AEROSOL SELF-DEFENSE SPRAY CANISTER CONTAINER
A reusable aerosol self-defense spray canister container is configured to house a replaceable aerosol self-defense spray canister and includes a transparent housing having a cylindrical side wall, and a spray head removably attached to the cylindrical side wall of the transparent housing. The cylindrical side wall of the transparent housing is configured to be spaced apart from the replaceable aerosol self-defense spray canister when the reusable aerosol self-defense spray canister container houses the replaceable aerosol self-defense spray canister, such that the cylindrical side wall of the transparent housing is configured to house a decorative sheet of material between the cylindrical side wall of the transparent housing and the replaceable aerosol self-defense spray canister.
The present disclosure relates generally to aerosol self-defense spray canisters, and more particularly to a customizable and reusable aerosol self-defense spray canister container.
BACKGROUNDAerosol self-defense spray, such as pepper spray, is a common and effective form of non-lethal self-protection. Aerosol self-defense spray is typically packaged in a handheld canister that is convenient to carry and easy to deploy. The canister houses a pressurized self-defense fluid with a nozzle for release of the fluid by engagement of a trigger. A user may carry the canister on their person, for example in a pocket of their clothing, or in a bag. Alternatively, a user may attach the canister to a keychain or other accessory such that the canister is readily accessible in case of an emergency.
As carrying aerosol self-defense spray canisters as an accessory is becoming more common, the customization and aesthetic decoration of such canisters is becoming more desirable. Therefore, aerosol self-defense spray canisters come in a variety of different colors and have a variety of different patterns and graphics on them for a user to choose from. Conventional aerosol self-defense spray canisters, however, are single use. Therefore, a user is committed to their chosen color and/or design of their aerosol self-defense spray canister until the aerosol self-defense spray canister is emptied or expires.
SUMMARYDescribed herein is a customizable and reusable container for securing an aerosol self-defense spray canister. The housing of the container is transparent, with a clearance or gap provided between the housing and a housed aerosol self-defense spray canister. Therefore, a user can choose to either display the aesthetic of the aerosol self-defense spray canister contained within the housing, or customize the appearance of the container, for example, by inserting a strip of decorative film or other material into the gap between the housing and the contained aerosol self-defense spray canister, such that the decorative film is displayed through the transparent housing. The housing of the container is configured such that the decorative film will fit in the gap between the housing and the inserted aerosol self-defense spray canister without any obstacles. In this manner, the decorative film may reside within the transparent housing and may easily be replaced as often as the user desires, such that the user may customize the aesthetic appearance of their aerosol self-defense spray canister container as many times and in as many ways as they wish throughout the life of the aerosol self-defense spray canister. When the aerosol self-defense spray canister is either emptied or expired, the users may simply replace the old aerosol self-defense spray canister with a new aerosol self-defense spray canister within the container.
According to an aspect of this disclosure, a reusable aerosol self-defense spray canister container configured to house a replaceable aerosol self-defense spray canister, includes a transparent housing having a cylindrical side wall, and a spray head removably attached to the cylindrical side wall of the transparent housing. The cylindrical side wall of the transparent housing is configured to be spaced apart from the replaceable aerosol self-defense spray canister when the reusable aerosol self-defense spray canister container houses the replaceable aerosol self-defense spray canister, such that the cylindrical side wall of the transparent housing is configured to house a decorative sheet of material between the cylindrical side wall of the transparent housing and the replaceable aerosol self-defense spray canister.
According to one or more paragraph(s) of this disclosure, the transparent housing includes a bottom wall closing off the cylindrical side wall of the transparent housing at a bottom end of the cylindrical side wall.
According to one or more paragraph(s) of this disclosure, the container further includes a keychain hook at the bottom end of the cylindrical side wall.
According to one or more paragraph(s) of this disclosure, the keychain hook is provided on the bottom wall of the transparent housing.
According to one or more paragraph(s) of this disclosure, the keychain hook is provided on the cylindrical side wall of the transparent housing at the bottom end of the cylindrical side wall.
According to one or more paragraph(s) of this disclosure, the transparent housing includes a fastener at a periphery of a top end of the cylindrical side wall of the transparent housing for removably attaching the transparent housing to the spray head.
According to one or more paragraph(s) of this disclosure, the fastener includes at least one projection extending from the cylindrical side wall radially inwardly.
According to one or more paragraph(s) of this disclosure, the spray head includes a cylindrical side wall that is open at a top end and a bottom end of the cylindrical side wall of the spray head.
According to one or more paragraph(s) of this disclosure, the cylindrical sidewall of the spray head includes a spray hole extending through the cylindrical side wall of the spray head.
According to one or more paragraph(s) of this disclosure, the spray head includes a corresponding fastener at a periphery of the bottom end of the cylindrical side wall of the spray head for removably attaching the spray head to the transparent housing.
According to one or more paragraph(s) of this disclosure, the corresponding fastener includes at least one recessed track into which the at least one projection of the fastener of the transparent housing slides as the spray head is rotated relative to the transparent housing.
According to one or more paragraph(s) of this disclosure, the container further includes a spray activation mechanism housed within the spray head and movable between an inactivated position and an activated position.
According to one or more paragraph(s) of this disclosure, the spray activation mechanism includes a nozzle, an activation button and an exit aperture.
According to one or more paragraph(s) of this disclosure, the nozzle is configured to fluidly connect with pressurized aerosol self-defense spray in the replaceable aerosol self-defense spray canister when the spray head is attached to the transparent housing and the reusable aerosol self-defense spray canister container houses the replaceable aerosol self-defense spray canister.
According to one or more paragraph(s) of this disclosure, the activation button is accessible from the open top end of the spray head and includes a tactile depression on a top surface of the activation button.
According to one or more paragraph(s) of this disclosure, the activation button includes a lock that is configured to engage with the cylindrical side wall of the spray head to selectively lock the activation button in the inactivated position.
According to one or more paragraph(s) of this disclosure, the lock includes a lock projection extending axially outward from the activation button and being engageable with a stepped cutout in the cylindrical side wall of the spray head.
According to one or more paragraph(s) of this disclosure, the lock projection is movable between a locked position and an unlocked position.
According to one or more paragraph(s) of this disclosure, in the locked position, the lock projection is engaged with a top step of the stepped cutout, thereby preventing movement of the activation mechanism from the inactivated position to the activated position.
According to one or more paragraph(s) of this disclosure, in the unlocked position, the lock projection is disengaged with the top step of the stepped cutout, thereby allowing movement of the activation mechanism from the inactivated position to the activated position.
The following description and the annexed drawings set forth in detail certain illustrative embodiments described in this disclosure. These embodiments are indicative, however, of but a few of the various ways in which the principles of this disclosure may be employed. Other objects, advantages and novel features will become apparent from the following detailed description when considered in conjunction with the drawings.
The annexed drawings show various aspects of the disclosure.
With reference to
The transparent housing 12 includes a cylindrical side wall 16 that is closed off at a bottom end 18 of the cylindrical side wall 16 with a bottom wall 20, and open at a top end 22 of the cylindrical side wall 16 for receiving the aerosol self-defense spray canister. The bottom wall 20 may be formed as a unitary piece with the cylindrical side wall 16 of the transparent housing 12. Alternatively, the bottom wall 20 may be formed as a separate piece from the cylindrical side wall 16 of the transparent housing 12 and may thereafter be attached to the bottom end 18 of the cylindrical side wall 16.
As depicted in
With reference to
Turning to
As better depicted in
Turning to
The activation button 46 may include a tactile depression 52 on a top surface of the activation button 46, the tactile depression 52 having an ergonomically correct shape for the user's finger so that the user can easily identify the activation button 46. In this manner, the user may naturally and quickly orient the container 10 in the correct direction before activating the activation button 46 and dispensing the aerosol self-defense spray from the aerosol self-defense spray canister. This ensures that the user sprays the aerosol self-defense spray in the correct direction, away from themselves.
With reference to
Although the above disclosure has been shown and described with respect to a certain preferred embodiment or embodiments, it is obvious that equivalent alterations and modifications will occur to others skilled in the art upon the reading and understanding of this specification and the annexed drawings. In particular regard to the various functions performed by the above described elements (components, assemblies, devices, compositions, etc.), the terms (including a reference to a “means”) used to describe such elements are intended to correspond, unless otherwise indicated, to any element which performs the specified function of the described element (i.e., that is functionally equivalent), even though not structurally equivalent to the disclosed structure which performs the function in the herein illustrated exemplary embodiment or embodiments. In addition, while a particular feature may have been described above with respect to only one or more of several illustrated embodiments, such feature may be combined with one or more other features of the other embodiments, as may be desired and advantageous for any given or particular application.
Claims
1. A reusable aerosol self-defense spray canister container configured to house a replaceable aerosol self-defense spray canister, the reusable aerosol self-defense spray canister container comprising:
- a transparent housing having a cylindrical side wall; and
- a spray head removably attached to the cylindrical side wall of the transparent housing;
- wherein the cylindrical side wall of the transparent housing is configured to be spaced apart from the replaceable aerosol self-defense spray canister when the reusable aerosol self-defense spray canister container houses the replaceable aerosol self-defense spray canister, such that the cylindrical side wall of the transparent housing is configured to house a decorative sheet of material between the cylindrical side wall of the transparent housing and the replaceable aerosol self-defense spray canister.
2. The reusable aerosol self-defense spray canister container according to claim 1, wherein the transparent housing includes a bottom wall closing off the cylindrical side wall of the transparent housing at a bottom end of the cylindrical side wall.
3. The reusable aerosol self-defense spray canister container according to claim 2, further including a keychain hook at the bottom end of the cylindrical side wall.
4. The reusable aerosol self-defense spray canister container according to claim 3, wherein the keychain hook is provided on the bottom wall of the transparent housing.
5. The reusable aerosol self-defense spray canister container according to claim 3, wherein the keychain hook is provided on the cylindrical side wall of the transparent housing at the bottom end of the cylindrical side wall.
6. The reusable aerosol self-defense spray canister container according to claim 1, wherein the transparent housing includes a fastener at a periphery of a top end of the cylindrical side wall of the transparent housing for removably attaching the transparent housing to the spray head.
7. The reusable aerosol self-defense spray canister container according to claim 6, wherein the fastener includes at least one projection extending from the cylindrical side wall radially inwardly.
8. The reusable aerosol self-defense spray canister container according to claim 1, wherein the spray head includes a cylindrical side wall that is open at a top end and a bottom end of the cylindrical side wall of the spray head.
9. The reusable aerosol self-defense spray canister container according to claim 8, wherein the cylindrical sidewall of the spray head includes a spray hole extending through the cylindrical side wall of the spray head.
10. The reusable aerosol self-defense spray canister container according to claim 8, wherein the spray head includes a corresponding fastener at a periphery of the bottom end of the cylindrical side wall of the spray head for removably attaching the spray head to the transparent housing.
11. The reusable aerosol self-defense spray canister container according to claim 10, wherein the corresponding fastener includes at least one recessed track into which the at least one projection of the fastener of the transparent housing slides as the spray head is rotated relative to the transparent housing.
12. The reusable aerosol self-defense spray canister container according to claim 1, further comprising a spray activation mechanism housed within the spray head and movable between an inactivated position and an activated position.
13. The reusable aerosol self-defense spray canister container according to claim 12, wherein the spray activation mechanism includes a nozzle, an activation button and an exit aperture.
14. The reusable aerosol self-defense spray canister container according to claim 13, wherein the nozzle is configured to fluidly connect with pressurized aerosol self-defense spray in the replaceable aerosol self-defense spray canister when the spray head is attached to the transparent housing and the reusable aerosol self-defense spray canister container houses the replaceable aerosol self-defense spray canister.
15. The reusable aerosol self-defense spray canister container according to claim 13, wherein the activation button is accessible from the open top end of the spray head and includes a tactile depression on a top surface of the activation button.
16. The reusable aerosol self-defense spray canister container according to claim 13, wherein the activation button includes a lock that is configured to engage with the cylindrical side wall of the spray head to selectively lock the activation button in the inactivated position.
17. The reusable aerosol self-defense spray canister container according to claim 15, wherein the lock includes a lock projection extending axially outward from the activation button and being engageable with a stepped cutout in the cylindrical side wall of the spray head.
18. The reusable aerosol self-defense spray canister container according to claim 17, wherein the lock projection is movable between a locked position and an unlocked position.
19. The reusable aerosol self-defense spray canister container according to claim 18 wherein in the locked position, the lock projection is engaged with a top step of the stepped cutout, thereby preventing movement of the activation mechanism from the inactivated position to the activated position.
20. The reusable aerosol self-defense spray canister container according to claim 18, wherein in the unlocked position, the lock projection is disengaged with the top step of the stepped cutout, thereby allowing movement of the activation mechanism from the inactivated position to the activated position.
Type: Application
Filed: Mar 30, 2023
Publication Date: Oct 5, 2023
Inventors: Gary Medved (Cleveland, OH), Patrick Brown (Cleveland, OH)
Application Number: 18/193,252