Automatic dispenser for periodically actuating an aerosol container

An automatic dispenser for periodically actuating a replaceable aerosol container to discharge a quantity of the contents of said container;

• said container including a valve, means for biasing said valve to a closed position, an outwardly extending valve stem having an internal passage in fluid communication with said valve, and a discharge outlet in fluid communication with said passage, said container discharging a quantity of the contents therein through said valve, said passage and said discharge outlet upon relative movement between said valve stem and said container against said biasing means to actuate said valve to an open position;
• said dispenser comprising:
• a. a housing for said container, said housing including an aperture,
• b. means connected to the interior of said housing for maintaining said discharge outlet and said valve stem in fixed alignment with said aperture during actuation of said valve to the open position, and
• c. means within said housing for automatically and periodically moving said container with respect to said valve stem against said biasing means to actuate said valve to the open positon, said moving means comprising a pivotally mounted lever in abutting engagement with the underside of said container, a DC motor, a reduction gear train positively connecting the DC motor to the lever to deliver sufficient torque to pivot the lever and lift said container upon DC motor energization, said reduction gear train and positively connected DC motor further enabling the bias of the weight of said container to return the lever to its normally disposed position when the DC motor is de-energized, a supply of DC power, and a timing circuit coupling the DC power supply to the DC motor, said timing circuit producing output power pulses to periodically energize the DC motor for sufficient duration to pivot the lever and lift said container to actuate said valve to the open position, the power pulses from said timing circuit being of sufficient duration to stall the DC motor after opening said valve, said lever being pivoted in a reverse direction to its normal position at the end of each power pulse to prepare for a succeeding power pulse from the timing circuit,
• d. whereby a quantity of the contents of said container is discharged from said discharge outlet through said aperture.