| 主权项 |
1. An actuator and nozzle assembly for a dispensing device for dispensing a product under pressure, comprising:
an outer container having a sidewall, a top end, and a bottom end, said top end having at least one flow port therethrough and a central opening; attaching means on said top end for attaching a product chamber to said top end so that said product chamber is supported in said outer container in communication with said central opening; a valve seal pocket formed in said central opening, said valve seal pocket having a valve seat therein; a coupling member attached to said container top end on a side thereof opposite said attaching means, said coupling member having an upstanding side wall and a yieldable spring-like upper end wall with a downwardly projecting center portion having a center opening therethrough; a combined valving and spring member secured between said container top end and said coupling member so that it is disposed around said central opening in said container top end, at least one spring arm extending inwardly from said valving and spring member in overlying spaced relation to said container top end, and a valve flap on said valving and spring member normally disposed in closed relationship over said at least one flow port through said container top end; an actuator reciprocable on said coupling member, said actuator having a top wall, an outer side wall depending from said top wall and telescopically engaged on said coupling member side wall, said outer side wall having an opening through one side thereof adjacent said top wall, a first inner wall depending from said top wall in inwardly spaced concentric relation to said outer side wall, said first inner wall being engaged against said coupling member flexible upper end wall, and a center hub supported in inwardly spaced concentric relationship with said first inner wall, said hub having an upper end and a lower end and a bore extending through the lower end thereof, a side opening extending through one side of the hub adjacent said upper end thereof and communicating with an upper end of said bore, said side opening in said hub being in alignment with said opening through one side of the actuator outer side wall, and a bottom end seal on the bottom end of said hub, said bottom end seal normally seated against the coupling member upper end wall and closing the center opening therethrough; a stem valve having an upper end and a lower end and having a hollow interior extending through said upper end from adjacent but spaced from said lower end, said upper end extending through the center opening in said spring-like upper end wall of said coupling member and being slidably sealed in the bore in said hub, the lower end of said stem valve extending into said valve seal pocket and having a sliding seal member thereon slidably sealed in said valve seal pocket and a valve member on said lower end for cooperation with the valve seat in the valve seal pocket, and at least one opening through a side of said stem valve between said sliding seal member and said valve member establishing fluid communication between said product chamber and said hollow interior when said valve member is unseated, said at least one spring arm engaged against a midportion of said stem valve to urge it into closed position, and said midportion defining an abutment against which the downwardly projecting center portion of said spring-like upper end wall of said coupling member abuts when said actuator is depressed; said container and said product chamber defining a space between them forming a first portion of a lower air chamber, said upper end of said container and said coupling member forming a second portion of a lower air chamber, and said actuator and said flexible upper end wall of said coupling member forming an upper air chamber separated and sealed from said lower air chamber by seating of the bottom end seal on said hub against the coupling member upper end wall and closing the center opening therethrough; pressure means for pressurizing said first portion of said lower air chamber and applying pressure to product in said product chamber, said valve flap being opened upon pressurization of said first portion of said lower air chamber to establish communication between said first and second portions of said lower air chamber and thus pressurize said second portion; a nozzle secured in said opening through said opening in one side of said outer side wall of said actuator; and a tube extending from said opening in the side of said hub to said nozzle; wherein depression of said actuator to a first position moves said first inner wall against said flexible upper wall of said coupling member to flex said upper wall downwardly to unseat the bottom end seal on said hub from said center opening and admit pressurized air from said lower air chamber to said upper air chamber and through said nozzle, and continued depression of said actuator to a second position further moves said flexible upper end wall to abut said stem valve midportion and move said stem valve to unseat said valve member from the valve seat in the valve seal pocket and permit pressurized product to flow up through the hollow stem valve and through the tube to be dispensed through the nozzle, and wherein release of said actuator first enables said at least one spring arm to move said stem valve to a closed position to stop flow of product through the stem valve and nozzle while continuing to permit flow of pressurized air through the nozzle, and the flexible upper end wall of said coupling member then moves into closed relationship against said bottom end seal to close off flow of pressurized air. |
