Spray Devices

Abstract

A hand held spray device is disclosed. The spray device includes a body with a reservoir, an actuator having a discharge orifice, a composition stored within the reservoir that is sprayable from the discharge orifice, a means for pressurizing the composition, and a valve assembly attached to the body in fluid communication with the reservoir. The valve assembly includes a housing, a valve stem slidably disposed within the housing and having a valve bore that is in fluid communication with the discharge orifice, a valve that seals the valve bore, and a spring biasing the valve stem and surrounding a lower portion of the valve stem. The valve stem includes a plurality of channels, each channel having an entrance adjacent a proximal end of the valve stem and an exit spaced downstream from the distal end of the spring.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A hand held spray device, comprising:
 a body comprising a reservoir;   an actuator comprising a discharge orifice;   a composition stored within the reservoir that is sprayable from the discharge orifice;   a liquid propellant stored within the reservoir;   a valve assembly attached to the body in fluid communication with the reservoir, the valve assembly comprising a housing, a valve stem slidably disposed within the housing and having a valve bore that is in fluid communication with the discharge orifice, a valve for sealing the valve bore, and a spring biasing the valve stem and surrounding a lower portion thereof; and   wherein the valve stem comprises a plurality of channels, each channel having an entrance and an exit and wherein each channel is configured to direct the composition from an interior volume defined by the spring and the lower portion of the valve stem to an outer surface of the valve stem that is disposed downstream of the spring.   
     
     
         2 . The hand held spray device according to  claim 2 , wherein the valve stem comprises from 2 to about 8 channels. 
     
     
         3 . The hand held spray device according to  claim 1 , wherein the outer surface of the valve stem in combination with an interior surface of the housing define an annulus thru which the composition passes at least in part to reach the valve. 
     
     
         4 . The hand held spray device according to  claim 1 , wherein the valve assembly further comprises an elastomeric seal having an inner wall that forms a first mating surface of the valve. 
     
     
         5 . The hand held spray device according to  claim 4 , wherein the valve stem further comprises an axial bore in fluid communication with the valve bore and the discharge orifice. 
     
     
         6 . The hand held spray device according to  claim 5 , wherein the valve stem further comprises a groove having a wall into which the valve bore opens, wherein the wall of the groove forms a second mating surface of the valve such that the inner wall of the elastomeric seal and the wall of the groove cooperate to seal the valve bore when the actuator is not depressed. 
     
     
         7 . The hand held spray device according to  claim 1 , wherein the liquid propellant has a concentration from about 30% to about 65% by weight of the total fill of materials. 
     
     
         8 . The hand held spray device according to  claim 1 , wherein the composition has a particulate concentration from about 30% to about 60% by weight of the composition. 
     
     
         9 . The hand held spray device according to  claim 1 , wherein the spray device has a composition mass flow rate less than 0.3 g/sec. 
     
     
         10 . The hand held spray device according to  claim 1 , wherein the composition is an antiperspirant composition comprising particulates of an antiperspirant active. 
     
     
         11 . The hand held spray device according to  claim 1 , further comprising a dip tube connected to the valve assembly and extending into the reservoir. 
     
     
         12 . The hand held spray device according to  claim 11 , wherein the valve assembly further comprises a cup-shaped insert disposed within the housing between the dip tube and the valve stem, the cup-shaped insert comprising a plurality of passages in gaseous communication with the reservoir for directing at least some gaseous propellant stored in the reservoir into mixing contact with a flow of the composition exiting the dip tube. 
     
     
         13 . The hand held spray device according to  claim 12 , wherein the cup-shaped insert further comprises an insert bore disposed in a bottom wall of the cup-shaped insert, wherein the insert bore is in fluid communication with the plurality of channels and the wherein the insert bore receives a combination of the gaseous propellant from the passages and the composition from the dip tube. 
     
     
         14 . The hand held spray device according to  claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of channels is defined by a pair of walls. 
     
     
         15 . The hand held spray device according to  claim 14 , wherein each of the walls extends from the valve stem and comprises a notch for receiving a distal end of the spring. 
     
     
         16 . The hand held spray device according to  claim 15 , wherein the distal end of the spring bottoms on a surface of the notch and wherein the spring has at least one free portion extending between the pair of walls. 
     
     
         17 . The hand held spray device according to  claim 15 , wherein the spring comprises a plurality of coils. 
     
     
         18 . The hand held spray device according to  claim 17 , wherein the exit of each channel is disposed downstream of the notch and a last coil of the spring disposed within the notch so that at least a portion of the composition may exit from the interior volume without passing between a pair of adjacent coils of the spring. 
     
     
         19 . A hand held spray device, comprising:
 a body comprising a reservoir;   an actuator comprising a discharge orifice;   a composition stored within the reservoir that is sprayable from the discharge orifice;   a means for pressurizing the composition;   a valve assembly attached to the body in fluid communication with the reservoir, the valve assembly comprising a housing, a valve stem slidably disposed within the housing and having an valve bore that is in fluid communication with the discharge orifice, a valve for sealing the valve bore, and a spring biasing the valve stem and surrounding a lower portion thereof, the spring having a proximal end furthest from the valve and a distal end closest to the valve; and   wherein the valve stem comprises a plurality of channels, at least a portion of each of the plurality of channels being surrounded by at least a portion of the spring and wherein at least a portion of each of the plurality of channels extends downstream of the distal end of the spring.