Classifications

• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B05—SPRAYING OR ATOMISING IN GENERAL; APPLYING FLUENT MATERIALS TO SURFACES, IN GENERAL
  • B05B—SPRAYING APPARATUS; ATOMISING APPARATUS; NOZZLES
  • B05B11/00—Single-unit hand-held apparatus in which flow of contents is produced by the muscular force of the operator at the moment of use
  • B05B11/01—Single-unit hand-held apparatus in which flow of contents is produced by the muscular force of the operator at the moment of use characterised by the means producing the flow
  • B05B11/02—Membranes or pistons acting on the contents inside the container, e.g. follower pistons
  • B05B11/026—Membranes separating the content remaining in the container from the atmospheric air to compensate underpressure inside the container
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B05—SPRAYING OR ATOMISING IN GENERAL; APPLYING FLUENT MATERIALS TO SURFACES, IN GENERAL
  • B05B—SPRAYING APPARATUS; ATOMISING APPARATUS; NOZZLES
  • B05B11/00—Single-unit hand-held apparatus in which flow of contents is produced by the muscular force of the operator at the moment of use
  • B05B11/01—Single-unit hand-held apparatus in which flow of contents is produced by the muscular force of the operator at the moment of use characterised by the means producing the flow
  • B05B11/10—Pump arrangements for transferring the contents from the container to a pump chamber by a sucking effect and forcing the contents out through the dispensing nozzle
  • B05B11/1028—Pumps having a pumping chamber with a deformable wall
  • B05B11/1032—Pumps having a pumping chamber with a deformable wall actuated without substantial movement of the nozzle in the direction of the pressure stroke
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B05—SPRAYING OR ATOMISING IN GENERAL; APPLYING FLUENT MATERIALS TO SURFACES, IN GENERAL
  • B05B—SPRAYING APPARATUS; ATOMISING APPARATUS; NOZZLES
  • B05B11/00—Single-unit hand-held apparatus in which flow of contents is produced by the muscular force of the operator at the moment of use
  • B05B11/01—Single-unit hand-held apparatus in which flow of contents is produced by the muscular force of the operator at the moment of use characterised by the means producing the flow
  • B05B11/10—Pump arrangements for transferring the contents from the container to a pump chamber by a sucking effect and forcing the contents out through the dispensing nozzle
  • B05B11/1042—Components or details
  • B05B11/1064—Pump inlet and outlet valve elements integrally formed of a deformable material

Definitions

• the present invention relates to a fluid dispenser comprising a reservoir intended to contain fluid and defining an actuating wall on which is pressed to reduce the volume of the reservoir.
• the dispenser includes a dispensing orifice through which the fluid is dispensed each time the tank wall is actuated.
• dispensers of this type already exist in the prior art. They are used in particular in pharmacy, cosmetics and perfumery. They are also found in the form of a free sample for advertising purposes containing small doses of fluid.
• the dispenser is then in the form of a simple packaging formed by a flexible reservoir with a dispensing orifice.
• the user grasps the packaging between the thumb and forefinger and presses on the flexible walls of the reservoir to release fluid therefrom through the dispensing orifice.
• this type of dispenser often does not have a good quality of dispensing, in particular of spraying, in the case of liquid product such as perfume. This is explained by the fact that the spraying is directly dependent on the force with which the user presses on the walls of the flexible tank. If the user presses slowly, the spraying will not be good and the fluid will tend to drip and not to be sprayed.
• the distributor described in document FR-2 described in document FR-2
• the object of the present invention is to define another dispenser of this type, that is to say with a reservoir with a deformable wall, where the product stored in the tank is distributed in a perfectly proportioned manner with good spray quality.
• Document US Pat. No. 4,795,063 describes a dispenser comprising a flexible reservoir formed by two sheets welded together on their periphery.
• the reservoir contains a pump consisting of a base forming a piston and a body in which the piston of the base slides.
• the base also forms an inlet valve while the body forms an outlet valve.
• the body also forms a welding flange onto which an opening formed by one of the sheets is welded.
• the base and the body are urged away from each other by a return spring. By bringing the base towards the body against the force exerted by the spring, the volume of the pump chamber decreases and the fluid product is discharged through the outlet valve which constitutes the dispensing orifice.
• the base of the base can be likened to a pusher, and this base is located below a deformable wall of the tank. Consequently, the base of the base can be moved by pressing on the deformable wall of the reservoir.
• the fluid product discharged by the pump leaves the distributor at the outlet valve which is located in the axis of movement of the base. It is therefore necessary to be careful, when actuating this dispenser, not to obstruct the outlet valve with a finger, since the ideal position of the finger serving as reaction to the thrust exerted on the base is that of the valve. exit. Therefore, the fingers must be positioned next to the outlet valve, so that the dispensed product can come into contact with the fingers, which is not the intended purpose. It is therefore not at all easy to use such a dispenser. This is due to the fact that the dispensing orifice is formed by the outlet valve and that this outlet valve is located at, or in opposition to, the deformable wall of the reservoir.
• the object of the present invention is to remedy the drawbacks of this prior art.
• the present invention provides a fluid dispenser comprising a reservoir intended to contain fluid and defining an actuating wall, and a dispensing orifice through which the fluid is dispensed each time the reservoir wall is actuated.
• the reservoir further containing a pump defining a pump chamber provided with an inlet valve for communicating with the reservoir and with an outlet valve, the pump comprising a pusher which is pressed to decrease the volume of the pump chamber, said pusher being disposed below the actuating wall of the reservoir, characterized in that that a discharge conduit connects the outlet valve of the pump to the dispensing orifice.
• a principle of the present invention lies in the fact of fully integrating a pump inside a conventional package with a deformable reservoir wall.
• the integration of a pump inside such a package also has other advantages: for example, the actuation wall of the reservoir does not need to have a shape memory, since its return to the initial state is ensured by the return force of the pump which tends to return the pusher to the rest position.
• the actuating wall of the reservoir can thus have a constant shape in the rest position regardless of the filling state of the reservoir.
• the pump inside the reservoir ensures a certain hold on the latter so that the user has an easier time gripping it.
• the pump is mounted on a support piece defining the dispensing orifice.
• the delivery duct is formed by the support part.
• the reservoir is fixed to the support part.
• the reservoir is formed from two deformable sheets welded together on their peripheries.
• deformable sheet is meant both film complexes and thermoformed shells or a combination thereof.
• the support piece comprises a fixing appendage to which the sheets of the tank are fixed, advantageously by welding.
• the attachment appendage closes the reservoir.
• the pump plunger is formed by a deformable wall of the pump chamber. It can be a so-called membrane pump, the variation of the volume of the pump chamber is ensured by the elastic deformation of a membrane. When the membrane is pressed, it deforms, and as soon as the pressure is released, it returns to its original position. The return force of the pump is thus directly provided by the membrane.
• the support part forms a housing in which the component parts of the pump are inserted.
• the support part defines a valve seat for the inlet valve of the pump.
• the support piece is therefore part of the pump, since it cannot function without it.
• FIG. 1 is a partially cut away top view of a dispenser according to the invention
• FIG. 2 is a view in vertical cross section through the front part of the dispenser of FIG. 1 integrating the pump
• Figure 3 is a front view of the dispenser of Figures 1 and 2.
• the fluid dispenser according to the invention comprises a reservoir 1 containing fluid.
• This reservoir 1 is formed with a deformable actuating wall 14 on which one can press to deform the reservoir and thus reduce its volume.
• the reservoir may be in the form of a flexible pocket made from one or more sheets of complex films.
• the reservoir can be produced from a sheet of complex film folded back on itself and welded on its periphery.
• the reservoir can also be produced from two sheets of complex films welded together on their peripheries.
• the tank can be formed from a shell of advantageously thermoformed plastic material on which a sealing film has been welded to thereby form the reservoir 1.
• the reservoir in the form of a flexible tube of the toothpaste type which is welded at one end and which is provided at its other end with a dispensing orifice.
• the material constituting the reservoir as well as its shape therefore matters little, provided that one of these walls is deformable so as to reduce the internal volume of the reservoir.
• the reservoir is in the form of a deformable sheet or shell welded on its periphery to another sheet or another deformable shell.
• the actuating wall 14 is produced at the level of the sheet or shell 11.
• the two sheets or shells are welded together over their entire peripheries 10 except for the side where a distribution orifice 20 is formed.
• the orifice distribution 20 is formed by a support piece 2 which extends from the distribution orifice 20 towards the interior of the tank 1.
• This support piece 2 forms a fixing appendage 23, which is here an appendage of welding on which the sheets or shells 11 or 12 are welded. As can be seen in FIG.
• this welding appendage 23 is in the form of a diamond or an eye, which facilitates the welding of the sheets or shells 11 and 12 on the appendix, as well as together at the corners of the eye formed by the appendage 23.
• the welding appendage 23 closes the reservoir 1 by forming the dispensing orifice 20 as can be seen in FIG. 3.
• the dispensing orifice is formed at one end of a nozzle which extends towards the inside of the tank beyond the welding appendage 23 and which internally defines a discharge conduit 21.
• the support part 2 supports a pump 3. More specifically, the support part 2 forms a housing 24 in which the members of the pump 3 are mounted, for example, by force.
• the support piece 2 forms an inlet channel 22 which is separated from the delivery duct 21 by a support stud 25.
• the support piece certainly supports part of the pump, but does also an integral part of the pump by defining the inlet channel 22 and the discharge conduit 21.
• the pump 3 defines a pump chamber 31 provided with an inlet valve 32 which communicates the pump chamber 31 with the reservoir 1 through the inlet channel 22.
• the pump chamber 31 is also provided with a outlet valve
• the inlet valve 32 opens when a vacuum is created in the pump chamber 31, and closes when the product inside the chamber 31 is pressurized.
• the outlet valve 33 opens when the product from the pump chamber is pressurized and closes when a vacuum is created inside the pump chamber.
• the pump is also provided with a pusher 34 which makes it possible to reduce the volume of the pump chamber 31 and thus to put the fluid product contained therein under pressure.
• the plunger 34 of the pump 3 is arranged below the actuating wall 14 of the reservoir 1. Consequently, when the actuator wall is pressed 14, the plunger 34 is also pressed, which has the effect of actuating the pump 3.
• the pump is completely invisible since it is completely contained in the inside the tank 1. A metered quantity of fluid product is thus distributed with a good quality of distribution.
• the pump 3 secured to its support part 2 ensures the dispenser is held and also gives the actuating wall 14 the return force necessary to return the wall 14 to its initial position. In fact, the actuating wall 14 takes advantage of the return force of the pusher 34.
• the pump 3 is a deformable diaphragm pump.
• the pusher 34 is formed by a deformable wall of the pump chamber 31.
• the deformable wall 34 is formed by a dome-shaped part 38 the upper part of which is formed by the actuating wall 34 and the peripheral part of which substantially cylindrical 36 is engaged inside the housing 24 formed by the support piece 2.
• the pump comprises a plate 37 pierced with two through holes 372 and 373 which are located in line with the valves 32 and 33.
• a part of the plate 37 serves as a valve seat for the outlet valve 33.
• the pump 3 comprises a membrane 35 which forms the two movable valves 32 and 33.
• This membrane 35 can be in the form of a disc from which two small discs have been cut, which however remain attached to the rest of the membrane. These two small discs form the two valves 32 and 33 capable of pivoting along the segment which connects them to the rest of the membrane.
• the membrane 35 is supported at the bottom of the housing 24 which forms a flange 27 which defines the valve seat for the inlet valve 25.
• the membrane is supported on the pad 25.
• the pump formed by its dome 38, its plate 37, its membrane and its housing 24, could be fixed to a support piece which defines the outlet orifice and / or the fixing appendage.
• the fact of housing in one piece with the support piece is only an advantageous embodiment.
• any form of pump whose pusher can be actuated through the wall 14 of the tank.
• flat pumps are preferable so that the distributor has a reduced thickness. The flatter the pump, the more the distributor looks like a conventional distributor without a pump.
• the pump 3 shown in FIG. 2 is particularly simple in design, since it only comprises four constituent members, namely the dome 38, the plate 37 and the membrane 35 and the support piece, which are organs very easy to manufacture; this results in a particularly inexpensive pump.
• the support piece 2 which can for example be made in one piece from molded plastic, is very simple to manufacture and therefore inexpensive. It is therefore possible to manufacture a dispenser serving as a free sample.

Landscapes

• Containers And Packaging Bodies Having A Special Means To Remove Contents (AREA)
• Devices For Dispensing Beverages (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Publications (2)

Family

ID=8853796

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (9)

Families Citing this family (83)

Family Cites Families (6)

• 2000
  • 2000-08-25 FR FR0011041A patent/FR2813283B1/fr not_active Expired - Lifetime
• 2001
  • 2001-08-23 BR BR0113387-0A patent/BR0113387A/pt not_active IP Right Cessation
  • 2001-08-23 ES ES01965345T patent/ES2219560T3/es not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 2001-08-23 DE DE2001603169 patent/DE60103169T2/de not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 2001-08-23 CN CNB01814683XA patent/CN1184012C/zh not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 2001-08-23 EP EP20010965345 patent/EP1313568B1/de not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 2001-08-23 JP JP2002520959A patent/JP2004506511A/ja not_active Withdrawn
  • 2001-08-23 US US10/362,562 patent/US6789706B2/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 2001-08-23 WO PCT/FR2001/002660 patent/WO2002016047A1/fr active IP Right Grant

Non-Patent Citations (1)

Also Published As

Similar Documents

Legal Events