Details for Patent: 7,661,423

Title:	Device housing for an aerosol container
Abstract:	A housing for a mechanical or electrical device for use with an aerosol canister for containing chemical comprising a sleeve for receipt of the aerosol canister; a collar affixable around the neck of the canister; and a joint between the sleeve and the collar to secure the housing to the canister.
Inventor(s):	Brand; Peter John (Ware, GB), Godfrey; James William (Ware, GB), Rand; Paul Kenneth (Ware, GB), Robertson; Duncan (Perth, AU)
Assignee:	GlaxoSmithKline LLC (Philadelphia, PA)
Filing Date:	Feb 26, 2003
Application Number:	10/373,950
Claims:	1. A method of securing a cap structure to a container configured to contain a fluid medicament, the container having an end surface and a neck underneath the end surface, the neck having a surface which tapers outwardly in a direction towards the end surface, and the cap structure having: a cap member which is slidingly receivable on the end surface and which presents a bearing surface configured to bear against the end surface, a sleeve configured to be disposed about the neck, and a split collar which is an annular member having a pair of free ends that are circumferentially separated from each other by a split through the annular member, said method comprising: affixing the split collar around the neck of the container, sliding the cap member onto the end surface so that the bearing surface bears against the end surface and the sleeve is disposed around the neck, moving the split collar over the neck surface towards the end surface until the split collar is wedged between an inner surface of the sleeve of the cap member and the neck surface, and forming a joint between the sleeve inner surface and the split collar. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the end surface is at an outlet end of the container having an outlet through which the fluid is able to be dispensed from the container. 3. The method of claim 1, wherein the split collar is welded to the inner surface of the sleeve. 4. The method of claim 3, wherein the split collar is ultrasonically welded to the inner surface of the sleeve. 5. The method of claim 1, wherein the split collar and sleeve are made from the same material. 6. The method of claim 1, wherein the joint is a permanent joint to permanently secure the cap structure to the container. 7. The method of claim 2, wherein the container is an aerosol canister for a metered dose inhaler and the outlet at the outlet end is a valve stem. 8. The method of claim 7, wherein the cap member is a mechanical dose counter. 9. The method of claim 1, wherein the container has a central axis which extends through the end surface and wherein the joint is such as to prevent axial movement of the cap member on the container. 10. The method of claim 9, wherein the sleeve inner surface and the neck surface are such that a gap exists therebetween which narrows in the direction of the end surface, and wherein the split collar is wedged in the gap when jointed to the sleeve inner surface.