Abstract:
An aerosol container ( 10 ) with an ergonomic beaded cylindrical body ( 18 ) is disclosed. The cylindrical body ( 18 ) has larger beads ( 21-23 ) toward the top of the container, and smaller beads ( 24, 25 ) positioned under the larger beads, creating an easy to hold and use container.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     Not Applicable 
     STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
     Not Applicable 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates to aerosol containers, and more particularly, to an aerosol container with a unique beaded cylindrical body. 
     Aerosol containers containing a wide variety of active components such as insect repellents, insecticides, hair sprays, creams or foams and so on have been marketed widely for household, commercial or industrial purposes. A conventional aerosol container is a four-piece assembly. It includes a body made up of a sidewall, a bottom wall secured to the sidewall by a bottom chime seam, a dome shaped top wall joined to the sidewall by a chime seam, and an aerosol device closing an opening in the top and joined to the top wall by a crimp to form a metal container. An aerosol valve for dispensing the fluid contents of the container is typically mounted to the dome along the axis of the cylindrical metal container. The container is filled with a fluid product to be dispensed and is mixed with a propellant so as to be pressure discharged from the container through a dispensing valve. Associated with the dispensing valve is a dip tube which extends toward the bottom of the container. It has been quite common to cover the domed end of an aerosol container and the dispensing valve attached thereto, by a cover referred to commonly as an overcap. Such overcaps typically snap over the doubleseam or over a snap bead which is normally formed in the dome somewhere near the cylindrical wall of the metal container body. 
     In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a container for housing a spray aerosol container having a tubular body with a spray orifice adjacent one end thereof. A movable top closure is positioned in the tubular body and, when depressed, the closure activates the spray section. The normal return force of the spray section, after it has been depressed, returns the top closure to its rest position against the end of the body. The cylindrical body of the container is formed with beads about its circumference. The beads provide additional strength to the container body, so that increased height may be obtained without increasing the thickness of the cylindrical wall. The container of the instant invention provides a functional but attractive, streamlined and esthetic package which is easy to assemble and to manufacture, ergonomic, and provides superior strength and resistance to vacuum paneling. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The objects of the invention are achieved as set forth in the illustrative embodiments shown in the drawings which form a part of the specification. 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the beaded aerosol can of the present invention in side elevation; 
     FIG. 2 is a view of a beaded aerosol container of the present invention in front elevation 
     FIG. 3 is a view of a beaded aerosol container of the present invention in rear elevation; 
     FIG. 4 is a view of a beaded container of the present invention in left side elevation; 
     FIG. 5 is a view of a beaded container of the present invention in right side elevation; 
     FIG. 6 is a top plan view of an aerosol container of the present invention; 
     FIG. 7 is a bottom plan view of an aerosol container of the present invention; 
     FIG. 8 is a partial cross sectional view of an aerosol container of the present invention; and 
     FIG. 9 is a view in side elevation of an aerosol container of the present invention without an overcap or dispenser. 
    
    
     Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views of the drawings. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF INVENTION 
     The following detailed description illustrates the invention by way of example and not by way of limitation. This description will clearly enable one skilled in the art to make and use the invention, and describes several embodiments, adaptations, variations, alternatives and uses of the invention, including what I presently believe is the best mode of carrying out the invention. As various changes could be made in the above constructions without departing from the scope of the invention. it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense. 
     Referring to FIG. 9, an aerosol container  10  has a bottom section  14 , a generally cylindrical body  18 , a domed top portion  30 , and valve means  32 . Domed top  30  is permanently secured to the generally cylindrical body  18  by conventional means, such as the formation of a chime seam, for example. The valve means  32  is in all respects conventional, and forms no part of the present invention. The bottom section  14  is likewise in all respects conventional, and well known in the art. The bottom section  14  is preferably attached to the generally cylindrical body portion  18  by known means, such as by formation of a chime seam, for instance. It is to be understood that in a two piece can, the bottom portion of the can could be formed integrally with the body section, as is well known in the art. 
     The cylindrical body  18  is preferably formed of steel. Referring now to FIG. 8, inner and outer surfaces of cylindrical body  18  define a wall thickness  19  of predetermined size. The upper part of cylindrical body  18  preferably has a reduced diameter portion  20 , or is “necked” as this feature is commonly referred to in the art. The necked portion  20  is at the junction of the cylindrical body  18  and the dome portion  30  as shown in FIG.  9 . Of course, the necked portion is optional, and forms no part of the present invention. Alternatively, the body portion  18  could meet the domed top portion  30  without the reduced diameter. The domed portion  30  is attached to the generally cylindrical body again by well known means, such as the formation of a chime seam. 
     Referring to FIGS. 1-5, the preferred embodiment of the present invention provides for a dispenser  16 , and an overcap  38 . Dispenser  16  is preferably formed of plastic, so that it is moderately deformable. Dispenser  16  is generally cylindrical, and preferably fabricated to be snap-fit over bottom section  14 . The dispenser holds disposable rags or towels (not shown) for cleaning or dusting, with container  10  being used to spray a cleaning or dusting agent on a surface to be treated. 
     The cylindrical body  18  has an outer surface with a plurality of beads  21 - 25  formed as annular channels extending around the circumference of the surface of the cylindrical body  18 . As best seen in FIG. 8, in cross section, the beads  21 - 25  arc arcuate. Raised spaces on cylindrical body  18  between beads  21 - 25  define rings  26 - 29 . Beads are well known in other containers, for instance coffee containers. Such beads are generally uniform within a given container, and are not of a different size as are the beads  21 - 25 . Such uniform beads are formed with conventional beading devices, which are well known in the art. 
     It has been found that the formation of beads  21 - 25  and rings  26 - 29  impart superior strength and resistance to internal vacuum in the cylindrical body. Therefore, the height of the cylindrical body  18  may be increased without increasing the wall thickness  19  of the cylindrical body  18 . These characteristics are known in other containers, especially for resistance to stresses created in vacuum packaging such as with coffee cans. It has been discovered, however, that the beads  21 - 25  and rings  26 - 29  form ergonomic spaces for the fingers of a user to grip comfortably when oriented such that three upper beads  21 .  22  and  23  are of a larger cross sectional diameter than the two lower beads  24  and  25 . To this end, in the preferred embodiment the upper beads  21   22  and  23  each have a cross sectional radius of about 0.2 inches, and a vertical distance between beads of about 0.6 inches. The lower beads  24  and  25  each have a cross sectional radius of about 0.08 inches, and a vertical distance between beads of about 0.3 inches. Thus, the fingers of the user of the container  10  may comfortably grip the container  10  around the beads  21 - 25 . In addition, the vertical distance between the bead  21  and the bead  25  is preferably about  2  inches. This combination of larger beads  21 - 23  toward the domed top portion  30  and smaller beads  24  and  25  below the larger beads has been found to be ergonomic. 
     In view of the above, it will be seen that the several objects and advantages of the present invention have been achieved and other advantageous results have been obtained.