US2693983A - Aerosol deodorant bottle - Google Patents

Description

Nov. 9, '1954 c. A. HOWELL AEROSOL DEODORANT BOTTLE Filed Dec. l, 1951 ik w HUUR/VET United States Patent() asas-pss` AEROSOL DEonoRANr Borna Charles Arthur, ll-I'owell;A `rd`sley-on-Hudson Y, as-

signor to The PIarmafCrafi Cnrporation,y New York,

YQ, a corporation of Delaware Thisv invention relates to.: aerosol bottleslandy moren particularly tov an aerosol bottle having al metering dis? charge valve for discharging theY fluidi contents of*y the. bottle in'measured pus omist or spraya According to the-invention; an` aerosol bottle is pro-- vided having a special valve-arrangement which is adaptedto discharge only a limited quantity off thefluid contents of thebottle-upon each-actuatiomof the valve.v The special valve arrangement according to ytheinvention comprises a valve housing which-providesa-fluidl measuring chamber, avalve stern havingI al shank:r accessible for manual operationfrom theoutside ofA the bottle, a`- valve shank sleeve which is connected tothe-housing in such manner that, aresilientgasket serves not` onlyJ toform aneffective seal between. the sleeve; and housing but also as-avalve seat` for anoutlet' valveon= the-stem, said sleeve, also providingy an` expansion chamber inl which is a discharge orice. The sleeve whichis connected tothe valve housingl is so designed as toaccommodate a gasketv to eiectivelysealthe juncture between the valve parts andthe metallic walls ofL the-bottle'to\prevent escape off the bottle contents from the'mainbody'of uidin the'bottle anda cap-is provided which is so designed'l as toaccom'- modate a gasket to sealf the juncture betweenthe cap and valve stern sleeve and= also toprovide protectiony againstaccidental displacement ofthevalve stem; The

valve housingis` also provided`` withI an`inlet por-tanda valve openable and closable in response'to-movement of the stem;

The bottle is particularly usefulfordispensinga spray' deodorant; that is, deodorantcarried ina liqueiied'aerosolL propellant" such asFreon. Such` aerosol spray deodorant bottlesk are on themarket` having non-metering valves and it will be' understood" that' this invention' relates i prifor use with other'agentswhich: maybe dispersed as an aerosol by aerosol huid` prop'ellant's such as FreonA and thelike.

The invention will be understood'by referenceto'theaccompanying drawings showing' av preferred embodiment, in'which:,

Fig. l i'sa top plan'viewiof the* aerosol deodorant bottle embodying theinvention;

Fig. 2 is a view in elevationandf partly in section of the bottle shown in'Fig, 1;

Fig. 3 is a view insection-andto largerV scale of the upper end of the bottle showing the valve and related parts; the valve stemandlva-l'ves being; in normal position;

Fig.A 4 is al viewA similar' to Figa 3i showing the-valve stempressedldown;

Fig. 5 is-aview online S-Siof-Figl. 4; and= Fig. 6 isa view/online 62--6 otFig: 3.

By'reference to the drawings, in which like reference charactersindicate like' parts throughout.' they several iigures,'.it willbeseenthat therillustrated embodiment comprises a bottle havingA a-cylin'dricalf side wall 20, a bottom closure 21, a top wall- 22, alli madeof metal, a cover cap-23, a meteringvalve 24, and a-tubeZS extending from the` valve-to the bottom. off the main body portion-of the bottle.v

Asy isr well known ini4 the art; the fluid propellant, l to'f gether. with,` the deodorantc agent in thex bottle, isl under pressureoftheuidpropellant SOy The top wall 22 of the bottle has a centrally located: upwardly extendingneeki comprising 'a'- cylindricalA side wall 27 having anannular inturnedf a'nge 28- providing acentraltopening- 29; this part of'thelbottl'efbeingof standn ardv design now available in thefrnarhet. However, the cylindricall upsta'ndingL wall 27C forming' thel neckportion 26will nothaveb'eencrimped-as shown'latx 30; this crimp ing operation notbein'g performedl until after the valve parts have been= assembled and insertedi inl the. neck' portion 26 of thebottle; .f

The valve mechanismcomprises:generallyi aval-'ve housing 31f', a valve-y s'tem sleeve 3Q, a valve stemhaving a valve disc-3'9, acover-cap'ZS', all of which arernoldedfv parts which mayf readily andi economically be` madel or rnoldable plastic material,serI off metal, or other suitable' material, a valve shank'fga'skett 34'; a val-ve sleeve gasket 35, and alvalve-housing-vgashet:3b; allfoffwhiclrare rubber ringV gaskets, preferablysynthetie'rubber of the Neoprene type, ametallic 'helical compression spring 37 and aball valve 38- f The valve housing 31 i'sgenerally cylindrical having side wall- 40l-terminating atits upp'er endiny an annular shoulder 4l which extends outwardly-trom the wallY and has an upper 'at annular'A surface 42.-. The bottom` Wall 43- of the housing has; adependingY centrally bored boss 44' providing aninlet=` portl into'` the chamber dened by the' housing; it' beingf noted1 that the innerV surfacei of the bottom wall istaperedlslightly; thus forming a valve seat 45 at the periphery2 of the centrali inletpassagewayl 46'. The central'bore2 47: of the housing is widened at its upper end to provide-an' annular shelf 48 upon whi'chrests the ringf gasketl 36; this upper widened borereceiving the tele'scopingf lower=end` 49of the valveL stern; sleevel 32, which rests upon gasket-36:V The upper endi of tube 25, whiclris'rnadeof` plastic; tits over the dependingl bossv 4d of the valve4 housingand tliistubeex'tends to the'r bottom of the bottle asshown' inl Fig" A2. Thus apassageway is provided fromtheA body-` of'v fluidt 50" through the' inlet port5'1of thevalvehousingintothe measuring chamber 52 providedbythe `valvehousing:

The` valve shanlc 53z extends through ringl gasket 34- and through an. aperture in thetopjwall otcapA 23', it being noted: thatthe top wallidtoithe'cap' hasa spherically shapedd'epre'ssion' 553 The shank 53- is vertically slida'ble in the gasket13`4 andi it= willr` be' noted that' in its normaltposi'tionshown' in Fig: 3", the' topof the' shank lies` flush with theA top:` of'the" cap. The depression' 55- provides` an indentationto accomodate av fingerA when the; valve .stem is manually pressed' down against the force` of spring., 37. The gasket 34 providesan effective seal between the valve stern sleeve 32 and` the cap 231 The, valve stem: 335 is., reduced'i'n, s'i'ze. atttlie lower end. of the sleeve. providingy a reducedy shank. portion 56' and at the end'of'the shank portion Sois an enlarged annular 'shoulder portion providing avalveseat-ing portion 57. at itsupper annular'surfaceand ar spring seating portion- 58 at' its lower sur-face. DependingA from. the shoulder portion isaicentrally locatecly boss 59 whichfserves as a post on. which to mount the helical compression: spring andi also as. a post to engage. therball 385 andf press the ball onto seat 45 to closepassageway 46iwhenfthe-valve stern. is pressed down as shown in Fig. 4.

The reducedJ shankL portion" 56;hasf a vertical, groove 605in` its peripheral surfacewhich terminates: at. its: lower endshort ofther valve: seating poitioni 575 of: the valve In will bev observedf that: the: ring gasket. at.

disc 39; its' central opening hugsL the,- reducedl shankY portion 56 andi. Whenl the val've'v stem isL up as shown inv Fig. 3", communication between the measuring chamber 52 (provided by! theA housing 311)E andlv the expansionfcham-- ber 62- (provided by' sleeve 32)]- is closedvoav When the valveA stern ispressed down as shown in Fig; 4; the valvedisc 39 is` unseated and the restricted pas-- sageway provides communication between chantw bers SZi-andL 621, through the' outlet portl providedz through tliecentral opening of the gasket:y 3U;

The valve sleeve 321 intermediate. itsL upper and? lower ends hasan annularA shoulderfor boss Gl the upperlsurface. of: which` engages; the gasket 315 and the lower surface` oi-wl'iiclrA engages the: upper' surface-` 422- ofthe valve housing 31; the gasket 35 providing an etective seal between the inturned flange 28` and the shoulder 63 to prevent leakage to the atmosphere of vapor gr tlzontents from the main body 50 of liquid in the ott e.

The cap 23 is cup-shaped and its top wall has a bore 65 into which the upper endof sleeve 32 telescopically lits, it being noted that the sleeve has a keyway e6 to receive a key 67 molded in the bore 65. When the cap 23 is press tted onto the sleeve the key rests in the keyway. The cap has an outwardly flaring discharge passage 68, the inner end of which registers with a discharge orifice 69 in the sleeve wall, when the cap is in place with the key 67 in the keyway 66.

The valve housing and sleeve are held in position by a rolled crimp 30. This rolled crimp is made in the metal wall 27 after the valve assembly is put in place in the neck, it being noted that the crimp squeezes the shoulder 41 of the housing 31 against annular boss 63 of the sleeve which in turn squeezes against the gasket 35, thus to hold the valve firmly in place.

The bottle operates as a metering aerosol bottle as follows: When the valve stem 33 is up, that is in normal position as shown in Fig. 3, the vapor pressure on the surface or" iluid 50 in the bottle forces fluid up through tube 2S, through port S1 past ball 38 into measuring chamber 52, until pressure equilibrium between the body of the bottle and the measuring chamber is reached. Only a limited amount of liquid liows into the measuring chamber because ow out of this chamber is prevented by valve disc 39 which is then closed and acts as a check valve because spring 37 urges the stem to normal position and the seating portion 57 or" the disc 39 against gasket 36. The vapor pressure in the bottle is suilicient to overcome the weight of floating ball valve 38 to permit the liuid to flow into chamber 52. To discharge uid from the bottle, the valve stem 33 is pressed down by linger pressure on top of the stem against the force of spring 37. The post 59 engages the bail 38 and forces it to seat to close port 51 and valve disc 39 is unseated so that restricted passageway till provides communication between chambers 52 and 62, as shown in Fig. 4. The stem is designed so that ball 3S seats just in advance of opening passageway 6l). The fluid that is trapped in measuring chamber 52 then passes through passageway 60 and expands into expansion chamber 62 and is discharged through discharge orifice 69 and passes through the outwardly flared discharge tunnel 68 as a measured pu of mist. No more fluid is discharged than that trapped in the measuring chamber 52 because ball valve 38 is seated and prevents this. To obtain another pui of mist or spray from the bottle the valve stem 33 must be released so that it assumes normal position so as to permit an additional supply of fluid from the bottle to enter the measuring chamber. Then the valve stem may again be pressed down to repeat the cycle, each actuation of the valve discharging a measured amount of uid from discharge orifice 69 as a puff of mist.

The terms and expressions which have been employed herein are used as terms of description and not of limitation, and there is no intention in the use of such terms and expressions of excluding any equivalent of the features shown and described or portions thereof, but it is recognized that various modilications are possible within the scope of invention claimed.

What is claimed is:

l. A metering aerosol bottle which comprises a main body portion holding a main body of aerosol iluid propellant, said body portion having a top wall, a hollow neck portion extending upwardly from the top wall of said body portion and having an inturned flange providing a central opening, a valve housing providing a measuring chamber mounted in said neck having a side wall and a bottom wall, said bottom wall having a port and providing a valve seat, a conduit for the passage of fluid from said main body of fluid to said port, a valve stem sleeve having its upper end protruding through said central opening and its lower end engaging said housing and providing an expansion chamber, a gasket surrounding said sleeve under said inturned flange and providing a leakproof seal between said sleeve and flange, and having a discharge oriiicea valve stem reciprocatable in said sleeve having a stem shank accessible for manual operation from outside said bottle, a gasket surrounding said stem and providing a seal between said sleeve and stern, an outlet valve having a disc positioned in said housing, means providing a seat for said -valve disc, spring means urging said valve disc to seat on said seat, said stem having a restricted passageway which is closed by said valve when seated and which is opened to provide cornmunication between said measuring and expansion chambers when unseated, an inlet valve in said housing, said outlet valve being unseated and said inlet valve being seated in response to inward movement of said stem, said outlet valve being seated and said inlet valve unseated in response to outward movement of said stem by the force of said spring means.

2. A metering aerosol bottle which comprises a main body portion holding a main body of aerosol fluid propellant, said body portion having a top wall, a hollow neck portion extending upwardly from the top wall of said body portion and having an inturued flange providing a central opening, a valve housing providing a measuring chamber mounted in said neck having a cylindrical side wall and a bottom wall, said bottom wall having a port and providing a valve seat, a conduit connecting said port with said main body of uid, a valve stem sleeve having its upper end protruding through said central opening and its lower end engaging said housing and having a discharge oriiice, said sleeve providing an expansion chamber, a valve stem reciprocatable in said sleeve having a stem shank accessible for manual operation from outside said bottle, an outlet valve having a seating portion, a resilient ring gasket clamped by said sleeve and housing and providing a resilient seat for said seating portion, a compression spring urging said outlet valve seating portion to seat on said resilient seat, said stem having a restricted passageway which is closed by said outlet valve when seated and which is opened to provide communication between said measuring and expansion chambers when unseated, a ball valve in said housing, said outlet valve being unseated and said ball valve being seated in response to inward movement of said stem, said outlet valve being seated and said ball valve unseated in response to outward movement of said stem by the force of said spring, and a gasket sealing the juncture of said sleeve and neck portion preventing leakage of the contents from said bottle.

3. An aerosol bottle which comprises a main body portion, a top wall, a hollow neck extending upwardly from said top wall and having an inturned liange defining a central opening, said main body portion being adapted for holding a liquid aerosol propellant, a hollow sleeve having a discharge orice and having an outwardly extending annular boss, said sleeve extending through said central opening and providing an expansion charnber, a valve housing open at its upper end and having an outwardly extending annular shoulder and having a bottom wall in which is an inlet port, a conduit connected to and extending from said inlet port and terminating near the bottom of said body portion, said housing providing a measuring chamber, said annular boss on said sleeve and said annular shoulder on said housing being disposed within said neck, a sealing gasket between said boss and inturned flange surrounding said sleeve and clamped against said inturned flange, means defining an outlet port from said measuring chamber into said expansion chamber, an outlet valve movable in said housing for opening and closing said outlet port, an inlet valve in said housing for opening and closing said inlet port, a valve stem shank reciprocatable in said sleeve and accessible from the outside of said bottle for manual operation, said outlet valve opening said outlet port and said inlet valve closing said inlet port in response to inward movement of said shank and said outlet valve closing said outlet port and opening said inlet port in response to outward movement of said shank, and a llexible gasket surrounding said stem at the outer end of said sleeve providing a seal between said sleeve and stem.

4. An aerosol bottle which comprises a main body portion, a top wall, a hollow neck extending upwardly from said top wall and having an inturned ange defining a central opening, said main body portion being adapted for holding a liquid aerosol propellant, a hollow sleeve having a discharge orifice and having an outwardly extending annular boss, said sleeve pro-v truding through said central opening and providing an expansion chamber, a valve housing open at its upper end and having an outwardly extending annular shoulder and having a bottom wall in which is an inlet port, a conduit extending from said inlet port and terminating near the bottom of said body portion, said housing providing a measuring chamber, said annular boss on said sleeve and said annular shoulder on said housing being disposed within said neck and clamped against said inturned ange, means defining an outlet port from said measuring chamber into said expansion chamber, an outlet valve having a disc movable in said housing for opening and closing said outlet port, an inlet valve in said housing for opening and closing said inlet port, a valve stem shank secured to said disc reciprocatable in said sleeve and accessible from the outside of said bottle for manual operation, said outlet valve opening said outlet port and said inlet valve closing said inlet port in response to inward movement of said shank and said outlet valve closing said outlet port and opening said inlet port in response to outward movement of said shank, a cap fitted on said protruding sleeve having an aperture through which said shank extends and having a spray tunnel in registry with said discharge orifice in said sleeve.

5. An aerosol bottle having a measuring chamber and a valve mechanism adapted to discharge the aerosol uid propellant through a discharge orifice in measured individual puffs of mist which comprises a bottle holding a main body of aerosol uid propellant and having an upstanding hollow neck with an inturned ange defining a central opening, a valve housing providing a measuring chamber in said neck having an outlet opening in its upper end and an inlet port in its bottom end, a conduit extending from said inlet port and terminating near the bottom of said bottle, an outwardly extending annular shoulder on said housing, a resilient gasket at said outlet opening providing an outlet port from said measuring chamber, a valve stem sleeve having its upper end extending through the central opening defined by said inturned ange and having a discharge orifice and having an outwardly extending annular boss, a ring gasket engaging said annular boss, said annular boss and ring gasket being clamped against said inturned flange by said annular shoulder, a valve stem having a shank reciprocatable in said sleeve and accessible from the outside of said bottle for manual operation and having a valve disc in said housing for opening and closing said outlet port, a floating valve in said housing for opening and closing said inlet port, a compression spring in said housing urging said valve disc to normal closed position, said valve disc opening said outlet port and said oating valve closing said inlet port in response to inward movement of said shank against the force of said spring and said valve disc closing said outlet port in response to outward movement of said spring and said oating valve opening under the force of uid pressure from said main body of uid when said valve disc is moved to closed position.

6. An aerosol bottle adapted to discharge liquid aerosol propellant as individual measured puffs of mist which comprises a metallic bottle portion, a metallic hollow neck having an inturned fiange providing a central opening, a valve housing in said hollow neck providing a measuring chamber and having an annular shoulder disposed in its interior surface, a resilient outlet port gasket resting on said shoulder and providing an outlet port from said measuring chamber, means defining an inlet port into said measuring chamber, a conduit extending from said inlet port and terminating near the bottom of said bottle, a hollow valve stem sleeve engaging and clamping said outlet port gasket against said shoulder and having its upper end protruding through said central opening and having a discharge orifice in said upper end, said sleeve and housing having outwardly extending anges clamped within said neck, a valve stem gasket resting on the outer end of said sleeve, a cap press-tted on said sleeve and having a central opening, a valve stem having a shank reciprocatable in said sleeve and the central opening of said cap, a spray tunnel in said cap registering with said discharge orifice, an outlet valve on said stem having a seating portion for opening and closing the outlet port of said measuring chamber in response to reciprocal movement of said shank, a valve in said housing for opening and closing the inlet port into said measuring chamber in response to reciprocal movement of said shank, and yieldable spring means engaging said stem urging said seating portion against said gasket at the outlet port of said measuring chamber.

7. An aerosol bottle adapted to discharge liquid aerosol propellant as individual measured puis of mist which comprises a metallic bottle portion, a metallic hollow neck having an inturned ange providing a central opening, a valve housing in said hollow neck providing a measuring chamber and having an annular shoulder disposed in its interior surface, a resilient outlet port gasket resting on said shoulder and providing an outlet port from said measuring chamber, said housing having va bottom wall defining an inlet port into said measuring chamber, a conduit extending from said inlet port to near the bottom of said body portion, a hollow valve stem sleeve engaging and clamping said outlet port gasket against said shoulder and having its upper end protruding through said central opening and having a discharge orifice in said upper end, said sleeve and housing having outwardly extending flanges clamped within said neck. a valve stem gasket resting on the outer end of said sleeve, a cap pressfitted `on said sleeve and having a central opening, a valve stem having a shank reciprocatable in said sleeve and the central opening of said cap, a spray tunnel in said cap registering with said discharge orice, a valve disc on said stem for opening and closing the outlet port of said measuring chamber in response to reciprocal movement of said shank, a oating valve in said housing for opening and closing the inlet port into said measuring chamber in response to reciprocal movement of said shank, and a helical compression spring engaging said stem and the bottom wall of said housing around said inlet port and urging said valve disc against said gasket at the outlet port of said measuring chamber.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,416,037 Kooperstein May 16, 1922 2,106,649 Oicer Jan. 25, 1938 2,216,347 Humbard Oct. l, 1940 2,429,003 Trapet Oct. 14, 1947 2,631,814 Abplanalp Mar. 17, 1953

Images