Aerosol atomizing device
United States Patent Kawashima Apr. 1, 1975 [54] AEROSOL ATOMIZING DEVICE 3,083,882 4/1963 Schmid et al. 239/337 X 4 W51 Inventor: Tetsuya Kawashima, Tokyo, Japan 3:183:35 241322 1525220 223i0 2.1i 73 Assignee: K0 Hasin0,Ibarak,Ja pa n Primary Examiner-M. Henson Wood, Jr. [22] Flled 1974 Assistant Examiner-John J. Love [21] Appl. No.: 443,632 Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Armstrong, Nikaido &amp;  
 Wegner [52] U.S. Cl 222/402.14, 239/579, 251/354 [51] Int. Cl B65d 83/14 [57] ABSTRACT [58] Field of Search 239/337, 579;222/402.14,  
  An aerosol atomlzmg devlce 1n Wl&#39;llCl&#39;l the aerosol 222/402.24, 251/349, 354  
  agent In the contamer was used up, the head portion is [56] References Cited pressed down and slighly rotated to completely exhaust the pressurlzed gas remamed 1n the contamer. UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,061,203 l0/l962 Kitabayashi 239/337 1 13 3 Drawmg Flgures AEROSOL ATOMlZlNG DEVICE 1 This invention relates to an aerosol atomizing device containing an agent such as an insecticide, germicide, medicine, cosmetic, deodorant or the like.  
  In the conventional aerosol container, even when the agent contained in the container was used up, some pressurized gas still remain in the container. If such container is thrown into a fire for disposition, it exploses and assumes a serious problem.  
  The purpose of thepresent invention is to provide an aerosol atomizing device which overcoming the foregoing disadvantage and may safely be disposed without assuming any serious problem.  
  A further object of the present invention is to provide an aerosol atomizing device having a valve for completely exhausting pressurized gas from the container.  
  A still further object of the present invention is to provide an aerosol atomizing device in which when the content of the container was used up, the head portion is pressed down and slightly rotated so that the interior of the container is kept communicating with the atmosphere so as to exhause completely the pressurized gas remained in the container.  
  According to the present invention, there is provided an aerosol atomizing device comprising a rotatable valve member having a portion with a cross-section in a shape ofcircular lacking a segment thereof and forming a shoulder at one end thereof, a resilient packing member having a central opening which packing member normally seal a passage formed in said valve member and adapted to open said passage when the valve member is actuated, and a dish like stopper means placed under said packing member and having a central opening in a form corresponding to the crosssectional shape of said one portion of the valve member, whereby when the valve member is pressed down to a certain extent and rotated the upward movement of the valve member is prevented to maintain said passage be opened.  
  On preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:  
  FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of an essential part of the aerosol atomizing device in accordance with the present invention.  
  FIG. 2 is a plan view of a dish like stopper used in the device shown in FIG. 1.  
  FIG. 3 is a perspective view ofthe valve member used in the device shown in FIG. 1.  
  The aerosol atomizing device shown in the drawings has a container 1 in which atomizable agent, such insecticide, gcrmic&#39;ide, medicine, cosmetic, deodorant or the like, is scald. An elongaged valve member 2 is provided through the top wall 3 of the container 1. The valve member 2 has, as clearly seen from HO. 3, a cylindrical top portion 4 and a lower portion 5 having a non-circular cross-section, such as a circular lacking a segment thereof. Between the top portion 4 and the lower portion 5, there are formed a diametrically reduced neck portion 6 and a shoulders 7 and 8 on the upper portion 4 and the lower portion 5 respectively. The shoulder 8 in turn forms a diametrically enlarged another shoulder 9. In the top portion 4, there is formed a central axial passage 10 which terminates at the small opening 11 formed in the neck portion 6.  
 &#39; On the top portion 4 of the valve member 2, a push button 12 is rigidly mounted in a manner such that the central passage 10 communicates with a nozzle 13 provided on the button l2. 5 A packing member 14 made-of a resilient material, such as a rubber or the like, having a central opening 15 is placed under the top wall 3 of the container 1 in a manner such that the central opening 15 of this packing member 14 mates with the neck portion 6 of the valve member 2 so that the small opening 11 is normally sealed by the inner side wall of the central opening 15 of the packing member 14 and is opened when the packing member 15 is downwardly deflected by means of the shoulder 7.  
  A dish like stopper means 16 having a central opening 17 of a shape corresponding to the cross-sectional shape of the lower portion 5 of the valve member 2, is rigidly secured under the resilient packing member 14, and through said central opening 17 the lower portion 5 of the valve member 2 extends.  
  The valve member 2 is upwardly urged by a spring 18 supported by a valve housing 19 so that the shoulder 8 of the valve member 2 compresses the inner peripheral edge of the packing member 14 against the top wall 3 of the container 1 to properly seal the small opening 11 formed on the neck portion 6 of the valve member 2.  
  In a normal usage, as in the case of the conventional device, the button 12 is pushed down against the force of the spring 18 so as to deflect the resilient packing member 14. Then the small opening 11 is allowed to communicate with the interior of the container 1 whereby the agent may be sprayed through the nozzle 13.  
  Even if the aerosol agent in the container has been used up, normally there still remain some pressurized gas which has to be completely exhausted before disposal, otherwise if it is thrown into a fire, it may exploses and causes a serious problem. To eliminate this drawback, in the present invention, the button 12 is pushed down till the shoulder 9 moves over the stopper means 16 and is slightly rotated in either direction so that the shoulder 9 engages with the under side of the stopper means 16 due to the force exerted by the spring 18., whereby the upward movement of the valve member 2 is perfectly prevented and the passage 10 is kept opened so that the pressurized gas remained in the container 1 will be completely exhausted.  
  In case, the user carelessly push the valve member 2 too hard, yet this valve member 2 has not been rotated and the lower portion 5 of the valve member 2 will, as soon as the force is removed, automatically be returned to its original position due to the effect of the spring 18 to close the small opening 11.  
  As described above, in the present invention it is required two operations, nemely pushing the valve member 2 downwardly and rotating this pushed valve member 2 slightly, to exhaust the remaining pressurized gas. Therefore, the user does not have any feeling of uncertain as to whether the remaining gas has completely been exhausted.  
 What is claimed is:  
  1. An aerosol atomizing device comprising a rotatable valve member having a portion with a crosssection in a shape of a circle lacking a segment thereof and forming a shoulder at one end thereof, a resilient packing member having a central opening which normally seals a passage formed in the valve member and the valve member is pushed down to a certain extent and rotated. the upward movement of the valve member is prevented thereby maintaining said passage in an open condition.