Aerosol can nozzle and cap assembly

Claim 2

A readily cleanable nozzle and cap member for use on aerosol cans, said member comprising: a cylindrical skirt adapted to fit over the spray end portion of an aerosol can; a side wall affixed to said skirt and extending upwardly therefrom, said side wall curving inwardly to form a top wall;

Claim 3

hinge means connected to said side wall comprising a loop of flexible plastic; a nozzle assembly supported by said hinge means and positioned to permit said nozzle assembly to swing at least 90° from its closed position to permit the nozzle to be positioned in an open position which is away from the outer surface of the rest of the cap and further positioned to cause at least a portion of said nozzle assembly to protrude below the top of said cylindrical wall when said hinge is in a closed position and to cause the lower extremity of said nozzle assembly to abut valve means on the spray end of an aerosol can; a flattened extension located on the opposite end of said nozzle assembly from the hinge means end thereof disconnectable latching means interconnecting said side wall and said nozzle assembly to cause said nozzle assembly hinge to remain in a generally closed position when said latching means is in a closed configuration, said latching means comprising a pair of flexible aligned fingers positioned on said flattened extension at a right angle with respect to the axis of said flattened extension and said top wall has at least one opening having a pair of upper stops positioned so that the spacing between the uppermost termination of said stops are closer together than the distance between the tips of said fingers but positioned far enough apart to permit the nozzle assembly and its aligned fingers to be repeatedly pulled upwardly out of said side wall without damage to said aligned fingers.

Claim 4

hinge means connected to said side wall comprising a loop of flexible plastic; a nozzle assembly supported by said hinge means and positioned to permit said nozzle assembly to swing at least 90° from its closed position to permit the nozzle to be positioned in an open position which is away from the outer surface of the rest of the cap and further positioned to cause at least a portion of said nozzle assembly to protrude below the top of said cylindrical wall when said hinge is in a closed position and to cause the lower extremity of said nozzle assembly to abut valve means on the spray end of an aerosol can; a flattened extension located on the opposite end of said nozzle assembly from the hinge means end thereof disconnectable latching means interconnecting said side wall and said nozzle assembly to cause said nozzle assembly hinge to remain in a generally closed position when said latching means is in a closed configuration, said latching means comprising a pair of flexible aligned fingers positioned on said flattened extension at a right angle with respect to the axis of said flattened extension and said top wall has at least one opening having a pair of upper stops positioned so that the spacing between the uppermost termination of said stops are closer together than the distance between the tips of said fingers but positioned far enough apart to permit the nozzle assembly and its aligned fingers to be repeatedly pulled upwardly out of said side wall without damage to said aligned fingers.

Claim 5

The member of claim 1 wherein said hinge means permits said nozzle assembly to be deflected laterally in a first direction an extent sufficient to permit one of said fingers to be freely released from said opening and in an opposite direction an extent sufficient to permit the other of said fingers to be freely released from said opening.