Metering valve

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12330860-B2
Application number	US-202118030006-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 1, 2021
Priority date	Oct 2, 2020
Publication date	Jun 17, 2025
Grant date	Jun 17, 2025

Abstract

Metering valve having a valve body ( 10 ) containing a metering chamber ( 20 ) defined by a chamber insert ( 40 ) and a top and a bottom seal. The chamber insert ( 40 ) has a cylindrical wall ( 49 ) with an upper edge ( 41 ) cooperating with the top seal and a lower edge ( 43 ) with the bottom seal. A valve shut-off element ( 30 ) slides between rest position and dispensing positions. The valve shut-off element is urged towards its rest position by a spring ( 8 ) cooperating with the valve body ( 10 ) and the valve shut-off element. The lower edge of the chamber insert forms a flange and has a downward axial projection. The bottom seal has an axial opening ( 225 ) accepting an axial projection ( 45 ) and passing through the axial opening. The rest position of the valve shut-off element is defined by contact between the axial projection and a part of the valve shut-off element.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A metering valve for dispensing a fluid product, comprising a valve body containing a metering chamber, said metering chamber being defined by a chamber insert and two annular seals, a top seal and a bottom seal, said chamber insert comprising a cylindrical wall, of which an upper edge cooperates with the top seal and a lower edge cooperates with the bottom seal, wherein a valve shut-off element slides axially in the valve body between a rest position and a dispensing position, in order selectively to dispense contents of said metering chamber, wherein the valve shut-off element is urged towards the rest position by a spring cooperating on the one hand with the valve body and on the other hand with the valve shut-off element, wherein the lower edge of the chamber insert forms a flange which extends radially inwards from the cylindrical wall, wherein the lower edge comprises at least one axial projection projecting axially downwards, and wherein the bottom seal comprises at least one axial opening, each axial opening accepting a respective axial projection and each axial projection passing completely through the respective axial opening so that the rest position of the valve shut-off element is defined by contact between the at least one axial projection of the chamber insert and an axial wall part of the valve shut-off element.

2. The valve according to claim 1 , wherein said lower edge includes three axial projections distributed around a periphery of the lower edge.

3. The valve according to claim 1 , wherein said valve comprises a radial collar which comprises a radial wall part, against which said spring bears, which is extended at an outer radial edge of the radial wall part by the axial wall part extending axially upwards from said radial wall part, the upper axial edge of said axial wall part cooperating with the lower axial edge of said at least one axial projection to define the rest position of said valve shut-off element.

4. The valve according to claim 3 , wherein said collar includes at least one cutout in a periphery of the collar, aligned with a radial outlet channel and a radial inlet channel of said valve shut-off element.

5. The valve according to claim 1 , wherein said bottom seal includes, on an internal radial edge of the bottom seal, a radial sealing lip that extends radially inwards and axially downwards.

6. The valve according to claim 5 , wherein, in the rest position of said valve shut-off element, said radial sealing lip is positioned in a recess formed between an outer surface of said valve shut-off element and said axial wall part of said collar of said valve shut-off element.

7. The valve according to claim 1 , wherein said bottom seal is fixed, by assembly or overmolding, to said lower edge of said chamber insert.

8. The valve according to claim 1 , wherein said top seal comprises, on an internal radial edge of the top seal, a radial sealing profile comprising a central recess defined between two radial projections which cooperate with said valve shut-off element to achieve sealing.

9. The valve according to claim 1 , wherein said top seal and/or said bottom seal include at least one axially projecting profile on at least one of top and/or bottom surfaces of the top seal or the bottom seal.

10. The valve according to claim 1 , wherein said metering chamber has a variable volume defined by a radial width of said cylindrical wall.

11. The valve according to claim 10 , wherein the variable volume is between 25 and 75 μl.

12. A device for dispensing the fluid product, comprising the metering valve according to claim 1 , said valve being mounted on a reservoir containing the fluid product and a propellant.

13. The device according to claim 12 , wherein said propellant comprises HFA-134a and/or HFA-227 and/or HFA-152a and/or HFO1234ze.

Assignees

• Aptar France Sas

Inventors

• Le Faou Philippe
• Manon Benjamin

Classifications

• B65D83/141

  specially adapted for specific contents or propellants · CPC title

• B65D83/52 Primary

  Metering valves; Metering devices · CPC title