There is now a well-established wish for aerosol dispenser packages which use compressed rather than liquified gas propellants. A fundamental need In satisfying this wish 1s the provision of a regulator whereby the product to be dispensed Is propelled from the package at a generally constant flow rate. In the absence of such regulation the dispensed flow rate will

Initially be too great and progressively reduce with the propellant pressure as the package empties. This Is not compatible with the maintenance of a generally consistent spray and other discharge characteristics which are required for most products.

Various forms of regulators have been proposed whereby, as the gas pressure reduces, the product metering orifice 1s effectively progressively Increased 1n size 1n order to maintain the flow rate. However, none of these proposals has proved practicable 1n large scale manufacture.

An object of the present Invention 1s to provide an Improved such form of regulator and, to this end, there 1s provided a pressure regulator comprising: a chamber forming a successive pair of compartments at respectively opposite ends thereof, one of said compartments partly defining a restricted elongate passageway leading to an outlet opening from said chamber, and the other of said compartments having an Inlet opening Into said chamber; a diaphragm closing said other compartment remotely from said one compartment; a spring operable to urge said diaphragm to move Into said other compartment towards said outlet opening; and a piston connected with said diaphragm for movement therewith and located 1n said one compartment to define therewith said passageway, said one compartment and piston cooperating progressively to Increase the effective size of said passageway as said diaphragm moves towards said outlet opening.

In use of the present regulator pressurised product enters the chamber by way of the Inlet opening and other compartment in

a relatively unrestricted manner and so acts on the Inner face of the diaphragm and the opposed Inner face of the piston without any pressure reduction of significance. Product leaves the chamber by way of the one compartment and outlet opening and so additionally acts on the outer face of the piston, but at a pressure dependent on the action of the restricted passageway through the one compartment. At the same time, the spring acts on the outer face of the diaphragm.

Generally speaking the sum of these actions Is that of a balanced piston assembly because the diaphragm can be equated with a further piston of predetermined diameter. The use of a diaphragm rather than a further piston 1s, however, beneficial In facilitating closure of the chamber without the need for 0-r1ngs or equivalent sliding seal members. Ideally the diaphragm equates with a piston diameter which equals that effective for the inner face of the first-mentioned piston. In these circumstances the spring force will act to move the first piston until the effective size of the restricted passageway produces a pressure which acts on the outer face of the piston to balance such force. In the result the regulator operates to control the product output pressure in dependence upon the spring force and this force can be maintained substantially constant.

In practice the provision of a diaphragm which equates with a piston diameter which 1s sufficiently constant over a range of operating pressures, and resultant diaphragm deflections, may not be a straightforward matter. Accordingly the diaphragm suitably approximates the relevant diameter.

It will be appreciated that the spring 1s located outside the chamber effectively to act on the outer face of the diaphragm and also that this last-mentioned face 1s not to be subjected directly to product pressure. For these purposes the spring is preferably sited in a tubular member having one longitudinal end open, and the diaphragm 1s formed across one end of a sleeve of similar tubular form for sealed mounting over the member one end,

pressure within the chamber other compartment acting on the sleeve to aid Its sealing on the member one end, with the spring acting centrally of the diaphragm.

Various forms can be used for the one compartment and piston whereby these elements cooperate 1n the requisite manner.

The present preference 1s for these elements to have respective mutually facing annular surfaces between which the restricted passageway 1s defined, these surfaces each being similarly Inclined relative to the direction of regulator movement and separating 1n progressively Increasing manner from near-sealing engagement as the piston moves towards the outlet opening. The annular surfaces 1n question are themselves suitably mutually Inclined at a small angle, such as 3-5°, to extend divergently towards the outlet opening. In an alternative form the piston 1s 1n a near-sealing relationship within a portion of the one compartment, such portion being of cylindrical form and having a keyway of which a closed end section Is progressively Increasingly exposed to the first compartment as the piston moves towards the outlet opening. In this last context a near-sealing relationship Is to be understood as one 1n which fluid flow past the piston occurs predominantly by way of the keyway, but without the piston contacting the adjacent compartment to give rise to friction.

Preferably, 1n application to an aerosol dispensing package, the proposed regulator Is located downstream of an operating valve relative to the product 1n the package, which valve 1s operable to open and shut the package Interior for the purposes of product release or not. In this event the regulator 1s preferably of a form 1n which the piston cooperates with a probe to close the outlet opening when the operating valve 1s shut. The probe for this purpose can be connected with the piston for movement therewith. Alternatively a separate sprung probe can be used, the spring action of such probe being normally effective to open the orifice, and the probe being operable against Its spring bias to close the outlet opening by piston movement to engage the probe.

Also, when the proposed regulator 1s located downstream of an associated operating valve, an additional valve 1s preferably connected between the operating valve and Its operating button or other actuator to reduce the loss of propellant which may otherwise occur with operation of the package when tilted substantially from an upright disposition.

Such an additional valve comprises a chamber having Inlet and outlet openings, and a ball housed In the chamber for movement towards and away from the outlet opening, the outlet opening being outwardly convergently tapered for substantial sealing engagement of the ball therein, and the chamber being defined by two parts sealably sϋdably interconnected for limited mutual telescoping movement.

In the presently proposed use, the inlet and outlet openings of the additional valve are respectively communicated with the operating valve outlet and the regulator inlet. If the package Is rotated substantially from an upright disposition, actuation of the operating valve does not cause dispensing because the propellant pressure and modified gravitational action on the ball are such as to move the ball Into sealed engagement in the tapered geometry of the opening. Any tendency for the ball to stick 1n the tapered opening is alleviated by the fact that actuation of the operating valve will act to compact telescopically the chamber of the additional valve and, correspondingly, when the operating valve is released, propellant pressure 1n the chamber 1s relieved by causing telescopic expansion. If necessary, further pressure reduction and, possibly, back-flow may be caused by manually lifting the operating button to the extreme of Its limits. The ball can then fall from the tapered opening on returning the package towards an upright disposition, or such ball movement can be caused by shaking the dispenser.

Examples of the above forms of the Invention are described below, whereby these and other forms can be better understood and appreciated, with reference to the accompanying drawings, 1n which:-

Figure 1 schematically Illustrates one form of a regulator according to the Invention, which regulator 1s provided with an outlet closure probe and a tilt protection valve,

Figure 2 similarly Illustrates a modification of the regulator of Figure 1,

Figure 3 illustrates 1n similar manner an alternative form of probe from that of Figure 1, and

Figures 4 and 5 Illustrate one embodiment of the form of Figure 1 respectively 1n cross-sectional view when assembled and partially sectioned exploded view.

Figure 1 shows the upper portion of an operating button 10 for an aerosol dispenser package. This button 1s suitably operable by depression relative to the package to open a normally-closed valve communicated by way of a dip tube with a fluent product packed 1n a can or other vessel under gas pressure. Detail of the valve, dip tube, can, product and gas 1s not necessary to an understanding of the regulator of Figure 1 and Its operation, except to note that the gas pressure will reduce as described 1n the Introductory passage above and that, 1n use, product to be dispensed 1s applied under gas pressure to the regulator by way of passageway 11 In the button.

The regulator of Figure 1 Is denoted generally at 20 and is housed 1n a transverse diametral bore 12 in the button.

The regulator has a main body 21 fitted In the bore 12 to extend partway therethrough from one end. This body 1s axially hollowed from Its other end to define a chamber 22 formed by first and second compartments 23 and 24 leading successively to an outlet opening 25 formed by the orifice of a spray nozzle 30 at the one end of the body. At its other end the radially outer surface of the body 1s circumferentlally relieved to form an annular channel 26 between Itself and the button, this channel communicates with the passageway 11, and the body at the floor of the channel 1s formed with apertures 27 at Intervals therearound additionally to communicate the channel with the first compartment of the chamber.

A regulator control member 40 1s located In the chamber. This member comprises a diaphragm 41 disposed transversely across the first compartment, the diaphragm having a piston rod 42 projecting from its centre towards the second compartment and a tubular flange 43 projecting from Its periphery In the opposite direction. At Its end remote from the diaphragm, the piston rod carries a piston 44 sited 1n the second compartment and, from the piston centre, a probe 45 projects towards the outlet opening. The piston and a longitudinal portion of the second compartment are formed with respective mutually facing annular surfaces 46 and 28 which are similarly Inclined 1n divergent manner towards the outlet opening. Preferably these surfaces are mutually Inclined at a small angle of 3-5° 1n divergent manner towards the outlet and define therebetween a restricted passageway 29 of variable size dependent on the position of the piston 1n the second compartment.

The control member Is held In position by a closure member 50 for the chamber. This closure member 1s of capped plug form having an end part 51 to close the chamber and a tubular part 52 extending within the body to serve as a mount for the diaphragm flange 43.

A compression spring 60 1s located to act between the closure member end part and the control member diaphragm, the end part and diaphragm being suitably formed with respective projections 53 and 48 to seat the ends of the spring.

Operation of this regulator 1s essentially as described above. Depression of the button 10 opens the associated valve to allow flow of product from within the can, under gas pressure, Into passageway 11, into the annular channel 26 and through the apertures 27 Into the chamber 22 where regulation occurs.

It will be noted that release of the button closes the associated valve and supply of pressurised product to the chamber 22 ceases. In these circumstances the control member 40 Is urged by the spring 60 to close the outlet opening by engagement of the probe 45 with the latter. This Is beneficial in maintaining the opening free of blockage by dried product.

Lastly 1n Figure 1, an Inclination protection valve 1s associated with the regulator and denoted generally at 70.

The valve 70 Includes a chamber 71 formed by two parts 72,73 each of generally tubular form and Interconnected for sealed limited mutual telescoping movement. Part 72 1s connected with the button 10 and defines for the chamber 71 a convergently tapered outlet opening 74 communicated with passageway 11 of the button. Part 73 will be connected with the operating valve and defines an Inlet opening 75 for the chamber which will be communicated with the outlet of such valve. Part 73 also includes an apertured transverse member 76 located across Its interior to render captive, within the chamber, a ball 77 of diameter greater than the minimum for tapered outlet opening 75. In use of the relevant dispenser, actuation of the button will open the operating valve and, at the same time, telescoplcally compact the parts 72 and 73. If, in this situation, the package 1s sufficiently rotated from an upright disposition as to render dispensing action undesirable because of a consequent loss of propellant, the ball will move to close the protection valve as described earlier above. Thereafter, when the Ineffective operation Is appreciated and the button released, the operating valve Is closed and the propellant pressure otherwise retained between this last valve and the ball 1s reduced by action of this pressure to telescoplcally expand the parts 72 and 73. This pressure reduction facilitates release of the ball from the tapered opening, again, as described above.

In the modification of Figure 2 the piston peripheral surface 46. 1s close to a sealing relationship with a cylindrical surface portion 28ι in the second compartment except for a keyway 29a. formed axially 1n such surface portion. This keyway forms a restricted passageway of progressively increasing effective size as the piston moves towards the outlet opening to expose more of the closed end portion of the keyway to the first compartment.

In the modification of Figure 3 an alternative form of probe 45b _. Is shown. In this alternative the probe is of sprung form mounted directly within the regulator body 21jι rather than on an associated piston. The spring action of the probe Is such that the adjacent outlet opening 25b. Is normally open, but the opening 1s closed by piston movement to engage the probe and urge the latter against Its spring bias towards the opening.

In the embodiment of Figures 4 and 5 the parts are designated by the same reference numerals as those of Figure 1 for corresponding ports, but with the addition of a one hundred digit for purposes of distinction. Much of the nature of this embodiment and Its operation accords with the preceding description of Figure 1, but some distinctive features of practical significance arise and 1t is useful to note these. A group of such -features involve manufacture of parts for push-fit and snap-fit Interconnection to facilitate assembly. For example, the tubular part 152 is formed with the button 110 and receives the diaphragm flange 143 1n a sealing push-fit. The diaphragm Is, In turn, formed separately from the piston 144 and these parts are connected by snap-fit of the piston rod through the diaphragm centre. Also the piston engages 1n the body part 120 by snapping the inclined annular surface of the former past the relatively Inclined similar surface of the latter. Again, the body part 1s engaged 1n the button with a rlb-and-groove snap-fit formation, while the spray nozzle is a push-fit 1n the body 120. Lastly, the tilt protection valve sliding part 173 1s connected with Its related part 172 by way of a snap-fit.

The two-part construction of the control member 130 from piston and diaphragm parts represents another feature of significance. This construction facilitates the provision of the quite different physical properties appropriate to the constituent parts by allowing the use of correspondingly different materials.

Another feature Involves the provision of a vent 154 to atmosphere from the space behind the diaphragm to avoid variation of pressure In this space 1n association with diaphragm movement.

Also, 1t 1s to be noted, as seen from Figure 5, that the sliding part 173 1s formed for direct engagement with the tubular outlet opening 181, or so-called stem, of the operating valve projecting from the can 190 of the package partially shown 1n this figure. The operating valve can, of course, be of any suitable form and, to the extent that there are a variety of well-established commercially-available operating valves with differing sizes of ste , 1t may be appropriate to make the proposed regulator with a corresponding variation of sliding parts 173. Alternatively, the sliding part 173 may be standardised for use with varying adaptors for connection with dfferent operating valve stems.

While the Invention has been described with more particular reference to the Illustrated forms and embodiment, further modification and variation 1s possible within the Invention as presented more broadly 1n the preceding Introductory passages.

It 1s also appropriate to note that some features of the invention as described above are not necessarily related to the proposed regulator. This 1s true of both the probe and Inclination protection valve. The probe 1s equally applicable, for example, to other regulators similar to that above 1n comprising a control element redprocable within and along a fluid path to regulate the same 1n response to propellant pressure variations and a bias spring, with the spring urging the element towards an outlet orifice for the path. The protection valve 1s similarly applicable to other regulators and Indeed other aerosol dispenser package situations where propellant loss by operation 1n Inclined attitudes 1s to be avoided. Lastly, while the proposed regulator has been conceived and developed to date for application to aerosol dispenser package, other applications are possible In relation to similar regulation requirements 1n different contexts.