Selective Aerosol Valve System

Abstract

An aerosol dispensing valve system for dispensing selectively a first fluid only, a second fluid only or a mixture of the fluids depending upon the position of a movable valve stem in which the fluids are retained in their own separate containers and are maintained distinct except when the mixture is dispensed.

Description

One of the features this invention is to provide an aerosol dispensing valve system for dispensing a first fluid only from its container, a second fluid only from its container or a mixture of the first and second simultaneously from their containers with all dispensing being by way of a dispensing chamber and a dispensing passage in a movable elongated valve stem.

Other features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description of one embodiment thereof taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Of the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view partially in section of an aerosol container employing a dispensing valve system embodying the invention.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged sectional view partially broken away of the dispensing valve system of the container of FIG. 1.

In FIG. 1 there is illustrated a high pressure aerosol unit 10 having a customary cylindrical high pressure container 11 functioning as a first container to retain on its interior 12 a first fluid under pressure. Such a fluid may be a liquid containing a high boiling propellant of which the Freons are good examples.

Positioned within the interior 12 of the first container 11 is a second container 13 which may be an elongated flexible bag of polyethylene or similar plastic material. The top of the first container 11 is defined by a transverse partition 14 which holds a valve 15 shown in enlarged vertical section in FIG. 2.

The valve 15 which is thereby located in the package that comprises the first container 11 and second container 13 has an interior dispensing chamber 16 of vertical, generally cylindrical shape. This chamber 16 is provided with a first 17 inlet that connects to a flexible dip tube 18 preferably made of a plastic material such as polyethylene and having an entrance end 19 adjacent the bottom of the interior of the first container 11.

The valve 15 is also provided with a second inlet 20 for the second fluid within the second container 13. This second inlet 20 communicates by way of a flexible dip tube 21 which may also be of a plastic material such as polyethylene with the bottom of the second container of flexible bag 13.

The valve also includes an axially movable elongated valve stem 22 extending vertically through the chamber 16 and having a dispensing passage 23 wit a side entrance 24 communicating with the chamber 16 and exit 25 in the projecting nozzle 26 that forms a projecting part of the vertically movable operating cap 27 of the unit 10.

The movable stem 22 is provided with a projection 28, here shown as a collar on the stem beneath the passage entrance 24 and movable with the stem. This projection or collar 28 is provided with a plurality of spaced fluid flow means here shown as vertical passages 29 that communicate at their upper ends with the interior of the dispensing chamber 16 and at their lower ends with the top of an annular passage 30 between the outer surface of the stem 22 and the inner surface of the tubular second inlet 20 which merged into the second dip tube 21.

At the top of this annular passage 30 there is provided a compressed helical spring 31 whose upper end engages the bottom of the collar 28 and whose lower end engages an annular sealing flange 32 and against which the stem 22 slides in its vertical movement. The helical spring 31 being under compression urges the collar 28 and the attached stem 22 in an upward direction from the position shown in FIG. 2.

The collar 28 is also provided with a seal portion, here shown as an annular tapered peripheral surface 33 that is adapted to block the first inlet 17 when the collar is in the position shown in FIG. 2.

As noted above, the annular inwardly directed flange 32 against which the outer surface of the stem 22 is slidable serves to hold the helical spring 31 in position. In addition, it makes sliding sealing contact with the outer surface of the stem 22 and in order to provide fluid flow past the flange 32 in certain positions of the stem 22 there is provided an elongated vertical spanning passage 34 in the stem that has its upper end communicating with the annular passage 30 above the flange 32 and its lower end communicating with the annular passage 30 below the flange when the stem 22 is in the position shown in FIG. 2.

Three operating positions of the valve stem 22 are indicated in FIG. 2 by the letters A, B and C. These indicate the positions of the transverse top surface 35 of the collar 28. When the stem 22 has been raised by pressure of the spring 31 to position A, here identified as a first position, the collar is moved away from the first inlet 17 so that fluid that is under pressure in the interior 12 of the first container 11 flows through the dip tube 18 into the chamber 16 for flow outwardly through the dispensing passage 23. This upward movement of the stem 22 to the position A also moves the spanning passage 34 entirely above the annular flange 32 so that this flange blocks exit of second fluid from the flexible bag 13 so that in position A only first fluid is dispensed through the valve system.

When the stem 22 and collar 28 are arranged in the second position indicated at B in FIG. 2 the first inlet 17 is similarly exposed and now the spanning passage 34 spans the flange 32 so that the second fluid can flow from the bag 13 upwardly through the annular passage 30 and into the chamber 16 for mixing with the flowing first fluid from the inlet 17. Thus when the valve parts are at position B a mixture of first and second fluids which is formed in the dispensing chamber 16 flows outwardly through the dispensing passage 23.

When the movable parts of the valve are arranged in the third position shown in FIG. 2, or in the position indicated at C, the seal portion 33 of the collar 28 effectively seals the first inlet 17 to block flow of the first fluid while the second fluid from the bag 13 flows upwardly in its dip tube 21, through the annular passage 30 by way of the spanning passage 34 and through the vertical passage 29 in the collar 28 into the chamber 16. From this chamber 16 the second fluid only flows outwardly through the dispensing passage 23 in the cap 27, as described.

Thus when the valve stem and collar are in position A of FIG. 2 only the first fluid from the first container 11 is dispensed. When the parts are in position B both fluids flow into the chamber 16 for mixture therein and outwardly through dispensing passage 23. When the parts are in position C only the second fluid is dispensed.

Upon complete release of the cap 27 the spring 31 forces the stem 22 and collar 28 outwardly to the extreme position where the top surface 35 of the collar 28 bears against the bottom surface of a flexible seal gasket or sealing member 36 so that this gasket seals the entrance end 24 of the dispensing passage 23, thereby sealing the interior of the aerosol unit 10.

The valve system of this invention therefore permits dispensing either one fluid only, a second fluid only or a mixture the two fluids, as desired.

Having described our invention as related to the embodiment shown in the accompanying drawings, it is our intention that the invention be not limited by any of the details of description, unless otherwise specified.

Claims

We claim:

1. An aerosol dispensing valve system for dispensing selectively a first fluid, a second fluid and a mixture of said fluids through said system, comprising: a first container means for retaining said first fluid under pressure; a second container means for containing said second fluid under pressure, said container being arranged in a single aerosol package; a valve in said package having a dispensing chamber, a first inlet to said chamber from said first container and a second inlet to said chamber from said second container; a movable elongated valve stem extending through said chamber having a dispensing passage with an entrance communicating with said chamber and an exit; a projection on said stem movable therewith having fluid flow means communicating with said second inlet and said chamber and a seal portion adapted to block said first inlet; a sealing flange engaging said stem in an area spaced from said chamber against which said stem is movable, said stem having a spanning passage adapted to span said flange, said stem when in a first position having said projection exposing said first inlet for first fluid flow into said chamber and having said spanning passage located entirely on the chamber side of said flange to block flow of said second fluid, said stem in a second position having said projection exposing said first inlet for first fluid flow into said chamber and said spanning passage spanning said flange for simultaneous flow of said second fluid into said chamber, and said stem in a third position having said projection seal portion blocking said first passage and said spanning passage spanning said flange for second fluid flow only into said chamber through said fluid flow means in the projection; and means for selectively moving said stem to said first position for dispensing said first fluid only, to said second position for dispensing a mixture of said first and second fluids, and to said third position for dispensing said second fluid only.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein there is provided a sealing member against which said stem is slidable, said sealing member blocking said dispensing passage entrance when said stem is in an extreme position for inactivating said valve system.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein there are provided yielding means retaining said stem in said extreme position, said stem being movable selectively to said first, second and third positions against the force of said yielding means.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein said first container comprises a rigid pressure body and said second container comprises a flexible bag within said pressure body.