Aerosol dispensing devices

Abstract

A multidirectional aerosol dispensing device and methods of utilizing the device in a variety of positions, including an inverted position, to dispense an aerosol product. The device may include an aerosol container, an undercap, and an actuator. An aerosol valve may be located at a bottom portion of the aerosol container. The aerosol valve may have a valve stem for displacing the aerosol valve from a biased closed position to an open position upon a movement of the valve stem to discharge the aerosol product from the valve stem. The undercap may be mounted to the aerosol container with the top portion of the undercap being adjacent to the bottom portion of the aerosol container. The bottom portion of the undercap may terminate in a base surface for supporting the device on a supporting surface to store the aerosol dispensing device in an inverted position.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A multidirectional aerosol dispensing device, comprising:
 a. an aerosol container extending between a top portion and a bottom portion for containing an aerosol product and an aerosol propellant therein;   b. an aerosol valve located at the bottom portion of the aerosol container;   c. the aerosol valve having a valve stem for displacing the aerosol valve from a biased closed position to an open position upon a movement of the valve stem to discharge the aerosol product from the valve stem;   d. an undercap having a sidewall extending between a top portion and a bottom portion;   e. the undercap mounted to the aerosol container with the top portion of the undercap being adjacent to the bottom portion of the aerosol container;   f. the bottom portion of the undercap terminating in a base surface for supporting the aerosol dispensing device on a supporting surface to store the aerosol dispensing device in an inverted position; and   g. an actuator lever, located adjacent the sidewall of the undercap, being movably mounted relative to the undercap and configured to move the valve stem when the actuator lever is moved.   
     
     
         2 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the undercap comprises a rotatable portion, wherein the rotatable portion of the undercap is rotatable into a first rotational position relative to the aerosol container for enabling the actuator to move the valve stem upon movement of the actuator lever for discharging the aerosol product from the valve stem in a generally downwardly direction; and wherein the rotatable portion of the undercap is rotatable into a second rotational position relative to the aerosol container for inhibiting the actuator lever from moving the valve stem. 
     
     
         3 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the valve stem is biased towards the actuator lever. 
     
     
         4 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the side wall of the undercap is concave. 
     
     
         5 . The device  claim 1 , wherein, when the valve stem displaces the aerosol valve to the closed position, an exit orifice of the valve stem is substantially parallel to the base surface of the bottom portion of the undercap and, when the valve stem displaces the aerosol valve to the open position, a spray axis of the valve stem is at a dispensing angle relative to a longitudinal axis of the device and the dispensing angle is from about 0.5 degrees to about 5 degrees. 
     
     
         6 . The device  claim 1 , wherein the aerosol valve is a check valve and wherein the device further comprises:
 a. a dip tube with a first end extending to and in fluid communication with the top portion of the aerosol container and a second end extending to the bottom portion of the aerosol container;   b. the check valve having a first inlet in fluid communication with the second end of the dip tube, a second inlet in fluid communication with aerosol container, and an outlet in fluid communication with the aerosol valve;   c. the check valve having a first position when the aerosol container is spatially oriented such that the top portion of the aerosol container is above the bottom portion of the aerosol container and a second position when the aerosol container is spatially oriented such that the top portion of the aerosol container is below the bottom portion of the aerosol container;
 wherein when the check valve is in the first position the check valve closes the first inlet preventing liquid communication between the first inlet and the dip tube; and 
 wherein when the check valve is in the second position the check valve closes the second inlet preventing liquid communication between the second inlet and the aerosol container. 
   
     
     
         7 . The device according to  claim 1 , wherein the aerosol product is selected from the group consisting of an air freshener product, a pest control product, a cleaning product, a car care product, a personal care product, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         8 . The device according to  claim 7 , wherein the aerosol product is a pest control product selected from the group consisting of an insecticide, an herbicide, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         9 . The device according to  claim 8 , wherein the pest control product comprises a pest control composition comprising from about 45% to about 99% by weight of the composition of water. 
     
     
         10 . The device according to  claim 9 , wherein the pest control composition comprises at least one active ingredient selected from the group consisting of cornmint oil, peppermint oil, spearmint oil, rosemary oil, thyme oil, citronella oil, clove oil, cinnamon oil, cedarwood oil, garlic oil, geranium oil, lemongrass oil, eugenol, geraniol, nerol, vanillin, 2-phenylethyl propionate, menthol, menthone, thymol, carvone, camphor, methyl salicylate, p-cymene, linalool, 1,8-cineole, alpha-pinene, bornyl acetate, gamma-terpinene, and mixtures thereof. 
     
     
         11 . A multidirectional aerosol dispensing device, comprising:
 a. an aerosol container extending between a top portion and a bottom portion;   b. an aerosol valve located at the bottom portion of the aerosol container;   c. the aerosol valve having a valve stem for displacing the aerosol valve from a biased closed position to an open position upon a movement of the valve stem to discharge the aerosol product from the valve stem;   d. a cylindrical undercap having a sidewall extending between a top portion and a bottom portion, wherein the cylindrical undercap has a minimum diameter of from about 30 mm to about 70 mm and a height of from about 45 mm to about 80 mm;   e. the cylindrical undercap mounted to the aerosol container with the top portion of the cylindrical undercap being adjacent to the bottom portion of the aerosol container;   f. the bottom portion of the cylindrical undercap terminating in a base surface for supporting the aerosol dispensing device on a supporting surface to store the aerosol dispensing device in an inverted position, wherein the base surface has a diameter from about 40 mm to about 90 mm; and   g. an actuator lever located adjacent and outboard of the sidewall of said cylindrical undercap, being movably mounted relative to the cylindrical undercap and configured to move the valve stem when the actuator lever is moved.   
     
     
         12 . The device  claim 11 , wherein the aerosol valve is a slotted valve. 
     
     
         13 . The device  claim 11 , wherein the undercap comprises a rotatable portion, wherein the rotatable portion of the undercap is rotatable into a first rotational position relative to the aerosol container for enabling the actuator to move the valve stem upon movement of the actuator for discharging the aerosol product from the valve stem in a generally downwardly direction; and wherein the rotatable portion of the undercap is rotatable into a second rotational position relative to the aerosol container for inhibiting the actuator from moving the valve stem. 
     
     
         14 . The device  claim 11 , wherein, when the valve stem displaces the aerosol valve to the closed position, an exit orifice of the valve stem is substantially parallel to the base surface of the bottom portion of the undercap and, when the valve stem displaces the aerosol valve to the open position, a spray axis of the valve stem is at a dispensing angle relative to a longitudinal axis of the device and the dispensing angle is from about 0.5 degrees to about 5 degrees. 
     
     
         15 . A method of controlling a pest comprising:
 a. providing a multidirectional aerosol dispensing device, the device comprising:
 i. an aerosol container extending between a top portion and a bottom portion for containing an aerosol pest control composition and an aerosol propellant therein; 
 ii. an aerosol valve located at the bottom portion of the aerosol container; 
 iii. the aerosol valve having a valve stem for displacing the aerosol valve from a biased closed position to an open position upon a movement of the valve stem to discharge the aerosol product from the valve stem; 
 iv. an undercap having a sidewall extending between a top portion and a bottom portion; 
 v. the undercap mounted to the aerosol container with the top portion of the undercap being adjacent to the bottom portion of the aerosol container; 
 vi. the bottom portion of the undercap terminating in a base surface for supporting the aerosol dispensing device on a supporting surface to store the aerosol dispensing device in an inverted position; and 
 vii. an actuator lever located adjacent and outboard of the sidewall of said undercap, being movably mounted relative to the undercap and configured to move the valve stem when the actuator lever is moved;
 wherein when the actuator lever is depressed, a plane of the bottom surface of the actuator lever is at an actuator pivot angle relative to a plane of the base surface of the bottom portion of the undercap and the actuator pivot angle is about 3 degrees to about 10 degrees; and 
 
   b. dispensing the aerosol pest control composition from the device.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the dispensing step is performed when the device is in an inverted orientation. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the dispensing step is performed when the device is in an upright orientation. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the dispensing step comprises spraying the aerosol pest control composition at a spray rate of about 1.25 g/s to about 3.5 g/s. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the dispensing step comprises spraying the aerosol pest control composition, wherein the sprayed aerosol pest control composition comprises a spray diameter of from about 2 inches to about 6 inches. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the aerosol pest control composition, when dispensed through the aerosol dispensing device has a spray force of from about 2 gf to about 16 gf.