Dispensing – With discharge assistant – Fluid pressure
Reexamination Certificate
2001-03-02
2002-05-07
Derakshani, Philippe (Department: 3754)
Dispensing
With discharge assistant
Fluid pressure
Reexamination Certificate
active
06382473
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to an arrangement for indicating a degassed condition of an aerosol container, a method for indicating a degassed condition and a degassing tool suitably used therewith with which everybody can apparently identify that the aerosol container is in a degassed condition.
BACKGROUND ART
Flon gas is being replaced by combustible liquid petroleum gas (LPG) for use as filled gas (aerosol gas) in aerosol containers in view of problems of environmental influences, and accompanying such changes, the number of accidents, particularly fires of garbage trucks, has increased of which reasons are considered to be gas remaining in wasted aerosol containers. It has thus been conventionally instructed through Cleaning Departments of respective Self-governing Bodies “to completely discharge filled gas (aerosol gas) by forming holes on containers when disposing of aerosol containers”.
However, accidents repeatedly happened in which containers exploded when consumers tried to form holes thereon so that it is recently being instructed “to dispose of containers without forming holes but after using the contents up” (see Nihon Keizai Shinbum of Jun. 3, 1999).
Various types of degassing tools arranged for easily spraying out the entire aerosol gas containers without forming holes on aerosol containers are conventionally known. Reference might be made, for instance, to Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 324661/1996, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 53289/1998 or Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 118098/1999.
However, while dangers occurring at the time of forming holes in containers are eliminated when degassing aerosol containers by using such degassing tools, it is impossible, on the other hand, to identify at a glance whether such containers really been degassed or not since holes are not made in the containers. While many persons engaged in the cleaning or garbage-collecting business confirm whether residues of aerosol contents are present or not by shaking discarded containers, it is the case with many aerosol containers such as those for insecticides that the contents (fluid) remain somewhat even after complete discharge of filled gas (aerosol gas) (dangers of explosion do not exist in case gas is completely discharged), so that it cannot be identified whether containers have been degassed or not after all. Consequently, persons engaged in the cleaning or garbage-collecting business will not collect discarded aerosol containers, considering that these containers have contents remaining though actually being degassed.
The present invention thus aims to provide an arrangement for indicating a degassed condition of an aerosol container, a method for indicating a degassed condition and a degassing tool suitably used therewith with which everybody can identify that the aerosol container is in a degassed condition even though degassing has been performed without forming any holes.
DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION
For achieving the above objects, the arrangement for indicating a degassed condition of an aerosol container according to the present invention is so arranged that a degassing tool or a part thereof is attached to a degassed aerosol container such that a stem of the aerosol container is maintained in a pressed condition and that it is indicated on an outer surface of the degassing tool or the part thereof that degassing has been completed.
This arrangement for indicating a degassed condition of an aerosol container might, for instance, be so arranged that a degassing tool with an indication denoting a degassed condition on an outer surface thereof is attached to an aerosol container and degassing is performed by maintaining a stem thereof in a pressed condition, and that the degassing tool is maintained in the attached condition also upon completion of degassing, wherein there can be suitably employed a degassing tool with which the aerosol container can be maintained in a spraying condition when the tool is attached to the aerosol container, the tool having an indication denoting a degassed condition on a portion constituting the outer surface when the tool is attached to the aerosol container.
According to the above-described arrangement for indicating a degassed condition of an aerosol container, the method for indicating a degassed condition and the degassing tool, it is possible to indicate that the aerosol container is in a degassed condition by simply maintaining the degassing tool or a part thereof at the container also upon completion of degassing, and it is possible for everybody to identify at a glance that the container has been degassed. Since persons engaged in the cleaning or garbage-collecting business can also easily identify that the aerosol container is in a degassed condition, such persons might collect these aerosol containers in a carefree manner as posing no danger of explosion or fire.
The “part of the degassing tool” or “a portion including the indication denoting a degassed condition” of the above-described arrangement for indicating a degassed condition might, for instance, be arranged to be separable from the degassing tool, and upon completion of degassing, one part of the degassing tool is separated while the remaining part of the degassing tool is maintained attached to the aerosol container whereby it is possible to indicate by the indication on the outer surface of this part of the degassing tool that degassing has been performed.
With this arrangement, the degassing tool (the portion including the indication denoting a degassed condition) is enabled to assume a more smaller and compact size and can be quite conveniently collected and stored without being bulky.
For arranging a part of the degassing tool in a separable manner, a cutting preparatory line such as a perforation or a thin portion might be formed to surround or constitute the portion to be separated such that this portion can be easily separated.
The “degassing tool or a part thereof including the indication denoting a degassed condition” of the arrangement for indicating a degassed condition, that is, the part of or the entire degassing tool which is ultimately attached to the aerosol container is preferably formed of a material of the same discard group as that of the aerosol container. In this manner, the entire aerosol container with the degassing tool being attached thereto is formed of a material of the same discard group to be favorable in view of discrete collection of garbage for purposes of seregation into groups and might be forwarded to subsequent treatments (e.g. recycling treatments) without the need of discretion after collection.
The term “material of the same group as that of the aerosol container” indicates that the material should be of a group that no inconveniences are caused at the time of collecting garbage, particularly discrete collection thereof; in case the aerosol container is, for instance, made of aluminum, the tool should be of metallic material, preferably light metallic material, and most preferably of aluminum material. In case a part of the degassing tool (portion indicating a degassed condition) is made of aluminum and the remaining portions of the degassing tool is made by injection molding of plastic, it is possible to perform, for instance, the following steps: the portion indicating a degassed condition made of aluminum is preliminarily fitted into an injection mold when performing injection of plastic, aluminum and plastic are integrally formed, and a cutting preparatory line such as a perforation is formed as to surround the portion indicating a degassed condition made of aluminum thereafter.
It should be noted that in case of forming the degassing tool of synthetic resin, it is preferable to use biodegradable plastic in view of compatibility with the environment. Examples of such biodegradable plastics are aliphatic polyester such as polylactic acid, polycaprolactone, polybutylene succinate, polyethylene succinate or polyglycol acid, polyvinyl alcohol, polyamino acid groups, biopolyester, bact
Mekata Satoshi
Nomiyama Kouji
Bui Thach H
Derakshani Philippe
Osaka Shipbuilding Co., Ltd.
Ware Fressola Van Der Sluys & Adolphson LLP
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