Metering button-type aerosol actuator

Claim 1

A METERING ACTUATOR BUTTON CONSTRUCTION FOR AN AEROSOL DISPENSER, COMPRISING IN COMBINATION: (A) A VALVE-SEAT MEMBER ADAPTED TO RECEIVE AND TO BE CARRIED BY THE UPPER PORTION OF THE DEPRESSIBLE HOLLOW VALVE STEM OF AN AEROSOL DISPENSER, SAID MEMBER HAVING A BORE FOR COMMUNICATION WITH THE BORE OF THE HOLLOW VALVE STEM, AND FURTHER HAVING A CONTINUOUS AND ENDLESS VALVE SEAT EXTENDING AROUND THE SAID BORE AND DISPOSED IN THE UPPER PORTION OF THE MEMBER, (B) A FLEXIBLE VALVE DIAPHRAGM OF PAPER-THIN WALLS, CARRIED BY THE VALVE MEMBER, SAID PAPER-THIN WALLS SPANNING THE AREA ENCOMPASSED BY THE SAID VALVE SEAT, AND (C) A FINGER-ENGAGEABLE VALVE ACTUATOR MEMBER COMPRISING A RELATIVELY INFLEXIBLE PORTION DISPOSED ABOVE AND ENGAGEABLE WITH THE VALVE DIAPHRAGM AND ADAPTED TO PRESS THE LATTER IN FULL AND FIRM CONTACT WITH THE VALVE SEAT, SAID FINGER-ENGAGEABLE MEMBER INCLUDING THIN-WALLED FLEXIBLE SUPPORT PORTIONS BY WHICH IT IS MOUNTED IN JUXTAPOSITTION TO THE VALVE DIAPHRAGM, SAID SUPPORT PORTIONS ENABLING THE FINGERENGAGEABLE MEMBER TO BE SHIFTED TOWARD THE VALVE DIAPHRAGM WITH RELATIVELY LITTLE RESTRAINT.