Metered valve for dispensing product
The present device dispenses product from a pressurized container. The device has a metered valve that dispenses a predetermined fixed quantity of product upon actuation. The metered valve can be configured by the customer with a spacer to affect the amount of product continually metered.
1. A valve for use in a valve assembly, the valve configured to dispense a predetermined metered dose of product from a container upon actuation of the valve, the valve comprising:
a housing having a hollow cylindrical body with an open top end, a planar base, an outer surface, and an aperture through the planar base;
a dose chamber having a lower cylindrical body portion with an open bottom end and an upper cylindrical body portion with an open top end, wherein the upper cylindrical body portion projects from the lower cylindrical body portion along a vertical axis, wherein the upper and lower cylindrical body portions are in fluid communication via an aperture through the vertical axis, and wherein the upper cylindrical body comprises an annular disc member projecting radially therefrom;
an annular gasket seated at the open end of the upper cylindrical body;
a valve stem with a bore in a top portion thereof defining an upper passageway along the vertical axis, a bore in a bottom portion thereof defining a lower passageway along the vertical axis, a first horizontal orifice through the stem communicating with the upper passageway, and a second horizontal orifice through the stem communicating with the lower passageway, wherein the stem is axially displaceable along the vertical axis and is biased by a spring in the upper cylindrical body so that a portion of the stem projects through the annular gasket;
a sealing element disposed about an outer circumference of the lower passageway below the second horizontal orifice;
a piston disposed in the lower cylindrical body and biased against the planar base by a spring and an upper end of the lower cylindrical body;
wherein the dose chamber comprises a first horizontally disposed aperture and a second horizontally disposed aperture, wherein the first horizontally disposed aperture is below the disc member to provide fluid communication between the housing and the upper cylindrical body portion, wherein the dose chamber is disposed in the housing so that the disc member seals the open top end, and
a sealing member disposed about an outer circumference of the lower cylindrical body portion to cover the second horizontally disposed aperture,
wherein the stem is displaceable along the axis to dispense the predetermined metered dose of product.
2. The valve of claim 1 , further comprising a spacer.
3. The valve of claim 2 , wherein the spacer can be sized as desired to effect an amount of predetermined metered dose of product.
4. The valve of claim 2 , wherein the spacer cooperates with the piston to prevent completion of a full stroke thereby effecting the dosed amount.
5. The valve of claim 1 , wherein the dose chamber is supported in the housing by a plurality of feet and a plurality of ribs.
6. The valve of claim 5 , wherein the plurality of feet and ribs create clearance and channels for product flow between the dose chamber and an inner surface of the housing.
7. The valve of claim 5 , wherein the valve surrounds the piston through the channels formed between the plurality of ribs and feet to enable dispensing of high viscosity product.
8. The valve of claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of vertically disposed ribs spaced apart and projecting radially from an inner diameter of the housing.
9. The valve of claim 8 , wherein the plurality of vertical ribs form channels for fluid flow therebetween.
10. The valve of claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of feet projecting upward from a bottom surface of the housing.
11. The valve of claim 10 , wherein the plurality of feet are arranged about a circumference of the bottom surface.
12. The valve of claim 1 , wherein the annular gasket serves as a one-way valve when filling the container.
13. The valve of claim 1 , wherein the housing comprises a tailpiece with a passage in fluid communication with the aperture through the planar base to provide fluid communication with an inner volume of the housing.
14. The valve of claim 13 , wherein the tailpiece is directly connected to a bag that contains the product.
15. The valve of claim 1 , wherein the dose chamber has an aperture that is disposed through a tunnel of the stem.
16. The valve of claim 1 , wherein the stem has a tunnel, and wherein the tunnel has an aperture and the gasket is disposed around the tunnel.
17. The valve of claim 1 , wherein the upper cylindrical body portion projects along the vertical axis into the lower cylindrical body portion.
18. The valve of claim 1 , wherein the dose chamber is automatically refilled upon release of an actuator.
19. The valve of claim 1 , wherein the housing is disposed in the container.
20. The valve of claim 1 , wherein the housing is disposed outside the container.