COVER TO SEAL SPRAY CONTAINERS

Abstract: Cover to seal spray containers with female valve, characterised because it consists of a disc (1) with a thinner edge on one half (2), because there is a hollow, cylindrical, and perpendicular prolongation (3) in the centre of the lower side of the disc (1), and because there is a very small hole (4) crossing through the disc along the central axis of the disc (2).

Description: COVER TO SEAL SPRAY CONTAINERS PURPOSE OF THE INVENTION This invention refers to a cover used to cover the female valve of spray containers during their transport from the factory to the point of sale and while displayed. BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION A spray is a container that contains a product together with a pressure gas (called propellant), which has an outlet provided with a valve. The type of valve normally used on the market is the so-called female valve, and the name of its parts will be used in this document to describe the function of this invention. A diffuser is placed on the female valve; when the diffuser is pressed by the finger, it causes the outlet of the product in small amounts, driven by the propellant. In order to avoid accidents caused by an unintentional action on the diffuser, it is protected by a cap that is fastened to the container following one of several techniques. The diffuser has an important technical protective function. The seat of the valve (fitted to the body of the valve) is pressed (by means of a spring) against an O- ring. This O-ring situated between the valve seat and the inside join of the valve dome is the part responsible for sealing the unit. For various reasons regarding current techniques, the O-ring is in contact with the chemical products inside the container, which usually contain an organic fluid. The materials usually used in this O-ring can become buckled when exposed to the organic fluids inside. If the current spray container were supplied without a diffuser, the buckling of the O- ring would mean that it would partially use up the space designed for the diffuser to be fitted, meaning that the diffuser would not fit in later on and it would not be possible to use the container. The diffuser therefore prevents parts of the possibly buckled O-ring partially filling up the space needed to fit the diffuser. There are several types of diffusers currently on the market, and in certain cases of spray containers, such as those containing paints, it has been observed that users want to choose the type of diffuser depending on the application, the colour to be applied, or personal taste. However, with the current system, the user is obliged to purchase the standard diffuser even though he may not want it. This means that the spray container is more expensive, as once the user has purchased the standard diffuser, he removes it (a simple operation) and replaces it by one he chooses among the various diffusers usually sold in the same store. The discarded diffuser becomes an ecological inconvenience. In the particular case of paint spray containers, many industrial and individual users remove the cap immediately. They often throw the cap away, together with the unwanted, standard diffuser in the store itself, either because they use up the contents of the container practically straightaway or for any other reason, thus increasing the ecological inconvenience. Placing a standard diffuser and protective cap during manufacture also increases the cost of manufacture and results in the container being larger causing an increase in the cost of transport of the product. DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, with the cover to seal spray containers, the cost of manufacture (by removing the need of a diffuser and its protective plug), as well as the cost of transport (by removing the volume of the cap) are immediately reduced. The cover also simplifies certain ecological consequences, and it offers the user the possibility of choosing the ideal diffuser in each case, by paying for only one diffuser instead of two. The cover preserves (against buckling of the O- ring) the full space designed to insert later the required diffuser. The cover that is the purpose of this invention, consists of a rigid material disc, which has a hollow cylindrical prolongation in the centre of one of its sides. This side is called the inner side and the other, the outer side. The circular section of the hollow cylindrical prolongation has a slightly larger outer diameter than the inner diameter of the valve body, so that it fits into this body in the same way as the diffuser, and therefore similarly protects against possible buckling of the O-ring which would block the use of a diffuser. The hollow cylindrical prolongation is sufficiently long to help in fastening the cover to the container, but sufficiently short not to open the valve. The lower half of the circumference edge of the cover is thinner so that it has two equatorial diameters, the diameter of the lower half of the edge being lesser. The lower half of the disc fits inside the dome. The upper half of the disc covers the edge of the dome. The fastening of the cover is sufficient to transport and store the containers without the risk of the cover becoming detached. Finally, there is a hole through the centre of the disc, of such a small diameter that it can hardly be seen. This hole is essential to fully ensure that the cover stays inside the dome. Owing to the fact that a very small amount of gas always leaks slowly through the valve, if it were not for this hole, through which the pressure increase is purged, the leaked gas would increase the pressure and eventually force the cover off. The diameter of this hole is very small in order to avoid outside dirt from entering the valve seat. DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Figure 1 : Detailed view of the cover and the upper part of the spray container. Figure 2: Cross-section view of the cover and the upper part of the spray container. Figure 3: Cross-section view of the cover fitted in the female valve. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The cover consists of a disc ( 1 ) with a thinner edge (2) and a cylindrical prolongation (3) with a hollow inside. A very small hole (4) crosses through the central axis of the disc ( 1 ) from surface to surface. The cover is placed on the dome (5) and is fastened to the spray container by pressing the prolongation (3) against the valve body (6). Any gas leaking from inside the container is evacuated through the hole (4). The prolongation (3) is sufficiently long to reach the O-ring (7) that seals the contents and to fit in the valve seat (8). Spray containers, such as paint containers, covered in this way do not have to be fitted with a diffuser nor with a cap at the factory. The box with containers occupies less volume and more boxes fit into the same vehicle than if the containers were fitted with diffuser and cap. The end user can purchase the container and fit the diffuser most suited to his needs. There is no cap to discard. The covers can be recycled if they are sent back to the manufacturer.

Claims: CLAIMS 1. Cover to seal spray containers with female valve, characterised - because it consists of a disc ( 1 ) with a thinner edge on one half (2), - because there is a hollow, cylindrical, and perpendicular prolongation (3) in the centre of the lower side of the disc ( 1 ), and - because there is a very small hole (4) crossing through the disc ( 1 ) along the central axis of the disc ( 1 ). 2. Cover according to claim 1 , characterised because the half with the thinner edge (2) corresponds to the side where the cylindrical prolongation (3) is located. 3. Cover according to claim 1, characterised because the prolongation (3) has sufficient length to reach the O-ring (7) without pressing the seat (8). 4. Cover according to claim 1 , characterised because the half with the thinner edge (3) adapts to the edge (51 ) of the dome (5) and because the prolongation (3) fits inside the valve body (6). 5. Cover according to claim 1 , characterised because the diameter of the hole (4) is less than 500 micrometers and more than 1 micrometer.

Inventors: GALEA OLLE MIGUEL, RUBIO ROCABERT JORGE, GALEA OLLE, MIGUEL, RUBIO ROCABERT, JORGE
Applicants: GALEA OLLE MIGUEL, MONTANA COLORS S L, RUBIO ROCABERT JORGE, GALEA OLLE, MIGUEL, MONTANA COLORS, S.L., RUBIO ROCABERT, JORGE
Application year: 2001
Main classification: B65D83
IPC codes: B65D83