US3915348A

US3915348A - Child resistant overcap for aerosol containers

Info

Publication number: US3915348A
Application number: US498791A
Authority: US
Inventors: Donald C Suhr
Original assignee: International Tools 1973 Ltd
Current assignee: International Tools 1973 Ltd; Pac-Tec Inc
Priority date: 1974-08-19
Filing date: 1974-08-19
Publication date: 1975-10-28
Anticipated expiration: 1992-10-28

Abstract

A child resistant, aerosol dispensing safety package including an aerosol container having a one-piece, molded plastic safety cap adapter mounted on the valve retaining portion of the valve cup and surrounded by the peripheral rim of the valve cup. A safety cap is mounted on the adapter and includes an end wall with a peripheral skirt projecting therefrom for receiving the dispensing valve head. The adapter has a plurality of spring elements projecting radially toward the rim of the valve cup, and the free end of the skirt of the cap is received on the spring elements. The adapter and cap are respectively formed with container and cap locking elements of the type that are engageable with and disengageable from each other by an axial motion followed successively by a rotative motion of the cap relative to the adapter. The engagement of the free end of the skirt with the spring elements biases the cap locking elements toward locked engagement with the container locking elements so that the cap can be removed from the container only by applying an axial force to the cap sufficient to overcome the force of the spring elements to permit the cap locking element to become disengaged from the container locking elements, after which rotation of the cap is required in order to separate the cap from the container.

Description

United States Patent [1 1 v Suhr Oct. 28, 1975 [541 CHILD RESISTANT OVERCAP FOR AEROSOL CONTAINERS Donald C. Suhr, Framington, Mich.

[73] Assignee: International Tools (1973) Ltd.,

Windsor, Canada 22 Filed: Aug. 19, 1974 21 Appl. No.: 498,791

[75] lnventor:

Primary ExaminerRobert B. Reeves Assistant Examiner--David A. Scherbel Attorney, Agent, or FirmReising, Ethington, Barnard, Perry & Brooks [57] ABSTRACT A child resistant, aerosol dispensing safety package including an aerosol container having a one-piece, molded plastic safety cap adapter mounted on the valve retaining portion of the valve cup and surrounded by the peripheral rim of the valve cup. A safety cap is mounted on the adapter and includes an end wall with a peripheral skirt projecting therefrom for receiving the dispensing valve head. The adapter has a plurality of spring elements projecting radially toward the rim of the valve cup, and the free end of the skirt of the cap is received on the spring elements. The adapter and cap are respectively formed with container and cap locking elements of the type that are engageable with and disengageable from each other by an axial motion followed successively by a rotative motion of the cap relative to the adapter. The engagement of the free end of the skirt with the spring elements biases the cap locking elements toward locked engagement with the container locking elements so that the cap can be removed from the container only by applying an axial force to the cap sufficient to overcome the force of the spring elements to permit the cap locking element to become disengaged from the container locking elements, after which rotation of the cap is required in order to separate the cap from the container.

8 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures CHILD RESISTANT OVERCAP FOR AEROSOL CONTAINERS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention This invention relates generally to safety packages, and is particularly concerned with child resistant, aerosol dispensing safety packages.

2. Description of the Prior Art Many substances that are potentially dangerous to young children are stored and sold in pressurized containers, sometimes referred to as aerosol containers, wherein the contents of the container may be dispensed in a fine spray, by means of a pressurizing agent such as carbon dioxide, through a valve attached to the container. Such substances include paint, household chemicals, cosmetics, insecticides, and the like. By pressing the valve toward the container, or otherwise manipulating the valve, the contents of the container are sprayed through the valve due to the pressurization of the container.

Much attention has recently been generated to the alarming increase in accidental poisonings resulting from young children having access to unsafe substances. Consequently, there is a recognized need for child proof safety packaging for such potentially dangerous substances. Examples of prior art apparatus in this field are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos., 3,430,796; 3,460,707; 3,482,723; 3,514,011; 3,706,40l and 3,819,090, as well as the copending U.S. application Ser. No. 250,720 filed May 5, 1972, now U.S. Pat. No. 3,866,802 which application is commonly owned with this application.

Most prior art safety closure assemblies for aerosol containers include an adapter of synthetic plastic or the like which is somehow mounted either on the outer rim of the aerosol valve cup at the dispensing valve end of ,the container, or on the top portion of the container surrounding the valve cup. A plastic safety cap is secured to the adapter and completely encloses the valve, valve cup, and in some cases, the top of the container surrounding the valve cup. A problem with such prior art assemblies is that an undue amount of plastic material is required in the manufacture of the components of the closure assemblies. The proportionate size of the closure assembly to the container and quantity of material required involve significant manufacturing costs.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of this invention is to provide a child resistant closure assembly that can be installed on an aerosol container in such a manner that it is received within the dispensing valve cup of the aerosol container to substantially reduce the material required and manufacturing costs.

A further object is to provide a child resistant closure assembly including an adapter that can be mounted on the valve retaining portion of the valve cup of an aerosol container so that the adapter is wholly received in the valve cup, and a safety cap of simplified, efficient construction for co-operation with the adapter, the cap skirt being at least partially axially received within the valve cup when secured to the adapter.

In accordance with the present invention, a onepiece, molded plastic safety cap adapter is mounted on the valve retaining portion of the valve cup of an aerosol container. The adapter is substantially received within the valve cup and is surrounded by the rim of the valve cup. The adapter has spring elements projecting radially toward the rim of the valve cup, and includes a container mounting collar having container locking elements formed thereon. A safety cap having an end wall with a peripheral skirt projecting therefrom is mounted on the adapter in such a manner that the cap can be applied to and removed from the adapter only by an axial motion followed successively by a rotative motion of the cap with respect to the container.

The skirt of the cap has its free end seated on the spring elements of the adapter when the cap is applied to the container such that the free end of the skirt is surrounded by the rim of the valve cup. Cap locking elements formed on the inner surface of the skirt of the cap are engageable with and disengageable from the container locking elements on the adapter by axial motion followed successively by rotative motion of the cap relative to the container. When the cap is applied to the container, the engagement of the free end of the skirt with the radially projecting spring elements of the adapter causes the cap locking elements to be biased toward locked engagement with the container locking elements.

The skirt of the cap may also be formed with a radially extending stop member that is engageable with the adapter upon predetermined movement of the cap toward the container and corresponding predetermined deflection of the spring elements to overstressing of the spring elements. The engagement of the stop section with the adapter also prevents engagement of the end wall of the cap with the head of the dispensing valve.

The length of the skirt of the safety cap is preferably such that even in the event that the free end of the skirt causes the spring elements to contact the base of the valve cup, the end wall of the cap will not come into contact with the dispensing valve head and cause undesired discharge from the container.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a sectional view of a child resistant, aerosol dispensing safety package according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a partial sectional view similar to FIG. 1 illustrating the cap in a different position on the container; and

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the adapter portion of the safety package of FIGS. 1 and 2.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EIVIBODIMENT In FIG. 1, reference numeral 10 collectively designates an aerosol container having a cylindrical main body portion 12, a domed top portion 14 having an opening formed therein, and a valve cup 16 seated in the opening and secured to the edge of the top portion 14 surrounding the opening. The cup 16 is crimped or otherwise permanently secured and sealed to the top portion 14.

The valve cup 16 is formed with a peripheral rim 18 having a depending, inner side wall 20 which is secured to the edge of the top portion 14. The rim 18 projects generally axially from base or cover portion 22 which overlies the opening in the top portion 14, and has its outer periphery integrally joined to the lower edge of the inner wall 20 of the peripheral rim 18. A valve retaining portion in the form of a boss 24 projects axially upwardly from the central portion of the base portion 22. Slidably mounted in the valve retaining portion 24 is the stem 26 of a dispensing valve having a valve head 28 with a dispensing opening 30 formed therein. By pressing the valve head 28 axially toward the cup 16, the contents of the container are caused to spray through the opening due to the pressurization of the container contents in a manner well known in the art. The specific construction and operation of the aerosol container 10 and its dispensing valve form no part of the present invention.

Mounted on the container 10 is a child proof safety closure assembly including a safety cap adapter indicated collectively by reference numeral 32, and a safety cap indicated collectively by reference numeral 34. As will be apparent from the description below, the adapter 32 is secured to the valve retaining portion 24 of the valve cup 16, and the cap 34 can be applied to and removed from the adapter 32, and hence the container 10, only by an axial motion followed successively by a rotative motion of the cap relative to the adapter.

The adapter 32 is of one-piece, molded plastic construction and includes an annular collar 38. The outer surface of the collar 38 defines a container locking portion 39 which extends axially with respect to the axis of the container. A plurality (3 in the illustrated embodiment) of container locking elements 38 are spaced from each other and project outwardly from the container locking portion 39. The container locking elements 38 may be of the type shown in US. Pat. No. 3,819,090, and each includes a radially outwardly extending projection on the container locking portion 39. A notch 40 is formed in each of the projections between a stop portion 42 and a cam portion 44 (FIG. 3).

Resilient biasing means is formed integrally on the adapter 32. As shown in the drawings, the resilient biasing means is in the form of peripherally spaced spring flanges 46 (three'in the illustrated embodiment) projecting radially from the collar 38 toward the rim 18 of the valve cup 16. The spring elements 46 are resiliently deflectable in an axial direction with respect to the collar 38. The spring elements 46 are located between the container locking elements 38, and are located in a plane that is spaced slightly axially below the container locking elements 38.

The collar 36 of the adapter 32 has an axially extending inner side surface 48 which axially receives the hollow boss 24 of the valve cup 16, and which is concentric with the outer surface 39. Projecting radially inwardly from the inner side wall 48 is a retention bead 50 which is engaged with the hollow boss 24 with a press-fit to restrain the adapter 32 against axial and rotative movement with respect to the hollow boss 24. A groove 37 is formed in the lower edge of the collar and extends axially from the lower end of the collar between the inner and outer surfaces 48 and 39, respectively, past the retention bead 50. The press-fit engagement of the retention bead 50 with the valve retaining boss 24 thus requires substantially resilient stretching only of the inner portion of the collar on which bead 50 is located and which inner portion is located beneath the closed end of groove 37. Groove 37 thus facilitates installation of the adapter onto the valve retaining portion 24 of the valve cup 16.

The safety cap 34 has an end wall 52 with a peripheral skirt projecting from the end wall 52, the peripheral skirt having an upper portion 54 extending axially from the end wall 52, a radially outwardly extending portion 56 at the lower end of the portion 54, and an axially extending portion 58 extending from the periphery of the radially extending portion 56. The skirt has a free end 60 which is seated on the spring elements 46 when the cap is applied to the adapter 32.

A plurality of cap locking elements 62 are spaced peripherally from each other on the inner surface of the skirt portion 58 adjacent the end 60 of the skirt. The cap'locking elements 62 are engageable with and disengageable from the container locking elements 38 by an axial motion followed successively by a rotative motion of the cap relative to the adapter. The cap locking elements 62 project radially inwardly from the skirt portion 58, and openings 64 are formed in the radially extending portion 56 and a portion of the skirt portion 58, each opening 64 overlying one of the cap locking elements 62. Each of the openings 64 has a circumferential and radial dimension at least as large as the corresponding dimension of the top of the respective underlying locking elements 62. The tops of the locking elements 62 can be formed fiat by complementary pins or lugs from the molding apparatus from which the cap 34 is molded.

The cap is shown in FIG. 1 in locked engagement with the adapter 32 with each of the lugs 62 received in a notch 40 and engaged with the end surface of the notch. The spring elements 46 are engaged with the free end 60 of the skirt portion 58, and the biasing force of the spring flanges 46 urges the cap locking elements 62 into locked engagement with the container locking elements 38. In order to remove the cap from the adapter, and hence the container, the cap 34 is pushed axially toward the container 10 to deflect the spring elements 46 as illustrated in FIG. 2. When the cap locking elements 62 are pushed clear of the notches 40, the cap can be rotated in a direction to move the cap locking elements 62 past the respective cam portions 44 of the container locking elements 38 until the cap locking elements 62 are located between adjacent pairs of the container locking elements 38 to permit axial removal of the cap 34. The radially extending portion 56 of the skirt defines a stop section on the cap 34 which is engageable with the top surface of the adapter 32 to limit the deflection of the spring elements 46. Furthermore, the length of the skirt is such that the end wall 52 will not engage the valve head 28 when the cap is fully depressed with respect to the adapter 32. Furthermore, the length of the skirt is such that the end wall 52 will not engage the valve 28 even in the event that the adapter slips downwardly into contact with the base 22 of the valve cap and the free end of the skirt deflects the spring flanges 46 into contact with the base 22.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the lower end of the skirt of the cap, as well as the entire adapter 32, are received within the valve cup 16 and are surrounded by the rim 18 of the valve cup 16 when the cap is mounted on the container. Consequently, the amount of material required to provide the safety closure to prevent access to the valve head 28 by young children is at a minimum.

The safety closure assembly thus constitutes an improvement over the construction shown in US. application Ser. No. 250,720 in that the free end of the skirt of the cap is directly engaged with the spring elements 46 of the adapter 32, and the adapter is received in the valve cup 16 and is secured directly to the valve retaining portion 24 of the valve cup 16.

While the invention has been illustrated and described in connection with containers in which the contents are pressurized, the invention is equally applicable to containers of the type wherein the contents are not pressurized, but are dispensed by pumping the contents through a manually reciprocal dispensing valve slidably supported in the container. Thus, the phrase aerosol container, and similar phrases, as used in the foregoing specification and in the claims, is intended to include all such containers having dispensing valves, plungers and the like, whether pressurized or not. Furthermore, while the embodiment, as illustrated and described, shows the cap 34 enclosing the valve head 28 of the container, the cap 34 may serve as an overcap enclosing a conventional cap.

While a specific form of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and is described in the foregoing specification, it should be understood that the invention is not limited to the exact construction shown. To the contrary, various alterations in the construction and arrangement of parts all falling within the scope and spirit of the invention, will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

The embodiments of the present invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:

i 1. A child resistant aerosol dispensing safety package comprising: a container having a valve cup mounted in one end thereof; said valve cup having a base portion with a peripheral rim projecting generally axially therefrom and a valve retaining portion projecting axially from the central portion thereof and surrounded by said rim; a dispensing valve having a stem slidably mounted in said valve retaining portion with its outer end projecting from said valve retaining portion and a dispensing valve head mounted on said outer end; a one-piece, molded plastic safety cap adapter mounted on said valve retaining portion and surrounded by the peripheral rim of said valve cup; said adapter comprising an annular collar with a generally axially extending inner surface engaging the side surface of said valve retaining portion and an outer surface concentric therewith defining a container locking portion for said adapter; a plurality of container locking elements spaced peripherally from each other on said container locking portion; resilient biasing means on said adapter, said biasing means comprising resilient spring means projecting radially from said collar and resiliently deflectable in an axial direction with respect to said collar; a cap having an end wall, a peripheral skirt projecting from said end wall, a plurality of cap locking elements spaced peripherally from each other on the inner surface of said skirt, said cap locking elements being engageable with and disengageable from said container locking elements by an axial motion followed successively by a rotative motion of said cap relative to said container; said skirt receiving said valve head and having its free end seated on said spring means and surrounded by the peripheral rim of said valve cup when said cap is applied to said container such that said spring means biases said cap locking elements toward locked engagement with said container locking ele ments; and said skirt being formed with a radially extending stop section engageable with the top edge of said collar upon predetermined movement of said cap toward said container and corresponding predetermined deflection of said spring means.

2. A safety package as claimed in claim 1 further including an integral retention bead projecting radially inwardly from said inner surface of said collar for tight frictional engagement with said valve retaining portion.

3. A safety package as claimed in claim 2 further including a groove formed in the lower edge of said collar and extending axially therefrom between said inner and outer surfaces past said retention bead.

4. A safety package as claimed in claim 3 wherein the free end of said skirt is spaced from said end wall a distance that will permit said free end to deflect said spring means into contact with base portion of said valve cup without permitting said end wall to contact said valve head.

5. A child resistant closure assembly for aerosol containers comprising: a one-piece molded plastic safety cap adapter adapted to be mounted on the valve retaining portion of a valve cup; said adapter comprising an annular collar with a generally axially extending inner surface and an outer surface concentric therewith defining a container locking portion for said adapter; a plurality of container locking elements spaced peripherally from each other on said container locking portion; resilient biasing means on said adapter, said biasing means comprising resilient spring means projecting radially from said collar and resiliently deflectable in an axial direction with respect to said collar; a cap having an end wall, a peripheral skirt projecting from said end wall, a plurality of cap locking elements spaced peripherally from each other on the inner surface of said skirt, said cap locking elements being engageable with and disengageable from said container locking elements by an axial motion followed successively by a rotative motion of said cap relative to said adapter; said cap having its free end seated on said spring means when said cap is applied to said adapter such that said spring means biases said cap locking elements toward locked engagement with said container locking elements; said skirt being formed with a radially extending stop section engageable with the top edge of said collar upon predetermined movement of said cap toward said adapter and corresponding predetermined deflection of said spring means; an integral retention bead projecting radially inwardly from said inner surface; and a groove formed in the lower edge of said collar and extending axially and inwardly toward the top edge of said collar between said inner and outer surfaces past said retention bead.

6. A one-piece safety cap adapter for aerosol containers comprising: an annular collar with a generally axially extending inner surface and an outer surface concentric therewith and defining a container locking portion for said adapter; said inner surface having an upper portion and a lower portion; a plurality of container locking elements spaced peripherally from each other on said container locking portion, said container locking elements being of the bayonet type that are adapted to be engaged with and disengaged from complementary safety cap locking elements by an axial motion followed successively by a rotative motion; resilient biasing means on said adapter for biasing a safety cap adapted to be engaged with the adapter toward locked engagement with the adapter, said biasing means comprising integral spring means projecting from said collar and resiliently deflectable in an axial direction with respect to said collar; an integral retention bead projecting radially inwardly from the lower portion of said inner surface adjacent the lower edge of said collar; and a groove formed in the lower edge of said collar and projecting axially and inwardly toward the top edge of said collar between said inner and outer surfaces past said retention bead to define said lower portion of said inner surface and increase the radial resiliency thereof.

7. An adapter as claimed in claim 6 wherein said spring means comprises a plurality of peripherally spaced flanges projecting outwardly from said collar.

8. A child resistant aerosol dispensing safety package comprising: a container having a valve cup mounted in one end thereof; said valve cup having a base portion with a peripheral rim projecting generally axially therefrom and a valve retaining portion projecting axially from the central portion thereof and surrounded by said rim; a dispensing valve having a stem slidably mounted in said valve retaining portion with its outer end projecting from said valve retaining portion and a dispensing valve head mounted on said outer end; a one-piece, molded plastic safety cap adapter mounted on said valve retaining portion and surrounded by the peripheral rim of said valve cap; said adapter comprising an annular collar with a generally axially extending inner surface engaging the side surface of said valve retaining portion and an outer surface concentric therewith defining a container locking portion for said adapter; a plurality of container locking elements spaced peripherally from each other on said container locking portion; resilient biasing means on said adapter, said biasing means comprising a plurality of resilient spring flanges projecting radially outwardly from said collar, said spring flanges being resiliently deflectable in an axial direction with respect to said collar; a cap having an end wall, a peripheral skirt projecting from said end wall, a plurality of cap locking elements spaced peripherally from each other on the inner surface of said skirt, said cap locking elements being engageable with and disengageable from said container locking elements by an axial motion followed successively by a rotative motion of said cap relative to said container; said skirt receiving said valve head and having its free end seated on said spring flanges and surrounded by the peripheral rim of said valve cap when said cup is applied to said container such that said spring flanges bias said cap locking elements toward locked engagement with said container locking elements; an integral retention bead projecting radially inwardly from said inner surface of said collar for tight frictional engagement with said valve retaining portion; a groove formed in the lower edge of said collar and extending axially therefrom between said inner and outer surfaces past said retention bead; said skirt having an upper portion and a lower portion, said lower portion being larger than said upper portion and being connected with said upper portion by a radially extending stop section engageable with the top of said collar upon predetermined movement of said cap toward said adapter and corresponding predetermined deflection of said spring flanges; and the free end of said skirt being spaced from said end wall a distance that will permit said free end to deflect said spring flanges into contact with the base portion of said valve cup without permitting said end wall to contact said valve head.

Claims

1. A child resistant aerosol dispensing safety package comprising: a container having a valve cup mounted in one end thereof; said valve cup having a base portion with a peripheral rim projecting generally axially therefrom and a valve retaining portion projecting axially from the central portion thereof and surrounded by said rim; a dispensing valve having a stem slidably mounted in said valve retaining portion with its outer end projecting from said valve retaining portion and a dispensing valve head mounted on said outer end; a one-piece, molded plastic safety cap adapter mounted on said valve retaining portion and surrounded by the peripheral rim of said valve cup; said adapter comprising an annular collar with a generally axially extending inner surface engaging the side surface of said valve retaining portion and an outer surface concentric therewith defining a container locking portion for said adapter; a plurality of container locking elements spaced peripherally from each other on said container locking portion; resilient biasing means on said adapter, said biasing means comprising resilient spring means projecting radially from said collar and resiliently deflectable in an axial direction with respect to said collar; a cap having an end wall, a peripheral skirt projecting from said end wall, a plurality of cap locking elements spaced peripherally from each other on the inner surface of said skirt, said cap locking elements being engageable with and disengageable from said container locking elements by an axial motion followed successively by a rotative motion of said cap relative to said container; said skirt receiving said valve head and having its free end seated on said spring means and surrounded by the peripheral rim of said valve cup when said cap is applied to said container such that said spring means biases said cap locking elements toward locked engagement with said container locking elements; and said skirt being formed with a radially extending stop section engageable with the top edge of said collar upon predetermined movement of said cap toward said container and corresponding predetermined deflection of said spring means.