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
  • B05B11/0005—Components or details
  • B05B11/0037—Containers
  • B05B11/0056—Containers with an additional opening for filling or refilling
• • 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
• • 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
  • B05B11/0005—Components or details
  • B05B11/0037—Containers
  • B05B11/0038—Inner container disposed in an outer shell or outer casing
• • 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
  • B05B11/0005—Components or details
  • B05B11/0037—Containers
  • B05B11/0039—Containers associated with means for compensating the pressure difference between the ambient pressure and the pressure inside the container, e.g. pressure relief means
  • B05B11/0044—Containers associated with means for compensating the pressure difference between the ambient pressure and the pressure inside the container, e.g. pressure relief means compensating underpressure by ingress of atmospheric air into the container, i.e. with venting means
  • B05B11/00442—Containers associated with means for compensating the pressure difference between the ambient pressure and the pressure inside the container, e.g. pressure relief means compensating underpressure by ingress of atmospheric air into the container, i.e. with venting means the means being actuated by the difference between the atmospheric pressure and the pressure 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
  • B05B11/1001—Piston pumps

Definitions

• the present invention relates to a rechargeable fluid product dispenser comprising:
• a fluid reservoir defining a neck, and a bottom provided with an opening disposed opposite the neck
• a dispensing member such as a pump, mounted on the neck of the reservoir for withdrawing fluid
• the dispensing member comprising a body and an actuating rod displaceable axially back and forth
• the organ dispensing system incorporating a venting system for selectively establishing a vent passage between the reservoir and the outside through the dispensing member, the rod being axially movable between a rest position and a depressed position, the passage air vent being closed in the rest position and open in the depressed position
• a pusher mounted on the actuating rod of the dispensing member.
• the preferred field of application of the present invention is that of perfumery, not to mention cosmetics or pharmacy.
• EP-1 896 189 describes a refillable dispenser comprising a reservoir provided with a filling valve and a pump surmounted by a pusher.
• the pump incorporates a venting system in the form of a vent passage that extends through the body of the pump.
• the pump body forms a vent hole which communicates with the outside through the pump body when the actuating rod of the pump is slightly depressed.
• it is intended to block the pusher in the slightly depressed position with the aid of a locking member which is in the form of a slider.
• the user Before proceeding with the filling phase, the user must before pushing the pusher, hold it down, move the slide, then release the pusher so that it returns to a slightly depressed position, to open the vent passage that extends through the pump. The user can then begin the filling operation through the filling valve.
• this refillable dispenser of the prior art it is imperative to proceed prior to the opening of the vent passage by blocking the pusher, otherwise the filling could not be performed. This therefore imposes on the user an operation prior to filling.
• this preliminary operation is essential, forcing him to read carefully a user's manual. All this does not go in the direction of a simplification of use.
• the present invention aims to overcome the aforementioned drawbacks of this prior art by defining a rechargeable distributor whose venting is through the dispensing member (pump or valve) without prior operation of opening the vent passage.
• An object of the present invention is to automatically open the vent passage when performing the filling operation.
• the dispenser further comprises stop means for holding the pusher when a thrust exerted on the filling valve is transmitted to the dispensing member so as to move the body relative to its actuating rod to bring it into the depressed position to open the vent passage.
• the pusher is blocked and the reservoir is moved to the blocked pusher by pressing on the filling valve so as to slightly push the actuating rod and open the vent passage.
• the vent passage opens, and the air in the tank escapes through the vent passage as the reservoir is filled with fluid. through the fill valve.
• the abutment means are formed by a manual gripping member in which the reservoir is slidably mounted, the abutment means comprising a recessed rim against which the pusher bears, especially when thrust is exerted on the filling valve.
• the user grasps the dispenser by the manual gripping member of one hand, and reports the actuating rod of a source bottle held with the other hand against the filling valve to proceed with the filling operation .
• the reservoir is successively moved inside the manual gripping member, which causes the successive opening of the vent passage.
• the manual gripping member is in the form of a holster that can be grasped with a hand, the pusher forming a support flange engaged under the reentrant rim.
• the pusher when pushing the reservoir to the pusher, the latter is blocked by the recessed rim of the holster, which causes the depression of the actuating rod and the opening of the vent passage.
• the reservoir is slidably mounted in the manual gripping member over a limited axial stroke defining a high position and a low position of the reservoir in the manual gripping member, the actuating rod being in the rest position when the tank is in the low position, and in the depressed position when the tank is in the up position.
• the manual gripping member comprises an internal annular groove and the reservoir comprises at least one projecting external lug which is received in the inner annular groove so as to be able to move therein on said limited axial stroke. The reservoir is thus trapped in the case, although it can move axially on a limited stroke corresponding to the axial displacement of the lugs inside the groove.
• the high position of the tank is enough to push the actuating rod very slightly to open the vent passage, of course without generating fluid dispensing.
• the dispenser further comprises a cap for covering and protecting the filling valve, this cap being removably mounted on the tank by engaging the manual gripping member so as to push the tank in the down position.
• the cap is screwed onto the reservoir and comprises an upper annular edge which comes into axial thrust contact against the manual gripping member.
• the venting system comprises a vent hole which passes through the body and a valve seal disposed around the actuating rod and advantageously secured to a ferrule fixedly engaged in the body. , this valve seal sealing with the actuating rod when the actuating rod is in the rest position, and opening the vent passage when the actuating rod is in the depressed position. It is not necessary to push the actuating rod deeply into the body of the dispensing member to open the vent passage: a slight depression of the order of a tenth of a millimeter is normally sufficient to open the passage of 'venting.
• the vent passage of the dispenser member opens into a space which communicates with the outside at the abutment means.
• This space may optionally be used to recover fluid that would have passed through the vent passage, especially during an excessive filling.
• This space is confined in particular because it communicates with the outside between the case and the pusher.
• the movable member of the filling valve comprises a split membrane which selectively rests in a sealed manner on the valve seat forming upstream a filling channel which extends from a housing reception for the nozzle of a source bottle.
• FIG. 1 is a vertical cross-sectional view through a dispenser according to the invention with its cap in place
• FIG. 2 is a view similar to that of FIG. 1, with the cap removed,
• FIG. 3 is a greatly enlarged view of detail A in FIGS.
• FIG. 4 is a view similar to that of FIGS. 1 and 2 during a filling operation
• Figure 5 is a greatly enlarged view of detail B of Figure 4.
• the dispenser comprises the following constituent elements, namely a fluid reservoir 1, a filling valve 2, a removable cap 3, a dispensing member 4, a fixing ring 5, a pusher 6 and a casing 7.
• the fluid reservoir 1 comprises a barrel 10 which is generally cylindrical. At its upper end, the barrel 10 defines a neck 1 1. At its lower end, the barrel 10 forms a bottom 12 provided with an opening 13, which is advantageously arranged centrally. The bottom 12 forms an annular flange 14 whose function will be given below. On its outer wall, the barrel 10 forms a thread 15 and one or more protruding outer lugs 17, which can be formed just above the thread 15. In place of the lugs 17, a continuous annular bead can be provided. The opening 13 passes through the bottom 12 from one side so that the interior of the tank 1 can communicate with the outside through this opening.
• the filling valve 2 is mounted on the bottom 12 of the tank and extends mainly through the central opening 13.
• This filling valve 2 is formed by a fixed element 20 and a flexible part 25.
• the fixed element 20 forms a valve seat 21 and the flexible part 25 forms a movable member 26 which rests selectively and tightly on the valve seat 21.
• the movable member 26 rests tightly on the seat 21.
• the mobile member is subjected to a fluid product having sufficient pressure, it is detached from its seat so as to create a passage for connecting the outside of the tank inside the tank.
• the movable member can be detached mechanically from its seat, for example by the actuator rod of a source bottle.
• the flexible part 25 comprises a flexible membrane 26 which has a slot, for example in the form of a cross.
• This flexible membrane 26 is surrounded by an annular anchoring heel 27 which is intended to engage against the bottom 12.
• the upper face of the membrane 26 is oriented towards the inside of the tank 1. Its lower face rests on the valve seat 21 formed by the fixed member 20.
• the fixed member 20 comprises a ring 23 which is received in the annular flange 14. This ring 23 comes into contact with the heel anchoring 27 of the movable member 25, and pushes it strongly against the edge of the opening 13.
• the fixed element 20 also forms the valve seat 21 which comes into contact with the underside of the flexible membrane 26.
• This valve seat 21 may be in the form of a needle concentrically disposed within the ring 23.
• the seat 21 is crossed by a filling channel 24 which extends under the membrane 26 from a receiving housing 22 for the actuating rod B of a source bottle S, as shown in FIG. 4.
• the flexible membrane 26 is sealingly applied to the valve seat 21.
• the free end of an actuating rod B of a dispensing member belonging to a source bottle S is engaged inside the receiving housing 22.
• the dispensing member is actuated and pressurized fluid is forced through the actuating rod so as to flow under pressure through the channel 24 to reach the lower face of the the flexible membrane 26, which is then raised by widening its slot.
• the fluid product can then penetrate inside the tank 1. It may be noted that the opening of the filling valve 2 is effected here under the action of the fluid under pressure, but a direct mechanical pressure exerted by the actuating rod B could also open a valve.
• the removable cover 3 comprises a bottom wall 30 which is provided with a pin 32 intended to penetrate into the housing 22 and an O-ring 33 intended to be crushed against the edge of the housing 22 so as to seal the 24.
• the cover 3 comprises a threaded skirt 31 which can engage with the external thread 15 of the body 1, as can be seen very clearly in Figure 1.
• the threaded skirt 31 defines an upper annular edge 37 whose function will be given below.
• the dispensing member 4 may for example be a pump comprising a pump body 41 provided at its lower end with a plunger tube 42 and at its upper end with a retaining collar 43.
• the body 41 is pierced with a vent hole 49 which is part of a venting system for communicating the interior of the tank 1 with the outside.
• the pump also includes an actuator rod 44 which is axially movable back and forth within the body 41 to vary the volume of a pump chamber (not shown).
• the rod 44 is biased to the rest position by a return spring 48 against a valve seal 46 which is supported by a ferrule 45 fixedly engaged in the body 41.
• One function of the valve seal is to guarantee the sealing of the dispensing member in the rest position.
• the rod 44 forms a shoulder 47 on which the seal 46 is crushed by the spring 48 in the rest position, as can be seen in Figure 3.
• the seal 46 is detached from the shoulder 47, and the seal between the rod 44 and the seal 46 is then broken, as shown in Figure 5.
• the inside of the tank 1 communicates with the outside through the vent hole 49, between the shoulder 47 and the seal 46, then through the seal 46, as shown in Figure 5 in dashed lines. The air can thus enter the reservoir as the fluid product is extracted by the dispensing member. This is quite typical for a pump with a venting system forming an integrated vent passage.
• this pump 4 is provided with an inlet valve and an outlet valve on either side of the pump chamber so that fluid can enter the pump chamber through the pump chamber.
• the plunger tube 42 and the inlet valve open, and out of the pump chamber, when it has been pressurized, through the open outlet valve and the actuating rod 44.
• This is a quite conventional design for a pump in the field of perfumery, cosmetics or pharmacy.
• the fixing ring 5 makes it possible to mount the dispensing member 4 in the tank 1 in a fixed and sealed manner.
• This fixing ring can even be integrated into the dispensing member 4. It comprises receiving means 54 to receive in a fixed and stable manner the retaining flange 43 of the body 41, a fastening skirt 51 in engagement with the neck 1 1 of the tank, and a plate 52 which can abut on the upper end of the neck.
• the particular design of the fixing ring 5 is not critical for the present invention.
• the pusher 6 is mounted on the free end of the actuating rod 44 of the dispensing member 4. It comprises a connecting sleeve 61 which is fitted on the free end of the actuating rod 44. This connecting sleeve 61 is extended by an inner conduit 62 which leads to a dispensing orifice 63, for example in the form of a spray nozzle.
• the pusher comprises an envelope 64 which forms at its lower end an annular support flange 67 which protrudes radially outwards.
• the flange can be continuous or segmented.
• the case 7 has a substantially cylindrical overall configuration with a main body 70 and a recessed flange 76 at its upper end.
• the main body 70 includes an annular lower edge 73 and forms an inner annular groove 71 near the lower edge 73.
• the reservoir 1 is disposed inside the case 7 with a limited clearance: the external projecting lugs 17 of the tank 1 are received in the annular groove 71 of the case, so that the tank 1 is trapped in the 7.
• the lugs 17 have an axial height less than that of the groove 71, so that the lugs can move axially in the groove 71 on a limited stroke. Therefore, the reservoir can slide axially in the case on a limited axial stroke between a low position ( Figure 1) and a high position ( Figure 4).
• the cap 3 forces and blocks the reservoir in the down position.
• the tank is released and can be moved in the case: the lugs 17 may have an intermediate position in the groove 71.
• the rod B of a source bottle S is pushed into the receiving housing 22 of the filling valve 2 as shown in Figure 4, the tank is biased to the high position.
• the pusher 6 is integral with the actuating rod 44 of the dispenser member 4 which is fixedly mounted on the reservoir 1 by means of the ring 5.
• the annular support flange 67 of the pusher 6 is disposed below the recessed rim 76 of the case 7. As a result, the pusher is trapped in the holster, since the reservoir is also trapped in the holster.
• the flange 67 is away from, rests beneath, or is pushed by the inward flange 76. In Fig. 1, the flange 67 is spaced from the flange.
• FIG. 3 the reservoir 1 is released from the loading of the cap 6, so that the flange 67 can rest gently against the rim 76, without forcing the actuating rod 44 which remains in its rest position.
• the venting passage is always closed, as can be seen in FIG. 3.
• FIG. 4 the reservoir is pushed upwards, so that the flange 67 is strongly pressed against the rim 76, which causes a slight depression of the actuating rod 44.
• the venting passage is then open, as can be seen in FIG. 5.
• venting passage of the dispensing member 4 opens into a space E which communicates with the outside between the pusher 6 and the case 7 at the flange 67 and the flange 76.
• This space E is thus confined between the ring 5, the case 7 and the pusher 6, and may optionally serve as a recovery space of fluid product, especially when excessive filling leads to pass fluid through the vent passage. This avoids the user to put directly full fingers, since the fluid remains confined in the space E.
• the dispenser can be used in a conventional manner by actuating the pusher 6 so as to dispense doses of fluid.
• the removable cap 3 can be removed ( Figure 2) and the actuating rod B of a source bottle S can be inserted into the receiving housing 22, as shown in Figure 4. It suffices then to push the actuating rod B to dispense successive doses of fluid that are injected into the reservoir. through the filling valve 2, the flexible membrane 26 is forced to the open state.
• the tank 1 is pushed into the high position and the pusher 6, biased against the flange 76 of the case, slightly pushes the actuating rod 44, so as to open the vent passage.
• the air can be evacuated from the tank as it is filled by the filling valve 2.
• the vent passage closes, and remains closed when the filling operation is complete. . It is therefore used the venting system of the dispensing member to fan the tank during filling. This requires no prior operation, the sliding of the tank 1 in the case 7 and the support of the pusher 6 against the flange 76 sufficient to open the vent passage.
• the user has only to seize the case 7 with one hand, and bring the stem B of the source bottle S with the other hand into the receiving housing 22 of the filling valve 2.
• the case thus constitutes a manual gripping member 7 provided with stop means 76 formed by the re-entrant flange.
• the present invention it is possible to fan the reservoir of a refillable dispenser through the venting system of the dispensing member without even realizing it, since no prior operation is necessary to open the passage. venting system.
• the sliding of the reservoir in the case, which makes it possible to push the actuating rod slightly, is not perceptible by the user.
• the cap advantageously makes it possible to block the reservoir in the case during the fluid product distribution phases.

Landscapes

• Containers And Packaging Bodies Having A Special Means To Remove Contents (AREA)
• Nozzles (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (2)

Family

ID=48614011

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (6)

Families Citing this family (7)

Family Cites Families (11)

• 2013
  • 2013-04-22 FR FR1353644A patent/FR3004624B1/fr not_active Expired - Fee Related
• 2014
  • 2014-04-18 WO PCT/FR2014/050946 patent/WO2014174187A2/fr not_active Ceased
  • 2014-04-18 EP EP14726684.5A patent/EP2988880B1/de active Active
  • 2014-04-18 ES ES14726684.5T patent/ES2636243T3/es active Active
  • 2014-04-18 BR BR112015026782-3A patent/BR112015026782B1/pt not_active IP Right Cessation
  • 2014-04-18 US US14/785,149 patent/US9694377B2/en not_active Expired - Fee Related

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