HK1112221B - Cap for an aerosol container or a spray container - Google Patents

Description

Cap for an aerosol or spray container

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a cap for a container, in particular an aerosol or spray container, having a button adapted to be manually actuated and to dispense a product (e.g. hair spray) in the container from a product discharge opening of the cap.

Background

It is known from WO 01/96210 that this type of cap can be sealed in order to achieve a pleasant spray noise when the product is discharged. In this case, the button acts on the stem (product discharge tube) of the container through a 90 ° offset spray conduit so that, by manually actuating the button, the stem is deflected and thus opens a valve located in the container, thereby causing the product contained in the container to be discharged through the stem, spray conduit and product discharge opening provided in the cap. The flexible connection between the button and the cap provides an acoustic seal for the cap. The button is integrally connected to the cap.

It is known from european patent 0669268a1 that a rotary button integrally formed with the cap, but not with any hinge, has a circumferential fold as a seal between the cap and the button. After actuation of the button, the pleats are always stretched on one side and compressed on the opposite side.

A disadvantage of known caps is that they do not provide a smoother moving button deflection. They can only be applied for this purpose when a relatively large manual force is applied.

Disclosure of Invention

The object of the invention is to further develop the cap in such a way that a greater button deflection is easily achieved.

This is achieved in that the hinge has a sealing-like bellows or fold.

The proposed seal-like accordion hinge has the advantage that the button can be pressed more smoothly and the hinge has seal-like mechanical properties. The crimping means in this context extends between the button and the housing of the cap and extends into the hinge. The device has a certain number of folds adapted to the area, depending on the desired actuating movement. The crimping device always opens the button slightly downwards, for example, and returns upwards to produce the reverse of this opening movement. The hinge does not deflect too much. However, it is technically and visually suitable for seals. It can also be easily activated.

The crimping means may be mounted on the outer edge of the button and may similarly be mounted on the circumferential, top edge of the cap. In an advantageous embodiment, the button is circular, for example oval or circular, and the seal surrounds the button in an annular manner. In this type, the activation force is minimized.

A particularly good acoustic seal is obtained if the seal designed as a crimp device sealingly closes the area between the cap and the button, and may thus generate a pleasant spray noise. In this case, the button and device may form the top surface of the cap, thereby integrating the button into a normal looking cap.

If the seal is designed as a bellows, a relatively long push button actuation path can be achieved with relatively little manual force applied. However, the sealing may also be performed with a single circumferential button. Depending on the actuation movement, it may be sized to provide a seal against the cap when the button is actuated.

If the seal is coupled to the cap and the button in a one-piece design, the manufacturing costs of the entire cap and button are relatively low and therefore more economical. The individual parts can thus be manufactured by a method known per se, for example by injection moulding. However, it is also possible to design the seal as a separate component which can be inserted as a plug-in connection between the cap and the button. This embodiment is suitable, for example, for caps (spray caps) which are manufactured in a manner known per se and are acoustically sealed between the cap and the button.

The button may be joined to the area of the product discharge opening by a hinge. Upon its activation, a product, such as hair spray, is ejected from the product discharge opening.

If the spray conduit is made as a spray bracket which is coupled to the cap in the region of the product discharge opening, it can be rotated in a lever-action manner and thus relatively smoothly relative to the cap by actuating the button in order to open the valve located in the container.

In order to be able to press the button, which is joined to the cap by a hinge, evenly and smoothly, the longest path at a certain point on the edge of the button is covered at that point where the thickness of the material is the smallest. Where minimal button deflection occurs, a maximum material thickness for sealing the gap between the button and the cap is used. Excellent button performance in relation to a uniform smooth button actuation will be achieved if the material thickness of the seal is between 0.4 and 0.6mm in the region adjacent the product discharge opening and between 0.1 and 0.2mm in the region remote from the discharge opening.

Elastic plastics such as soft and flexible polypropylene (PP) or comparable Polyethylene (PE) are suitable as material for the seal.

In principle, the cap and the seal and the button can be manufactured in one piece from a plastic, for example a two-component plastic.

Drawings

The invention is described in detail below with reference to an exemplary embodiment. In the drawings:

FIG. 1 shows in perspective view a cap for placement on an aerosol container, the cap having a circular button with a circumferential seal, wherein the hinge of the button is creased like the seal;

FIG. 2 shows the cap of FIG. 1 in vertical cross-section, placed on a container, with the button not actuated;

figure 3 shows a detail X in vertical section of the seal between the cap and the button of the article of figure 2, said seal being designed as a bellows;

FIG. 4 shows the article of FIG. 2 in vertical section, but with the button depressed;

FIG. 5 shows a detail Y of FIG. 4 in vertical section;

FIG. 6 shows the article of FIG. 1 in a top view;

FIG. 7 shows in perspective view a cap with a button joined by a hinge, wherein an insertable bellows is provided for insertion between the button and the cap to seal a gap between the button and the cap; and

fig. 8 shows the cap of fig. 7 in a top view.

Detailed Description

In a spray cap with a cap 7, a button 6 is used to open a valve (not shown) of a container 1, which container 1 is designed as an aerosol container and contains hair spray. The purpose of the push button 6 is to act on the stem 11 of the container 1 through a 90 deg. offset spray conduit so as to deflect the stem 11 and thus open the valve when the push button 6 is manually actuated, thereby allowing the product contained in the container 1 to be expelled through the stem 11 and the product discharge opening 3 provided in the cap 7 as it passes through the spray conduit 10. In this case, the flexible connection 49 between the button and the cap 7 acts as an acoustic seal 49 of the cap 6 in order to achieve a spray noise that is pleasant for the consumer. The seal 49 is designed as a bellows arrangement in the form of a bellows.

The button has a circular shape and the seal 49 surrounds the button 6 in an annular manner. The seal sealingly closes the area between cap 7 and button 6.

The cap 7 is made in one piece with the hinge 5 and the button 6 from a relatively hard polypropylene (PP). Furthermore, cap 7 is joined to button 6 by seal 49. The spray cap also has a plastic for the seal comprising soft and flexible Polyethylene (PE).

The material thickness of the seal 49 in the region 29 above the product discharge opening 3 is smaller than the material thickness in the region 30 of the seal 49 furthest away from the discharge opening 3, i.e. on the opposite side of the push button 6. In this case, the material thickness of the seal 49 steadily increases from the region 29 of the product discharge opening 3 to a distance from the region 30, i.e. from 0 to 180 degrees, and steadily decreases from 180 to 360 degrees. In this case, the material thickness of the seal 49 is at most 0.5mm and at most 0.15 mm.

The spray conduit 10 forms a spray support coupled to the cap 7 below the product discharge opening 3.

However, in the region of the fold hinge 5, the height of the fold of the seal 49 can be lower than in the region 30 remote from the hinge 5, even at the same material thickness, since the button deflection is greater in the region 30.

Seal 49 may be designed as a separate component that is inserted between cap 7 and button 6. This variation is equally applicable to spray caps where disadvantageously the seal 49 still needs to be inserted after its manufacture.

The advantage of the cap is that a low manual force is required to activate the button 6 and thus stretch the entire circumferential crimping device. Upon release of the button 6, the seal 49 returns to its original crimped state. The swivel of the hinge 5 corresponds to the swivel of the seal 49. Thus, on the one hand an attractive visual effect is achieved and on the other hand the button 6 can be actuated manually very smoothly. The folded hinge 5 is relatively easy to deflect. Even after more frequent activation, it does not break even if it is configured to be thin in order to achieve low operating forces.

1 Container

3 product discharge opening

5 hinge for 6

6 push button

7 cap

10 spray conduit

11 dry

12 nozzle

293 surrounding region

30 region far from 3

49 seal

Claims (14)

1. Cap (7) with a button (6) for opening the valve of a container (1), said button (6) being connected to the cap (7) by a hinge (5), the button (6) being further provided for acting on a separate 90 ° offset connection and thus on the stem (11) of the container (1) in order to deflect the stem (11) and thus open the valve when the button (6) is manually activated, so that the product contained in the container (1) can be expelled through the stem (11) and the product discharge opening (3) provided on the cap (7) at the same time as it passes through the spray conduit (10), a flexible seal (49) connected as a sound of the cap (7) between the button (6) and the cap (7), and said button (6) being made in one piece with the hinge (5) and the cap (7), wherein said hinge (5) has a bellows corresponding to the seal (49) or a fold corresponding to the seal (49) Wherein the seal (49) is made as a separate component insertable between the cap (7) and the button (6).

2. The cap of claim 1, wherein the container is an aerosol container or a spray container.

3. The cap of claim 1, wherein the 90 ° offset connection is a 90 ° offset spray conduit (10).

4. The cap of claim 1, wherein the button (6) has a circular shape and the seal (49) surrounds the button (6) in an annular manner.

5. The cap of claim 1, wherein the button (6) has an elliptical shape.

6. The cap as claimed in claim 1, wherein the seal (49) is designed as a bellows.

7. The cap of claim 1, wherein the seal (49) has a circumferential single crimp.

8. The cap as claimed in claim 1, wherein the button (6) is joined by a hinge (5) to a region (29) above the product discharge opening (3) of the cap (7).

9. The cap as claimed in claim 1, wherein the seal (49) sealingly closes the area between the cap (7) and the button (6).

10. The cap as claimed in claim 1, wherein the spray conduit (10) is shaped as a spray bracket which engages onto the cap (7) in the region of the product discharge opening (3).

11. The cap as claimed in claim 8, in which the material thickness of the seal (49) in the region (29) adjacent to the product discharge opening (3) is between 0.4 and 0.6mm and in the region (30) remote from the product discharge opening (3) is between 0.1 and 0.2 mm.

12. The cap of claim 1, in which the seal (49) is made of elastic plastic.

13. The cap of claim 12, wherein the resilient plastic comprises soft and flexible polypropylene (PP) or Polyethylene (PE).

14. The cap as described in claim 1, wherein the cap (7) is made of a two-component plastic.