WO1998057883A1

WO1998057883A1 - Tamper-evident aerosol actuator

Info

Publication number: WO1998057883A1
Application number: PCT/US1998/012873
Authority: WO
Original assignee: Precision Valve Corporation
Priority date: 1997-06-18
Filing date: 1998-06-18
Publication date: 1998-12-23
Also published as: AU8156898A

Abstract

An actuator (10) for an aerosol container comprising a skirt for affixing the actuator (10) to the container, a transverse surface extending across a portion of the top of the skirt, said transverse surface having a diaphragm (20) portion extending radially inward and upward, said diaphragm (20) portion having annular outer and inner hinge portions (18, 22) at the outer and inner terminus of the diaphragm (20) portion, a centrally disposed tubular member (24) emerging from the inner terminus of the diaphragm (20) portion and extending upward away from the transverse surface, said tubular member (24) having a discharge orifice at its terminus distal to the transverse surface and having a discharge conduit spaced from the inner surface of the tubular member (24), which discharge conduit at its terminus distal to the discharge orifice has a valve stem (50) receiving socket.

Description

TAMPER-EVIDENT AEROSOL ACTUATOR

Background of the Invention

This invention relates to an actuator for a pressurized, valved aerosol container having the capability of holding the aerosol valve in an open position to permit total evacuation of the container and having the further capability of returning the valve to a closed position if desired during the evacuation of the container. Further, the actuator of this invention has removable structural elements that would indicate that there might have been tampering with the aerosol container.

The actuator of this invention is often referred to in the aerosol industry as a "one-shot" actuator.

There have been "one-shot" actuators in the aerosol industry heretofore, said actuators usually being used to disperse insecticide or fumigation aerosol products, however, the prior art actuators have been difficult or impossible to disengage from the actuated position, once having been actuated.

Summary of the Invention

The actuator of this invention is intended for use with an aerosol container having a central opening in the top of the container, which opening is closed by a conventional mounting cup. The most common form of mounting cup is designed for use with an aerosol container having a one-inch opening. Centrally disposed within the perimeter of the mounting cup is a raised pedestal portion, the pedestal portion being the component of the mounting cup that holds the aerosol valve in place. Extending through a central opening in the pedestal is a valve stem, the terminal end of said valve stem outside the mounting cup being designed to be received in a friction- fitted relationship with a socket located in the base of the discharge conduit in the actuator. The mounting cup, pedestal and valve components described above are all conventional parts of an aerosol container and form no part of this invention.

The actuator of this invention has an annular skirt portion that snaps onto the outer surface of the mounting cup closure disposed in the aerosol container opening. Integral with and extending transversely across the top of the skirt portion of the actuator is a surface that has an outer ring portion which terminates radially inward in an annular outer hinged portion, a relatively thin diaphragm portion extending further radially inward and upward from the annular outer hinged portion and terminating in an annular inner hinged portion. Extending upwardly from the annular inner hinged portion is a frusto-conical tubular member, which tubular member has a centrally disposed discharge orifice. Extending normal to the upper portion of the tubular member are two finger pads. Positioned beneath each finger pad is a removable tab, which tab extends from the underside of the finger pad to the outer ring portion of the transverse surface, each said tab being connected to the underside of the finger pad and the outer ring portion of the transverse surface by frangible webs, the shape of the end of the tabs distal to the finger pads being designed to clear the radially inward and upward shape of the diaphragm portion. Within, and spaced from, the inner surface of the frusto-conical tubular member is a product discharge conduit which is integral with and forms the top surface of the tubular member at the discharge orifice and extends downwardly to below the annular inner hinge portion, the terminal end of the discharge conduit distal to the discharge orifice having a socket for receiving in a friction- fitting relation the valve stem extending through the central opening in the pedestal portion of the mounting cup. The discharge conduit should be of a length that the socket portion at its terminal end distal to the discharge orifice should be frictionally engaged with the valve stem without depressing the diaphragm of the actuator. Disposed in a discontinuous annular array on the undersurface of the diaphragm are trapezoidally- shaped zones, said zones providing a thickening of the diaphragm where disposed; the trapezoidally-shaped zones being spaced from each other and from the outer and inner hinge portions. The discrete trapezoidally-shaped zones on the diaphragm function to allow a relatively low downward finger pressure or force on the top side of the finger pads to move the actuator to the valve-open position and a correspondingly low upward finger pressure on the underside of the finger pads to move the actuator to the valve-closed position, the thickness of the trapezoidally-shaped zones serving to hold the diaphragm in the depressed position after initial actuation. In a preferred embodiment, the skirt has a lower portion which sets on the outside peripheral portion of the mounting cup and an upper portion of a slightly reduced diameter.

Projections are disposed beneath the outer ring portion which are integral with the underside of the outer ring portion and the inside wall of the reduced diameter upper portion, which projections are radially aligned with the circumferential spacing between the trapezoidal zones disposed on the inner surface of the diaphragm. The function of the radial projections is to fix the position of the actuator on the mounting cup closure.

Brief Description Of The Drawings

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the actuator of this invention.

Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view of the actuator of this invention disposed on an aerosol valve (schematic) in the non-actuated position.

Figure 2A is a cross-sectional view of the actuator of this invention disposed on an aerosol valve (schematic) in the actuated position.

Figure 3 is a plan view of the underside of the actuator of this invention.

Detailed Description Of The Drawings

In Figures 1 and 2 is shown an actuator, generally designated as 10, having a skirt portion 12 with a reduced diameter upper portion 14. The upper portion 14 of the skirt 12 merges into an outer ring portion 16 which extends transversely across a top portion of the opening defined by the upper portion 14 of the skirt 12 and terminates at an outer hinge portion 18. Extending from the outer hinge portion 18 in a radially inward and upward direction is a diaphragm 20, the diaphragm 20 terminating at its inner end at an inner hinge portion 22. Extending from the inner hinge portion 22 is a frusto-conical, tubular member 24, which tubular member 24 terminates at its upper end in a discharge orifice 26. Integral with and forming the top surface 28 of the tubular member 24 is a discharge conduit 30, which conduit extends just below the inner hinge portion 22. At the terminal end of the conduit 30 distal to the discharge orifice 26, there is a valve stem receiving socket 31. Extending laterally and substantially normal to the tubular member 24 are finger pads 32, having terminal portions 33 which are thicker and sloped. The shape of the terminal portions 33 function to properly position the fingers during actuation or deactuation of the aerosol valve. Also the joinder of the finger pads 32 and the tubular member 24 is radiused 25 to increase the strength of this joint and prevent collapsing of the finger pads 32 during actuation.

As shown in Figures 1 and 2, tamper-evident tabs 36 extend from the underside 38 of each finger pad 32 to outer ring portion 16. Frangible webs 40 connect the tab 36 to the underside 38 of each finger pad 32 and the outer ring portion 16. As best shown in Figure 3, the underside of the diaphragm 20 has thickened areas 42 which are trapezoidal in shape, each thickened area 42 being separated from a contiguous thickened area and being removed a short distance from the outer and inner hinge portions, 18 and 22, respectively. Radially aligned with the space between each thickened area 42 and integral with and extending from the under surface of the outer ring portion down to the lower terminus of the reduced diameter upper skirt portion 14 are projections 44. An actuator having a diaphragm with outer and inner hinges having a thickness of 0.38mm and a trapezoidal area of 0.99mm thickness has been found satisfactory. The material of construction for the actuator may be polypropylene.

As shown in Figures 2 and 2A, the actuator, when seated on an aerosol container, will have the valve stem 50 seated in the socket of the discharge conduit. To use the actuator to open the aerosol valve, the tamper-evident tabs 36 are first removed. To initiate discharge of the aerosol container product, the tubular member 24 and the diaphragm 20 are depressed by applying downward pressure on the finger pads 32. The applied pressure will cause the diaphragm to rotate about the outer hinge portion 18 of the actuator in a direction toward the container and the tubular member 24 and diaphragm 20 to pass through the plane of the outer ring such that, in the fully actuated position, the angle of the diaphragm 20 to the tubular member 24 becomes inverted as compared to the non- actuated position. The inverted relation of the diaphragm to the tubular member results in holding the actuator in a fully actuated position. To reverse or return the actuator to a non-actuated position, pressure is applied in an upward direction to the underside of the finger pads 32.

Many possible embodiments may be made without departing from the scope hereof; it is to be understood that all description herein set forth or shown in the accompanying drawings is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Claims

I Claim :

1. An actuator for an aerosol container comprising a skirt for affixing the actuator to the container, a transverse surface extending across a portion of the top of the skirt, said transverse surface having a diaphragm portion extending radially inward and upward, said diaphragm portion having annular outer and inner hinge portions at the outer and inner terminus of the diaphragm portion, a centrally disposed tubular member emerging from the inner terminus of the diaphragm portion and extending upward away from the transverse surface, said tubular member having a discharge orifice at its terminus distal to the transverse surface and having a discharge conduit spaced from the inner surface of the tubular member, which discharge conduit at its terminus distal to the discharge orifice has a valve stem receiving socket.

2. The actuator of claim 1, and further wherein finger pads extend laterally from the tubular member.

3. The actuator of claim 1, and further wherein the transverse" surface is comprised of an outer ring portion normal to the skirt, which outer ring portion merges into an inner diaphragm portion.

4. The actuator of claim 3, and further wherein finger pads extend laterally from the tubular member.

5. The actuator of claim 3, and further wherein the skirt is comprised of a lower portion having a diameter that permits the skirt to engage the outside surface of a mounting cup and an upper portion of reduced diameter, the shoulder formed at the joinder of the lower and upper portions acting to position the skirt on a mounting cup.

6. The actuator of claim 5, and further wherein a plurality of projections extending radially inward from the upper skirt portion are disposed uniformly beneath the outer ring portion of the transverse surface.

7. The actuator of claims any of the 3, 4, 5 and 6 and further wherein finger pads extend laterally from the tubular member .

8. The actuator of claim 3, and further wherein there are discrete thickened portions disposed in an annular array on the underside of the diaphragm, said thickened portions being removed from the inner and outer hinge portions and from each other.

9. The actuator of claim 8, and further wherein the discrete thickened portions are trapezoidal in shape with the base of the trapezoid being contiguous to the outer hinge portion.

10. The actuator of claim 9, and further wherein a projection extending radially inward from the upper skirt portion is radially aligned with the space between each thickened portion on the underside of the diaphragm.

11. The actuator of any of the claims 2, 5 and 6, and further wherein there are discrete thickened portions disposed in an annular array on the underside of the diaphragm, said thickened portions being removed from the inner and outer hinge portions and from each other.

12. The actuator of any of the claims 2, 5 and 6, and further wherein the discrete thickened portions are trapezoidal in shape with the base of the trapezoid being contiguous to the outer hinge portion.

13. An actuator of any of the claims 2, 4 and 7 - 12 and further wherein tabs are disposed beneath each of the finger pads which extend from the finger pad to the transverse surface and which tabs are connected to the underside of the finger pad and the top of the transverse surface through frangible webs .