US3825159A

US3825159A - Aerosol valve assembly

Info

Publication number: US3825159A
Application number: US00260460A
Authority: US
Inventors: R Laauwe
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Inopak Ltd
Priority date: 1972-06-07
Filing date: 1972-06-07
Publication date: 1974-07-23
Anticipated expiration: 1991-07-23
Also published as: DE2432665B2; NL161412B; AU481955B2; CH576093A5; DE2432665A1; NL7409829A; AU7075574A; FR2299092A1; CA999565A; DE2432665C3; GB1482468A; NL161412C; FR2299092B1

Abstract

An aerosol valve assembly has a valve which is pressure biased to a normally closed position, the valve being opened by an operator actuated by the application of manual force, and the assembly including a means for applying a resistance to movement of the valve when the operator receives an initial application of manual force and which releases said resistance with an increase in this force so that this increased force causes the valve to open with a snap action.

Description

United States Patent Laauwe July 23, 1974 i l AEROSOL VALVE ASSEMBLY [76] Inventor: Robert 1-1. Laauwe, 237 Green Ridge Rd., Franklin Lakes, NJ. 07417 [22] Filed: June 7, 1972 [21] Appl. No.: 260,460

[52] U.S. Cl. ZZZ/402.24, 222/499 [51] Int. Cl 865d 83/14 (581 Field of Search 222/498, 499, 402.1, 402.24.

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,781,954 2/1957 Bretz 222/402.24 X 2,881,808 4/1959 St. Germain .7 ZZZ/402.22 X 2,952,278 9/1960 Waldherr ZZZ/402.24 X 2,969,168 1/1961 Newby 222/498 X 3,593,886 7/1971 Morane 222/402.l8 X

3,627,179 12/1971 Scheindel 222/4021 3,627,263 12/1971 Warren el al 222/402.24 X 3,647,121 3/1972 Ayres 222/402.24

Primary Examiner-Stanley H. Tollberg Assistant Examiner-John P. Shannon Attorney, Agent, or Firml(enyon & Kenyon Reilly Carr & Chapin [57] ABSTRACT An aerosol valve assembly has a valve which is pressure biased to a normally closed position, the valve being opened by an operator actuated by the application of manual force, and the assembly including a means for applying a resistance to movement of the valve when the operator receives an initial application of manual force and which releases said resistance with an increase in this force so that this increased force causes the valve to open with a snap action.

6 Claims, 10 Drawing Figures This invention relates to aerosol dispensing valves by which is meant valves which are applied to containers which are internally pressurized and contain one or more fluids to be dispensed, whether the fluid or fluids are dispensed in the form of an aerosol spray, a foam, as a solid stream of liquid or liquids, or in any other form.

A valve of this kind has a projecting stem acting as an operator and adopted to be manually actuated by finger pressure to open the valve and dispense the product or products in the container. This stem may be directly actuated but is more often provided with a small handle which may also act as a nozzle. Insofar as it is known, in all such instances it has been possible to open the valve slightly by the use of finger pressure applying too little force to obtain complete opening, the result being an improper discharge of the product in the container, which is, of course, undesirable even if it occurs only initially followed by a full discharge resulting from increased finger pressure.

In addition to the above disadvantage, prior art aerosol dispensing valves have required the use of an undesirably large number of parts in their construction, this limiting manufacturing cost reductions in a highly competitive field.

These objectionable features of prior art aerosol dispensing valves present the aerosol package industry with particularly serious problems when valves of the co-dispensing type are required. For example, hair coloring requires the packaging of a liquid containing coloring and, if desired, a foaming agent, and also a liquid such as a peroxide solution, and these two components must be intermixed and dispensed simultaneously. When intermixed, the valve which dispenses the two components, ordinarily called a co-dispensing valve, should not permit any material amount of the intermixed components to remain in the valve construction after the valve is closed, because of their incompatible nature.

The two components must be dispensed in predetermined proportions relative to each other, particularly in cases of products of the above type. Prior art codispensing valves have in one form comprised two ports supplied with the two components and which should be simultaneously opened and closed by depression of a valve in a linear fashion by the use of finger pressure. However, since the valve operator is finger actuated, it has been possible to apply an angular motion resulting in erratic and non-uniform dispensing of the two components. Furthermore, proper proportioning of the two components can be obtained only when the valve is fully opened so that the two ports are unobstructed; but it is possible to only partially open prior art codispensing valves, this again resulting in improper proportioning of the components.

Aerosol dispensing valves of both the single and codispensing types have at times experienced sealing difficulties. This, of course, results in an unsatisfactorily short shelf life, resulting in customer dissatisfaction.

With the foregoing in mind, an object of the present invention is to produce a simple valve using the fewest possible parts in its construction which provides substantial assurance against partial opening by the appli cation of finger pressure to the valve operator, and which in the case of the co-dispensing type of valve more positively assures the components proper proportioning and without entrapping mixed components upon closing of the valve, while as to all types of such valves, providing better assurance against leakage when not in operation.

Another object, in addition to using a minimum of parts in the valve construction, is to permit elimination of the use of metal parts of any kind, in view of the fact that some components packaged in pressurized containers tend to be corrosive to metals of any kind that can be economically used in manufacturing the valves.

As a brief summary, an aerosol valve assembly made according to the present invention comprises a movable valve and a valve seat for this valve, pressure means biasing the valve to a normally closed position relative to this seat, an operator actuated by the application of manual force for moving the valve to an open position relative to the valve seat, and means for applying a resistance to movement of the valve when the operator receives an initial application of manual force and which suddenly releases this resistance with an increase in the manual force so that this increased force causes the valve to move to its fully open position with a snap action. Because the valve opens with a snap action, relatively strong manual force, ordinarily finger pressure, is initially required, the valve suddenly releasing and snapping wide open.

The invention includes other features which may be understood from the following disclosure aided by the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a pressurized container of the type containing two products to be dispensed simultaneously and indicating schematically to some extent the manner in which the products are packaged within the container;

FIG. 2 is a vertical section of an example of a codispensing valve embodying some of the features of the present invention, the valve being in its normally closed position;

FIG. 3 is the same as FIG. 2, but shows the valve in its opened position;

FIG. 4 is a cross section taken on the line 4-4 in FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a vertical section of a single product dispensing valve incorporating the snap action feature of the present invention;

FIG. 5a is a cross section taken on the line Sa-Sa in FIG. 5;

FIG. 6 is a vertical section of a co-dispensing valve showing a modification;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the valve or valve head shown by FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a vertical section of another modification; and

FIG. 9 is a perspective of the valve head shown by FIG. 8.

Having reference to these drawings, FIG. 1 shows the general organization of an aerosol co-dispensing package. This package comprises a can I which may possibly be internally treated if necessary and adapted to confine fluid under pressure and having a co-dispensing valve 2 mounted in its top, this valve having an upwardly projecting stem 3 forming an operator adapted to be actuated by the application of manual force, such as by finger pressure, to open the valve 2, the latter being normally closed. The bottom of the valve 2 has two downwardly extending

nipples

4 and 5.

A flexible fluid impervious container 6 is connected to the nipple 4. The can contains a fluid product which may include a propellant such as any of the liquified gases or non-liquified compressed gases commonly used which convert to a gas phase or expand at room temperatures and atmospheric pressures. This product applies fluid pressure to the flexible container 6 which contains a fluid product to be mixed with the first one, both products being intermixed and extruded or ejected upon opening of the valve 2 by manual force applied to the stem 3. if hair coloring compositions are involved, the container 6 might contain a peroxide solution and a separate flexible container (not shown) might contain the coloring, with a propellant sealed in the can between it and two flexible containers and applying extruding pressure to the latter.

One example of the valve of the present invention, in co-dispensing form, is illustrated by FIGS. 2 and 3 of the drawings. As shown by these figures, the valve comprises a cup-shaped body 8 having a cylindrical sidewall 9 and a bottom 10. The top of the body 8 is closed by a closure 11 in the form of an elastically deformable gasket having an inner surface 12 forming a valve seat. This closure or gasket may be made from material currently used for present aerosol gaskets, including soft molded plastic seals, such as low density polyethylene. The valve itself has a cylindrical portion 13 slidingly fitting the cylindrical inside of the bodys sidewall 9 for vertical reciprocation between an upward position, where the valves top seats on the valve seat provided by the surface 12 ofthe closure 11 and prevents further upward movement of the valve, and a lower position forming a space 14 between the valves top and this surface or seat 12. The valve also has an axially positioned tubular stem 15 extending upwardly therefrom and slidingly but substantially fluid-tightly through a hole 16 formed in the closure 11. This tubular stem 15 has a hole 17 positioned to open from the space 14 into the inside of the tubular stem 15. This hole may be positioned so that when the valve is closed the hole is at least slightly below the level of the bottom of the closure or gasket 11, so any space that might remain between the top of the valve and the bottom of this closure or gasket is always vented to the outer atmosphere.

The cup-shaped body side wall 8 has a plurality of fluid passages extending longitudinally therethrough to ports opening into the space 14 at circumferentially spaced locations. In the case of the example being described, there are two of these

passages

18 and 19, respectively having ports and 21. Extending downwardly from the cup-shaped body, are the

nipples

4 and 5 suggestively illustrated in FIG. 1. The

passages

18 and 19 are shown as being of equal size, but they may be of unequal size or the

ports

20 and 21 may be of unequal size as required for proper proportioning of the liquids or fluids to be co-dispensed in intermixed form.

Spring means bias the valve to its normally closed position. In this example this means comprises a conical portion 22 projecting downwardly from the bottom of the cylindrical portion 13 of the valve and an elastically deformable member 23 projecting upwardly from the inside of the cup-shaped body's bottom 10, this member embracing this conical portion 22 of the movable valve. This tubular member is longitudinally slotted throughout all or most of its length, four slots 24 being shown by FIG. 4. Because the tubular member 23 is elastically deformable, its portions between the slots 24 form cantilever springs which are wedged radially or outwardly by downward depression of the stem 16 and the valve portions 13 and 22; release of this force permitting the valve to be quickly returned to its normally closed position by these springs exerting a reverse wedging action.

The conical portion 22 of the valve is formed with a short cylindrical section 25 at its bottom, this portion being of substantially the same outside diameter as the inside diameter of the tubular member 23 when the latter is not sprung outwardly to exert its spring action. Between this portion 25 and the conical portion 22, a rounded shoulder or bead 26 is formed.

With the above construction, the cantilever spring portions of the tubular member 23 snap beneath the shoulder 23 and embrace the cylindrical portion 25 when the valve is closed. Finger pressure, forcing the stern downwardly and which is insufficient to fully open the valve, produces no motion of the valve at all; the valve remains completely closed and, of course, closing the

ports

20 and 21 completely. Increased finger pres sure causes the cantilever spring portions of the member 23 to spring suddenly outwardly and disengage from the shoulder or bead; and since this force exceeds that required to fully open the valve, the valve snaps downwardly to its fully opened position. This snap action suddenly and quickly opens the valve fully and completely opens the

ports

20 and 21 so that the fluids or liquids they control are ejected by the pressure in the container 1 into the space 14 for intermixing and ejecting through the hole 17 and upwardly through the inside of the stem 15. Release of the force on the stem 15 causes the valve to quickly shut.

Only by a deliberate slow release of the force applied to fully open the valve, can the valve assume a partially open position. However, it is an inherent reflex for the finger pressure to be removed suddenly when the use of the packaged products is no longer desired. The problem has been with opening of the valve when there is a tendency for the finger force to be applied no more than is required to produce some extrusion or ejection of the packaged products, thus leading to the problem of improper mixing and proportioning of the products within the valve in the case of prior art constructions. With the present invention, the valve cannot be opened except by the application of pressure substantially in excess of that required for fully opening of the valve, the result being that the user of the packaged product must inherently provide excess valve opening force which cannot be relaxed quickly enough to prevent full opening of the valve during its snap action. The tendency is for this excess force to be continued by the user until it is time to terminate the dispensing action.

The cylindrical inside side wall 8 of the cup-shaped body, the valve portion 13, the valves conical portion 22, and the valves short cylindrical portion 25 and the tubular member 23, are all concentric parts. The slots 24 provide the member 23 with diametrically opposite pressure applying springs. The concentricity includes the stem 15. Therefore, when in its closed position shown by FIG. 2, the valve is prevented from rocking action, not only by the axial length of its cylindrical portion 13, but also because of the resisting portions of the tubular member 23 which are symmetrically seated on the valves bottom cylindrical portion 25 beneath the shoulder or bead 26 of the valve, this bead or shoulder being, of course, concentric with the other parts mentioned. This arrangement makes it substantially impossible for the user to inadvertently apply a rocking action to the valve stem and consequently to the valve itself. In the case of prior art valves where such inadvertent rocking action is possible, trouble is experienced because of the opening of one port before or more than opening of the other port, this resulting in the ejection of improperly proportioned components. With the valve of the present invention, no such rocking can occur; and even if when applying downward force to the valve stem 15, this is combined with some rocking force, the valve remains closed until the snapping action occurs, the result being that the valve is quickly opened to its fully open position with both of the ports and 21 fully opened.

The illustrated valve of the present invention is made to comprise only two parts using plastic and injection molding techniques; the cup-shaped valve body, including the tubular longitudinally slotted member 23, being formed as one integral part. Correspondingly, the valve itself comprising its parts l3, 15, 22, 23, 25 and 26 is an integral plastic injection molding. The closure or gasket 11 is used by substantially all valves of the present type and might be considered to constitute a third part. No metallic parts need be involved and it is not difficult to chose plastics which are completely compatible with all compositions which might be filled into an aerosol package.

It is to be understood that the closure 11 is held in position relative to the cup-shaped body 8 by the usual metallic cup member la used for attachment of the valve to a standard aerosol can.

To assure effective sealing, the top of the cylindrical portion 13 of the valve, which seats against the inside or bottom of the closure or gasket 11, may have an upwardly projecting peripheral rim 27. This rim may have a sharp edge, as illustrated, which indents or seats in the valve seat provided by the inside of the elastically deformable closure or gasket 11, this occurring around the entire periphery of the rim and at the

ports

20 and 21 and this closing the latter positively when the valve is in its normally closed position. By using plastic, which although relatively rigid, has some elastic deformability, the rim 27 may be formed to have an outside diameter slightly greater than the inside diameter of the cup-shaped bodys cylindrical surface 9, thus providing assurance against intermixed components being forced downwardly within the cup-shaped body beneath the movable valve's bottom. The bodys bottom 10 may have a port 101 formed in it, so the propellant pressure is exerted upwardly against the valve to provide an additional upward or closing force to the movable valve.

The snap action principle described may also be applied to a simpler dispensing valve, as is illustrated by FIG. 5, where the parts which correspond to those previously described are identified by similar numerals marked a. In this case the movable valve portion 130 provides circumferentially interspaced clearance slots between it and the inside surface 9a of the cup-shaped valve body. The flat bottom of the latter has a single nipple 4a which opens through this bottom and into the inside of the longitudinally slotted tubular member 23.

The conical valve portion 22a is conical clear to its bottom end and is provided with a bead 280 which extends around its periphery. The bead, of course, is engaged by the upper ends of the cantilever springs formed by the portions of the tubular member between its slots 240, when the valve is in its normally closed position. With enough opening force, the previously described snap action is obtained.

FIGS. 6 and 7 show a modification of the construction of FIGS. 2 through 4, and here the parts are correspondingly numeraled and separately identified by the use of the letter b." In this modification the valves periphery rim 27b, which extends above the upper level of the top of the valve, is made in tubular form by having the valves top formed with a downwardly extending groove 29. This groove has an outer sidewall that extends angularly upwardly to form the rim 27b with a sharp edge, and its inner sidewall extends upwardly in a substantially cylindrical manner. By making the movable valve of plastic having an appropriate elastic deformability, the thus-formed tubular portion of the valve may have substantially elastic deformability permitting it to seal very effectively against the inner surface 9b of the cup-shaped body without interfering excessively with the valves sliding motion.

In addition the valves body 13b is slightly tapered downwardly so that its upper portion fits the cylindrical wall 9b more firmly than its lower portion. In FIG. 6 the inner surface of the closure 11b is shown as provided with a bead 29b so that in conjunction with the elastically outwardly springing rim 27b a double seal is pro vided. Of course, sealing is also obtained where the sidewall of the valve, flexible or not, closes the

ports

20 and 21 or 20b and 21b. Therefore, to this extent, a triple sealing is obtained. The tubular stems hole 171) is shown by dotted lines being possibly positioned at a higher level than shown by solid lines. If thus displaced, when the valve is closed, this hole 17b is closed or seats on the sidewall of the hole 16b in the closure or gasket 11b and through which the stern 1512 projects. With such an arrangement, a fourth seal is provided even more positively assuring against inadvertent leakage. When this hole 17b is located as shown by a solid line, the previously described advantage results.

Although, as can be seen from FIGS. 2, 3 and 6, in a co-dispensing valve made as there illustrated, there is very little room between the top of the movable valve and the inside or valve seat of the closure or gasket for intermixed components to be entrapped, but it may be possible for an extremely thin layer of intermixed components to remain if the tubular stems hole 17 is closed or sealed by its seating or sealing within the sidewall of the hole 16 through which the stem projects, as indicated by the dotted lines. It is to be understood that the stern forms a press fit with the holes sidewall, the closure or gasket being made of elastic material of relatively easy deformability as compared to the other parts of the valve assembly.

It is with the above in mind, in FIG. 6, as shown by solid lines, that the movable valve is constructed so that the hole 17b is always open to the outer atmosphere.

In all of the foregoing examples all of the parts may be made of plastic or, in other words, non-metallic. However, the pressure means disclosed can be aided by the use of a helical metallic spring which is not shown in the case of any of the examples described so far, but which can be installed easily, as exemplified in FIG. 8,

by the placement of a coil compression spring 31 within the tubular member to provide for a pressure sealing action.

In H08. 8 and 9 parts corresponding to those described before are given similar numerals and separately identified by the letter In this instance the movable valve is made hollow and the metallic coil compression spring 31 biases the valve to its normally closed position. The valve itself is made in the form of an inverted cup with its sidewall provided with longitudinally extending slots 32 which define depending cantilever springs for the valve itself. The wall 9c of the cup-shaped body is provided with the bead 28c, the bottom edge of the movable valve resting on this bead when the valve is in its fully closed position. Adequate downward force on the valve stem c causes the spring portions of the movable valve to spring inwardly with the valve consequently moving downwardly with the desirable snap action. In this instance tilting of the valve is prevented by the fact that the valve has a substantially cylindrical exterior for its entire length which slidably fits the surface 9c. The taper shown is exaggerated to show its presence. Actually the entire movable valve body forms a sliding fit with the cup-shaped part's inside, there being only a tighter or closer fit at the top portion of this body. The bottom of the cup-shaped body may be made tapered as shown so that the springs defined by the slots 32, for the movable valve, spring inwardly with a wedging action when the valve is opened, providing valve closing bias similar to that previously described. Thus, in this form of FIGS. 8 and 9, a metallic spring need not be used, although it can be as in the other examples, if desired.

The tubular members 23 in FIGS. 2 and 3 and the corresponding members in the other figures are all shown as being longitudinally slotted. However, solid or unslotted tubular members might be used if made of material of adequate elastic properties and properly designed.

What is claimed is:

I. An aerosol valve assembly comprising a movable valve and a valve seat therefor, means for elastically biasing said valve to a normally closed position relative to said seat, an operator actuated by the application of manual force for moving said valve to an open position relative to said seat, and means for applying a resistance to movement of said valve when said operator receives an initial application of manual force and which suddenly releases said resistance with an increase in said force so that this increased force causes said valve to move to its said open position with a snap action; and further comprising a cup-shaped body, a closure for the top of said body and having an inner surface forming said valve seat, said valve being positioned inside of said body for movement axially with respect to the latter and having a top engagable with said valve seat, said operator being formed by a tubular stem extending upwardly from the top of said valve through a hole formed in said closure and said biasing means biasing said valve upwardly; and said body, said valve and said stem forming at least one fluid passage which is closed when the valves said top engages said valve seat and which is open when said valve is snapped downwardly by said increased manual force on said stem; said passage including a radial hole formed in said tubular stern and opening below the level of said valve seat formed by said closure; said cup-shaped body having an inner sidewall and said valve having a sidewall sliding on said inner sidewall, said valves top surrounding said stem and extending to said valves sidewall, said valve being made of elastic deformable material and having an annular groove formed downwardly in its said top adja cent to its periphery to define a tubular sidewall portion, the latter being of a larger outside diameter than the balance of said valves sidewall and forming a sliding press-fit with said bodys cylindrical sidewall and which closes said hole when the valve is in its closed position.

2. The assembly of claim 1 in which the peripheral portion of said valves top between said groove and said valves periphery projects above the level of the balance of said valves top to form a seal, said valve seat being elastically deformable.

3. The assembly of claim 2 in which one of the valve's said top and said valve seat has an annular bead projecting towards the other and forming a seal.

4. The assembly of claim 3 in which said radial hole in said stem is positioned so that when said valve is in its closed position said radial hole is closed by the wall of the closures said hole through which said stem projects, thereby forming a seal.

5. A co-dispensing aerosol valve assembly including a cup-shaped body having on its inside a substantially cylindrical sidewall, an elastically deformable gasket closing the top of said body and having an inner surface forming a valve seat, a valve having a top and a substantially cylindrical portion slidingly fitting said sidewall, said valve being movable between an upper position where its top seats on said valve seat and a lower position forming a space between the valves top and the valve seat, said valve having an axially positioned tubular stem extending upwardly and slidably and substantially fluid-tightly through a hole formed in said gasket,

said tubular stem having a fluid connection with said space, said cup-shaped body having a plurality of ports opening into said space at circumferentially spaced locations and means for connecting these ports respectively with different sources of pressurized fluid to be dispensed, said cylindrical portion of the valve closing said ports when the valve is at its upper position, spring means for biasing said valve to its upper position, downward finger pressure on said stem moving said valve from its upper position to its lower position against the bias of said spring means, and releasable means for holding said valve against movement from its upper position during the application of downward finger pressure to said stern less than that required to move the valve fully to its lower position against the bias of said spring means and for suddenly releasing the valve to permit said movement upon the application of finger pressure to the stem substantially greater than that required to move the valve fully to its lower position against the bias of the spring means, so that by continuance of said greater finger pressure the valve is moved suddenly from its upper position to its lower position with a snap-like action causing its said cylindrical portion to fully open all of said ports substantially simultaneously, said spring means being formed by a portion depending from said valve's cylindrical portion and including a tapered portion, and an elastically deformable tubular member extending upwardly from the bottom of said cup-shaped body and having an upper portion embracing the lower end portion of said tapered portion and which is longitudinally slotted to define cantilever springs between the slots and which are wedged outwardly by the tapered portion by movement of the valve from its upper position to its lower psition, said releasable means being formed by an annular bead on said depending portion and engaging the tops of said springs when said valve is at its upper position, said valves depending portion including a bottom portion extending downwardly between the tops of said cantilever springs and said valves cylindrical portion and said bead on the valves depending portion and the tops of said cantilever springs being symmetrical with respect to each other and with respect to said cylindrical wall of the cup-shaped member to hold said valve against tilting movement, said bead suddenly disengaging from the tops of said cantilever springs upon said application of said substantially greater finger pressure.

6. A co-dispensing aerosol valve assembly including a cup-shaped body having on its inside a substantially cylindrical sidewall, an elastically deformable gasket closing the top of said body and having an inner surface forming a valve seat, a valve having a top and a substantially cylindrical portion slidingly fitting said sidewall, said valve being movable between an upper position where its top seats on said valve seat and a lower position forming a space between the valves top and the valve seat, said valve having an axially positioned tubular stem extending upwardly and slidably and substantially fluid-tightly through a hole formed in said gasket, said tubular stern having a fluid connection with said space, said cup-shaped body having a plurality of ports opening into said space at circumferentially spaced locations and means for connecting these ports respectively with different sources of pressurized fluid to be dispensed, said cylindrical portion of the valve closing said ports when the valve is at its upper position, spring means for biasing said valve to its upper position, downward finger pressure on said stem moving said valve from its upper position to its lower position against the bias of said spring means, and releasable means for holding said valve against movement from its upper position during the application of downward finger pressure to said stem less than that required to move the valve fully to its lower position against the bias of said spring means and for suddenly releasing the valve to permit said movement upon the application of finger pressure to the stem substantially greater than that required to move the valve fully to its lower position against the bias of the spring means, so that by continuance of said greater finger pressure the valve is moved suddenly from its upper position to its lower position with a snap-like action causing its said cylindrical portion to fully open all of said ports substantially simultaneously, said spring means being formed by an elastically deformable tubular part having longitudinal slots to define cantilever springs between the slots, and which is in wedging relationship with a tapered part having a peripheral bead engaged by the ends of these springs when said valve is in its upper position and forming said releasable means, one of said parts being formed by said valve and the other by said cup-shaped body.

Claims

1. An aerosol valve assembly comprising a movable valve and a valve seat therefor, means for elastically biasing said valve to a normally closed position relative to said seat, an operator actuated by the application of manual force for moving said valve to an open position relative to said seat, and means for applying a resistance to movement of said valve when said operator receives an initial application of manual force and which suddenly releases said resistance with an increase in said force so that this increased force causes said valve to move to its said open position with a snap action; and further comprising a cup-shaped body, a closure for the top of said body and having an inner surface forming said valve seat, said valve being positioned inside of said body for movement axially with respect to the latter and having a top engagable with said valve seat, said operator being formed by a tubular stem extending upwardly from the top of said valve through a hole formed in said closure and said biasing means biasing said valve upwardly; and said body, said valve and said stem forming at least one fluid passage which is closed when the valve''s said top engages said valve seat and which is open when said valve is snapped downwardly by said increased manual force on said stem; said passage including a radial hole formed in said tubular stem and opening below the level of said valve seat formed by said closure; said cup-shaped body having an inner sidewall and said valve having a sidewall sliding on said inner sidewall, said valve''s top surrounding said stem and extending to said valve''s sidewall, said valve being made of elastic deformable material and having an annular groove formed downwardly in its said top adjacent to its periphery to define a tubular sidewall portion, the latter being of a larger outside diameter than the balance of said valve''s sidewall and forming a sliding press-fit with said body''s cylindrical sidewall and which closes said hole when the valve is in its closed position.

2. The assembly of claim 1 in which the peripheral portion of said valve''s top between said groove and said valve''s periphery projects above the level of the balance of said valve''s top to form a seal, said valve seat being elastically deformable.

3. The assembly of claim 2 in which one of the valve''s said top and said valve seat has an annular bead projecting towards the other and forming a seal.

4. The assembly of claim 3 in which said radial hole in said stem is positioned so that when said valve is in its closed position said radial hole is closed by the wall of the closure''s said hole through which said stem projects, thereby forming a seal.

5. A co-dispensing aerosol valve assembly including a cup-shaped body having on its inside a substantially cylindrical sidewall, an elastically deformable gasket closing the top of said body and having an inner surface forming a valve seat, a valve having a top and a substantially cylindrical portion slidingly fitting said sidewall, said valve being movable between an upper position where its top seats on said valve seat and a lower position forming a space between the valve''s top and the valve seat, said valve having an axially positioned tubular stem extending upwardly and slidably and substantially fluid-tightly through a hole formed in said gasket, said tubular stem having a fluid connection with said space, said cup-shaped body having a plurality of ports opening into said space at circumferentially spaced locations and means for connecting these ports respectively with different sources of pressurized fluid to be dispensed, said cylindrical portion of the valve closing said ports when the valve is at its upper position, spring means for biasing said valve to its upper position, downward finger pressure on said stem moving said valve from its upper position To its lower position against the bias of said spring means, and releasable means for holding said valve against movement from its upper position during the application of downward finger pressure to said stem less than that required to move the valve fully to its lower position against the bias of said spring means and for suddenly releasing the valve to permit said movement upon the application of finger pressure to the stem substantially greater than that required to move the valve fully to its lower position against the bias of the spring means, so that by continuance of said greater finger pressure the valve is moved suddenly from its upper position to its lower position with a snap-like action causing its said cylindrical portion to fully open all of said ports substantially simultaneously, said spring means being formed by a portion depending from said valve''s cylindrical portion and including a tapered portion, and an elastically deformable tubular member extending upwardly from the bottom of said cup-shaped body and having an upper portion embracing the lower end portion of said tapered portion and which is longitudinally slotted to define cantilever springs between the slots and which are wedged outwardly by the tapered portion by movement of the valve from its upper position to its lower position, said releasable means being formed by an annular bead on said depending portion and engaging the tops of said springs when said valve is at its upper position, said valve''s depending portion including a bottom portion extending downwardly between the tops of said cantilever springs and said valve''s cylindrical portion and said bead on the valve''s depending portion and the tops of said cantilever springs being symmetrical with respect to each other and with respect to said cylindrical wall of the cup-shaped member to hold said valve against tilting movement, said bead suddenly disengaging from the tops of said cantilever springs upon said application of said substantially greater finger pressure.

6. A co-dispensing aerosol valve assembly including a cup-shaped body having on its inside a substantially cylindrical sidewall, an elastically deformable gasket closing the top of said body and having an inner surface forming a valve seat, a valve having a top and a substantially cylindrical portion slidingly fitting said sidewall, said valve being movable between an upper position where its top seats on said valve seat and a lower position forming a space between the valve''s top and the valve seat, said valve having an axially positioned tubular stem extending upwardly and slidably and substantially fluid-tightly through a hole formed in said gasket, said tubular stem having a fluid connection with said space, said cup-shaped body having a plurality of ports opening into said space at circumferentially spaced locations and means for connecting these ports respectively with different sources of pressurized fluid to be dispensed, said cylindrical portion of the valve closing said ports when the valve is at its upper position, spring means for biasing said valve to its upper position, downward finger pressure on said stem moving said valve from its upper position to its lower position against the bias of said spring means, and releasable means for holding said valve against movement from its upper position during the application of downward finger pressure to said stem less than that required to move the valve fully to its lower position against the bias of said spring means and for suddenly releasing the valve to permit said movement upon the application of finger pressure to the stem substantially greater than that required to move the valve fully to its lower position against the bias of the spring means, so that by continuance of said greater finger pressure the valve is moved suddenly from its upper position to its lower position with a snap-like action causing its said cylindrical portion to fully open all of said ports substantially simultaneously, said spring means bEing formed by an elastically deformable tubular part having longitudinal slots to define cantilever springs between the slots, and which is in wedging relationship with a tapered part having a peripheral bead engaged by the ends of these springs when said valve is in its upper position and forming said releasable means, one of said parts being formed by said valve and the other by said cup-shaped body.