US3357603A - Refillable practicable aerosol dispenser - Google Patents

Description

Dec. 12, 1967 sEucHl KITABAYASHI 3,357,603

REFILLABLE PRACTICABLE AEROSOL DISPENSER 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June l5, 1966 v u am@ INVENTOR SEIICHI KIRCHE/WASH!v BY MQW/55 ATTORNEYS Dec. 12, 1967 ysraucl-u K|TABAYASH| 3,357,603

l REFILLABLE PRACTICABLE AEROSOL vDISPENSER Filed June l5, 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Z zo '7 l ,5 5 I8 lq n; f Y

f l r INVENTOR sskcf/i K/T/JBAYASHI ATTORNEYS United States Patent O 3,357,603 REFILLABLE PRACTICABLE AEROSOL DISPENSER Seiichi Kitabayashi, 2-2246 Nishisugama, Toshima-ku, Tokyo, Japan Filed .lune 15, 1966, Ser. No. 557,652 Claims priority, application Japan, June 15, 1965, 40/ 35,182 1 Claim. (Cl. Z22-402.16)

ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The present invention s concerned with an aerosol dispenser for spraying solutions container under pressure of gas within a container and which dispenser is normal ly closed to the emission of such solutions, but can be manually opened for the emission thereof or can be connected to a supply container for being refilled with solution and gas While permitting gas within the dispenser to escape therefrom to the atmosphere.

An object of the present invention is to provide aerosol dispensers which can be refilled through the discharge valves of said aerosol dispensers when Said discharge valves are connected to a discharge nozzle of a supply container.

A further object of the present invention is to provide refillable aerosol dispensers which receive fuelfrom supply containers easily and sufliciently while exhausting gas from the dispenser and thus lowering the pressure therein while being fed.

Another object of the present invention is to provide means for supplying solution in said aerosol container by means of supply containers having various discharge nozzle sizes.

Description An aerosol dispenser according to the present invention comprises a valve housing 2 mounted within the upper inside portion of a container 1 for enclosing compressed gas and solution therein and having upper and lower valve chambers 3 and 4, and eductor tube 5 connecting upper chamber 3 and the inside bottom container 1, a valve stem 6 being provided with an axial bore 7 having a closed bottom end and extending from outside container 1 through valve housing 2, a first valve for opening and closing communication between upper valve chamber 3 and valve bore 7, a second valve for opening and closing communication between lower valve chamber 4 and valve bore 7, a third valve for opening and closing communication between upper valve chamber 3 and the outer atmosphere in cooperation with opening and closing of said second valve, a fourth valve for opening and closing communication between lower valve chamber 4 through valve housing 2 with the inside of container.

The embodiment of the present invention, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, will hereinafter be described.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is an axial sectional view of an aerosol dispenser according to the present invention and shown in its olf position.

FIG. 2 is an axial sectional view of the same aerosol dispenser as shown in FIG. 1 but shown in its position under emission operation.

FIG. 3 is an axial sectional view of the same aerosol dispenser as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 but shown connected to a supply container nozzle for being filled therefrom,

Referring now more particularly to the accompanying drawings, there is shown a valve stem 6 which has from top to bottom a rst coarctate portion 13, a second ICC coarctate portion 14 and a third coarctate portion 15. 12 is a side orifice for opening axial bore 7 to the valve stem peripheral face. A portion of said side orifice 12 opens at the second coarctate portion 14 and another portion of the same orifice 12 opens at a stepped portion 16 located at the upper part of coarctate portion 14. An annular resilient gasket 17 which is as thick `as the axial length of coarctate portion 14 encases said coarctate portion. Accordingly, the upper portion of side orifice 12 is to open at certain position of valve stem 6. As for the structures of the above-mentioned first to fourth valves, the first valve is composed of said side orifice 12 upper portion, an annular resilient gasket 19 which is encased in container top plate 18 at the top side of the valve hous ing 2 and the annular resilient gasket 17. At the first position shown in FIG. 1 in which position the valve stem 6 is at its highest position, the side orifice 12 upper portion is closed by gasket 19. And, at the second position shown in FIG. 2, the valve stem is lowered from said iirst position and said side orifice 12 upper portion opens. That is, at said first position, said first valve is closed. And so, communication between upper chamber 3 and axial bore 7 is closed. But, at said second and third positions, the same are in communication. The second valve is cornposed of an annular step 20 which defines upper and lower valve chambers 3 and 4, gasket 17 and side orifice 12. That is, at said first position, the whole portion of side orifice 12 is closed by gaskets 17 and 19, and atsaid second position, said upper and lower valve chambers communicate with each other. But, at said third position in which the valve stem is at position lowest, the top and bottom faces of gasket 17 respectively engage said valve stem stepped portion 16 and said valve housing annular step 20. And so, communication between the upper and lower valve chambers is closed and at the same time side orifice 12 opens to lower chamber 4. Said third valve is composed of first coarctate portion 13 of said valve stem and gasket 19. That is, at its first and second positions, said valve stem engages gasket 19. And so, the communication between upper chamber 3 and outer space is closed. But, at said third position, a clearance 21 is caused between coarctate portion 13 and gasket 19 inner peripheral face. Accordingly, upper chamber 3 communicates with outer space. Said fourth valve is composed of a coarctate portion 15 of said valve stem and an annular resilient gasket 22 which is held at the inside bottom of the valve housing 2 by means of a valve spring 8. That is, at said first and second positions, communication between lower chamber 4 through valve housing 2 to the inside space of the container is closed by engagement of said valve stem and gasket 22. But, at said third position, a clearance 23 is caused between coarctate portion 15 and gasket 22 inner peripheral face. Accordingly, lower valve chamber 4 communicates with valve housing 2 next container inside space.

In the above description, detailed structures of each valve have been explained. However, various changes as to details of the valves or other parts are possible within the scope of the present invention. An aerosol dispenser according to the present invention has a valve stem and first to fourth valves as described above, and said valve stern has said first to third positions. Accordingly, at the rst position, all valves are closed and the dispenser on the whole is in its off position. However, at the second position, solution under pressure in the container is discharged through eductor tube 5, upper chamber 3 and valve stem axial bore 7, and push button emission orifice 11. That is, the valve stem second position is the emission position of the dispenser. For refilling the dispenser with solution and gas, push button 10 is removed from valve Next, as shown inFIG. 3, nozzle 25 of a supply con tainer 24 is applied to the top end of valve stem 6 for engagement therewith, and container 1 is pushed against the supply container nozzle. Then, valve stem 6 descends from its rst position to its third position in the dispenser moving through the second position. In FIG. 3 the aerosol dispenser is shown in an upside down position. Consequently, the above-mentioned second and third valves open and solution under pressure in supply container 24 pours into the container through the second valve, lower chamber 4 and the third valve. On the other hand, the rst valve closes, and communication between upper chamber 3 and axial bore 7 is closed. And, at the same time, the fourth valve opens for letting upper chamber '3 communicate with the outside atmosphere through said valve. Accordingly, gas under pressure present in the container bottom discharges through eductor tube 5, upper chamber 3 and the fourth valve to the atmosphere for lowering the container inside pressure. As a result, the aerosol dispenser ills easily and sufciently with the supply solution under pressure.

Heretofore, most known aerosol dispensers which are reiillable had a valve for manual operation composed of upper and lower stems for allowing separation from each other. During relling operation said upper stem is drawn for insertion of a supply container nozzle in the top end portion of said lower stem through a gasket normally encased in the top portion of the dispenser container. Accordingly, for providing the fourth valve for vdischarging exhaust gas as described above, a supply container nozzle is obliged to have a limited radial size, and most supply containers marketed having a pouring nozzle with various radial sizes cannot be used. It is therefore an important advantage of this invention that most supply containers marketed can be used for relling the present device, because the stem provided in the present device has a tapering upper end which can receive or engage a pouring nozzle with various radial sizes without fail.

Having thus described my invention what I claim is: r An aerosol dispenser which comprises a container 1, a valve housing 2 being xedly connected to an upper inside portion of said container 1 for enclosing compressed gas and solution therein and having upper and lower valve chambers 3, and 4, an eductor tube 5 lplacing upper chamber 3 in communication with the inside bottom space of the container at all times, a valve stem 6 i being provided with an axial bore 7 having a closed bottom end and extending from exteriorly of said container through valve housing 2, a rst valve for opening and closing communication between upper valve chamber 3 and valve bore 7, a second valve for opening and closing communication between said upper and lower valve chambers 3 and 4, and having an open position for opening communication between lower valve chamber 4 and axial bore 7 when the communication between upper and lower Valve chambers 3 and 4 is closed, a third valve for opening and closing communication between upper valve chamber 3 and the outer atmosphere in cooperation with the opening and closing of said second valve, a fourth valve for opening and closing communication between lower valve chamber 4 and said container upper inside space, said rst to fourth valves being controlled by valve stem 6, said valve stem 6 having a tapering upper end for engaging a supply container feed nozzle, a spring pressing said valve stem from within said valve housing, a push button 10 detachably mounted on said valve stem and having an emission orifice 11 for communicating with axial bore 7, and said valve stem 6 having a first position in which it is normally retained by said spring and in which position said iirst to fourth valves are closed, a second position in which said stem is moved against said spring and in which position said first valve is open and said second to fourth valves are closed, and a third position in which said stem is moved further against said spring and in which position said first valve is closed and said second to fourth valves are open.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,998,168 8/ 1961 Waldherr Z22-402.16 X

ROBERT B. REEVES, Primary Examiner.

STANLEY H. TOLLBERG, Assistant Examiner.

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