Childproof actuator

Claim 1

An aerosol container having at one end a vertically reciprocable or tiltable valve mounted in a mounting cup having a valve pedestal, the valve having an upwardly directed cylindrical discharge means, the pedestal being surrounded by a ring defined by the rolled end portions of the valve mounting cup and the container, and an actuator, the actuator comprising: a. a plastic molded collar having an annular wall engaging the ring and attached thereto, the collar having a blocking portion of a predetermined height engaging on its bottom with the top of the valve pedestal, the blocking portion being disposed only on one side of the stem; b. a molded plastic actuator button having a discharge passage inlet in the underside thereof and interfitting with the cylindrical discharge means and rotatably but frictionally engaged therewith, the button having a depending finger adjacent the discharge passage inlet adapted when the finger is in vertical alignment with the blocking portion to block depression of the button; and c. a releasable lock for locking the collar and button with the finger and blocking portion in such relatively aligned blocked relation, the lock comprising a cooperating cam element and follower element, one of said elements being disposed on the inner surface of the collar and the other of said elements being disposed on the outer surface of the button, the cam element comprising a peripheral rib on one of the surfaces extending toward the other of the surfaces and gradually increasing in pronouncement toward one of the ends of the cam element and having a notch adjacent said end, the follower element comprising a projection from the other of the surfaces directed toward the said one surface, the projection being disposed in the notch at a relative position of rotation of the collar and button at which the finger is vertically aligned with the blocking portion.