Aerosol metering valve

Claim 2

A low-force-actuated metering valve for dispensing fluid products from an aerosol container, comprising means for temporarily isolating and subsequently discharging a predetermined portion of such fluid product, said valve having a generally tubular housing, means for mounting said housing in the mouth of a container, said housing having an inlet for communication with the interior of the container and an outlet for the discharge of fluid product externally upon actuation of said valve, means in combination with said housing for isolating a predetermined portion of aerosol product and including a. a rigid tubular metering sleeve open at its opposite ends and defining at its interior a metering chamber, said sleeve being telescopingly received in the outlet end of said housing and having means for engaging said housing to provide support therein for said sleeve and to close the outlet of said housing, and b. a resilient boot member received on and enclosing the inner end of said sleeve, said boot having an integral annular flange surrounding its open mouth and said sleeve including means for clamping said boot flange in said housing adjacent said housing inlet, said boot forming an inwardly cupped closure stretched over the inner end of said sleeve so that the bottom wall of said boot abuts the end of said sleeve, making a fluid-tight fit with said sleeve, and said boot having a central aperture in its bottom wall which is concentric of said sleeve and valve housing; actuatable means for controlling the release of a predetermined portion of aerosol product, comprising an axially reciprocable stem received in the open end of said sleeve at said housing outlet, said stem having a lateral discharge port and a fluid passage communicating said port with the outer end of said stem, fluid seal means retained by said housing mounting means and surrounding said stem at said outlet to provide a sliding but fluid-tight fit with said stem, means urging said stem to non-dispensing position relative to said outlet seal but yieldable upon depression of said stem to move said discharge port into by-passing position relative to said seal to allow fluid product to escape through said discharge port and stem passage, said stem having an inner end terminating adjacent said aperture in said resilient boot in the non-dispensing position of said stem, said stem closing saiD aperture by contact of its inner end with said boot prior to arrival of said stem discharge port at outlet seal by-passing position upon depressing its stem, continued travel of said stem being permitted by resilient deformation of said boot to allow said stem to arrive at said discharge position wherein said metering chamber is vented to atmosphere through said stem port and passage.

Claim 3

A metering valve as defined in claim 1, wherein said metering sleeve exterior wall and said valve housing interior wall are each formed to provide complementary shoulders and steps adjacent their outlet and inlet ends, respectively, the complementary shoulder and step at the outlet end serving to support said metering sleeve in said housing, and the complementary shoulder and step at the inlet end serving to grip between them said boot flange to maintain said boot in stretched condition over the inlet end of said metering sleeve.

Claim 4

A metering valve as defined in claim 2, wherein said inlet end of said metering sleeve is of reduced diameter relative to the surrounding valve housing to provide an axially extending necked portion spaced radially from said housing.

Claim 5

A metering valve as defined in claim 3, wherein said boot has a section of reduced wall thickness adjacent its bottom wall.

Claim 6

A metering valve as defined in claim 4, wherein said necked portion of said metering sleeve tapers radially inward toward its inlet end.

Claim 7

A metering valve as defined in claim 3, wherein said necked portion of said metering sleeve tapers radially inward toward its inlet end.

Claim 8

An aerosol valve of the type having an axially reciprocable stem, for use in temporarily isolating a predetermined quantity of fluid product stored under pressure in an aerosol container and for releasing such quantity to atmosphere upon reciprocation of said stem, which comprises a generally tubular valve housing open at its axially opposite inlet and outlet ends, having a first internal annular seat adjacent its outlet end and a second internal annular seat disposed axially inward of said first seat, and mounting means for securing said housing in the mouth of the container, said mounting means also serving to cover the outlet end of said housing, a rigid tubular sleeve axially telescoped in the outlet end of said valve housing and making a snug radial fit therewith along its side wall, said sleeve being open at its axially opposite ends and having a first external shoulder at its outer end which abuts said first annular seat of said valve housing and a second external shoulder at its inner end which confronts said second annular seat of said valve housing, said sleeve having a neck of reduced diameter relative to both said sleeve and housing which projects axially from said second external shoulder, an elastic boot on said sleeve neck and having an integral annular flange clamped between said second annular valve housing seat and said second sleeve shoulder, said boot forming an inwardly cupped closure stretched over said neck so that its bottom wall abuts the end of said neck, making a fluid-tight fit with said neck, said boot having a central aperture in its bottom wall which is concentric of said sleeve and valve housing, annular fluid seal means seated in the outlet of said metering sleeve and retained by said valve mounting means, said seal surrounding said valve stem to make a sliding but fluid-tight fit at the outlet end of said valve housing, said valve stem being axially reciprocable in said sleeve, and said valve mounting means being apertured to allow an outer portion of said stem to project axially outwardly thereof, said stem having an annular enlargement intermediate its length which is disposed inwardly of said valve mounting means and annular seal, said enlargement engaging said seal to limit outward movement of said stem relative to said valve housing, said stem also having a lateral discharge port in said outer portion spaced axially outward of said annular enlargement, and a fluiD passage communicating said port with the outer end of said stem, said annular seal being interposed in the normal non-dispensing position of said stem between said discharge port and the interior of said metering sleeve, said stem having an inner portion whose end, in said normal non-dispensing position of the stem, is spaced axially from said aperture in said elastic boot but which is engagable with said boot to close said aperture upon axially inward movement of said stem prior to arrival of said stem discharge port in said outer stem portion into communication with the interior of said tubular sleeve, said elastic boot permitting such continued inward travel of said stem by elastic deformation.

Claim 9

An aerosol valve of the type having an axially reciprocable stem, for use in temporarily isolating a predetermined quantity of fluid product stored under pressure in an aerosol container and for releasing such quantity to atmosphere upon reciprocation of said stem, which comprises a generally tubular valve housing open at its axially opposite inlet and outlet ends, having a first internal annular seat adjacent its outlet end and a second internal annular seat disposed axially inward of said first seat, and mounting means for securing said housing in the mouth of the container, said mounting means also serving to cover the outlet end of said housing, a rigid tubular sleeve axially telescoped in the outlet end of said valve housing and making a snug radial fit therewith along its side wall, said sleeve being open at its axially opposite ends and having a first external shoulder at its outer end which abuts said first annular seat of said valve housing and a second external shoulder at its inner end which confronts said second annular seat of said valve housing, said sleeve having a neck of reduced diameter relative to both said sleeve and housing which projects axially from said second external shoulder, an elastic boot on said sleeve neck and having an integral annular flange clamped between said second annular valve housing seat and said second sleeve shoulder, said boot forming an inwardly cupped closure stretched over said neck so that its bottom wall abuts the end of said neck, making a fluid-tight fit with said neck, said boot having a central aperture in its bottom wall which is concentric of said sleeve and valve housing, annular fluid seal means seated in the outlet of said metering sleeve and retained by said valve mounting means, said seal surrounding said valve stem to make a sliding but fluid-tight fit at the outlet end of said valve housing, said valve stem being axially reciprocable in said sleeve, and said valve mounting means being apertured to allow an outer portion of said stem to project axially outwardly thereof, said stem having an annular enlargement intermediate its length which is disposed inwardly of said valve mounting means and annular seal, said enlargement engaging said seal to limit outward movement of said stem relative to said valve housing, said stem also having a lateral discharge port in said outer portion spaced axially outward of said annular enlargement, and a fluiD passage communicating said port with the outer end of said stem, said annular seal being interposed in the normal non-dispensing position of said stem between said discharge port and the interior of said metering sleeve, said stem having an inner portion whose end, in said normal non-dispensing position of the stem, is spaced axially from said aperture in said elastic boot but which is engagable with said boot to close said aperture upon axially inward movement of said stem prior to arrival of said stem discharge port in said outer stem portion into communication with the interior of said tubular sleeve, said elastic boot permitting such continued inward travel of said stem by elastic deformation.