Patent Abstract:
An orienting skirt joined to an aerosol can, the orienting skirt having a generally arcuate rim extending outward such that when the can is placed on a flat surface, the rim urges the can into a predetermined generally stable horizontal configuration with the discharge nozzle oriented in an upright direction. A full release actuator is disposed adjacent to the valve stem of the aerosol can and has a trigger and a discharge nozzle such that when the trigger is pressed the contents of the aerosol can are dispensed through the discharge nozzle. With the discharge nozzle in an upright direction, the contents of the can are dispersed more evenly on the interior surfaces of the trash can.

Full Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application is a divisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/125,799, filed May 10, 2005 now U.S. Pat. No. 7,708,173, which is based upon and claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §119(e) to U.S. provisional patent application Ser. No. 60/607,703 filed Sep. 8, 2004, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND 
     This invention relates generally to the field of aerosol actuators and overcaps, and more specifically to a self-orienting aerosol apparatus. 
     The need to effectively combat odor and germs in outdoor trash cans is well established. Outdoor trash cans are often located close to residences and businesses, where odors can be problematic and disruptive. Odors emanating from trash cans attract rodents and other animals that scatter garbage and pose the risk of transmitting diseases. If untreated, the germs inside trash cans can pose health risks to those who come into contact with the trash or trash cans. 
     Various kinds of vapor-dispensing devices have been employed for the general purpose of deodorizing and sanitizing air. One type of dispensing device is a dish containing or supporting a body of gelatinous matter which dries and shrinks, releasing a vaporized air-treating composition. Other products such as deodorant blocks and liquid wicks are also used for dispensing air-treating vapors into the atmosphere by evaporation. Another group of vapor-dispensing device utilizes a carrier material such as paperboard impregnated or coated with a vaporizable composition. These vapor-dispensing devices are available in the form of stick-on type fresheners, which attach to the inside of a trash can. 
     One disadvantage of vapor dispensing devices such as gelatinous air fresheners, deodorant blocks, and liquid wicks is that they only mask odors instead of sanitizing the air. In addition, stick-on type fresheners require the consumer to touch the inside of the trash can and are easily knocked off by incoming trash. Scouring trash cans with a brush, hose, and detergent can be effective, but is time consuming and messy. 
     The most common dispensing device for deodorizing and sanitizing is the aerosol can. The aerosol can propels minute droplets of an air freshener composition into the air or onto a surface. The contents of the aerosol can are typically released by pressing an actuator. A standard hand-held aerosol actuator requires a user to manually hold down the actuator and point it at the desired area of application. When cleaning a trash can, this requires the individual to hold the aerosol can and lean into a trash can for an extended period of time to ensure adequate coverage of the interior walls, floor, and roof of the trash can. 
     Another actuator design is the total release actuator, commonly found on insecticide foggers. The total release actuator releases all of an aerosol can&#39;s contents by locking the actuator button in place and requiring the user to place the aerosol can in an upright position. However, a total release actuator is useful only if the individual can place the aerosol can on a flat surface. This is normally not possible inside a trash can, especially an outdoor or industrial dumpster, since the depth of the container exceeds a person&#39;s reach. Furthermore, existing total release actuators would spray directly upwards and into the face if placed from the top down. 
     It is therefore desirable that the interior of a trash can be sanitized and deodorized by a self-orienting aerosol spray that eliminates the need to reach into the can to ensure that the walls, floor, and roof are properly treated. 
     Information relevant to attempts to address this problem can be found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,791,524, 6,820,823, 4,197,915, 6,581,539, 6,457,604, 3,785,569. However, each of these references suffers from one or more of the following disadvantages: lack of a mechanism for self-orienting the apparatus when dropped into a trash can, inability to discharge contents when in a horizontal configuration, and lack of interoperability with a standard aerosol can. 
     SUMMARY 
     The present invention is directed to a self-orienting aerosol apparatus that eliminates the need to reach into a trash can to ensure that the walls, floor, and roof are properly treated. An aerosol can used in the present invention has, preferably, a valve effective to discharge substantially all of the contents of the aerosol can through a valve stem. A full release actuator (also known as a “total release actuator”) is disposed adjacent to the valve stem of the aerosol can and has a trigger and a discharge nozzle such that when the trigger is pressed, the contents of the aerosol can are dispensed through the discharge nozzle. An orienting skirt is joined to the can, the orienting skirt having a generally arcuate rim extending outward such that when the can is placed on a flat surface, the rim urges the can into a predetermined generally stable configuration, with the discharge nozzle oriented in an upright direction. With the discharge nozzle in an upright direction, the contents of the can may be dispersed more evenly throughout the interior of the trash can, reducing concentration of the can&#39;s contents on the floor or walls of the trash can. 
    
    
     
       DRAWINGS 
       These and other features of the present invention may be better understood with reference to the drawings. 
         FIG. 1  shows the self-orienting aerosol apparatus in its entirety. 
         FIGS. 2   a - 2   e  shows views of the skirt and release actuator. 
         FIG. 3  shows a bottom view of the skirt and release actuator. 
         FIG. 4  shows a prior art aerosol can detached from the skirt and release actuator. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       FIG. 1  shows the self-orienting aerosol apparatus, comprised of a can  100  having a rolling axis  110 , a release actuator  120  disposed on an end of the can, and a skirt  140  surrounding the release actuator  120 . The skirt has a rim  150  with a flattened side  160 . The rim  150  provides a rolling surface for the apparatus about the rolling axis  110 . Rolling motion about the rolling axis  110  is stabilized when the apparatus comes to rest on the flattened side  160 . The skirt  140  and the actuator  120  may be of a unitary construction. 
       FIG. 2  shows several views of the release actuator  120  and skirt  140 . The release actuator  120  is comprised of a trigger  130  and a discharge nozzle  200 . The trigger  130  has an arcuate outer boundary  230 , an apex  240  adjacent to the discharge nozzle  200 , a wider end  250  adjacent to the flattened side  160 , an upper step  170 , and a lower step  180 . The upper and lower steps provide an ergonomic surface for depressing the trigger  130 . When depressed, the trigger  130  causes the contents of the can to be released through the discharge nozzle  200 . 
     A joining means  220  joins the skirt  140  to the can  100 . In the embodiment shown, the joining means  220  defines a ring  300  that receives the end of the can containing a valve stem  400 . In one embodiment, disposed on the interior surface of the joining means  220  are hooks  260  that latch securely to the can such that the trigger  130  may be depressed and the contents of the can may be released without the can  100  becoming detached from the actuator  120 . 
       FIG. 3  shows a view of the joining means  220  and horizontal support ribs  210 . To provide strength to the skirt  140 , horizontal support ribs  210  are disposed beneath an upper surface  190  of the skirt  140  and extend in a radial direction. The ring  300  disposed on the interior of the joining means  220  on a plane parallel to the actuator  120  fits directly onto the valve stem  400  of the can  100 . 
       FIG. 4 . shows a standard aerosol can detached from the skirt  140  and release actuator  120 . The aerosol can  100  is comprised of a valve stem  400  extending from an upper end the of the can  100 , a valve  410  extending into the interior of the can  100  connected to an elongated tube  430 , and a deodorizing agent  420  comprising the contents of the can  100 . 
     The skirt  140  and release actuator  120  are secured to the can  100  by the joining means  220 . The release actuator  120  is activated by means of depressing the trigger  130 . When depressed, the trigger activates the valve  410 , which causes the deodorizing agent  420  to enter the elongated tube  430 . The deodorizing agent  420  then travels into the elongated tube  430 , out of the valve stem  400 , and exits through the discharge nozzle  200 . Therefore, the position of the discharge nozzle  200  determines where the deodorizing agent  420  will be distributed. 
     When the actuator  120  is depressed and the deodorizing agent  420  begins to be released through the discharge nozzle  200 , then the apparatus is placed on the floor of a trash can. The method of placing the apparatus on the floor of the trash can may vary. For example, the apparatus may be dropped from a height, placed directly on the floor, or dropped from a short distance above the floor if a person reaches into the trash can as far as possible before releasing the apparatus. Regardless of the method of placement or which area of the rim the can initially rests upon, the orienting skirt  140  and arcuate rim  150  urge the can into a predetermined generally stable configuration resting on the flattened side  160  of the rim  150 , in a generally upright direction. Although each point on the rim  150  is a potential initial resting spot for the aerosol can  100 , the curvature of the rim  150  and the higher center of gravity of the aerosol can  100  combine to create unstable configurations at all points along the curvature of the rim  150 . 
     For example, the front  195  of the rim  150  is an unstable configuration because the center of gravity of the can  100  is at its highest point and the front  195  is a curved portion of the rim. In this configuration, the aerosol can  100  self-orients by rolling freely along the rim  150  until it comes to rest on the flattened side  160 . This rolling motion is caused by the weight of the can itself, without the use of any external counterweights. Once on the flattened side  160 , further motion of the aerosol can  100  is impeded and the aerosol can  100  is at its lowest possible center of gravity. In this equilibrium position, the discharge nozzle  200  is oriented in a generally upright direction and the apparatus is best positioned to discharge the contents of the can  100  in an upward direction, away from the bottom or sides of the trash can, to substantially treat the interior of the trash can. 
     The present invention requires that the valve  410  within the aerosol can  100  be effective to discharge the contents  420  while the aerosol can  100  lies on its side. Examples of existing valves that may be used in conjunction with the present invention include bag-on valves, weighted valves, piston valves, and 360 valves. The bag-on valve is a system providing a bag with a valve attached which is then placed inside an aerosol can  100 . The bag and valve assembly is crimped in place and compressed air put around the outside of the bag. The contents are then injected through the valve into the bag, and the compression of the bag by the air forces the can  100  to discharge its contents  420 . The bag-on valve has many advantages including continuous spraying under all angles, use with both liquid and viscous products, use with various can types, a quiet, non-chilling discharge, total integrity of the contents by hermetically sealing the product within the bag, and avoids contact between the contents and the propellant, making aerosol cans safe and non flammable. 
     Weighted valves contain a bushing attached to the tip of an elongated tube  430 . The bushing provides weight so that the aerosol can  100  may be sprayed both in an upright and tilted position. Alternately, a ball wrapped with a ball holder may be attached to the tip of the elongated tube  430 . This valve allows the aerosol can to be sprayed in an upright, tilted, or upside down position. 
     The piston valve, common with shaving gel products, contains a piston-type barrier that separates the contents of the can  100  from the propellant source. Unlike the traditional method of filling through the valve, piston containers require the charging of the propellant through an orifice in the bottom of the can. The can may be oriented in any direction and the contents will still be discharged as long as the actuator is being depressed. 
     Finally, the 360 valve, also called an up/down valve, permits the product to be used in an upright or inverted position. These various valves may be used in conjunction with the present invention to discharge the contents of the aerosol can while the can  100  is lying on its side. 
     The present invention therefore provides a way to deodorize and sanitize the interior of a trash can with an aerosol can without having to reach into the trash can to direct the spray or hold down the actuator while the contents of the aerosol can are discharged. This provides a clean, quick way to deodorize and sanitize a trash can to effectively fight odors, germs, and rodents or other animals attracted to the odor of trash. However, not all of the advantageous features or advantages need to be incorporated in every embodiment of the present invention. 
     Although the present invention has been described in considerable detail with reference to certain preferred embodiments, other embodiments are within the scope of this invention. For example, the skirt and actuator need not be of a unitary construction, but could be attached to separate positions of the aerosol can. The contents of the can may be any type of deodorizer or sanitizer, a combination of both, water, bug repellant, or any other composition that is effective to deodorize and sanitize or repel unwanted animals. The actuator in the preferred embodiment is made of plastic and has a flat side, but could be constructed of any material that is strong enough to withstand being dropped from a height into a trash can, and need not have a flat side provided that the can self-orients in a generally stable configuration such that the discharge nozzle is in a generally upright direction. The present invention describes a self-righting aerosol apparatus in the context of cleaning a trash can, but it may be used in any situation requiring an aerosol can to discharge its contents in a specific direction, regardless of the internal capacity of the aerosol can or the size of the canister in which it may be placed. Therefore, the spirit and scope of the appended claims should not be limited to the description of the preferred versions contained herein.

Technology Classification (CPC): 1