High Pressure Propellant Dispensing Valve

Abstract

A body member has an inner flange, an outer flange and a central opening therethrough. A hollow valve stem has a longitudinal channel terminating in radial openings and is positioned within the central opening. An inner flange of a retaining ring seals a flexible annular gasket against the inner flange of the body member. The inner periphery of the gasket obturates the radial openings. An outer flange of the retaining ring is positioned against the outer flange of the body member. The body member and the retaining ring are held together between a flange opening and a crimped portion of a propellant cartridge.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a novel high pressure propellant dispensing valve, particularly for use in a dispensing system of the type wherein the product or products are aspirated through a coupler-aspirator by a propellant which is housed in a propellant cartridge separate from the product or products.

In applicant's copending application Ser. No. 43,417, filed June 4, 1970, is disclosed a dispensing system of the type wherein a product is housed in a product container separate from the propellant. A coupler-aspirator is coupled to and positioned above the product container. The coupler-aspirator is also coupled to the stem of the valve of a propellant cartridge which is positioned above the coupler-aspirator. When the top of the propellant cartridge is depressed, both the valve thereof and the product container valve are opened, and the product is aspirated through the coupler-aspirator by the propellant.

OBJECTS AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

With this background in mind, it is a principal object of the present invention to provide a novel high pressure propellant dispensing valve for use in propellant cartridges to be used in the type of dispensing system disclosed in said copending application. It is a further object of the present invention to provide such a valve which may be inexpensively manufactured by routine molding techniques.

The objects are achieved in accordance with the present invention by the provision of an annular body member which is held in place in a flanged opening of a propellant cartridge by an inwardly crimped portion thereof. A hollow valve stem having a longitudinal channel therein terminating in radial openings is positioned to move within a central opening of the valve body member. A retaining ring has an outer flange portion which is held in place between the crimped portion of the propellant cartridge and the valve body member and an inner annular flange which cooperates with the valve body member to support a flexible annular gasket. The inner periphery of the flexible annular gasket obturates the radial openings of the hollow valve stem, thereby acting as a high pressure obturator. A high pressure seal is thus created between the valve body member and the flexible annular gasket and between the flexible annular gasket and the hollow valve stem. A sealing gasket is positioned between the inner surface of the propellant cartridge and the retaining ring to provide an additional high pressure seal . A spring may be provided to urge the hollow valve stem out of and away from the valve body member, depending upon the desired force necessary to open the valve.

Other objects and features of the invention will be made clear by the following description taken together with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a view partially in cross-section and partially in elevation showing a dispensing system of the type with which the high pressure propellant dispensing valve of the present invention is particularly adapted to be used:

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a first embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the valve of FIG. 2, but in the opened position;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing two modifications of the present invention; and

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing a third modification of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

With reference now to FIG. 1 of the drawings, the type of dispensing system in which the novel high pressure propellant dispensing valve of the present invention is particularly adapted for use will be described. The product container 1 contains a product or products to be dispensed therefrom. A product container valve 2 of any suitable design extends through the top of product container 1 and contains suitable product flow passages (not shown) to provide communication of the product or products within product container 1 with the valve stem 2a of the product container valve.

A coupler-aspirator 3 has a nozzle insert 4 therein. Communicating with nozzle 4 are first and second flow passages 5 and 6, respectively. The first flow passage 5 is coupled to and communicates with stem 2a. Second flow passage 6 is coupled to and communicates with a hollow valve stem 7 of the valve 8 of a propellant cartridge 9. Product container 1 is provided with a guide 30 which is adapted to fit in any conventional manner such as a snap fit over the top of the product container. Guide 30 acts to guide and laterally support propellant cartridge 9, as shown in FIG. 1. Coupler-aspirator 3 extends to and sprays through an opening 40 in guide 30.

The operation of the dispensing system shown in FIG. 1 is as follows:

The operator grasps the unit generally around guide 30 and applies force to the top of the propellant cartridge 9 as indicated generally by arrow 20. As propellant cartridge 9 is depressed, coupler-aspirator 3 is moved downwardly. The application of continued force causes both the product container valve 2 and the propellant valve 8 to be opened. Therefore, there is communication of the product through product container valve stem 2a and first flow passage 5 into nozzle 4. Similarly, there is communication of the propellant through propellant valve 7 and second flow passage 6 into nozzle 4. Thus, it will be apparent that the propellant aspirates the product through the coupler-aspirator.

With reference now to FIG. 2 and 3 of the drawings, the novel high pressure propellant dispensing valve of the present invention, particularly adapted for use in the dispensing system of FIG. 1, will be described in detail.

The high pressure propellant dispensing valve 8 includes an annular valve body member 10 having an inner annular flange 10a and an outer annular flange 10b. Within central opening 11 of valve body member 10 is positioned a hollow valve stem 7. Stem 7 has extending therethrough a longitudinal channel 12 which terminates in radial openings 13. A flexible annular gasket 14 is positioned to have the inner periphery thereof obturating radial openings 13, and thus serves as a high pressure obturator. Flexible annular gasket 14 is tightly held in place against inner flange 10a of valve body member 10 by inner flange 15a of retaining ring 15. An outer flange 15b of retaining ring 15 is in tight engagement with outer flange 10b of valve body member 10 due to a crimped portion 9a of propellant cartridge 9. An annular sealing gasket 16 is positioned between flange 15b and crimped portion 9a to ensure a pressure tight seal. Similarly, a pressure tight seal is created between flange 10a of valve body member 10 and flexible annular gasket 14 and between flexible annular gasket 14 and hollow valve stem 7.

As shown in FIG. 3, as propellant cartridge 9 is depressed, the cartridge is moved downwardly with respect to hollow valve stem 7. This causes flexible annular gasket 14 to be distorted, thereby opening radial openings 13. It will be apparent that in the position shown in FIG. 3, communication is open for propellant within the propellant cartridge 9 to flow through radial openings 13, longitudinal channel 12 and thus into flow passage 6 and nozzle 4 of coupler-aspirator 3.

It should be apparent from the above discussion that it takes relatively little force to open valve 8. The only pressure which must be overcome is the pressure of the propellant within cartridge 9. It will be further apparent then that the embodiment of the high pressure propellant dispensing valve shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 is particularly useful in the dispensing system shown in FIG. 1 wherein it is normally desirable to have the propellant valve open before the product container valve. As force is applied in the direction of arrow 20 in FIG. 1, valve 8 will be opened before valve 2, since only the pressure of the propellant need be overcome. It will of course be apparent that when the force indicated by arrow 20 is released, the force of the propellant within cartridge 9 will be sufficient to close valve 8.

With reference now to FIG. 4 of the drawings, two modification of the high pressure dispensing valve of the present invention will be described. As discussed above, the valve illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3 is adapted for use in the system of FIG. 1 when it is desirable that the propellant valve be opened before the product valve. However, there may be circumstances when the reverse is desirable, that is, that the product container valve be opened prior to the propellant valve. The modification of FIG. 4 shows a propellant valve in accordance with the present invention for use in those circumstances.

The valve of FIG. 4 is similar to the valve of FIGS. 2 and 3 in most respects. However, valve body member 110 has an additional downwardly depending annular flange 110c. A spring 117 is positioned within flange 110c and acts between a surface 107a of hollow valve stem 107 and flange 110a of valve body member 110. It will be apparent that spring 117 urges hollow valve stem 107 downwardly as viewed in FIG. 4. Therefore, the force required to open valve 108 is the force required to overcome spring 117 and the force of propellant within cartridge 9. Therefore, when it is desired to have the product container valve opened before the propellant valve, the spring 117 need merely be selected such that the total force necessary to open valve 108 is greater than the force required to open valve 2.

At times it may be desirable to remove vapor propellant only when the cartridge is used in the inverted position described. To do so a dip tube 120 can be inserted within an increased diameter section 115a of a modified retaining ring 115 as shown in FIG. 4. Said dip tube extends to top of cartridge 9 enabling vapor propellant only to be withdrawn.

Further, it may be desirable to use a filter so that no particles of dust enter Venturi nozzle 4. More specifically, if adsorbant power is used to retain a liquid propellant, a filter may be needed. In such a case, a suitable filter 116 could be added to retaining ring 115 as shown in FIG. 5.

It is to be understood that all of the various elements of the present invention may be made of any convenient or desirable material such as plastic. These elements can easily be made by conventional molding techniques, thus making possible the provision of such device at a low cost.

Although preferred embodiments of the invention have been described in detail, such description is intended to be illustrative only, and not restrictive, since many other details of the construction of the invention may be altered or modified without departing from the spirit or scope thereof.

For example, although the novel valve of the present invention has specifically been described for use with the dispensing system of FIG. 1, it is to be understood that such valve could readily be used in other aerosol dispensing systems.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A high pressure propellant dispensing valve for use in a propellant cartridge having an inwardly crimped portion and a flanged opening therein, said valve comprising an annular body member having a central opening therein and positioned between said flange and said crimped portion of said cartridge; a hollow valve stem having a flow path therethrough and positioned within said central opening; a flexible annular gasket having an inner periphery obturating said flow path; and a retaining ring positioned to seal said gasket against said body member; said body member further having an inner annular flange and an outer annular flange, and said retaining ring having an inner flange and an outer flange; said gasket being sealingly held against said inner annular flange of said body member by said inner flange of said retaining ring; and said outer flange of said retaining ring being held against said outer annular flange of said body member by said crimped portion of said cartridge.

2. A valve as claimed in claim 1, further comprising an annular sealing gasket positioned between said outer flange of said retaining ring and said crimped portion of said cartridge.

3. A valve as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a dip tube attached to said retaining ring and selectively in communication with said flow path.

4. A valve as claimed in claim 1 further comprising a filter positioned within said retaining ring to filter propellant flowing through said flow path.

5. A high pressure propellant dispensing valve for use in a propellant cartridge having an inwardly crimped portion and a flanged opening therein, said valve comprising an annular body member having a central opening therein and positioned between said flange and said crimped portion of said cartridge; a hollow valve stem having a flow path therethrough and positioned within said central opening; a flexible annular gasket having an inner periphery obturating said flow path; a retaining ring positioned to seal said gasket against said body member; said body member further having a downwardly depending flange surrounding said central opening; and a spring positioned within said downwardly depending flange and urging said hollow valve stem out of said central opening.