U.S. patent number 3,578,220 [Application Number 04/807,618] was granted by the patent office on 1971-05-11 for aerosol valve actuator and cap combination.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Scovill Manufacturing Company. Invention is credited to Derek Bernard Green, Gordon Edwin Kaye.
United States Patent |
3,578,220 |
Green , et al. |
May 11, 1971 |
AEROSOL VALVE ACTUATOR AND CAP COMBINATION
Abstract
An aerosol valve actuator button is held in preliminary assembly
with an overcap so that the button is maintained correctly oriented
with respect to features of the cap intended to restrict the
operation of the button to one direction only. In the preliminary
assembly, the button is in a raised position allowing the cap to be
fitted to the container without engaging the valve stem. Downward
movement of the button will snap it out of the retaining portion of
the cap and seat it on the valve stem.
Inventors: |
Green; Derek Bernard (Bedford,
NH), Kaye; Gordon Edwin (South Salem, NY) |
Assignee: |
Scovill Manufacturing Company
(Waterbury, CT)
|
Family
ID: |
25196802 |
Appl.
No.: |
04/807,618 |
Filed: |
March 17, 1969 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
222/402.13;
222/402.23 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65D
83/205 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
B65D
83/16 (20060101); B65d 083/14 () |
Field of
Search: |
;222/402.13,402.21,402.22,402.23 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Norton; Donald F.
Claims
We claim:
1. In combination:
a. an aerosol container having a valve stem projecting
therefrom;
b. a cap having an outer peripheral wall provided with means for
securing the cap to said container, said cap having a top wall with
an opening extending vertically therethrough;
c. an actuator button having a side delivery orifice and a vertical
bore into which said stem is adapted to fit, said button projecting
through said hole in the cap and having a portion which extends
laterally below said top wall, said laterally extending portion
having a vertical outer cylindrical surface;
d. means for retaining said actuator button in a preliminary
assembly with said cap in such position that when said cap is
initially fitted to the container, said valve stem will be aligned
with said vertical bore but out of contact with the button; said
means comprising flange means depending from said top wall in
frictional engagement with said cylindrical outer surface of the
button; and
e. interfitting vertically extending rib and groove means on said
flange means and cylindrical surface to maintain the desired
orientation of said button with respect to the cap.
2. The combination defined in claim 1 wherein said flange means is
a plurality of flange segments in cylindrical arrangement said
segments being adapted to grip around a major portion of said
vertical outer cylindrical surface of the actuator button and
wherein said vertically extending hole in the cap is of noncircular
shape with some portions of the hole extending between said flange
segments.
3. The combination defined in claim 1 wherein said top wall of the
cap is shaped to provide:
a. a radially outwardly opening recess on that side of said button
opposite said orifice, said recess being of sufficient dimensions
to accommodate a finger for lateral thrust against said button;
and
b. a radially outwardly opening recess on the orifice side of the
button which is narrow enough to prevent normal access by a finger
to the orifice side of the button.
4. The combination defined in claim 3 wherein said opening in the
cap is so sized and shaped in relation to the button as to prevent
any substantial lateral movement of the button such as is required
for the tilt actuation of said valve stem except in the direction
of said side delivery orifice.
Description
This invention relates to an overcap and actuator button
combination for aerosol valves and is intended primarily for use
with a tilt action valve.
The cap includes means for holding the actuator button in position
prior to assembly with the container and properly oriented with
certain features of the cap which are intended to restrict
operation of the button to one direction only. This eliminates the
need on the part of the filler for orienting the button and overcap
and reduces the final assembly operations from two to one because
it is necessary only to engage the outer peripheral wall of the cap
on the container.
In the preliminary assembly, the button is held in the cap in a
raised position so that it can be fitted to the container with the
actuator held immediately above the valve stem. To initiate
operation, it is necessary only to push the button down to snap it
out of the retaining portion of the overcap and simultaneously seat
it on the valve stem. After the button is so released from the cap,
it projects through a hole in the top wall of the cap but it is no
longer attached to the cap in any way.
Another object of the invention is to maintain the button and cap
properly oriented in the preliminary assembly with respect to the
finger engaging recess in the top wall of the cap and with respect
to the irregularly-shaped hole in the cap so that after release
from the cap the actuator can move only in one direction. This, of
course, is a safety feature to prevent accidental opening by
pressure applied to the orifice side of the button which might lead
to possible injury to the operator.
Other objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafter more
fully appear. In the accompanying drawings, I have shown for
purposes of illustration, one embodiment which the invention may
assume in practice. In these drawings:
FIG. 1 is a top plan view of the button and cap combination
partially in cross section;
FIG. 2 is a central vertical section showing the preliminary
assembly as first fitted to an aerosol container;
FIG. 3 is also a central vertical section showing the button in
position for valve operation;
FIG. 4 is a perspective view looking at the top of the cap and
button;
FIG. 5 is a cross section on line 5-5 of FIG. 2; and
FIG. 6 is a bottom plan view of the central portion of the cap
only.
The top part 7 of an aerosol container adapted to receive my
improved cap and button combination has a wall portion 8 for
holding the cap and a pedestal portion 9 for holding an aerosol
valve 10. These parts may be of conventional construction, it being
understood that the valve is of the type adapted to be operated by
a tilt action of the hollow valve stem 11.
The cap which is molded from plastic material has an outer
peripheral wall 12 with a bead 13 which fits tightly around the
wall portion 8 of the container to hold the cap permanently in
place. The top wall of the cap has flat portions 14 and 15 flanking
a pair of recesses 16 and 17. The recess 16 is of sufficient
dimensions to accommodate the finger of an operator but the recess
17 is somewhat narrower, intended to prevent normal access by a
finger but sufficient to allow lateral flow of the material when
the valve is opened. An actuator button 18 projects upwardly
through a hole 19 in the cap and in the preliminary assembly shown
in FIG. 2, the button is in a raised position extending above the
flat wall sections 14 and 15. The button 10 a side delivery orifice
20 and a vertical bore 21 into which the valve stem 11 is adapted
to fit in fluidtight engagement.
The actuator cap has means to hold the actuator button in a
preliminary assembly as seen in FIGS. 1, 2 and 5. The retaining
portion of the overcap is in the form of three depending flange
segments 22, 23 and 24 in cylindrical arrangement around the hole
19 which extends vertically through the cap. As seen in the bottom
plan view of FIG. 6, this hole is somewhat pear-shaped with its
forward end 25 as well as the rear corner portions 26 and 27
cutting through or extending between the three flange segments 22,
23 and 24. The button 18 has a laterally extending portion 28 which
projects under the depressed portion 29 of the top wall of the cap.
The portion 28 has a cylindrical outer surface 30 which is sized to
fit tightly within the interior cylindrical surfaces 31 of the
flange segments 22, 23 and 24. The engagement between the vertical
cylindrical surface of the portion 30 of the button and the flange
segments on the cap can be solely friction, or there may be
provided a bead around the bottom edges of the flange segments so
that the cylindrical portion 30 of the button may be snapped into
or out of place. In order to maintain the button in proper
orientation with respect to the cap, at least one of the retaining
flange segments on the cap is provided with a vertical groove 32
cooperating with a vertical bead 33 on the button.
The forward end 25 of the hole 19 through the cap, provides a
substantial clearance on the orifice side of the button as can be
plainly seen in FIGS. 1 and 2. This will accommodate the required
lateral movement seen in FIG. 3 in dotted lines, to operate the
tilt action valve when lateral force is applied by a finger in the
recess 16 against the vertical back face 34 of the button. This
face 34 is preferably concave and the hole 19 is shaped so that
there is only a small clearance between the face 34 and the cap, on
the side of the button opposite the orifice 20, so that the cap
wall portion 29 acts as a stop to prevent opening of the valve if
lateral pressure is accidentally applied against the orifice side
of the button.
The subassembly of the cap and button held together as above
described, can be applied to the container by the filler with the
button in proper orientation in relation to the hole 19 and the
recesses 16 and 17, and with the button out of contact but in
vertical alignment with the valve stem 11. After the container is
filled, the filler places the preassembly on the container and then
pushes down the button 18 to snap it away from the cap and
simultaneously seat it on the valve stem. This position is shown in
FIG. 3 in full lines and the dotted lines indicate the position of
the button when the valve is open.
* * * * *