WO2020242287A1

WO2020242287A1 - Control valve and cushion pad for spray can

Info

Publication number: WO2020242287A1
Application number: PCT/MY2019/050036
Authority: WO
Inventors: Yoke En Ong
Original assignee: Orientus Industry Sdn Bhd
Current assignee: Orientus Industry Sdn Bhd
Priority date: 2019-05-31
Filing date: 2019-07-02
Publication date: 2020-12-03
Anticipated expiration: 2021-11-30
Also published as: MY202306A; CN113631488A; WO2020242287A9

Abstract

A spray can (100), comprising a can body (11) and a can lid (12) sealed to the can body (11), a control valve (20) having a valve housing (21) disposed in the can body (11) and sealed to the can lid (12), a valve core (22) disposed within the valve housing (21), wherein a top end of the valve core (22) is axially fixed through the top of the valve housing (21), an inner tank (30) disposed in the can body (11) and accommodating the control valve (20), a hollow shaft (51) disposed in the inner tank (30) and connected below the valve core (22) by an adapter (25) sleeved on the outside of the valve housing (21) and the hollow shaft (51), and a gravity check valve (251) disposed on the adapter (25).

Description

CONTROL VALVE AND CUSHION PAD FOR SPRAY CAN

FIELD OF INVENTION

The invention relates to the technical field of spray cans, and in particular relates to a spray can, a control valve for the spray can and a cushion pad for the spray can.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The widely used polyester paint or lacquer cannot be sprayed using conventional spray cans, because the polyester paint needs to be mixed with a modifier (for example, toluene diisocyanate, etc.), but the mixture solidifies after a few hours of mixing, making it hard to be sprayed.

A Chinese invention patent, CN104843346A, discloses a spray paint aerosol can which mainly comprises a can body, a containing body and a rotating member. When the material to be sprayed is needed, the rotating member at the bottom of the spray aerosol can is rotated, and the rotating member pushes the fragile portion of the containing body to break, so that the modifier flows out of the containing body into the can body and is mixed with the lacquer (for example, polyester paint, etc.), so that the lacquer and the modifier are only mixed when needed, thereby effectively solving the problem that pre-mixed polyester paints cannot be sprayed by the spray can. However, a number of problems still exist in the prior art, such as complicated structure, high cost, inconvenient operation, and poor sealing performance.

In known spray cans, the spray canister includes a control valve, also known as a spray valve or an aerosol valve, and is capable of effectively releasing the material to be sprayed within the spray can after being pushed or pressed. Known control valves are typically sealed to the can lid of the spray can and a seal between the control valve and the can lid is achieved by means of a sealing gasket disposed between the control valve and the can lid. In addition, the gasket can also seal the valve housing and valve plug. However, as valve housing and valve core can be moved relative to each other, it is not enough to seal the valve housing and the valve core by using only one sealing gasket. However, the structures of known control valves do not allow additional sealing gaskets, resulting in poor sealing and safety.

In known spray cans, the bottom of the can is generally arched towards the inside of the can such that its inner surface assumes a convex surface and its outer surface is a concave surface. Although such can bottom effectively improves the mechanical strength of the can body, the curvature creates an area at the edge of the curvature between the can bottom and the can body (below the convex surface). This area is likely to collect the remaining of the spray material that is used up until almost finish, causing a waste of spray material.

SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION

The present invention features a spray can, comprising a can body and a can lid sealed to the can body, a control valve having a valve housing disposed in the can body and sealed to the can lid, a valve core disposed within the valve housing, wherein a top end of the valve core is axially fixed through the top of the valve housing, an inner tank disposed in the can body and accommodating the control valve, a hollow shaft disposed in the inner tank and connected below the valve core by an adapter sleeved on the outside of the valve housing and the hollow shaft, and a gravity check valve disposed on the adapter, characterised in that the gravity check valve is closed when the spray can is positioned upright, the gravity check valve is opened when the spray can is positioned upside down to allow material to be sprayed in the inner tank to enter the control valve through the adapter.

The valve core further comprises an upper rod portion having a discharge passage, a lower rod portion having a flow guide channel, and an enlarged diameter portion disposed between the upper rod portion and the lower rod portion, configured in such a way that the upper rod portion is axially sealed through a top portion of the valve housing and the can lid and the lower rod portion is axially sealed through the bottom of the valve housing such that the enlarged diameter portion is located in the valve housing. An annular gap is provided between the enlarged diameter portion of the valve core and the valve housing, and the difference between the outer radius and the inner radius of the annular gap is 0.05-0.3 mm.

Further, the hollow shaft is part of a puncture member, and when the valve core is pushed to move towards the bottom of the spray can, the valve core pushes the puncture member to force it to puncture the bottom wall of the inner tank, allowing content of the inner tank to flow out of the inner tank and mix with the content of the can body, then forming a material to be sprayed. The puncture member further comprises a protrusion provided on at the bottom of the hollow shaft, the protrusion is able to puncture of the bottom wall of the inner tank. The puncture member also comprises at least one support member to support the protrusion.

Preferably, a reinforcing member is disposed along the sidewalls of the hollow shaft in an axial direction, the top end of the reinforcing member being connected to the adapter and the bottom thereof is in contact with the support member. Preferably, the reinforcement member is made of resin.

Preferably, a groove is provided at bottom wall of the inner tank to receive the puncture member for puncturing the inner tank. Preferably, the groove has a polygonal, circular, elliptical or annular cross section. Preferably, the inner tank is made of an aluminium material, and wall thickness of the bottom wall of the inner tank at the groove is 0.1 -0.5 mm.

Further, the control valve comprises an elastic return member disposed in the valve housing and located between the enlarged diameter portion of the valve core and the bottom of the valve housing. Preferably, the elastic return member is a compression spring.

The control valve further comprises a first sealing gasket disposed between the elastic return member and the bottom of the valve housing for sealing the elastic return member and the bottom of the valve housing. Preferably, the valve housing and the valve core are each made of a resin.

The control valve further comprises a second sealing gasket disposed between the can lid and the valve housing, and the inner circumferential surface of the second sealing gasket is in sealing contact with an upper rod portion of the valve core such that the second sealing gasket simultaneously seals between the top of the valve housing and the valve core, and between the can lid and the valve housing.

In a specific embodiment of a control valve present invention, the control valve for a spray can, the spray can having a can body and a can lid, and the control valve comprises a valve housing mounted in the can body and sealed to the can lid, a valve core having an upper rod portion having a discharge passage, a lower rod portion having a flow guide channel, and an enlarged diameter portion disposed between the upper rod portion and the lower rod portion, configured in such a way that the upper rod portion is axially sealed through a top portion of the valve housing and the can lid and the lower rod portion is axially sealed through the bottom of the valve housing such that the enlarged diameter portion is located in the valve housing, and an elastic return member disposed in the valve housing and located between the enlarged diameter portion of the valve core and the bottom of the valve housing.

The control valve is characterized in that material to be sprayed in the spray can enters the control valve through the flow guide channel and is discharged to the outside of the control valve through the discharge passage when the valve core is pushed to move from the closed position to the open position, and compress the elastic return member by the enlarged diameter portion but when the valve core is released, the compressed elastic return member pushes the valve core back from the open position to the closed position to prevent the material to be sprayed from entering the control valve.

Further, the control valve comprises a first sealing gasket disposed between the elastic return member and the bottom of the valve housing for sealing the elastic return member and the bottom of the valve housing. Further, the control valve comprises a second sealing gasket disposed between the can lid and the valve housing for sealing between the can lid and the valve housing. The inner circumferential surface of the second sealing gasket is in sealing contact with an upper rod portion of the valve core such that the second sealing gasket simultaneously seals between the top of the valve housing and the valve core, and between the can lid and the valve housing.

An annular gap is provided between the enlarged diameter portion of the valve core and the valve housing, and the difference between the outer inner radius and the inner radius of the annular gap is 0.05-0.3 mm.

Preferably, the elastic return member is a compression spring sleeved over the lower rod portion.

The discharge passage further comprises an outlet disposed on a top surface of the upper rod portion and an inlet disposed on a side of the upper rod portion.

Preferably, the valve housing and the valve core are each made of a resin.

In another specific embodiment of a cushion pad of the present invention, the cushion pad for a spray can having a can body and a can bottom of the can body with a convex inner surface and a concave outer surface, the cushion pad comprises a padding layer disposed in the can body and located on the convex surface of the can bottom, and a first peripheral wall disposed on one side along the periphery of the padding layer.

The cushion pad is characterized in that the first peripheral wall closely contacts the can body to prevent material to be sprayed in the can body from entering the area between the convex surface of the can bottom and the can body, beneath the padding layer. Preferably, the outer diameter of the first peripheral wall gradually increases in an upward direction. Preferably, the first peripheral wall has a uniform thickness. Preferably, the padding layer is made of a firm material, such as a resin.

The cushion pad further comprises a second peripheral wall disposed on the other side along the periphery of the padding layer to support the padding layer. Preferably, the second peripheral wall has a uniform wall thickness and a constant outer diameter.

Preferably, the padding layer has a flat shape or the same shape as a plano-concave lens, a biconcave lens or a meniscus lens.

The present invention consists of features and a combination of parts hereinafter fully described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, it being understood that various changes in the details may be made without departing from the scope of the invention or sacrificing any of the advantages of the present invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

To further clarify various aspects of some embodiments of the present invention, a more particular description of the invention will be rendered by references to specific embodiments thereof, which are illustrated in the appended drawings. It is appreciated that these drawings depict only typical embodiments of the invention and are therefore not to be considered limiting of its scope. In all the figures, elements or parts are generally identified by reference numerals. The invention will be described and explained with additional specificity and detail through the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is an axial cross-sectional view of a spray can according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 is an enlarged view of the portion D in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is an axial cross-sectional view of the control valve of the spray can shown in Figure 1. Figure 4 is an axial cross-sectional view of the can body and the padding seat of the spray can shown in Figure 1 .

Figure 5 is a perspective view of the cushion pad of the spray can shown in Figure 1 .

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The general principles of the present invention relate to a tillable automatic spray can. The embodiments of the technical solution of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. The following embodiments are only used to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention, and thus are only examples, and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. Figure 1 illustrates a spray can (100) of the present invention, which comprises a can body (1 1 ) and a can lid (12) that is sealed to the can body (1 1 ). The combination of the can body (1 1 ) and the can lid (12) forms a pressure resistant container (10), which is usually made of aluminium alloy, iron or steel, and can withstand a pressure of 15-20 kg/cm² (about 1.5-2.0 MPa), according to the manufacturing standards. In the present embodiment, the can lid (12) and the can body (1 1 ) are sealed at the junction of the two. The can lid (12) includes an annular groove portion (121 ) and a dock portion (122) located therein.

The spray can (100) has a control valve (20), which is mounted, for example, at the dock portion (122) of the can lid (12) that is sealed to the can body (11 ). The control valve (20) includes a valve housing (21 ) disposed in the can body (1 1 ) and sealed to the can lid (12), and a valve core (22) disposed in the valve housing (21 ), as illustrated in Figures 1 and 3. The top end of the valve core (22) is axially fixed through the top of the valve housing (21 ) and the can lid (12), and its bottom end passes axially through the bottom of the valve housing (21 ). In order to be corrosion resistant and reduce the cost of the control valve (20), the valve housing (21 ) and the valve core (22) of the control valve (20) may be made of a resin. The valve core (22) is movable in its axial direction relative to the valve housing (21 ) and has a closed position and an open position wherein the valve core (22) is higher in the open position than when it is in the closed position. When the valve core (22) is moved from the closed position to the open position, the control valve (20) is in an open state. Conversely, when the valve core (22) is moved from the open position to the closed position, the control valve (20) is in a closed state, as illustrated in Figure 1 or 3.

The spray can (100) also includes a spray cap (not shown) placed over the top end of the valve core (22) and above the can lid (12). The spray cap, also referred to as a press spray cap or a cap-type spray cap, is mainly used to push the control valve (20) and perform the discharge of the material to be sprayed.

The spray can (100) also includes an inner liner (31 ) which forms an inner tank (30), typically cylindrical, as illustrated in Figure 1 . The inner tank (30) is disposed within the can body (1 1 ) and accommodates the control valve (20). In the present embodiment, the inner liner (31 ) is made of a frangible material, such as aluminium, plastic or glass, but is preferably made of aluminium and is able to withstand a pressure of 15-20 kg/cm². The inner liner (31 ) can also be made of other lightweight, easily smashed hard materials. In the present embodiment, the inner liner (31 ), the can lid (12) and the can body (1 1 ) are twisted at the top opening of the can body (1 1 ), thereby achieving a sealed connection of the three, simplifying the manufacturing process of the spray can (100), and achieving the purpose of reducing the cost. The inner tank (30) is used for storing a content, typically a modifier, such as toluene diisocyanate, which promotes the curing of the polyester lacquer, or other reagents for adjusting the physical or chemical properties of the material to be sprayed; and the space between the can body (1 1 ) and the inner tank (30) is used to store contents consisting of a propellant and a material, for example, a polyester lacquer and a curing agent.

The spray can (100) also includes a puncture member (50). The puncture member (50) is disposed within the inner tank (31 ) and below the valve core (22) such that it can be pushed by the valve core (22) to puncture the inner liner (31 ) of the inner tank (30). The puncture member (50) may be made of a metal, such as steel, aluminium or an alloy thereof, but is preferably made of a resin or aluminium alloy which is preferably lightweight. The puncture member (50) described in Figure 1 is only one embodiment of the puncture member (50), and the puncture member (50) may in the form of other structures, such as a shaft that is coaxially connected to the valve core (22) and the shaft having a pointed bottom end.

For the operation of the spray can (100) according to an embodiment of the present invention, the valve core (22) is pushed downward by pressing a spray cap, a special press cap or a slightly soft material so that the valve core (22) is exerted relative to the valve housing (22) towards the can bottom (1 1 1 ) of the can body (1 1 ). In such movement, the valve core (22) pushes the puncture member (50) to puncture the bottom wall of the inner liner (31 ) such that the modifier can flow out of the inner liner (31 ) and mix with the contents of the can body (1 1 ), thereby forming the material to be sprayed. Then, by pushing the spray cap to push the valve core (22) relative to the valve housing (21 ) to move towards the can bottom (1 1 1 ) of the can body (1 1 ), the material to be sprayed enters the spray cap through the control valve (20) and then be discharged by the spray cap. If the mechanical strength of the spray cap is insufficient, the valve core (22) may be first pressed using a special press cap or a slightly soft object to prevent the spray cap from being damaged during the operation.

The spray can (100) of the present invention can be used not only for a ready-to- use spray material, but also avoids the need to mix the polyester lacquer with toluene diisocyanate before it leaves the factory and making it difficult to be sprayed by the spray can (100). Moreover, the mixing of the polyester lacquer and the toluene diisocyanate is initiated by directly or indirectly pushing the valve core (22). Compared with the prior art, the spray can (100) eliminates the need to incorporate a complicated rotating part to initiate the mixing of the polyester lacquer and the toluene diisocyanate through a cumbersome rotating action. As such, the spray can (100) is advantageous for having a simple structure and enabling low cost and convenient operation.

As illustrated in Figure 1 , the puncture member (50) of the present embodiment includes a hollow shaft (51 ) which is connected to the valve housing (21 ) through an adapter (25) which is disposed outside the valve housing (21 ) so that the hollow shaft (51 ) is also linked to the valve core (22). Pushing and sliding of the valve housing (21 ), hollow rod body (51 ) and consequently the puncture member (50) relative to the adapter (25) would puncture the bottom of the inner liner (31 ). Instead of the conventional flow tube in most spray cans of the prior art, this embodiment of the present invention uses the hollow shaft (51 ) and the adapter (25) to channel the material to be sprayed into the control valve (20). The connection between the adapter (25) and the valve housing (21 ) may be solidly bolted, snapped or welded. The connection between the adapter (25) and the hollow shaft (51 ) may be an interference fit (also known as press fit or friction fit), clearance fit or transition fit. Preferably, the longitudinal axes (vertical axes along the top through the bottom of the embodiment as shown in Figure 1 ) of the hollow shaft (51 ), the adapter (25) and the valve housing (21 ) overlap in line or nearly overlap.

The spray can (100) further includes a gravity check valve (251 ) (also known as clack valve, non-return valve, reflux valve, retention valve or one-way valve) disposed on the adapter (25) (illustrated in Figures 1 and 2). The gravity check valve (251 ) includes a ball cavity (251 d) formed on wall of the adapter (25) with an inlet (251 a) and an outlet (251 b), and a gravity ball (251 c) placed in the ball cavity (251 d). The outlet (251 b) is located at the bottom of the ball cavity (251 d), while the inlet (251 a) is located at the side of the ball cavity (251 d). When the bottom of the can body (1 1 ) of the spray can (100) faces the ground (that is, the spray can (100) is positioned upright during spraying), the gravity ball (251 c) moves under gravity towards the outlet (251 b), thereby blocking the outlet (251 b) and forcing close the gravity check valve (251 ) to prevent the modifier in the inner tank (30) (when the inner tank (30) is not punctured) or the material to be sprayed (after the inner tank (30) is punctured) from entering the control valve (20) through the inlet (251 a), the ball cavity (251 d) and the outlet (251 b). Flowever, when the can lid (12) of the spray can (100) faces the ground (that is, the spray can (100) is positioned upside down during spraying), the gravity ball (251 c) moves away from the outlet (251 b) by gravity, and then opens the inlet (251 a) while opening the outlet (251 b) to open the gravity check valve (251 ), allowing the modifier or the material to be sprayed in the inner tank (30) to pass through the inlet (251 a), the ball cavity (251 d) and the outlet (251 b), and to enter the control valve (20); this ensures that the spray can (100) can be used upside down. The gravity check valve (251 ) may be configured in such a way as the embodiment illustrated in Figure 2 or be configured like other known valves having the same functionality. A protrusion (53) is provided to extend along the axial direction at the bottom of the hollow shaft (51 ) to facilitate puncturing of the bottom wall of the inner tank (30) by the puncture member (50). The protrusion (53) is a pointed of a strip or a block, and the tip is preferably a cone or a trapezoid.

The puncture member (50) further includes at least one, two or more support members (52) that are disposed on the sides of the hollow shaft (51 ) and are spaced circumferentially. One end of the support member (52) is connected to the hollow shaft (51 ), while the other end abuts against the side wall of the inner tank (30). The support member (52) and the adapter (25) maintain the position of the hollow shaft (51 ) so that its longitudinal axis overlaps along the axis of the inner tank (30). When the hollow shaft (51 ) is pushed by the valve core (22), the hollow shaft (51 ) slides relative to the adapter sleeve (25) in such a way that the protrusion (53) held by the hollow shaft (51 ) punctures a designated portion (for example, on a groove (33)) of the inner tank (30).

To further facilitate puncturing of the inner tank (30) by the puncture member (50), a groove (33), a pair of grooves or more may be made on the bottom wall of the inner tank (30). The groove 33 makes the inner liner (31 ) thinner at the bottom wall of the inner tank (30) so that the puncture member (50) can easily puncture the inner tank (30). Preferably, the groove (33) has a polygonal shape, such as circular, elliptical or ring. If it is desired to puncture the inner tank (30) with the hollow shaft (51 ) without the protrusions (53), an annular or circular groove (33) but not a pair of grooves is recommended in order to completely receive the bottom of the hollow shaft (51 ), thereby preventing the hollow shaft (51 ) from getting stuck. On the other hand, if the hollow shaft (51 ) with the protrusion (53) is intended to puncture the inner tank (30), groove (33) of polygonal, circular or elliptical shape is recommended in order to completely receive the protrusion (53).

The puncture member (50) further includes at least one reinforcing member (54) disposed along the outer walls of the hollow shaft (51 ) in the axial direction. The top end of the reinforcing member (54) is in contact with the adapter (25), while the bottom end is in contact with the support member (52). Where there is more than one reinforcing member (54), the reinforcing members (54) are spaced apart along the circumference of the hollow shaft (51 ).

The thickness of the groove (33) at the bottom wall of the inner tank (30) cannot be too thin, or else the contents of the can body (1 1 ) may crush the inner tank (30); if the thickness of the groove (33) is too thick, the inner tank (30) may be hard to be pierced by the puncture member (50). After repeated calculations and experiments, it is preferable that the bottom wall of the inner tank (31 ) is made of aluminium material and the groove (33) has a thickness of 0.1 -0.5 mm. More preferably, the thickness of the groove (33) is 0.2 mm.

The spray can 100 further includes an reinforcement member (32) attached to the sidewall of the inner tank (30). The reinforcement member (32) provides support to the inner tank (30) by increasing the compressive strength of the inner tank (30). The reinforcement member (32) also facilitates the winding of the edges of the inner liner (31 ), the can lid (12) and the can body (1 1 ) at the top opening of the can body (1 1 ). The reinforcement member (32) is made of a pressure-resistant material, which may be a resin, a metal or a quartz, etc., but is preferably made of a resin having high resistance to corrosion and light weight to impart corrosion resistance to the spray can (100) while reducing its manufacturing cost.

As illustrated in Figure 3, the valve core (22) includes an upper rod portion (221 ), an enlarged diameter portion (222) and a lower rod portion (223). The enlarged diameter portion (222) is disposed between the upper rod portion (221 ) and the lower rod portion (223). The diameter of the enlarged diameter portion (222) is larger than the diameters of the upper rod portion (221 ) and the lower rod portion (223). The upper rod portion (221 ) has a discharge passage (221 a) and is sealed axially through the top of the valve housing (21 ) and the can lid (12). The lower rod portion (223) has a flow guide channel (223a) and is sealed through the bottom of the valve housing (21 ). The enlarged diameter portion (222) is located in the valve housing (21 ). Preferably, the discharge passage (221 a) includes an outlet provided on the top end surface of the upper rod portion (221 ), and an inlet provided on the side surface of the upper rod portion (221 ). The control valve (20) further includes an elastic return member (23) disposed within the valve housing (21 ), between the enlarged diameter portion (222) of the valve core (22) and the bottom of the valve housing (21 ). The elastic return member (23) may be a rubber member, a silicone member or a spring, etc., but is preferably a compression spring that is sleeved around the lower rod portion (223).

When the valve core (22) is pushed downward or pressed in the axial direction to move from the closed position to the open position, the inlet of the discharge passage (221 a) enters the valve housing (21 ), and the guide channel (223a) is partially displaced from the valve housing (21 ), so that the material to be sprayed in the inner tank (30) enters the control valve (20) through the guide channel (223a) and is discharged through the discharge passage (221 a) to the outside of the control valve (20). When the valve core (22) is pushed for the first time, the valve core (22) also pushes the puncture member (50) through its lower rod portion (223) to puncture the inner tank (30). When the valve core (22) is released, the compressed elastic return member (23) pushes the valve core (22) back in the axial direction, through the enlarged diameter portion (222), to return from the open position to the closed position, while the inlet of the discharge passage (221 a) withdraws from the valve housing (21 ) and the flow guide channel (223a) returns into the valve housing (21 ). As such, the material to be sprayed in the can body (1 1 ) is prevented from entering the control valve (20) through the flow guide channel (223a) and being discharged to the outside of the control valve (20) through the discharge passage (221 a).

The cross-section of the flow guide channel (233a) may be circular, elliptical, rectangular, strip or irregular. However, in the present embodiment, the flow guide channel (233a) is preferably a strip-shaped channel extending along the axial direction of the valve core (22), which helps the annular gap to better limit the flow rate of the material to be sprayed. This can also facilitate a part of the flow into and out of the valve casing (21 ). There is at least one flow guide channel (233a). Where there are more than one flow guide channel (233a), they are equally spaced along the circumference of the valve core (22). The flow guide channel (233a) has a length of 8-10 mm, a width of 0.5-1.5 mm, and a depth of 0.3-0.7 mm.

The control valve (20) has three seals, one of which is a seal between the valve housing (21 ) and the can lid (12) of the spray can (100), another is a seal between the upper rod portion (221 ) of the valve core (22) and the bottom of the valve housing 21 , and the third is a seal between the lower rod portion (223) of the valve core (22) and the bottom of the valve housing (21 ). Safety and the sealing of the control valve (20) and the spray can (100) are improved by the above-mentioned seals, and the risk of leakage is greatly reduced during transportation, use or accident. Meanwhile, in order to prevent the seal between the lower rod portion (223) of the valve core (22) and the bottom of the valve housing (21 ) from affecting the operation of the control valve (20), the flow guide channel (223a) is specifically provided on the valve core (22) to enable the open position of the valve core (22) When the material to be sprayed in the can body (11 ) flows into the control valve (20), the control valve (20) not only releases the material to be sprayed in a timely and effective manner, but the material to be sprayed in the can body (1 1 ) is also prevented from entering the control valve (20) through the flow guide channel (223a) when the valve core (22) is at the closed position. Therefore, the control valve (20) can effectively discharge the material to be sprayed from the spray can (100) only after being pushed and has better sealing and safety.

When the control valve (20) is applied in the spray can (100) of the present embodiment, not only can the puncture member (50) be exerted to puncture the inner tank (30), but safety and the sealing of the spray can (100) can be improved using the three seals to which it is applied.

When the control valve (20) is applied to a conventional spray can, safety and the sealing of the spray can (100) can be improved by applying the three seals thereto.

In the present embodiment, the control valve (20) further includes a first sealing gasket (24) disposed between the elastic return member (23) and the bottom of the valve housing (21 ) for sealing the latter two. The first sealing gasket (24) acts as a washer to prevent wear at the bottom of the valve housing (21 ), and to ensure that the valve housing (21 ) has sufficient mechanical strength.

In the present embodiment, the control valve (20) further includes a second sealing gasket (26) disposed between the can lid (12) and the valve housing (21 ) for sealing the can lid (12) and the valve housing (21 ). Preferably, the inner circumferential surface of the second sealing gasket (26) is in close contact with the upper rod portion (221 ) of the valve core (22) such that it simultaneously seals between the can lid (12) and the valve core (22), and between the can lid (12) and the valve housing (21 ).

In the present embodiment, an annular gap is provided between the enlarged diameter portion (222) and the valve housing (21 ). The difference between the inner and outer diameters of the annular gap is preferably 0.05-3 mm, preferably 0.1 mm, so that it can limit the flow rate of the material to be sprayed and restrain the discharge rate and force at the spray cap.

The spray can (100) further includes a cushion pad (60) that is placed inside the can body (1 1 ), typically at the bottom of the can body (1 1 ), as illustrated in Figures 1 , 4 and 5. Figure 4 illustrates an axial cross-sectional view of only the bottom of the can body (1 1 ) and a cushion pad (60) of the spray can (100) shown in Figure 1 . Figure 5 illustrates a perspective view of only the cushion pad (60). At the bottom of the can body (1 1 ), the can bottom (1 1 1 ) of the can body (1 1 ) is generally arched towards the inside of the can body (1 1 ) such that the inner surface of the can bottom (1 1 1 ) is a convex surface (1 1 1 a) and the outer surface is a concave surface (1 1 1 b).

The cushion pad (60) may be made of a hard material, such as steel, aluminium or resin, or a slightly soft material, such as rubber or silica gel. In order to have good quality with lower cost, it is recommended to make the cushion pad (60) from resin.

The cushion pad (60) comprises a padding layer (62) that is disposed in the can body (1 1 ) and on top of the convex surface (1 1 1 a) of the can bottom (1 1 1 ). The padding layer (62) may be of the same or similar shape as a plano-concave lens, a biconcave lens, or a meniscus lens. To reduce the manufacturing cost, the padding layer (62) is preferably in the form of a flat plate.

As illustrated in Figure 4, the cushion pad (60) includes a first peripheral wall (61 ). The first peripheral wall (61 ) is disposed on one side along the periphery of the cushion pad (62). The first peripheral wall (61 ) has the same cross-sectional shape as the can body (1 1 ), both of which are generally annular. The first peripheral wall (61 ) is in close contact (for example, interference fit) with the can body (1 1 ) of the pressure resistant container (10) to prevent the material to be sprayed in the can body (1 1 ) from entering the area between the convex surface (1 1 1 a) of the can bottom (1 1 1 ) and the can body (1 1 ), beneath the padding layer (62). The first peripheral wall (61 ) and the padding layer (62) can hold the material to be sprayed in the can body (1 1 ) above the padding layer (62). Such configuration of the first peripheral wall (61 ) and the padding layer (62) facilitates the guiding tube of the existing spray tank to easily extract the material to be sprayed from the level of the padding layer (62) even when the material to be sprayed is almost finish. As such, the cushion pad (60) effectively increases the effective amount of the material sprayed from the spray can (100), and reduces the residual amount of the material to be sprayed remaining inside the can body (1 1 ).

More importantly, the cushion pad (60) holds the material to be sprayed in the can body (1 1 ) above the padding layer (62) so that the spray can (100) of the present embodiment can use a straight and rigid draw tube or guide tube (that is, the hollow shaft (51 )) to easily extract the material to be sprayed until the level of the padding layer (62) when the material is almost finish.

To further reduce the residual amount of the material to be sprayed in the can body (1 1 ), the first peripheral wall (61 ) is configured such that its outer diameter gradually increases in the upward direction to create a slop so that the material to be sprayed would flow from the first peripheral wall (61 ) to the padding layer (62). The guide tube of the spray can (100) more easily extracts the material to be sprayed from the padding layer (62), further improves the effective use amount of the material to be sprayed in the spray can, and more effectively reduces residual amount of material to be sprayed remaining inside the can body (1 1 ). The thickness of the first peripheral wall 61 is uniform so that it is not difficult to manufacture the cushion pad (60) and is cost saving. The thickness of the first peripheral wall (61 ) may be uneven if the manufacturing difficulty and cost is disregarded; however test have proven that when filling is performed on a firm cushion pad (60), the cushion pad (60) would maintain good sealing contact with the can body (1 1 ) and the residual amount of the material to be sprayed remaining inside the can body (1 1 ) can be further reduced.

As illustrated in Figure 4, the cushion pad (60) further comprises a second peripheral wall (63) that is disposed on the other side along the periphery of the padding layer (62). The second peripheral wall (63) is seated on the convex surface (1 1 1 a) of the can bottom (1 1 1 ) of the can body (1 1 ) to support the padding layer (62) and to prevent the cushion pad (60) from being swayed or overturned. Preferably, the second peripheral wall (63) is similar to a circular tube in form, that is, its wall thickness is uniform, and its outer diameter is constant to reduce the load radially subjected to the second peripheral wall (63).

In the present embodiment, the spray can (100) further includes a stirring ball (40) provided in the can body (1 1 ).

In the description of the present invention, it is to be understood that the terms "center", longitudinal", "length", "thickness", "upper", "lower", "after, "upright", "upside down", "vertical", "top", "bottom", "inside", "outside", "axial", the orientation or positional relationship "radial", "circumferential", and the likes are based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the drawings, and are merely for the convenience of describing the present invention, and does not indicate or imply that the indicated device or component must be constructed and operated in a particular orientation, so not to be construed as limiting the invention.

Moreover, the terms "first", "second", and the likes are used only for the purpose of description, and are not to be construed as indicating or implying a relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of technical features indicated. Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are merely illustrative of the technical solutions of the present invention, and are not intended to be limiting; although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art will understand that the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments may be modified, or some or all of the technical features may be equivalently replaced; and the modifications or substitutions do not deviate from the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention. The scope is intended to be included within the scope of the claims and the description of the invention. In particular, the technical features mentioned in the various embodiments can be combined in any manner as long as there is no structural conflict. The present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed herein, but includes all technical solutions falling within the scope of the claims.

Claims

1 . A spray can (100), comprising:

a can body (1 1 ) having a first opening on top portion;

a can lid (12) having a second opening on top portion mounted on to the first opening of the can body (1 1 );

an inner tank (30) disposed in the can body (1 1 ) for accommodating a control valve (20) on top portion of the can lid (12), and having a valve housing (21 ) disposed in the inner tank (30) on lower portion of the can lid (12);

a valve core (22) disposed within the valve housing (21 ), wherein a top end of the valve core (22) is axially fixed through the top of the valve housing (21 ); a hollow shaft (51 ) disposed in the inner tank (30) and connected below the valve core (22) by an adapter (25) sleeved on the outside of the valve housing (21 ) and the hollow shaft (51 ); and

a gravity check valve (251 ) disposed on the adapter (25),

characterised in that the gravity check valve (251 ) is closed when the spray can (100) is positioned upright, the gravity check valve (251 ) is opened when the spray can (100) is positioned upside down to allow material in the inner tank (30) dispensed via the control valve (20) from the adapter (25).

2. The spray can (100) according to claim 1 , wherein the valve core (22) further comprises an upper rod portion (221 ) having a discharge passage (221 a), a lower rod portion (223) having a flow guide channel (223a), and an enlarged diameter portion (222) disposed between the upper rod portion (221 ) and the lower rod portion (223), configured in such a way that the upper rod portion (221 ) is axially sealed through a top portion of the valve housing (21 ) and the can lid (12) and the lower rod portion (223) is axially sealed through the bottom of the valve housing (21 ) such that the enlarged diameter portion (222) is located in the valve housing (21 ).

3. The spray can (100) according to claim 2, wherein an annular gap is provided between the enlarged diameter portion (222) of the valve core (22) and the valve housing (21 ), and the difference between the outer radius and the inner radius of the annular gap is 0.05-0.3 mm.

4. The spray can (100) according to claim 1 , wherein the hollow shaft (51 ) is part of a puncture member (50), and when the valve core (22) is pushed to move towards the bottom of the spray can (100), the valve core (22) pushes the puncture member (50) to force it to puncture the bottom wall of the inner tank (30), allowing content of the inner tank (30) to flow out of the inner tank (30) and mix with the content of the can body (11 ), then forming a material to be sprayed.

5. The spray can (100) according to claim 4, wherein the puncture member (50) further comprises a protrusion (53) provided on at the bottom of the hollow shaft (51 ), the protrusion (53) is able to puncture of the bottom wall of the inner tank (30).

6. The spray can (100) according to claim 5, wherein the puncture member (50) further comprises at least one support member (52) to support the protrusion (53).

7. The spray can (100) according to claim 5, wherein the puncture member (50) further comprises a reinforcing member (54) disposed along the sidewalls of the hollow shaft (51 ) in an axial direction, the top end of the reinforcing member (54) being connected to the adapter (25) and the bottom thereof is in contact with the support member (52).

8. The spray can (100) according to claim 7, wherein the reinforcement member (54) is made of resin.

9. The spray can (100) according to claim 5, wherein a groove (33) is provided at bottom wall of the inner tank (30) to receive the puncture member (50) for puncturing the inner tank (30).

10. The spray can (100) according to claim 9, wherein the groove (33) has a polygonal, circular, elliptical or annular cross section.

1 1. The spray can (100) according to claim 9, wherein the inner tank (30) is made of an aluminium material, and wall thickness of the bottom wall of the inner tank (30) at the groove (33) is 0.1 -0.5 mm.

12. The spray can (100) according to claim 1 , wherein the control valve (20) further comprises an elastic return member (23) disposed in the valve housing (21 ) and located between the enlarged diameter portion (222) of the valve core (22) and the bottom of the valve housing (21 ).

13. The spray can (100) according to claim 12, wherein the elastic return member (23) is a compression spring.

14. The spray can (100) according to claim 12, wherein the control valve

(20) further comprises a first sealing gasket (24) disposed between the elastic return member (12) and the bottom of the valve housing (21 ) for sealing the elastic return member (12) and the bottom of the valve housing (21 ).

15. The spray can (100) according to claim 1 , wherein the valve housing

(21 ) and the valve core (22) are each made of a resin.

16. The spray can according to claim 1 , wherein the control valve (20) further comprises a second sealing gasket (26) disposed between the can lid (12) and the valve housing (21 ), and the inner circumferential surface of the second sealing gasket (26) is in sealing contact with an upper rod portion (221 ) of the valve core (22) such that the second sealing gasket (26) simultaneously seals between the top of the valve housing (21 ) and the valve core (22), and between the can lid (12) and the valve housing (21 ).

17. A control valve (20) for a spray can (100), the spray can (100) comprising: a can body (1 1 ) having a first opening on top portion;

a valve core (22) disposed within the valve housing (21 ), wherein the valve core having an upper rod portion (221 ) having a discharge passage (221 a), a lower rod portion (223) having a flow guide channel (223a), and an enlarged diameter portion (222) disposed between the upper rod portion (221 ) and the lower rod portion (223), configured in such a way that the upper rod portion (221 ) is axially sealed through a top portion of the valve housing (21 ) and the can lid (12) and the lower rod portion (223) is axially sealed through the bottom of the valve housing (21 ) such that the enlarged diameter portion (222) is located in the valve housing (21 ); and

an elastic return member (23) disposed in the valve housing (21 ) and located between the enlarged diameter portion (222) of the valve core (22) and the bottom of the valve housing (21 ),

characterized in that material to be sprayed in the spray can (100) enters the control valve (20) through the flow guide channel (223a) and is discharged to the outside of the control valve (20) through the discharge passage (221 a) when the valve core (22) is pushed to move from the closed position to the open position, and compress the elastic return member (23) by the enlarged diameter portion (222) but when the valve core (22) is released, the compressed elastic return member (23) pushes the valve core (22) back from the open position to the closed position to prevent the material to be sprayed from entering the control valve (20).

18. The control valve (20) according to claim 17, further comprising a first sealing gasket (24) disposed between the elastic return member (23) and the bottom of the valve housing (21 ) for sealing the elastic return member (23) and the bottom of the valve housing (21 ).

19. The control valve (20) according to claim 17, further comprising a second sealing gasket (26) disposed between the can lid (12) and the valve housing (21 ) for sealing between the can lid (12) and the valve housing (21 ).

20. The control valve (20) according to claim 19, wherein inner circumferential surface of the second sealing gasket (26) is in sealing contact with an upper rod portion (221 ) of the valve core (22) such that the second sealing gasket (26) simultaneously seals between the top of the valve housing (21 ) and the valve core (22), and between the can lid (12) and the valve housing (21 ).

21 . The control valve (20) according to claim 17, wherein an annular gap is provided between the enlarged diameter portion (222) of the valve core (22) and the valve housing (21 ), and the difference between the outer inner radius and the inner radius of the annular gap is 0.05-0.3 mm.

22. The control valve (20) according to claim 17, wherein the elastic return member (23) is a compression spring sleeved over the lower rod portion (223).

23. The control valve (20) according to claim 17, wherein the discharge passage (221 a) further comprises an outlet disposed on a top surface of the upper rod portion (221 ) and an inlet disposed on a side of the upper rod portion (221 ).

24. The control valve (20) according to claim 17, wherein the valve housing (21 ) and the valve core (22) are each made of a resin.

25. A cushion pad (60) for a spray can (100) having a can body (1 1 ) and a can bottom (1 1 1 ) of the can body (1 1 ) with a convex inner surface (1 1 1 a) and a concave outer surface (1 1 1 b), the cushion pad (60) comprises:

a padding layer (62) disposed in the can body (1 1 ) and located on the convex surface (1 1 1 a) of the can bottom (1 1 1 ); and

a first peripheral wall (61 ) disposed on one side along the periphery of the padding layer (62), characterized in that the first peripheral wall (61 ) closely contacts the can body (1 1 ) to prevent material to be sprayed in the can body (1 1 ) from entering the area between the convex surface (11 1 a) of the can bottom (1 11 ) and the can body (11 ), beneath the padding layer (62).

26. The cushion pad (60) according to claim 25, wherein the outer diameter of the first peripheral wall (61 ) gradually increases in an upward direction.

27. The cushion pad (60) according to claim 25, wherein the first peripheral wall (61 ) has a uniform thickness.

28. The cushion pad (60) according to claim 25, wherein the padding layer (62) is made of a firm material.

29. The cushion pad (60) according to claim 25, wherein the padding layer (62) is made of a resin.

30. The cushion pad (60) according to claim 25 further comprising a second peripheral wall (63) disposed on the other side along the periphery of the padding layer (62) to support the padding layer (62).

31. The cushion pad (60) according to claim 25, wherein the second peripheral wall (63) has a uniform wall thickness and a constant outer diameter.

32. The cushion pad (60) according to claim 25, wherein the padding layer (62) has a flat shape or the same shape as a plano-concave lens, a biconcave lens or a meniscus lens.