GB2305473A

GB2305473A - Aerosol valve operating means

Info

Publication number: GB2305473A
Application number: GB9519258A
Authority: GB
Inventors: John Winston Harvey
Original assignee: Courtaulds Packaging Ltd
Current assignee: Albea UK Ltd
Priority date: 1995-09-21
Filing date: 1995-09-21
Publication date: 1997-04-09
Anticipated expiration: 2015-09-21
Also published as: GB2305473B; GB9519258D0

Abstract

The aerosol valve (12) of a can (10) is actuated by a cap (11) having a push button part (15) and an outer part (13). The upward movement of the push button part (15) is limited by at least one tongue on one of the push button or outer parts, which at least one tongue (19) abuts an edge of an axially elongated aperture (26) in the other of the push button or outer parts in which said at least one tongue (19) engages. The engagement between the tongue and an edge can be used to prevent accidental opening of the valve.

Description

An Aerosol Valve Operating Means This invention relates to means for operating the valve of an aerosol type container, and in particular to a distributor cap incorporating such a means.

Aerosol containers which include distributor caps are well known, see for example French Patent 2,627,459. Typically the cap acts as a valve-operating means for the aerosol container and comprises two parts, an outer part having an annular base which clips onto the top of the aerosol container, typically a can, and a push button part engaging the valve of the aerosol container and which is axially slidable in the centre of the outer part and is biased into a raised condition by the aerosol valve. Such a valve-operating means will hereinafter be referred to as a "valve-operating means of the kind referred to".

The valve of an aerosol container is operated by pressing the valve towards the container. As the pressurised material exits the valve it typically enters an outlet passageway in the push button part of a valve-operating means of the kind referred to and hits a surface in the passageway which diverts the material through a delivery port so that the material exits the delivery port in a controlled manner.

The push button part is biased upwardly into a raised condition by the aerosol valve which is biased to a closed condition. The push button part needs to be retained on the valve and this is frequently achieved by the use of abutment surfaces on the push button part engaging abutment surfaces on the outer part after a predetermined amount of relative upward movement of the button part.

Means of forming interengaging abutment surfaces are disclosed in W093/23678, and GB-A-2,028,780. The present invention provides a valve-operating means of the kind referred to having an alternative way of retaining the push button part on the outer part.

According to this invention a valve-operating means of the kind referred to is characterised in that the upward movement of the push button part is limited by at least one tongue on either the push button part or the outer part abutting an edge of an axially elongated aperture in the other of the parts and in which the tongue engages.

Preferably the or each tongue is/are on the outer part and the respective aperture is formed in the push button part.

Conveniently a pair of diametrically opposed tongues on the outer part engages in like spaced apertures in the push button part.

When the aperture is in the push button part the lower portions of each aperture may be circumferentially elongated, preferably by means of a narrow slot, allowing for rotational movement of the push button part relative to the outer part when the push button part is in a raised condition. Desirably the slots all extend in the same circumferential direction and engagement of the tongues in the slots prohibits the push button part from being pressured downwardly for operation of the aerosol valve.

A detent means may be provided for restraining the or each tongue in position in its slot. This helps prevent accidental discharge of the aerosol container.

The invention will now be further described, by way of example, and with reference to the accompanying drawing in which: Figure 1 is a cross-section through a distributor cap for an aerosol container, Figure 2 is a plan view of the base of the cap shown in Figure 1 on a reduced scale, and Figure 3 is a side elevation on an enlarged scale of a portion of the sidewall of the push button part of the cap shown in Figure 1, showing the aperture.

With reference to the drawing, there is shown an aerosol can 10 having a distributor cap 11 fitted over the upper end of the can for controlled discharge of the contents of the can through a can valve 12. Preferably the aerosol container is for storage of hair care products such as shampoos and conditioners which are in the form of a mousse. The distributor cap 11 operates the aerosol can valve 12 which is biased upwards into a closed condition. The cap 11 comprises two parts 13 and 15 each of which is formed from plastics material, preferably a resilient material such as polypropylene. The two parts 13 and 15 comprise an outer annular base part 13 which clips over a rim 14 on the can, and a push button part 15, for operating the valve 12.

The base part 13 comprises a cylindrical wall 16 which actually engages the rim 14, an annular shield 17 extending downwardly from the upper end of the wall 16 towards the can 10 for aesthetic reasons, and an inwardly and upwardly projecting frustoconical portion 18, the base of which, in use, abuts the rim 14. A pair of diametrically opposed tongues 19 project radially inwards from the inner periphery of the frustoconical portion 18.

The push button part 15 has a domed top 21 with a central downwardly extending stem 22. The stem 22 has a central stepped passageway 23 which receives the aerosol valve 12. A second passageway 24 extends obliquely from the end of the first passageway 22 to the external surface of domed top 21. The central stem 22 is surrounded by a radially spaced-apart downwardly extending annular skirt 25 which is slidably mounted within the inner periphery of the frustoconical portion 18 of the base part 13.

The aerosol valve 12 is opened for discharge of the contents of the container 10 by pressing the valve 12 downwardly towards the container 10. As the valve 12 closes it raises the push button part 15. The push button part is retained in the base part and its upward movement is limited therein by the abutment of each tongue 19 with an edge of a respective axially elongated aperture 26 in the skirt 25 of the push button part.

The aperture 26 is dimensioned to allow axial movement of the push button part 15 relative to the base part 13 from a valveclosed condition (as shown in Figure 1) to a valve-open condition when the push button part is pressed axially into the base part. The axial movement is limited by upper and lower end walls 27,28 of the respective apertures 26.

When the push button part is assembled into the base part, the natural resilience of the materials allows for sufficient flexing of the two components so that the tongues 19 pass over the lower portions of the sidewall to become engaged in the apertures 26.

Each aperture 26 has a narrower slot 29 extending circumferentially away from its lower portion in one rotational direction only. Thus, both the slots 29 extend in the same rotational direction. The slots 29 also accommodate the tongues 19 but allow only limited relative axial movement between the push button part 15 and the base part 13 in a raised condition of the part 15.

With the push button part 15 in a first position as shown in Figure 1, in which it can be pressed downwardly, the tongue 19 is located in the aperture 26 as shown at 19A in Figure 3.

When the push button 15 is rotated to a second position in the raised condition, so that the tongue 19 enters the elongated slot 29 (i.e. to the position l9B), the push button part is effectively locked against any significant axial movement relative to the base part and thus cannot make a downward movement sufficient to operate the valve 12.

A detent 31 is shown provided in the slot 29 to more effectively restrain each tongue 19 in its respective locked position l9B and reduce the risk of accidental relative rotation of the push button part into its operational condition.

The upper end 27 of the aperture 26 and the upper edge of the slot 29 are interconnected by an inclined edge 32 which acts to lift the push button part into its locked state should rotation be attempted with the push button part in its depressed state.

Whilst the valve-operating means has been described as an integral part of a distributor cap, such a valve-operating means has applications to aerosol containers in general.

Claims

1. A valve-operating means of the kind referred to in which the upward movement of the push button part is limited by at least one tongue on one of the push button part or outer part, which at least one tongue abuts an edge of an axially elongated aperture in the other of the push button part or outer part in which said at least one tongue engages.

2. A valve-operating means as claimed in claim 1, wherein there are a plurality of equiangularly spaced tongues which engage in like spaced apertures.

3. A valve-operating means as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein there are a pair of diametrically opposed tongues on the outer part which each engages in a respective aperture in the push button part.

4. A valve-operating means as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein at least a portion of the or each aperture is circumferentially elongated allowing limited rotational movement between the push button part and the outer part when the push button part is in the relatively raised condition.

5. A valve-operating means as claimed in claim 4, wherein said portion of the or each aperture has a circumferential slot extending therefrom in one rotational direction only, such that engagement of the respective tongue in said slot prohibits any substantial relative axial movement between the push button part and the outer part.

6. A valve-operating means as claimed in claim 6, wherein each slot has a detent for engagement with the respective tongue to restrain the tongue in the slot.

7. An aerosol can valve-operating means which is substantially as described herein.