EP0133369B1

EP0133369B1 - Cap for an aerosol container

Info

Publication number: EP0133369B1
Application number: EP19840305251
Authority: EP
Inventors: Desmond Fagan; Andrew John Langham
Original assignee: HBK Toothbrush Co Ltd
Current assignee: HBK Toothbrush Co Ltd
Priority date: 1983-08-09
Filing date: 1984-08-02
Publication date: 1988-03-09
Also published as: GB8321401D0; EP0133369A3; EP0133369A2; DE3469715D1

Description

This invention relates to a cap for an aerosol container, and has as an object to provide such a cap which enables dispensing of the contents of the container to be regulated easily.
It is known, for example from DE-A-2041411, US-A-2765959 and WO-A-81/00997 to provide a cap for an aerosol container which has a valve operable by sideways deflection of an outlet pipe which extends axially of the container, the cap being operable to deflect the outlet pipe to release the contents of the container. DE-A-2031411 and WO-A-81/00997 further show an outlet passage mounted in the cap and engaging the container outlet pipe, the outlet passage being deflectable by an element in the cap to operate the valve.
It is a disadvantage of the foregoing arrangements that operation of the valve causes the fluid expelled from the container to be directed away from the container axis by an amount which is dependent on the amount of deflection of the valve. The direction taken by the expelled fluid is not therefore predictable, and it is not possible to provide that the expelled fluid flows cleanly and evenly through a conduit which has a fixed orientation with respect to the aerosol container. It is an object of the invention to provide an aerosol cap in which the foregoing disadvantages are overcome.
According to the invention an aerosol cap having the prior art characteristics set out above and defined in the first part of Claim 1 is characterised in that the outlet passage which engages the aerosol outlet pipe is resiliently deformable and that the elementfor deflecting the outlet passage is slidable in a relatively fixed part of the cap.
Since aerosol containers are frequently used to dispense flammable or toxic materials it is desirable that the valve is not inadvertently operated, either during storage or by children when used in the home.
Though DE-A-2041411 shows a spring element which may be pressed into position to prevent valve operation, such an element may be dislodged, or removed by children. A preferred embodiment of the present invention provides that the slidable operating element is retained on the outlet passage by spring fingers.
An embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example only and with particular reference to a cap for an aerosol container for dentrifice, said cap being adapted to be engaged by a toothbrush having a hollow stem which communicates with the outlet passage of the cap.
In the drawings:

Figure 1 is an elevation of an aerosol container with a cap according to the invention fitted, and a toothbrush mounted thereon;
Figure 2 is a section, to a larger scale, through the cap, and
Figure 3 is a part-section, generally on line 3-3 in Figure 2;

As shown in Figure 1 an aerosol container 10 is of a known type which includes a valve, commonly referred to as a tilt valve, which is opened by sideways deflection of an outlet tube extending axially from an upper end of the container 10. A cap 11 is engaged with the container 10 and has a screw threaded portion 12 engageable with a complimentary internal screw thread on a hollow- stemmed toothbrush 13 so that the contents of the container 10 can pass through the stem of the toothbrush 13 to the bristles 14 at its head. The brush 13 is provided with projections or serrations 15 which facilitate its being screwed on or off the cap 11.
As shown in Figures 2 and 3 the cap 11 comprises a first portion 20 of substantially circular section, moulded from medium or high density polypropylene. One end of the portion 20 is provided with a lip 21 which can engage a rim 22 of the container 10, by snap action. The wall of the portion 20 is of reduced thickness adjacent the lip 21, to facilitate deformation to engage the lip 21, but the remainder of the portion 20 has sufficient thickness to ensure that it is substantially rigid. An outlet passage is provided by a tube 22 in an interference fit in a recess in the top of the portion 20 and extends downwardly to surround the outlet pipe 23 of the container 10. The tube is of low density PVC, of the type available from British Industrial Plastics under the designation UN 774, and the wall of the tube 22 is sufficiently thin that it may be resiliently deformed relative to the portion 20, and thereby tilt the outlet pipe 23 to allow the contents of the container 10 to pass upwardly through the tube 22.
A push button 24 is slidable in an aperture in the portion 20 and has an abutment surface 25 which engages the outside of the outlet passage 22. Preferably the abutment surface 25 is relieved as shown in Figure 2 so as not to impede flexing of the tube 22 when the button 24 is pressed. As shown more clearly in Figure 3 the push button 24 is provided with spring fingers 26 which secure the button 24 on the tube 22, and thereby retain the button 24 within the portion 20. A portion 28 of the button 24 rests on an upper surface 27 of the container 10 and co-operates with the aperture in the portion 20 to maintain the axis of the action of the button 24 at approximately 78° to the axis of the tube 22.
It has been determined that for satisfactory operation the line of action of the button 24 should be between 75° and 81° to the axis of the tube 22.
The screw thread of the portion 12 corresponds to the standard screw thread on toothpaste tubes, so that the thread on the brush may interchangeably be attached to a toothpaste tube or to the cap 11 described herein. It will be understood, however, that the cap 11 may alternatively be provided with suitable means for engagement with other brushes or tools, as appropriate to the contents of the aerosol container.

Claims

1. A cap (11) for an aerosol container (10) having a valve operable by sideways deflection of an output pipe (23) which extends axially from the container (10), said cap (11) including a first part (20) of substantially circular section engageable with the body of the container (10), an outlet passage (22) mounted on said first part (20) for engaging the outlet pipe (23) of the container (10), and an element (24) mounted in said first part (20) and operable to deflect said outlet pipe (23) transversely of the axis thereof, characterised in that said outlet passage (22) is resiliently deformable and that said element (24) is slidably mounted in said first part (20).

2. A cap as claimed in claim 1 in which said slidable element (24) is provided with spring fingers (26) for retaining said element (24) on said outlet passage (22).

3. A cap as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2 in which said element (24) has an abutment surface (25) which engages said outlet passage (22) and is relieved adjacent its engagement with said passage (22) so as not to impede flexing of said passage (22).

4. A cap as claimed in any preceding claim in which said element (24) has a portion (28) which is slidably engageable with a surface (27) of said container (10).

5. A cap as claimed in claim 4 in which said element (24) is mounted so as to have a line of action between 75° and 81° to the axis of said container (10).

6. A cap as claimed in any preceding claim in which said outlet passage (22) is a tube of plastics material.