Compressible valve for a pressurized container

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9758295-B2
Application number	US-201514750283-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 25, 2015
Priority date	Jun 25, 2015
Publication date	Sep 12, 2017
Grant date	Sep 12, 2017

Abstract

A valve assembly for a pressurized container includes a valve stem and a mechanical seal. The valve stem has an open top portion, a closed bottom portion, at least one primary radial opening, at least one secondary radial opening and a valve stem passageway between the open top portion and both the at least one primary radial opening and the at least one secondary radial opening. The mechanical seal comprises a longitudinal passageway that seals the at least one primary radial opening and the at least one secondary radial opening, respectively, when the valve stem is in a closed position. Longitudinal translation of the valve stem exposes the at least one primary radial opening or both the at least one primary radial opening and the at least one secondary radial opening to the pressurized container when the valve stem is in an open position.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A valve assembly for a pressurized container, the pressurized container having an open end with the valve assembly disposed inside the open end, the valve assembly comprising:
a. a mechanical seal having a spring portion opening, a sealing portion opening, and a mechanical seal longitudinal passageway disposed between the spring portion and sealing portion openings, the mechanical seal longitudinal passageway has an internal diameter and is coaxial with the open end of the pressurized container; and
b. a valve stem disposed in the mechanical seal longitudinal passageway, the valve stem comprising:
i. an open top portion,
ii. a closed bottom portion,
iii. at least one primary radial opening and at least one secondary radial opening, wherein the at least one secondary radial opening is disposed proximate to the closed bottom portion and the at least one primary radial opening is disposed between the at least one secondary radial opening and the closed bottom portion, wherein the closed bottom portion of the valve stem is in contact with the mechanical seal longitudinal passageway near the mechanical seal opening such that the mechanical seal seals the at least one primary radial opening and the at least one secondary radial opening, respectively, when the valve stem is in a closed position, and
iv. a valve stem passageway between the open top portion and both the at least one primary radial opening and the at least one secondary radial opening, wherein longitudinal translation of the valve stem exposes the at least one primary radial opening or both the at least one primary radial opening and the at least one secondary radial opening to the pressurized container when the valve stem is in an open position;

c. a valve cup disposed inside the open end of the pressurized container, the valve cup having an open top portion, a bottom portion with an opening therein and a valve cup longitudinal passageway between the open top portion and the bottom portion opening, wherein the mechanical seal is disposed in the valve cup and the mechanical seal longitudinal passageway is coaxial with the valve cup longitudinal passageway; and
d. actuator stops assembled on the valve stem, wherein the actuator stops interface with the open top portion of the valve cup;
e. wherein the pressurized container comprises a dispensing structure and wherein the mechanical seal includes a sealing portion providing a seal between the dispensing structure and the valve cup;
f. wherein the dispensing structure comprises a collapsible bag disposed inside the open top end of the bottle, the collapsible bag having a neck with an open neck end coaxial with the bottle open end; and
g. wherein the valve cup is threaded to the open neck end of the collapsible bag.

2. The valve assembly of claim 1 wherein the mechanical seal is a grommet comprising a sealing portion having a sealing portion opening, the grommet sealing portion includes a primary sealing portion and a secondary sealing portion that seal the at least one primary radial opening and the at least one secondary radial opening, respectively, when the valve stem is in a closed position.

3. The valve assembly of claim 2 wherein the grommet includes a spring portion integral with the sealing portion and includes a spring portion opening longitudinally opposed to the sealing portion opening.

4. The valve assembly of claim 3 wherein the valve stem further comprises a primary flange having a top side and a bottom side disposed between the open top portion and the closed bottom portion of the valve stem, wherein the bottom side of the primary flange is engaged with the grommet spring portion, wherein longitudinal translation of the valve stem primary flange results in equivalent longitudinal deflection of the spring portion exposing the at least one primary radial opening or both the at least one primary radial opening and the at least one secondary radial opening to the pressurized container when the valve stem is in an open position.

5. The valve assembly according to claim 4 wherein the valve stem primary flange comprises clasps on the bottom side of the primary flange that grip the grommet spring portion retaining the valve stem in the mechanical seal longitudinal passageway.

6. The valve assembly of claim 2 wherein the grommet sealing portion is joined to the valve cup bottom portion.

7. The valve assembly according to claim 2 wherein a portion of the grommet sealing portion is disposed between the neck of the bag and the valve cup.

8. The valve assembly according to claim 2 wherein the dispensing structure comprises a dip tube valve disposed inside the open top end of the bottle, the dip tube valve comprising a valve housing having an open top end coaxial with the opening in the bottom portion of the grommet.

9. The valve assembly according to claim 8 wherein the grommet sealing portion provides a seal between the valve housing and the valve cup.

10. The valve assembly according to claim 1 wherein the cylindrical clevis comprises a C-shaped opening disposed radially outward from the sealing portion opening of the grommet, wherein the valve cup bottom portion opening is sandwiched in the C-shaped opening of the clevis.

11. The valve assembly according to claim 1 wherein the grommet comprises an elastomer.

12. The valve assembly according to claim 1 wherein the valve cup comprises PET, PBT, PEN or other thermoplastics.

13. The valve assembly according to claim 1 wherein the grommet is integrally formed with the valve cup.

14. A valve assembly for a pressurized container, the pressurized container having an open end with the valve assembly disposed inside the open end, the valve assembly comprising:
a. a mechanical seal having a spring portion opening, a sealing portion opening, and a mechanical seal longitudinal passageway disposed between the spring portion and sealing portion openings, the mechanical seal longitudinal passageway has an internal diameter and is coaxial with the open end of the pressurized container; and
b. a valve stem disposed in the mechanical seal longitudinal passageway, the valve stem comprising:
i. an open top portion,
ii. a closed bottom portion,
iii. at least one primary radial opening and at least one secondary radial opening, wherein the at least one secondary radial opening is disposed proximate to the closed bottom portion and the at least one primary radial opening is disposed between the at least one secondary radial opening and the closed bottom portion, wherein the closed bottom portion of the valve stem is in contact with the mechanical seal longitudinal passageway near the mechanical seal opening such that the mechanical seal seals the at least one primary radial opening and the at least one secondary radial opening, respectively, when the valve stem is in a closed position, and
iv. a valve stem passageway between the open top portion and both the at least one primary radial opening and the at least one secondary radial opening, wherein longitudinal translation of the valve stem exposes the at least one primary radial opening or both the at least one primary radial opening and the at least one secondary radial opening to the pressurized container when the valve stem is in an open position;

c. a valve cup disposed inside the open end of the pressurized container, the valve cup having an open top portion, a bottom portion with an opening therein and a valve cup longitudinal passageway between the open top portion and the bottom portion opening, wherein the mechanical seal is disposed in the valve cup and the mechanical seal longitudinal passageway is c

Assignees

• Gillette Co

Inventors

• Smith Scott Edward

Classifications

• F16K1/32

  Details (details of more general applicability F16K25/00 - F16K51/00) · CPC title

• B65D83/44 Primary

  Valves specially adapted for the discharge of contents; Regulating devices (pressure relief devices B65D83/70) · CPC title

• B05B1/30

  designed to control volume of flow, e.g. with adjustable passages {(B05B11/0094 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• B65D83/425

  Delivery valves permitting filling or charging · CPC title

• B65D83/66

  initially separated and subsequently mixed, e.g. in a dispensing head · CPC title