Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02280311 1999-08-17
CONTAINER CAP WITH ANTI-SLIP FLANGE
The present invention relates to the field of containers and more
particularly,
relates to a container cap.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The dispensing of fluids in a spray is well known in the art and many
different
products are so packaged. Such products include, for example, cosmetic fluids
such as
hair spray and medicinal sprays such as mouth sprays.
The type of spray used may generally be characterized as those formed by
means of a pump arranged on the container closure and which is activated by
pressure
of the forger or thumb of the user or the so called spray can which generally
utilizes a
propellant gas. Generally, the use of the propellant gas is in disfavor for
many
different reasons including environmental considerations. Thus, certain
propellant
gases have been shown to be carcinogenic while others, such as medicinal
sprays, do
not readily lend themselves to use of a propellant gas.
The pump sprays have been known for a number of years and many different
types are used in the art. Basically, they provide an atomization of the fluid
and
provide a superior product usage compared to the propellant gas sprays.
However,
such pumps are dependent upon the pressure delivered by the forger or thumb of
the
user. One problem which occurs with such pump sprays is the container may
become
contaminated on the exterior surface with the spray which can then cause
slippage and
accordingly, a lower pressure is applied on the pump and the atomization is
therefore
insufficient.
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In order to overcome the above problems and to provide a proper grip on the
container, it has been proposed in the art to provide containers which have
various
configurations to receive the hands of the user and to thus provide a more
secure grip
on the container and allow for the proper pumping action on the pump member.
However, such an arrangement is only suitable for larger containers and it has
been
found that such an arrangement does not provide for the most ergonomic
placement of
the hands on the pump for actuation thereof.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide an ergonomic pump spray
container.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a cap for use with
a
pump spray container and which cap has anti-slip features.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a cap for a pump
spray
container and which cap is ergonomically designed to automatically position
the
forgers of the user in a comfortable and effective position.
According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a cap for
use
with a pump spray container, the cap comprising a body having an internal
passageway to receive a spray mechanism, a side wall surrounding the
passageway, a
flange extending outwardly from an exterior surface of the side wall, the
flange
extending outwardly for a distance sufficient to act as an abutting member for
a forger
of a hand of a user.
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According to a further aspect of the present invention, there is provided a
method of positioning the index forger of a user on a spray container having a
plunger,
the method comprising the step of supplying a container having a cap, the cap
comprising a body including a side wall, a flange extending outwardly from an
exterior surface of the side wall, the flange extending outwardly for a
distance
sufficient to act as an abutting member for a forger of a hand of a user and
the flange
being spaced from the plunger by a distance sufficient to correctly position
the index
forger.
The cap of the present invention may be utilized with any suitable spray head.
Thus, it may be utilized with propellant based spray heads as well as the pump
action
type of spray head although the maximum benefit will be gained from the pump
action
as the propellant based spray may not require the same force exerted on the
head.
In a preferred embodiment, the flange is formed as an integral part of the cap
although it is within the scope of the invention to have a separate member
secured
thereto. Similarly, it is preferred that the flange form a portion of the cap
member per
se since this would normally provide the correct spacing for use of the spray
head, a
separate member connected to another portion of the cover/container could
accomplish the same purpose of correctly positioning the fingers on the
cover/container. Preferably, the flange will extend outwardly a distance of
between
mm and 20 mm and the flange will be spaced from the top of the plunger by a
distance of between 2 cm and 6 cm.
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The cap may be formed of any suitable material and conventionally and
preferably, it is formed of a molded plastics material and which cap would be
screw
threadably engageable with the mouth of the container.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the flange incorporates means for
preventing any drops or droplets from contacting the fingers of the user. To
this end,
the flange may include an upwardly extending lip or equivalent structure for
the
purposes of retaining any drops or droplets from the atomized spray from
falling
below the level of the flange.
Alternatively, an absorbent material may be placed below the spray head and
above the flange to absorb any liquid.
In a still further embodiment, one may combine the absorbent material and the
lip structure to prevent liquid from contacting the forgers of the user.
Any suitable absorbent material may be utilized with a particularly preferred
one being a foam type which has a capacity to absorb a substantial amount of
liquid.
The absorbent material may be adhesively adhered to the lip or outer wall of
the cap
or alternatively, it may be sized to resiliently fit in the desired position.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Having thus generally described the invention, reference will be made to the
accompanying drawings illustrating an embodiment thereof, in which:
Figure 1 is a perspective view of a container and container cap according to
the
present invention;
Figure 2 is a view of a prior art container illustrating use of the container;
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Figure 3 is a side view illustrating use of the container of the present
invention;
and
Figure 4 is a detail view, partially in section, illustrating the absorbent
material.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Referring to the drawings in greater detail and by reference characters
thereto,
there is illustrated in Figure 2 a pump spray container known in the prior art
and
which pump spray container is generally designated by reference numeral 10.
Pump spray container 10 includes a generally cylindrical body portion 12
having a cap 14 mounted thereon. A plunger 16 passes through an aperture in
cap 14
and in a known manner, the contents of the container are pressurized and
discharged
through a dispensing aperture 18 located in the upper portion of plunger 16.
Plunger 16 includes a finger rest 20 as its upper surface. As aforementioned,
this
arrangement is known and conventional in the art.
In operation, a user will use an index forger 22 shown in dotted lines with
the
thumb 24 being placed against the side of the container. On the opposite side,
pressure is exerted by middle finger 26 to hold the container in a fixed
position while
the index finger 22 operates the plunger 16.
If the person's forgers are dry and they are able to exert sufficient pressure
by
means of thumb 24 and middle forger 26, the above system functions well.
However,
in the case of the elderly or when the container is slippery such as
frequently occurs in
hair salons and the like, thumb 24 and middle finger 26 tend to slip upwardly
on the
container and sufficient pressure can not be exerted by index finger 22 on
plunger 16.
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. . CA 02280311 1999-08-17
The cap of the present invention is illustrated in Figure l and reference will
now be made thereto.
Cap 34 of the present invention is placed on a container 30 substantially
identical to container 10 shown in Figure 2. Thus, container 30 has a
cylindrical
body 32 while passing through cap 34 there is provided a plunger 36 having
finger
rest 37 thereon and a dispensing aperture 38.
Cap 34 includes a generally annular side wall 40 while, at its upper end
thereof,
there is provided an outwardly extending flange generally designated by
reference
numeral 42. Flange 42 includes an annular flange side wall 44. Extending
downwardly from annular flange side wall 44 is a bottom wall 46 which merges
arcuately with side wall 40 of cap 34.
Located at the upper peripheral edge of flange side wall 44 is a lip 48 which
encloses a recess 50 formed in the top surface of flange 42. Mounted in recess
50 is
an absorbent material such as foam 52. As may be seen , foam 52 will absorb
any
liquid which may drip from dispensing aperture 38 of plunger 36.
A cover member 54 may be provided for protecting plunger 36 when not in use
as is well known in the art.
In use, and as shown in Figure 3, index finger 56 of the user is placed on
forger
rest 37 of plunger 36. Middle finger 60 will abut the underside of flange 42
while
thumb 58 may likewise be placed in a position against the underside of flange
42.
With this arrangement, the fingers of the user are automatically placed in a
correct
position - the distances between the index finger and the middle finger are
arranged at
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an ideal distance such that maximum force may be exerted by index forger 56 on
plunger 36. This is to be differentiated from the arrangement shown in Figure
2
wherein a maximum force can not be exerted on the plunger.
Flange 42 also serves to substantially prevent container 30 from becoming
slippery due to moisture. The addition of absorbent foam 52 further aids in
the above.
It will be understood that the above described embodiments are for purposes of
illustration only and that changes and modifications may be made thereto
without
departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.
