Aerosol dispenser assembly having VOC-free propellant and dispensing mechanism therefor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10427862-B2
Application number	US-201514945972-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 19, 2015
Priority date	Jul 17, 2007
Publication date	Oct 1, 2019
Grant date	Oct 1, 2019

Abstract

An aerosol dispenser assembly is disclosed that includes a container holding a liquid product and a compressed gas propellant for propelling the liquid product from the container. A design methodology for the actuator body and swirl nozzle insert is disclosed for maintaining a small particle size or Sauter Mean Diameter (D[3, 2]) of less than 48 μm at a suitable spray rate (1.5-2 g/s), while utilizing a compressed gas VOC-free propellant for an air freshener product. As obtaining reduced particle size to compete with LPG propellants may result in a reduced spray rate, it is anticipated that one or more nozzles may be designed into the actuator body to maintain a suitable spray rate.

First claim

What is claimed:

1. An aerosol dispenser system having a volatile organic compound (VOC)-free propellant comprising:
an enclosed container accommodating a liquid product under pressure;
a valve assembly coupled to and in fluid communication with the container;
an actuator body coupled to and in fluid communication with the valve assembly; and
at least one swirl nozzle insert coupled to and in fluid communication with the actuator body, the at least one swirl nozzle insert comprising a cylindrical sidewall connected to an end wall, the cylindrical sidewall having a diameter D less than 4,000 μm defining an open bottom, the end wall comprising a recess that defines a swirl chamber, the end wall further comprising an outlet orifice connected to the swirl chamber and the end wall further comprising at least one inlet slot extending inward from a junction of the cylindrical sidewall and end wall towards the swirl chamber,
the outlet orifice having a diameter d o and an axial length L o , the axial length L o being less than 250 μm, the swirl chamber having a diameter D s , the inlet slot comprising a width d p , a height L s , and a cross-sectional area d p ×L s defined by said width d p and height L s , a number of inlet slots N ranging from 1 to 6,
d o , D s and a cumulative cross-sectional area of the N slots, d p ×L s ×N, being used to achieve a Sauter Mean Diameter D[3,2] of particles exiting the outlet orifice below a predetermined upper limit when the aerosol dispensing system is charged with an aqueous product.

2. The aerosol dispenser of claim 1 wherein the at least one swirl nozzle insert comprises from 2 to 4 swirl nozzle inserts having a cumulative output rate of at least 1.5 g/s.

3. The aerosol dispenser of claim 1 wherein d o is less than about 330 μm.

4. The aerosol dispenser of claim 1 wherein D s is at least about 1100 μm.

5. The aerosol dispenser of claim 1 wherein the cumulative cross-sectional area of the N slots, d p ×L s ×N, is less than about 170,000 μm 2 .

6. The aerosol dispenser of claim 1 wherein the liquid is under an initial pressure from about 60 to about 140 psig.

7. An aerosol dispenser system having a volatile organic compound (VOC)-free propellant comprising:
an enclosed container accommodating a liquid product under pressure;
a valve assembly coupled to and in fluid communication with the container;
an actuator body coupled to and in fluid communication with the valve assembly; and
at least two swirl nozzle inserts coupled to and in fluid communication with the actuator body, the at least two swirl nozzle inserts comprising a cylindrical sidewall connected to an end wall, the cylindrical sidewall having a diameter D less than 4,000 μm defining an open bottom, the end wall comprising a recess that defines a swirl chamber, the end wall further comprising an outlet orifice connected to the swirl chamber and the end wall further comprising at least one inlet slot extending inward from a junction of the cylindrical sidewall and end wall towards the swirl chamber,
the outlet orifice having a diameter d o and an axial length L o , the swirl chamber having a diameter D s , the inlet slot comprising a width d p , a height L s , and a cross-sectional area d p ×L s defined by said width d p and height L s , a number of inlet slots N ranging from 1 to 6,
d o , D s and a cumulative cross-sectional area of the N slots, d p ×L s ×N, being used to achieve a Sauter Mean Diameter D[3,2] of particles exiting the outlet orifice below a predetermined upper limit when the aerosol dispensing system is charged with an aqueous product.

8. The aerosol dispenser of claim 7 wherein the at least two swirl nozzle inserts have a cumulative output rate of at least 1.5 g/s.

9. The aerosol dispenser of claim 7 wherein d o is less than about 230 μm.

10. The aerosol dispenser of claim 7 wherein D s is at least about 1100 μm.

11. The aerosol dispenser of claim 7 wherein the cumulative cross-sectional area of the N slots, d p ×L s ×N, is less than about 170,000 μm 2 .

12. The aerosol dispenser of claim 7 wherein the liquid is under an initial pressure from about 60 to about 140 psig.

13. The aerosol dispenser of claim 7 wherein the L o is less than about 250 μm.

14. An aerosol dispenser and product assembly having a volatile organic compound (VOC)-free propellant comprising:
a nozzle comprising X swirl nozzle inserts and an actuator body wherein X is an integer ranging from 1 to 4, each swirl nozzle insert comprising a cylindrical sidewall connected to an end wall, the cylindrical sidewall defining an open bottom and having an inner diameter D less than 4,000 μm, the end wall comprising a recess that defines a swirl chamber having a diameter D s , the end wall further comprising an outlet orifice having a diameter d o connected to the swirl chamber and the end wall further comprising at least one inlet slot extending inward from a junction of the cylindrical sidewall and end wall towards the swirl chamber, the inlet slot comprising a width d p , a height L s , and a cross-sectional area d p ×L s , a number of inlet slots N ranging from 1 to 6, the at least one inlet slot entering the swirl chamber at an angle β with respect to an axis of the outlet orifice, an inner surface of the swirl chamber encircling the outlet orifice and being disposed at an angle θ c with respect to the axis of the outlet orifice, the outlet orifice having an axial length L o , the axial length L o being less than 250 μm, the end wall of the insert comprising an outer trumpet surface having an axial length L t extending beyond the outlet orifice, the trumpet surface having an angle θ t with respect to the axis of the outlet orifice;
the actuator body being coupled to and in communication with a valve assembly that is coupled to an in communication with an enclosed container that accommodates under pressure a product that is a liquid at room temperature; and
at least one parameter selected from the group consisting of X, d o , D s , a cumulative cross-sectional area of the N slots (d p ×L s ×N), L s , d p , β, D, θ c , L o , L t , θ t , and N being used to achieve a Sauter Mean Diameter D[3,2] of particles exiting the outlet orifice below a predetermined upper limit.

15. The aerosol dispenser of claim 14 wherein the X swirl nozzle inserts have a cumulative output rate of at least 1.5 g/s.

16. The aerosol dispenser of claim 14 wherein d o is less than about 330 μm.

17. The aerosol dispenser of claim 14 wherein D s is at least about 800 μm.

18. The aerosol dispenser of claim 14 wherein the cumulative cross-sectional area of the N slots, d p ×L s ×N, is less than about 170,000 μm 2 .

19. The aerosol dispenser of claim 14 wherein the liquid is under an initial pressure from about 60 to about 140 psig.

Assignees

• Johnson & Son Inc S C

Inventors

• Clark Paul A
• Valpey Iii Richard S
• Varanasi Padma Prabodh
• Christianson Jeffrey J
• Sharma Nitin
• Jog Milind A

Classifications

• B65D83/28

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

• B05B1/14

  with multiple outlet openings (B05B1/02, B05B1/26 take precedence); with strainers in or outside the outlet opening · CPC title

• B05B1/3436

  the interface being a plane perpendicular to the outlet axis · CPC title

• B65D83/753

  characterised by details or accessories associated with outlets · CPC title

• B65D83/30

  for guiding the flow of the dispensed content, e.g. funnels or hoods · CPC title