indicates the aerosol container on which the valve
according to thhe invention is mounted. This valve is fixed to a
cap 62 mechanically connected to the container 61 by crimping 63. A
push-button 64 actuates the valve. As has been indicated in
connection with the previous embodiments, cap 62 comprises a
central depressed seat 65 inside which the sleeve 66 is mounted. In
the embodiment described, two cups 67 and 68 are mounted one
beneath the other, the assembly being mounted on the projection
defining the recess 65. The cups 67 and 68 hold two sleeves 69 and
70, and each of these cups is laterally supplied, as previously
indicated, by inlet ducts 67a and 67b respectively. The sleeves 66,
69 and 70 are axially pierced by a central tube 71 having three
orifices 72, 73, 74. The central tube of valve 71 is closed at its
lower end and supplies through its upper end a dispensing duct in
the push-button 64.
The general operation of this valve is as hereinbefore described.
That is to say, it is dependent on the expansion of the section of
the sleeve 66 between the cap 62 and the push-button 64 in response
to force exerted by the user on the push-button 64. This expansion
permits sliding movement of the central tube 71. When the valve is
closed, that is to say in the rest position, the orifice 72 is
positioned at a distance "a" above the lower end of the sleeve 66.
The orifice 73 is at a distance "2a" from the lower end of the
sleeve 69, and the orifice 74 is at a distance "3a" from the lower
end of the sleeve 70. The upper end of the sleeve 70 is at a
distance of about "0.7a" from the lower end of the sleeve 69 and
the upper end of the sleeve 69 is at a distance about "3a" from the
lower end of the sleeve 66. When the valve is closed, the three
orifices 72, 73, 74 are blocked by the corresponding sleeves 66,
69, and 70.
If, as shown in FIG. 8, the user, by pressing on the push-button
64, depresses the central tube 71 by a distance equal to "1.2a", he
opens the orifice 72 without opening the orifices 73 and 74. This
results in the dispensing of the product supplied to the central
tube 71 by the inlet duct 67a.
If, as shown in FIG. 9, the user depresses the tube 71 by an
additional distance equal to "a," the orifice 72 remains open and
the orifice 73 is positioned in the space between the sleeves 69
and 70. The valve may then simultaneously dispense those products
supplied through the inlet ducts 67a and 68a.
If, as shown in FIG. 10, the user depresses the central tube 71 by
yet a further distance equal to "a, " the orifice 72 remains open
and the orifice 74 is beneath the sleeve 70. On the contrary the
orifice 73 is blocked by the sleeve 70. It follows that the valve
may then simultaneously distribute the product supplied through the
inlet duct 67a and the product directly enclosed in the container
61, assuming that the container has been turned upside down.
It will thus be seen that, by adjusting the height of the sleeves
and the distance between the orifices in the central tube, it is
possible, by using a valve according to the invention, to
simultaneously dispense several different combinations of products
stored separately in the same container. It is also possible, of
course, to separately dispense each of the products stored under
pressure. It is obvious that the adjustment to a desired depression
of the central tube may be obtained by utilizing abutments
cooperating with the skirt of the push-button 64, one or the other
of these abutments being effective in dependence upon the
orientation of the push-button with respect to the central tube of
the valve.
It will be of course be appreciated that the embodiments which have
been described have been given purely by way of illustration and
example, and may be modififed as to detail without thereby
departing from the basic principles of the invention.
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