Aerosol valve

Claim 2

In an aerosol valve assembly having an axially oriented tubular body defining a valve chamber, a valve means comprising a valve stem seat in said chamber, an axially oriented stem means associaTed with said valve stem seat, a transverse sealing gasket in sealing engagement with one end of said body, said sealing gasket having an opening with said stem means extending therethrough, and biasing means for normally maintaining said valve means in sealing engagement with said gasket; said biasing means comprising support means in said body, and a transversely oriented sheet form, flexible biasing member supported by said support means, said biasing member having extended engagement with an end portion of said valve stem seat which is spaced from and below said sealing gasket, said biasing member being flexed when said valve means is displaced to an operating position to provide a flow path from said chamber through said stem means, the extended engagement between the end portion of said valve stem seat and said biasing member, together with the engagement of said biasing member with said support, being the sole constraining and locating means for said biasing member.

Claim 3

An aerosol valve assembly as defined in claim 1, the further improvement of said biasing member comprising a thin plate supported in the bottom of said chamber. greater

Claim 4

An aerosol valve assembly as defined in claim 1, in which said biasing member has a first dimension extending transversely of the axis of said body and a second dimension extending axially of said body, said first dimension being many times greater than said second dimension.

Claim 5

An aerosol valve assembly as defined in claim 1, in which said biasing member has extended engagement with the lower free end of said valve stem seat, and said free end is adapted to slide transversely along said biasing member.

Claim 6

An aerosol valve assembly as defined in claim 1, in which said biasing member is symmetrical about the axis of said valve stem whereby to apply substantial equal pressure to all portions of said valve means which are in engagement with said gasket.

Claim 7

An aerosol valve assembly as defined in claim 1, in which said body includes a bottom wall spaced below said support means, the further improvement of means on said bottom wall limiting displacement of said sheet form, flexible biasing member whereby to prevent permanent deformation of said flexible biasing member.

Claim 8

An aerosol valve assembly as defined in claim 1, and wherein said support means comprises means defining an inwardly extending transversely oriented abutment with said biasing member having peripheral edge portions seated thereon, said biasing member being freely supported on said abutment.

Claim 9

An aerosol valve assembly as defined in claim 7 in which said biasing member comprises a generally triangular member having apices interconnected by flat sides with only said apices supported on said abutment, said edges being spaced from said abutment to provide said communication between said chamber and an inlet port defined on said body below said biasing member.

Claim 10

An aerosol valve assembly, characterized by the absence of a coil spring and centering means for the coil spring, comprising a mounting cup having a central aperture; sealing gasket means in said mounting cup and surrounding said aperture; and axially oriented tubular shell secured to said mounting cup around said aperture, said tubular shell sealingly engaging said gasket means around said aperture; an axially oriented valve member having at least a portion thereof inside said shell; and biasing means urging said valve member into sealing engagement with said gasket, said biasing means comprising support means in said shell and a transversely oriented expansive planar biasing member supported by said support means, said transversely oriented biasing member being in expansive bearing contact with said valve member portion; said support means positioning said biasing member to normally maintain said biasing member in a partially deformed condition and maintain said valve member in sealing engagement with said disc, said expansive bearing contact with said valve member portion, together with the engageMent of said biasing member with said support means, being the sole constraining and locating means for said biasing member. 10 An aerosol valve assembly as defined in claim 9, in which said valve body portion has a free end defining a substantially flat transverse bearing surface and said biasing member comprises a thin plate having a surface in contact with said bearing surface.

Claim 11

An aerosol valve assembly as defined in claim 9, in which said support means comprises means defining a transverse ledge surrounding said fluid intake passage, and said biasing member comprises a triangular flat plate supported on said ledge and portions of the sides of said plate spaced from said ledge to provide said flow communication.

Claim 12

An aerosol valve assembly as defined in claim 9, in which said biasing member comprises a sheet form member having surface contact with a surface on said valve member portion.

Claim 13

An aerosol valve assembly as defined in claim 9, in which said biasing member comprises a polygonal plate supported on said support means, and symmetrically disposed relative to the axis of said valve member.

Claim 14

An aerosol valve assembly as defined in claim 9, in which said body has a bottom wall with said inlet passage in said bottom wall, the further improvement of ribs defined thereon, said ribs being disposed in the path of said planar biasing member to prevent excessive displacement of said planar biasing member. 15 An aerosol valve assembly as defined in claim 9, in which said biasing member has an impervious portion disposed in alignment with said intake passage and has multipoint contact with said support means.