Protective cap for an aerosol container

Abstract

A protective cap (2) for a pressurised aerosol container comprising a circular upper crown (4) and a frustoconical skirt (6) depending from a peripheral edge of the crown (4), a lower edge (12) of the skirt being adapted to engage and retain the cap onto an aerosol container, wherein the crown (4) and skirt (6) of the cap (2) are formed from a paper-based material.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The present invention relates to a protective cap for use on pressurised aerosol dispensing containers to protect the dispensing valve prior to use.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] Many liquid and gaseous products of widely varying natures are packaged in pressurised aerosol containers. Dispensing is normally achieved by depressing a spray head which opens a valve mechanism to dispense the product that is held under pressure within the container.

[0003] An injection moulded plastic protective cap is usually provided covering the spray head to protect it from damage and to prevent premature dispensing of the contents of the container. The cap must be removed prior to dispensing the contents of the aerosol container.

[0004] Such a cap typically has a skirt which is adapted to engage with the can, so as to enclose the spray head on top of the can. Aerosol cans have cylindrical main body part closed at the top by a domed part which centrally carries the spray head and valve mechanism, an upstanding peripheral flange being provided where the cylindrical body part joins the domed part so as to define an annular recess around the can. The skirt of the cap seats in the recess and usually snap engages into position via projections formed on an inner side of the skirt adjacent a lower end thereof.

[0005] Once an aerosol container has been emptied, the container and cap are discarded. The plastic cap in particular is not biodegradable and is not easily recycled and also detrimentally adds to the carbon footprint in the supply chain of the product.

[0006] An object of the present invention is to provide an improved cap for an aerosol container that overcomes these problems.SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0007] According to the present invention there is provided a protective cap for a pressurised aerosol container comprising a circular upper crown and a frustoconical skirt depending from a peripheral edge of the crown, a lower edge of the skirt being adapted to engage and retain the cap onto an aerosol container, wherein the crown and skirt of the cap are formed from a paper-based material.

[0008] Preferably the lower edge of the skirt of the cap is strengthened by a double thickness portion. In a preferred embodiment the lower edge of the skirt is folded inwardly to define said double thickness portion and to facilitate retention of the cap on an aerosol container. Said double thickness folded portion of the lower edge of the skirt of the cap may be bonded together by a suitable adhesive, for example by a heat sealing process.

[0009] In one embodiment the upper crown may have an upstanding peripheral lip, the frustoconical skirt having an upper edge which may be folded over and joined to the peripheral lip of the crown to join the skirt to the crown of the cap. Preferably the upper edge of the skirt is bonded to the peripheral lip of the crown by a suitable adhesive, for example by a heat sealing process.

[0010] At least the outer faces of the crown and / or skirt of the cap may be printed and / or may be provided with a water resistant coating.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0011] A protective cap for a pressurised aerosol container in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a protective cap for a pressurised aerosol container in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 is a sectional view through the cap of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a detailed sectional view through region A of Figure 1; Figure 4 is a sectional view of the cap of Figure 1 showing the cap fitted to an aerosol container; and Figure 5 is a detailed sectional view through region B of Figure 4. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0012] As illustrated in Figures 1 to 3, a protective cap 2 for a pressurised aerosol container in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention is made entirely from paper-based material and comprises a circular upper crown 4 having an upstanding peripheral lip 8 to which is joined a frustoconical skirt 6 having an upper edge 10 folded over and joined to the peripheral lip 8 of the crown 4. A double thickness folded lower edge 12 of the skirt 6 is folded inwardly to strengthen the lower edge of the cap 2 and to facilitate retention of the cap 2 on an aerosol container, as described in more detail below.

[0013] By forming the protective cap 2 entirely from paper-based material (e.g. cardboard) the cap is thereby biodegradable and readily recyclable, overcoming the environmental problems associated with prior art plastic caps.

[0014] The type, grammage and thickness of the board used to form the crown 4 and skirt 6 of the cap 2 will be selected to suit the required strength / stiffness of the cap, whether or not the cap is to be printed and / or the required water resistant etc. One key aspect is the ability to be heat-sealed for both the inward folded lower edge 12 of the skirt 6 and the folded fixing of the upper edge 10 of the skirt 6 to the peripheral lip 8 of the crown 4 of the cap 2, whilst remaining recyclable in the standard waste paper stream. The material used to form the crown 4 and skirt 6 of the cap 2 will be paperboard with a weight ranging between 150gsm and 400gsm (depending on the desired performance).

[0015] The paperboard mayl be coated with a water based heat sealable coating or heat sealable wax emulsion in order to provide the heat seal properties required to form the cap skirt 6 and seal the crown 4 to the skirt 6 to form the closed end of the cap. The use of a heat sealable coating or wax emulsion enables the product to be plastic free and be capable of being recycled as paper rather than through a specialist waste stream and will be fully biodegradable.

[0016] The frustoconical shape of the skirt 6 of the cap 2 allows multiple caps to be stacked together. This greatly reduces the space taken up by the caps following manufacture and during transportation to their point of use, thereby reducing the carbon footprint of the supply chain.

[0017] The fit of the cap 2 onto an aerosol container will be a combination of friction fit and interference (via the inward folded lower edge 12 of the skirt 6).

[0018] As illustrated in Figures 4 and 5, a typical aerosol container has a cylindrical main body part 14 closed at the top by a domed part 18 which centrally carries the spray head and valve mechanism 20. An upstanding peripheral flange 22 is provided where the cylindrical body part 14 joins the domed part 18 so as to define an annular recess around the container below the flange 22. The folded lower edge 12 of the skirt 6 of the cap 2 is adapted engage a lower side of the peripheral flange 22 to retain the cap 2 onto the container, covering and protecting the spray head and valve mechanism 20.

[0019] The provision of a paper-based protective cap in accordance with the present invention not only helps reduce the use of plastic by replacing current plastic caps with a paper alternative, but it also helps to reduce the carbon footprint in the supply chain because the frustoconical shape of the skirt of the cap enables the caps to be stacked, greatly reducing the space taken during transportation of the caps prior to fitting to aerosol containers. This allows more caps to be carried per pallet, more caps per vehicle and hence less vehicles and less fuel used in transportation.

[0020] The invention is not limited to the embodiment described herein but can be amended or modified without departing from the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A protective cap (2) for a pressurised aerosol container comprising a circular upper crown (4) and a frustoconical skirt (6) depending from a peripheral edge of the crown (4), a lower edge (12) of the skirt being adapted to engage and retain the cap onto an aerosol container, wherein the crown (4) and skirt (6) of the cap (2) are formed from a paper-based material.

2. A cap as claimed in claim 1, wherein the lower edge (12) of the skirt of the cap is strengthened by a double thickness portion.

3. A cap as claimed in claim 2, wherein lower edge (12) of the skirt is folded inwardly to define said double thickness portion and to facilitate retention of the cap (2) on an aerosol container.

4. A cap as claimed in claim 3, wherein said double thickness folded portion of the lower edge (12) of the skirt (6) of the cap (2) is bonded together.

5. A cap as claimed in claim 4, wherein said double thickness folded portion of the lower edge (12) of the skirt (6) of the cap (2) is bonded together by a heat sealing process.

6. A cap as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the upper crown (4) has an upstanding peripheral lip (8), the frustoconical skirt (6) having an upper edge (10) folded over and joined to the peripheral lip (8) of the crown (4) to join the skirt (6) to the crown (4) of the cap.

7. A cap as claimed in claim 6, wherein the upper edge (10) of the skirt (6) is bonded to the peripheral lip (8) of the crown (4).

8. A cap as claimed in claim 7, wherein the upper edge (10) of the skirt (6) is bonded to the peripheral lip (8) of the crown (4) by a heat sealing process.

9. A cap as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein at least the outer faces of the crown (4) and / or skirt (6) of the cap (2) are printed.

10. A cap as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein at least the outer faces of the crown (4) and / or skirt (6) of the cap (2) are provided with a water resistant coating.

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