A CLOSURE

Abstract

A child-resistant aerosol cap comprising a base which is attachable onto an aerosol container, and a lid which is attachable to the base, the lid includes locking means for releasably locking the lid onto the base.

Description

The present invention relates generally to a closure and particularly, although not exclusively, to a child-resistant aerosol cap.

In some embodiments the system is designed to protect children in front of dangerous product dispensed with a standard aerosol bottle.

According to an aspect of the present invention there is provided a child-resistant aerosol cap comprising a base which is attachable onto an aerosol container, and a lid which is attachable to the base, the lid includes locking means for releasably locking the lid onto the base.

In some embodiments the closure/cap is a two-piece cap.

The base and lid may have cooperating screw thread formations (such as single or multi start threads); for example the base may have an external screw thread and the lid may have an internal screw thread.

The cap may include a skirt. The skirt may be provided with one or more locking formations such as internal fins, lugs, teeth or the like.

The base may be a non-removable base.

The base may be provided with one or more abutments for cooperating with the fins, lugs or the like.

In some embodiments the skirt must be deformed to move the fins, lugs or the like clear of the abutments.

In some embodiments the skirt is generally circular in section and is ovalized to move the fins, lugs or the like clear of the abutments.

The base may be provided with two abutments/locking teeth/lugs or the like and/or the lid may be provided with two fins, teeth lugs or the like.

In some embodiments the abutments are positioned approximately diametrically opposite to each other and/or the fins, lugs or the like may be positioned approximately diametrically opposite to each other.

The cap skirt may be provided with one or more pressing pads for squeezing the skirt. In some embodiments the cap skirt is provided with two pads which are approximately diametrically opposite to each other.

The base may be provided with a snap bead for engaging an aerosol container.

In some embodiments the base is configured to engage an aerosol valve.

The cap is generally dome-shaped. In some embodiments the cap is generally frusto conical with a generally flat top.

The base may be provided with means for preventing rotation relative to the aerosol container, for example one or more (radial) ribs may be provided.

In some embodiments the lid has an outer side skirt and locking means are provided at or towards a free end of the outer side skirt. The lid may also comprise an inner skirt (which may depend from the interior of the outer skirt, for example part way along, such as approximately half way along), and the inner skirt may carry the screw thread formation.

A further aspect provides a child resistant aerosol cap.

The cap may be movable between a first, non-actuatable position and a second, actuatable position and in which the cap includes child-resistant locking means for preventing movement from the first to the second position.

The cap may comprise an actuator, and in some embodiments in the first position the actuator cannot be actuated and in the second position the actuator can be actuated.

The actuator may move (for example by pivoting and/or rotating and/or lifting) as the cap is moved between the first and second positions.

In some embodiments the actuator is at least partly revealed when the cap moves to the second position. In the first position the actuator may be at least partly concealed.

The cap may include a base and a lid, the base and lid including corresponding locking formations for preventing unwanted movement from the first to the second position.

Alternatively or additionally, the cap may include locking means for cooperating with locking means provided on or by an associated aerosol container.

The child-proof cap may comprise a push-and-turn and/or a squeeze-and-turn child-resistant locking mechanism.

A further aspect provides a child resistant, squeeze-and-turn or push-and-turn aerosol cap.

A further aspect provides a child resistant, squeeze-and-turn aerosol cap.

A further aspect provides a child resistant, push-and-turn aerosol cap.

The present invention also provides an aerosol having a cap as described herein.

Examples of aerosols include deodorants, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, chemicals and the like.

Different aspects and embodiments of the invention may be used separately or together.

Further particular and preferred aspects of the present invention are set out in the accompanying independent and dependent claims. Features of the dependent claims may be combined with the features of the independent claims as appropriate, and in combination other than those explicitly set out in the claims. Each aspect can be carried out independently of the other aspects or in combination with one or more of the other aspects.

The present invention will now be more particularly described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings.

The example embodiments are described in sufficient detail to enable those of ordinary skill in the art to embody and implement the systems and processes herein described. It is important to understand that embodiments can be provided in many alternative forms and should not be construed as limited to the examples set forth herein.

Accordingly, while embodiments can be modified in various ways and take on various alternative forms, specific embodiments thereof are shown in the drawings and described in detail below as examples. There is no intent to limit to the particular forms disclosed. On the contrary, all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the scope of the appended claims should be included. Elements of the example embodiments are consistently denoted by the same reference numerals throughout the drawings and detailed description where appropriate.

Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used herein are to be interpreted as is customary in the art. It will be further understood that terms in common usage should also be interpreted as is customary in the relevant art and not in an idealised or overly formal sense unless expressly so defined herein.

In the following description, all orientational terms, such as upper, lower, radially and axially, are used in relation to the drawings and should not be interpreted as limiting on the invention.

Referring first to FIGS. 1 to 5 there is shown a child-resistant aerosol cap generally indicated 10. The cap 10 comprises a base 15 and a lid 20.

Referring now also to FIGS. 6 to 10 the base 15 is further described. The base is intended to be snapped on an aerosol bottle/can/container (see below).

The base 15 comprises a generally L-section annular collar 25 which comprises a generally axial leg 26 and a radial leg 27 (it is inclined slightly upwardly) that provides a step. At the centre of the collar a generally L-section neck 30 upstands and comprises an axial leg 31 and a radial leg 32.

The axial leg 31 is equipped with a thread 33 (the leg effectively comprises external skirt and the threads extend around the skirt) to collaborate with the threads of the lid (see below).

The radial leg/step 27 is equipped with two anti-rotation teeth 28, 29 which are positioned, in this embodiment, approximately diametrically opposite each other. Each of the teeth 28, 29 comprises a generally flat abutment face 28a, 29a and a curved/inclined face 28b, 29b.

The interior of the leg 31 is provided with an annular snap bed 34, which in this embodiment is just above the intersection of the leg 31 with the leg 27.

The underside of the leg 32 is provided with a plurality of radial ribs 35.

The lid 20 is shown in FIGS. 11 to 14. The lid 15 comprises a flat top plate 40 from the periphery of which depends a curved outer sidewall/skirt 45.

Approximately half way down the outer sidewall 45 an axial inner skirt 50 depends from the interior thereof. Towards the free end of the inner skirt 50 an internal screw thread 55 is provided and cooperates with the thread 33 to allow the lid to be screwed onto the base.

At or towards the free end of the outer skirt 45 the interior is provided with two anti-rotation teeth 65, 70 which are positioned, in this embodiment, approximately diametrically opposite each other. Each of the teeth 65, 70 comprises a generally flat abutment face 65a, 70a and a curved/inclined face 65b, 70b.

The outer skirt 45 is also provided with two press/squeeze zones/pads 46, 47. The pads 46, 47 are positioned diametrically opposite to each other and circumferentially offset from the teeth 65, 70 so that the pads are between the teeth (the pads and the teeth are therefore a little like the four points on a compass, with approximately 90 degrees spacing as they alternate tooth-pad-tooth-pad). This means that when the pads are moved towards each other the skirt ovalises; in turn this means that the two areas of the skirt which carry the teeth 65, 70 are moved radially outwards, as represented by A.

In use the cap can be screwed onto the base using the threads 33, 55. In the screwing on direction the inclined faces of the teeth can pass over each other. However, in the unscrewing direction abutment faces of two pairs of the teeth will prevent rotation. To remove the cap the pads must first be pressed to allow the teeth to pass each other in a squeeze-and-turn operation.

FIGS. 15 to 18 show the cap 10 attached to an aerosol container 75. The base is snapped on the container without the possibility to be removed. The base is shown fitted onto a valve/mounting cup 80 that receives a valve (not show) and an actuator/nozzle 82, with the snap bead 34 clipped under the free end of the roll-top cup wall 81. The valve cup end 81 is therefore sandwiched between the rolled end of the can 83 and the leg 31.

The base leg 26 extends down to the domed end 85 of the metal container/can 90.

FIG. 19 shows a child-resistant aerosol 101 formed according to an alternative aspect.

The aerosol 101 comprises a can 102 and a cap 103. The cap 103 comprises a spout/nozzle 104 and an actuator 105 for dispensing product from the nozzle.

In the position shown in the left hand image the actuator cannot be depressed, thereby preventing operation.

In order to be able to use the actuator the cap must be rotated/twisted to the position shown in the right hand image, so as to cause the actuator to rise.

The cap is prevented from rotation by a child-resistant locking mechanism, which in this embodiment uses a similar squeeze-and-turn approach to the cap on FIGS. 1 to 18. For this purpose a pair of pressing pads 106 (only one is shown) are provided. The skirt of the cap must be pressed in to disengage locking formations (teeth, lugs etc) from corresponding formations provided either on the can itself, or an intermediate piece such as a non-removable base (as used in relation to the cap of FIGS. 1 to 18).

Although illustrative embodiments of the invention have been disclosed in detail herein, with reference to the accompanying drawings, it is understood that the invention is not limited to the precise embodiments shown and that various changes and modifications can be effected therein by one skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A child-resistant aerosol cap comprising a base which is attachable onto an aerosol container, and a lid which is attachable to the base, the lid includes locking means for releasably locking the lid onto the base.

2. The cap as claimed in claim 1, in which the base and lid have cooperating screw thread formations.

3. The cap as claimed in claim 1, in which the cap includes a skirt.

4. The cap as claimed in claim 3, in which the skirt is provided with one or more internal fins or lugs.

5. The cap as claimed in claim 4, in which the base is provided with one or more abutments for cooperating with the fins or lugs, and in which the skirt must be deformed to move the fins or lugs clear of the abutments.

6. (canceled)

7. The cap as claimed in claim 5, in which the skirt is generally circular in section and is ovalized to move the fins or lugs clear of the abutments.

8. The cap as claimed in claim 5, in which the base is provided with two abutments and the lid is provided with two fins or lugs.

9. (canceled)

10. The cap as claimed in claim 1, in which the cap skirt is provided with one or more pressing pads for squeezing the skirt.

11. (canceled)

12. The cap as claimed in claim 1, in which the base is provided with a snap bead for engaging an aerosol container.

13.-15. (canceled)

16. The cap as claimed in claim 1, in which the base is provided with means for preventing rotation relative to the aerosol container.

17. The cap as claimed in claim 16, in which one or more ribs are provided.

18. The cap as claimed in claim 1, in which the lid has an outer side skirt and locking means are provided at or towards a free end of the outer side skirt.

19. The cap as claimed in claim 18, in which the lid also comprises an inner skirt.

20. The cap as claimed in claim 19, in which the inner skirt carries a screw thread formation.

21. The cap as claimed in claim 19, in which the inner skirt depends from the interior of the outer skirt.

22. The cap as claimed in claim 21, in which the inner skirt depends approximately half way along the outer skirt.

23. A child resistant aerosol cap, in which the cap is movable between a first, non-actuatable position and a second, actuatable position and the cap includes child-resistant locking means for preventing movement from the first to the second position, in which the cap comprises an actuator, and in which in the first position the actuator cannot be actuated and in the second position the actuator can be actuated.

24.-25. (canceled)

26. The cap as claimed in claim 23, in which the actuator moves as the cap is moved between the first and second positions, and in which the actuator is revealed when the cap moves to the second position.

27. (canceled)

28. The cap as claimed in claim 23, comprising a push-and-turn or squeeze-and-turn child-resistant locking mechanism.

29.-30. (canceled)

31. An aerosol container in combination with a child resistant, squeeze-and-turn aerosol cap.

32. (canceled)