Metering valve for pressurized vial

Abstract

A metering chamber ( 7 ) is fixed by its upper end to the portion of a valve body ( 9 ) located, in the mounted state, inside the vial, an inlet passage being provided contacting the inside of the vial and the metering chamber and an outlet passage contacting the metering chamber and the outside of the valve. The inlet passage can be closed when the valve element ( 4 ) is in the open position and the outlet passage can be closed when the valve element ( 4 ) is in the closed position. In addition, the valve element can be moved beyond the open position into a third position, called short-circuit position, a third passage, called short-circuit passage, being provided to contact the inside of the vial and the outside of the valve. The short-circuit passage can be closed when the valve element ( 4 ) is in the closed position or the open position.

1 . Metering valve for a pressurized vial, comprising:
 a valve body,   a valve element slidable in the valve body,   a metering chamber, wherein the metering chamber is fixed by its upper end to the portion of the valve body located, in the mounted state, inside the vial, and   means for moving the valve element between a closed position in which, in the mounted state on a vial, the metering chamber is in contact with the inside of the vial and isolated from the outside of the vial, and an open position in which, in the mounted state, the metering chamber is isolated from the inside of the vial and in contact with the outside of the vial,   an inlet passage contacting the inside of the vial and the metering chamber and an outlet passage contacting the metering chamber and the outside of the valve,   inlet closure means for closing the inlet passage when the valve element is in the open position and outlet closure means for closing the outlet passage when the valve element is in the closed position, and   wherein the valve element can be moved beyond the open position into a third position, called short-circuit position, a third passage, called short-circuit passage, being provided to contact the inside of the vial and the outside of the valve, short-circuit closure means being provided to close the short-circuit passage when the valve element is in the closed position or the open position.   
     
     
         2 . Metering valve according to  claim 1 , wherein the short-circuit passage contacts the inside of the vial and the outside of the valve without passing through the metering chamber. 
     
     
         3 . Metering valve according to  claim 1 , wherein the inlet closure means and/or the outlet closure means are in the closed position when the valve element is in the short-circuit position if the short-circuit passage does not pass through at least a portion of the inlet passage and/or of the outlet passage. 
     
     
         4 . Metering valve according to  claim 1 , wherein the inlet closure means and the outlet closure means are independent from one another. 
     
     
         5 . Metering valve according to  claim 1 , wherein the inlet passage is constituted by at least one hole provided in the wall of the valve body, in a zone in contact with the inside of the vial or of the pouch, an orifice provided in a wall located within the valve body and an orifice provided in the metering chamber, and the inlet closure means are constituted by the lower end of the valve element having the shape of a cylindrical tenon and whose radial cross-section corresponds to the internal dimensions of the orifice in the wall so that when the tenon enters into this orifice, it closes it sealingly. 
     
     
         6 . Metering valve according to  claim 5 , wherein sealing means are placed below the orifice provided in the wall. 
     
     
         7 . Metering valve according to  claim 1 , wherein the outlet passage is constituted by an orifice provided in the metering chamber, an orifice provided in a wall located within the valve body, a lower central channel and an upper central channel provided in the valve element and separated from each other by a barrier, at least one orifice being provided in the wall of the valve element and contacting the inside of the upper central channel and the outside of the valve element and at least one orifice being provided in the wall of the valve element and contacting the inside of the lower central channel and the outside of the valve element, a contacting passage being provided for contacting the orifice or orifices of the lower central channel with the orifice or orifices of the upper central channel, and the outlet closure means are constituted by a chamber seal constituted by an annular wall within which the valve element is slidable, the inner face of the chamber seal having at least one annular groove whose height is at least equal to the vertical distance between the orifice or orifices provided in the upper central channel and the orifice or orifices provided in the lower central channel, the orifice or orifices of the upper central channel and/or the orifice or orifices of the lower central channel being closed by the inner face of the annular wall when the valve is in the closed position, thereby closing the outlet passage, and the orifice or orifices of the upper central channel and the orifice or orifices of the lower central channel opening into the annular groove when the valve is in the open position, thus freeing the outlet passage. 
     
     
         8 . Metering valve according to  claim 1 , wherein the metering chamber comprises a cylinder whose end opposite to the valve body, called lower end, is closed by a radial wall, called lower radial wall, and the end oriented toward the valve body, called upper end, is closed by a radial wall, called upper radial wall, a piston being slidable within the cylinder between these two radial walls thereby defining a metering volume. 
     
     
         9 . Metering valve according to  claim 8 , wherein the upper radial wall of the metering chamber is provided with an opening, the piston being slidable between the two radial walls of the cylinder, a spring being provided between the lower radial wall of the metering chamber and the piston to push the latter, in the absence of other constraints, against the upper radial wall provided with the opening. 
     
     
         10 . Metering valve according to  claim 8 , wherein the cylinder forming the metering chamber, on the one hand, and its upper radial wall and/or its lower radial wall, on the other hand, constitute separate parts that can be assembled or separated from one another, means being provided for fixing said wall on the cylinder. 
     
     
         11 . Metering valve according to  claim 1 , wherein a flexible pouch is welded to the valve body so as to enclose the metering chamber and the beginning of the inlet, outlet, and optionally short-circuit paths. 
     
     
         12 . Metering valve according to  claim 1 , wherein the valve element is constituted by a first cylindrical wall, called upper cylindrical wall, forming a first axial channel, called upper axial channel, and a second cylindrical wall forming a second axial channel, the two axial channels being isolated from each other by a barrier, the upper channel being open at its upper end by an axial opening and on the side of the barrier by at least one radial opening that opens onto the outer face of the valve element, the lower channel being open at its lower end by an axial opening and on the side of the barrier by at least one radial opening that opens onto the outer face of the valve element. 
     
     
         13 . Metering valve according to  claim 12 , wherein the valve element is provided with a third cylindrical wall at least partially surrounding the first cylindrical wall and concentric thereto so as to form an annular channel, said annular channel being isolated from the other two and provided with an axial opening at its end called upper end and at least one radial hole contacting the inside of the annular channel and the outside of the valve element, the valve body and the valve element are dimensioned so that the valve element can be moved beyond the open position into a position called short-circuit position, and the valve body is provided with a valve seal placed opposite to the metering chamber and positioned such that in the mounted state of the valve, the radial hole or holes of the annular channel are, in the closed position of the valve, located outside of the vial, in the open position of the valve, the radial hole or holes of the annular channel are located facing the valve seal and are closed by the latter, or outside the vial, and in the short-circuit position of the valve, the radial hole or holes of the annular channel are located on the side of the valve seal opposite to the outside. 
     
     
         14 . Metering valve according to  claim 12 , wherein the valve body is provided with a chamber seal disposed within the valve body so that in the closed position of the valve, the radial hole or holes of the upper channel of the valve element are located in the vicinity of the chamber seal and are closed by the latter, the annular stop coming to bear sealingly against this chamber seal. 
     
     
         15 . Metering valve according to  claim 1 , wherein at least one side channel is provided on the outer face of the valve body, said side channel being provided with a first opening that opens, in the mounted state, into the inside of the vial or pouch, and a second opening that opens into the inside of the valve body between the valve seal and the chamber seal. 
     
     
         16 . Metering valve according to  claim 5 , wherein the wall has a shape of a collar ending in a funnel shape oriented toward the metering chamber. 
     
     
         17 . Metering valve according to  claim 6 , wherein the sealing means comprise an annular ring. 
     
     
         18 . Metering valve according to  claim 12 , wherein the valve element is provided with at least one annular stop on its circumference to limit its movement within the valve body toward the outside or the inside. 
     
     
         19 . Metering valve according to  claim 2 , wherein the inlet closure means and/or the outlet closure means are in the closed position when the valve element is in the short-circuit position if the short-circuit passage does not pass through at least a portion of the inlet passage and/or of the outlet passage. 
     
     
         20 . Metering valve according to  claim 2 , wherein the inlet closure means and the outlet closure means are independent from one another.