An aerosol valve movable from a closed position to an open position for retaining a product in, and spraying the product from, a container, comprising: a valve cup positioned on a first end of the container that orients the aerosol valve in the container, wherein the valve cup has a lip that defines a valve cup opening into the container; a valve stem disposed in the valve cup opening so that a first portion of the valve stem is disposed above the lip and a second portion of the valve stem is disposed below the lip within the container, the valve stem having an open first end, a closed second end and defining a longitudinal passageway therebetween with the open first end defining an outlet from the passageway of the valve stem, a side of the valve stem defining at least one inlet into the passageway near the closed second end; a resilient seal disposed in the valve cup opening between the valve stem and the lip, wherein the resilient seal comprises a seal body having a first portion disposed above the lip and a second portion disposed below the lip within the container, the seal body defining a seal body bore which the valve stem is disposed in and partially through; a ring knife disposed around the second closed end of the valve stem between the valve stem and the resilient seal, wherein the ring knife defines at least one arcuate shaped knife configured to mate with an outer surface of the valve stem and close the at least one inlet of the valve stem in a closed position of the aerosol valve; wherein force on the valve stem in a directions towards the container at least partially compresses the resilient seal and moves the at least one inlet past the arcuate shaped knife to allow product under pressure within the container to enter the inlet and travel through the longitudinal passageway and out through the outlet; and wherein upon release of the force on the valve stem, the resilient seal forces the valve stem back to the closed position wherein the arcuate shaped knife covers the at least one inlet of the valve stem.
1. An aerosol valve movable from a closed position to an open position for retaining a product in, and spraying the product from, a container, comprising:
a valve cup positioned on a first end of the container that orients the aerosol valve in the container, wherein the valve cup has a lip that defines a valve cup opening into the container;
a valve stem disposed in the valve cup opening so that a first portion of the valve stem is disposed above the lip and a second portion of the valve stem is disposed below the lip within the container, the valve stem having an open first end, a closed second end and defining a longitudinal passageway therebetween with the open first end defining an outlet from the passageway of the valve stem, a side of the valve stem defining at least one inlet into the passageway near the closed second end;
a resilient seal disposed in the valve cup opening between the valve stem and the lip, wherein the resilient seal comprises a seal body having a first portion disposed above the lip and a second portion disposed below the lip within the container, the seal body defining a seal body bore which the valve stem is disposed in and partially through;
a ring knife disposed around the second closed end of the valve stem between the valve stem and the resilient seal, wherein the ring knife defines at least one arcuate shaped knife configured to mate with an outer surface of the valve stem and close the at least one inlet of the valve stem in a closed position of the aerosol valve;
wherein force on the valve stem in a directions towards the container at least partially compresses the resilient seal and moves the at least one inlet past the arcuate shaped knife to allow product under pressure within the container to enter the inlet and travel through the longitudinal passageway and out through the outlet;
wherein upon release of the force on the valve stem, the resilient seal forces the valve stem back to the closed position wherein the arcuate shaped knife covers the at least one inlet of the valve stem;
wherein the valve stem defines a pair of diametrically spaced inlets into the passageway near the closed second end and wherein the ring knife defines a pair of arcuate shaped knifes; each of the knifes configured to mate with an outer surface of the valve stem and close one of the inlets of the valve stem in a closed position of the aerosol valve;
wherein the valve stem defines a radially extending flange having an engaging surface that engages with the resilient seal;
wherein the valve stem defines a circumferential groove located below the flange;
wherein the first portion of resilient seal defines an inwardly extending annular tab which is received in the circumferential groove of the valve stem in the closed position of the aerosol valve;
wherein an inner surface of the seal body defines a first circumferential recess axially spaced from the inwardly extending annular tab wherein the first circumferential recess allows the first portion of the seal body to at least partially compress via engagement with the radially extending flange of the valve stem as the valve stem is moved from the closed position to the open position; and
wherein the inner surface of the seal body defines an annular first wiper that wipes an outer surface of the valve stem and an annular second wiper axially spaced the first wiper that wipes an outer surface of the ring knife.
2. The aerosol valve of claim 1 wherein the side of the valve stem near the closed end and axially inwards towards the container defines an outwardly flared section engaged by the ring knife in the closed position of the aerosol valve.
3. The aerosol valve of claim 2 wherein the flared section defines at least one cutout section to allow the flared section to be at least partially compressed inwardly by the ring knife.
4. An aerosol valve movable from a closed position to an open position for retaining a product in, and spraying the product from, a container, comprising:
a valve cup positioned on a first end of the container that orients the aerosol valve in the container, wherein the valve cup has a lip that defines a valve cup opening into the container;
a valve stem disposed in the valve cup opening so that a first portion of the valve stem is disposed above the lip and a second portion of the valve stem is disposed below the lip within the container, the valve stem having an open first end, a closed second end and defining a longitudinal passageway therebetween with the open first end defining an outlet from the passageway of the valve stem, a side of the valve stem defining at least one inlet into the passageway near the closed second end;
a resilient seal disposed in the valve cup opening between the valve stem and the lip, wherein the resilient seal comprises a seal body having a first portion disposed above the lip and a second portion disposed below the lip within the container, the seal body defining a seal body bore which the valve stem is disposed in and partially through;
a ring knife disposed around the second closed end of the valve stem between the valve stem and the resilient seal, wherein the ring knife defines at least one arcuate shaped knife configured to mate with an outer surface of the valve stem and close the at least one inlet of the valve stem in a closed position of the aerosol valve;
wherein force on the valve stem in a directions towards the container at least partially compresses the resilient seal and moves the at least one inlet past the arcuate shaped knife to allow product under pressure within the container to enter the inlet and travel through the longitudinal passageway and out through the outlet;
wherein upon release of the force on the valve stem, the resilient seal forces the valve stem back to the closed position wherein the arcuate shaped knife covers the at least one inlet of the valve stem;
wherein the valve stem defines a pair of diametrically spaced inlets into the passageway near the closed second end and wherein the ring knife defines a pair of arcuate shaped knifes; each of the knifes configured to mate with an outer surface of the valve stem and close one of the inlets of the valve stem in a closed position of the aerosol valve;
wherein the valve stem defines a radially extending flange having an engaging surface that engages with the resilient seal;
wherein the valve stem defines a circumferential groove located below the flange;
wherein the first portion of resilient seal defines an inwardly extending annular tab which is received in the circumferential groove of the valve stem in the closed position of the aerosol valve;
wherein an inner surface of the seal body defines a first circumferential recess axially spaced from the inwardly extending annular tab wherein the first circumferential recess allows the first portion of the seal body to at least partially compress via engagement with the radially extending flange of the valve stem as the valve stem is moved from the closed position to the open position;
wherein the inner surface of the seal body defines a second circumferential recess axially spaced from the first circumferential recess; and
wherein the ring knife defines an outwardly extending first annular ledge that is disposed in the second circumferential recess in the inner surface of the seal body.
5. The aerosol valve of claim 4 wherein the seal body defines an outwardly extending flange having an engaging surface for engaging the lip.
6. The aerosol valve of claim 5 wherein the second portion of the seal body is enlarged compared to the first portion of the seal body and the second portion of the seal body defines a second annular ledge and wherein the lip is positioned between the outwardly extending flange and the second annular ledge.
7. The aerosol valve of claim 6 wherein the ring knife comprises ring knife body having upper and lower end portions with the first annular ledge positioned between the upper and lower end portions, and wherein the ring knife body defines a ring knife body bore extending axially through the ring knife body, and an inner surface of the ring knife body defines a pair of circumferentially spaced guide channels.
8. The aerosol valve of claim 7 wherein each guide channel is adapted to receive a corresponding axial guide tab disposed the second portion of the valve stem to guide movement of the valve stem during actuation of the aerosol valve.