Piston with flexible closure for aerosol container

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11027910-B2
Application number	US-201816194502-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 19, 2018
Priority date	Nov 23, 2017
Publication date	Jun 8, 2021
Grant date	Jun 8, 2021

Abstract

The invention relates to a piston for an optionally pressurized container, the piston having a sidewall, an upper side and a bottom side, and at least a first circumferential seal, wherein at least the upper side of the piston is closed by a closure and made of a first elastic material, wherein the upper side is configured to deform upon a pressure change acting on the upper side, wherein the sidewall is made of a second material which is different from the first elastic material, wherein the first circumferential seal is positioned on the sidewall on its outer surface. The invention further relates to an optionally pressurized container comprising a piston as mentioned above, to a process of discharging a product from said container and to a process of manufacturing said container.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A piston for a container,
wherein the piston has a sidewall, an upper side and a bottom side, and at least a first circumferential seal,
wherein at least the upper side of the piston is closed by a closure wherein the closure is flat or indented which will deform when being operated in a pressurized container, and
wherein the upper side is made of a first, elastic material,
wherein the upper side is configured to deform upon a pressure change acting on the upper side,
wherein the sidewall is made of a second material which is different from the first elastic material,
wherein the first circumferential seal is positioned on the sidewall on its outer surface wherein at least one of the following applies:
a. the sidewall has a hardness in the range from 50 A Shore to 150 Rockwell;
b. the first circumferential seal has a Shore hardness in the range from 30 A to 85 D and
wherein a second circumferential seal or a guiding means is positioned on the outer surface of the sidewall in a distance of at least ⅛ of a maximum diameter of the sidewall from the first circumferential seal.

2. The piston of claim 1 , wherein the piston has at least one of these features:
i) the piston has a maximum seal diameter, which is from about 0 to about 11% larger than a maximum diameter of the sidewall;
ii) the sidewall of the piston is configured to deform under pressure;
iii) the first circumferential seal is positioned on the sidewall in proximity to the upper side of the piston;
iv) the piston has a height, which is in the range from about 25% or more than the maximum diameter of the piston, wherein the height is determined in the direction of the axis of movement of the piston;
v) the second material comprises at least one element selected from the group consisting of a metal, an alloy, a material based on or derived from cellulose, a fibrous material, a thermoplastic and an elastomer; and
vi) the first circumferential seal is made of a material comprising at least one element selected from the group consisting of an elastomer, a thermoplastic elastomer (TPE), a thermoplastic olefin (TPO), a thermoplastic urethane (TPU), silicone, butyl rubber (butyl), butyl methacrylate (buma) and a urethane-low density polyethylene copolymer (ULDPE).

3. The piston of claim 1 , wherein the second circumferential seal or the guiding means has a hardness in the range from 30 A to 150 Rockwell.

4. The piston of claim 1 , wherein the sidewall is at least partially covered by a cover coat, which forms the upper side closure and at least the first circumferential seal.

5. The piston of claim 4 , wherein the cover coat is made of a material comprising at least one element selected from the group consisting of an elastomer, a thermoplastic elastomer (TPE), a thermoplastic olefin (TPO), a thermoplastic urethane (TPU), silicone, butyl rubber (butyl), butyl methacrylate (buma).

6. A container comprising
a. a container body having a wall, which surrounds an interior,
wherein the wall has an inner surface facing to the interior;

b. a first hole disposed in the wall of the container body;
c. a piston as in claim 1 , which divides the interior of the container into two chambers.

7. The container of claim 6 , wherein at least the first circumferential seal of the piston is configured and positioned to provide a gas-tight seal between the first circumferential seal and the inner surface of the wall.

8. The container of claim 6 , wherein the maximum diameter of the piston is in the range from about 0.0 to about 5% larger than the diameter of the inner surface of the container.

9. The container of claim 6 , wherein the container whereby at least one of these features:
I) a contact patch is formed between the inner surface and the first circumferential seal, wherein the contact patch has a width in the range from 1 mm to 5.1 mm;
II) the piston further comprises at least one guiding means which is configured and positioned to guide the piston in the container to prevent tilting of the piston;
III) the container is configured to retain a pressure of up to 15 bar;
IV) the container is made from a material comprising at least one element of the group consisting of a metal, an alloy and a polymer;
V) a first valve is mounted in the first hole of the container;
VI) the chamber having the first hole comprises the product;
VII) a product selected from the group consisting of any products requiring 360° dispensing, products with increased viscosity such as shave gels, shampoos, conditioners, sun screens, and facial products is comprised in the interior; and
VIII) the container comprises a propellant.

10. A process comprises a step of discharging a product from a container as claimed in claim 6 .

11. The process of claim 10 , wherein opening of a first valve triggers a movement of the piston, the movement forcing the product to discharge from the container.

12. A process of manufacturing a pressurized container, comprising at least these steps:
a.) Providing a container body precursor having a first hole at one end of the container, and an open end;
b.) Placing a piston as in claim 1 in the container body precursor which seals a first chamber in the container body precursor designed to comprise a product;
c.) Closing the open end of the container body precursor with a sealable bottom closure to form a second chamber;
d.) Pressurizing the second chamber with a propellant and sealing the second chamber propellant-tight to form the pressurized container;
e.) Loading a product into the pressurized container.

13. The process of claim 12 , wherein step e.) is followed by:
f.) Mounting a valve in the first hole.

14. The process of claim 12 , wherein the first hole in step a.) has a valve mounted therein.

Assignees

• Procter & Gamble

Inventors

• Bartolucci Stefano
• Franckhauser Andrew William
• Benson William Mercer
• Grubbs Nathan Daniel

Classifications

• B65D83/76

  for dispensing fluent contents by means of a piston · CPC title

• B65D83/42

  Filling or charging means · CPC title

• B65D83/64 Primary

  by pistons · CPC title

• F16J1/003

  with integral sealing lips · CPC title

• F16J1/01

  characterised by the use of particular materials (F16J1/02 takes precedence) · CPC title