Multiple side-feeding aerosol valve assembly

Abstract

A valve assembly is disclosed for use in an aerosol spray can capable of spraying viscous materials or materials with large particulates with increased atomization and without clogging or packing like traditional aerosol spray cans designed for spraying texture materials. The valve opening may be located at substantially any point between the bottom and the top of the container. The valve assembly may include a plurality of side-fitting dip tubes, a side-feeding mechanism, a side release tube and at least one storage member connected, respectively, to at least one of the dip tubes, whereby texture material is dispensed when a central channel is aligned with a side conduit that is in flow communication with the dip tubes.

1 . A valve assembly for use in an aerosol system, said valve assembly comprising: 
 an upper housing defining a first opening through the periphery thereof;    a side conduit having a free end, and an end connected to said first opening at an angle sloping downward from the horizontal;    a lower housing divided into a first vertical passageway for receiving a first dip tube, a second vertical passageway for receiving a second dip tube, and a vertical compartment, wherein each of said first and second passageways has an upper end and a lower end and said upper ends are in flow alignment with the free end of the side conduit so as to provide flow communication between the lower end of each said passageway and said first opening;    an actuating mechanism having a spool defining a length-wise channel through a portion thereof, wherein said spool is configured to move vertically within said upper housing and said vertical compartment, and wherein a lower portion of said channel is angled so as to be in flow alignment with said conduit through said first opening when the actuating mechanism is in an actuated position, thereby allowing a sprayable material to flow through at least one of said passageways and said conduit and channel; and    a side release tube attached to the actuating mechanism, the side release tube having an upper portion and a lower portion, wherein the lower portion includes an opening and the upper portion and lower portion provide flow communication from the opening to the actuating mechanism.    
   
   
       2 . The valve assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the lower portion of the side release tube is positioned inside the container and the upper portion of the side release tube is positioned outside of the container, the upper portion being attached to the actuating mechanism.  
   
   
       3 . The valve assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the opening of the side release tube is positioned above the sprayable material without contact with the sprayable material.  
   
   
       4 . The valve assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the side release tube provides flow communication of the gas from the inside of the container to the actuating mechanism.  
   
   
       5 . The valve assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the gas is released through the side release tube to provide added atomization to the sprayable material as the sprayable material exits the actuating mechanism.  
   
   
       6 . The valve assembly of  claim 5 , wherein the gas does not contact the sprayable material until the sprayable material is exiting the actuating mechanism.  
   
   
       7 . The valve assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the gas is released at the same time as the sprayable material when the actuating mechanism is depressed.  
   
   
       8 . The valve assembly of  claim 1 , wherein for each of the first and second dip tubes, an upper portion of the dip tube is housed by its respective vertical passageway such that an upper end of the dip tube is disposed adjacent and in flow communication with the free end of the side conduit.  
   
   
       9 . The valve assembly of  claim 8 , wherein the lower end of the first dip tube is in direct communication with a first fraction of sprayable material housed within an aerosol container, and the lower end of the second dip tube is connected to a storage member within the aerosol container, the storage member housing a second fraction of sprayable material.  
   
   
       10 . The valve assembly of  claim 9 , wherein the first and second fractions are portions of the same material.  
   
   
       11 . The valve assembly of  claim 9 , wherein the first and second fractions are portions of different materials.  
   
   
       12 . The valve assembly of  claim 1 , wherein in the actuated position, the angled lower portion of the channel is parallel to the conduit.  
   
   
       13 . The valve assembly of  claim 1  further including resilient means to bias the actuating mechanism towards an unactuated position, the resilient means engaging an undersurface of the spool's middle portion.  
   
   
       14 . An aerosol system for applying sprayable material comprising: 
 a container holding a gas and sprayable material, wherein the gas is positioned over the sprayable material; and    a valve assembly attached to the container comprising 
 an upper housing defining a first opening through the periphery thereof,  
 a side conduit having a free end, and an end connected to said first opening at an angle sloping downward from the horizontal,  
 a lower housing divided into a first vertical passageway for receiving a first dip tube, a second vertical passageway for receiving a second dip tube, and a vertical compartment, wherein each of said first and second passageways has an upper end and a lower end and said upper ends are in flow alignment with the free end of the side conduit so as to provide flow communication between the lower end of each said passageway and said first opening,  
 an actuating mechanism having a spool defining a length-wise channel through a portion thereof, wherein said spool is configured to move vertically within said upper housing and said vertical compartment, and wherein a lower portion of said channel is angled so as to be in flow alignment with said conduit through said first opening when the actuating mechanism is in an actuated position, thereby allowing a sprayable material to flow through at least one of said passageways and said conduit and channel, and  
 a side release tube attached to the actuating mechanism, the side release tube having an upper portion and a lower portion, wherein the lower portion includes an opening and the upper portion and lower portion provide flow communication from the opening to the actuating mechanism.  
   
   
   
       15 . The system of  claim 14 , wherein the lower portion of the side release tube is positioned inside the container and the upper portion of the side release tube is positioned outside of the container, the upper portion being attached to the actuating mechanism.  
   
   
       16 . The system of  claim 14 , wherein the opening of the side release tube is positioned above the sprayable material without contact with the sprayable material.  
   
   
       17 . The system of  claim 14 , wherein the side release tube provides flow communication of the gas from the inside of the container to the actuating mechanism.  
   
   
       18 . The system of  claim 14 , wherein the gas is released through the side release tube to provide added atomization to the sprayable material as the sprayable material exits the actuating mechanism.  
   
   
       19 . The system of  claim 18 , wherein the gas does not contact the sprayable material until the sprayable material is exiting the actuating mechanism.  
   
   
       20 . They system of  claim 14 , wherein the gas is released at the same time as the sprayable material when the actuating mechanism is depressed.