Valve for spraying a mist
First Claim
1. A mist valve comprising wall means forming an axially elongated passageway having an inlet end arranged to receive the material to be sprayed as a mist and an outlet end from which the mist is sprayed, at least a portion of said wall means is flattened from the outlet end toward the inlet end, said wall means having an at-rest condition and a mist spraying condition and comprising a generally flat first wall and a generally flat second wall located opposite said first wall with said first and second walls disposed in contact in the at-rest condition of said wall means from said outlet end for at least a part of the length of said passageway toward said inlet end, at least one of said first and second walls having capillary-like channels therein extending in the elongated direction of and open to said passageway with said channels extending from approximately said outlet end for a part of the length of said passageway disposed in contact in the at-rest condition of said wall means, at least a part of said wall means between said inlet end and said channels is flexible and vibrates when said passageway is in the mist spraying condition and material to be sprayed is forced therethrough, and the facing surfaces of said first and second walls are in sealing contact for a portion of the length of said passageway between the ends of said channels closer to said inlet end and said inlet of said wall means and form a seal closure preventing the flow of material through said passageway while said wall means is in the at-rest condition.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A valve for spraying material as a mist includes walls forming an elongated passageway having an inlet and an outlet. The passageway is flattened at least at the outlet end. The flattened portion has opposed walls disposed in contact and at least one of the surfaces of the flattened portion has a plurality of capillary-like channels. Upstream from the channels, the valve has a flexible wall section which vibrates at its natural frequency when the material to be sprayed as a mist is forced through the passageway out of the valve.
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Citations
29 Claims
- 1. A mist valve comprising wall means forming an axially elongated passageway having an inlet end arranged to receive the material to be sprayed as a mist and an outlet end from which the mist is sprayed, at least a portion of said wall means is flattened from the outlet end toward the inlet end, said wall means having an at-rest condition and a mist spraying condition and comprising a generally flat first wall and a generally flat second wall located opposite said first wall with said first and second walls disposed in contact in the at-rest condition of said wall means from said outlet end for at least a part of the length of said passageway toward said inlet end, at least one of said first and second walls having capillary-like channels therein extending in the elongated direction of and open to said passageway with said channels extending from approximately said outlet end for a part of the length of said passageway disposed in contact in the at-rest condition of said wall means, at least a part of said wall means between said inlet end and said channels is flexible and vibrates when said passageway is in the mist spraying condition and material to be sprayed is forced therethrough, and the facing surfaces of said first and second walls are in sealing contact for a portion of the length of said passageway between the ends of said channels closer to said inlet end and said inlet of said wall means and form a seal closure preventing the flow of material through said passageway while said wall means is in the at-rest condition.
- 14. A device for dispensing a material in a mist-like spray comprising a container for the material to be sprayed having an outlet through which the material is forced out of said container, and a valve positioned at the outlet from said container for receiving the material from the outlet end and for transforming the material into a mist-like spray, said valve comprising an axially elongated tubular member forming a passageway having an inlet end connected to the outlet from said container and arranged to receive the material to be sprayed as a mist and an outlet end from which the mist is sprayed, at least a portion of said tubular member is flattened from the outlet end toward the inlet end, said tubular member having an at-rest condition and a mist spray condition and comprising a generally flat first wall and a generally flat second wall located opposite said first wall with said first and second walls disposed in contact in the at-rest condition of said tubular member from said outlet end and for at least a part of the length of said passageway toward said inlet end, at least one of said first and second walls having capillary-like channels therein extending in the elongated direction of said tubular member and open to said passageway with said channels extending from approximately said outlet end for a part of the length of said passageway disposed in contact in the at-rest condition, at least a part of said tubular member extending between said first and second walls and said inlet end is flexible and vibrates when said passageway is in the mist spraying condition and the material to be sprayed is forced therethrough, and the facing surfaces of said first and second walls defining the opposite sides of said passageway are in sealing contact between the ends of said channels closer to said inlet end and said inlet end of said tubular member and form a seal closure preventing the flow of fluid through said passageway while said tubular member is in the at-rest condition.
Specification