Metering valve assembly and method for manufacturing such a valve assembly

Process of manufacturing a metering valve assembly, wherein the metering valve assembly is a valve assembly intended for closing the housing of an aerosol generator, comprising:

• a valve body provided with a transfer chamber in which is housed a valve movable between a closed position, in which, when the valve assembly is mounted on a housing, the transfer chamber is in contact with the inside of the housing, but is not in contact with the outside, and an open position, in which, when the valve assembly is mounted on a housing, the transfer chamber is in contact with the outside, but is not in contact with the inside of the housing,
• a reservoir in contact with the transfer chamber, constituted by a rigid wall and a flexible membrane, the rigid wall having a planar peripheral edge for attaching the flexible membrane and a bottom wall located inside the peripheral edge, the reservoir being placed on the valve assembly so that, when the valve assembly is mounted on a housing, it is inside the housing, and
• a spring element placed inside the reservoir, the spring element being designed to deform in the direction of the bottom wall and to allow the flexible membrane to move closer to the rigid wall when the valve is in the open position and to return to its initial shape as soon as the valve returns to the closed position,
• wherein the spring element is constituted by a curved plate having a convex face oriented toward the flexible membrane and a concave face oriented toward the rigid wall,
• the process comprising:
• molding the rigid wall of the reservoir in a mold containing at least a first mold portion designed for molding the face of the rigid wall oriented toward the flexible membrane, and
• molding the spring element in a mold containing at least a second mold portion designed for molding the concave face of the spring element.

Metering valve assembly intended for closing the housing of an aerosol generator, comprising:

• a valve body provided with a transfer chamber in which is housed a valve movable between a closed position, in which, when the valve assembly is mounted on a housing, the transfer chamber is in contact with the inside of the housing, but is not in contact with the outside, and an open position, in which, when the valve assembly is mounted on a housing, the transfer chamber is in contact with the outside, but is not in contact with the inside of the housing,
• a reservoir in contact with the transfer chamber, constituted by a rigid wall and a flexible membrane, the rigid wall having a planar peripheral edge for attaching the flexible membrane and a bottom wall located inside the peripheral edge, the reservoir being placed on the valve assembly so that, when the valve assembly is mounted on a housing, it is inside the housing, and
• a spring element placed inside the reservoir, the spring element being designed to deform in the direction of the bottom wall and to allow the flexible membrane to move closer to the rigid wall when the valve is in the open position and to return to its initial shape as soon as the valve returns to the closed position,
• wherein the spring element is constituted by a curved plate having a convex face oriented toward the flexible membrane and a concave face oriented toward the rigid wall,
• wherein a groove is formed in the bottom wall of the rigid wall, the groove being extended by a connecting channel which puts it in contact with the transfer chamber.

Metering valve assembly intended for closing the housing of an aerosol generator, comprising:

• a valve body provided with a transfer chamber in which is housed a valve movable between a closed position, in which, when the valve assembly is mounted on a housing, the transfer chamber is in contact with the inside of the housing, but is not in contact with the outside, and an open position, in which, when the valve assembly is mounted on a housing, the transfer chamber is in contact with the outside, but is not in contact with the inside of the housing,
• a reservoir in contact with the transfer chamber, constituted by a rigid wall and a flexible membrane, the rigid wall having a planar peripheral edge for attaching the flexible membrane and a bottom wall located inside the peripheral edge, the reservoir being placed on the valve assembly so that, when the valve assembly is mounted on a housing, it is inside the housing, and
• a spring element placed inside the reservoir, the spring element being designed to deform in the direction of the bottom wall and to allow the flexible membrane to move closer to the rigid wall when the valve is in the open position and to return to its initial shape as soon as the valve returns to the closed position,
• wherein the spring element is constituted by a curved plate having a convex face oriented toward the flexible membrane and a concave face oriented toward the rigid wall,
• wherein the face of the rigid wall oriented toward the flexible membrane is concave and forms a cavity having a peripheral wall that surrounds the bottom wall and connects the bottom wall to the peripheral edge.

Metering valve assembly intended for closing the housing of an aerosol generator, comprising:

• a valve body provided with a transfer chamber in which is housed a valve movable between a closed position, in which, when the valve assembly is mounted on a housing, the transfer chamber is in contact with the inside of the housing, but is not in contact with the outside, and an open position, in which, when the valve assembly is mounted on a housing, the transfer chamber is in contact with the outside, but is not in contact with the inside of the housing,
• a reservoir in contact with the transfer chamber, constituted by a rigid wall and a flexible membrane, the rigid wall having a planar peripheral edge for attaching the flexible membrane and a bottom wall located inside the peripheral edge, the reservoir being placed on the valve assembly so that, when the valve assembly is mounted on a housing, it is inside the housing, and
• a spring element placed inside the reservoir, the spring element being designed to deform in the direction of the bottom wall and to allow the flexible membrane to move closer to the rigid wall when the valve is in the open position and to return to its initial shape as soon as the valve returns to the closed position,
• wherein the spring element is constituted by a curved plate having a convex face oriented toward the flexible membrane and a concave face oriented toward the rigid wall,
• wherein the spring element comprises two opposite lateral edge faces, and the portion of the face of the rigid wall oriented toward the flexible membrane and located inside the space defined by the peripheral edge is planar or convex, recesses being provided in the rigid wall, in the space located inside the peripheral edge, so that the lateral edge faces of the spring element can bear on the rigid wall.