GB2087840A

GB2087840A - Metering valve for dispensing pressurized liquids

Info

Publication number: GB2087840A
Application number: GB8127866A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: VARI Valvole Aerosol Research Italiana SpA
Current assignee: VARI Valvole Aerosol Research Italiana SpA
Priority date: 1980-11-19
Filing date: 1981-09-15
Publication date: 1982-06-03
Also published as: GB2087840B; FR2494389A1; IT8023428V0; DE3126508A1

Abstract

A pressurized liquid metering valve comprises a bowl element (2) associable to the mouth (3) of a container and accommodating a valve stem (4) therein which defines a metering chamber (5) in cooperation with a cylindrical body housed in the bowl element (2), this latter defining, at the bottom thereof, an abutment ring (10) engaging with a gasket (15) acting on the top ring of the container mouth (3) and encircling a hollow tailpiece (11) extending from the bowl element. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Metering valve for dispensing pressurized liquids This invention relates to a metering valve structure for dispensing pressurized liquids.

Metering valves have long been available for attachment, of preference, to containers of the "spray can" type, which valves can dispense a metered amount of liquid each time that an actuating pushbutton is depressed.

Such metering valves generally comprise a bowl element, wherein the valve body is provided; the bowi element being attached in sealed relationship to the container mouth by means of a clamping collar. To enhance the sealing action, a gasket is also arranged to encircle the bowi element exterior, which gasket is held pressed on the upper rim of the container by the clamping collar.

This approach requires of necessity a mouth of comparatively large size for the container, so that this type of valve cannot be presently applied to small size containers having a mouth diameter of but a few millimeters (13 mm being a current minimum).

The cited small size containers are generally utilized for preparing so-called "sample packages" of a product, which packages are obviously intended for containing very small amounts of the product.

This invention sets out to eliminate such prior disadvantage by providing a metering valve which, while retaining all the typical features of the abovedescribed metering valves, can be attached to a container mouth of extremely reduced size.

Within the above general aim, it can be arranged that the metering valve structure of this invention, by virtue of the mutual arrangement of its components, can be made extremely compact and quick and simple to install.

It can be further arranged that the metering valve according to the invention can be implemented from commercially readily available materials, and is highly competitive from an economical standpoint.

According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a metering valve structure for dispensing pressurized liquids, comprising a bowi element adapted for association with the mouth of a container and accommodating a valve stem therein, said valve stem defining a metering chamber in cooperation with a cylindrical body housed within said bowl element, characterized in that said bowl element defines at the bottom thereof an annular abutment ring encircling a hollowtailpiece extending from said bowl element, said annular abutment ring engaging with a sealing gasket acting on the top rim of said mouth, there being further provided a small collar for anchoring said bowl element to said container mouth.

Further features and advantages will be more openiy apparent from the following detailed description of a metering valve structure for dispensing pressurized liquids, as illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawing, where: Figure 1 shows, in cross-section and to an enlarged scale, this metering valve in the inoperative position thereof; and Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view of the metering valve in the dispensing position thereof.

With reference to the drawing Figures, this metering valve structure for dispensing pressurized liquids, which is indicated generally at 1, comprises a bowl element 2, adapted for being associated with the mouth 3 of a container.

Inside said bowl element 2, there is slidable against the bias of an elastic means, a valve stem 4, which, in cooperation with a cylindrical element contained in the bowl element, defines a metering chamber 5 for dispensing proportioned amounts of a product.

The cited cylindrical body is made in two separate elements, thereby the useful volume or capacity of the metering chamber can be varied as desired, with characteristics which are the subject of a co-pending patent application by the same Applicant and will not be further discussed herein because not specifically related tothe present invention.

The valve stem is formed at the top with an axial recess or cavity 7 provided with a radial hole 9 which, with the valve stem in its lower or bottom position, communicates the metering chamber with the outside to thus enable the dispensing of the product, while concurrently shutting off the communication between the metering chamber and the interior of the container.

With the stem in the inoperative position (Figure 1), communication with the outside is shut off, and the metering chamber is communicated with the container interior.

A main featu re of the invention resides in that the bowl element defines, located at the bottom end thereof, an annular abutment ring 10 which encircles a hollow tailpiece or shank 11 extending toward the interior of the container and accommodating the lower portion of the valve stem 4 therein.

With the annular abutment ring 10, there engages a sealing gasket 15, which is pressed, directly by the bowl element, onto the top rim 16 of the mouth 3 of the container.

Thus, no additional swelling volumes are present in the valve body width, and the valve body can be associated with a container having a mouth of an extremely reduced size.

in orderto couple in tight sealed relationship the bowl element with the mouth 3, a small collar 20 is provided which is anchored, byfold-seaming orthe like method, such as to secure the cylindrical body onto the bowl element, and the bowl element itself onto the container mouth.

To further improve the seal along said annular abutment ring, an annular rim 17 is provided which, when pressed against the top face of the gasket 15, absolutely prevents any outside leakage of the product.

This metering valve is used in a quite similar manner to conventional metering valves, but with the unique advantage that containers may be utilized the mouth whereof has inside dimensions merely suitable for accommodating the hollow tailpiece 11, and that the gasket is pressed directly over the mouth, thus avoiding any further large outline dimensions.

It will be appreciated from the foregoing description that the invention achieves its objects, and the fact is particularly enhanced that the metering valve, constructed as described hereinabove, readily lends itself for application to containers of very small size, which was heretofore impossible to achieve with metering valves of conventional type.

Moreover, by letting the lower portion of the bowl element act directly on the gasket, extremely effective and accurate sealing actions can be achieved.

In practicing the invention, the materials used, as well as the dimensions and contingent shapes, may be any ones suitable for individual requirements.

Claims

1. A metering valve structure for dispensing pressurized liquids, comprising a bowl element adapted for association with the mouth of a contain er and accommodating a valve stem therein, said valve stem defining a metering chamber in coopera tion with a cylindrical body housed within said bowl element, characterized in that said bowl element defines at the bottom thereof an annular abutment ring encircling a hollowtailpiece extending from said bowl element, said annular abutment ring engaging with a sealing gasket acting on the top rim of said mouth, there being further provided a small collar for anchoring said bowl elementto said container mouth.

2. A metering valve structure for dispensing pressurized liquids according to Claim 1, characte rized in that, at said annular abutment ring, there is provided an annular rim protruding to engage the top face of said sealing gasket to improve the sealing effect.

3. A metering valve structure for dispensing pressurized liquids, substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawing.