Aerosol container cap

Abstract

A cap for use on an aerosol container having a dispensing valve secured to a central portion of an upper wall, with an outwardly protruding rim with and inward radial recess surrounding the dispensing valve. The cap has a top wall with a peripheral edge, and an outer skirt depending from the peripheral edge. The cap also has a segmented inner skirt depending from the top wall within the outer skirt having a plurality of inwardly projecting tangs on a bottom edge of some of the inner skirt segments engaging the inward radial recess surrounding the dispensing valve. The segments having the tangs are connected to the central portion of the upper wall so that a downward force applied to the upper wall central portion causes the tangs to disengage from the inward radial recess to permit removal of the cap. The cap upper wall central portion can have more than one stable position.

1 . An aerosol container cap comprising:
 a top wall having a central portion, a peripheral portion surrounding the central portion, and a connecting portion connecting the peripheral portion to an outer margin of the central portion, the connecting portion defining a surface which is non-coplanar with the peripheral portion, the peripheral portion having an outer peripheral edge;   an outer skirt depending from the peripheral portion outer peripheral edge to a lowermost edge; and   a segmented inner skirt depending from the outer margin of the top wall central portion within the outer skirt, the segmented inner skirt having a plurality of first portions and a plurality of second portions, the first and second portions being situated alternately around the inner skirt, at least one outwardly extending web connecting each of the inner skirt first portions to the outer skirt, an inwardly extending web connecting each of the inner skirt second portions to the top wall central portion, a bottom edge of each of the inner skirt second portions including an inwardly projecting tang.   
   
   
       2 . The aerosol container cap of  claim 1  wherein the top wall outer peripheral edge is circular and the outer skirt depending from the peripheral edge is cylindrical. 
   
   
       3 . The aerosol container cap of  claim 2  wherein the top wall outer peripheral portion is planar. 
   
   
       4 . The aerosol container cap of  claim 1  wherein the top wall connecting portion defined surface is non-coplanar with the central portion. 
   
   
       5 . The aerosol container cap of  claim 4  the top wall connecting portion defined surface comprises an inverted conical segment. 
   
   
       6 . The aerosol container cap of  claim 1  wherein the top wall central portion is upwardly domed. 
   
   
       7 . The aerosol container cap of  claim 6  wherein the top wall central portion is displaceable to a stable downwardly domed location. 
   
   
       8 . The aerosol container cap of  claim 1  wherein the at least one outwardly extending web comprises two non-parallel webs extending outward from the ends of each inner skirt first portion to the outer skirt. 
   
   
       9 . An aerosol container cap comprising:
 a top wall including: a central portion having an outer margin, a peripheral portion surrounding the central portion having an inner margin and an outer peripheral edge, and a connecting portion connecting the peripheral portion inner margin to the central portion outer margin, the connecting portion defining a hinge between the central portion and the peripheral portion, the peripheral portion;   an outer skirt depending from the peripheral portion outer peripheral edge to a lowermost edge adapted to contact an upper surface of any aerosol container on which the cap is installed; and   a segmented inner skirt depending from the outer margin of the top wall central portion within the outer skirt to a lower edge, the segmented inner skirt having a plurality of first portions and a plurality of second portions, the first and second portions being situated alternately around the inner skirt, at least one outwardly extending web connecting each of the inner skirt first portions to the outer skirt, each of the inner skirt second portions including an inwardly projecting tang on a bottom edge adapted to engage a feature of any aerosol container on which the cap is installed to inhibit removal of the cap, and an inwardly extending web connecting each of the inner skirt second portions to the top wall central portion so that downward pressure on the top wall central portion will cause outward displacement of the inner skirt second portions sufficiently to disengage the inwardly projecting tang from any engaged feature, thereby facilitating removal of the cap.   
   
   
       10 . The aerosol container cap of  claim 9  wherein the segmented inner skirt comprises at least three inner skirt second portions and at least three tangs project inwardly at positions equally spaced around the bottom edge of the inner skirt. 
   
   
       11 . The aerosol container cap of  claim 10  wherein the at least one outwardly extending web comprises two non-parallel webs extending outward from the ends of each inner skirt first portion to the outer skirt. 
   
   
       12 . The aerosol container cap of  claim 9  wherein the outwardly extending webs join the outer skirt to the top wall peripheral portion sufficiently to prevent deformation of the outer skirt during any application of downward pressure on the top wall central portion. 
   
   
       13 . The aerosol container cap of  claim 9  wherein the lowermost edge of the outer skirt is situated at a greater distance from the top wall than is the bottom edge of the inner skirt. 
   
   
       14 . The aerosol container cap of  claim 9  wherein the top wall peripheral edge is circular, the outer skirt depending from the peripheral edge is cylindrical, and the lowermost edge of the outer skirt lies in a plane parallel to the top wall. 
   
   
       15 . The aerosol container cap of  claim 9  wherein the top wall central portion is domed and is displaceable between a first stable upwardly domed position, wherein the tangs on the inner skirt second portions are in an engaging location, and a second stable downwardly domed position, wherein the tangs on the inner skirt second portions are in a non-engaging location. 
   
   
       16 . An aerosol container and cap combination, the container comprising a side wall, an upper wall joined to the side wall at an upstanding rim, a dispensing valve secured to a central portion of the upper wall, and an outwardly protruding rim having an inward radial recess surrounding the dispensing valve, the cap comprising
 a top wall having a central portion with an outer margin, and a peripheral portion surrounding the central portion having an inner margin and an outer peripheral edge, an outer skirt depending from the peripheral edge to a lowermost edge situated within the container upstanding rim, and a segmented inner skirt depending from the top wall within the outer margin of the central portion, inwardly projecting tangs on a bottom edge of some of the segments of the segmented skirt engaging the inward radial recess surrounding the dispensing valve, at least one inwardly extending web connecting the top wall central portion to each of the inner skirt segments that have inwardly projecting tangs so that suitable downward pressure on the upper wall central portion causes outward deflection of the inwardly projecting tangs a sufficient distance to release at least one of the inwardly projecting tangs from the inward radial recess.   
   
   
       17 . The combination of  claim 16  wherein the container upstanding rim is circular and the cap outer skirt is cylindrical. 
   
   
       18 . The combination of  claim 16  further comprising webs joining the top wall peripheral portion to some of the inner skirt segments not having said inwardly projecting tangs to stabilize the position of the skirt segments during application of said downward pressure. 
   
   
       19 . The combination of  claim 18  wherein the webs joining the top wall peripheral portion extend outward to join the outer skirt for added stability during application of said downward pressure. 
   
   
       20 . The combination of  claim 19  wherein the top wall central portion is domed and is displaceable between a first stable upwardly domed position, wherein the tangs on the inner skirt second portions are engaged in the inward radial recess surrounding the dispensing valve, and a second stable downwardly domed position, wherein the tangs on the inner skirt second portions are displaced outward from the inward radial recess so that the cap can be removed.