A non-venting propellant filling and sealing valve is adapted to be seated in a propellant filling hole in a bottom wall of a container and permits pressurization of a container through the hole and thereafter seals the container. The propellant filling and sealing valve includes an umbrella sealing portion, a stem portion and shoulder portions in a collar around the stem portion. The umbrella sealing portion is employed to selectively engage, separate from, and then make a generally annular seal with the interior surface of the bottom wall of the container. The stem portion is used to position the umbrella sealing portion around the filling hole and has axially extending grooves therein for conducting pressurizing fluid to the interior of the container. The shoulder portions in the collar bear against the outer surface of the bottom wall to cause the umbrella sealing portion to engage the interior surface of the bottom wall and the grooves extending axially through the collar and along the stem portion allow fluid access along the stem portion for the pressurizing fluid to enter the container. The method of pressurizing and sealing a pressurized container utilizes the filling and sealing valve described above.
A packaging system which comprises a first container (24) having a valve (27) controlling the opening of an outlet and which contains a first ingredient (25), and a second container (28) having an openable entry portion (14) and containing a second ingredient (29). The packaging system further comprises means for connecting the first and second containers together in order to allow said first ingredient to be displaced from the first container into the second container via the entry portion thereof, so that said first and second ingredients are admixed in said second container to form a final product.
A method is provided for the two-stage pressurizing of a product in which a propellant gas may be immediately generated for use as a high-pressure propellant after the sealing of the container. A first reactant and the flowable or sprayable product which is desired to be dispensed is placed into the container until the container is substantially full. The container is then sealed. A second reactant, which may be dissolved in a further amount of product, is introduced in liquid form into the sealed container through a dispensing valve, another valve, or a sealable plug. The first and second reactants react to generate the propellant, which is then contained or dissolved with the product in the container until needed. As product is expelled, the propellant evolves out of the product to exert expulsive pressure. Thus, the invention involves the process of charging during the filling of product and allows the product to be dispensed promptly and continuously thereafter. The charging method of the invention requires minimal fill time, and does not rely on numerous materials, equipment, and processing steps, and yet the method provides a relatively high dispensing pressure and substantially complete expulsion of the product.
A valve and retainer assembly particularly useful for latex balloons is provided consisting of a valve body and a disk valve. The valve body has a retainer portion where the neck and mouth of a latex balloon may be received to affix the balloon to the valve body. A hollow stem communicates with the retainer portion, and a one-way valve allows gas to be introduced through the stem portion into the balloon affixed to the retainer portion. Once the balloon is filled the pressure of the gas within the balloon seals the valve closed to prevent gas from exiting the balloon.
