Metered valve for dispensing product

A metered valve for use in a valve assembly for dispensing a predetermined fixed quantity of product from a container upon actuation, the valve comprising:

• a housing having a hollow cylindrical body with an open top, a planar base, an outer surface, and an aperture through the planar base;
• a hollow dose chamber having a lower cylindrical body portion with an open bottom end and an upper cylindrical body portion with an open top end, wherein the upper cylindrical body portion projects from the lower cylindrical body portion along a vertical axis, wherein the upper and lower cylindrical body portions are in fluid communication via an aperture through the vertical axis, and wherein the upper cylindrical body comprises an annular disc member projecting radially therefrom;
• an annular gasket seated at the open end of the upper cylindrical body;
• a valve stem having a bore in a top portion thereof defining an upper passageway, a bore in a bottom portion thereof defining a lower passageway, a first horizontal orifice through the stem communicating with the upper passageway, and a second horizontal orifice through the stem communicating with the lower passageway, wherein the stem is axially displaceable along the vertical axis and is supported by a spring in the upper cylindrical body so that a portion of the stem projects through the annular gasket;
• a sealing element disposed about an outer circumference of the lower passageway below the second horizontal orifice;
• a piston disposed in the lower cylindrical body and biased against the planar base by a spring and an upper end of the lower cylindrical body;
• and
• the dose chamber comprises a horizontally disposed aperture, wherein the horizontally disposed aperture is below the disc member to provide fluid communication with the housing, wherein the dose chamber is disposed in the housing so that the disc member seals the open top end,
• wherein the stem is displaceable a first distance to dispense a metered dose of the product and a second distance greater than the first distance to dispense a continuous dose of the product.