Hand-held aerosol device

Claim 1

AN ACTUATOR FOR AN AEROSOL DISPENSER COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION: (A) A JUMBO SIZE CYLINDRICAL VALVE ACTUATOR BUTTON DISPOSED WITH ITS AXIS VERTICAL, SAID BUTTOM BEING ADAPTED FOR CONNECTION TO THE DEPRESSIBLE VERTICAL VALVE STEM OF A PRESSURIZED AEROSOL CONTAINER TO ACTUATE THE SAME WHEN THE BUTTON IS DEPRESSED, (B) SAID BUTTON HAVING AN ACCESSIBLE TOP SURFACE OF SUBSTANTIAL SLOPE FOR ENGAGEMENT BY THE FOREFINGER AND OF AN AREA APPRECIABLY LARGER THAN THE BALL PORTION OF AN AVERAGE-SIZED FOREFINGER, AND SAID BUTTON HAVING ON ITS SIDE A DISCHARGE ORIFICE DISPOSED AND SPACED A SUBSTANTIAL DISTANCE BELOW THE HIGHEST EDGE PORTION OF THE BUTTON WHEREBY THE SPRAY FROM THE ORIFICE ISSUES IN A DIRECTION BEYOND THE TOP SLOPE, SAID SPRAY AT POINTS ADJACENT THE ORIFICE BEING BELOW THE PLANE OF THE SLOPING TOP SURFACE OF THE BUTTON, (C) A GUARD CAP AND GUIDE FOR SAID BUTTON, COMPRISING A THIN-WALLED CYLINDRICAL MEMBER SURROUNDING AND CLOSELY FITTING THE BUTTON, THE LOWER END OF SAID MEMBER BEING ADAPTED FOR MOUNTING ON THE PRESSURIZED CONTAINER AND THE UPPER THIN-WALLED END COMPRISING A CONTINUOUS RING-SHAPED GUARD MEANS IN THE FORM OF A SLOPING NARROW EDGE OF SMALL TOTAL AREA, WHICH IS NORMALLY AT ALL POINTS ALONG ITS PERIPHERY SUBSTANTIALLY FLUSH WITH ADJOINING AREAS OF THE EXPANSIVE TOP SURFACE OF THE BUTTON, SAID TOP BUTTON SURFACE AND FLUSH SLOPING NARROW EDGE BEING CHARACTERIZED BY AN OVERALL SLOPE WHICH IS SUFFICIENT TO UNMISTAKABLY INDICATE DIRECTION BY TACTUAL SENSATION, (D) SAID CAP MEMBER HAVING A FULLY EXPOSED AND ACCESSIBLE ESSENTIALLY CYLINDRICAL EXTERIOR WHICH IS ONLY SLIGHTLY LARGER IN DIAMETER THAN THE BUTTON WHEREBY THE LATTER CONSTITUTES ESSENTIALLY THE ENTIRE EFFECTIVE TOP SURFACE OF THE ASSEMBLAGE OF BUTTON AND CAP, SAID CAP PROVIDING FOR FREE ACCESS TO THE TOP SLOPING SURFACE OF THE BUTTON WHEREBY THE FOREFINGER OF THE HAND MAY EXTEND IN A NATURAL, ANGULARLY DISPOSED FORCEAPPLYING MANNER OVER THE BUTTON TO EASILY DEPRESS THE SAME WHILE AT OTHER TIMES THE SAID SLOPING NARROW TOP OF THE CAP AT ALL POINTS GUARDS THE BUTTON AGAINST ACCIDENTAL OPERATION.