Aerosol spray texture apparatus for a particulate containing material

1. A system for texturing an interior surface comprising:

a container assembly containing texture material and a propellant material, where the texture material is a hardenable material comprising particles and the propellant material is a compressed inert gas;

a valve stem defining a stem passageway, where the stem passageway defines a portion of a dispensing path;

a valve seal for supporting the valve stem such that valve stem moves between open and closed positions, where the seal

engages the valve stem such that fluid flow out of the container assembly is substantially prevented when the valve stem is in the closed position, and

disengages from the valve stem such that fluid may flow through the stem passageway along the dispensing path when the valve stem is in the open position;

an outlet assembly mounted on the valve stem through which the texture material flowing out of the container assembly passes as the texture material is dispensed from the system, where movement of an outlet member of the outlet assembly in a first direction places the valve stem into the open position and movement of the outlet assembly in a second direction opposite the first direction places the valve stem into the closed position; and

metering means comprising

a metering member operable in first and second configurations; and

a release member; whereby

when the metering member is in the first configuration, the metering member engages an actuator member such that displacement of the actuator member in the first direction displaces the outlet assembly in the first direction; and

when the metering member reaches a release point, the release member places the metering member in the second configuration to disengage the metering member from the actuator member to allow the outlet assembly to move in the second direction.

2. A system as recited in claim 1 , further comprising an actuator spring arranged to oppose movement of the actuator member in the first direction.

3. A system as recited in claim 1 , further comprising a valve spring arranged to oppose movement of the outlet assembly in the first direction.

4. A system as recited in claim 1 , further comprising:

a first spring member arranged to oppose movement of the actuator member in the first direction; and

a second spring member arranged to oppose movement of the outlet assembly in the first direction.

5. A system as recited in claim 4 , in which:

the system defines an axis; and

the outlet assembly, actuator member, metering member, release member, and first and second spring members are substantially symmetrically arranged about the axis.

6. A system as recited in claim 1 , in which the valve assembly further comprises a valve spring arranged to oppose movement of the valve stem into the open position.

7. A system as recited in claim 1 , in which the metering member comprises at least one metering projection having a normal configuration and a deformed configuration, where the metering member is in the first configuration when the at least one metering projection is in the normal configuration and is in the second configuration when the at least one metering projection is in the deformed configuration.

8. A system as recited in claim 7 , in which the at least one metering member extends outwardly in the normal configuration.

9. A system as recited in claim 8 , in which the release member forces the at least one metering projection inwardly to place the at least one metering projection in the deformed configuration.

10. A system as recited in claim 7 , in which metering member comprises a plurality of metering projections.

11. A system as recited in claim 7 , in which an actuator surface is formed on the actuator member, where the at least one metering projection can engage the actuator surface when the at least one metering projection is in the normal configuration.

12. A system as recited in claim 11 , in which the at least one metering member cannot engage the actuator surface when the at least one metering projection is in the deformed configuration.

13. A system as recited in claim 7 , in which:

the system defines an axis;

the actuator member defines an actuator surface a first distance from the axis;

at least a portion of the at least one metering projection is the first distance from the axis when the metering projection is in the normal configuration; and

the metering projection is at most a second distance from the axis when the metering projection is in the deformed configuration, where the second distance is less than the first distance.

14. A system as recited in claim 1 , in which:

the system defines an axis; and

the outlet assembly, actuator member, metering member, and release member are substantially symmetrically arranged about the axis.

15. A system as recited in claim 1 , in which the outlet assembly comprises an outlet cap for dispersing the texture material as the texture material is dispensed by the system.

16. A system as recited in claim 1 , in which the container assembly comprises:

a container defining a main chamber;

a housing defining a valve chamber within the main chamber; and

an intake tube that connects the valve chamber with a lower portion of the main chamber such that propellant material in an upper portion of the main chamber forces the texture material out of the main chamber through the intake tube and the valve chamber.