FR2832390A1 - Spray head for aerosol can has hinged cap which fits over head when it is not in use - Google Patents

Abstract

The spray head for an aerosol can has a base (19) which fits on to the can. A button attached to the base operates the head (4) of the aerosol valve (3). This is connected to a spray jet (10) by a tube (8). A hinged cap (5) fits over the head when it is not in use.

Description

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Diffuser hood with lid for container and container equipped with such a hood
The present invention relates to a diffuser cover with cover for a container such as an aerosol can or the like. It also relates to a container equipped with such a cover.

 In the prior art, there are known containers filled with a product which can be diffused under pressure through a valve when the user actuates a button on this valve.

These containers, like aerosol cans, generally comprise a cylindrical body made of a metallic material, and a cup carrying the aforementioned valve and its actuation button.

More recently, diffuser covers generally made of molded plastic have been developed, mainly comprising: a substantially cylindrical body; an ejection nozzle in relation to the outlet channel of the head or valve button; a button which, actuated by the user, makes it possible to exert an action on the valve head to effect the diffusion of the product through the nozzle.

 However, these diffuser covers have a drawback in that the user can unintentionally operate the product diffusion button.

 To solve this problem, it has already been proposed to provide the diffuser cover with a latch with two positions. In a first storage position, the latch prevents the operation of the diffusion button and in a second position of use, the latch is erased allowing the operation of the button.

 However, this device complicates the manufacture of the diffuser cover which must be manufactured in large quantities by molding.

It is therefore necessary to avoid having overly complicated devices requiring assembly operations which, in the case of a latch or bolt, are complicated and sometimes even impossible to automate.

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Furthermore, if the user does not think of operating the latch from the second position of use to the first storage position, this security no longer serves
To make the valve ejection button inoperative, it has also been proposed to close the diffuser cover with a cap which fits over the top of the cover, above the area where the button is located. But, often such a hat is lost and it is a nuisance for the user who must constantly keep it close to him when he operates the container. It follows that for simple cases, such a cap is used, and for more difficult cases of toxic products in particular, the latch mechanism is used.

 The present invention remedies this state of the art in that it relates to a diffuser cover for a container such as an aerosol can or the like. The diffuser cover of the invention comprises: a body intended to adapt to the top of the container; a button movable on the body and which actuates a container valve head; a diffusion nozzle intended to make it possible to diffuse the product out of the diffuser cover when the button is operated; - a diffusion channel putting in communication the diffusion output of the valve head and the diffusion nozzle; and - a movable cover between two positions, namely a closed position so that the movable button is no longer accessible and an open position so that the movable button is operable.

 According to other features of the invention: - the cover is mounted by a hinge on the body; - The cover is obtained by integral molding with the body; - The cover is made of a first material and the body is made of a second material; - The diffuser cover also includes a means of permanent connection of the body to the container;

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 - The diffuser cover also includes means for locking the cover in the closed position; - The diffuser cover includes a first opening indicator which is arranged between the cover and the body.

 The invention also relates to a container which comprises a diffuser cover according to the above.

 Other characteristics and advantages of the invention will appear on reading the detailed description which follows, for the understanding of which reference will be made to the appended drawings in which: FIG. 1 is a schematic sectional view of the upper part of an aerosol can equipped with a diffuser cover according to the invention, with a cover in a closed position; - Figure 2 is a schematic sectional view of the upper part of an aerosol can equipped with a diffuser cover according to the invention, the cover being in an open position.

 In the drawing, the same elements in the two figures have the same reference numbers. In FIG. 1, the container is an aerosol can 1-4 whose main body 1 substantially cylindrical is closed at its upper part by a valve holder cup 2. The valve holder cup 2 has a valve head 4 returned in the closed position by an effect appears under the action of the product under pressure injected into the container, during its manufacture (filling operation).

 The valve head 4 has an outlet channel 3 for the product to be diffused and when it is pressed in or away from its axis, depending on the type of valve, the product under pressure is ejected from the valve.

 A diffuser cover 5, 6, 19 is arranged above the container 1-4 for covering the valve holder cup 2 The diffuser cover comprises a body 19 adapted to the upper part of the container and / or the valve holder cup 2. A button 6 is

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 disposed mobile in relation to the body 19. The button 6 comprises: a bearing surface 7 available to the user having a profile adapted to the user's finger; and a part 9 intended to mobilize the valve head 4 and having a contact profile with a suitable part of the valve head 4 and / or of a diffusion channel 8; so that when the user presses the button 6 (arrow 16, FIG. 2), the valve head 4 is suitably operated and a suitable dose of product 17 is ejected through an ejection nozzle 10.

 In a particular embodiment, the part 9 intended to come to bear on the top of the valve head 4 is constituted by a flat rib, in the vertical plane containing the axis of symmetry of Figure 1 The base of the rib 9 is in a curved shape to allow action in a direction compatible with the operation of the valve when the button 6 is pressed by the user according to arrow 16 (FIG. 2). The rib is arranged a little behind the vertical axis shown in phantom along which the diffusion channel 3 of the valve head 4 is directed so as not to block the latter. To balance the forces, the rib 9 can be doubled on each side of the plane of the figure so that the bent diffusion channel 8 presses on the valve head 4 downwards producing the diffusion of the product contained in the aerosol can.

 In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the button 6 is obtained by integral molding with the rest of the body 19. To this end, it is secured 12 to a suitable part of the body so that when the user presses its bearing surface, it rotates around an axis materialized by an attachment tab 12 with the corresponding part of the body.

 In another embodiment, the button can be made of a suitable material and be inserted into a

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 housing allowing its sliding or articulation when the user presses it (not shown in the drawing).

 The body 19 of the diffuser cover then carries inside the latter a diffusion nozzle 10 which is produced in a manner known per se depending on the type of product and the type of diffusion that it is desired to obtain. The nozzle 10 is attached by mounting in a housing prepared for this purpose using projections 13 prepared inside the body 19 and this, on a bore of the body.

 The nozzle 10 is also attached to one end of a diffusion channel 8 which connects the nozzle 41 to the product outlet channel 3 of the valve head 4. In the preferred embodiment, the product outlet channel 3 of the valve head 4 being arranged vertically, and the nozzle 10 being arranged so that its diffusion jet 17 is substantially perpendicular to this direction, the diffusion channel 8 is arranged so that the diffusion jet coming from the head valve 4 is bent. The diffusion channel 8 is moreover integral with the body of the diffuser cover using means known as projections 13 obtained by molding on ribs of the body 19 of the diffuser cover. In one embodiment, the diffusion channel 8 is made at least partially of a flexible material so that the support of the part 9 integral with the button 6 on its end in line with the valve head 4 causes its bending towards the bottom and therefore the descent of the valve head 3 which then ejects product through the outlet channel 3.

 In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the base of the body, in the vicinity of its contact with the top of the body 1 of the container, is provided with means enabling it to be fixed to the container, here the cylindrical body 1 of the aerosol can. The securing means makes it possible to make permanent the attachment of the diffuser cover to the container. Such a means can be constituted by an adhesive tape or by a cold welding operation during the mounting of the cover 5, 6, 19 on the top of the container 1-

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 4. Preferably, the bottom of the body 19 of the diffuser cover is provided with hooks and it is forcibly mounted on the top of the container 1-4 the hooks entering a groove formed between the cup 2 and the body 1 of the container itself.

 The diffuser cover of the invention has a cover 5 which, in the preferred embodiment, is obtained in one piece with the rest of the body and even, preferably, with the button 6. To this end, the cover 5 is attached to the body 19 by a tongue 11 which acts as an articulation so that, when the user wants to actuate the valve, he is forced to tilt the cover 5 around its articulation 11 as shown in FIG. 2.

 There is an advantage of the invention over the state of the art. When the security to avoid inadvertent pressing of the button 6 is constituted by a latch lever which blocks its movement, regardless of the fact that this latch mechanism is complicated and that it can therefore block the operation of the aerosol can, it is really impossible to forget to close the cover 5 after using the can, because it is easily visible that it is open.

 Note the great simplicity of the invention to solve the aforementioned problem since the latch mechanism is unnecessary and replaced by a simple cap which remains permanently on the diffuser cover without being lost.

 It is clear that the cover of the invention could also be made up of an independent piece from the body 19 of the diffuser cover and be articulated therein by a hinge-type connection, a hinge being mounted on each part of the cover 5 and of the body in the hinge area and a rod serving as an axis.

 In another embodiment, the cover 5, produced separately or not from the body 19, and in this second case, after having been separated from it by pulling off the tongue 11, is inserted into one or more slideways formed on the top of the body 19 so that, in a first closed position,

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 the cover 5 is disposed above the button 6 and in a second cantilevered open position, for example above the ejection nozzle 10, the cover 5 has cleared the space above the button 6 to allow support 16 by the user.

 It is noted that, when the diffuser cover is produced by molding in one piece, the mold (not shown in the drawing) must have two shells for the body 19, the button 6 and for the cover 5, the latter two being attached to the body. 19 by tabs 11 or 12.

 It is thus possible to use several material injection holes to make a diffuser cover, each of the three parts or two of which has a clean appearance in color, transparency, texture. To this end, each shell or part of the mold has at least one material injection hole and an injection pump reserved for it. The materials injected are chosen so as to constitute tabs between parts 5, 6 and 19 which are perfectly coherent.

It is thus possible to produce a diffuser cover comprising a body of a first color (yellow, for example), a button of a second color (red for example) and a cover in a third color (like a translucent gray so the red button is visible even with the cover closed)
This advantage of the invention makes it possible to produce large covers and at low cost for diffusing covers making it possible to distinguish the products put on sale on the market, in particular aerosol cans by proposing new technical means for varying the external aspects of the diffusing covers.

 An advantage of the invention is also to make it possible to produce, during molding, the ribs or projections which constitute, on the one hand, the means for fixing the nozzle 10 and the diffusion channel 8 connecting the valve head 4 to the nozzle 10, as well as the or

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 the ribs 9 for making the insertion of the valve head 4 by the button 6.

 The invention only then requires that the nozzle 10 be mounted in the diffuser cover through a housing passing through the body 19 and the angled diffusion channel 8 in the projections or ribs 13 provided for this purpose. Note in the drawing that the bent channel must penetrate inside the button 6 by a vertical slot visible on the edge seen in section on the right on the button 6 below the tongue 12.

 In one embodiment of the invention, the first opening of the ready-to-use container is attested by a seal or witness of first opening, preferably made: - or by a bonding wax or glue pad, in the area marked 14 in Figure 1, the body 19 and the cover 5 in the closed position; - Or by a heat-shrinkable plastic band which surrounds at least partially a joint between the cover 5 and the body 19 when the cover 5 is closed and which would be visible in FIG. 1 at zones 14 and 15 in the form of a ring tightened around the cover.

 As soon as a user, authorized or not, opens the cover 5, the first opening indicator is broken to establish that the container has already been used. Such a characteristic is particularly advantageous when the container is sold outside of sealed packaging and placed on display stands available to the public.

 In another embodiment of the invention, the opening of the cover 5 can be controlled using a removable locking means. Such a means can be achieved using a lock which allows the retraction of a lock: - or using a key, as an external tool separate from the diffuser cover; - or by a combination of movements applied to at least one movable part accessible to the locking means

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 and that only know authorized persons or can practice responsible persons.

 The fixed part of the locking means is secured to the body 19 or the cover 5, while the maneuverable part of the locking means is secured to the cover 5 or the body 19 respectively.

 To produce such a removable locking means with combination of movements, the skilled person is particularly familiar with double capsule caps which require a first bearing movement in order to engage a rotor in order to unlock the cap.

 This provision of the invention makes it possible to distribute, in the form of aerosols, products whose toxicity reserves their use to authorized and at least responsible persons. This is the case, for example, with caustic products and medicines.

There is a real need to protect an unsuspecting public from the risks of certain products and the invention makes it possible to distribute such products in the form of aerosols.

Claims (8)

 CLAIMS 1-Diffuser cover for container equipped with a product diffusion valve, characterized in that it comprises: a body (19) intended to adapt to the top of the container (1-4); a button (6) movable on the body (19) and which makes it possible to actuate a valve head (4) of the container (1-4); a diffusion nozzle (10) for diffusing the product out of the diffuser cover when the button is operated; - a diffusion channel (8) communicating the diffusion output of the valve head and the diffusion nozzle; and a cover () movable between two positions, namely a closed position so that the movable button (6) is no longer accessible and an open position so that the movable button (6) is operable. 2-Diffuser cover according to claim 1, characterized in that the cover (6) is mounted by a hinge (11) on the body (19). 3-diffuser cover according to claim 2, characterized in that the cover (5) is obtained by integral molding with the body (19). 4-diffuser cover according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that at least two parts of the diffuser cover, such as the cover (5) and the body (19), are made respectively of a first material and a second material. 5-Diffuser cover according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it also comprises means for permanent connection of the body (19) of the diffuser cover to the container (1). 6-Diffuser cover according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises a locking means (14) removable from the cover in the closed position. <Desc / Clms Page number 11> 7-Diffuser cover according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises a first opening indicator (14-15) which is disposed between the cover (5) and the body (19). 8-Container characterized in that it comprises a diffuser cover according to at least one of the preceding claims.