GB2197690A

GB2197690A - Refillable aerosol system

Info

Publication number: GB2197690A
Application number: GB08726613A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Robert George Shepherd
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1986-11-14
Filing date: 1987-11-13
Publication date: 1988-05-25
Anticipated expiration: 2007-11-13
Also published as: GB2197690B; GB8627270D0; GB8726613D0

Abstract

A refillable aerosol comprises a container 10 formed with a filling aperture 12 closed by a readily removable and replaceable cap 13, and a manually operable valve 14 through which fluid under pressure may be dispensed from the interior of the container. The valve 14 is also operable as an inlet valve for the introduction of a propellant into the interior of the container from a container 17 of aerosol propellant under pressure. The valve on the propellant container 17 may have a spigot for insertion in the valve of the refillable container, or a separate connector may be provided. <IMAGE>

Description

"Refillable Aerosol System" The invention relates to refillable aerosols.

The term "aerosol" will be used herein to mean a container containing a fluid, usually a liquid, and a propellant, the container being provided with an operable outlet valve through which the fluid may be dispensed in a fine spray under pressure from the propellant.

In the commonest type of such aerosols, the container is supplied ready charged with a fluid product and propellant, and is disposed of when the contents have been exhausted. There is a requirement, however, for refillable aerosols since such an aerosol permits the user to dispense any fluid with which he may care to fill the aerosol container.

Known refillable aerosols normally use pressurised air as a propellant, the air being pumped into the container by some means after the fluid product has been introduced into the container. The disadvantage with such aerosols is that, as the fluid product is expelled, the air pressure within the container falls and the effective atomisation of the product is reduced.

According to the present invention, a refillable aerosol may use a standard type of aerosol propellant of the kind which boils off at low temperatures with the result that the pressure inside the container is kept at a substantially constant level as the product is dispensed.

According to the invention there is provided a refillable aerosol comprising a container formed with a filling aperture closed by a readily removable and replaceable cap, and manually operable valve means through which fluid under pressure may be dispensed from the interior of the container, said valve means also being operable as an inlet valve for the introduction of a propellant into the interior of the container from a container of aerosol propellant under pressure.

The manually operable valve means are preferably provided in said removable and replaceable cap, which may be in screw-threaded engagement with the container.

Said valve means may include a relatively movable manipulating part and operative part, the operative part having a passage including a normallyclosed valve which may be opened by movement of the manipulating part relatively to the operative part, the manipulating part having a passage communicating with the passage in the operating part and leading to the atmosphere, and the manipulating part being detachable from the operative part to permit direct access to said part whereby a propellant may be introduced into the interior of the container through said valve.

There may be provided, in combination with a refillable aerosol of any of the kinds referred to above, a connecting device for placing the interior of the container into communication with the interior of a container of aerosol propellant under pressure.

Said connecting device may be incorporated in a container of aerosol propellant under pressure and may include further valve means which are opened when the device is connected to the first said valve means on the first said container, whereby propellant is delivered under pressure from the second said container into the first said container.

Alternatively, the connecting device may be a separate device which may be connected to a container of aerosol propellant under pressure as well as to the first said container, whereby propellant is delivered under pressure through the connector from the second said container into the first said container.

The invention also provides a method of refilling a reusable aerosol comprising filling the aerosol container with a fluid to be dispensed, closing the container with a readily removable and replaceable cap, and then connecting the interior of the container to the interior of a second container of aerosol propellant under pressure so that propellant is delivered under pressure from the second container into the first container.

The following is a more detailed description of embodiments of the invention, reference being made to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a diagrammatic section through a refillable aerosol container according to the invention, Figure 2 shows diagrammatically a process for pressurising a refillable aerosol according to the invention, Figure 3 is a side elevation, on an enlarged scale, of a connector for use in an alternative method according to the invention, and Figure 4 shows diagrammatically the process of pressurising a refillable aerosol container using the connector of Figure 3.

Referring to Figure 1s the refillable aerosol comprises a cylindrical canister 10 of metal or plastics having at its upper end a threaded neck portion 11 surrounding' an aperture 12. An internally threaded collar 13 screws onto the neck portion 11 so as to clamp in position a standard operative component 14 having an outlet passage 16a in which there is located a normallyclosed valve, not shown. A dip tube 15 extends from the passage 16a to the bottom of the canister and a removable manipulating nozzle 16 is received in the upper end of the passage 16a. In conventional manner, manual depression of the manipulating nozzle 16 opens the valve in the passage 16a to deliver fluid under pressure from the container.

The method of operation is as follows: The threaded collar 13 is unscrewed and the component 14 is removed. A measured quantity of paint or other sprayable fluid is introduced into the canister 10.

A small number of ball bearings or similar agitators may also be placed in the can with the fluid to facilitate mixing if necessary. The component 14 is then placed in position and the collar 13 screwed over the top of the component thus securing it in the neck of the canister.

The standard rubber gasket (not shown) of the valve acts as a seal, although a separate seal may be applied as well as or instead of the gasket.

Figure 2 shows how the aerosol container is pressurised. For this purpose there is used a container 17 filled with a standard aerosol liquid propellant and of the known kind having a valve component 18 fitted with a projecting hollow tubular spigot 19, depression of which opens a normally closed valve (not shown) to release the propellant from the container.

As shown in Figure 2, the container 17 is inverted over the container 10 and the spigot 19 is introduced into the valve component 14 of the refillable container, the nozzle 16 having first been removed. This action opens the valves in both the component 18 and the component 14 so that the liquid gas propellant in the container 17 flows through the hollow spigot 19 under pressure into the container 10 until the pressure in the two containers becomes equalised. The container 17 is then removed, the two valves closing automatically, and the nozzle 16 is refitted to the container 10 which is then ready for use to dispense the fluid with which it has been filled.

When the container has been exhausted it may be refilled again by repeating the above described process.

Figures 3 and 4 show an alternative method by which the aerosol container may be pressurised. In this case the container 27 filled with a standard aerosol liquid propellant is of a different type where the valve component 33 simply has a passage including a normally closed valve, although there may be fitted in said passage a removable nozzle somewhat similar to the nozzle 16.

In this case connection between the two containers is effected by an adaptor 28 which is shown in greater detail in Figure 3.

Referring to Figure 3, the adaptor 28 has a central passage 29 passing through the main body 30 of the adaptor and spigots 31 and 32 at each end. The spigots are slotted at the ends to allow the passage of the propellant.

As shown in Figure 4, one spigot of the adaptor 28 is introduced into the valve component 33 of the container 27 of propellant. The container 27 is then inverted and the other spigot of the adaptor introduced into the valve component 14 of the refillable container, the nozzle 16 having first been removed. The liquid gas propellant in the container 27 then flows through the adaptor 28 into the container 10 until the pressure in the two containers becomes equalised. The container 27 and adaptor 28 are then removed and the nozzle 16 is refitted to the container 18 which is then ready for use to dispense the fluid with which it has been filled.

The container 17 or 27 of propellant may be of a type which is readily available on the open market, for example as an airbrush propellant. The can of propellant may be of a size such that it holds just enough gas for one charge, or may be sufficiently large to charge the refillable container a number of times.

Instead of the refillable container having a female valve component to receive a spigot on the container of propellant, as shown in Figure 2, it could itself be provided with a hollow spigot in which case it could be filled from a propellant container having a female valve component.

'In the case where an adaptor 28 is provided, such adaptor may have any appropriate configuration depending on the nature of the valve component on the refillable container and the valve component of the propellant container. A refillable container might be sold with a number of different adaptors for connecting the container to a variety of types of propellant container.

Other methods of gaining access to the inside of the refillable container are possible, such as using a non-standard can with a threaded collar and nut part way up the outside of the can. Another method would be to use a can with a standard sealed neck, but with a removable bottom.

Claims

1. A refillable aerosol comprising a container formed wFth a filling aperture closed by a readily removable and replaceable cap, and manually operable valve means through which fluid under pressure may be dispensed from the interior of the container, said valve means also being operable as an inlet valve for the introduction of a propellant into the interior Gf the container from a container of aerosol propellant under pressure.

2. A refillable aerosol according to Claim 1, wherein the manually operable valve means are provided in said removable and replaceable cap.

3. A refillable aerosol according to Claim 1 or Claim 2, wherein said cap is in screw-threaded engagement with the container.

4. A refillable aerosol according to any of Claims 1 to 3, wherein said valve means includes a relatively movable manipulating part and operative part, the operative part having a passage including a normallyclosed valve which may be opened by movement of the manipulating part relatively to the operative part, the manipulating part having a passage communicating with the passage in the operating part and leading to the atmosphere, and the manipulating part being detachable from the operative part to permit direct access to said part whereby a propellant may be introduced into the interior of the container through said valve.

5. A refillable aerosol according to any of Claims 1 to 4, in combination with a connecting device for placing the interior of the container into communication with the interior of a container of aerosol propellant under pressure.

6. A refillable aerosol according to Claim 5, wherein said connecting device is incorporated in a container of aerosol propellant under pressure and includes further valve means which are opened when the device is connected to the first said valve means on the first said container, whereby propellant is delivered under pressure from the second said container into the first said container.

7. A refillable aerosol container according to Claim 5, wherein the connecting device is a separate device which may be connected to a container of aerosol propellant under pressure as well as to the first said container, whereby propellant is delivered under pressure through the connector from the second said container into the first said container.

8. A method of refilling a reusable aerosol comprising filling the aerosol container with a fluid to be dispensed, closing the container with a readily removable and replaceable cap, and then connecting the interior of the container to the interior of a second container of aerosol propellant under pressure so that propellant is delivered under pressure from the second container into the first container.

9. A refillable aerosol substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

10. A method of refilling a reusable aerosol substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.