Childproof Relockable Actuator Overcap

Abstract

An aerosol having a stem for the actuation of the usual valve thereof, and a captive safety overcap which must be rotated, axially depressed, and rotated again with respect to said aerosol, to operate the stem. The overcap has a base that has an opening aligned with a spray orifice in the stem and includes means to move the stem to actuate it upon the manipulation stated. When properly positioned to actuate the aerosol, the overcap is locked maintaining the aerosol in its spraying operation without attention, and the manipulation of the overcap must be reversed to stop the spray action.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The need for preventing the accidental and unauthorized opening of poison bottles by children has long been recognized and many solutions to the problem have been offered. However, in the field of aerosols, the problem is more difficult because ordinarily the aerosol is easily actuated to provide a spray of the aerosol contents merely upon pushing a stem or a button, which in turn actuates a valve for the aerosol. This obviously can be accomplished by even bery young children who do not understand the possible dangers of the aerosol content. It is the principal object of the present invention to provide an aerosol with a safety overcap so that the valve can only be operated upon a tortuous motion of the overcap with relation to the aerosol, this motion being both rotational and axial.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A safety overcap for aerosols is presented herewith in which the aerosol has an actuator stem of the type which is depressed to operate. About the stem there is an inner cap having an opening for the stem. This inner cap has spring means acting axially of the aerosol and a skirt that contains diametrically opposite external control grooves. These grooves each comprise two axially spaced circumferential portions and an axial connection, one groove portion extending at a slight incline relative to the other.

The overcap itself is provided with inwardly extending projections engaging in said grooves and said overcap is rotatable within the limits of the interengagement of said projections with the grooves.

The overcap has a central inward extension on it that engages and moves the valve stem to operate it only at a predetermined point in the rotational travel of the overcap when guided by the inclined groove. The overcap also has a base engaging said spring means, which normally tends to hold the overcap in an outward inoperative position. The overcap may be rotated and then depressed and again rotated, to go from the first groove portion, to the other groove portion which is inclined, and this forces the overcap axially as it is turned, the overcap extension then actuating the valve stem. This condition obtains until the overcap is moved in a reverse rotational direction, so that the spray is continuous until deliberately stopped.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a view in elevation showing the aerosol with the novel safety overcap;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view through the overcap and the inner cap showing the relation thereof to the valve stem;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of the overcap per se;

FIG. 4 is a view in elevation of one form of the inner cap;

FIG. 5 is a sectional view on line 5--5 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a plan view looking in the direction of arrow 6 in FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a sectional view similar to FIG. 2 showing a modification;

FIG. 8 is a plan view of the inner cap of FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of another form of inner cap;

FIG. 10 is a view in elevation of the inner cap of FIG. 9; and

FIG. 11 is a section on line 11--11 in FIG. 10.

PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION

In FIG. 1 there is shown an aerosol container that may be of a more or less conventional form, this container being indicated at 10; and the novel captive safety overcap 12 is shown as mounted thereon. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the overcap 12 includes an outer shell 14 and an inner shell 16, these shells being integral with a common base 18. The inner shell 16 is shorter than outer shell 14 and has a pair of inwardly directed projections 20--20 at its interior surface, these projections being preferably at diametrically opposite points. Also the base 18 in the center portion thereof has a downwardly directed extension 22 having an open lower free end with a cavity therein at 24 and a longitudinal spray passage 26 from the cavity to the atmosphere through the base 18.

There is an inner cap generally indicated at 28, this cap having a base 30 on which is mounted a series of free-ended spring arms 32--32 which may be molded of plastic integrally with the inner cap 28, or they may be separately mounted thereon if desired. In any event the arms 32--32 are resilient and extend from the base 30 of inner cap 28 upwardly to engage the underside of the base 18 of the overcap 12 maintaining it in its uppermost position as shown in FIG. 2. The spring arms may be joined and held in position by the extension 22 passing through the same if desired.

The usual crimped over edge 34 of the aerosol 10 provides for the captive safety overcap 12 to be depressed against the action of spring arms 32 but normally the safety overcap 12 is held in its up position, FIGS. 1 and 2, by these spring arms.

The dome at 40 of the aerosol is provided with the usual valve etc., not shown, and valve stem 42 mounted in the dome is depressible to actuate this valve to allow the aerosol to spray through the valve stem and thereby outwardly through passage 26 located in the extension 22 of the safety overcap. The inner cap 28 is provided with resilient inwardly directed annular rib 44, which snaps the entire assembly onto the crimp 46 of the dome and valve stem assembly of the conventional aerosol. As illustrated, the valve stem 42 is depressible axially.

The inner cap 28 is provided at its exterior surface with a pair of diametrically opposed inwardly directed slots or grooves 50, 50 and these are just alike consisting of a first slot or groove portion 52 which is circumferential; a connecting axial relatively small groove portion 54; and a second generally circumferential groove portion 56, which however is on an incline with reference to the circumferential groove portion 52, see FIG. 4. Each of these grooves has engaged therein a projection 20 locking the inner shell of the overcap 12 to the inner cap 28 so that the entire safety overcap will be seen to be captive. The inner cap is fixed and the overcap 12 may rotate, guided by the projections and grooves, i.e., from the end of the groove portion 52 to the end of the groove portion 56, passing through the axial groove portion 54 intermediate these extreme positions.

In the operation of the device it will be seen that the overcap 12 cannot be depressed except when projections 20 are aligned in the portions 54 of the grooves 50. However, assuming that the projections are at the far end of groove portion 52, it is necessary in order to actuate the aerosol to turn overcap 12 in a clockwise direction until intermediate axial portion 54 is reached, i.e., by the projections. It is then necessary to press the overcap in the direction of the arrow in FIG. 1 so that the projections pass through axial groove portions 54 to reach the entrance to the groove portion 56. Further rotation in the same direction will cause the cap to become further depressed, because of the inclination of groove portion 56, to a point where the extension 22 bearing down on the free end of stem 42 causes the aerosol valve (not shown) to operate and emit spray through the passage 26.

It will be seen that in this condition the overcap is locked in position due to the friction between the grooves and the projections. The entire aerosol thus may be set down, and it will continue to spray as long as projections 22 are in the proper positions in groove portion 56. Conversely it is necessary to retract the overcap 12 past a point in groove portion 56 when the stem 42 is released to a point where the valve shuts off.

It will also be seen that young children will be extremely unlikely to go through the tortuous motion or path with respect to the safety cap which is necessary to provide for operation thereof.

Referring now to FIG. 7 substantially the same apparatus is shown but this figure illustrates the fact that the spring arms 32a may be inverted so that the free ends thereof, at 58, bear upon the base 30a of inner cap 28a rather than extending upwardly to contact the base 18a of the safety overcap at 12a.

As shown in FIGS. 8 - 11 inclusive, the inner cap 28b is also provided with springs 32b which may be either upright or inverted and in this case the rest of the construction will be the same as above described except for the shape of the groove generally indicated at 50b. In this case the upper circumferential groove portion 52b has the intersecting midpoint axial connection 54b but the slanted or inclined groove portion 56b is not in continuation of the groove portion 52b in the same direction but is reversed, so that the action to operate this device although similar to that previously described is that the overcap must be backed off or turned anti-clockwisely, with the projections following groove portions 56b, with the same result, i.e., operation of the valve and locking of the overcap in spraying position.

In both FIG. 7, and FIGS. 8 - 11 inclusive, the inturned snap-over annular rib 44a and 44b is exactly the same as previously described and so also are the other parts of the device.

Claims

We claim:

1. The combination of an aerosol having an inner cap, a valve operating stem in the cap, and similar indented control grooves at diametrically opposed positions on the outer surface of said inner cap, wherein each groove comprises:

a. a circumferential groove portion leading into

b. an axial portion at an end thereof, and

c. a substantially circumferential portion extending from the end of the axial portion, the circumferential groove portions being axially spaced,

with a safety overcap, means on said overcap contacting said stem and adapted to depress and actuate the same when the overcap is moved a predetermined amount in an axial direction,

a pair of projections at the interior surface of said overcap, said projections being located in the respective grooves at the opposite sides of the inner cap and providing for captivating the overcap on the inner cap,

the construction and arrangement of the means for actuating the stem, and the projections, and the grooves being such that the stem is depressed to valve actuating position only when the overcap is rotated and depressed according to the path provided by the control grooves.

2. The combination of claim 1 including spring means normally urging the overcap in a direction to release the stem from valve actuating position.

3. The combination of claim 1 wherein the projections have a frictional engagement with an edge of the groove and yieldingly hold the overcap in position where placed.

4. The combination of claim 1 including spring means normally urging the overcap in a direction to release the stem from valve actuating position, said projections having a frictional engagement with an edge of the groove so that the overcap tends to remain where placed including the position of spray operation.

5. The combination with an aerosol having a valve and a stem for actuating the same to release the aerosol contents in spray form in a predetermined direction,

an inner cap fixed to said aerosol, said stem being located in said fixed cap, and a groove in an exterior surface of said inner cap,

of a safety overcap, a projection at the inerior of said safety overcap located in said groove, said safety overcap having a closed base, resilient means between said base and the inner cap, means on said overcap extending toward said stem for actuating the same on axial motion of said overcap toward said stem, and a passage in said overcap for passage of the spray,

the projection on the overcap and the groove in the inner cap being constructed and arranged to limit said overcap to a tortuous path including rotary motion and an axial motion, said motions being independent and separate, and the axial motion being resisted by said resilient means, wherein said groove comprises:

a. a circumferential portion

b. a connecting axial portion at an end thereof, and

c. a connecting substantially circumferential portion axially spaced from the first named circumferential portion.

6. The combination of claim 5 wherein the projection on the overcap is constructed and arranged with relation to a portion of said groove that when the overcap is depressed to actuate the stem, the overcap is frictionally locked in position and must be manually retracted to cause the valve to close.

7. The combination of claim 5 wherein the projection and groove hold the overcap to the inner cap.

8. The combination of claim 5 wherein said last named groove portion is at a slight incline with respect to the first named circumferential portion,

said groove being continuous from end to end thereof.

9. The combination of claim 8 wherein the inclined groove portion is in prolongation of said first named circumferential groove portion.

10. The combination of claim 8 wherein said inclined groove portion extends reversely from said axial groove portion with respect to the first named circumferential groove portion.

11. The combination of claim 8 wherein said inclined groove portion extends reversely from said axial groove portion with respect to the first named circumferential groove portion, and being substantially equal in length thereto.

12. The combination of claim 8 wherein the means on the overcap for actuating the stem is constructed and arranged to operate when the projection reaches a point intermediate the ends of the inclined groove portion.

13. The combination of claim 8 wherein said inclined groove portion is in further extension of said first named circumferential groove portion so that the sequence of the movement of the overcap to actuate the stem is: a rotary motion thereof, an axial motion, and a rotary motion in the same direction.

14. The combination of claim 8 wherein the inclined groove portion in extension of the axial groove portion is located in a reverse direction with respect thereto so that the sequence of the operation of the overcap to actuate the stem is: a rotary motion of the overcap, an axial motion thereof, and a rotary motion thereof in the reverse direction.

15. The combination of claim 8 wherein the inclined groove portion inclines away from the circumferential groove portion thus pulling the cap down with respect to the aerosol and the valve stem as the overcap is rotated with the projection in the inclined groove portion.