GB2494179A

GB2494179A - Cap with lever actuator for aerosol dispenser

Info

Publication number: GB2494179A
Application number: GB1115162.8A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Robert Paul Ronan Keeling
Original assignee: Airpure Imp & Exp Ltd
Current assignee: Airpure Imp & Exp Ltd
Priority date: 2011-09-02
Filing date: 2011-09-02
Publication date: 2013-03-06
Anticipated expiration: 2031-09-02
Also published as: GB201115162D0; GB2494179B

Abstract

A cap 10 is intended for mounting on to the top of an aerosol refill container 50 of the type having a central nozzle 58 to spray fluid in an upward direction along the longitudinal axis of the container 50, which cap includes a cap body 16 and a manually actuable lever 20 mounted so as to articulate relative to the body 16 and having a handle portion 22 projecting from the body 16, a spray head portion 26 which is adapted to fit over the nozzle 58 of the container 50 with a passage 28 so that, with the cap 10 mounted on the container 10, upon depression of the handle portion 22 of the lever 20, fluid is dispensed by way of the spray head portion 26 from a top region of the cap 10. Lever 20 may articulate about a fulcrum portion 24 remote from the handle portion 22. Means such as an integrally formed aperture 19 with an inverted keyhole shape may be provided to mount the cap 10 to another structure such as a wall mounted button or hook. The 10 cap may include an on/off mechanism 30 to enable or to prevent depression of the handle portion 22 of the lever 20. This may be a movable portion 30 of the lever 20 which includes a projection 34 which serves as a stop to prevent movement of the lever 20 in the off position.

Description

I

CAP WITH ACTUATOR FOR AEROSOL DISPENSER

[0001) The present invention concerns a cap for an aerosol container, which cap incorporates means of actuating a push-down nozzle of the container to dispense the container contents.

BACKGROUND

[00021 Prior art devices for spraying fragrances, deodorising agents and sanitising fluids into a room are known which comprise a housing, which may be free standing or surface, e.g. wall mounted, into which an aerosol container is introduced. Associated with the housing is an actuator mechanism, typically comprising an arm which may be caused periodically to be activated, for example under control of an electronic timer or of a movement sensor detecting the movement ot a person in the vicinity of the housing, to press down on a nozzle or spray head of the container so as to dispense a metered amount of fluid from the container to the surrounding environment. When the fluid in the container is used up, the container can be removed from the housing and replaced by another full container, namely a refill. In this way the housing and the actuation arrangement are intended to be purchased with or without a first container, and thereafter only refill containers need to be purchased. This lowers the cost for consumers and reduces the environmental cost in terms of material use and also creating less waste. It also allows manufacturers to design a housing and an actuation arrangement into which only a specific shape of refill container will fit or be compatible for use.

[00031 However, there is a desire for a simpler, less expensive alternative whereby the same type of aerosol container refills as are used in these known spraying devices may be actuated manually, at a time to suit the user.

10004) Of course, conventional aerosol dispensers of earlier design have a manually push down spray head affixed to the nozzle, which is typically covered by a simple press fit container lid when the dispenser is not in use.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a novel alternative whereby a cap for such an aerosol containerlrefill is provided, which cap itself incorporates manually actuable means to push down a nozzle of the container to dispense the container contents.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

10006) According to the present invention a cap is provided for mounting on to the top of an aerosol refill container of the type having a central nozzle to spray fluid in an upward direcUon, the cap comprising a cap body and a manually actuable lever, the lever being mounted so as to articulate relative to the body and having a handle portion projecting from the body and a spray head portion which is adapted to fit over the nozzle of the container and which has a passage therethrough to communicate with an outlet of the nozzle, so that, when the cap is mounted on the container, upon depression of the handle portion of lever, the fluid will be dispensed by way of the spray head portion from a top region of the cap.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[00073 The invention will be described further, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a practical embodiment of the cap of the invention mounted on to a conventional aerosol refill container; Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view of the same embodiment from further above the cap than in figure 1; Figure 3 is a schematic cross section through the cap of figures 1 and 2 together with an upper part of the aerosol container on which it is mounted; Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view from above of the lever of the cap of figures 1 to 3 in isolation; Figure 5 is a similar view to figure 4 but showing the underside of the lever; Figures 6 to 9 are smaller scale side, front, rear and plan views showing the same embodiment of cap as in the preceding figures, also when mounted onto an aerosol container; and Figure 10 is a corresponding cross-sectional view along line A -A in figure 7, line B -B in figure 8 in the direction of the arrows in each case.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF ILLUSTRATED EMBODIMENT

[00083 Referring to all of the drawings, this embodiment 10 of the cap of the invention comprises a dome shaped cap body 16 having a substantially flattened top region 12 and a lower edge 14, which is of approximately circular shape. This lower edge 14 is adapted to seat over and engage as a friction fit on to beading 52 surrounding an upper region of a conventional aerosol container 50. The aforesaid beading 52 is around the top of a main cylindrical waIl 54 of the container, at a junction between said wall 54 and a protruding upper end portion 56 of the container 50.

[0009] The cap 10 ako comprises a lever 20, which is shown in isolation in figures 4 and 5. The (ever 20 is an elongate, generally strip-like, curving component which extends partially inside the cap body 16, across a diameter of said body. The lever 20 includes a handle portion 22 which is bent at an obtuse angle relative to the remainder of the lever and which projects through an aperture 18 in the side of the body 16.

[0010] The cap body 16 is formed in one piece of plastics material and may have relatively thin exterior walling e.g. in the region of 2mm thick, providing aforesaid dome shape. The underside of the cap body 16 has cross waUs 11 extending from the aperture 18 which are configured to provide for location of the lever 20. Opposite to the aperture 18, the cap body has a flattened region 17 in which a further aperture 19, shown in this embodiment as being of inverted keyhoJe shape, is provided. This aperture 19 allows the cap 10, and the container 50 to which the cap is fitted, to be attached to a structure, such as a wall mounted button or hook.

[00111 The cap body 10 also has a further aperture, namely a substantially circular aperture 13 at the centre of its flattened top region 12.

[00123 At its end remote from the handle portion 22, the lever 20 is provided with a recess 24 in the form of a groove, which serves as a fulcrum. This recess 24 engages a supporting cross wall I Ia of the cap body which is located at a narrow spacing inwards from the aperture 19. The lever articulates about a lower edge of said cross wall ha upon operation i.e. depression of the handle 22.

[00131 The lever 20 also has a spray head portion 26 at a location between the handle portion 22 and the recess 24 for articulation. The spray head portion 26 is configured with a cylindrical projection to fit on to the outlet nozzle 58 at the top of the aerosol container 50, as shown in figures 3 and 10. It has a narrow passage 28 therethrough which communicates with the nozzle outlet. The spray head portion 26 lies immediat&y below and generally in register with the aperture 13 in the top of the cap body 16.

[00141 Accordingly, when the cap 10 is mounted onto the aerosol container 50, as shown in figures 1 to 3 and 6 to 10 of the drawings, and the handle portion 22 is depressed, typically by a thumb of a user who grasps the aerosol can, the lever 20 articulates about the edge of the cross wall 1 la. As a consequence the spray head portion 26 presses down the container nozzle 58 so that fluid contents of the container 50 are dispersed as a spray by way of the passage 28 from the top of the cap.

[00153 The lever 20 is also provided with an on-off mechanism 30 which is movable between two positions, namely on' position and "oft' position, as clearly indicated in figure 2, to respectively, allow and prevent depression of the handle portion 22 and actuation of the lever 20. This mechanism 30 comprises a separate ring component which is seated in a corresponding recess surrounding the spray head portion 26 of the lever 20. It is retained in position by a projecting lip 32, best seen in figures 3 and 5, which clips in behind a corresponding ledge 29 on the spray head portion 26. In this way the ring 30 is not detachable but is able to be moved clockwise and anticlockwise relative to the ever 20. A peg 34 projects upwards from the ring 30 and through the aperture 13 in the top of the cap 10, as is evident in figures 1 to 3. By means of this peg 34 a user rotates the ring between the respective "on' and off' positions (figure 2). When the peg 34 is in the "off' position it physically blocks depression of the handle portion 22 by serving as a stop which abuts the edge of the aperture 13 in the cap body 16. In figure 3 the ring mechanism 30 is shown in the "on" position, just as in figure 2 and figure 10.

[00161 Having an on/off mechanism which selectively arlows and prevents actuation of the handle 22 and dispensing of fluid from the container 50 is useful in allowing a user to switch it to "off' to prevent inadvertent and unnecessary operation. Moreover, the present mechanism, exemplified in the illustrated embodiment is advantageous in not being dependent on (i.e. being separate from) the position of the handle itself, as in another known device, since the handle itself may be inadvertently dislodged.

[00171 Throughout the description and claims of this specification, the words "comprise" and "contain" and variations of them mean "including but not limited to", and they are not intended to (and do not) exclude other components. Throughout the description and claims of this specification, the singular encompasses the plural unless the context otherwise requires. In particular, where the indefinite articEe is used, the specification is to be understood as contemplating plurality as well as singularity, unless the context requires otherwise.

[0018) The invention is not restricted to the details of the foregoing embodiment. Many variations in detail are possible within the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

<claim-text>CLAIMS1. A cap for mounting on to the top of an aerosol refill container of the type having a central nozzle to spray fluid in an upward direction, the cap comprising a cap body and a manually actuable lever, the (ever being mounted so as to articulate relative to the body arid having a handle portion projecting from the body and a spray head portion which is adapted to fit over the nozzle of the container and which has a passage therethrough to communicate with an outlet of the nozzle, so that, when the cap is mounted on the container, upon depression of the handle portion of lever, the fluid will be dispensed by way of the spray head portion from a top region of the cap.</claim-text> <claim-text>2. A cap according to claim 1 wherein the lever articulates relative to the cap body at a fulcrum portion remote from the handle portion.</claim-text> <claim-text>3. A cap according to claim 1 or 2 wherein the cap body has means adapted for mounting the cap to another structure.</claim-text> <claim-text>4. A cap according to claim 3 wherein the means for mounting the cap to another structure is provided at a location opposite to the handle portion of the lever.</claim-text> <claim-text>5. A cap according to claim 3 wherein the means for mounting the cap to another structure is formed integrally with the cap body.</claim-text> <claim-text>6. A cap according to claim 3 wherein the means for mounting the cap to another structure is provided at least partially as an aperture.</claim-text> <claim-text>7. A cap according to claim 6 wherein the aperture is in the shape of an inverted keyhole.</claim-text> <claim-text>8. A cap according to any preceding claim incorporating an on/off mechanism respectively to enable or to prevent depression of the handle portion of the sever.</claim-text> <claim-text>9. A cap according to claim B wherein the on/off mechanism is incorporated into the lever.</claim-text> <claim-text>10. A cap according to claim 9 wherein the on/off mechanism is adjacent the spray head portion of the lever.</claim-text> <claim-text>11. A cap according to claim 9 or claim 10 wherein the onloff mechanism is a portion of the lever which is movable between an on position and an off position and which includes a projection which serves as a stop to prevent movement of the lever in the off position.</claim-text> <claim-text>12. A cap according to daim 11 wherein the projection serves as an abutment contacting the cap body in the off position.</claim-text> <claim-text>13. A cap for mounting on to the top of an aerosol refill container of the type having a central nozzle to spray fluid in an upward direction, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.Amendments to the claims have been made as follows:CLAIMS1. A cap for mounting on to the top of an aerosol refill container of the type having a central nozzle to spray fluid in an upward direction, the cap comprising a cap body and a manually actuable lever, the (ever being mounted so as to articulate relative to the body and having a handle portion projecting from the side of the body, and a spray head portion which is adapted to fit over the nozzle of the container and which has a passage therethrough to communicate with an outlet of the nozzle, so that, when the cap is mounted on the container, upon depression of the handle portion of lever, the fluid will be dispensed by way of the spray head portion from a top region of the cap, the lever also incorporating an on/off mechanism positioned adjacent the spray head portion, the onloff mechanism being a portion of the lever which is movable between an on position and an off position and which includes a projection which serves at the same time as the means contactable by a user for moving the on/off mechanism and as a stop to prevent movement of the lever in the off position.
2. A cap according to claim 1 wherein the lever articulates relative to the cap body at a fulcrum portion remote from the handle portion.
3. A cap according to claim 1 or 2 wherein the cap body has means adapted for C\J mounting the cap to another structure. (44. A cap according to claim 3 wherein the means for mounting the cap to another structure is provided at a location opposite to the handle portion of the lever.5. A cap according to claim 3 wherein the means for mounting the cap to another structure is formed integrally with the cap body.6. A cap according to claim 3 wherein the means for mounting the cap to another structure is provided at least partially as an aperture.7. A cap according to claim 6 wherein the aperture is in the shape of an inverted keyhole.8. A cap according to any preceding claim wherein the projection of the on/off mechanism serves as an abutment contacting the cap body in the off position.9. A cap according to any preceding claim wherein the on/off mechanism is a rotatable position of the lever.10. A cap according to any preceding claim wherein the projection of the onloff mechanism projects upwards relative to the spray head portion of the lever.S11. A cap according to any preceding claim wherein the projection of the on/off mechanism is it the form of a peg.12. A cap for mounting on to the top of an aerosol refill container of the type having a central nozzle to spray fluid in an upward direction! substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings. (4 (4</claim-text>