Adjustable Aerosol Valve Button Assembly

Abstract

An aerosol valve operating button assembly including the tubular valve stem of an aerosol valve. The assembly is provided with means for varying the discharge of spray therefrom.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates to aerosol valve buttons and is directed more particularly to a button assembly having facility for selectively determining the rate of flow therefrom.

2. Description of the Prior Art

Aerosol valve buttons are adapted to be mounted upon the tubular valve stems of aerosol containers and provided with a fluid flow duct leading to a discharge outlet from which the material is discharged generally in the form of a spray. Such buttons are typically of a structure dictating substantially constant and unalterable flow therethrough and therefrom.

Previous attempts to introduce adjustability of flow rate to such buttons have, by and large, resulted in buttons too complex or expensive to be commercially feasible.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an aerosol valve button assembly having facility for selectively adjusting the rate of flow therefrom.

A further object of the invention is to provide such a button assembly which may be economically made and easily operated.

With the above and other objects in view, as will hereinafter appear, a feature of the present invention is the provision of an aerosol button assembly comprising a tubular valve stem having a slot therein, first and second members mounted on the stem and defining a chamber therebetween. The chamber has a discharge outlet and is in communication with the slot. The first of the members is rotatable relative to the second of the members and has an inwardly extending wall disposed proximate to the slot. The wall has an inclined edge surface, so that rotative movement of the first member moves the wall relative to the slot to vary the area of the slot exposed to the chamber, thereby varying the rate of flow therethrough upon actuation of the valve.

The above and other features of the invention including various novel details of construction and combinations of parts, will now be more particularly described with reference to the accompanying drawings and pointed out in the claims. It will be understood that the particular device embodying the invention is shown by way of illustration only and not as a limitation of the invention. The principles and features of this invention may be employed in various and numerous embodiments without departing from the scope of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Reference is made to the accompanying drawings in which is shown an illustrative embodiment of the invention from which its novel features and advantages will be apparent.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a centerline sectional view of one form of valve button assembly illustrative of an embodiment of the invention;

FIGS. 2 and 3 are similar to FIG. 1, but illustrate different operating positions;

FIG. 4 is a plan view;

FIG. 5 is a cut-away elevational view;

FIGS. 6 and 7 are similar to FIG. 5, but illustrate different operating positions;

FIG. 8 is a centerline sectional view of an alternative form of valve buttom assembly;

FIGS. 9-11 are similar to FIG. 8, but illustrate different operating positions;

FIG. 12 is a plan view of the assembly shown in FIGS. 8-11;

FIG. 13 is a cut-away, partly sectional, elevational view of the assembly shown in FIGS. 8-12; and

FIGS. 14-16 are similar to FIG. 13, but illustrate different operating positions.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring to FIG. 1, it will be seen that the button assembly comprises an aerosol valve stem 2 having a slot 4 extending from its discharge end. Mounted on the stem 2 and joined thereto is a collar member 6 which is generally cup-shaped. The collar member 6 is provided with a discharge orifice 8 which may be provided with a break-up disc 10. Disposed on the discharge end of the stem 2 is a cap member 12 having a wall portion 14 which extends into the annulus formed by the stem 2 and collar member 6. The wall 14 is provided with an inclined edge 16. The cap 12 and collar 6 members form a chamber 18 which is in communication with the discharge orifice 8 and the slot 4. The cap member 12 is provided with a lug 20 which facilitates manual rotation of the cap member 12.

Referring to FIG. 4, it will be seen that the cap 12 may be provided with markings 22, which may be "L," "M" and "H" for convenience in locating the cap properly for "low," "medium" or "high" flow rates, as will be further described below. The collar member 6 may be provided with indicating means, such as a pointer 24 extending into an arcuate recess 26 for alignment with one of the markings 22 on the cap.

The operation of the above-described embodiment will now be explained with reference to FIGS. 1-7. In FIGS. 2, 4 and 6, the lug 20 has been moved to rotate the cap 12 so that the "M" marking on the cap is in alignment with the pointer 24 on the collar 6. FIGS. 2 and 6 show the relative positions of the inclined edge 16 of the wall 14 and the slot 4.

When the lug 20 is moved to the position indicated by 20' in FIG. 4, the "L" is moved into alignment with the pointer 24 and the wall 14 assumes the position relative to the slot 4 shown in FIGS. 1 and 5, the wall having been moved so that a greater portion of the slot is covered, thereby reducing the rate of flow through the slot.

When the lug 20 is moved to the position indicated by 20" in FIG. 4, the "H" is moved into alignment with the pointer 24 and the wall 14 assumes the position relative to the slot 4 shown in FIGS. 3 and 7, the wall having been moved so that a lesser portion of the slot is covered, thereby permitting an increased rate of flow through the slot.

Flow through the stem is normally started by either depression or tilting of the button assembly, depending upon the valve used in the aerosol container.

In FIG. 8, there is shown an alternative embodiment which includes the valve stem 2, slot 4, collar member 6 having the discharge orifice 8, and the cap member 12. In this instance, the wall 14, rather than being annularly shaped as in the previous embodiment, is cylindrically shaped and has an inclined end surface 16. The collar member 6 includes indicating means, such as the pointer portion 24 (FIG. 12). The cap 12 is provided with the markings 22, which may include the usual "L," "M" and "H," as well as "C" (for closed), if desired. The cap is also provided with the lug 20 to facilitate rotation of the cap relative to the stem and collar member 6.

When the cap is positioned as shown in FIG. 12, the wall 14 completely covers the slot 4, as may be seen in FIGS. 8 and 13.

Movement of the cap 12 to a position in which the pointer 24 is in alignment with the "L" on the cap, causes the wall 14 to rotate so that a relatively small portion of the slot 4 is unobstructed, as shown in FIGS. 9 and 14. Further movement, to the "M" position removes obstruction from a larger portion of the slot 4, as shown in FIGS. 10 and 15. Still further movement to position "H" results in even less obstruction of the slot 4 by the wall 14, as shown in FIGS. 11 and 16. As obstruction of the slot 4 is decreased, the flow rate is permitted to increase.

It is to be understood that the present invention is by no means limited to the particular construction herein disclosed and/or shown in the drawings, but also comprises any modifications or equivalents within the scope of the disclosure.

Claims

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure

1. An aerosol valve operating assembly comprising

a tubular valve stem member defining an axially extending discharge passage from said valve, said stem having an opening in its tubular wall,

a collar member in fixed relation on said stem member and having a discharge outlet therein,

and a cap member rotatably mounted on said collar and stem members,

said collar and cap members including cooperating first surfaces in interengaged sealing relationship and cooperating second surfaces spaced from one another, said first and second cooperating surfaces defining an annular chamber, said annular chamber providing flow communication between said discharge outlet and said stem opening,

said cap member further having a depending cylindrical portion slidably fitted in overlapping relation with said stem member such that said stem member defines the axis of rotation of said cap member,

said depending cylindrical portion of said cap member further including an edge surface overlying a portion of said stem opening in one angular position of said cap member relative to said stem member such that said edge surface and said stem opening are in juxtaposition and cooperate to define a flow passage from said stem member to said chamber, the dimensions of said flow passage in said one angular position of said cap member being less than the dimensions of said flow passage in a second angular position of said cap member relative to said stem member, whereby rotation of said cap member relative to said stem member about an axis defined by said stem member moves said edge surface relative to said opening and changes the area of said flow passage, thus enabling adjustment of the rate of flow through said operating assembly upon

2. The assembly according to claim 1 in which said cylindrical portion is

3. The assembly according to claim 1 in which said cylindrical portion is

4. The assembly according to claim 1 in which said cylindrical portion is

5. The assembly according to claim 1 in which said cap member and said collar member are provided with indicating means to facilitate selective

6. The assembly according to claim 1 in which said stem opening comprises a slot extending from the discharge end of said stem.