Aerosol metering valve assembly

Claim 1

AN AEROSOL METERING VALVE ASSEMBLY COMPRISING A METERING CHAMBER HAVING AN INLET ORIFICE AND AN APERTURE EXTENDING THROUGH A WALL OF SAID CHAMBER OPPOSITE SAID INLET ORIFICE AND COAXIAL WITH SAID INLET ORIFICE, A VALVE STEM BASE PLUNGER IN SAID HOUSING, SAID VALVE STEM BASE PLUNGER HAVING A TOP FACE ADAPTED TO SEAT AROUND SAID APERTURE, A STEM COUPLED TO AND PROJECTING UPWARDLY OF SAID VALVE STEM BASE PLUNGER, SAID VALVE STEM BEING SEALINGLY RECIPROCABLE IN SAID APERTURE AND HAVING A LONGITUDINAL PASSAGEWAY THEREIN, SAID STEM ALSO HAVING AT LEAST ONE CROSS APERTURE THEREIN SPACED FROM SAID BASE PLUNGER AND COMMUNICATING SAID PASSAGEWAY WITH THE OUTSIDE OF SAID STEM; FIRST BIASING MEANS FOR NORMALLY URGING SAID STEM TO A POSITION WHERE SAID CROSS-APERTURE IS OUTSIDE OF SAID CHAMBER AND SPACED FROM THE INSIDE OF SAID CHAMBER BY A PREDETERMINED MINIMUM DISTANCE AND FOR NORMALLY URGING SAID TOP FACE INTO SEATING ENGAGEMENT AROUND SAID APERTURE; AUXILIARY PLUNGER MEANS ADAPTED TO CLOSE SAID INLET ORIFICE, SAID AUXILIARY PLUNGER MEANS BEING SUPPORTED FROM SAID VALVE STEM BASE PLUNGER IN DEPENDING RELATION THERETO FOR POSITIVE MOVEMENT THEREWITH, AND SECOND BIASING MEANS DISPOSED ABOVE SAID INLET ORIFICE COOPERATING BETWEEN SAID AUXILIARY PLUNGER MEANS AND SAID VALVE STEM BASE PLUNGER FOR NORMALLY URGING SAID PLUNGER MEANS TOWARD SAID INLET ORIFICE, SAID AUXILIARY PLUNGER MEANS HAVING A FREE END PORTION NORMALLY SPACED FROM SAID INLET ORIFICE BY A DISTANCE LESS THAN SAID PREDETERMINED MINIMUM DISTANCE WHEREBY WHEN SAID CROSS-APERTURE IS IN SAID POSITION OUTSIDE SAID CHAMBER; SAID AUXILIARY PLUNGER MEANS BEING DISPOSED OUT OF CLOSING RELATIONSHIP WITH SAID INLET ORIFICE, SAID AUXILIARY PLUNGER MEANS BEING MOVABLE TO CLOSE SAID INLET ORIFICE THROUGH A DISTANCE LESS THAN SAID PREDETERMINED DISTANCE WHEREBY UPON INITIAL MOVEMENT OF SAID STEM IN ONE DIRECTION TO A POSITION WHERE SAID CROSS-APERTURE COMMUNICATES SAID PASSAGEWAY WITH THE INTERIOR OF SAID CHAMBER, SAID VALVE STEM BASE PLUNGER MOVES OUT OF SEATING ENGAGEMENT AROUND SAID APERTURE AND SAID FIRST BIASING MEANS IS COMPRESSED, AND WITH FURTHER MOVEMENT OF SAID STEM IN SAID ONE DIRECTION SAID AUXILIARY PLUNGER MEANS CLOSES SAID INLET ORIFICE BEFORE SAID CROSS-APERTURE COMMUNICATES SAID INTERIOR OF SAID CHAMBER WITH SAID PASSAGEWAY, AND AS SAID STEM IS MOVED STILL FURTHER IN SAID ONE DIRECTION TO A POSITION WHERE SAID CROSS-APERTURE COMMUNICATES SAID INTERIOR OF SAID CHAMBER WITH SAID PASSAGEWAY; SAID SECOND BIASING MEANS IS COMPRESSED TO MORE TIGHTLY SEAT SAID AUXILIARY PLUNGER MEANS IN ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID INLET ORIFICE, AND WHEREBY AFTER SAID STEM HAS BEEN MOVED IN SAID ONE DIRECTION AND RELEASED, SAID STEM AUTOMATICALLY MOVES IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION UNDER THE EXPANDING ACTION OF SAID FIRST AND SECOND BIASING MEANS SUCH THAT SAID CROSS-APERTURE IS OUT OF COMMUNICATION WITH THE INTERIOR OF SAID CHAMBER AND ALL OF THE MOVABLE ELEMENTS ARE AUTOMATICALLY RECIPROCATED TO THEIR NORMAL POSITIONS.