Patent Publication Number: US-6698620-B2

Title: Aerosol valve for high rate filling

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     This invention relates to an aerosol container for spraying content such as: hair products, e.g., hair colorants, cosmetics, deodorants, antiperspirants and other human targeted products; insect repellants, coating agents, cleaners and other household products; industrial products; and automobile related products; in which the aerosol container enables the content to be filled at a high rate. More particularly, this invention is effective when used as a valve for an aerosol container with an internal bag arranged therein. 
     2. Description of Related Art 
     Conventionally, as shown in FIG. 5, a double-layer aerosol container exists, in which the aerosol container has an internal bag inserted inside an outer container for filling the content and has a lower end of a housing of a valve mechanism inserted at a top end opening of the internal bag. A push button or the like with a content spraying nozzle is connected to a top end portion of a stem protruding outward from the housing for spraying the content. In order to fill the content into the internal bag of the double-layer aerosol container, a suitable filling device (not shown) is connected to the top end portion of the stem protruding from the housing. When the pressing pressure upon the stem depresses the stem toward the internal bag, the orifice closed by a stem gasket becomes open to open the valve mechanism. After the content has flowed into the housing from the filling device to the discharge channel and the orifice inside the stem, the content is filled inside the internal bag. After the completion of the filling procedure and releasing of the depressed stem, the position of the stem would return to the initial position, the valve mechanism would close, and the content of the internal bag would be isolated from the exterior. 
     Further, also with an aerosol container using no internal bag, a filling device is connected to a top end portion of a stem for filling the content inside the aerosol container via the stem. 
     Nevertheless, with the conventional method of filling the content via a narrow discharge channel and a diametrally small orifice arranged inside the stem, the filling procedure is time consuming and inefficient in terms of productivity. Further, the filling from the stem takes excessive time especially when the content has a high viscosity. If the discharge channel and the orifice of the stem are formed with large diameters in a means to solve the foregoing problem, the content could be filled rapidly during the filling procedure. However, when the content is sprayed after the filling procedure with use of such stem, an excessive amount of the content externally emerges through the orifice, the discharge channel, and the nozzle or the like in just a short time, a diametrally fine particle could not be formed, and an extremely undesirable result from the use of the aerosol container (such as dripping on the coating surface) could easily be anticipated due to the excessive amount of the discharged content. 
     It is an object of this invention to solve the aforementioned problems and increase the productivity of aerosol products by enabling the content to be filled into an aerosol container at a high rate. Further, this invention is structured to spray only a suitable amount of content during a spraying procedure using the aerosol container and to prevent an exceeding amount of the content from being sprayed excessively. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     For solving the aforementioned problems, this invention relates to an aerosol valve for high rate filling for an aerosol container comprising: a housing having a top end fixed to a top end opening of the aerosol container; an upper chamber and a lower chamber, each being formed inside the housing via a flow port; a stem being attached to the upper chamber in a vertically movable manner via a stem gasket, the stem urging and projecting a top end outward from a lid member; a switching valve being attached to the lower chamber in a vertically movable manner, the switching valve not contacting to a lower end of the stem even during a spraying procedure of the content; a narrow flow port opened at the switching valve in communication between the upper chamber and the lower chamber; wherein the switching valve is pressed and urged to a valve seat of the flow port to close the flow port except for the communication of the narrow flow port; and wherein the switching valve is pressured by filling pressure to open the flow port during a filling procedure of the content via the stem for allowing the content to be filled rapidly. 
     Further, the aerosol container could have an internal bag inserted and arranged therein, and the housing could have a lower end inserted and fixed within a top end opening of the internal bag. 
     Further, the aerosol container could have no internal bag inserted therein, and the housing could have a top end directly fixed within a top end opening of the aerosol container. 
     Since this invention has the aforementioned structure, the content flows into the upper chamber of the housing via the discharge channel and the orifice of the stem when the stem of the aerosol container is connected with a filling device and depressed with high pressure for filling the content. The content flowed inside pushes against the urging force of the switching valve arranged at the lower chamber with a valve seat thereof in close contact to the flow port, depresses the switching valve with filling pressure, and opens the flow port. 
     In association with the opening of the flow port, the filled content is quickly filled into the internal bag via the stem. Further, with this invention, the discharge channel and the orifice can be formed at the stem, wherein the discharge chamber and the orifice have a diameter capable enough for flowing the content in matching the filling amount of the opened flow port. That is, when the filling of the content is completed, the stem returns to an initial position thereof, and the stem gasket closes the orifice since the stem is not subject to pressure from the filling device. The switching valve also returns to an initial position thereof and the valve seat of the switching valve closely contacts to the flow port thereby closing the flow port. 
     Further, in a case where ordinary mist is sprayed using the aerosol container filled with the content, a push button of the stem is pressed for depressing the stem, so that the orifice of the stem separates from the stem gasket and becomes open. As explained above, although the discharge channel of the stem and the orifice are formed with a large diameter for filling the content rapidly, due to the fact that the switching valve is formed with the narrow flow port in communication between the upper chamber and the lower chamber, the narrow flow port would restrain the content having flowed from the inside of the aerosol container to the inside of the upper chamber of the housing so that the flow amount would be a suitable amount, by forming the narrow flow port small enough to allow the content to be suitably discharged. Accordingly, even if the discharge channel of the stem and the orifice are formed with large diameters, the content would not be sprayed excessively since only a suitable amount of the content is guided to the orifice and the stem via the upper chamber. 
     Owing to the foregoing structure of this invention, the content could be filled rapidly into the aerosol container during a filling procedure, thus being capable of restraining the flow amount and spraying only a suitable amount of the content from the nozzle or the like during discharge of the content. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The above and other objects and features of the invention are apparent to those skilled in the art from the following preferred embodiments thereof when considered in conjunction with the accompanied drawings, in which: 
     FIG. 1 is a cross sectional view showing an embodiment where an internal bag is in an attached state; 
     FIG. 2 is a cross sectional view showing a filling state of the content; 
     FIG. 3 is a cross sectional view showing a spraying state of the content; 
     FIG. 4 is a cross sectional view showing a state where an internal bag is not used; and 
     FIG. 5 is a cross sectional view showing a conventional publicly known art. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     An embodiment regarding this invention will hereinafter be described with reference to FIG. 1, in which numeral  1  is an aerosol container comprising an outer container  2  formed from metal, hard plastic or the like, and an internal bag  3  formed from an easily transformable plastic or the like. A top end of a housing  5  is inserted and fixed inside of a top end opening  4  of the internal bag  3  being inserted inside the outer container  2 . This housing  5  has a metal lid member  6  arranged on a top end surface of the housing  5 , has a packing  8  arranged in-between with respect to a top end rim  7  of the internal bag  3 , and engages an annular rib  9  disposed at a lower surface of the housing  5  with respect to an upper surface of the packing  8 , for preventing the content from leaking from the inside of the internal bag  3 . A seal gasket  10  is arranged between an outer periphery of the internal bag  3  and the outer container  2  so that a propellant pressuring the internal bag  3  from outside could be prevented from leaking. 
     Inside the housing  5 , an upper chamber  13  and a lower chamber  14  are formed via a flow port  12  arranged at a separating wall  11 . A stem  16  is attached to the upper chamber  13  through a stem gasket  15  to allow vertical movement of the stem  16  urging and projecting a top end thereof outward from the lid member  6 . The stem  16  is pressingly urged upward by a pressing spring  18  arranged between a bottom base  17  of the upper chamber  13  and the stem  16 , and in such urging state, an orifice  20  is hermetically sealed by the stem gasket  15 . The orifice  20  and a discharge channel  21  of the stem  16  for discharging the content are formed with a size for allowing the content to be filled rapidly, and the most suitable amount for discharging the content from a nozzle  22  need not be taken into consideration. 
     In the lower chamber  14 , a switching valve  23  is attached in a vertically movable manner at a position not contacting a bottom end portion of the stem  16 , even when spraying the content. A narrow flow port  24  normally in communication between the upper chamber  13  and lower chamber  14  is opened at the switching valve  23 , e.g., the narrow flow port  24  is a hole formed in the switching valve  23  as shown in FIGS. 1-4. The narrow flow port  24  is formed with a size allowing the content to be discharged in the most suitable amount, and serves to control the spraying amount and prevent excessive spraying from the nozzle  22 . A spring  25  pressingly urges the switching valve  23  upon a valve seat of the flow port  12  so that the flow port  12  is normally closed (as shown in FIG. 1) except for the communication of the narrow flow port  24 . As shown in FIGS. 1-4, the spring  25  has a lower end engaging the housing  5  and an upper end engaging with and arranged in an interior of the switching valve  23 . During the filling of the content via the stem  16 , the filling pressure of the content pressures the switching valve  23 , and the flow port  24  opens to allow the content to be filled rapidly. 
     With this structure, the content is filled into the aerosol container  1  by connecting a filling nozzle  26  of a filling device to the stem  16 , as shown in FIG.  2 . The filling nozzle  26  has a protruding portion  27  protruding upon a top end of the stem  16 , and an O-ring  28  closely contacting an outer periphery of the stem  16  at a lower surface of the protruding portion  27 . A protruding portion  30  is arranged to project outward at a lower end of the filling nozzle  26  so that the stem  16  is depressed an optimal amount as the protruding portion  30  contacts the aerosol container  1 . 
     As shown in FIG. 2, when the stem  16  is depressed with high pressure for filling the content using the filling nozzle  26 , the content flows into the upper chamber  13  of the housing  5  via the discharge channel  21  and the orifice  20  of the stem  16 . The content flowed inside pushes against the urging force of the switching valve  23  arranged at the lower chamber  14  with a valve seat thereof in close contact to the flow port  12 , depresses the switching valve  23  with filling pressure, and opens the flow port  12 . 
     In association with the opening of the flow port  12 , the filled content is quickly filled into the internal bag  3  via the stem  16 . Further, with this invention, the discharge channel  21  and the orifice  20  can be formed in the stem  16  with diameters capable for flowing the content in correspondence with the filling amount of the opened flow port  12 . That is, when the filling of the content is completed, the stem 16 returns to an initial position thereof, and the stem gasket  15  closes the orifice  20  since the stem  16  is not subjected to pressure from the filling nozzle  26 . The switching valve  23  also returns to an initial position thereof and the valve seat thereof closely contacts to the flow port  12 , thereby closing the flow port  12 . 
     As shown in FIG. 3, in a case where ordinary mist is sprayed using the aerosol container  1  filled with the content, a push button  31  of the stem  16  is pressed for depressing the stem  16 , so that the orifice  20  of the stem  16  separates from the stem gasket  15  and becomes open. As explained above, although the discharge channel  21  and the orifice  20  of the stem  16  are formed with a large diameter for filling the content rapidly, due to the fact that the switching valve  23  is formed with the narrow flow port  24  normally in communication between the upper chamber  13  and the lower chamber  14 , the narrow flow port  24  restrains the content having flowed from the inside of the aerosol container  1  through to the inside of the upper chamber  13  of the housing  5  to provide a suitable flow amount, by forming the narrow flow port  24  small enough for suitably discharging the content. Accordingly, even if the discharge channel  21  and the orifice  20  of the stem  16  are formed with large diameters, the content will not be sprayed excessively since only a suitable amount of the content is guided to the orifice  20  and the stem  16  via the upper chamber  13 . 
     Further, although the foregoing embodiment is described using a double layer aerosol container with the internal bag  3  attached inside the aerosol container  1 , other embodiments such as a typical aerosol container  1  having no internal bag  3  (as shown in FIG. 4) can also be used. In such a case, although structures except for the internal bag  3  may be the same as those of the foregoing embodiment, the embodiment shown in FIG. 4 uses a mountain cup  32  instead of using the lid member  6  and fixes the outer periphery of the mountain cup  32  with caulking via the gasket  33  at the top end of the aerosol container  1  so that the top end of the aerosol container  1  is hermetically sealed. Further, a top end of the housing  5  is fixed to a center portion of the mountain cup, and the stem gasket  15  maintains a sealed state of the housing  5 . Further, neither the seal gasket  10 , the packing  8  nor the like are used, since the internal bag is not used. 
     Since this invention has the foregoing structure, the content could be filled rapidly into the aerosol container during a filling procedure, thus being capable of restraining the flow amount and spraying only a suitable amount of the content from the nozzle or the like during discharge of the content. 
     The foregoing description of a preferred embodiment of the invention has been presented for purposes of illustration and description, and is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form disclosed. The description was selected to best explain the principles of the invention and their practical application to enable others skilled in the art to best utilize the invention in various embodiments and various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. It is intended that the scope of the invention not be limited by the specification, but be defined by the claims set forth below.