Valve for use in a container which employs pressure to dispense product

Abstract

A pressurized dispensing container for dispensing fluid products contains a valve stem which engages a resilient annular restoring boot to assure that the valve is returned to its closed state once manual force is removed from the valve. A valve stem shoulder engages the upper end of the restoring boot. To avoid having the boot snap around the shoulder and thus fail to restore the valve to its closed state when required, the following design feature is employed. The upper end of the annular boot has an inwardly facing flange which engages an annular recess or groove in the valve stem which recess is at a position directly below the valve shoulder. Certain dimensional relationships are optimum to provide assurance of full engagement between the inwardly facing boot flange and stem recess.

1 . In a vertically movable valve for use in a pressurized dispensing container, the valve movable between an upper closed state and a depressed dispensing state, the valve including a valve stem with an axis, at least one dispensing opening at a lower zone of the stem, the improvement in a resilient annular sealing grommet around the stem, comprising: 
 an upper boot portion of said grommet having an upper edge,    a shoulder on said valve stem,    said shoulder and said upper edge of said grommet engaging to provide a restoring force when said valve is depressed,    an inwardly extending annular flange at said upper edge of said boot,    an annular recess on said stem, said recess being adjacent to and below said shoulder,    said boot flange and said stem recess engaging to provide full insertion of said flange into said recess.    
   
   
       2 . The improvement of  claim 1  wherein: said stem recess has an opening whose width is greater than the thickness of said boot flange.  
   
   
       3 . The improvement of  claim 1  wherein: the inner diameter of said boot below said flange has an interference fit relation to the outer diameter of said stem below said recess.  
   
   
       4 . The improvement of  claim 2  wherein: the inner diameter of said boot below said flange has an interference fit relation to the outer diameter of said stem below said recess.  
   
   
       5 . The improvement of  claim 1  wherein said flange has a lower surface and said boot has an inner wall further comprising: a fillet at the juncture between said flange lower surface and said boot inner wall.  
   
   
       6 . The improvement of  claim 2  wherein said flange has a lower surface and said boot has an inner wall further comprising: a fillet at the juncture between said flange lower surface and said boot inner wall.  
   
   
       7 . The improvement of  claim 3  wherein said flange has a lower surface and said boot has an inner wall further comprising: a fillet at the juncture between said flange lower surface and said boot inner wall.  
   
   
       8 . The improvement of  claim 4  wherein said flange has a lower surface and said boot has an inner wall further comprising: a fillet at the juncture between said flange lower surface and said boot inner wall.  
   
   
       9 . The improvement of  claim 1  wherein: there is nominal clearance between the inner end of the boot flange of the inner end of the stem recess, said nominal clearance comprising at least one of a diameter clearance and a thickness clearance.  
   
   
       10 . The improvement of  claim 2  wherein: there is nominal clearance between the inner end of the boot flange of the inner end of the stem recess, said nominal clearance comprising at least one of a diameter clearance and a thickness clearance.  
   
   
       11 . The improvement of  claim 3  wherein: there is nominal clearance between the inner end of the boot flange of the inner end of the stem recess, said nominal clearance comprising at least one of a diameter clearance and a thickness clearance.  
   
   
       12 . The improvement of  claim 5  wherein: there is nominal clearance between the inner end of the boot flange of the inner end of the stem recess, said nominal clearance comprising at least one of a diameter clearance and a thickness clearance.  
   
   
       13 . The improvement of  claim 8  wherein: there is nominal clearance between the inner end of the boot flange of the inner end of the stem recess, said nominal clearance comprising at least one of a diameter clearance and a thickness clearance.  
   
   
       14 . The improvement of  claim 1  wherein: the outer diameter of the upper edge of said boot is at least equal to the outer diameter of said shoulder.  
   
   
       15 . The improvement of  claim 2  wherein: the outer diameter of the upper edge of said boot is at least equal to the outer diameter of said shoulder.  
   
   
       16 . The improvement of  claim 4  wherein: the outer diameter of the upper edge of said boot is at least equal to the outer diameter of said shoulder.  
   
   
       17 . The improvement of  claim 13  wherein: the outer diameter of the upper edge of said boot is at least equal to the outer diameter of said shoulder.  
   
   
       18 . The improvement of  claim 3  wherein: said stem to boot interference is approximately 11 mils on a diameter.  
   
   
       19 . The improvement of  claim 4  wherein: said stem to boot interference is approximately 11 mils on a diameter.  
   
   
       20 . The improvement of  claim 17  wherein: said stem to boot interference is approximately 11 mils on a diameter.