Invertible spray valve and container containing same

An invertible valve comprising:

• a. a valve body having a side wall extending downwardly to define a lower portion of the valve body and having an outlet formed therein, an upper portion of the valve body defining an interior cavity communicating with valve discharge, passage means and the outlet for dispensing product from the valve, and the side wall of the valve body defining a valve body longitudinal axis;
• b. a valve element being accommodated within the valve body for controlling product flow from the outlet to the passage means;
• c. a dip tube for supplying product to the valve;
• d. an appendage being attached to the lower portion of the valve body, the appendage supporting a product passage interconnecting one end of the dip tube with the outlet;
• e. the appendage further supporting a ball chamber communicating with the product passage, the ball chamber being provided with a ball chamber passage and a ball chamber valve seat having a ball chamber bypass opening, a gravity-responsive ball chamber ball being located within the ball chamber and normally seating on the ball chamber seat, a perimeter contact between the ball chamber seat and the ball, when the ball is supported thereby, defining a ball chamber plane, and the ball chamber ball moving from the ball chamber seat when the valve is sufficiently inverted to permit passage of product through the ball chamber passage into the ball chamber, through the ball chamber bypass opening, through the product passage into the valve body and out the passage means when the valve is opened;
• wherein the ball chamber plane is inclined relative the valve body longitudinal axis at an angle of between from about 5.degree. to about 85.degree. and an opening of an upper end of the product passage of the appendage and an opening of the ball chamber of the appendage, remote from the ball chamber bypass opening, are coplanar with one another and are both received within a socket.

An invertible valve comprising a valve body accommodating a valve element for controlling flow through the valve and out through passage means, the valve body defining a valve body longitudinal axis, the valve body having a socket, at a lower portion thereof, with a product outlet being located within the socket, the socket including a retaining mechanism for receiving an appendage supporting both a product passage and a ball chamber, the appendage carrying a retaining mechanism for mating with the retaining mechanism of the socket, the ball chamber being provided with a ball chamber passage and a ball chamber bypass valve seat having a ball chamber bypass opening, the product passage communicating with the ball chamber bypass opening, and a gravity-responsive ball being provided in the ball chamber and normally seating on the ball chamber seat to close the ball chamber bypass opening, and a perimeter contact between the ball chamber seat and the ball, when the ball is supported thereby, defining a ball chamber plane, and the ball chamber ball moving from the ball chamber seat when the valve is inverted to permit passage of product through the ball chamber passage into the ball chamber, through the ball chamber bypass opening, through the product passage into the valve body, via the product outlet of the socket, and out the passage means when the valve is opened;

• wherein the ball chamber plane is inclined relative the valve body longitudinal axis at an angle of between from about 5.degree. to about 85.degree. and, an opening of an upper end of the product passage of the appendage and an opening of the ball chamber of the appendage, remote from the ball chamber bypass opening, are coplanar with one another and are both received within the socket.

A method of forming an invertible valve comprising the steps of:

• accommodating, within a valve body, a valve element for controlling flow through the valve, the valve body defining a valve body longitudinal axis;
• providing passage means in the valve element for discharging product from the valve when the valve is opened, the valve body having a socket, at a lower portion thereof, with a product outlet being located within the socket, the socket including a retaining mechanism for receiving an appendage supporting both a product passage and a ball chamber, the appendage also supporting a retaining mechanism for mating with the retaining mechanism of the socket;
• providing the ball chamber with a ball chamber passage and a ball chamber bypass valve seat having a ball chamber bypass opening, a lower end of the product passage communicating with the ball chamber bypass opening while an upper end thereof communicating with the valve element, via the product outlet of the socket;
• accommodating a gravity-responsive ball chamber ball in the ball chamber and normally seating the ball on the ball chamber seat, the ball chamber providing an area for accommodating the ball when the ball becomes unseated from the ball chamber seat, the ball chamber ball moving from the ball chamber seat when the valve is inverted to permit passage of product through the ball chamber passage into the ball chamber, through the ball chamber bypass opening, through the product passage and product outlet of the socket into the valve body and out the passage means when the valve is opened;
• defining a ball chamber plane by a perimeter contact between the ball chamber seat and the ball, when the ball is supported thereby;
• inclining the ball chamber plane relative the valve body longitudinal axis at an angle of between from about 5.degree. to about 85.degree.;
• forming an opening in an upper end of the product passage of the appendage and an opening in the ball chamber of the appendage, remote from the ball chamber bypass opening, to be coplanar with one another;
• and
• receiving both coplanar openings within the socket.