Unattended aerosol dispenser

Means for effecting intermittent discharge of an aerosol including a product and a propellent from an aerosol container having a dip tube extending from the bottom between the ends to the top end of the container, said means comprising:

• a. means defining an aerosol accumulator region disposed at the upper end of the container, including a lower sub-region and an upper sub-region and a connecting sub-region;
• b. a snap action valve means including a diaphram forming the upper wall of the upper sub-region and having a valve seat disposed thereon, the bottom opposing wall of the upper sub-region having a mating valve seat;
• c. means forming a discharge passage including an entrance end surrounded by one of the valve seats;
• d. a flow control body at the lower sub-region connected to the upper end of the dip tube, said flow control body including a tortuous path to produce a gradual pressure drop in the aerosol passing from the dip tube into the accumulator region thereby volatilizing at least a portion of the aerosol forming a gaseous and a liquid phase, which phases pass into the accumulator region for distribution therein and gradual rise in pressure therein until the valve seats open for flow through the discharge passage.

An intermittent dispenser for a pressurized aerosol container provided with a dispensing tube having a discharge end, said dispenser comprising:

• a. a flow control means having a lower side for receiving pressurized aerosol from the dispensing tube, and including elongated restricted passage means dimensioned to produce a gradual pressure drop in the aerosol passing upwardly through the flow control means, thereby to cause at least partial separation of the aerosol into its liquid and gaseous components for upward discharge therefrom;
• b. an accumulator means defining a first chamber having fixed walls, a contiguous second chamber having at least one movable wall, and a connecting passage, the first chamber having a lower region for collecting the liquid component discharged from the flow control means thereunder, and an upper region for collecting the gaseous component discharged from the flow control means, and the connecting passage having an entrance end in the lower region of the first chamber;
• c. valve means including the movable wall of the second chamber, and a pair of valve seats carried by the movable wall and the opposing wall of the second chamber, said movable wall having initial slow movement in proportion to increase in pressure in the accumulator means, and a final snap movement when the pressure in the accumulator means reaches a selected amount, said slow movement of the movable wall;
• d. and an aerosol discharge passage having an entrance opening within one of the valve seats for discharging the contents of the lower and upper regions of the first chamber in sequence thereby to discharge the liquid component followed by discharge of a gaseous component to sweep away any residual liquid component from the discharge passage.

Means for effecting intermittent dispensing of an aerosol from an aerosol ccontainer, comprising:

• a. a flow control body for receiving an aerosol from the aerosol container, the flow control body including an elongated labyrinth path to produce a gradual pressure drop in the aerosol passing therethrough to volatilize at least a portion of the aerosol and cause discharge of liquid and gaseous components from the flow control body;
• b. means defining a discharge passageway;
• c. means defining an accumulator region between the discharge passageway and the flow control body, the accumulator region including a first sub-region for accumulating a gaseous component, a second sub-region for accumulating a liquid component, and a third sub-region for accumulating a gaseous component;
• d. and valve means forming confronting wall portions of the first sub-region responsive to a predetermined high pressure in the first accumulator sub-region to open the discharge passageway thereby to cause discharge from said sub-regions in sequence whereby the initial discharge is gaseous, followed by a liquid discharge followed by a final gaseous discharge, said valve means closing in response to a predetermined low pressure in said accumulator region.

Means for effecting intermittent dispensing of an aerosol from an aerosol container, comprising:

• a. means defining a supply passageway for the contents of an aerosol container;
• b. a flow control body having a lower intake side for receiving the flow from the supply passageway and an upper discharge side, the flow control body having labyrinth passage means therethrough of such size and length as to cause separation of the aerosol into gaseous and liquid components in the course of flow therethrough as well as to discharge a small volume over a long time period;
• c. an accumulator chamber having a bottom end for receiving the aerosol components and an upwardly extending connector passage;
• d. a valve chamber above the accumulator chamber having a lower side communicating with the connector passage;
• e. a pressure responsive snap action diaphram valve forming the upper side of the valve chamber, the diaphram valve and lower wall of the valve chamber having mating valve seats;
• f. a discharge passage having an entrance end surrounded by one of the valve seats;
• g. said diaphram valve and the valve seats being movable in unison therewith in response to pressure increase in the accumulator chamber resulting from flow of the liquid and gaseous aerosol components into the accumulator chamber;
• h. said diaphram valve being arranged to cause its valve seat to snap open at a preselected pressure in the valve and accumulator chambers to cause flow through the discharge passageway accompanied by corresponding drop in pressure in the valve and accumulator chambers;
• i. said diaphram valve being arranged to cause its valve seat to snap closed at a preselected lower pressure to terminate flow through the discharge passageway thereby to permit repressuring of the valve and accumulator chambers, and reopening of the discharge passageway;
• j. said connector passage including a portion extending downwardly into the accumulator chamber to form an entrance end adjacent the bottom of the accumulator chamber whereby on accumulation of the liquid and gaseous components therein the liquid component covers the entrance end of the outlet and traps the gaseous component in the accumulator chamber above the liquid component thereby to cause, on opening of the discharge passageway, a discharge of the liquid component from the accumulator chamber followed by a final discharge of the previously trapped gaseous component thereby to flush the discharge passageway free of the liquid component.

Means for effecting intermittent dispensing of an aerosol from an aerosol container, comprising:

• a. a flow control body for receiving an aerosol from the aerosol container, the flow control body including an elongated tortuous path to produce a gradual pressure drop in the aerosol passing therethrough to volatilize at least a portion of the aerosol and cause discharge of liquid and gaseous components from the flow control body at a low flow rate;
• b. means defining a discharge passageway;
• c. means defining an accumulator region between the discharge passageway and the flow control body;
• d. a valve means forming confronting wall portions of the accumulator region for controlling flow therefrom into the discharge passageway, the valve means including an externally accessible portion;
• e. and an externally disposed maually operable means engageable with the valve means to close the discharge passageway and retractable therefrom to permit preselected movement of the valve means.