AEROSOL DISPENSER WITH AUXILIARY VALVE

• US 3,750,909 A
• Filed: 07/28/1972
• Issued: 08/07/1973
• Est. Priority Date: 07/28/1972
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: James L. Butler
• Original Assignee: James L. Butler
• Inventors: Butler, James L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Coleman, Samuel F.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Martin, L.
• Application Number:
  US05/276,207
• Time in Patent Office: 375 Days
• Field of Search: 137/338 222/148,149,330,396,397 339/112,397
• US Class Current: 222/148
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 83/34 Cleaning or preventing clogging of the discharge passage

Abstract

An aerosol dispenser having a pair of fluid valves, one of which is an auxiliary valve and can be used to purge the dispenser nozzle to prevent caking or solidifying of the dispensed material, such as paint which has dried in the nozzle orifice after being dispensed by the main valve of the dispenser. The auxiliary valve is located so that it can be placed in direct fluid communication with the space containing the pressurized gas of the dispenser. The nozzle is removably mountable on either valve and is normally carried by the main valve. In a preferred embodiment of the dispenser, the auxiliary valve is located on the top of the dispenser so that it can communicate directly with the pressurized gas in the upper portion of the dispenser. This invention relates to improvements in aerosol dispensers and, more particularly, to such a dispenser having an auxiliary valve for use in cleaning out the nozzle normally carried on the main valve thereof.

Claims

1. An aerosol dispenser comprising:

a closed container adapted to contain a flowable material to be dispensed and a mass of a pressurized gas for propelling the material out of the container;

a main valve mounted on the container above the level of said material and having a tube coupled therewith and extending downwardly therefrom below said level, said main valve adapted to be normally opened to allow said gas to propel the material through the tube and the valve outwardly of the container;

a nozzle removably mountable on the main valve in fluid coupled relationship thereto to direct the material outwardly of the container; and

an auxiliary valve carried by the container at a location at which the valve can be placed in direct fluid communication with said gas when the container is in a predetermined orientation, said nozzle being removably mountable on the auxiliary valve, whereby the nozzle can be cleaned out by the pressurized gas when the nozzle is coupled to the auxiliary valve and the latter is opened.

2. An aerosol dispenser as set forth in claim 1, wherein said container is provided with a top, said main and auxiliary valves being mounted on said top.

3. An aerosol dispenser as set forth in claim 2, wherein said auxiliary valve is provided with a valve member engageable with the lower surface of the top to close the auxiliary valve, said auxiliary valve being disposed at a location permitting the gas in said container to bias the valve member against said lower surface of the top.

4. An aerosol dispenser as set forth in claim 1, wherein said container has a top provided with an opening therethrough, said auxiliary valve including a valve member provided with a tubular stem extending through the opening with the valve member being movable into and out of closing relationship to said opening, said nozzle being removaBly mountable on said stem.

5. An aerosol dispenser as set forth in claim 1, wherein said auxiliary valve includes a valve member having a flat, lower face and an upper face engageable with the lower surface of the top, said valve member capable of being biased against said lower surface by the pressurized gas in the container.

6. An aerosol dispenser comprising:

a container comprised of a continuous sidewall, a top and a bottom, said top having a pair of openings therethrough, said container adapted to contain a mass of flowable material having an initial level spaced below said top, and a mass of a propellant in the region between said level and said top;

a main valve coupled with the top and having a shiftable valve member provided with a first tubular stem extending through one of the openings;

means biasing the valve member into a position closing said one opening;

a tube coupled with the valve member and extending downwardly therefrom below said level in the container, whereby the material can be propelled upwardly through the tube and through said main valve and the tubular stem thereof when said valve member is shifted away from said one opening;

a nozzle having an orifice, the nozzle being removably mountable on said first stem, whereby the material passing through the latter can exit from the container; and

an auxiliary valve having a shiftable valve member provided with a second tubular stem extending through the other opening, the last-mentioned valve member being biased against the lower surface of the top to close said other opening and being movable away therefrom to open said other opening, said second stem having means placing it in fluid communication with said region when said other opening is opened, said nozzle being removably mountable on said second stem to allow the nozzle to be cleaned out by said gas when the auxiliary valve is opened.