US20010048005A1

US20010048005A1 - Spray can with improved attachment feature for a protective cap

Info

Publication number: US20010048005A1
Application number: US09/847,594
Authority: US
Inventors: Horst Griemla; Adalberto Geier
Original assignee: EWALD EUSCHER GmbH and Co KG; Coster Technologie Speciali SpA
Current assignee: EWALD EUSCHER GmbH and Co KG; Coster Technologie Speciali SpA
Priority date: 1998-11-02
Filing date: 2001-05-02
Publication date: 2001-12-06
Also published as: AU2537200A; EP1126954A1; EP1126954B1; WO2000025987A2; WO2000025987A3; DE59903934D1; DE29819515U1

Abstract

A spray dispenser, includes a valve disk for attachment of a valve, with the valve disk including a valve dome and a collar in concentric surrounding relationship to the valve dome. A cap extends over the collar and is secured against axial displacement, for covering the valve, wherein the cap is connected to the collar by way of a form-fitting engagement so as to inhibit rotation of the cap relative to the collar.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of prior filed copending PCT International application no. PCT/EP99/08201, filed Oct. 28, 1999.

This application claims the priority of German Patent Application Serial No. 298 19 515.1, filed Nov. 2, 1998, the subject matter of which is incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates, in general, to a spray can.

Typically, spray cans include a valve disk for mounting a valve, with the valve disk having a valve dome and a collar in concentric surrounding relationship to the valve dome. A cap covers the valve for protection against contamination and mechanical stress, whereby the cap extends over the collar and is secured against axial displacement. Spray cans of this type may contain polyurethane (PU) foam, cured with air, paint or other aerosols.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,234,137, issued on Aug. 10, 1993, describes a disk for mounting a valve onto a spray can, whereby a turning of a protective cap opens an outlet port of the valve, and, after use, the outlet port is closed through turning the protective cap again. This type of spray can is primarily used for PU foam. A drawback of this configuration is the fact that the cap for the spray can is freely turnable, and thus affords no assurance that the cap remains in a place for covering the outlet port. Rather, there is a risk of inadvertent turning so that the outlet port may become open, thereby defeating the desired protection effect.

In general, there is an increasing demand for spray cans with a protective cap that retains its position after attachment. This demand has not been satisfied to date.

It would therefore be desirable and advantageous to provide an improved spray dispenser to obviate prior art shortcomings.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention resolves prior art problems by providing a spray dispenser which includes a valve disk, having a valve dome and a collar in concentric surrounding relationship to the valve dome, for attachment of a valve; and a cap, extending over the collar and secured against axial displacement, for covering the valve, wherein the cap is connected to the collar by way of a form-fitting engagement so as to inhibit rotation of the cap.

In this way, it is now possible to restrain the cap to an extent that effectively prevents inadvertent turning. Some applications require that the cap remains in place in a certain position, for example, when the cap forms the base for placement of an additional structure which is connected to the valve and is rotatable with respect to the cap. For this type of situation, the present invention offers a simple solution to prevent a conjoint rotation of the cap.

According to one aspect of the present invention, the collar has an annular lower edge formed with teeth for penetration into a shoulder of the cap, when the shoulder rests on the lower edge of the collar upon attachment of the cap to the valve disk. As the cap is normally made of plastic and the valve disk, including the collar, are made of metal, the pointed end of the teeth of the collar is able to penetrate into the softer material of the cap, thereby ensuring a sufficient securement against rotation of the cap.

According to another aspect of the present invention, the collar is formed on the outside with a plurality of spaced-apart fins, which protrude outwardly and penetrate the sidewall of the cap, when the cap is attached. In this way, the cap is additionally secured against rotation and damage to already painted surfaces of the valve disk is eliminated. Moreover, stress on forming tools is very slight. The fins may have an elongated configuration and extend longitudinally in the direction of the spray dispenser axis.

Of course, a combination of teeth and fins is also conceivable, as is the provision of a knurling on the outside of the collar, without departing from the spirit of the present invention. It is also possible to provide the dome-confronting inside wall of the collar with fins upon which a cap portion may bear.

A particular tight positive engagement between the cap and the collar is realized, when the collar is formed on the inside as well as on the outside with fins.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

Other features and advantages of the present invention will be more readily apparent upon reading the following description of a preferred exemplified embodiment of the invention with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which FIG. 1 shows a fragmentary side view of a spray can according to the present invention by way of two half sections.[0014]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

It is to be understood by persons skilled in the art that the term “spray can” is used here in a generic sense and the principles described in the following description with respect to the spray can are equally applicable to any other type of spray dispenser or atomizer which generally follows the concepts outlined here. For convenience and sake of simplicity, FIG. 1 and the following description refer only to those areas of the spray can that form part of the present invention. [0015]
Turning now to FIG. 1, there is shown a fragmentary side view of a spray can according to the present invention, including a valve disk [0016] 1 for mounting a, not shown, valve. The valve disk 1 is made of metal and has a valve dome 1 a provided with a central opening 1 b for receiving the valve. Formed in concentric surrounding relationship to the valve dome 1 a is an annular collar 2, which is intended for attachment of a protective cap 3, made of plastic material and pushed downwardly over the collar 2. Persons skilled in the art will understand that the cap 3 is made of a sufficiently rigid resilient plastic material that yields when pushed downwards over the collar 2.
The cap [0017] 3 has a, not shown, top portion and an annular skirt 3 a which bears against the outside of the collar 2. At its top-distal free edge, the cap skirt 3 a has a shoulder 6, which is directed inwardly and rests upon a circumferential lower edge of the collar 2, thereby inhibiting the cap 3 on the valve disk 1 from displacement in axial direction.
In the non-limiting example of the spray can of FIG. 1, the left half-section shows that the lower edge of the [0018] collar 2 is formed about its entire circumference with serrations or teeth 5. As the collar 2 is made of metal and the cap 3 is made of plastic which is softer than the metal of the collar 3, the teeth 5 on the lower edge of the collar 3 penetrate the shoulder 6, thereby preventing the cap 3 from inadvertent rotation. The right half-section of FIG. 1 shows in more detail the configuration of the collar 2, and it can be seen that the collar 2 is formed with a plurality of fins 4 which protrude outwardly toward the skirt 3 a of the cap 3. The fins 4 are shaped as webs and extend in the direction of the center axis C of the valve disk 1.
As shown in FIG. 1, the fins [0019] 4 extend directly from the lower edge of the collar 2, thereby realizing in this area a certain sharp-edged configuration for effecting a particularly intimate engagement of the fins 4 with the attached cap 3. Of course, this configuration is shown by way of example only, and other configurations, which generally follow the concepts outlined here, are considered to be covered by this disclosure. For example, it is conceivable to substitute the fins by holes so formed as to be bounded by a protruding small sharp-edged circumferential collar, which is also suitable to penetrate the elastic plastic material of the cap 3.
While the invention has been illustrated and described as embodied in a spray can, it is not intended to be limited to the details shown since various modifications and structural changes may be made without departing in any way from the spirit of the present invention. [0020]
What is claimed as new and desired to be protected by Letters Patent is set forth in the appended claims: [0021]

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A spray dispenser, comprising:

a valve disk for attachment of a valve, said valve disk including a valve dome and a collar in concentric surrounding relationship to the valve dome; and

a cap, extending over the collar and secured against axial displacement, for covering the valve,

wherein the cap is connected to the collar by a form-fitting engagement to thereby inhibit rotation.

2. The spray dispenser of

claim 1

, wherein the collar and the cap have cooperating engagement means.

3. The spray dispenser of

claim 2

, wherein the collar has an annular lower edge formed with teeth for engagement with a shoulder of the cap, when the shoulder rests against the lower edge of the collar.

4. The spray dispenser of

claim 2

, wherein the collar has an outside formed with fins directed outwards for impressing into a wall surface of the cap.

5. The spray dispenser of

claim 4

, wherein the valve disk defines an axis, said fins extending in the direction of the axis of the valve disk.

6. The spray dispenser of

claim 5

, wherein the collar has an annular lower edge, said fins extending from the lower edge of the collar.

7. The spray dispenser of

claim 1

, wherein the collar has an outside wall formed with a knurling.

8. The spray dispenser of

claim 1

, wherein the collar is provided has a dome-confronting inner side formed with fins.

9. A valve disk for attachment of a valve of a spray dispenser, said valve disk comprising a valve dome and a collar in concentric surrounding relationship to the valve dome, said collar having a lower edge formed with teeth for realizing a form-fitting engagement with a protective cap to inhibit rotation of the cap after placement of the cap over the collar.

10. The valve disk of

claim 9

, wherein the collar has fins directed outwards for penetration into a wall surface of the cap.

11. The valve disk of

claim 10

, wherein the valve dome defines an axis, said fins extending in the direction of the axis of the valve dome.

12. The valve disk of

claim 9

, wherein the fins extend from the lower edge of the collar.