Metering valve with air shutoff

Claim 2

In a metering valve for dispensing a quantity of fluid from a container, the combination of: a valve stem having an outlet chamber with an outlet opening; a valve body adapted for mounting on the container in a stationary position with respect to the container and including means for closing the mouth of the container, with said valve stem mounted in said valve body for reciprocation between a closed position and a charge position; anD spring means for urging said valve stem toward said closed position; said valve stem and body including first means defining a dose chamber, said valve body including second means defining a bypass zone with said body about said stem, and with said outlet opening of said stem disposed relative to said bypass zone such that said dose chamber is communication with the interior of the container and said outlet chamber is blocked from the interior of the container, when said stem is in said charge position, and said dose chamber is blocked from said outlet chamber when said stem is in said closed position, and said dose chamber is in communication with said outlet chamber through said bypass zone and said outlet opening, and said dose chamber is blocked from the interior of the container, when said stem is intermediate said charge and closed positions.

Claim 3

A valve as defined in claim 1 in which said valve body and stem include cooperating elements out of engagement with each other when said stem is in said charge position and in frictional engagement with each other frictional stem moves to said closed position whereby said stem initially moves from said charge position at a first higher velocity and then moves on to said closed position at a second lower velocity on interengagement of said elements.

Claim 4

A valve as defined in claim 1 in which said dose chamber includes a metering chamber in said valve stem with a second opening in said stem for communication with said metering chamber.

Claim 5

A valve as defined in claim 3 wherein said dose chamber includes a charge zone within said body about said stem and opening to the interior of the container, and wherein said valve body and stem include cooperating elements out of engagement with each other when said stem is in said charge position and in engagement with each other as said stem moves to said closed position blocking said charge zone from the interior of the container.

Claim 6

A valve as defined in claim 3 wherein said dose chamber includes a charge zone within said body about said stem and opening to the interior of the container, and wherein said metering chamber includes a third opening spaced from said second opening, with said metering chamber in communication with the interior of the container through said second and third openings and said charge zone when said stem is in said charge position.

Claim 7

A valve as defined in claim 5 in which said second opening is disposed intermediate said outlet and third openings, and in which said third opening is larger than said second opening.

Claim 8

A valve as defined in claim 1 in which said dose chamber includes a charge zone within said body about said stem and opening to the interior of the container, and wherein said valve body and stem include cooperating elements out of engagement with each other when said stem is in said charge position and in engagement with each other as said stem moves to said closed position blocking said charge zone from the interior of the container.

Claim 9

A valve as defined in claim 7 wherein said stem includes a passage between two points axially spaced along the surface of said stem providing communication between said charge zone and said bypass zone when said stem is intermediate said charge and closed positions.

Claim 10

In a metering valve for dispensing a quantity of fluid from a container, the combination of: a valve stem having an outlet chamber with a first opening and having a metering chamber with second and third openings, with said openings positioned sequentially along said stem and with said third opening larger than said second opening; a valve body adapted for mounting on the container and including means for closing the mouth of the container, with said valve stem mounted in said valve body for reciprocation between a closed position and a charge position; and spring means for urging said valve stem towards said closed position; said valve body inclUding first means defining a charge zone within said body about said stem and opening to the interior of the container, and second means defining a bypass zone within said body about said stem, and with said valve body and stem including cooperating elements out of engagement with each other when said stem is in said charge position and in engagement with each other as said stem moves to said closed position for closing said charge zone from the interior of the container, and with said openings in said stem disposed relative to said zones such that said metering chamber is in communication with the interior of the container through said second and third openings and said charge zone, and said outlet chamber is blocked from the interior of the container, when said stem is in said charge position, and said metering chamber is blocked from the interior of the container and from said outlet chamber when said stem is in said closed position, and said metering chamber is in communication with said outlet chamber through said second opening, said bypass zone and said first opening, and said metering chamber is blocked from the interior of the container, when said stem is intermediate said charge and closed positions.

Claim 11

In a metering valve for dispensing a quantity of fluid from a container, the combination of: a valve stem having an outlet chamber with a first opening and having a metering chamber with second and third openings, with said openings positioned sequentially along said stem and with said third opening larger than said second opening; a valve body adapted for mounting on the container and including means for closing the mouth of the container, with said valve stem mounted in said valve body for reciprocation between a closed position and a charge position; and spring means for urging said valve stem towards said closed position; said valve body inclUding first means defining a charge zone within said body about said stem and opening to the interior of the container, and second means defining a bypass zone within said body about said stem, and with said valve body and stem including cooperating elements out of engagement with each other when said stem is in said charge position and in engagement with each other as said stem moves to said closed position for closing said charge zone from the interior of the container, and with said openings in said stem disposed relative to said zones such that said metering chamber is in communication with the interior of the container through said second and third openings and said charge zone, and said outlet chamber is blocked from the interior of the container, when said stem is in said charge position, and said metering chamber is blocked from the interior of the container and from said outlet chamber when said stem is in said closed position, and said metering chamber is in communication with said outlet chamber through said second opening, said bypass zone and said first opening, and said metering chamber is blocked from the interior of the container, when said stem is intermediate said charge and closed positions.

Claim 12

In a metering valve for dispensing a quantity of fluid from a container, the combination of: a valve stem having an outlet chamber with an outlet opening; a valve body adapted for mounting on the container and including means for closing the mouth of the container, with said valve stem mounted in said valve body for reciprocation between a closed position and a charge position and including a passage providing communication between two points axially spaced along the surface of said stem; and spring means for urging said valve stem towards said closed position; said valve body including first means defining a charge zone within said body about said stem and opening to the interior of the container, and second means defining a bypass zone within said body about said stem, and with said valve body and stem including cooperating elements out of engagement with each other when said stem is in said charge position and in engagement with each other as said stem moves to said closed position for closing said charge zone from the interior of the container, and with said outlet opening and passage of said stem disposed relative to said zones such that said charge zone is in communication with the interior of the container, and said outlet chamber is blocked from the interior of the container, when said stem is in said charge position, and said charge zone is blocked from the interior of the container and from said outlet chamber when said stem is in said closed position, and said charge zone is in communication with said outlet chamber through said passage, said bypass zone and said outlet opening, and said charge zone is blocked from the interior of the container, when said stem is intermediate said charge and closed positions.

Claim 13

In a metering valve for dispensing a quantity of fluid from a container, the combination of: a valve stem having an outlet chamber with an outlet opening; a valve body adapted for mounting on the container and including means for closing the mouth of the container, with said valve stem mounted in said valve body for reciprocation between a closed position and a charge position and including a passage providing communication between two points axially spaced along the surface of said stem; and spring means for urging said valve stem towards said closed position; said valve body including first means defining a charge zone within said body about said stem and opening to the interior of the container, and second means defining a bypass zone within said body about said stem, and with said valve body and stem including cooperating elements out of engagement with each other when said stem is in said charge position and in engagement with each other as said stem moves to said closed position for closing said charge zone from the interior of the container, and with said outlet opening and passage of said stem disposed relative to said zones such that said charge zone is in communication with the interior of the container, and said outlet chamber is blocked from the interior of the container, when said stem is in said charge position, and said charge zone is blocked from the interior of the container and from said outlet chamber when said stem is in said closed position, and said charge zone is in communication with said outlet chamber through said passage, said bypass zone and said outlet opening, and said charge zone is blocked from the interior of the container, when said stem is intermediate said charge and closed positions.