Fan spray structure for use in dispensing actuator

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10112767-B2
Application number	US-201114241110-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 12, 2011
Priority date	Oct 12, 2011
Publication date	Oct 30, 2018
Grant date	Oct 30, 2018

Abstract

An improvement is provided in an actuator for actuating a valve on a container for dispensing a fluent product from the container in a fan spray pattern. The actuator includes a dispensing flow path to direct fluent product from the valve to an exterior of the actuator via an exit orifice located at an end of the flow path, and a post defining a portion of the flow path, the post extending along and centered on a longitudinal axis and having an end face adjacent said exit orifice. The improvement includes a flow channel extending laterally across the end face of the post, the flow channel being symmetric about a lateral axis extending transverse to the longitudinal axis of the post, a portion of the flow channel directly communicating with said exit orifice to direct the fluent product from the flow channel into the exit orifice.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. In an actuator ( 18 ) for actuating a valve ( 16 ) on a container ( 14 ) for dispensing a fluent product from the container ( 14 ), the actuator ( 18 ) including a dispensing flow path ( 58 ) to direct fluent product from the valve ( 16 ) to an exterior of the actuator ( 18 ) via an exit orifice ( 64 ) located at an end of the flow path ( 58 ), and a post ( 70 ) defining a portion of the flow path ( 58 ), the post ( 70 ) extending along and centered on a longitudinal axis ( 72 ) and having an end face ( 74 ) adjacent said exit orifice ( 64 ), an improvement comprising:
a flow channel ( 100 ) extending laterally across the end face ( 74 ) of the post ( 70 ), the flow channel ( 100 ) being symmetric about a lateral axis ( 102 ) extending transverse to the longitudinal axis ( 72 ) of the post ( 70 ), a portion of the flow channel ( 100 ) directly communicating with said exit orifice ( 64 ) to direct the fluent product from the flow channel ( 100 ) into the exit orifice ( 64 );
wherein the exit orifice ( 64 ) is symmetric about the lateral axis ( 102 ) of the post ( 70 ).

2. The improvement of claim 1 wherein the exit orifice ( 64 ) is defined in an insert ( 62 ) having an interior face ( 80 ) overlying the end face ( 74 ) of the post ( 70 ), an exterior face ( 82 ) opposite from the interior face ( 80 ) with the exit orifice ( 64 ) extending from the interior face ( 80 ) to the exterior face ( 82 ), and a laterally inwardly facing wall surface ( 84 ) extending from the interior face ( 80 ) and surrounding at least a portion of the post ( 70 ) to define a portion of the flow path ( 58 ) between the wall surface ( 84 ) and a laterally outwardly facing side wall surface ( 76 ) of the post ( 70 ).

3. The improvement of claim 2 wherein the exit orifice ( 64 ) comprises a frustoconical exit portion ( 98 ) that diverges as it extends towards the exterior face ( 82 ) of the insert ( 62 ).

4. The improvement of claim 2 wherein the orifice ( 64 ) is centered on the longitudinal axis ( 72 ) of the post ( 70 ), and the lateral axis ( 102 ) of the flow channel ( 100 ) intersects the longitudinal axis ( 72 ) of the post ( 70 ).

5. The improvement of claim 1 wherein the flow channel ( 100 ) is defined by two spaced side surfaces ( 104 ), the spacing of each side surface ( 104 ) from the lateral axis ( 102 ) being equal to the spacing of the other side surface ( 104 ) from the lateral axis ( 102 ) as each side surface ( 104 ) extends laterally across the end face ( 74 ) of the post ( 70 ).

6. The improvement of claim 5 wherein the side surfaces ( 104 ) extend parallel to each other and to the lateral axis ( 102 ).

7. The improvement of claim 5 wherein the spacing between the side surfaces ( 104 ) varies across the face ( 74 ) of the post ( 70 ).

8. The improvement of claim 5 wherein the lateral axis ( 102 ) of the flow channel ( 100 ) intersects the longitudinal axis ( 72 ) of the post ( 70 ), and the side surfaces ( 104 ) are spaced farther from each other as they extend laterally outward from the longitudinal axis ( 72 ).

9. The improvement of claim 5 wherein the flow channel ( 100 ) is symmetric about a transverse axis ( 103 ) that intersects the longitudinal axis ( 72 ) of the post ( 70 ) and extends transverse to both the longitudinal axis ( 72 ) and the lateral axis ( 102 ).

10. The improvement of claim 5 wherein portions of the side surfaces ( 104 ) extend into the exit orifice ( 64 ).

11. The improvement of claim 5 wherein the flow channel ( 100 ) is further defined by a bottom surface ( 106 ) extending from one of the side surfaces ( 104 ) to the other of the side surfaces ( 104 ), the bottom surface ( 106 ) defining a flow channel depth relative to the end face ( 74 ) that varies as the flow channel ( 100 ) extends laterally across the end face ( 74 ).

12. The improvement of claim 11 wherein the bottom surface ( 106 ) defines an arcuate shaped profile at an intersection of the bottom surface ( 106 ) with a plane extending parallel to both the longitudinal axis ( 72 ) and the lateral axis ( 102 ).

13. The improvement of claim 11 wherein the bottom surface ( 106 ) defines a v-shaped profile at an intersection of the bottom surface ( 106 ) with a plane extending parallel to both the longitudinal axis ( 72 ) and the lateral axis ( 102 ).

14. The improvement of claim 11 wherein a central portion ( 108 ) of the bottom surface ( 106 ) is planar and extends parallel to the lateral axis ( 102 ) and defines a plane transverse to the longitudinal axis ( 72 ).

15. The improvement of claim 11 wherein the post ( 70 ) is defined by a cylindrical, laterally outwardly facing, side wall surface ( 76 ) that is centered on the longitudinal axis ( 72 ) and extends from the end face ( 74 ) to a remainder of the actuator ( 18 ), and the end face ( 74 ) is planar and extends transverse to the longitudinal axis ( 72 ).

16. In an actuator ( 18 ) for actuating a valve ( 16 ) on a container ( 14 ) for dispensing a fluent product from the container ( 14 ), the actuator ( 18 ) including a dispensing flow path ( 58 ) to direct fluent product from the valve ( 16 ) to an exterior of the actuator ( 18 ) via an exit orifice ( 64 ) located at an end of the flow path ( 58 ), and a post ( 70 ) defining a portion of the flow path ( 58 ), the post ( 70 ) extending along and centered on a longitudinal axis ( 72 ) and having an end face ( 74 ) adjacent said exit orifice ( 64 ), an improvement comprising:
only a single flow channel ( 100 ) extending laterally across the end face ( 74 ) of the post ( 70 ), the flow channel ( 100 ) being symmetric about a lateral axis ( 102 ) extending transverse to the longitudinal axis ( 72 ) of the post ( 70 ), a portion of the flow channel ( 100 ) directly communicating with said exit orifice ( 64 ) to direct the fluent product from the flow channel ( 100 ) into the exit orifice ( 64 ).

17. In an actuator ( 18 ) for actuating a valve ( 16 ) on a container ( 14 ) for dispensing a fluent product from the container ( 14 ), the actuator ( 18 ) including a dispensing flow path ( 58 ) to direct fluent product from the valve ( 16 ) to an exterior of the actuator ( 18 ) via an exit orifice ( 64 ) located at an end of the flow path ( 58 ), and a post ( 70 ) defining a portion of the flow path ( 58 ), the post ( 70 ) extending along and centered on a longitudinal axis ( 72 ) and having an end face ( 74 ) adjacent said exit orifice ( 64 ), an improvement comprising:
a flow channel ( 100 ) extending laterally fully across the end face ( 74 ) of the post ( 70 ), the flow channel ( 100 ) being symmetric about a lateral axis ( 102 ) extending transverse to the longitudinal axis ( 72 ) of the post ( 70 ), a portion of the flow channel ( 100 ) directly communicating with said exit orifice ( 64 ) to direct the fluent product from the flow channel ( 100 ) into the exit orifice ( 64 ).

Assignees

• Neuhalfen Mark G
• Walters Peter J
• Aptargroup Inc

Inventors

• Neuhalfen Mark G
• Walters Peter J

Classifications

• B05B1/042 Primary

  Outlets having two planes of symmetry perpendicular to each other, one of them defining the plane of the jet (B05B1/044, B05B1/046 take precedence) · CPC title

• B65D83/206

  comprising cantilevered actuating elements, e.g. levers pivoting about living hinges · CPC title

• B05B1/048

  having a flow conduit with, immediately behind the outlet orifice, an elongated cross section, e.g. of oval or elliptic form, of which the major axis is perpendicular to the plane of the jet · CPC title

• B65D83/28

  Nozzles, nozzle fittings or accessories specially adapted therefor · CPC title

• B65D83/205 Primary

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic