US3355071A - Color imparting dispenser for aerosol products - Google Patents

Description

M. K. JORDAN Nov. 28, 1967 COLOR IMPARTING DISPENSER FOR AEROSOL PRODUCTS Filed Feb. 25, 1966 44 l N VEN TOR. MAHLON K. JORDAN B Y W AT TORNE Y5 United States Patent 3,355,071 COLOR IMPARTING DISPENSER FOR AEROSOL PRODUCTS Mahion K. Jordan, Berkeley, Calif., assignor to Avoset Company, Oakland, Calif., a corporation of California Filed Feb. 23, 1966, Ser. No. 529,495 1 Claim. (Cl. 222-190) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An aerosol container including a product dispensing spout in which a cylindrical pellet containing a coloring and/ or flavoring agent is disposed so as to impart such coloring and/or flavoring to the product being dispensed through the spout.

This invention relates generally to the dispensing of foam type materials, such as whipped cream topping, from an aerosol container, and is more particularly directed to a dispenser for this purpose which is arranged to impart a coloring or flavoring agent to the aerosol product as it is dispensed from the container.

Various foam type materials, such as whipped cream, are available to the consumer in aerosol containers. The material is sealed within the container in a fluid pressure atmosphere and released therefrom by depressing a valve element away from a normally sealed discharge opening. To facilitate release of the valve and convenient dispensing of the material from the container, a dispensing cap or similar dispensing mechanism is typically mounted on the top of the container in operable association with the valve. The cap, may, for example, include a lever member having a depending release pin for engaging the valve element when the lever member is depressed. The cap is further typically provided with a discharge spout in which the aerosol product released from the open Valve opening is foamed and channeled for discharge. The cap thus facilitates the dispensing of the foamed aerosol product from the spout to a desired location in response to depression of the lever.

In some instances it is advantageous that an agent such as coloring and/ or flavoring be imparted to the foamed product as it issues from the spout of a dispensing cap such as that described above. For example, with whipped cream it is often desirable that some be colored in order to impart a decorative and festive appearance to a dessert, or the like.

It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a means for incorporation in an aerosol container dispensing cap to impart a coloring or flavoring agent to the aerosol product as it flows through the cap.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a coloring and/ or flavoring mechanism of the class described which is extremely simple and may be readily incorporated in existing dispensing caps.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a coloring mechanism of the class described which is arranged to vary the intensity of the coloring in accordance with the speed at which the aerosol product is dispensed.

It is a further object of the invention to provide coloring mechanisms which can be interchangeably employed in dispensing caps to impart different colorings to the whipped cream or other aerosol product being dispensed.

The invention possesses other objects and features of ad vantage, some of which, with the foregoing, will be set forth in the following description of the preferred form of the invention which is illustrated in the drawings accompanying and forming part of the specification. It is to be understood, however, that variations in the showing made by the said drawings and description may be adopted within the scope of the invention as set forth in the claim.

FIGURE 1 is an elevational view with portions brokenaway of a dispensing cap with a coloring and/ or flavoring mechanism in accordance with the present invention.

FIGURE 2 is a bottom exploded perspective view of the dispensing cap and coloring mechanism.

FIGURE 3 is a view similar to FIGURE 1, but with the cap in valve opening dispensing position.

Referring now to the drawing, FIGURE 1 in particular, there is shown a conventional aerosol can 11 having a domed top 12 formed with a central recess 13. More particularly, the recess is defined by a ring 14 depending from an upper opening 16 of the can top and having its lower end secured to a domed valve closure plate 17. To permit dispensing of the contents of the can, the center portion of the closure plate is provided with an aperture 18 which may be provided with an annular eyelet or gasket 19 which serves as a valve seat. A strap 21 formed of flat spring-like material is secured at its opposite end to diametrically opposed points of the lower margin of the plate 17 to extend diametrically thereof subjacent the upper domed portion of the plate. The center portion of the strap is formed with a ball-like projection 22, in the nature of a valve member, which in the normal position of the parts is seated against the valve seat 19 to seal the aperture 18. However, due to the resiliency of the strap 21, the latter may be flexed downwardly to cause movement of the valve 22 away from the seat 19 and thus permit the pressurized aerosol product within the can to be discharged through the aperture 18.

To effect the above-noted movement of the valve 22 out of engagement with the valve seat 19, and dispensing of the can contents, a dispensing cap 23, of generally conventional design is mounted upon the top 12. The cap is of unitary design formed from a flexible, yieldable material such as polyethylene, which is capable of being de formed and then regaining its shape once pressure is released therefrom. The cap has a flat top 24 and a downwardly flanged peripheral rim or skirt 26. The bottom of the skirt is formed with a continuous groove 27 of a size to snugly receive a rolled head 28 provided on the can top 12 in circumscribing relation to the recess 13. In this manner, the cap is removably secured upon the can top with a leak proof fit in closing relation to the recess. Depend ing from the center of the flat top 24 of the cap, there is provided a valve actuating pin 29 which is disposed in alignment with aperture 18 with its tip normally closely spaced from the valve projection 22, as shown in FIG- URE 1. Thus, if the central portion of the cap is caused to be deformed downwardly, as shown in FIGURE 2, the pin engages the valve 22 to force same out of sealing engagement with the seat 19. The pressurized contents of the can are thus discharged through the aperture 18.

To facilitate the depression of the cap and engagement actuation of the valve 22, the upper surface of the cap top 2 1 is provided with an integral horizontally extending lever member 31. The lever is provided with an extension 32 spaced from the top 24 radially outwardly from the center thereof, such extension being preferably provided with a reenforcing rib 33 depending from the underside thereof.

The cap structure is completed by a vertically extending spout 34 adjacent the cap periphery and in communication with an opening 36 through the cap top 24.

With the substantially conventional aerosol can 11 and dispensing cap 23 provided as just described, the contents of the can are dispensed from the spout 34 in response to depression of the lever member 31. In this regard, the pin 29 depresses the valve member 22 out of engagement with the seat 19, whereupon the pressurized contents of the can flow through the aperture 18 into the void enclosed by the cap. Foaming of the product occurs in the void and in the interior of spout 34 as the product is discharged therefrom.

In accordance with the particularly salient aspects of the present invention, a mass or pellet 37 of material including a coloring and/ or flavoring agent is disposed within the spout 34. As the whipped cream, or other aerosol product flows through the spout, the coloring and/or flavoring agent of the pellet 37 is imparted to the ribbon of the product issuing from the spout tip. Preferably, the pellet 37 is of hollow cylindrical configuration including a bore 38 to facilitate the free passage of the product therethrough. The pellet may, for example, be formulated of a mixture of granular sugar and food coloring. In this case, the pellet being soluble in the whipped cream, or other product passing through the bore 38, deposits the coloring along the surface of the product ribbon being dispensed through the spout 34. Simultaneously, the dissolving sugar of the pellet somewhat sweetcns the product. It will be appreciated that the pellet may contain various flavoring extracts, or the like, in the presence or absence of the coloring, to variously flavor the product as desired. As an alternative to the sugar formulation, the pellet may be formed of a variety of porous materials capable of being impregnated with a coloring and/or flavoring agent. Foamed plastics, such as polyurethane foam, are particularly well suited to this purpose. Whatever the particular formulation of the pellet 37, it should be noted that the intensity of the coloring and/ or flavoring action varies inversely with the speed of dispensing the product through the spout 34. The slower the dispensing speed, the greater the amount of coloring and/ or flavoring imparted to the product. As an additional feature of the invention, different colorings and/ or flavorings of the product are readily derived by interchangeable employment of different pellets in the spout. This is simply accomplished by removing the dispensing cap 23 from the can 11, withdrawing the existing pellet from the spout, inserting another pellet having different coloring and/or flavoring characteristics, and replacing the cap in position on the top of the can for further dispensing service.

In order that pellets 37 of adequate size and capacity to color and/ or flavor the entire contents of the can may be readily and interchangeably positioned in the spout 34, a somewhat modified design of the latter from that employed in conventional dispensing caps is advantageously incorporated in the cap 23. More particularly, the lower end of the spout 34 is formed with a pocket 39 extending into the underside of the top wall 24 for removably receiving the pellets 37. In this regard, the opening 36 preferably extends from the pin 29 to the inner periphery of the skirt 26, so as to be of relatively large diameter. The base 41 of the spout extends uniformly upwardly from the opening and is inwardly tapered in an intermediate transition region 42 terminating in a uniform reduced diameter discharge end portion 43 having circumferentially spaced longitudinally extending slots 44. The spout is of a uniform wall thickness, and thus the pocket 39 as defined by the interior of the spout includes a uniform diameter cylindrical bore portion within base 41 terminating upwardly in a tapered stop shoulder within transition region 42. The length and diameter of the uniform bore portion of the pocket are substantially equal to those of the pellet 37. Thus, the pellet abuts the tapered shoulder upon being fully inserted in the pocket and is retained therein with a snug fit. The pellet can be easily withdrawn from the pocket and another pellet inserted therein. By virtue of the relatively large diameter of the pocket, pellets having a relatively large wall thickness commensurate with a coloring 'and/ or flavoring agent capacity sufficient to color and/ or flavor the entire contents of the can are readily employed therein.

What is claimed is:

In an aerosol container having a valve adjacent the upper end thereof and normally maintaining the container in a closed condition, a cap member overlying said valve and including an integral valve actuator depending therefrom and movable to unseat said valve upon downward movement thereof, said cap member including a top wall and a peripheral skirt releasably engageable with said container, said top wall having an integral dispensing spout extending upwardly therefrom intermediate said actuator and said skirt, said spout having a diametrically reduced portion adjacent its upper distal end, a pellet containing a coloring and/or flavoring positioned in said spout of cylindrical configuration to engage the inner bore of said spout and of a diameter preventing passage thereof through said reduced portion, and said pellet having an axial bore therethrough in alignment with said spout bore.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,772,819 12/1956 Poarch et a1 222-402.11 3,083,916 4/1963 Neel 239-315 3,255,691 6/ 1966 Schwartz et a1. 99-291 FOREIGN PATENTS 723,681 2/1955 Great Britain.

ROBERT B. REEVES, Primary Examiner.

F. R. HANDREN, Assistant Examiner.

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