DE2531919A1 - ACTUATING DEVICE FOR THE TAPPET OF AN AEROSOL VALVE - Google Patents

Description

Dr.-lng. E. BERKENFELO · Oipl -Ing. H. BhRKENFELD, patent attorneys, Cologne Attachment file number

on the submission of JUÜ 15, 1975 VA. Name d. Note Robert H ₀

Actuating device for the plunger of an aerosol valve!

The invention relates to an actuating device for the plunger of an aerosol valve, in particular for an aerosol packaging O

The science and technology of these packages and their components are presented in the form published by Interscience Publishers, Inc., New York, 1961, edited text "Aerosols: Science and Technology" described.

The prior art has the inclination of these actuators to solve this problem Various attempts have been made, examples are shown in the following US patents:

McKernan U.S. Patent 3,250,474, May 10, 1966;

Barker U.S. Patent 3,378,205 issued April 16, 1968;

Venus, Jr. U.S. Patent 3,427,270 issued April 48, 1969;

Lewiecki et al _e U "S" patent 3 428 223 of February 18, 1969,

Beard US _e Patent 3,545,682 dated 8 December 1970

Grothoff U.S, Patent 3,602,407 dated August 31, 1971 »

As far as is known, however, none of the designs described in these patents have found their way into practice. All have certain disadvantages of their own.

A disadvantage is that when such an actuator receives the pressurized product from the aerosol valve plunger of an aerosol can, thereby opening its spray nozzle the pressure drop occurring at this nozzle in the actuator closes the spray nozzle again. This process is repeated at great speed to generate a rattle. This follows from the fact that all actuating devices with an anti-clogging effect and self-sealing for opening the spray nozzle depending on the pressure of the product

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are. This pressure works against one in one way or another provided piston area and against some form of resilient means that the valve assembly normally in Direction to a closed position is pressurized and thus closes the spray nozzle, so that in the actuating device entrapped product is separated from the atmosphere, which would otherwise be the product contained in the actuator could freeze.

Such actuators are essential in their dimensions very small and another disadvantage is that the known actuating devices contain parts which are cannot simply be produced by injection molding as solid plastic parts that can be assembled in mass production processes. B with it The very large number of parts present in each aerosol dispenser must be taken into account.

Even over-the-top actuators that don't cause clogging problems occur that are built in one piece and that can be injection molded in the required large quantities the other non-clogging actuators inherent disadvantage that the delivery speed by the Diameter of the dispensing opening is fixed invariably. In many cases it would be desirable for the user to have one Aerosol dispenser could affect the rate of delivery.

The object of the present invention is thus training an actuator for a non-clogging Aerosol valve lifter that is free from the disadvantages described above is. Such actuators are often simply called a button.

The actuator of the present invention is suitable especially for the valve stem of an aerosol valve, the ^ inen Forms part of an aerosol dispenser, which in turn is a £% fluid Contains product with optionally variable viscosity and composition and that by means of a propellant under pressure is set, the product itself being either a mixture or

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Solution with any conventional blowing gas, or only direct pressurization is carried out, as with the "Power FIo" - or "Sepro" container packaging, which are made in substantial accordance with the US-PS 3,392,842 and 3,433,391 ₀ The Actuator can be used either as an actuator or as an accessory such as in packs which spray a pressurized product in the sense in which the product is pressurized via a finger or hand operated mechanical pump.

According to the present invention, there is the actuator of essentially solid parts and in particular plastic parts which are injection molded on an injection molding machine permit. All today for making common one-piece actuators Plastics used or buttons are suitable if they are soft enough to be in a press fit on the To allow the plunger of an aerosol valve to be pushed, and if they are nevertheless firm enough to withstand the forces that occur without noticeable bending to work. Examples are polyethylene, nylon, polypropylene and the like.

In the above sense, the body of the actuator is essentially rigid and has a front end into which a dispensing opening is formed and a closed back. Between this the body forms a channel and at least a portion of this channel at the rear end of the body forms one Cylinder. In the same sense, a substantially rigid cylinder is arranged and reciprocally movable in this cylinder a piston rod extending forward, preferably in one piece. The piston rod has a locking Front end that, when the piston is pushed forward, opens the opening by sitting on the inside of the front of the body closes ο when the piston is moved into a retracted one Position opens the opening and the body contains a device to move the piston and the piston rod resiliently in the direction to its forward position so that the closing end of the piston rod normally closes the opening locks. This printing device can, for example, be a printing L 91/1

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be spring connecting the piston and the piston rod to the rear end of the body of the actuator that is therewith "Forms an abutment for the spring. The body also has an opening for receiving a tubular aerosol valve plunger and this is held with a conventional press fit. This opening opens into the described channel between the piston and the front end of the piston rod.

When the aerosol valve plunger is pressed down with the actuating device for example by pressing with the finger, the pressurized product is released through the opening into the channel in the body the actuator and this product pressure is then exerted on the piston and it is driven into its retracted position. The product can then pass through the Channel and flow out through the dispensing opening in the front end of the actuator.

The rear end of the cylinder in the body of the actuator is closed by the rear end face of the body surrounding this end. The cylinder has an external thread and a cap with an internally threaded side wall is screwed onto this cylinder rear end. the Cap has an inner stop surface. In its retracted position, the piston rests against it. As the cap in and can be unscrewed, the rear position of the piston can be adjusted with respect to its position and thus the distance from the front closing end of the piston rod with respect to the output opening of the actuating device from its closing one Separate position. In other words, the cap represents a control device for the actuating device and allows an influence on the delivery rate, provided the aerosol valve by pressing its valve stem with the actuator has been opened.

Via a connection with the inner wall of the body of the actuator, which allows a reciprocating movement of the piston and the piston rod, but prevents rotation, the Piston and the piston rod in rotation with the cap or

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- 5 control device prevented.

A complete unscrewing of the cap or control device is precluded by the fact that one of these parts has a nipple or approach and the other has a recess or some similar arrangement and both cooperate with each other to to prevent unintentional removal of the cap when it is unscrewed. This sliding takes place to the maximum possible To obtain the delivery speed of the actuating device via its delivery opening, which of course is a fixed Diameter. This lock is preferably designed ao, that their resistance can be overcome with force by overwinding, so that then the cap or control device and the spring, the piston and the piston rod can be removed. This is then an emergency measure for the very unlikely Case that the actuator clog in spite of the fact should that their dispensing opening is sealed liquid-tight and airtight after each actuation and thus every in their entrapped product is separated from the external atmosphere.

With the exception of the spring, all parts of the actuating device which is made of coiled spring wire can be injection molded from any suitable plastic. The assembly is simple, since only the piston and the piston rod with the spring inserted in the body of the actuator must be pushed in and then only the cap is screwed on.

In experimental versions of this new actuator has showed that it does not rattle. The opening in the valve tappet opens into the channel at the front end of the piston somewhat narrower than to the front end of the actuating device having the dispensing opening and the sealing front end of the piston rod, and it is believed that this is a cause of the suppression of the rattling. The design of the new actuator also allows the piston and piston rod to be designed in this way let that a piston surface is created, which corresponds to the front end of the

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Actuating device is opposite and which is pressurized Picks up product, and an outflow speed of the dispensing opening at the pressure and consistency of the product to be dispensed, which are dimensioned relative to one another in such a way that the exerted on the piston during operation of the actuating device Pressure is maintained at a level that will continuously hold the piston in its retracted position as long as the product is flows out through the channel and through the dispensing or discharge opening of the actuating device.

The cap or control device has the additional advantage that it can be screwed inwardly enough to accommodate the piston and to lock the piston rod in its advanced position and the dispensing or dispensing opening of the actuator to be closed completely and to prevent unintentional release. This has the advantage that the different Available child safety devices, with which the caps are prevented from being unscrewed by children, on the cap or control device this actuator can be used.

The invention will now be described further using the example of the embodiments shown in the drawing. In the drawing is:

1 shows a perspective view of an aerosol pack with an attached Actuation device,

Fig. 2 is a vertical section through the package shown in Fig. 1, which in this case is a "Power Flo" container,

Fig. 3 is a vertical section through the actuating device in their locked position, in which the discharge of product from the container is prevented,

FIG. 4 shows a representation corresponding to FIG. 3, but with the cap screwed off sufficiently far and thus in the operating position the operating device located,

FIG. 5 is a view again similar to FIG. 3, but with the purpose

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and better representation of considerable exaggeration «i * with the position of the individual parts in which the product is dispensed,

6 shows a cross section along the section line 6-6 in FIG. 3, FIG. 7 shows a cross section along the section line 7-7 in FIG. 5,

8 shows a perspective illustration of the external shape of the actuating device before placing them on an aerosol valve lifter and

9 is an exploded view to explain the assembly of the individual parts of the actuating device O

According to the illustration, the aerosol pack of FIGS. 1 and 2 contains the usual can body 1 with, for example, a conventional aerosol valve 2 and in this case an easily deformable flexible sack 3 containing the product 4 Pressurized steam pressure between bag 1 and can 1. This vapor pressure is created by the small one on the bottom of the can Mass of a propellant 5 is generated. In other types of packages, the propellant and product can be mixed together or be dissolved into each other. In the case of packs with pumps, the product is reduced by the pressure generated by a pump Pressure set.

In the present case, the aerosol valve has a tubular valve tappet 6 through which the product when the valve is opened is released with the plunger pressed. From a technical point of view, the plunger is part of the aerosol valve.

It is this plunger on which the actuator or button 7 is pushed in a press fit so that it can open the Aerosol valve can be operated with finger pressure and the product then horizontally in the direction of that shown in FIG Valve is released.

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As shown in FIGS. 3 to 5, the valve 7 contains a substantially rigid plastic body 9 with an opening 10 extending upward therein for receiving the valve tappet 6 in a press fit. A horizontally running channel 11 is formed in the body 9 transversely to the axis of the opening 10. At 10a the opening 10 opens into this channel 11. The body has one the front end of the channel 11 closing front end wall 12 " The dispensing opening 13 is located in it. The diameter of this opening is in the order of magnitude from approximately 0.05 to approximately 0.125 mm. However, their exact diameter depends on the composition to be dispensed and the desired dispensing effect.

At least the rear or left end of the channel 11 is a cylinder 14 trained. This contains an essentially stiff one reciprocating piston 15 made of plastic which is physically slidable in this cylinder. At this piston is preferably integrally formed a piston rod or an extended section 16, which is on the drawing to the front or to the right extends and rests with its front end 17 in the region of the opening 13 on the inner wall of the front end wall 12. This front one The end 17 of the piston rod closes in the front position of the piston and the piston rod shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 Opening 13 is liquid-tight and airtight and separates from this front end wall when the piston and piston rod are in their retracted position shown in Fig. 5 on an enlarged scale. The displacement of the piston and the piston rod in reality there is very little between their withdrawn position and their orderly position. During normal operation of the actuator the maximum distance required for separation is the one at which the product is of the size the maximum flow velocity determined by the opening can.

The body 10 has an outer cylindrical end surface 18 which encloses the rear end of the cylinder 14 and which is externally threaded 19 has. The above-mentioned control device for the product delivery is formed by the cap 20. This indicates * an apron with an internal thread 21. This makes the cap L 91/1

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20 screwed onto the external thread of the rear projection of the body of the actuator. There's another one in the cap inner stop surface 22 provided «This limits the displacement or backward movement of the piston and the piston rod, in this way the exact position of the rearward piston position can be determined control or influence. When the cap 20 is fully opened, as shown in FIG. 3, the front end 17 becomes the piston rod 16 firmly pressed against the inner wall of the front end wall 12 and thus the opening 13 is closed and depending on whether the aerosol valve itself after pressing its valve stem through the Actuator is in the open position or not. Although it is not shown in detail, one of today's Child locks that are customary for screw caps can also be placed on the present cap.

If the cap is unscrewed to a greater or lesser extent, the piston and the piston rod can move along variable distances move back. The exact location of the retracted position depends on the position of the stop 22, which in turn with the Cap 20 is adjusted. When the actuating device is pressed to open the aerosol valve, the pressurized air flows Product, as shown in Fig. 5, into the actuator and its pressure exerted on the front end of the piston 14 pushes the latter back against the stop 22. Moved the piston rod 16 with the piston. The front end 17 opens the outlet opening 13 so that the product over this Orifice is injected. Although it is not shown in detail, it is clear that the end 17 of the piston rod and the inside of the front end wall 12 in the area of the opening 13 may be shaped in any of the conventional ways to therewith to achieve a maximum effective seal.

A metallic compression spring 23 lies between the inside of the cap 20 and the rear end of the piston 15 and its piston rod 16 to slide them into their front position. After As shown in FIG. 5, the pressure of the product flowing out pushes this spring 23 together. There is a vent hole in the cap 2Oa = escapes through this, hi ^ t ^ r the piston

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closed air.

Guide wings 24 emerge radially from the piston rod 16. she fit into guides 25 formed by the body in the channel 11 thereof. With this arrangement, the piston and the piston rod prevented from rotating. However, their back and forth movement, which is necessary for the operation of the actuating device, remains possible.

To prevent the cap from being inadvertently completely unscrewed, it has a stop 26 on its threads on. This engages in a recess 27 on the thread of the rear end 18 of the body of the actuator. These Parts are made of plastic. Although they are solid, they are 4 elastically deformable to some extent. In the event of forcible unscrewing of the cap 20, these parts are therefore detached from one another and the valve can be opened by its user in the in 9 in the unlikely event of clogging should occur.

This abovementioned stop and the recess are arranged in such a way that that they are securely engaged just before the cap is completely unscrewed. A with the stop engaging nose 27a can be arranged so that it comes into effect when the cap is turned all the way forward. The force required to release the stop 26 from this nose 27a can be made so great that only an adult can Can unscrew the cap to put the actuating device into operation.

The piston and cap can be joined together so that they can be removed as one part. Fig "9 shows the Assembly of the actuator. In this case, the piston has a chamber 28 with a chamber 28 opposite the stop 22 Opening up. The stop has a projection with a tapering end 29. When assembling the valve this is pressed through the opening into the chamber 28 and connects the two parts firmly to one another. Even with a full

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Continuous unscrewing of the cap, the springs 23 »of the piston remain and the piston rod connected to each other.

Even without this connection of the parts, the spring 23 would remain connected to the piston and the piston rod, although not is shown in detail. If the cap 20 were unscrewed, the spring would be thrown out, so that the piston and the piston rod could be manually removed from the body of the actuator via this spring.

A swirl chamber is desired or required for many products, in order to swirl the product through as it exits through the opening. The present invention enables such Training without effort. As shown in the drawing are on the inside of the front end wall 12 to the rear protruding wings or plates 30 are provided, which have the shape of a spiral, an arc or curved segments in cross section and the ends of which either overlap or lie next to each other. At the front end of the piston 16 there are then depressions 31 is provided with a shape corresponding to the plates 30, into which they slide and, nevertheless, to a substantially lead liquid-tight seal. In the removal state shown in FIG. 5 and with reference to FIG. 7, it should now be said that that the emerging product flows past the ends of these plates and thereby before its exit through the removal or Output opening of the actuator is swirled. As a result of the above-described non-rotatability of the piston and the piston rod, the individual parts of the swirl chamber are held in correct alignment with one another.

It has already been stated that prototypes of these do not become clogged Actuator showed no rattle. One reason for this is likely that the hole opening 10a is closer lies on the inside of the piston 15 than on the discharge opening 13. Another reason is probably also in the construction the actuator itself, in which the front end of the piston 15 and the front end 17 of the piston rod Piston area shown in relation to the

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Dispensing opening 13 required diameter can be kept very large can. In the case of external dimensions of the actuating device that are suitable for an aerosol valve, the piston can, for example, be a Diameter of 10 mm and the front end of the piston rod have a total diameter of 5 »2 mm, while one for the dispensing opening suitable diameter may be in the aforementioned usual range. These factors contribute to the Actuating device releases the product continuously when the aerosol valve is opened.

It goes without saying that there are changes in the dispensing speed of the product normally also make changes to the spray pattern. With one adjustment of the actuator, in which the dispensing opening is only opened a little, may be a highly dispersed spray with maximum mechanical breaking of the product. When adjusting the actuator on the other hand, at maximum delivery, only minimal mechanical breaking of the product is achieved.

Claims

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Claims (11)

Dr.-lng. E. BERKENfELu · Dtp '.- lng. H. BERKENFELD, patent attorneys, Cologne Anlge file number to the entry · from the 15th · Jill! 1975 VA. Name d. Note Robert H. P ATENT CLAIMS Actuating device for the plunger of an aerosol valve, characterized by an essentially rigid plastic body with an upwardly extending opening for receiving it of the valve tappet and with a channel running in it transversely to this opening into which this opening opens, with a front end wall in the body closing off the adjacent end of the channel, this front end wall being a Has outlet opening, the channel has at least one rear portion forming a cylinder, and the channel a substantially rigid, slidable, plastic, reciprocable and received in the cylinder Has piston, and with a forward extending Piston rod with a front end which rests against the front end wall in the area of the opening and closes the opening, when the piston is in an advanced position and disengages from the front end wall when the piston is in a retracted position and the body has an outer edge encircling the rearward end of the cylinder Has end face, this face has threads, and a control device formed by a cap has a side wall with an internal thread which is screwed onto the thread of said surface, the cap has an inner stop surface which is detected by the piston in its retracted position, and this depends on the position the cap adjustably fixed, and a pressure spring resting on the inside of the cap runs forward and also rests against the piston to advance it into its advanced position, with the front end of the piston rod in the area the exit opening abuts the front end wall and generally closes the opening. 2. Actuating device according to claim 1, characterized in that that the piston and the piston rod form a piston surface opposite the front end and the dispensing opening 509886/0875 L 91/1 a certain discharge capacity for the Druok and the consistency of the product has, the area and the outflow velocity are dimensioned in relation to each other so that the on the Piston remains at a level that continuously maintains the piston in its retracted position, as long as the product flows out through the channel and through the dispensing opening. . 3. Actuating device according to claim 1, characterized in that that the opening opens transversely into the channel at a point that is far enough back and in the direction of the dispensing opening is arranged on the piston so that this during the sustained Flow is constantly pushed into its retracted position, 4. Actuating device according to claim 1, characterized in that that the front end of the piston rod and the inside of the front end wall of the body are interengaging elements have, which are designed as arcuate elements and form a vortex chamber. 5. Actuating device according to claim 4, characterized in that that the piston rod and the inside of this surface have slidably interlocking guide elements which the piston rod and prevent the piston from rotating. 6. Actuating device according to claim 1, characterized in that that the control cap can be removed from the body by unscrewing it and that the piston and the piston rod when removed Control cap are removable from the body of the actuator, 7. Actuator according to claim 6, characterized by means that allow unscrewing of the control cap from the body complicate the actuating device, but do not prevent forcible unscrewing of the cap. 8. Actuating device according to claim 1 to 7, characterized L 91/1 509886/0875 2531319 draws that the body one to the interior of the actuator has an open front end wall and a product dispensing opening is formed therein, the body a valve having a front end which normally rests on the inside of this end wall and closes the dispensing opening, and means responsive to the pressure of the product inside the body are provided around the front end lift off the valve from this inside, during this Holds pressure and to re-seat the front end of the valve if the pressure decreases significantly and limiting means for influencing the extent to which the valve is lifted are provided, the front end of the valve and the inside of this front end wall cooperating and interlocking Have parts, with one parts at the front end of the valve and the other parts on the inside attached to the front end wall, a first group of these parts has a plate shape in cross-section which defines the opening in the substantially enclose and have peripheral ends that are spaced from one another and form at least one space, through which the pressurized product can flow transversely with respect to the opening, and a second group of these Parts of this space are generally closed and slidable in the first group of parts, and when the Valve to the extent permitted by the limiting means, the parts are axially separated from one another, so that the product under pressure in the interior will flow out through the space between the spaced ends in which the parts have slipped apart when the valve was lifted. 9. Betäügingsvorrichtung according to claim 8, characterized in that that the first of these parts is attached to the inside of the front end wall of the body of the actuator and the plates are formed by fairy-curved plates, the ends of which are at a distance from one another, and that the second these parts is formed by incisions in the front end of the valve, which are the radially inner and outer sides of the plates in a sliding fit, and when the L Q1 / 1 '509886/0875 531313 Valve the front end having the incisions of the plates and its ends which are spaced apart in the circumferential direction is deducted. 10. Actuating device according to claim 8, characterized in that that stops are provided for adjusting the strength of the lifting of the valve. 11. Actuating device according to claim 1 to 10, characterized by a hollow body with an interior and with devices for receiving the product under pressure in this interior, the body being open to this interior has front end wall and in this a product dispensing opening is formed, the body has a valve with a front end for placement on the inside of the end wall and for Has closing of the opening and devices responsive to the pressure of the product are provided in the interior for lifting the front end of the valve in the presence of this pressure, and stop devices for controlling the lifting of this valve are provided, the front end of the valve and the inside of this front wall cooperating with one another and having interlocking parts, one at the front end of the valve and the other at the Inside the front wall of the body, a first of these parts is in the form of plates in cross-section, which essentially enclose the opening and has circumferential ends which are spaced apart and which form at least one space, through which the pressurized product can flow transversely to this opening, a second of these parts this Space normally closes and lies in a sliding fit in the first part, and when the valve is lifted in that of the Stop allowed extent the parts are axially separated from each other, so that the inside is under pressure Product can flow out through the space between the spaced ends to the extent that the parts can flow off by lifting the valve have slipped apart from his seat. 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