Valve arrangement for flowable substances to be discharged from a container by a fluid propellant

Abstract

A valve system for the discharge of a flowable substance from a pressure-tight container by a fluid propellant. The valve has a stem with a central bore for the discharge of the fluid. The stem has a second passage open to the free end of the stem and adapted to be brought into communication with a portion of the air-tight container. To this purpose the stem has a transverse bore which can be connected with the interior of the container through an opening of the housing if the stem is in the opened position. In the closed portion of the stem the transverse bore is closed by an annular seal, preferably by the seal between the dome portion of the valve cup and the valve housing. By this measure the fluid to be discharged can be discharged concurrently with gas or another propellant. This joint discharge can also be used for a mixing up of the fluids.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A valve arrangement for flowable substances to be discharged from a pressure-tight container by means of a fluid propellant within the container, comprising a dome portion and a flange surrounding the dome portion and being adapted to be sealingly attached on an opening of the container, the dome portion having a central opening, a sleeve-shaped housing having an upper and a lower end, the upper end being adapted to be fixed to the dome portion and having an opening connecting the interior of the container with the interior of the housing, a first annular seal between the ends of the sleeve-shaped housing and the dome portion, a hollow valve stem which has an axis and an axial passage and extends through the central opening of the dome portion and the annular seal, the valve stem having a transverse bore at the lower end which communicates the interior of the valve stem with the interior of the valve housing, spring means which bias the valve stem upwardly into the closed position wherein the stem and the first seal ring block an outlet of the container which is free in the opened position of the valve arrangement and a second annular seal which is axially secured in the interior of the sleeve-shaped valve housing and closes a transverse bore in the closed position of the valve stem and opens the transverse bore in the open position of the valve stem, the stem having a second passage extending parallel to the axis of the stem and being open to the upper end of the stem and a second transverse bore being in communication with the second passage, the second transverse bore being arranged such that in the closed position of the valve stem it is blocked by the first seal and in the open position of the valve stem is in communication with the interior of the container through an opening of the housing.  
     
     
         2 . The valve system of  claim 1 , wherein the second passage in the stem is annularly cylindrical.  
     
     
         3 . The valve system of  claim 1 , wherein a bag, preferably a laminated bag, is welded to the housing, and the second passage in the opened position of the valve stem is connected with the container outside the bag.  
     
     
         4 . The valve system of  claim 1 , wherein the housing is surrounded by a sleeve which is located between both annular seals, and the second annular seal is supported on a shoulder of the housing having at least an axial passage therethrough.  
     
     
         5 . The valve system of  claim 4 , wherein the sleeve has circumferentially spaced ribs supported by a first annular seal.  
     
     
         6 . The valve system of  claim 4 , wherein the second annular seal is supported by ribs of the valve housing.  
     
     
         7 . The valve system of  claim 1 , wherein the stem has a radial shoulder which in the closed position engages the second annular seal.  
     
     
         8 . The valve system of  claim 1 , wherein the valve housing has a shoulder through which a passage extends, the spring with the lower end thereof is supported by the shoulder, and at the outer side of the spring a path is provided to the second annular seal.