Actuation Apparatus for an Aerosol Can and Method for Using the Same

Abstract

An adjustable nozzle assembly for dispensing an aerosol fluid from an aerosol container. The adjustable nozzle assembly includes a main nozzle body, an adjustable insert tip, an orifice insert, and a cam. The nozzle body serves as the principal housing or conduit by which a user actuates the flow of fluid being dispensed from the aerosol container, while the cam, insert tip, and orifice insert cooperate to both regulate how the fluid flows through the nozzle body and affect how the fluid exits the nozzle body thereby controlling the spray pattern of the dispensed aerosol mixture. Specifically, the cam allows the flow of fluid within the nozzle assembly to be adjusted over a continuous selection. A user may replace or exchange the insert tip and the orifice insert as needed in order to provide for a number of different spray patterns.

I claim: 
     
         1 . An apparatus for adjusting a spray pattern emitted from an aerosol container comprising:
 a nozzle body, wherein the nozzle body comprises an internal cavity defined therein;   a cam removably coupled to the nozzle body;   an orifice insert removably coupled to the nozzle body; and   a removable insert tip disposed within the internal cavity of the nozzle body,   wherein the cam is disposed through the internal cavity and comprises means for selectively altering the vertical position of the insert tip with respect to the internal cavity of the nozzle body.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1  where the cam comprises a cam shaft and wherein the means for selectively altering the vertical position of the insert tip with respect to the internal cavity of the nozzle body comprises where the cam shaft is disposed through and is in surface contact with a cam groove defined in the surface of the insert tip. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 2  where the cam shaft comprises a protrusion and where the cam groove defined in the insert tip comprises an outer cam radius and an inner cam radius, wherein a center of the outer cam radius is defined at the surface of the insert tip and wherein a center of the inner cam radius is defined at a maximum depth of the outer cam radius, respectively. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 3  where the cam shaft is disposed through and is in surface contact with a cam groove that is defined in the surface of the insert tip further comprises wherein the protrusion is in surface contact with the inner cam radius of the cam groove and where the cam shaft is in surface contact with the outer cam radius of the cam groove. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 1  where the nozzle body further comprises:
 a nozzle arm fluidly coupled to the internal cavity; 
 a stem passage fluidly coupled to the internal cavity; and 
 a valve seat disposed between the internal cavity and stem passage. 
 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 5  wherein the insert tip is configured to form a seal with the valve seat when the apparatus is in a closed position. 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 2  where the cam further comprises a locking tip disposed on a distal end of the cam shaft, the locking tip comprising means for removably coupling the cam to the nozzle body. 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 1  where the orifice insert comprises an internal orifice passageway and an opening fluidly coupled to the internal orifice passageway. 
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 5  wherein the orifice insert is configured to be inserted into an internal arm passageway defined within the nozzle arm, and wherein the orifice insert is configured to be selectively rotated within the internal arm passageway. 
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 9  the internal orifice passageway of the orifice insert is fluidly coupled to the internal arm passageway of the nozzle arm. 
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 8  wherein the opening is configured to provide a flat spray pattern when fluid is passing through the opening under pressure. 
     
     
         12 . A method for adjusting a spray pattern emitted from an aerosol container comprising:
 coupling a nozzle body to a stem of the aerosol container;   inserting a cam shaft into a cam groove defined in the surface of a removable insert tip removably disposed in the nozzle body;   raising a distal end of the insert tip from a valve seat disposed within the nozzle body;   lowering the distal end of the insert tip onto the valve seat; and   manipulating an orifice insert removably coupled to the nozzle body.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12  where inserting the cam shaft into the cam groove defined in the surface of the removable insert tip disposed in the nozzle body comprises:
 inserting the cam shaft into an outer radius of the cam groove; and 
 inserting a protrusion disposed on the cam shaft into an inner radius of the cam groove, 
 wherein a center of the outer cam radius is defined at the surface of the insert tip and wherein a center of the inner cam radius is defined at a maximum depth of the outer cam radius 
 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13  where raising the distal end of the insert tip from the valve seat disposed within the nozzle body comprises:
 rotating the cam shaft disposed within the nozzle body in a first direction; 
 making continuous surface contact between the cam shaft and the outer radius of the cam groove and between the protrusion and the inner radius of the cam groove while the cam shaft is being rotated; and 
 raising the vertical position of the inset tip with respect to the valve seat. 
 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14  where lowering the distal end of the insert tip onto the valve seat comprising:
 rotating the cam shaft disposed within the nozzle body in a second direction; 
 making continuous surface contact between the cam shaft and the outer radius of the cam groove and between the protrusion and the inner radius of the cam groove while the cam shaft is being rotated; and 
 lowering the vertical position of the inset tip with respect to the valve seat. 
 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 12  where manipulating the orifice insert removably coupled to the nozzle body comprises:
 inserting the orifice insert into a nozzle arm disposed on the nozzle body; and 
 rotating the orifice insert with respect to the nozzle arm and changing the orientation of an opening disposed within the orifice insert. 
 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 12  where inserting the cam shaft into the cam groove defined in the surface of a removable insert tip disposed in the nozzle body comprises:
 inserting the cam shaft through a cam aperture defined in the nozzle body; 
 sliding the cam shaft through a cam passage defined in the nozzle body; 
 pushing a distal end of the cam shaft through a locking aperture defined in the nozzle body; and 
 locking the cam shaft into position within the nozzle body, the cam shaft being allowed to rotate in the locked position, 
 wherein the cam groove defined in the surface of the insert tip is orientated towards the cam shaft. 
 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17  where sliding the cam shaft through the cam passage defined in the nozzle body comprises inserting the cam shaft into an outer radius of the cam groove while simultaneously inserting a protrusion disposed on the cam shaft into an inner radius of the cam groove. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 12  further comprising inserting the insert tip into the nozzle body through a tip aperture defined in the nozzle body. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19  further comprising removing the insert tip from the nozzle body through the tip aperture defined in the nozzle body.