Valve for pressurized container

1. A valve for dispensing flowable product from a container, the valve comprising:

a stem including a stem body defining a passage therein, and a disc at a lower portion of the stem body;

a seal attached to the stem body, the seal including a neck surrounding at least a longitudinal portion of the stem body, and an external seal bead extending laterally outward from the neck;

a mounting cup configured to mount the valve to the container, the mounting cup including

an annular sidewall having upper and lower ends and defining a central axis of the mounting cup,

a bottom wall extending radially inward from adjacent the lower end of the sidewall toward the central axis of the mounting cup,

an annular sidewall-bottom transition portion interposed between the lower end of the sidewall and an outer peripheral edge of the bottom wall, the annular sidewall-bottom transition portion having a radius,

wherein the bottom wall has a central portion defining a seal-mounting opening through which the seal and the stem extend, the external seal bead overlying an upper end of the central portion,

wherein the upper end of the central portion is disposed at or below a location that is about 0.040 in (1.016 mm) above an imaginary line perpendicular to the central axis of the mounting cup and tangent to a lower portion of an imaginary circle defined by the radius of the annular sidewall-bottom transition portion.

2. The valve set forth in claim 1 , wherein the bottom wall of the mounting cup has an annular outer radial portion extending inward from the annular sidewall-bottom transition portion, and an annular inner radial portion interposed radially between the outer radial portion and the central portion of the bottom wall wherein the annular inner radial portion extends downward from the outer radial portion of the bottom wall.

3. The valve set forth in claim 2 , wherein the outer radial portion of the bottom wall lies substantially within an orthogonal plane that is generally orthogonal to the central axis of the mounting cup.

4. The valve set forth in claim 3 , wherein the inner radial portion of the bottom wall of the mounting cup extends at an angle between 0 degrees and 90 degrees relative to a plane orthogonal to the central axis of the mounting cup.

5. The valve set forth in claim 3 , wherein the inner radial portion of the bottom wall of the mounting cup extends at an acute angle relative to a plane orthogonal to the central axis of the mounting cup.

6. The valve set forth in claim 5 , wherein the inner radial portion of the bottom wall of the mounting cup extends at the acute angle measuring from about 10 degrees to about 80 degrees relative to the central axis of the mounting cup.

7. The valve set forth in claim 1 , wherein the seal includes an annular flange disposed below and in sealing engagement with the inner radial portion of the bottom wall of the mounting cup, the annular flange extending at an acute angle relative to the central axis of the mounting cup.

8. The valve set forth in claim 1 , wherein the seal is a molded, one-piece construction, the seal comprising a thermoplastic elastomer.

9. The valve set forth in claim 1 , wherein the seal is a vulcanized rubber.

10. The valve set forth in claim 1 , wherein the upper end of the central portion of the bottom wall is generally coplanar with or below said imaginary line.

11. The valve set forth in claim 10 , wherein the upper end of the central portion of the bottom wall is disposed below said imaginary line.

12. The valve set forth in claim 10 , wherein the upper end of the central portion of the bottom wall is generally coplanar with said imaginary line.

13. The valve set forth in claim 1 , wherein the upper end of the central portion of the bottom wall is above said imaginary line.

14. A valve for dispensing flowable product from a container, the valve comprising:

a stem including a stem body defining a passage therein, and a disc at a lower portion of the stem body;

a seal attached to the stem body, the seal including a neck surrounding at least a longitudinal portion of the stem body, and an external seal bead extending laterally outward from the neck;

a mounting cup configured to mount the valve to the container, the mounting cup including

an annular sidewall having upper and lower ends and defining a central axis of the mounting cup,

a bottom wall extending radially inward from adjacent the lower end of the sidewall toward the central axis of the mounting cup,

an annular sidewall-bottom transition portion interposed between the lower end of the sidewall and an outer peripheral edge of the bottom wall, the annular sidewall-bottom transition portion having a radius and being bounded by an upper radius line defining an upper radius line plane transverse to the central axis and a lower radius line defining a lower radius line plane transverse to the central axis,

wherein the bottom wall has a central portion defining a seal-mounting opening through which the seal and the stem extend, the external seal bead overlying an upper end of the central portion,

wherein the upper end of the central portion is disposed at or below a location that is about 0.040 in (1.016 mm) above the lower radius line plane.

15. A valve for dispensing flowable product from a container, the valve comprising:

a stem including a stem body defining a passage therein, and a disc at a lower portion of the stem body;

a seal attached to the stem body, the seal including a neck surrounding at least a longitudinal portion of the stem body, and an external seal bead extending laterally outward from the neck;

a mounting cup configured to mount the valve to the container, the mounting cup including

an annular sidewall having upper and lower ends and defining a central axis of the mounting cup,

a bottom wall extending radially inward from adjacent the lower end of the sidewall toward the central axis of the mounting cup,

an annular sidewall-bottom transition portion interposed between the lower end of the sidewall and an outer peripheral edge of the bottom wall, the annular sidewall-bottom transition portion having a radius and being bounded by an upper radius line defining an upper radius line plane transverse to the central axis and a lower radius line defining a lower radius line plane transverse to the central axis,

wherein the bottom wall has a central portion defining a seal-mounting opening through which the seal and the stem extend, the external seal bead overlying an upper end of the central portion,

wherein the upper end of the central portion is disposed at or below the upper radius line plane.

16. A valve for dispensing flowable product from a container, the valve comprising:

a stem including a stem body defining a passage therein, and a disc at a lower portion of the stem body;

a seal attached to the stem body, the seal including a neck surrounding at least a longitudinal portion of the stem body, and an external seal bead extending laterally outward from the neck;

a mounting cup configured to mount the valve to the container, the mounting cup including

an annular sidewall having upper and lower ends and defining a central axis of the mounting cup,

a bottom wall extending radially inward from adjacent the lower end of the sidewall toward the central axis of the mounting cup,

an annular sidewall-bottom transition portion interposed between the lower end of the sidewall and an outer peripheral edge of the bottom wall, the annular sidewall-bottom transition portion having a radius and being bounded by an upper radius line defining an upper radius line plane transverse to the central axis and a lower radius line defining a lower radius line plane transverse to the central axis,

wherein the bottom wall has a central portion defining a seal-mounting opening through which the seal and the stem extend, the external seal bead overlying an upper end of the central portion,

wherein the upper end of the central portion is disposed at or below the lower radius line plane.