Dispensing multi-component products
Pressurized dispensing systems are provided, for dispensing multi-component products. Some dispensing systems include (a) an outer body defining a first chamber constructed to contain a first component of the product; (b) an inner container, disposed within said body, defining a second chamber constructed to contain a second component of the product and maintain the second component separate from the first component; (c) a dispensing head, in fluid communication with the first and second chambers, through which the product is dispensed; and (d) a valve assembly, including a valve stem constructed to move between a closed position, in which said first and second chambers are sealed, and an open position, in which said first and second components flow simultaneously from the first and second chambers to said dispensing head, a valve body surrounding at least a portion of the valve stem. The dispensing systems may include, for example, a sealing member constructed to provide a seal between the valve stem and an inner wall of the valve body, the sealing member including two portions having different outer diameters.
The present invention relates to dispensing multi-component products, and to valves for use in dispensing such products.
BACKGROUNDIt is often necessary, or desirable, to maintain one component of a multi-component product, e.g., a shaving cream, separate from other components of the product or from some part of the container in which the product is stored.
For example, the components of the product may react with each other when mixed, and it may be desired to prevent this reaction from occurring until the product is dispensed.
Moreover, in some cases it is important to keep one component of a multi-component product from contacting the container holding the product due to the reactive nature of the particular component, e.g., if the component reacts with metals and the container is metal or includes metal parts such as springs.
Other reasons for maintaining one component separate from other components include aesthetic reasons, e.g., to provide a “stripe” of one color against a background of another color when the product is dispensed.
Various systems have been used in the past to package and dispense products containing two components so that the components are separated during storage and mixed during or just prior to dispensing. One type of system includes an outer canister, a pair of nested bags within the container, defining first and second chambers for the components, and a valve constructed to allow metered dispensing of the components from the chambers by a user.
Systems of this type are described, for example, in U.S. Ser. No. 10/283,033, filed Oct. 29, 2002, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. An example of a valve assembly that may be included in the systems described in U.S. Ser. No. 10/283,033 is shown in
In these systems, the components can also be filled into the container through the valve assembly, by pressing the valve stem down and injecting the components through the openings 64 and 81. It is generally important that, during filling, there be little or no cross-contamination between the two components. This is particularly important, for example, if the two components will react with each other when mixed.
SUMMARYThe invention features pressurized dispensing systems for dispensing multi-component products. The dispensing systems include (a) an outer body defining a first chamber constructed to contain a first component of said product; (b) an inner container, disposed within said body, defining a second chamber constructed to contain a second component of said product and maintain said second component separate from said first component; (c) a dispensing head, in fluid communication with said first and second chambers, through which the product is dispensed; and (d) a valve assembly, including a valve stem constructed to move between a closed position, in which said first and second chambers are sealed, and an open position, in which said first and second components flow simultaneously from said first and second chambers to said dispensing head, and a valve body surrounding at least a portion of the valve stem.
In one aspect, the dispensing system includes a sealing member constructed to provide a seal between the valve stem and an inner wall of the valve body. The sealing member may include two portions having different outer diameters, and/or may include a portion that seals against an inner wall of the valve body.
In another aspect, the valve body includes a threaded portion configured to receive a corresponding threaded portion of the inner container.
In a further aspect, the outer body includes a flexible bag, and the valve body includes a raised region configured to maintain a flow path to openings in the valve body as the contents of the outer body are exhausted causing the flexible bag to collapse against the valve stem.
In some implementations, the dispensing systems described herein may exhibit one or more of the following advantages. Unintentional mixing of the components during filling of the container is minimized or eliminated. The container may be filled at a relatively low filling pressure, e.g., less than 100 psi and, in some implementations, less than 75 psi. The filling pressure can be selected to suit the rheology of the components being filled and may range, for example, from about 60 to 600 psi. The ratio of the components dispensed from the container during use can be readily and precisely controlled. The product may be filled and dispensed under relatively low shear conditions. For example, the shear rate of flow to the inner bag 202 may be less than about 3×105 s−1, and the shear rate of flow to the outer bag can range from about 1×104 s−1 to about 2×104 s−1. The system may allow product to be dispensed at a predetermined ratio even when the contents of the container are almost exhausted.
Generally, the products described herein are pressurized, i.e., the contents of the container are under pressure, for example pressure applied by a propellant or by a mechanical force such as a spring.
The details of one or more embodiments of the invention are set forth in the accompanying drawings and the description below. Other features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the description and drawings, and from the claims.
DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
Referring again to
In the valve assembly 98 shown in
The geometry of sealing member 100 prevents bending or other distortion of the sealing member, ensuring a secure seal even when the seal is subjected to a load, e.g., during filling of the container. The stability of the sealing member generally prevents cross-over and ensures that the two components will begin dispensing simultaneously each time the valve is opened.
Additionally, openings 64 of the prior art valve have been replaced by openings 110, which are spaced from upper portion 102 a sufficient distance to minimize (and preferably to eliminate) the potential for a cross-over path between the sealing member 100 and the openings 110. Thus, even if the sealing member were to distort under pressure, it would be unlikely that cross-over would occur. Preferably, openings 110 are at least 0.055 inch from the upper surface 112 of sealing member 100, more preferably at least 0.110 inch.
Advantageously, the openings 110 in the valve body and the openings 114 in the valve stem are large, preferably as large as can be accommodated by the design constraints of the valve body and valve stem. Importantly, not only are the openings large, they are also unobstructed, so that the effective area through which flow can occur is substantially equal to (within 5% of) the actual area of the openings. The large valve openings allow a high flow rate into the nozzle during filling of the dispensing system, and minimize shear on the first and second components during filling and dispensing. Preferably, the total area of openings 110 is at least about 0.004 in2, more preferably at least about 0.016 in2, and the total area of openings 114 is at least about 0.001 in2, more preferably at least about 0.002 in2. These areas are the theoretical design measurements; the actual areas of the openings are subject to tolerances and distortion of the valve during installation into the container. The area of the openings is selected to allow the two components to be delivered into the container through the valve during a high-speed manufacturing process. It is desirable to fill through the valve because doing so facilitates high-speed in-line processing. The large size of the openings also tends to reduce the filling pressure and thereby minimize shear on the composition during filling. Moreover, the larger the openings, the less influence the valve design will have on the ratio of the two components delivered during dispensing. As a result, the large openings allow fine adjustments to the ratio to be made by adjusting the design of the actuator. As a result, in some cases the same valve design can be used for a variety of products having different rheologies, with adjustments being made, to compensate for rheology, by changing the actuator design.
The use of a female valve stem allows design room to provide these relatively large openings. Using a female valve stem also allows the flow rate of the components out of the container to be finely controlled by the actuator, rather than by the valve. It is generally easier to accurately control the flow at the last point of exit (the actuator), rather than at the valve openings.
Preferably, the valve stem is a single, unitary part, for ease of manufacturing and economy. It is also generally preferred that the lower end of the valve stem have an outer diameter that equal to or slightly greater than the inner diameter of the sealing member, so that the valve can be easily assembled by press fitting the valve stem into the valve body.
Referring to
Still referring to
Referring to
Alternatively, instead of providing a skirt 204 having a cylindrical main portion, the valve body 108 may include only a pair of raised ribs 209, as shown in
Skirt 204 also includes a threaded inner surface 208 configured to receive a corresponding threaded neck 209 of the inner bag 202 (
It may be preferred to use a bag-in-bag arrangement such as that shown in
Other embodiments are within the scope of the following claims.
Claims
1. A pressurized dispensing system for dispensing a multi-component product, comprising:
- an outer body defining a first chamber constructed to contain a first component of said product;
- an inner container, disposed within said body, defining a second chamber constructed to contain a second component of said product and maintain said second component separate from said first component;
- a dispensing head, in fluid communication with said first and second chambers, through which the product is dispensed; and
- a valve assembly, including a valve stem constructed to move between a closed position, in which said first and second chambers are sealed, and an open position, in which said first and second components flow simultaneously from said first and second chambers to said dispensing head, a valve body surrounding at least a portion of the valve stem, and a sealing member constructed to provide a seal between the valve stem and an inner wall of the valve body, the sealing member including two portions having different outer diameters.
2. The dispensing system of claim 1 wherein the sealing member is constructed to be press fitted into the valve body.
3. The dispensing system of claim 1 wherein the sealing member includes an upper portion that seals against the valve stem, and a lower portion that does not seal against the valve stem.
4. The dispensing system of claim 3 wherein both the upper and lower portions seal against the valve body.
5. The dispensing system of claim 1 wherein the valve body includes a plurality of upper openings and the valve stem includes a plurality of lower openings.
6. The dispensing system of claim 5 wherein the sealing member is positioned to seal the lower openings when the valve is in its closed position.
7. The dispensing system of claim 1 wherein the valve stem is a female valve stem.
8. The dispensing system of claim 6 wherein the sealing member is spaced from the upper openings.
9. The dispensing system of claim 8 wherein an upper surface of the sealing member is at least 0.055 inch below the center of the lowest of the upper openings.
10. The dispensing system of claim 5 wherein the upper openings have an unobstructed open area of at least about 0.004 in2 and the lower openings have an unobstructed open area of at least about 0.001 in2.
11. The dispensing system of claim 1 wherein the outer body and inner container comprise flexible bags.
12. The dispensing system of claim 11 wherein the inner container has a threaded neck and the valve assembly includes a threaded bore constructed to receive the neck of the inner container in threaded engagement.
13. The dispensing system of claim 1 wherein the outer body comprises a flexible bag and the valve body includes a raised region configured to prevent the outer body from collapsing against an outer surface of the valve body.
14. The dispensing system of claim 13 wherein the valve body includes raised ridges extending from an outer surface of the valve body to prevent the outer body from collapsing against the outer surface of the valve body.
15. The dispensing system of claim 14 wherein the valve body includes upper openings, and the ridges extend longitudinally along at least a portion the length of the valve body adjacent the upper openings.
16. The dispensing system of claim 13 wherein the raised region comprises a skirt extending radially from a side wall of the valve body.
17. The dispensing system of claim 11 wherein corresponding lower portions of the bags have substantially parallel, tapered sides.
18. The dispensing system of claim 17 wherein each bag has a lower portion that tapers from a relatively larger cross-section, nearer to the middle of the length of the bag, to a relatively smaller cross-section at the bottom of the bag.
19. The dispensing system of claim 1 further comprising a spring seat configured to provide radial support to the valve stem.
20. A pressurized dispensing system for dispensing a multi-component product, comprising:
- an outer body defining a first chamber constructed to contain a first component of said product;
- an inner container, disposed within said body, defining a second chamber constructed to contain a second component of said product and maintain said second component separate from said first component;
- a dispensing head, in fluid communication with said first and second chambers, through which the product is dispensed; and
- a valve assembly, including a valve stem constructed to move between a closed position, in which said first and second chambers are sealed, and an open position, in which said first and second components flow simultaneously from said first and second chambers to said dispensing head, a valve body surrounding at least a portion of the valve stem, and a sealing member constructed to provide a seal between the valve stem and an inner wall of the valve body, the sealing member including a portion that seals against an inner wall of the valve body.
21. The dispensing system of claim 20 wherein the portion that seals against the inner wall of the valve body has a surface area of at least about 0.065 in2.
22. The dispensing system of claim 21 wherein the portion that seals against the inner wall of the valve body has a surface area of at least about 0.140 in2.
23. A pressurized dispensing system for dispensing a multi-component product, comprising:
- an outer body defining a first chamber constructed to contain a first component of said product;
- an inner container, disposed within said body, defining a second chamber constructed to contain a second component of said product and maintain said second component separate from said first component;
- a dispensing head, in fluid communication with said first and second chambers, through which the product is dispensed; and
- a valve assembly, including a valve stem constructed to move between a closed position, in which said first and second chambers are sealed, and an open position, in which said first and second components flow simultaneously from said first and second chambers to said dispensing head, and a valve body surrounding at least a portion of the valve stem, the valve body including a threaded portion configured to receive a corresponding threaded portion of the inner container.
24. A pressurized dispensing system for dispensing a multi-component product, comprising:
- an outer body, comprising a flexible bag, defining a first chamber constructed to contain a first component of said product;
- an inner container, disposed within said body, defining a second chamber constructed to contain a second component of said product and maintain said second component separate from said first component;
- a dispensing head, in fluid communication with said first and second chambers, through which the product is dispensed; and
- a valve assembly, including a valve stem constructed to move between a closed position, in which said first and second chambers are sealed, and an open position, in which said first and second components flow simultaneously from said first and second chambers to said dispensing head, and a valve body surrounding at least a portion of the valve stem and including openings providing fluid communication between the first chamber and the dispensing head;
- wherein the valve body includes a raised region configured to maintain a flow path to the openings in the valve stem as the contents of the outer body are exhausted causing the flexible bag to collapse against the valve stem.
25. The dispensing system of claim 24 wherein the valve body includes raised ridges extending from an outer surface of the valve body to prevent the outer body from collapsing against the outer surface of the valve body.
26. The dispensing system of claim 25 wherein the valve body includes upper openings, and the ridges extend longitudinally along at least a portion the length of the valve body adjacent the upper openings.
27. The dispensing system of claim 24 wherein the raised region comprises a skirt extending radially from a side wall of the valve body.
Type: Application
Filed: Dec 15, 2004
Publication Date: Jun 15, 2006
Inventor: James Salemme (Billerica, MA)
Application Number: 11/012,560
International Classification: B65D 83/14 (20060101); B65D 83/00 (20060101); B65D 83/06 (20060101);