Aerosol device

Abstract

To provide an aerosol device of which the mounting cup can be removed.SOLUTION: A mounting cup 50 has an upwardly convex, approximately dome-shaped deforming part 51 that deforms downward when pressed from above, a holding part 52 that is provided on the inner edge of the deforming part 51 and holds a valve part 30, and an engaging claw 53 that extends downward from the outer edge of the deforming part 51. The container body 10 has a bead part 16 that engages with the engaging claw 53, a cylindrical part 15a that compresses a first sealing material 40 in the space between the valve part 30 and itself, and an uneven region 15b that is located below the cylindrical part 15a and releases the seal by changing the degree of compression of the first sealing material 40. When the deforming part 51 is pressed downward, the valve part 30 moves downward and the first sealing material 40 reaches the uneven region 15b, releasing the seal, and the engaging claw 53 opens outward, releasing or loosening the engagement with the bead part 16.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an aerosol device having a removable mounting cup. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a discharge container including a container body having an engaging portion and a metal cap that closes the opening of the container body. The metal cap has a top surface that has a convex cross section that protrudes upward while gently curving toward the central axis, and engaging claws that extend downward from the edge of the top surface and engage with the engaging portion. When the top surface is pressed from above to deform the cross section into a concave shape, the engaging claws open outward and disengage from the engaging portion, allowing the cap to be easily removed from the container body. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 6280341 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The discharge container of Patent Document 1 begins to deform (remove) the metal cap after the gas has been sufficiently discharged, and it is not intended that the removal work will be performed while sufficient gas remains.

[0005] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention is directed to an improvement in aerosol devices with removable mounting cups. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The aerosol device of the present invention comprises a container body (10, 10A, 10B) having an opening (11), and an aerosol valve (20, 20A) attached to the opening (11) of the container body (10, 10A, 10B). The aerosol valve (20, 20A) comprises a valve portion (30, 30A) having a stem (311), a seal (first seal) attached to the outer circumferential surface of the valve portion (30, 30A), and a mounting cup (50) for fixing the valve portion (30, 30A) to the container body (10, 10A, 10B). The mounting cup (50) comprises an upwardly convex, generally dome-shaped or generally conical, deformation portion (51) that deforms downward when pressed from above, a holding portion (52) provided on the inner edge of the deformation portion (51) for holding the valve portion (30, 30A), and an engagement claw (53) extending downward from the outer edge of the deformation portion (51). The container bodies 10, 10A, 10B have an engagement portion (bead portion 16, flange portion 17) that engages with the engagement claw 53, a seal forming portion (cylindrical portion 15a) that compresses the sealing material (first sealing material 40) between the valve portions 30, 30A to form a seal, and a seal releasing portion (uneven region 15b, shoulder portion 14) that is located below the seal forming portion (cylindrical portion 15a) and releases the seal by changing the degree of compression of the sealing material (first sealing material 40), and when the deformation portion 51 is pressed downward, the valve portions 30, 30A move downward and the sealing material (first sealing material 40) reaches the seal releasing portion (uneven region 15b, shoulder portion 14) to release the seal, and the engagement claws 53 open outward, thereby releasing or loosening the engagement with the engagement portions (bead portion 16, flange portion 17).

[0007] In the aerosol device, it is preferable that the seal is released by the seal releasing portion (uneven region 15b, shoulder portion 14) before the engagement between the engaging claw 53 and the engaging portion (bead portion 16, flange portion 17) is released.

[0008] It is also preferable that the seal forming portion is a cylindrical portion 15a provided on the neck portion 15 of the container body 10, and the seal releasing portion is an uneven region 15b provided with a recess 15b1 that reduces the compression degree of the sealing material (first sealing material 40) and / or a protrusion 15b2 that increases the compression degree of the sealing material (first sealing material 40).

[0009] Alternatively, it is preferable that the seal-forming portion is a cylindrical portion 15a provided on the neck portion 15 of the container bodies 10A, 10B, and the seal-releasing portion is a shoulder portion 14 that expands in diameter from the lower end of the cylindrical portion.

[0010] It is also preferable that the valve portion 30A comprises a housing portion 314 held by the holding portion 52, and a holder portion 32 extending from the housing portion 314 and facing the seal forming portion (cylindrical portion 15a), and that a sealing material (first sealing material 40) is attached to the outer peripheral surface of the holder portion 32. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] In the aerosol device of the present invention, the seal is released by pressing the deformed portion downward, and the engagement between the engaging claw and the engaging portion is released or loosened, so that the aerosol valve can be removed from the container body while the gas inside the container body is discharged to the outside.

[0012] If the seal is released by the seal release portion before the engagement between the engaging claw and the engaging portion is released, it is easy to prevent the aerosol valve from flying off.

[0013] In the above-mentioned aerosol device, when the seal forming portion is a cylindrical portion provided on the neck portion of the container body and the seal releasing portion is an uneven area provided with a recess that reduces the degree of compression of the sealing material and / or a protrusion that increases the degree of compression of the sealing material, gas can be discharged through the recess or by exceeding the recommended degree of compression (crushing rate) of the sealing material using the protrusion.

[0014] If the seal-forming portion is a cylindrical portion provided on the neck portion of the container body and the seal-releasing portion is a shoulder portion that expands in diameter from the lower end of the cylindrical portion, the container body can be easily manufactured.

[0015] When the valve portion comprises a housing portion held by a holding portion and a holder portion extending from the housing portion and facing the seal forming portion, and a sealing material is attached to the outer peripheral surface of the holder portion, the housing portion and the holder portion are integral, so the sealing material can be reliably moved to the seal release portion compared to when the housing portion and the holder portion are separate. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0016] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of an aerosol device. [Figure 2] 10 is a cross-sectional view of a main part of a container body showing a modified example of the concave-convex region. FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of an aerosol valve. [Figure 4] 4A is a plan view of the mounting cup before deformation, FIG. 4B is a side view of the mounting cup before deformation, and FIG. 4C is a side view of the mounting cup after deformation. [Figure 5] FIG. 5A is a cross-sectional view of the essential parts of the aerosol device when the mounting cup is deformed, and FIG. 5B is a cross-sectional view of the essential parts showing the state in which the aerosol valve is removed from the container body. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of another aerosol device. [Figure 7] 7 is a cross-sectional view of the aerosol device of FIG. 6 when the mounting cup is deformed. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of yet another aerosol device. [Figure 9] 9 is a cross-sectional view of the aerosol device of FIG. 8 when the mounting cup is deformed. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0017] Next, an aerosol device 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. As shown in Fig. 1, the aerosol device 1 comprises a container body 10 having an opening 11, and an aerosol valve 20 attached to the opening 11 of the container body 10. The aerosol device 1 is a so-called pressure-resistant container and also an airtight container. Airtightness between the container body 10 and the aerosol valve 20 is ensured by a sealing material (first sealing material 40) described below.

[0018] The container body 10 is made of a metal such as tinplate or aluminum. The container body 10 has a bottom 12 that is generally disc-shaped in plan view, a generally cylindrical body 13 that extends upward from the outer edge of the bottom 12, a generally tapered shoulder 14 that reduces in diameter from the upper end of the body 13 upward, a generally cylindrical neck 15 provided at the upper end of the shoulder 14, and a bead 16 formed in an annular shape at the upper end of the neck 15. The bead 16 protrudes radially outward from the neck 15 and serves as an engaging portion that engages with an engaging claw 53 of a mounting cup 50, which will be described later. The opening 11 opens at the upper end of the bead 16.

[0019] Incidentally, neck 15 is provided with a seal-forming portion that forms a seal between neck 15 and valve portion 30 (described later) of aerosol valve 20 by compressing first sealing material 40 in the radial direction of neck 15, and a seal-releasing portion that is located below the seal-forming portion and releases the seal by changing the degree of compression of first sealing material 40. Specifically, cylindrical portion 15a, which has an inner cylindrical surface and is located within a range of, for example, about 1 / 3 of the vertical length of neck 15 from the upper end of neck 15, is the seal-forming portion, and a range (uneven region 15b) located below the cylindrical portion and in which recesses 15b1 that reduce the degree of compression of first sealing material 40 are provided, is the seal-releasing portion.

[0020] When the first sealant 40 is moved from the cylindrical portion 15a to the uneven region 15b, the degree of compression of the first sealant 40 is reduced by the recesses 15b1. The gas P filled in the aerosol device 1 is then discharged to the outside of the aerosol device 1 through the recesses 15b1. Instead of providing the groove-like recesses 15b1 extending vertically, the uneven region 15b may be provided with protrusions 15b2 that increase the degree of compression of the first sealant 40. The protrusions 15b2 may be rib-like extending vertically as shown in FIG. 2A or dot-like as shown in FIG. 2B. The protrusions 15b2 discharge the gas P by exceeding the recommended degree of compression (squeezing rate) of the first sealant 40. When the protrusions 15b2 are closely spaced in the circumferential direction, the spaces between the protrusions 15b2 may function as recesses 15b1. Alternatively, both the recesses 15b1 and the protrusions 15b2 may be provided. In this case, the recesses 15b1 and the protrusions 15b2 may simply be arranged alternately in the circumferential direction, or as shown in FIG. 2C, the recesses 15b1 and the protrusions 15b2 may be arranged offset in the vertical direction. Also, while the recesses 15b1 are positioned below the protrusions 15b2 in FIG. 2C, the recesses 15b1 may be positioned above the protrusions 15b2. It is preferable that the recesses 15b1 and the protrusions 15b2 are both spaced apart in the circumferential direction (i.e., not continuous in the circumferential direction). However, they may also be continuous in the circumferential direction, forming an annular shape.

[0021] As shown in Figure 3, the aerosol valve 20 has a valve portion 30 having a stem 311, a first sealing material 40 attached to the outer surface of the valve portion 30, and a mounting cup 50 for fixing the valve portion 30 to the container body 10.

[0022] The valve section 30 is not directly fixed to the container body 10, but is movable up and down relative to the container body 10. The valve section 30 has a valve mechanism 31 having a stem 311 with a stem hole 311a, a stem rubber 312 that closes the stem hole 311a, a biasing member (spring) 313 that constantly biases the stem 311 upward and maintains the stem hole 311a closed by the stem rubber 312, and a substantially cylindrical housing section 314 that houses the stem 311, the stem rubber 312, and the biasing member 313, and a holder section 32 attached to the outside of the housing section 314.

[0023] In the valve mechanism 31, the stem 311 is pushed down (pushed toward the housing part 314) or tilted, which releases the blockage of the stem hole 311a by the stem rubber 312 and opens the valve mechanism 31. A dip tube 33 (see FIG. 1) is attached to the lower end of the housing part 314, and when the blockage of the stem hole 311a by the stem rubber 312 is released, the concentrate C filled in the aerosol device 1 passes through the stem 311 and is discharged to the outside from a discharge member (not shown) attached to the stem 311.

[0024] The holder portion 32 has an inner cylinder portion 321 that fits onto the lower part of the housing portion 314, an outer cylinder portion 322 that is located outside the inner cylinder portion 321, a connecting portion 323 that connects the upper end of the outer cylinder portion 322 to the upper end of the inner cylinder portion 321, and an annular rising wall 324 that rises from the upper surface of the connecting portion 323. The shape of the outer peripheral surface of the outer cylinder portion 322 in a plan view is the same as the shape of the cylindrical portion 15a of the neck portion 15 of the container body 10 in a plan view. That is, it is circular in a plan view. The outer peripheral surface of the outer cylinder portion 322 is provided with a circumferentially continuous groove 322a into which the first seal member 40 is fitted and attached. Incidentally, a second sealant 34 is attached to the outer peripheral surface of the housing portion 314 above the portion fitted into the inner cylindrical portion 321, and this second sealant 34 is compressed between the inner peripheral surface of the rising wall 324 to form a seal between the housing portion 314 and the rising wall 324. Therefore, gas P does not leak from between the valve mechanism 31 and the holder portion 32.

[0025] The first seal 40 and the second seal 34 are so-called O-rings, and have a circular cross-sectional shape before being compressed. They are made of, for example, synthetic rubber. When the holder part 32 is inserted into the neck part 15 from the opening 11 of the container body 10, the outer peripheral surface of the outer tube part 322 faces the cylindrical part 15a, and the first seal 40 is compressed between the holder part 32 and the cylindrical part 15a to seal the container body 10.

[0026] The mounting cup 50 is made of metal such as tinplate or aluminum. The mounting cup 50 has an upwardly convex, generally dome-shaped deformation portion 51 that deforms downward when pressed from above, a holding portion 52 that is provided on the inner edge of the deformation portion 51 and is generally ring-shaped in plan view, and that holds the housing portion 314 of the valve portion 30, and an engaging claw 53 that extends downward from the outer edge of the deformation portion 51.

[0027] The deformable portion 51 protrudes upward while gently curving toward the central axis of the container body 10. However, it may not be curved and may have an upwardly conical shape. For example, when the inner edge of the deformable portion 51 reaches a position lower than the outer edge, the inner edge naturally moves downward and warps. Therefore, it is not necessary to press the deformable portion 51 all the way down, nor is it necessary to continue pressing it.

[0028] The holding portion 52 has a generally cylindrical holding portion 52a that holds the upper portion of the housing portion 314, and a top surface portion 52b that closes the top surface of the holding portion 52a. The holding portion 52 covers the housing portion 314 from above with the top surface portion 52b, and the holding portion 52a is reduced in diameter below an engagement protrusion 314a provided on the outer periphery of the upper end of the housing portion 314, thereby retaining the stem 311, stem rubber 312, and biasing member 313 within the housing portion 314. The top surface portion 52b is provided with a protrusion hole 52b1 for allowing the stem 311 to protrude. An upwardly rising step portion 52c is provided between the deformation portion 51 and the holding portion 52.

[0029] As shown in FIG. 1, the engagement claws 53 engage with the bead portion 16, which is the engagement portion, from the outside. As shown by the dashed dotted line in FIG. 3, the lower portions 53a of the engagement claws 53 are bent inward to abut against the lower surface of the bead portion 16. It is preferable that the lower portions 53a of the engagement claws 53 are angled downward toward the inside. Furthermore, as shown in FIGS. 4A to 4C, a plurality of the engagement claws 53 are provided lined up in the circumferential direction. In this state, it can also be said that slits S are provided in the engagement claws 53. The slits S make it easier for the deformation portion 51 to deform and for the engagement claws 53 to open outward.

[0030] An aerosol product is obtained by filling the aerosol device 1 configured as described above with the concentrate C and the gas P for discharging the concentrate C. Examples of the gas P include liquefied gas, compressed gas, and mixed gases thereof, with compressed gas being particularly preferred. Examples of compressed gas include nitrogen, air, oxygen, hydrogen, carbon dioxide, and nitrous oxide, and the pressure at 25°C is 0.2 to 1.0 MPa. Examples of liquefied gas include normal butane, isobutane, propane, and mixtures thereof such as liquefied petroleum gas, dimethyl ether, hydrofluoroolefins, and mixtures thereof.

[0031] The method of filling the aerosol device 1 with the concentrate C and the gas P is not particularly limited, but for example, the container body 10 is filled with the concentrate C, the opening 11 of the container body 10 is sealed with the aerosol valve 20, and then the gas P is filled through the stem 311. However, the aerosol valve 20 can also be slightly lifted from the container body 10 to open a gap for filling, and the gas P can be under-filled into the container body 10 through the gap.

[0032] Next, the process of removing the aerosol valve 20 from the container body 10 will be described. When the deformed portion 51 of the mounting cup 50 is pressed downward from above, the deformed portion 51 is deformed downward, as shown in Figures 4C and 5A. When the deformed portion 51 is deformed, the engaging claws 53 open outward with the outer edge of the deformed portion 51 as the center of rotation, resulting in the engagement with the bead portion 16 being released, or the engagement being loosened, although not completely released.

[0033] Furthermore, when the deformation portion 51 is deformed downward, the valve portion 30, which is held at the center of the deformation portion 51, also moves downward in accordance with the amount of deformation. Therefore, the first seal material 40, which was located in the cylindrical portion 15a (the seal-forming portion) before deformation, moves downward and approaches the uneven region 15b (the seal-releasing portion). When the first seal material 40 approaches the uneven region 15b, a change occurs in the degree of compression of the first seal material 40, and the seal is released. As a result, the gas P is discharged to the outside through the gap between the neck portion 15 and the outer cylindrical portion 322, the gap between the bead portion 16 and the mounting cup 50, and the slit S (see arrows in FIG. 5A). After the gas P is discharged, the aerosol valve 20 can be removed (separated) from the container body 10, as shown in FIG. 5B.

[0034] In this way, with the aerosol device 1 configured as described above, it is possible to remove the aerosol valve 20 from the container body 10 even if gas P remains inside the aerosol device 1. In particular, if the seal releasing portion is configured with recesses 15b1 that are not continuous in the circumferential direction or multiple protrusions 15b2 that are spaced apart in the circumferential direction, the seal can be partially released, allowing the gas P to be discharged slowly.

[0035] The seal may be released by the seal release portion before the engagement between the engagement claw 53 and the engagement portion (bead portion 16) is released. The engagement between the engagement claw 53 and the bead portion 16 is completely released by positioning the obliquely downward lower portion 53a of the engagement claw 53 outside the bead portion 16 in a plan view, but the distance between the first seal material 40 and the seal release portion is adjusted so that the first seal material 40 approaches the seal release portion while the engagement claw 53 is positioned inside the bead portion 16 in a plan view, in other words, while the engagement claw 53 is still caught on the bead portion 16.

[0036] Next, another aerosol device 1A will be described. In the aerosol device 1 of FIG. 1, the concentrate C is filled directly into the container body 10, but in the aerosol device 1A of FIG. 6, a pouch 35 is housed within the container body 10, and the concentrate C is filled into the pouch 35. The pouch 35 is connected to the lower part of the housing part 314, and the concentrate C in the pouch 35 is discharged to the outside through the stem 311. When such a pouch 35 is provided, the gas P is filled by, for example, under-cup filling. The concentrate C may be filled into the pouch 35 before or after the pouch 35 is housed in the container body 10A.

[0037] 1, the housing portion 314 and the holder portion 32 are separate bodies. However, in the aerosol valve 20A of FIG. 6, the housing portion 314 and the holder portion 32 of the valve portion 30A are integrally molded. Specifically, the holder portion 32 extends radially outward from the housing portion 314 and faces the seal-forming portion (cylindrical portion 15a). More specifically, a connecting portion 323 extends radially outward from the outer peripheral surface of the housing portion 314, and an outer cylinder portion 322 extends downward from the outer edge of the connecting portion 323. A first seal member 40 is attached to the outer peripheral surface of the outer cylinder portion 322. In this valve portion 30A, the inner cylinder portion 321, the rising wall 324, and the second seal member 34 are omitted.

[0038] 6, the container body 10A does not have a recess 15b1 or a protrusion 15b2 below the cylindrical portion 15a. Instead, when the deformation portion 51 is pressed downward, the first seal material 40 contacts the shoulder portion 14 (see FIG. 7). The shoulder portion 14 gradually expands in diameter from the lower end of the cylindrical portion 15a, and therefore functions as a seal release portion that reduces the degree of compression of the first seal material 40.

[0039] The other configurations are the same as those of the aerosol device 1 in Fig. 1. Therefore, as with the aerosol device 1 in Fig. 1, when the deforming portion 51 is pressed downward, the valve portion 30A moves downward as the deforming portion 51 deforms downward, the first sealing material 40 contacts the shoulder portion 14, the seal is released, the gas P is discharged to the outside, and the engaging claws 53 open outward, releasing or loosening the engagement with the bead portion 16 (see Fig. 7). Therefore, even if gas P remains, the gas P is released during the operation, and the aerosol valve 20 can be removed from the container body 10.

[0040] FIG. 8 shows yet another aerosol device 1B. In this aerosol device 1B, a container body 10B is made of a synthetic resin such as polyethylene terephthalate. The bottom 12 is, for example, petaloid, ensuring pressure resistance. Furthermore, instead of the bead portion 16, a flange portion 17 is provided that protrudes radially outward from the neck portion 15. This flange portion 17 serves as an engaging portion that engages with an engaging claw 53. A lower surface 17a of the flange portion 17 slopes downward, and a lower portion 53a of the engaging claw 53 slopes downward along the lower surface 17a of the flange portion 17.

[0041] Other configurations are the same as those of aerosol device 1A in Fig. 6. Therefore, as with aerosol device 1A in Fig. 6, when deforming portion 51 is pressed downward, valve portion 30A moves downward as deforming portion 51 deforms downward, first sealing member 40 contacts shoulder portion 14, releasing the seal, discharging gas P to the outside, and engaging claws 53 open outward, releasing or loosening engagement with flange portion 17 (see Fig. 9). Therefore, even if gas P remains, gas P is released during the removal process, allowing the aerosol valve 20A to be removed from container body 10B.

[0042] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments and can be modified and implemented within the scope of the present invention. For example, the container bodies 10A and 10B of the aerosol devices 1A and 1B shown in Figures 6 and 8 may be provided with an uneven region 15b, and the seal may be released using the uneven region 15b. Conversely, the container body 10 of the aerosol device 1 shown in Figure 1 may be provided with the uneven region 15b, and the shoulder portion 14 may function as the seal release portion. [Explanation of symbols]

[0043] 1, 1A, 1B Aerosol Device 10, 10A, 10B Container body 11 Opening 12 Bottom 13 Torso 14 Shoulder (seal release part) 15 Neck 15a Cylindrical portion (seal forming portion) 15b Uneven area (seal release area) 15b1 Recess 15b2 convex part 16 Bead portion (engagement portion) 17 Flange portion (engagement portion) 17a Underside of flange 20, 20A aerosol valve 30, 30A valve section 31 Valve mechanism 311 stem 311a Stem hole 312 Stem Rubber 313 biasing member 314 Housing Section 314a Engagement protrusion 32 Holder part 321 Inner cylinder 322 Outer cylinder 322a Groove 323 Joint 324 Standing Wall 33 Dip tube 34 Second sealing material 35 pouches 40 First sealing material 50 Mounting Cup 51 Deformed part 52 Holding part 52a Holding part 52b Top section 52b1 Projection hole 52c Stepped section 53 Engagement claw 53a Lower part of engaging claw S slit C stock solution P Gas

Claims

1. a container body having an opening; an aerosol valve attached to the opening of the container body, The aerosol valve has a valve portion having a stem, a seal attached to the outer peripheral surface of the valve portion, and a mounting cup for fixing the valve portion to the container body, The mounting cup has an upwardly convex, generally dome-shaped or generally conical deforming portion that deforms downward when pressed from above, a holding portion that is provided on the inner edge of the deforming portion and that holds the valve portion, and an engaging claw that extends downward from the outer edge of the deforming portion, The container body has an engaging portion that engages with the engaging claw, a seal forming portion that compresses the sealing material between the engaging portion and the valve portion to form a seal, and a seal releasing portion that is located below the seal forming portion and releases the seal by changing the degree of compression of the sealing material, When the deformation portion is pressed downward, the valve portion moves downward, the sealing material reaches the seal release portion, the seal is released, and the engaging claw opens outward, releasing or loosening the engagement with the engaging portion.

2. 2. The aerosol device according to claim 1, wherein the seal is released by the seal release portion before the engagement between the engagement claw and the engagement portion is released.

3. the seal-forming portion is a cylindrical portion provided on the neck portion of the container body, 3. The aerosol device according to claim 1, wherein the seal releasing portion is an uneven region provided with recesses that reduce the degree of compression of the sealing material and / or protrusions that increase the degree of compression of the sealing material.

4. the seal-forming portion is a cylindrical portion provided on the neck portion of the container body, 3. The aerosol device according to claim 1, wherein the seal releasing portion is a shoulder portion whose diameter increases from the lower end of the cylindrical portion.

5. The valve portion includes a housing portion held by the holding portion, and a holder portion extending from the housing portion and facing the seal forming portion, 3. The aerosol device according to claim 1, wherein a seal is attached to the outer peripheral surface of the holder portion.

Images