US3549054A

US3549054A - Aerosol container-dispensing holder

Info

Publication number: US3549054A
Application number: US794856*A
Authority: US
Inventors: George M Etter
Original assignee: GEORGE M ETTER
Current assignee: GEORGE M ETTER
Priority date: 1969-01-29
Filing date: 1969-01-29
Publication date: 1970-12-22
Anticipated expiration: 1987-12-22

Description

United States Patent [72] Inventor George M. Etter 3,013,699 12/1961 Meuwly 222/174 139 S. Peck Drive, Beverly Hills, Calif. 3,100,065 8/ 1963 Gross 222/ l 80 90212 3,220,613 11/1965 Palmer et al 222/180X [2] 1 3 Primary Examiner-Robert B. Reeves [22] Assistant Examiner-Frederick R. Handren [45 patented 1970 Attorney-Smyth, Roston and Pavitt [54] AERQSOL CONTAINER DISPENSING HOLDER ABSTRACT: Containing means for holding an aerosol can securely on a wall or other llgld surface, through whlch means 4 Claims, 5 Drawing Figs.

the contents of the can may be dispensed by pulling a cord or [52] US. Cl. other flexible element accesslble externally of the comammg means. [51] Int. Cl. 865d 83/14 An ifi d fl ibl strap is disposed with one end Secured [50] Field of Search 2221173, to the inside jacket n and extended over the top f the can 174, 509; 239/282 233 to connect the other end with the cord. The strap includes a projecting element which contacts the depressible can actua- [56] References cued tor. When the cord is pulled the aerosol is discharged from the UNITED STATES PATENTS can through the orifice in the strap and an opening in the top 2,953,283 9/1960 Palkowski 222/174X of the jacket.

AEROSOL CONTAINER-DISPENSING HOLDER CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS There are no related applications filed by the present inventor.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION l. Field of the Invention This invention relates to the field of holders for aerosol cans which holders are adapted to be mounted to a wall or other fixed surface and through which the contents may be dispensed by an actuating element extending outside of the holder. The invention has particular use in mounting aerosol cans which contain a bathroom or other type of room deodorant, purifier or disinfectant.

2. Description of the Prior Art I Since the introduction of aerosol containers to the American households with their subsequent widespread use, many persons have devised different ways of remotely actuating the particular triggering mechanisms incorporated in the different types of aerosol cans. In some instances, provision has been made for mounting the can on a wall or other surface with an externally accessible remote actuator. Examples of such devices are found in the following patents:

Name: Patent No. Ryan 2, 673, 008 Palkowski 2, 953, 283 Meuwly 3, 013, 699 Meuwly 3, 039, 657 Palmer 3, 220, 613 Lesh 3, 229, 858 Conroy 3, 229, 859 Harris 3, 149, 761 Kutak 3, 138, 331 Belpedio 3, 318, 493 Rossi 3, 335, 910 Ralm 3, 347, 423 Mahon 2, 951, 644 Anderson Des. 190, 061 Sagarin 3, 198, 399

In other instances, the actuating mechanism is incorporated Other patents of interest are Gregg, U.S. Pat. No. 2,607,627 and Leland, U.S. Pat. No. 3,336,603.

None of the above-mentioned patents, however, discloses any device which accomplishes all the purposes and objects of the present invention, nor, to applicants knowledge, is there any device on the market which follow the teaching of any of such patents which might be considered closest in purpose and method ofoperation to the device disclosed and claimed in this application. Applicant concludes, therefore, that such devices are deficient in one or more important respects since the present container is simple and inexpensive to manufacture and may be easily employed by any housewife, and the need for one or more of these devices in each household is great.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention is designed to provide an inexpensive, attractive but inconspicuous wall-mountable holder for aerosol cans of the type having a depressible button at the top of the can, the depressing of which causes at least part of the contents of the can to be discharged into the surrounding atmosphere in a predetermined direction. The invention has particular application to aerosol cans having bathroom the invention a cylindrical plastic housing is provided with a wall mounting bracket, the housing including a bottom section to which the wall mounting bracket is secured and a removable cap which is orificed at the top to permit the discharge of the contents of the can to pass outside of the cap and into the atmosphere. A flexible strap, preferably of a plastic material, has one end secured to the vertical wall of the bottom section of the cylindrical container, and extends upwardly for disposition over the top of the can and downwardly to a connection with a flexible cord. The latter in turn, passes downwardly through the transverse bottom wall of the bottom section of the cylindrical container where it may be grasped by the user. The plastic strap is provided with a projection which is placed in contact with the depressible button on the can, and further has an opening in the direction of the discharge of the can contents. A pulling of the cord will be seen to result in a tightening of the strap over the top of the can and depressing of the can button by the strap projection, thereby causing the can to discharge at least some of its contents through the opening in the strap and the orifice in the top of the plastic container.

A holder thus constructed in accordance with the present invention may be made most inexpensively since its major components may be molded of plastic. Further, because of its plastic composition it is light in weight and may be readily mounted on a bathroom, kitchen or other household wall, closet or cabinet door, or other convenient location where it is intended to be used. It is so simple and uncomplicated that any housewife or adolescent child may easily understand how to mount it, remove the cap, insert the aerosol can under the strap, replace the cap and actuate the discharging mechanism of the can by pulling the cord. Because it may be sold cheaply and in many different colors, it should have particular appeal to the housewife who may wish such a holder to fit in with the color scheme of a particular room, and when she desires to change that color scheme, she may simply replace the holder with another of a different color. Similarly, the holder may be removed from the wall and redisposed in a different location.

All these advantages over devices disclosed in the prior art patents such as those listed above will render a holder constructed in accordance with the present invention most acceptable to the average housewife. By contrast, prior art devices employed metal elements which made the devices heavy and expensive, were complicated to set up and operate or were otherwise impractical. As a consequence, prior art devices which sought to perform similar objects to those of the present invention, have not, to applicants knowledge been in widespread use.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING In the drawings,

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the preferred embodiment of the invention. 1

FIG. 2 is an enlarged section taken on the line 2-2 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged perspective view of the mounting bracket interfit.

FIG. 4 is a plan view of the strap shown in section in FIG. 2.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of an alternate embodiment of the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT bracket 22, itself mounted on a wall or closet panel either by I screws 24 or by some form of pressure sensitive or other adhedeodorants or disinfectants. In the preferred embodiment of sive 26.

The cap 12 is desirably molded to make an interfit with the top of the cylinder wall 18 in the manner shown at 28 and further to provide an opening 30 through which the contents of the can 16 may be discharged upon the depressing of the .button 32. It will be appreciated that the manner in which contents of the can'l6 are actually discharged in the direction of the arrows 34 by the depressing of the button 32 constitutes no part of the present invention. However, the opening 30 in the top 12 is disposed in such a manner with respect to the direction of the discharge that the discharge is permitted to pass through the opening 30 without throttling or other restriction.

On the opposite side of the wall 18 may be molded or otherwise provided a pair of headed studs 36 which are inserted through the holes 38 in one end 39 of a flexible plastic strap 40. This strap 40 is of a sutficient length to extend over the can 16 and down to where its opposite end '42 may be connected to one end 44 of a cord or other flexible element 46. The latter in turn continues downwardly through a hole 48 in the transyerse wall 14 of the cylinder to'the outside of the cylinder where it is terminated with a tip button 50.

Integrally molded with the strap 40 is a hemispherically shaped projection'SZ which is so disposed that when the strap is passed over the top of the can 16, the projection 52 lies in abutment with the can actuating button 32.

It will also be observed that a circular orifice 54 is molded into the strap,40 and this orifice is so located that when the strap is passed over the top of the can 10 the orifice 54 is in substantial alignment with the direction of discharge 34 of the contents of the can and with the opening 30 in the container cap 12.

in use, the wall bracket 22 is mounted in the desired location on a wall or other vertical surface 56 and the clip on the outside of the wall of the cylinder 10 is slipped down into the bracket 22. An aerosol can is theninserted into the cylinder 10 under the strap 40 and aligned so that the projection 52 abuts the can actuating button 32. The cap 12 is then seated on the rim of the cylinder 10 to interfit, as at 28. In this disposition of the can and its holder, whenever it is desired to cause any of the contents of the can to be discharged into the room area where the holder and can are located, it is simply necessary to pull the cord as many times as a can discharge is desired. It may be seen, therefore, that the simplicity of assembly and operation is such any person of minimal mechanical comprehension may readily install and use the subject matter of this invention.

FIG. 5 shows an alternative embodiment wherein a cagelike container is substituted for the cylinder and cap of the embodiment of FIGS. 1-4. Such alternate embodiment may possibly be made more cheaply, but it is not as aesthetically attractive so that where the latter is an important consideration,

the FIG. 5 embodiment may not be considered as desirable as that of FIGS. l4.

lclaim:

1. A dispensing holder for an aerosol can, said can being of the type having a depressible element on its upper end, the depressing of which element results in the discharge of the contents of the can in a predetermined direction,'said holder comprising:

a. first means adapted to receive and support said can in a substantially vertical position;

i. said first means having second means whereby the first means may be fixedly mounted on a wall or other rigid member in a disposition above the floor level of a building structure,

ii. said first means including a vertical wall portion, one side of which is disposed adjacent the vertical wall of the can; and

iii. said first means further having an opening in said predetermined direction to permit the discharge of the contents of the can to pass therethrough;

b. a flexible strap, said strap being disposed to extend over thatportion of the top of the can having the depressible element, and including a downwardly extending projection In contact with the last said element, said strap being orificed to permit the discharge of the can to pass through the strap in said predetermined direction, and one end of said strap being secured to said first means; and

c. a cord or similar flexible element, the same being connected to the other end of said strap and extending downwardly to a point outside of said first means; whereby, when the free end of the cord or similar flexible element is pulled, the strap is drawn tightly against the top of the can and the strap projection depresses the depressible element to cause discharge of the contents in said predetermined direction through the strap orifice and the opening in the first means into the area around the holder.

2. The holder as described in claim 1 wherein the first means is comprised of ,a substantially cylindrical container consisting of a bottom section having said second means and a removable top section to permit insertion and removal of the aerosol can.

3. The holder as described in claim 2 wherein the strap is formed of a flexible plastic material and the secured end of the strap is attached to the inner vertical wall of the bottom section of the cylindrical container.

4. The holder as described in claim 2, wherein the free end of the cord or similar flexible element extends downwardly through the: transverse bottom wall of the bottom section of the cylindrical container forgrasping by the user.