AEROSOL DISPENSING APPARATUS HAVING DISC-SHAPED SOLENOID-ACTUATED PLUNGER

• US 3,666,144 A
• Filed: 12/11/1970
• Issued: 05/30/1972
• Est. Priority Date: 12/11/1970
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Gary C. Winder
• Original Assignee: Gary C. Winder
• Inventors: Winder, Gary C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Reeves, Robert B.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Scherbel, David A.
• Application Number:
  US05/097,265
• Time in Patent Office: 536 Days
• Field of Search: 222/14,16,63,70,504
• US Class Current: 222/646
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 83/262 by clockwork, motor, electric or magnetic means operating without repeated human input
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 7/1607 Armatures entering the winding

Abstract

An aerosol dispenser having a housing defining a chamber. The housing is adapted to be attached to an aerosol container to permit spraying liquid to leave the container and enter the chamber. An outlet opening in the top of the chamber leads from a valve seat in the chamber to a spray tip and a seal assembly is normally held in sealing engagement on the seat by pressure in the container. An electromagnetis coupled to the body and is operable to draw a plunger downwardly to move the seal assembly off the valve seat to periodically dispense a predetermined quantity of spraying liquid from the container.

Claims

1. A device for periodically dispensing pressurized spraying liquid from an aerosol container, and comprising:

a housing defining a chamber for receiving spraying liquid from the container and further defining an inlet opening providing access to the chamber whereby when the device is coupled to the container, the spraying liquid is free to leave the container and to enter the chamber, and an outlet opening for directing the spraying liquid outwardly from the chamber when the device is actuated;

a valve seat coupled to the housing and in communication with the chamber;

a seal assembly of nonmagnetizable material contained in the inlet opening and free to move axially between a lower position in which liquid is free to pass from the chamber and through the outlet opening, and an upper position in which the seal assembly is in contact with the valve seat such that a predetermined surface area of the seal assembly is covered by the valve seat to seal the chamber, the seal assembly being held in the upper position by a force which comprises the product of the predetermined surface area and the pressure in the aerosol;

a plunger of magnetizable material contained in the chamber and free to move axially, the plunger being in contact with the assembly about the predetermined surface area; and

an electro magnet coupled to the housing and operable to move the plunger axially downwards thereby moving the seal assembly from the upper position to the lower position for a predetermined time interval to permit spraying liquid to pass from the chamber through the outlet opening.

2. A device as claimed in claim 1 in which the housing comprises a lower housing containing the electro magnet and an upper housing defining the chamber.

3. A device as claimed in claim 2 in which the upper housing includes an internal screw thread and the lower housing includes an external screw thread for combining with the internal screw thread to assemble the upper housing on the lower housing such that the upper housing is engaged against the electro magnet to seal the chamber and prevent loss of aerosol liquid.

4. A device as claimed in claim 1 in which the electro magnet comprises a generally cylindrical axially extending core having an annular recess extending downwardly from its upper face;

and an electrically conductive coil housed in the recess, and means sealing the coil in the recess.

5. A device as claimed in claim 4 in which the core defines an axially extending opening defining an upper part of the inlet opening, and in which the device further comprises a tubular extension coupled to the core and having an axial opening defining a lower part of the inlet opening, a lower end of the extension being adapted to engage an aerosol valve in the aerosol container and maintain the aerosol valve in an open position when the device is coupled to the aerosol container.

6. A device as claimed in claim 1 in which the seal assembly comprises:

a rod member defining an opening extending downwardly from the upper end of the rod member; and

a plug of resilient sealing material set in the opening for sealing by engaging the valve seat.

7. A device as claimed in claim 1 and further comprising valve means coupled to a lower part of the inlet opening for preventing downward flow of the spraying liquid from the chamber when the device is taken off the container.

8. A device as claimed in claim 1 in which the housing comprises a lower housing containing the electro magnet and an upper housing defining the chamber.

9. A device as claimed in claim 8 in which the electro magnet comprises a generally cylindrical axially extending core having an annular recess extending downwardly from its upper face;

and an electrically conductive coil housed in the recess, and means sealing the coil in the recess.

10. A device as claimed in claim 1 and further comprising an annular ring having an outer skirt for engagement on the aerosol container and an inner skirt for guiding the housing onto the container and for locating the housing on the aerosol container such that the inlet opening is aligned with an aerosol valve assembly.