Aerosol dispensing system

Abstract

An aerosol dispensing system having an outer container, compressible inner container positioned within the outer container, means to compress the compressible container, and a mechanical breakup spray head and valve assembly connected to the compressible container. A relatively non-foaming liquid product is present at a pressure above atmospheric pressure within the compressible container as well as a neutral propellant or mixture of propellants which are in a liquid state and are at least partially soluble or miscible in the liquid product. A second propellant may be present in a propellant region between the compressible container and outer container with the second propellant exerting a differential pressure across the compressible container which is sufficient to eject the product and neutral propellant through the mechanical breakup spray head on opening of the valve assembly. The neutral propellant is present in a relatively small amount, e.g., about 25 percent or less by volume of the volume of the product and neutral propellant and generally about 10 percent or less with the neutral propellant being at least partially vaporized at atmospheric pressure or less on passage of the product and neutral propellant through the spray head to create a turbulence within the spray head which provides a breaking up of the liquid product into a fine spray.

An aerosol dispensing system with a mechanical breakup spray head and valve assembly connected to compressible container positioned within an outer container with a finely divided powder product at a pressure above atmospheric pressure within the container. Also present within the compressible container is a liquified neutral propellant in an amount sufficient to form a slurry with the product and to carry the product into the spray head during discharge of the product. The neutral propellant is at least partially vaporized at atmospheric pressure or less on passage of the product and neutral propellant through the spray head to create turbulence within the spray head.

Description

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is copending application entitled "METHOD OF FILLING AN AEROSOL DISPENSING ARRANGEMENT" Ser. No. 466,306, filed May 2, 1974, now abandoned, the subject matter of which is incorporated herein by reference.

As stated previously, the present aerosol dispensing system is admirably suited for various products which cannot presently be dispensed as an aerosol, such as a vinyl latex or a vinyl-acrylic water base paint. Also, the aerosol dispensing system of the invention may be used with products, such as water base hair sprays, which may be dispersed as an aerosol through conventional aerosol systems. In the use of the present aerosol dispensing system for a water base hair spray, the water content of the hair spray may advantageously be reduced to provide a fine mist spray which is not as wet as existing aerosol hair spray formulations. The high water content of existing hair spray formulations is dictated by parameters of existing aerosol dispensing systems which do not apply to the aerosol dispensing system of the invention. Thus, by using the aerosol dispensing system of the invention, the make-up of many products, such as hair spray formulations, may now be radically altered while providing the product as a fine spray. The present aerosol dispensing system, thus, makes possible a host of new aerosol products whose make-up is not subject to the limitations imposed by previous aerosol dispensing systems in which the product was intermixed with a relatively large volume of a propellant that provided the driving force for expelling the product through a spray head.

As stated previously, a mechanical breakup spray head is an integral part of the present aerosol dispensing system with the neutral propellant or propellants being at least partially vaporized within the spray head. Many mechanical breakup spray heads are known and, in general, these spray heads are characterized by the use of a swirl chamber within which the product is submitted to centrifugal force before ejection of the product through an orifice into the atmosphere. In general, any of the various mechanical breakup spray heads may be used in the present aerosol dispensing system and the use of a particular type of spray head is not required by the system.

Claims

1. An aerosol dispensing system comprising:

an outer container;

compressible inner container means positioned within said outer container;

means to compress said inner container means positioned between said inner container means and said outer container;

a mechanical breakup spray head and valve assembly connected to said inner container means; said mechanical breakup spray head including a discharge orifice and a swirl chamber with the material being discharged passing through the swirl chamber and being subjected to centrifugal force therein before being ejected through said discharge orifice;

a relatively non-foaming liquid product at a pressure above atmospheric pressure within said inner container means due to the force exerted on the inner container means by said means to compress said inner container means;

a neutral propellant within said inner container means;

said neutral propellant being in a liquid state at the pressure within said inner container means and being at least partially soluble or miscible in said liquid product, and

said neutral propellant being at least partially vaporized at atmospheric pressure or less on passage of said product and neutral propellant through said spray head to create a turbulence within said spray head which produces breaking up of said liquid product into a fine spray.

2. The aerosol dispensing system of claim 1 wherein said liquid product is a water-base product, and said neutral propellant is a hydrocarbon gas.

3. The aerosol dispensing system of claim 2 wherein said neutral propellant propane.

4. The aerosol dispensing system of claim 2 wherein said neutral propellant contains n-butane.

5. The aerosol dispensing system of claim 2 wherein said neutral propellant contains isobutane.

6. The aerosol dispensing system of claim 2 wherein said liquid product is a water-base paint.

7. The aerosol dispensing system of claim 1 wherein said liquid product is an ingestible food product, and said neutral propellant is a non-toxic hydrocarbon or non-hydrocarbon gas.

8. The aerosol dispensing system of claim 7 wherein said neutral propellant contains propane.

9. The aerosol dispensing system of claim 7 wherein said neutral propellant contains n-butane.

10. The aerosol dispensing system of claim 7 wherein said neutral propellant contains isobutane.

11. The aerosol dispensing system of claim 1 including

said compressible inner container means being a flexible bag;

a propellant region between said flexible bag and said outer container;

a second propellant in said propellant region, and said second propellant exerting a differential pressure across said flexible bag sufficient to eject said product and said neutral propellant through said mechanical breakup spray head on opening of said valve assembly.

12. The aerosol dispensing system of claim 1 wherein said neutral propellant has a vapor pressure of about 30 psig at standard conditions.

13. The aerosol dispensing system of claim 11 wherein said neutral propellant has a vapor pressure of about 30 psig at standard conditions.

14. A barrier pack aerosol dispensing system comprising:

an outer container;

a flexible inner container positioned within said outer container;

a propellant region between said inner container and said outer container;

a mechanical breakup spray head and valve assembly connected to said inner container; said mechanical breakup spray head including a discharge orifice and a swirl chamber with the material being discharged passing through the swirl chamber and being subjected to centrifugal force therein before being ejected through said discharge orifice;

a relatively non-foaming liquid product within said inner container;

a neutral propellant within said inner container;

said neutral propellant being in a liquid state within said inner container and being at least partially soluble or miscible in said liquid product;

a second propellant in said propellant region;

said second propellant exerting a differential pressure across said inner container of at least about 30 psig sufficient to eject said product and said neutral propellant through said mechanical breakup spray head on opening of said valve assembly;

said neutral propellant being present in an amount of about 10 percent or less by volume of the volume of said product and said neutral propellant, and

said neutral propellant being at least partially vaporized at atmospheric pressure or less on passage of said product and neutral propellant through said spray head to create a turbulence within said spray head which produces breaking up of said liquid product into a fine spray.

15. The barrier pack aerosol dispensing system of claim 14 wherein

said liquid product is a water-base product, and

said neutral propellant is a hydrocarbon gas.

16. The barrier pack aerosol dispensing system of claim 15 wherein said neutral propellant is propane.

17. The barrier pack aerosol dispensing system of claim 15 wherein said neutral propellant is n-butane.

18. The barrier pack aerosol dispensing system of claim 15 wherein said liquid product is a water-base paint.

19. The barrier pack aerosol dispensing system of claim 14 wherein

said liquid product is an ingestible food product, and

said neutral propellant is a non-toxic hydrocarbon or non-hydrocarbon gas.

20. The barrier pack aerosol dispensing system of claim 19 wherein

said neutral propellant is propane.

21. The barrier pack aerosol dispensing system of claim 19 wherein

said neutral propellant is n-butane.

22. The barrier pack aerosol dispensing system of claim 14 wherein

said neutral propellant is present in an amount of about 6 percent by volume or less of the volume of said product and said neutral propellant.

23. The barrier pack aerosol dispensing system of claim 14 including a surfactant in said liquid product in an amount sufficient to reduce the surface tension of said product to a level suitable for dispersion of said product as a spray of fine particles.

24. The barrier pack aerosol dispensing system of claim 14 wherein

said liquid product is an ingestible vegetable oil, and

said neutral propellant is a non-toxic hydrocarbon.

25. The barrier pack aerosol dispensing system of claim 24 wherein said neutral propellant is propane.

26. The barrier pack aerosol dispensing system of claim 24 wherein said neutral propellant is n-butane.

27. An aerosol dispensing system comprising:

an outer container;

compressible inner container means positioned within said outer container;

means to compress said inner container means positioned between said inner container means and said outer container;

a mechanical breakup spray head and valve assembly connected to said inner container means; said spray head including a discharge orifice and a swirl chamber with the material to be discharged passing through the swirl chamber and being subjected to centrifugal force therein before being ejected through said discharge orifice;

a finely divided powder product at a pressure above atmospheric pressure within said inner container means due to the force exerted on said inner container means by said means to compress said inner container means;

a liquified neutral propellant within said inner container means;

said neutral propellant being present in an amount sufficient to form a slurry with said product and to carry said product into said spray head during discharge of said product, and

said neutral propellant being at least partially vaporized at atmospheric pressure or less on passage of said product and neutral propellant through said spray head to create a turbulence within said spray head which produces a fine powder spray.

28. The aerosol dispensing system of claim 27 wherein

said neutral propellant is present in an amount ranging up to about 25 percent by weight or more of said product.

29. The aerosol dispensing system of claim 27 including

said inner container means being a flexible bag;

a propellant region between said flexible bag and said outer container;

a second propellant in said propellant region, and

said second propellant exerting a differential pressure across said flexible bag sufficient to eject said product and said neutral propellant through said mechanical breakup spray head on opening of said valve assembly.

30. The aerosol dispensing system of claim 27 wherein said neutral propellant a vapor pressure of about 30 psig at standard conditions.

31. The aerosol dispensing system of claim 30 wherein said neutral propellant contains propane.

32. The aerosol dispensing system of claim 30 wherein said neutral propellant contains isobutane.

33. The aerosol dispensing system of claim 29 wherein said neutral propellant has a vapor pressure of about 30 psig at standard conditions.

34. The aerosol dispensing system of claim 33 wherein said neutral propellant contains propane.

35. The aerosol dispensing system of claim 33 wherein said neutral propellant contains isobutane.