Simulated Writing Instrument Aerosol Container

Abstract

An aerosol container simulating a writing instrument is provided wherein an aerosol valve cover simulates a writing instrument cap, said cover when despressed slidably engages the container body surface and concomitantly actuates the aerosol valve so as to permit aerosol spray to pass upwardly through an outwardly from said cover. The aerosol valve elements are concealed from view, and the aerosol orifice is concealed from view when the valve cover is clipped to a pocket.

Description

This invention relates to an aerosol container. Specifically this invention relates to an aerosol container that provides the appearance of a writing instrument. More specifically this invention relates to an aerosol spray valve cover which simulates a fountain pen cap.

Aerosol valve covers are mounted to the stem of the aerosol valve, and the valve in turn is mounted on the container. Heretofore the valve cover and outer valve construction were aesthetically undesirable and were concealed from view by a cap, before intended use. To use the aerosol, the cap was first removed and the cover was depressed. Also the cap was readily subject to being lost or inadvertently removed.

Furthermore, in many intended uses of aerosol sprays, such as breath fresheners, asthma relief sprays, decongestants, and other like medicinal or cosmetic uses, it was often desired by the user to conceal the presence of the fact that such medicinals or cosmetics were in fact being used.

Now therefore there is provided an aerosol valve actuating cover which is depressed to actuate the aerosol valve, but which cover is also aesthetically desirable so as to obviate the need for a separate cap to conceal the valve actuating member.

In a more specific aspect this invention is an aerosol valve stem cover having a configuration simulating a writing instrument cap, whereby the cover may be depressed to actuate the valve permitting aerosol spray to pass upwardly therethrough. The cover slidably engages the body of the container. And the container body may be formed to simulate the body of a writing instrument.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide an aerosol spray valve cover which is constructed to engage the aerosol container so as to obviate the need for a separate container cap.

It is a further object of this invention to provide an aerosol spray valve cover which simulates a writing instrument cap so as to be readily at hand and yet conceals the valve features so as to be aesthetically desirable.

It is a further object of this invention to provide an aerosol spray valve cover which simulates a writing instrument cap wherein the valve features and writing instrument features are formed in a one piece construction.

It is a further object of this invention to provide an aerosol spray valve cover which simulates a writing instrument cap, whereby the cover may be clipped to a pocket and conceal the aerosol orifice.

It is still a further object of this invention, to provide an aerosol spray valve cover which simulates a writing instrument cap wherein the portion of the container housing the aerosol is of a barrier plastic.

The aforesaid and other and further objects of the present invention will be apparent from the following description and claims and a preferred embodiment being illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is an elevational view of the aerosol container; and

FIG. 2 is a partial sectional view of the aerosol container.

Referring now to the FIGURES there is shown the aerosol container 10 comprising a container body 13 for housing the aerosol fluid 17. The body 13 simulates the body of a fountain pen. A conventional valve 14 is tightly secured to the body 13 by means of a crimp 19 or other bonding means such as adhesive bonding and the like. A conventional hollow valve stem 18 is depressable so to be slidably housed in the valve 14.

A valve cover 11 is formed so as to simulate the cap of a fountain pen. The valve cover is of one piece molded plastic construction and is formed with a clip 20. Further, cover 11 is formed with a vertically disposed first orifice 12a and horizontally disposed second orifice 12b contiguous with said first orifice. Second orifice 12b is enlarged to form a spray discharge opening 12c at the outer surface of cover 11. The first orifice 12a slidably engages valve stem 18 and blocking members 12d (typical) are formed with said first orifice 12a to blockingly engage the top end of stem 18.

Cover 11 is formed with a lower annular flange 21 which slidably engages the surface of container body 13. The lower edge 22 of flange 21 is vertically disposed below the crimped portion 19 of valve so as to conceal the valve elements from view (see FIG. 1). Annular flange 21 is formed with a bottom transverse wall 23 at the top inner portion thereof.

As stated cover 11 is a molded plastic and to obtain the aforedescribed internal configurations, an upper tapered annular flange 15 was formed in the molding operations. A tapered plug 16 is press fitted into the inner surface of flange 15.

The top surface of plug 16 may be pressed by the thumb or index finger as the user grips the pen with the other fingers of one hand. In pressing the plug 16, cover 11 is depressed on the container body and in turn causes the valve stem 18 to be depressed within the valve 14, thereby actuating the valve, permitting aerosol spray to pass upwardly through the valve stem, first and second orifices and outwardly pass the spray discharge opening at the surface of the cover. In fully depressing the cover, wall 23 contactingly engages wall 24 of valve 14. The depressed position is shown in broken lines of FIG. 2.

As depicted the spray opening 12c is diametrically disposed from the clip 20 so that when the clip engages the breast pocket of a user, the opening 12c is in facing relationship with the body of the user and is thereby concealed from view.

Inasmuch as the simulated fountain pen cover 11 is a functional part of the aerosol container 10, it need not be removed and stem 18 may be fixedly secured within first orifice 12a. By such securement the aerosol container would be an integral unit without removable elements that could be lost or inadvertently removed.

As stated the clip 20 and cover member 11 may be molded as a single piece construction. Suitable plastics that may be molded in this manner are polypropylene, polystyrene and the like. Polypropylene is the preferred plastic. Alternately the clip may be a separate member either plastic or metal which may be integrally connected to the cover 11 by any suitable means. Also a separately formed clip may be coincidently secured to the cover with the securing of plug 16.

The container body 13 may be formed of the conventional materials, such as metals. And the valve may be readily crimped to such metal containers.

Previously certain alloy metals were selected because of their ability to withstand pressure and such metals did not impart undesirable properties to the aerosol fluid. The use of plastics for the aerosol body was generally avoided as plastics generally tended to impart undesirable taste or odors to the aerosol, or cause loss of aroma or flavor in the aerosol. It has however been found that certain plastics, particularly the barrier plastics, provided the required strength and inertness. The aerosol valve may then be bonded to the barrier plastic by any suitable means. Further specifically for the simulated writing instrument aerosol container of this invention, the barrier plastics are preferred. This is so because a plastic cover and body could be readily colored and finished to provide the appearance of a writing instrument and the barrier plastic would not impart undesirable properties to the aerosol fluid.

By the term "barrier plastics" it is meant those plastic materials which are resistant to gas permeation and specifically exhibit a resistance or barrier to oxygen permeation. A preferred barrier plastic is Barex 210 (Barex is a registered trademark of Vistron Corporation, Cleveland, Ohio). Barex 210 is an acrylic thermoplastic resin having an oxygen barrier resistance as measured by an oxygen permeation rate of about 0.8 cc-mil/100 sq. in. -- 24 hours -- atmospheric -- at 73.degree.F by the ASTMD 1434-66 test. Barex 210 also exhibits a low water vapor permeation rate of 5.0 gm-mil/100 sq. in. -- 24 hours -- at 100.degree.F/90 percent relative humidity by the ASTM E 96-63 test.

Although specific embodiments of the invention have been described, modifications and changes may be made therein without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. An aerosol container comprising a cover member having an outer surface thereof being formed so as to simulate the cap of a writing instrument, clip means connected to said cover member, said cover member being formed with orifice means having a vertically disposed first portion to engage the valve stem of an aerosol valve mounted on said container and a second portion communicating with said first portion and with said outer surface of said cover member, a plastic container body, the inner surface of said container body contacting said aerosol, an aerosol valve mounted on the container body, said cover member being integrally formed with a lower annular flange portion to slidably engage the plastic container body, whereby said cover member is depressed so that said valve stem permits aerosol spray to pass upwardly through said orifice means and outwardly from said cover member.

2. The aerosol container of claim 1, wherein said valve stem is fixedly secured within said first portion of said orifice means.

3. The aerosol container of claim 1, wherein said plastic is a barrier plastic.

4. The aerosol container of claim 3, wherein said barrier plastic is an acrylic thermoplastic having an oxygen permeation rate of about 0.8 cc-mil/100 sq. in. -- 24 hours -- atmospheric at 73.degree.F.

5. The aerosol container of claim 1, said clip means and said valve cover being a one piece plastic construction, and wherein said valve cover is formed with an upper annular flange portion, and further comprising a barrier plastic container portion, the inner surface of said container portion being in contact with said aerosol, said container portion having an upper neck portion for receiving an aerosol valve, an intermediate portion of greater diameter than said neck portion and a lower portion of lesser diameter than said intermediate portion, and an aerosol valve mounted with the neck of said container portion.