US3257044A - Head with actuator for aerosol can dispensing valve - Google Patents

Description

June 21, 1966 N. w. sEAQUlsT HEAD WITH ACTUATOR FOR AEROSOL CAN DISPENSING VALVE Filed July 3l, 1964 |"`f` v 'VN 5mg/52@ @M al@ 2,579,977 issued December 25, 1951.

United States Patent O 3,257,044 HEAD WITH ACTUATOR FOR AEROSOL CAN DISPENSING VALVE Nels W. Seaquist, Crystal Lake, Ill., assignor, by mesne assignments, to Seaquist Valve Company, Division of Pittsburgh Railways Company, Cary, Ill., a corporation of Pennsylvania Filed July 31, 1964, Ser. No. 386,648 7 Claims. (Cl. 222-394) This invention relates to a dispensing head for an aerosol valve and more particularly to a dispensing head with a diaphragm top face and an integral iingerpiece whereby a simplified molded structure is possible with no increase in actuation force required to open the aerosol valve. It is improvement over application Serial No. 306,201, filed September 3, 1963. t

Valves for aerosol cans generally comprise a valve body with a spring biased valve stem therein which reciprocates within the body.

The valve stem may, as illustrated in U.S. Patent No. 3,985,753, issued A-pril 16, 1963, be hollow with a closed bottom end and a disch-arge port on its sidewall. Sealing means normally seal the port until the valve is actuated by depressing thehollow stem into the valve body.

The valve stem may also, as illustrated in U.S. Patent No. 2,841,443, issued July l, 1958, be aV solid inverted mushroom-shaped member. The sealing means is disposed between the mushroom head and a lower surface of the valve body. Thus as the stern is depressed into the valve body, the seal between the mushroom head and the body is broken causing release of the contents of the can.

1t is desirable to minimize the actuation force necessary to operate the valve. Women frequently complain that the valve is too stil and requires intense nger pressure to operate it. A dispensing head frequently adds to the amount of pressure required. U.S. Patent No. 2,75 3,- 214 issued July 3, 1956, typies this complaint. Further, the structure of dispensing heads are frequently complicated causing high manufacturing and valve assembly cost. Witness for example the structure shown in U.S.

In addition, certain structures (see U.S. 2,753,214, supra), lend themselves to only one dispensing direction to be fully operable.

' Accordingly, an object of this invention is to provide a nov'el dispensing head for an aerosol valve.

Another object of this invention is to provide a dispensing head which can be modified by only slight changes in 'structure to provide for different dipsensing direction.

Still another object is to provide a dispensing head which lis simple in structure so that it can be molded economically. i

A further object is to provide a dispensing head which requires only minimal force to actuate the valve.

Astill further object is to provide a dispensing head 'which has means incorporated therein to avert accidental `has minimalv clogging tendencies.

ice

Another object is to provide a dispensing head which is easy to apply to a valve regardless of the structure utilized for the valve stem.

Other objects of the invention will in part be Obvious and will in part appear hereinafter.

The inventionv accordingly comprises the features of construction, combinations of elements, and arrangement of parts which will be eXemplii'ledin the constructions hereinafter set forth, and the scope of the invention will be indicated in the claims.

The dispensing head of this invention, in itsbroadest aspects, comprises a tubular wall member 10 having a diaphragm 12 disposed across the tube cavity. In the central portion of said diaphragm .is a discharge passageway 14 which terminates externally as a dispensing oritice. The passageway extends through the center of the diaphragm at a slight angle to vertical and shrinks down to a spray orifice 18.

More particularly, the dispensing head herein comprises a tubular Wall or skirt 10, the inner diameter of which is preferably made approximately equal to the outer diameter of rim 20 of the aerosol valve to which the head is preferably aixed. The dispensing head also has an outer tubular wall 60` with a diameter approximating the outer diameter of the aerosol can so as to present a uniform columnar appearance (FIG. 3). A lower inner annular shoulder 22, in the inside surface of skirt \10 coupled with the resiliency of the plastic material of which the head is made permits a snap-tit attachment onto rim 20.

Disposed across the cavity of tubular Wall 10 is a diaphragm 12. =For added resiliency, the diaphragm may have one or more annular concentric accordion-like folds (one is shown, numbered 24), superimposed therein. The center of the diaphragm is thicker and .contains a passage* vway 14, which leads from the aerosol valve to a dispensing orifice 18. Disposed within the passageway is a step 25 with an ann-ular seal ring 26 therein which engages the top of the valve stem to prevent leakage around and down vertical axis of the dispensing head and opens into a unii quely designed orice basin 62 which provides for clear drip-free dispensing of the contents. An off-center ngerpiece 44, is used to actuate the valve. I

The dispensing head also has a stacking provision, to wit: wing'46, which comprises an extension of both skirt 10 and outer wall 60 joined by a bowl-shaped annular bridge 64. Such a joint wing provides additional strength, permits Aa decrease in material used to mold the head, and improves its appearance. A capping means, which comprises a sheet 66 may be heat sealed to .the Iwing 46 to prevent pilferage.

For a fuller understanding of the nat-ure and objects of the invention, reference should be had to the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of an embodiment of this dispensing head of this invention shown .mounted upon the crown top of an aerosol can.

FIG'. 2 is a top View of the dispensing head of FIG, l.

FIG. 3 is a side View of the heel end of the dispensing head of FIG. 1.

FlG. 4 is a detailed cross-sectional view of theV unique valve stern seal ring. A

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views of the drawing.

Specifically, the dispensing head, as seen in FIG. l, consists of a tubular wall or skirt which snap-tits over the valve housing rim 2) and is preferably retained there "by an annular anchoring shoulder 22 on the lower inside surface of the skirt. Since the dispensing head is preferably made of a resilient plastic, such as polyethylene, polypropylene, ethylcellulose or the like, shoulder 22 has suflcient resiliency after being snapped over rim to regain its original diameter. Thus the head is securely held to the valve housing. Such simple attach-ment means are very desirable for high-speed canning or assembly operation.

To provide support to the skirt 10 so that a thinner wall can be used, if desired, several radially spaced vertical ribs 23 (see FIGS. l and 2) are utilized.

Atiixed across the tubular cavity is a diaphragm 12. The diaphragm has an annular concentric accordion-like fold 24 therein for easing the amount of force needed to depress the diaphragm and actuate the valve. Indeed, these folds maybe so designed that a minimum amount of finger pressure is needed. And, by ,appropriate design of the biasing means of the aerosol valve, the complaint that the valve is 'hard to open is completely appeased.

The center of the diaphragm has a thickened central section which contains a passageway 14. The lower end of the passageway 14 is designed so that it will force fit upon the hollow valve stem 36, or upon a tubular extension of valve body (not shown), dependent upon the particular valve being used. supplementing the force fit is a uniquely designed seal ring 26 which faces downwardly from step 25 located intermediate the ends of passageway 14. The seal ring 26 bears against the top surface of the valve stem 36. And since it is resilient, by reason of the fact that it is made of the same plastic as the dispensing head body, it flexes with every depression of the fingerpiece 44 and/ or cocking of the valve stem 36. In essence, the seal ring continuously engages the top surface of the valve stern and seals the dispensed product within the connected valve stem passageway and dispensing head passageway so that there is no unsightly or unsanitary downward leakage or seepage between the valve stem and the lower portion of passageway 14. It should be evident that a uniquely simple seal against valve stem-dispensing head leakage has been devised.

The upper end of passageway 14 shrinks down to an angle orifice 18 which pierces the central portion of the diaphragm and opens into an orifice basin 62. The face of the basin is angled with respect to the vertical axis of the dispensing head. Its function is to provide a clean drip-free spray action to the head. Although the mechanistn of such spray action is not completely understood, it is believed that t-he bowl shape of the basin 62 sets up a venturi-like flow of ambient air within the basin with the emitted spray when the valve is actuated. Such ow sucks or carries along any aerosol material which may have leaked out into the basin 62, on the previous actuation of the valve. Also, the flow minimizes leakage during the terminal portion of the valve .actuation of the valve period because the venturi-like flow continues even after valve actuation is stopped. Thus, the basin is swept-clean.

An ot-center'ngerpiece 44 integral at its base with said central portion extends to the interruption 56 of wing 46 so that the nger of the operator may enter the bowl upper surface of the head and actuate the valve.

As seen in FIG. l, wing 46 is interrupted to accommodate the off-center ngerpiece 44 and to provide space for entry of the operators finger. For added rigidity, the iingerpiece 44 has a peripheral downward extending skirt 68 which protrudes through cut-out 70 (FIG. 2) within the diaphragm 12.

The dispensing head may be capped with a sheet 66 heat sealed to the upper lip edge of wing 46. Thus, if anyone has tampered with the sheet prior to sale to the'ultimate consumer, it is easily detectable by the fact that the seal is broken or damaged.

FIG. 1 illustrates the unique stacking possibility of the dispensing head of this invention. As seen, the wing 46 permits the placement of a second can upon the dispensing head without danger of activating the valve. Obviously, in stacking the cans, the height of the stack is of no importance because the valve is protected.

It-will thus be seen that objects set forth above, among those made apparent from the preceding description, are eliiciently attained and, since certain changes may be made in the above construction without departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawing shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

It is also to be understood that the following claims are intended to cover all of the generic and specific features of the invention herein described, `and all statements of the scope of the invention, which, as a matter of language, might be said to fall therebetween.

Now that the invention has been described, what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. A dispensing head for an aerosol can with a valve comprising a tubular wall member having a diaphragm with a thickened central section disposed across the top thereof and an annular shoulder adapted to snap-lit over the edges of the housing of said valve, said diaphragm having at least one annular accordion-like fold concentric to said thickened central section super-imposed therein for added resiliency, said thickened central section having a passageway formed therein which terminates externally as a discharge orifice and internally as means for connection to the discharge part of said valve, said discharge orifice opening into an angularly disposed orifice basin, and a iingerpiece aflixed to said central section of said diaphragm for actuating said diaphragm.

2. The dispensing head of claim 1 wherein said passageway has a downwardly extending seal ring which engages the top of the discharge port of said valve to prevent leakage around said discharge port.

3. The dispensing head of claim 1 wherein said discharge orifice comprises a nozzle angled with respect to the vertical axis of said dispensing head.

4. The dispensing head of claim 1 wherein said tubular wall member and said diaphragm meet in annular wing structure and said wing structure has sheet means afhxed to its upper surface to prevent pilferage.

5. A dispensing head for an aerosol can with a valve comprising concentric tubular wall members joined together at their upper ends by an annular upward opening bowl-shaped bridge, the inner wall having a diaphragm with a thickened central section disposed across the tube cavity and means for affixing said head to said can, said diaphragm having at least one annular accordion-like fold concentric to said thickened section superimposed therein for added resiliency, said thickened central section containing a passageway, a discharge orice communicating with said passageway which comprises a shrunken extension of said passageway through said diaphragm, angled with respect to the axis of said dispensing head, said discharge orifice opening into an angularly disposed orifice basin which acts to provide cleaner drip-free dispensing of the contents of the aerosol can, and said outer tubular wall member extending upwardly of said diaphragm into an interrupted wing structure wherein stacking is possible, an off-center -radially extending ngerpiece aiiixed to said central portion of said diaphragm, and disposed adjacent said interruption in said wing structure wherein said valve connected thereto may be actuated.

6. The dispensing head of claim 5, wherein said inner tubular wall contains vertically disposed ribs for added support.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2/ 1954 Allen 222-542 X 9/1956 Stroh 222-143 X Cochran 222-394 X Sagarin 222-182 X Sanborn 222-182 X Wakeman 239-337 ODonnell 222-394 X Focht 222-182 RAPHAEL M. LUPO, Primary Examiner.

Claims (1)

1. A DISPENSING HEAD FOR AN AEROSOL CAN WITH A VALVE COMPRISING A TUBULAR WALL MEMBER HAVING A DIAPHRAGM WITH A THICKENED CENTRAL SECTION DISPOSED ACROSS THE TOP THEREOF AND AN ANNULAR SHOULDER ADAPTED TO SNAP-FIT OVER THE EDGES OF THE HOUSING OF SAID VALVE, SAID DIAPHRAGM HAVING AT LEAST ONE ANNULAR ACCORDION-LIKE FOLD CONCENTRIC TO SAID THICKENED CENTRAL SECTION SUPER-IMPOSED THEREIN FOR ADDED RESILIENCY, SAID THICKENED CENTRAL SECTION HAVING A PASSAGEWAY FORMED THEREIN WHICH TERMINATES EXTERNALLY AS A DISCHARGE ORIFICE AND INTERNALLY AS MEANS FOR CONNECTION TO THE DISCHARGE PART OF SAID VALVE, SAID DISCHARGE ORIFICE OPENING INTO AN ANGULARLY DISPOSED ORIFICE BASIN, AND A FINGERPIECE AFFIXED TO SAID CENTRAL SECTION OF SAID DIAPHRAGM FOR ACTUATING SAID DIAPHRAGM.

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