FR2847560A1 - TANK CAP SUCH AS AEROSOL BOMB - Google Patents

Abstract

The cap (1) for an aerosol can has a suspension eye (2) extending vertically from its top but hinged (3) to allow it to fold flat against the top. The suspension eye is a flat loop which is formed in one piece with the cap and the hinge is formed by a thinned section between them.

Description

Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a protective cap.

tank

  such as an aerosol can intended to be presented in a vertical position.

  The packaging of liquid products to be sprayed, in the form of an aerosol can are used for multiple applications and in particular for everyday applications. These aerosol cans are, in general, sold by the piece. Nowadays these products are presented in boxes, in a standing position or on shelves. But as the trend in sales techniques consists of eliminating more and more the presentation on the shelf in favor of a presentation suspended on rails or hooks, it would be desirable to be able to standardize this type of presentation to the largest

number of products.

  In the case of products packaged in packages of very specific shape which do not allow to receive a hook, the products are packaged in a plastic envelope (blister) provided with a hook or a cutout allowing a hung presentation

to a display rod.

  Such a presentation is advantageous in the case of relatively small products because it makes it possible both to enhance the product by including in the packaging a presentation cardboard bearing the mark and explanations of use of the product, etc. without the increase in size being perceived as a disadvantage. On the contrary, this increase in the dimensions of the blister packaging is seen as an enhancement

of the product.

  But such a presentation although possible also

  for aerosol cans is not interesting because it increases the dimensions of the product, itself of dimensions already relatively large.

  This increase in dimensions is not a nuisance only in the context of the presentation for sale but especially for the packaging of products for transport. Currently, such aerosol cans are placed juxtaposed in cardboard boxes to reduce the volume to be transported to the strict minimum. This would no longer be the case if the bombs were placed in a plastic envelope such as a blister. The advantage of being able to market the product in a hanging position would not compensate for the additional cost linked to

  increasing the volume to be transported.

  PRIOR ART There are already aerosol bomb caps, the cap covering the push valve, having a height much greater than the height of a usual cap, at least that which would be necessary for such a reservoir (and which has an opening formed in the part

top of the cap).

  This U shape, open upwards, extended by an inverted gutter branch, covering the top occupies a diametrical position. The cap (attached to the tank) can thus slide on a display rod or clip through the transverse opening in the top,

  between one of the branches of the U and the branch folded down in the shape of a gutter.

  But this solution which retains the overall form of a

  aerosol bomb nevertheless has a number of drawbacks.

  First of all the height of the cap and consequently of the whole of the bomb provided with the cap is significantly increased. This increase is all the more proportional the smaller the aerosol can itself. This results in a

  significant loss of space in transport.

  The attachment of the product on the display rod is relatively rigid and practically does not allow rotation or pivoting

  of the product around the stem. Under these conditions, if the label of the tank is incorrectly oriented relative to the cap, it will appear difficult.

  The grip of the product to examine it without unhooking it from the display is also relatively difficult because the fixing is done along a diametrical line relative to the cap, closed on top by the inverted gutter which offers only freedom movement re30 pick. The only way to examine the product precisely, to read the instructions, check the price or other information printed on the tank body, requires the removal of the bomb from the display. There is thus a risk that the potential buyer, who does not wish to buy the product, simply deposits it again without taking the trouble to put it back on the rod of the display. This will result in additional storage work for

store staff.

  Finally the cap is open at the level of the gutter so that it is possible to access the push valve inside the cap. Even if the cap is sealed to the body of the tank by a peripheral plastic film, the push valve remains nevertheless accessible so that one cannot guarantee the inviolability

of the tank.

  OBJECT AND ADVANTAGES OF THE INVENTION The purpose of the present invention is to develop an aerosol spray cap allowing it to be presented in an attached position at points of sale, not creating any additional bulk, making it possible to use all of the current packaging means. spray cans and protect the valve when the product is on the scene

  sales, while offering great accessibility to the product hanging on its display.

  To this end, the invention relates to a reservoir cap, in particular of an aerosol can of the type defined above, characterized in that it comprises a retractable attachment member, integrated above the cap and to which it is connected by a hinge for be foldable flat at the top of the cap or be put in the hanging position. The cap according to the invention has the same size as that of a known cap, without attachment means. It therefore does not increase

  neither the dimensions nor the overall dimensions of the aerosol can.

  In the storage position (storage and transport) the extra thickness possibly created by the retractable hooking member folded down on the cover is negligible with respect to the usual dimensional tolerances available for packaging such products. It will not require any transformation of the packaging means.

  As the cap has the same height, the gripping means for cardboard packaging and other operations are strictly the same as

  those used for bombs equipped with a conventional cap.

  At the point of sale, setting up the aerosol can equipped with such a cap is extremely simple. It is enough to release the attachment member and suspend the product from the display rod. The product then remains perfectly accessible to the consumer who can take it in hand to examine it, read the instructions, etc. without having to

remove it from the display.

  According to another advantageous characteristic, the hooking member is in the form of a flat loop provided with a hooking orifice made in one piece in the material of the cap while being connected to the latter by a hinge formed by a reduction thickness of the material. According to another characteristic, the fastening member is

  in the form of a flat hook made in one piece in the material of the ca5 puchon by being connected to the latter by a hinge formed by a reduction in thickness of the material.

  This embodiment of the fastening member is particularly advantageous because the cap is, for example, injected with material

  plastic in one piece with a very simple mold.

  According to another characteristic, the attachment member is made in the thickness of the top of the cap with a shaped connection

  hinge connected to the rest of the cap.

  This embodiment corresponds to an even simpler manufacture since the attachment member is precut or molded in the same thickness as the top of the cap while being bordered by an open line possibly leaving attachment points for retaining the attachment member. '' hooking in flattened position in the thickness of the top of the cap during all handling and

  transport until the product is hung on the rod of the display.

  The attachment members according to the invention can be

hooks open or closed.

  It is also possible to provide several such hooking members to make in the cover, retractable, to facilitate

  attachment to different types of display rods or rails.

  Drawings The present invention will be described below in more detail with the aid of the attached drawings in which: - Figures 1-1 to 1-5 are respective side and top views of a first embodiment of 'a cap according to the invention with a hooking member in the form of a loop, - Figures 2-1 to 2-5 are different side and top views of a cap provided with a hooking member cut from the top of the cover, - Figures 3-1 to 3-5 are various side and top views of another embodiment of the cap according to the invention with an open hooking member, - Figures 4-1 4-5 are side and top views of an alternative embodiment of Figures 3, with an open hook integrated in the

cover layer.

  Description of various embodiments of the invention

  According to Figures 1-1 ... 1-5, a first embodiment of a reservoir cap such as an aerosol can comprises a body 1 forming the cap itself, with internal ribs 10 and bosses of peripheral clipping 11 coming behind the rounded crimping rim, usual of the upper part of the tank

not shown in the drawings.

  The top 12 of the body 1 comprises a retractable hooking member 2 in the form of a loop provided with an orifice 21 of triangular shape, with inclined sides 22, 23 ending in a vertex 24 at obtuse angle

  corresponding to the preferred attachment position on the display rod shown by the circle TP.

  The fastening member is integrated above 12 of the cap, connected by a hinge 3 made in the material, the fastening member 2 and the body 1 being in one piece. Hinge 3 is

  formed by a reduction in the thickness of the material (see Figure 1-2).

  The loop-shaped fastening member 2 is a flat part. Its outer contour 25 is of overall trapezoidal shape and occupies the largest extension compatible with the contour 13 (FIG. 1-5) of the body 1, to fit inside this contour without exceeding it so that the dimensions of the port 21 are as large as possible while

by having a solid loop.

  The fastening member preferably occupies a diametrical position relative to the top 12 of the body 1 of the cap so

  the suspended product is in the equilibrium position.

  The top 12 of the cap also includes a small boss 14, on the side towards which the hooking member 2 is folded down in the retracted position, so as to then facilitate the grip for lifting the hooking member from its retracted position towards its attachment position, if the natural elasticity of the hinge 3 were not sufficient

  to lift the hooking member.

  Figure 1-2 which is a side view shows the attachment

  the cap installed on a TP display rod.

  Figure 1-3 is a side view, cut, showing the retracted position of the fastening member 2, folded against the top 12 of the body 1 of the cap around the hinge 3. This figure shows that the extra thickness created at above the body 1 of the cap by the organ

  hooking 2 folded down is extremely low or even negligible.

  FIG. 1-4 is a top view corresponding to FIG. 1-1, showing the diametrical arrangement of the fastening member and

  especially of its hinge 3 connected or forming part of the top 12 of the body 1.

  Figure 1-5 shows the folded position of the organ

  hooking 2 against the top 12 of the body of the cap 1 (corresponding to the side section view of Figure 1-3).

  Figures 2-1 to 2-5 show a second embodiment of a cap according to the invention which corresponds to an alternative embodiment of the fastening member in the form of a flat loop.

  In these figures, the elements identical or analogous to those of FIGS. 1-1 to 1-5 bear the same references supplemented by the

  suffix A and only the differences are detailed.

  According to Figure 2-1, this embodiment relates to a cap, the body 1A of which comprises the organs 1OA, l1A equivalent or identical already described, but the top 12A of the cap is different since the latching member 2A is integrated in the top. 12A connected by

a 3A hinge.

  This attachment member 2A is here also in the form of a flat loop. But instead of the loop forming the attachment member 2A being on the top 12A of the body 1A, this attachment member 2A is produced in the same thickness of the top 12A (FIG. 2-3) at the time of setting , by being connected to the top 12A by the hinge 3A and by possible connecting points 121A intended to hold the fastening member 2A in

the top plan 12A.

  To release and raise the attachment member 2A, it suffices to

break the connection points 12 1A.

  Figure 2-4 is a top view corresponding to Figure 2-1 showing the opening 1 22A which remains when the organ

  hook 2A is in the raised position.

  The shape of this looped hooking member 2A is that

already described in Figure 1A.

  Figure 2-5 shows that it remains around the opening 122A, on the semicircle "above" the joint 3A of

  the fastening member 2, a strip of material 123A sufficient to ensure the peripheral holding of the body lA of the cap.

  Figures 3-1 to 3-5 show another embodiment

  a hooking member in the form of a hook or open loop.

  The various elements of this cap which correspond to the elements already described and represented in FIGS. 1-1 ... 1-5 bear the same references supplemented by the suffix B. The body 1C of the cap itself also includes the members 10C, 11C and the top 12C carries the organ

  2C hooking in the form of a hook or open loop. The general shape of this hook is here fairly close to that of loop 2 (Figure 1).

  The opening 21C of the member 2C is of triangular shape bordered by inclined sides 22C, 23C joining at the top 24C to constitute the

  preferential hooking position, centered, on the TP rod of the display.

  The hook has a relatively small opening 26C, so that one is forced to deform the upper branch 27 of the hook

  of the member 2C relative to the base 28C connected by the hinge 3C above 12C.

  At the opening 26C, the base 28C has a

boss 29C.

  This embodiment gives a resistant hook to support the load represented by the aerosol can; it prevents the hook and the product to which it belongs, from being too easily detached from the TP rod when the products attached to the TP rod are moved by a

  customer looking to read the label or review the product being presented.

  This hooking member 3C folds over the top 12C of the

  body 1C as shown in Figure 3-3.

  As in the other embodiments, the hooking member 2C is connected to the top 12C by the hinge 3C in the diametrical position. The hooking member 2C fits into the outline 13C of the

  body 1C so as not to overflow or create additional bulk.

  Figures 4-1 to 4-5 show an alternative embodiment of the hook-shaped hooking member, integrated in the top of the

  cap as the variant of figures 2-1 to 2-5.

  For the description of this variant we will use the same

  references than those assigned to the elements already described previously in FIGS. 1-1 and 3-1, assigned the suffix D. In this embodiment, the 2D hooking member in the form of a hook or open loop, is integrated in the above 12D of the body 1D of the cap as shown in Figure 4-3. The 2D hooking member is molded in the thickness of the top 12D by being connected by a 3D hinge and by remaining hooked by connection points 12 1D (FIG. 4-D) which is detached at the first lifting of the 2D hanging device. Figure 4-4 shows the opening 122D released by the organ

  2D attachment in the raised position.

  This opening leaves a sufficiently large edge 123D at the level of the outline 13D of the body of the cap 1D

  to ensure the solidity of the whole.

  This opening 122D can moreover be closed by a label such as a price tag, affixed on the top 12D after

  lifting of the 2D fastening member.

  The shape of the 2D fastening member corresponds for the

  remains to that of the fastening member 2C of Figures 3-1 and following.

  The attachment member in its various embodiments shown, described and conceivable can not only serve for the presentation of a product such as an aerosol can in a position hooked to a rod or display stand in a sales area, but also serve for storing the product in the hanging position, especially since the object is bulky by its height and its standing position

  is not always very stable especially when the tank is already very started.

  Finally, as the cap is made of plastic, if the retractable hook annoys the user, he can easily cut the

hook at the hinge.

Claims (1)

CLAIMS) Reservoir cap such as an aerosol can intended to be presented in a vertical position characterized in that it comprises a retractable latching member, integrated above (12) the cap (1) and to which it is connected by a hinge for be foldable flat at the top of the cap or be put in the hanging position. io 2) tank cap according to claim 1, characterized in that the hooking member is in the form of a flat loop provided with a hooking orifice made in one piece in the material of the cap while being connected to that -this by a hinge formed by a decrease in thickness of the material. ) Reservoir cap according to claim 1, characterized in that the hooking member is in the form of a flat hook made in one piece from the material of the cap by being connected to the latter by a hinge formed by a decrease in thickness of the material.   4) tank cap according to claim 1, characterized in that the hooking member is made in the thickness of the top of the cap   with a hinge-shaped connection connected to the rest of the cap.