Reclosable valve with separate internal seal means and seal removing means therefor

• US 4,450,985 A
• Filed: 11/18/1982
• Issued: 05/29/1984
• Est. Priority Date: 11/18/1982
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Walter C. Beard
• Original Assignee: Walter C. Beard
• Inventors: Beard, Walter C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Rolla, Joseph J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Fitzgerald, Thomas C.
• Application Number:
  US06/442,636
• Time in Patent Office: 558 Days
• Field of Search: 222/402.1, 222/402.21, 222/402.22, 222/518, 222/541, 222/83.5, 222/88, 222/81, 222/83, 222/402.23, 222/394
• US Class Current: 222/402.22
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 83/14 for delivery of liquid or semi-liquid contents by internal gaseous pressure, i.e. aerosol containers comprising propellant for a product delivered by a propellant
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 83/46 Tilt valves B65D83/50 takes precedence

Abstract

A reclosable moveable valve stem actuated valve structure for an aerosol-type viscous fluid dispensing container. The valve structure is provided with an initially sealed internal seal and a valve stem operated internal seal removing component. The valve structure is preassembled before association with the container. The seal includes a seal plate and releasable bond. The seal removing component is associated with a moveable valve member. The moveable valve member is operated initially by movement of the moveable valve stem and causes the internal seal removing component to effectuate a release of the releasable bond, thereby opening the initially sealed internal seal.

Claims

1. In a fluid preassemblable valve structure of the type suitable for dispensing the contents of a pressurized container associatable therewith, said valve structure comprising:

a valve mounting cup peripherally sealingly securable to said pressurized container and having generally continuous wall projections extending generally internally into said container and defining an interior valve receiving chamber with a medial upper portion having a central aperture defined therein;

an elongated tubular nozzle means having a dispensing orifice in one end thereof and having a second end extending through said central aperture;

a resilient valve seat means positioned in said valve receiving chamber;

a moveable valve means positioned in said valve receiving chamber and biasable against said valve seat means to close and seat said valve structure;

said tubular nozzle means being moveable responsively to force applied to said one end so that said second end unseats said moveable valve means to open said valve structure;

the improvement which comprises in combination;

a sealing plate means positioned across said wall projections and closing said valve receiving chamber;

a releasable bonding means adhering said sealing plate means to adjacent portions of said wall projections in gas tight relationship, and adapted to release said sealing plate means from said wall projections responsively to pressure applied against said sealing plate means from a location in said valve receiving chamber;

said sealing plate means and said bonding means in combination with said wall projections being effective to isolate said contents from said tubular nozzle means, said valve seat means, and said moveable valve means,

engaging means associated with said moveable valve means for abutting against said sealing plate means; and

the interrelationship between said sealing plate means, said tubular nozzle means, said moveable valve means, and said releasable bonding means being such that an initial movement of said tubular nozzle means moves said moveable valve means with said associated engaging means against said sealing plate means to permit a release of said bonding means and a separation of said sealing plate means from said wall projections, thereby to permit operable association between said contents and said valve structure for dispensing said contents.

2. The dispensing valve structure of claim 1 wherein said bonding means comprises an adhesive composition.

3. The dispensing valve structure of claim 1 wherein said bonding means comprises a gasket which initially frictionally adheres said sealing plate to said wall projections in an adjacent relationship.

4. The dispensing valve structure of claim 1 wherein said engaging means is disposed to centrally so abutt against said sealing plate.

5. The dispensing valve structure of claim 1 wherein said engaging means is disposed to so abutt against said sealing plate adjacent a periphery thereof.

6. The dispensing valve structure of claim 1 wherein said resilient valve seat means comprises an elastomeric tubular plug which extends through said central aperture circumferentially about said tubular nozzle means and said tubular nozzle means is integrally associated with said moveable valve means whereby, when said one end of said tubular nozzle means is tilted relative to said valve mounting cup, said tubular plug deforms and exposes aperture means defined in said moveable valve means, thereby to permit flow of said contents through said valve receiving chamber and said tubular nozzle means, and said engaging means is located at an innermost end portion of said moveable valve means.

7. The dispensing valve structure of claim 1 wherein said resilient valve seat means comprises gasket means circumferentially disposed about said tubular nozzle means, said tubular nozzle means is integrally associated with said moveable valve means, and said tubular nozzle means is longitudinally reciprocable whereby, when said one end of said tubular nozzle is depressed towards said valve mounting cup, aperture means defined in said moveable valve means are exposed, thereby to permit flow of said contents through said valve receiving chamber and said tubular nozzle means, and said engaging means is located at an innermost end portion of said moveable valve means.

8. The dispensing valve structure of claim 1 wherein said sealing plate is positioned across terminal portions of said wall projections.

9. A device for dispensing a highly viscous liquid comprising:

(A) a pressurizable container, and

(B) a fluid dispensing valve structure of claim 1.

10. The dispensing valve structure of claim 1 wherein said sealing plate means is cup-shaped.

11. The dispensing valve structure of claim 1 wherein said sealing plate means is flattened.

12. The dispensing valve structure of claim 1 wherein said bonding means comprises a metal.

13. The dispensing valve structure of claim 12 wherein said metal is a weld.

14. The dispensing valve structure of claim 12 wherein said metal is a solder.

15. The dispensing valve structure of claim 1 wherein said moveable valve means comprises a moveable cup that is slidably longitudinally reciprocal within portions of said valve receiving chamber responsively to tilting movements of said one end of tubular nozzle means, and said resilient valve seat means comprises gasket means circumferentially disposed about said tubular nozzle means whereby, when said one end is tilted relative to said valve body, said moveable cup is moved from said resilient valve seat means by said second end, thereby to permit flow of said contents through said valve receiving chamber and said tubular nozzle means, and said engaging means is integrally associated with said moveable cup.

16. The dispensing valve structure of claim 15 wherein said engaging means includes projection means associated with said moveable cup.

17. The dispensing valve structure of claim 16 wherein said projection means additionally is provided with piercing means adapted to penetrate said sealing plate when said engaging means moves against said sealing plate.

18. A fluid dispensing valve structure for dispensing the viscous contents of a pressurized container comprising:

a valve mounting cup member;

peripherally sealingly securable to said pressurized container,

having generally continuous first wall portions defining a centrally located aperture,

having a cup-like member with a mouth and generally continuous second wall portions defining sides and base,

said cup-like member including fastening means mounting mouth adjacent second wall portions thereof circumferentially about said aperture,

said base having an opening centrally defined therein;

a resilient seal member positioned radially adjacent said aperture interiorly of said cup-like member,

an elongated tubular nozzle means having a dispensing opening in one end thereof and having a second opposed and outwardly flanged end supported relative to said valve mounting cup member by said resilient seal member in a normally generally straight upright extended position;

a moveable valve cup member reciprocally longitudinally slidably moveable within said cup-like member and normally biasable against said resilient seal member to form a seal means for normally sealing the contents of said container, said moveable valve cup member being engageable with said second end, said contents of said pressurized container being dispensable when one end is tiltably displaced relative to said generally straight upright extended position by an external deflecting operating force applied thereagainst, thereby opening said seal means, said moveable valve cup member including;

(A) a base portion extending across said second end of said tubular nozzle means,

(B) annular rib means upstanding from said base portion for engaging said resilient seal member peripherally of said second end,

(C) guidance means for guiding said moveable valve cup member relative to said cup-like member during said reciprocal sliding movements, and

(D) projections means for extension through said opening during said reciprocal sliding movements;

aperture means defined in said sides axially adjacent said resilient seal member for passage of said contents therethrough to said second end in a generally radial and transverse direction relative to said sides;

a sealing member positioned over areas of said first and said second wall portions including said aperture means;

releasable bonding means adhering portions of said sealing member to areas of said wall portions in a gas tight sealing relationship, said bonding means being adapted to release said sealing member from said wall portions responsively to pressure applied against a portion of said seal member by said projection means;

said sealing member and said bonding means in combination with said wall portions being effective to isolate said contents from said tubular nozzle means, said resilient seal member, and said moveable valve cup member;

the interrelationship between said sealing member, said tubular nozzle means, said moveable valve cup member, and said releasable bonding means being such that an initial movement of said tubular nozzle means moves said moveable valve cup member with said associated engaging means against said sealing member to permit a release of said bonding means and a separation of said sealing member from said wall portions, thereby to permit operable association between said contents and said valve structure for dispensing said contents; and

the interrelationship between said moveable valve cup member, said tubular nozzle means, said resilient seal member, said mounting cup member and said sealing member being such that a substantially unobstructed flow of said contents through said valve structure and into said second end occurs when said one end is so tiltably displaced and said sealing member is so separated from said wall portions.

19. The valve structure of claim 18 additionally including retaining means which limits extent of such slidability of said moveable valve cup member relative to said mounting cup member away from said resilient seal member.

20. The valve structure of claim 18 additionally including spring means urging formation of said seal means, said spring means extending between said base and said moveable cup member.

21. A fluid dispensing valve structure for dispensing viscous fluid contents of a pressurized container comprising:

a valve mounting cup peripherally sealingly securable to said pressurized container and having an aperture defined therein, and having generally continuous side wall portions extending interiorly into said container;

a resilient seal member carried within said valve mounting cup and radially adjacent said central aperture;

an elongated tubular nozzle means extending through said central portion and having an exterior dispensing orifice in one end thereof and having an interior second end, said nozzle means being yieldingly supported by said resilient seal member in a normally generally straight upright extended position;

a moveable valve cup member reciprocally longitudinally slidably carried within said side wall portions and normally biasable against said resilient seal member to form a seal means for normally sealing the contents of said container, said moveable valve cup member being engageable with said second end, said contents of said pressurized container being dispensable when said one end is tiltably displaced relative to said upright extended position by an external deflecting operating force applied thereagainst, thereby opening said seal means, said moveable valve cup member including;

(A) a base portion extending across said second end of said tubular nozzle means,

(B) rib means upstanding from said base portion for engaging said resilient seal member peripherally of said tubular nozzle means, and

(C) guidance means for orienting and moving said moveable valve cup member relative to said side wall portions during said reciprocal sliding movements longitudinally relative to said mounting cup member;

channel means defined by said side wall portions and said moveable valve cup member when said one end is so tiltably displaced for a flow of said contents therethrough;

a sealing plate means centrally positioned across said side wall portions;

releasable bonding means adhering said sealing plate means to said side wall portions in gas tight relationship, and adapted to release said sealing plate from said side wall portions responsively to pressure applied against a portion of a face thereof adjacent said moveable valve cup member;

said sealing plate means and said bonding means in combination with said side wall portions being effective to isolate said contents from said tubular nozzle means, said resilient seal member, and said moveable valve cup member;

engaging means associated with said moveable valve cup member for abutting against a portion of said sealing plate;

the interrelationship between said sealing plate, and tubular nozzle means, and said moveable valve cup member, and said releasable bonding means being such that an initial movement of said tubular nozzle means moves said moveable valve cup member with said associated engaging means against said sealing plate means to permit a release of said bonding means and a separation of said sealing plate means from said wall projections, thereby to permit operable association between said contents and said valve structure for dispensing said contents; and

the interrelationship between said moveable valve cup member, said tubular nozzle means, said resilient seal member, and said mounting cup member being such that a substantially unobstructued and non-turbulent flow of said contents through said valve structure can occur when said one end is so tiltably displaced and when said sealing plate means is so separated from said side wall projections.

22. The valve structure of claim 21 wherein said channel means has as effective cross-sectional area which is at least equal to the effective cross-sectional area of said tubular nozzle means.

23. The valve structure of claim 21, so secured to said pressurized container and wherein said pressurized contents provide yielding biasing means urging formation of a seal between said resilient seal member and said moveable valve cup member.

24. The valve structure of claim 21, wherein a plurality of second rib means extends from said base portion away from said resilient seal member along said cup member to a distance at least sufficient to avoid any appreciable cocking of said moveable valve cup member relative to said mounting cup member.

25. The dispensing valve structure of claim 21 wherein said aperture means is defined in said side wall portions axially adjacent said resilient seal member and is adapted for passage of said contents therethrough to said second end in a generally radial direction relative to said side wall portions.

26. The valve structure of claim 21 further including camming means centrally upstanding from said base portion and slidably engageable with portions of said second end of said tubular nozzle means when said one end is so tiltably displaced, whereby deflection of said moveable valve cup member occurs when said second end slides therealong.

27. A device for dispensing a highly viscous liquid comprising:

(A) a pressurizable container,

(B) a fluid dispensing valve structure secured to said container and having fluid communication with the interior thereof, said valve structure being as described in claim 21.

28. The valve structure of claim 24, wherein said moveable cup member further includes integral support means extending from said base portion for rigidifying said plurality of second rib means.

29. The valve structure of claim 28 wherein said support means comprises a collar interconnected to said base portion and to interior ends of each of said plurality of second rib means.

30. The valve structure of claim 28 wherein said support means comprises the interconnected interior ends of each of said plurality of second rib means.