Safety closure assembly for an aerosol container

Claim 1

A safety closure assembly for an aerosol container which is equipped with a dispensing valve and an axially, outwardly projecting valve actuating stem, said safety closure assembly comprising: A. an overcap member mountable on the valved end of the container for substantially enclosing it and being rotatable relative thereto, said overcap member having 1. valve actuating means formed with a discharge orifice and a socket opening, for receiving the valve stem, interconnected to the discharge orifice, said actuating means being movable between an elevated position and a depressed, valve-operating position, 2. a keying element, associated with said valve actuating means for movement therewith, and 3. a depending skirt having opposing, axially extending abutment surfaces, which define an axially extending slot; B. a blocking member non-rotatably mountable on the container, located generally below and spaced from said actuating means and keying element when in their elevated position; C. interference means mountable on the container for movement between a valve disabling position between said keying element and said blocking member to prevent depression of said valve actuator means sufficient to operate the dispensing valve, and a valve enabling position removed from between said keying element and said blocking member; D. means for urging said interference means to the valve disabling position, said urging means comprising an interrupted ring mounted at one end with the container and having an opposite end cantilevered therefrom to be moved perpendicularly with respect to the container axis, said interference means being mounted at said cantilevered ring end; E. means for moving said interference means to the valve enabling position by rotation of said overcap member relative to the container in one direction, said moving means comprising a lever fixed to said interrupted ring, projecting away therefrom into said slot, operatively associated with at least one of said abutment surfaces, whereby rotation of said overcap relative to the container laterally moves said lever, pulling said ring to move said interference means to the valve enabling position; and F. lock-out and reset means 1. for holding said interference means in the valve enabling position prior to operation of the dispensing valve by said valve actuating means, and 2. for resetting said interference means by permitting it to return to the valve disabling position under the influence of said urging means after the dispensing valve is operated by said valve actuator means.