U.S. patent application number 10/525349 was filed with the patent office on 2005-10-06 for actuator cap for aerosol containers.
This patent application is currently assigned to Reckitt Benckiser Inc. Invention is credited to Morris, Matthew, Spitzer, Leonard.
Application Number | 20050218164 10/525349 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 9943116 |
Filed Date | 2005-10-06 |
United States Patent
Application |
20050218164 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Morris, Matthew ; et
al. |
October 6, 2005 |
Actuator cap for aerosol containers
Abstract
Disclosed is an aerosol actuator button for delivering a liquid
from a pressurized aerosol container wherein the dispensed liquid
is along the central long axis of the actuator button and
container.
Inventors: |
Morris, Matthew; (Montvale,
NJ) ; Spitzer, Leonard; (Hewitt, NJ) |
Correspondence
Address: |
NORRIS, MCLAUGHLIN & MARCUS
875 THIRD AVE
18TH FLOOR
NEW YORK
NY
10022
US
|
Assignee: |
Reckitt Benckiser Inc
|
Family ID: |
9943116 |
Appl. No.: |
10/525349 |
Filed: |
February 23, 2005 |
PCT Filed: |
August 7, 2003 |
PCT NO: |
PCT/GB03/03442 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
222/402.13 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65D 83/228 20130101;
B65D 83/205 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
222/402.13 |
International
Class: |
B65D 083/06 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Aug 29, 2002 |
GB |
0220023.6 |
Claims
1. An overcap for an aerosol container comprising a wall capable of
being attached to the container, a button having an actuating means
and a cavity in the bottom thereof adapted to sealingly receive the
free end of an aerosol valve stem having a hollow bore which is in
flow communication with an orifice in the top of said body for
releasing a pressurized liquid to be atomized, said orifice being
coaxial with the central long axis of said cavity and bore, and at
least two hinges attaching the button to the wall, such that the
configuration of the hinges causes the liquid escaping from the
orifice to be dispensed along the central long axis of the cavity
as it is atomized into an aerosol spray pattern.
2. The overcap of claim 1 wherein there are two hinges.
3. The overcap of claim 1 wherein there are three hinges.
4. The overcap of claim 1 wherein the hinges are torsion
hinges.
5. An overcap for an aerosol container comprising a wall capable of
being attached to the container, a button having an actuating means
and a cavity in the bottom thereof adapted to sealingly receive the
free end of an aerosol valve stem having a hollow bore which is in
flow communication with an orifice in the top of said body for
releasing a pressurized liquid to be atomized, said orifice being
coaxial with the central long axis of said cavity and bore, and
three hinges attaching the button to the wall, such that the
configuration of the hinges causes the liquid escaping from the
orifice to be dispensed along the central long axis of the cavity
as it is atomized into an aerosol spray pattern.
6. The overcap of claim 5 wherein the hinges are torsion
hinges.
7. An overcap for an aerosol container comprising a wall capable of
being attached to the container, a button having an actuating means
and a cavity in the bottom thereof adapted to sealingly receive the
free end of an aerosol valve stem having a hollow bore which is in
flow communication with an orifice in the top of said body for
releasing a pressurized liquid to be atomized, said orifice being
coaxial with the central long axis of said cavity and bore, and at
least two torsion hinges attaching the button to the wall, such
that the configuration of the hinges causes the liquid escaping
from the orifice to be dispensed along the central long axis of the
cavity as it is atomized into an aerosol spray pattern.
8. The overcap of claim 7 wherein there are three torsion
hinges.
9. An overcap for an aerosol container comprising a wall capable of
being attached to the container, a button having an actuating means
and a cavity in the bottom thereof adapted to sealingly receive the
free end of an aerosol valve stem having a hollow bore which is in
flow communication with an orifice in the top of said body for
releasing a pressurized liquid to be atomized, said orifice being
coaxial with the central long axis of said cavity and bore, and
three torsion hinges attaching the button to the wall, such that
the configuration of the hinges causes the liquid escaping from the
orifice to be dispensed along the central long axis of the cavity
as it is atomized into an aerosol spray pattern.
Description
[0001] This invention relates to an actuator button for use on an
aerosol spray container to deliver an atomized spray of liquid such
as an air freshener and to the dies by which such an actuator
button is made.
[0002] Aerosol actuator buttons are well known in the art and are
used to atomize a pressurized liquid into a spray which can be
delivered into a room or to coat an object with the atomized spray.
A variety of different types and examples of actuator buttons are
disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,805,839 to S. C. Johnson & Son,
Inc. The actuator button disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,805,839
diverts its spray away from the user by having an asymmetrical
conical depression in the bottom of the button where the
configuration of the conical depression causes the liquid escaping
from the orifice to be tilted away from the central long axis of
the cavity which receives the free end of an aerosol valve so that
the central long axis of the aerosol spray pattern is tilted away
from the central long axis of the cavity at a preselected
angle.
[0003] Such an arrangement and tilting of the aerosol spray pattern
can have a negative effect on the delivery and quality of aerosol
product into the area which is being treated by the aerosol. The
delivery and quality of aerosol product is dependent upon the
atomization of the liquid which is being delivered as an aerosol
through the actuator. The finer the particle size of atomization,
the longer the fragrance, or other material to be delivered, will
stay in the room atmosphere as well as providing for a larger area
of coverage due to the diffusion of the fragrance, or other
material, out of the particles.
[0004] Another arrangement is found in U.S. Pat. No. 5,263,616 to
Abplanalp which shows an aerosol actuating cap with side mounted
hinges for use with an aerosol container having a tilt valve.
[0005] With that background, the present invention provides for an
actuator button which provides better atomization of liquid into
the air. In addition, with the spray being dispensed along the
central long axis, the user will have better control over
dispensing the aerosol without having to remember the angle at
which the actuator button of U.S. Pat. No. 4,805,839 is
positioned.
[0006] The present invention provides an overcap for an aerosol
container comprising a wall capable of being attached to the
container, a button having an actuating means and a cavity in the
bottom thereof adapted to sealingly receive the free end of an
aerosol valve stem having a hollow bore which is in flow
communication with an orifice in the top of said body for releasing
a pressurized liquid to be atomized, said orifice being coaxial
with the central long axis of said cavity and bore, and at least
two hinges attaching the button to the wall, such that the
configuration of the hinges causes the liquid escaping from the
orifice to be dispensed along the central long axis of the cavity
as it is atomized into an aerosol spray pattern. The hinges can be
torsion hinges and can be present in two, three or more.
[0007] It is a further object of the present invention to provide a
set of dies for molding the spray aerosol actuator buttons of the
present invention.
[0008] A. a male die for forming at least the cavity portion of the
button and having a first upper surface, coaxial with the central
long axis of the cavity, for forming the portion of the cavity
closest to said orifice and
[0009] B. at least one other die for forming the remainder of said
button, including said orifice, wherein any one of such dies has a
cylindrical extension which is coaxial with the central long axis
of said cavity and having a flat surface for contact with the first
surface of said male die to form said orifice when the dies are
brought together coaxial with the central long axis of the first
upper surface of the male die and the flat surface of said other
die to form said button, said orifice being coaxial with respect to
said central long axis of the die forming the cavity. The dies can
be made of conventional metals used in molding dies such as H13 and
S7 type steels, oil-hardened tool steels, air-hardened tool steels,
aluminum and the like.
[0010] The following is a brief description of the drawings showing
an embodiment of the present invention:
[0011] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an overcap taken from the
top rear.
[0012] FIG. 2 is a bottom plan view.
[0013] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the overcap taken from the
bottom.
[0014] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the overcap of FIG. 1,
taken along section lines A-A.
[0015] Referring to the drawings, FIGS. 1 and 2 show one embodiment
of the overcap of the present invention. Overcap 2 is can be fixed
on a conventional pressurized aerosol container (not shown).
Overcap 2 is composed of a wall 4 and aerosol actuator button 6
which is joined to outer shell 4 by means of a plastic hinging
strip 8. Button 6 contains an actuating means in the form of a
depressed finger pad 10 having a number of raised ridges 12. Button
6 also contains an orifice 14 where aerosolized fluid is
discharged. Also shown is tamper evident tab 16, which is optional,
which connects button 6 to inside rim 15 of wall 4 during
manufacture of the overcap. After the first use, tab 16 is no
longer connected to rim 15 and the user can then tell if the
overcap has been used.
[0016] In FIGS. 2 and 3, chords 42 protrude from the inner surface
of wall 4 near the bottom of the wall. When overcap 2 is mounted
onto an aerosol container, chords 42 engage a bead on the container
(not shown but understood by those skilled in the art) to prevent
the overcap from sliding off the container. However, other methods
of attaching the overcap to the container would be understood by
those skilled in the art. Ribs 40 are preferably mounted on the
inner surface of wall 4. Ribs 40 comprise flanges protruding
radially inward, extending from a point near the bottom of the
wall, but above chords 42, upward toward the bottom 50 of the cap.
Sufficient space is provided between the bottom of ribs 40 and the
chords 42 to accommodate a bead from a container. The ribs give
added strength to the overcap and prevent the overcap from sliding
too far down on the container to which it is attached.
[0017] FIG. 3 shows a perspective view of cap 2 from the bottom.
Tubular extension 18 has cavity 20 which runs through the entire
extension 18 and is in fluid communication with orifice 14. At its
lower end, cavity 20 has a wider portion 26 (shown in FIG. 4) which
sealingly engages the outside of a conventional tubular valve stem
(the valve stem which is part of a valve assembly connected to a
pressurized can; not shown). The valve stem has a central hollow
bore which is in flow communication with cavity 20 and the
pressurized liquid in the container. Orifice 14, cavity 20, and the
bore hole of the valve stem are all co-axial with the central long
axis 30 of button 6.
[0018] Thus in practice, pressurized liquid passes through the
hollow valve stem bore when finger pad 10 is depressed and travels
under pressure through cavity 20 and through orifice 14 where it
contacts the atmosphere and the pressurized liquid is then
aerosolized into fine droplets in the atmosphere.
[0019] Actuator buttons of the present invention can therefore be
used in any application where an aerosol is used to deliver a
useful liquid composition, such as in air freshener delivery
containers, carpet and other fabric care applications, and
insecticide or germicide dispensing in the form of aerosol sprays.
Any of the commonly used plastic materials for aerosol buttons and
overcaps such as high density polyethylene as well as polypropylene
can be employed. Other modifications and variations of the buttons
and dies of the present invention will become apparent to those
skilled in the art from the examination of the above specification
and drawings. Thus, other variations of the spray actuator button
and dies for making the same may be made which fall within the
scope of the appended claims, even though such variations were not
specifically discussed above.
* * * * *