EP0324289B1 - Dispenser for liquids or pastes pressurised by deforming a resilient container prior to its filling - Google Patents

Abstract

In order to dispense a liquid or pasty product, it is advantageous to package it under pressure, in the absence of air, inside a container (1) which is closed off hermetically by a valve (2). A convenient way of placing it under pressure therefore consists in using an elastic container (1) which has been previously deformed so that its walls (10), seeking to re-assume their natural shape (in broken lines), exert a force on the product. <??>The present invention has recourse to mechanical means for imposing this deformation. Thus, the container (1) may be filled with product at atmospheric pressure. It also consists of a single casing whose shape respects the display conditions peculiar to the market for this type of dispenser and lends itself to easy handling. Finally, when it is provided with a valve (2) of the precompression-pump-type, up to 95% of the product initially contained in the container (1) can be used up. <IMAGE>

Description

The present invention relates to a dispenser for liquid or pasty products consisting of a deformable container hermetically sealed by a valve. The elasticity of the container (in the sense of a fully reversible deformability) is also used to pressurize the product to be dispensed.

An example of this type of dispenser is developed in European patent application EPO 248,755. Its container comprises a tube so flexible that, when it is filled with a product under pressure, it expands in significant proportions. As soon as a valve is crimped in a perfectly sealed manner on this tube, it begins to exert on the product introduced a pressure comparable to that of the filling pressure, its elastic walls seeking to resume their original shape. Over the course of successive product releases, the internal pressure drops until any deformation of the tube has disappeared. In order to put this principle into practice, the flexible tube is also protected in a rigid external container facilitating the handling of the dispenser. A foam is advantageously placed between the flexible tube and the rigid container in order to hold in place the various envelopes of the container of these dispensers.

Another example is provided in American patent US-A-3,339,809, corresponding to the preamble of rev. 1 This is a simple container made of an extensible material such as rubber. When a fluid product is introduced into it with a certain pressure, the container expands under its pressure. Then, after its closure, its walls exert a pressure on the product which is added to atmospheric pressure as well as possibly a manual pressure of a user to participate in the expulsion of the product out of the container.

Finally, the German patent DE-A-1 136 600 describes a bottle which is produced in an original configuration corresponding inter alia to a round shape. It is then filled while it is imposed, in particular by means mechanical, another configuration therefore leading to a smaller interior volume. After its hermetic closure, it tends to resume its original configuration so that an empty space is created which can then fill with carbon dioxide from the product. The document also provides for an original configuration far from the round shape, the filling configuration being on the contrary closer to the round shape and therefore of greater volume.

The present invention retains the idea of a deformation imposed beforehand on an elastic container to pressurize the product contained inside the container while it seeks to return to its original configuration. It aims to find a structure of the container which lends itself particularly well to the transition from the original configuration to the configuration of larger volume by means of simple mechanical means while guaranteeing both easy manufacture and use.

This is achieved by a device for dispensing a pasty or liquid product comprising a container adapted to be mechanically deformed between an original configuration and a configuration of larger volume so that after it is filled with said product in the configuration of large volume, then its hermetic closure by a valve, the container tends to resume its original configuration and thus pressurize the product to be dispensed, characterized in that said container has two flexible faces connected together by a reinforced fold so that the faces container can move relative to each other, allowing passage from one configuration to another, and in that a distribution valve without air intake hermetically seals said distributor. The faces of said container are in particular arranged so that the transition from the original configuration to the configuration of larger volume is obtained by introducing the container into a recess of a non-deformable part which constitutes the simple mechanical means sought after.

According to a first embodiment of the present invention, said container is a flat tube, said fold connecting the two flexible faces forming two sides, a bottom as well as corners of said flat tube, said flat tube further comprising a neck consisting of a rigid base surmounted by a neck. For example, an envelope comprising said faces, said sides, said bottom and said corners is welded to said base of said neck. In this case, it is advantageous that said corners of said flat tube are rounded to facilitate the introduction of said tube into said recess of said non-deformable part constituting said mechanical means. Then said recess of said non-deformable part constituting said mechanical means is preferably a cylinder of elliptical section, the long side of said elliptical section being less than the distance separating said sides of said tube when said tube is at rest.

According to a second embodiment of the present invention, said container is a cylindrical bottle having an elongated neck, an ovoid body and a bottom, the reinforced fold connecting the two faces to form with them said ovoid body, said neck and said bottom being rigid. Then, said recess of said non-deformable part constituting said mechanical means is advantageously a cylinder of circular section, the diameter of said section being less than the diameter of said edge of said bottle when said bottle is at rest.

It is particularly easy to produce said container from molded plastic. Furthermore, said valve finds a clear advantage in being a precompression pump.

In addition to the advantage of being constituted by a single envelope, the dispenser of the invention does not require that the product is introduced therein under pressure. The filling is effected at atmospheric pressure, which considerably simplifies this operation as well as that of crimping the valve. It is also noted that the product remains at all times sheltered from air and therefore does not risk deteriorating by oxidation or contamination. This absence of air also avoids the need for a dip tube since the interior of the container contains only product to be dispensed. Similarly, the emission of the product can be caused in any position of the dispenser relative to the vertical.

But beyond these aspects which also characterize the bottle of the German patent DE-A-1,136,600 previously cited, the very structure of the present dispensing device is particularly interesting. It indeed comprises two flexible faces connected together by a reinforced fold. The latter can therefore act as a hinge and allow the displacement of the faces relative to each other. The latter are in particular able to move away from one another so that the capacity of the container increases.

Finally, a clever arrangement of the faces and of the fold is found which allows the hinges to be played with very simple mechanical means. It is, for example, a non-deformable part comprising a recess. Provided that its size is adapted to that of the dispensing device, the introduction of the latter into the recess has the effect of exerting pressure on the fold. It follows the separation of the flexible faces by their flexion according to a buckling mechanism.

• les figures 1 à 4 se rapportent à un tube plat selon une première forme de réalisation du récipient elastique du present distributeur il est en outre montré tel qu'il se présente juste après sa fabrication. En vue de face avec coupe longitudinale partielle sur la figure 1, le tube est montré sur la figure 2 en vue de côté avec coupe partielle selon le plan I-I de la figure 1, sur la figure 3 en vue de dessus et sur la figure 4 en coupe transversale selon le plan III-III de la figure 2.
• les figures 5 et 6 illustrent la phase de remplissage du tube des figures precedentes grâce a une vue de face et une coupe transversale selon le plan III-III respectivement.
• les figures 7 et 8 montrent, toujours en vue de face et en coupe transversale selon le plan III-III respectivement, le tube des figures precedentes qui vient d'être rempli et muni de sa valve
• les figures 9 à 11 présentent cette fois le tube des figures précédentes alors qu'il a été vidé. La vue de face et la coupe transversale selon le plan III-III des figures 9 et 10 respectivement sont completees par une vue de côté sur la figure 11.
• les figures 12 à 15 correspondent à un flacon cylindrique selon une seconde forme de réalisation du récipient élastique du présent distributeur Le flacon juste apres sa fabrication est montre en vue de dessus sur la figure 12 et en vue de face sur la figure 13. Grâce à des vues de face du même flacon, la figure 14 illustre sa phase de remplissage tandis que la figure 15 le présente une fois vidé de son contenu

Two embodiments of the present dispenser will now be described with the aid of drawings in order to better understand the substance of the invention. In the drawings:

• Figures 1 to 4 relate to a flat tube according to a first embodiment of the elastic container of the present dispenser it is further shown as it occurs immediately after its manufacture. In front view with partial longitudinal section in Figure 1, the tube is shown in Figure 2 in side view with partial section along the plane II of Figure 1, in Figure 3 in top view and in Figure 4 in cross section along plane III-III of Figure 2.
• Figures 5 and 6 illustrate the filling phase of the tube of the previous figures through a front view and a cross section along the plane III-III respectively.
• Figures 7 and 8 show, still in front view and in cross section along the plane III-III respectively, the tube of the previous figures which has just been filled and provided with its valve
• Figures 9 to 11 this time show the tube of the previous figures when it was emptied. The front view and the cross section along the plane III-III of FIGS. 9 and 10 respectively are supplemented by a side view in FIG. 11.
• FIGS. 12 to 15 correspond to a cylindrical bottle according to a second embodiment of the elastic container of the present dispenser. The bottle just after its manufacture is shown in plan view in FIG. 12 and in front view in FIG. 13. Thanks to front views of the same bottle, Figure 14 illustrates its filling phase while Figure 15 shows it once emptied of its contents

In the dispensers of the present invention, the design of the container is essential. Their mode of operation explained below will convince you. For the time being, a first embodiment of this container is described. As shown in Figures 1 to 4, it is a flat tube 1. The front view of Figure 1 shows, thanks to a partial longitudinal section along the plane II-II of Figure 2, that it consists of an elongated envelope and a neck. The neck, also specified by the top view of FIG. 3, comprises a base 16 of elliptical shape surmounted by a cylindrical neck 17. It is preferably molded in one piece from a fairly rigid plastic material.

The envelope is on the contrary molded in a flexible material, advantageously polyethylene or polypropylene. It is welded at its upper edge 14 to the base 16 of the neck. Given the respective sections of the base 16 and the envelope, there follows a certain setback of the edge 14 along the throttled part of the neck. The one shown in Figure 2 is specific to the tube when it has just been manufactured.

The sections along planes I-I and III-III of Figures 2 and 4 respectively further specify the conformation of the walls of the envelope. At its faces 10, the wall is in fact not very thick so that it has great elasticity. In contrast, its sides 11 and 12 and its bottom 13 are made more resistant by local reinforcement of the thickness of the envelope. This reinforcement also concerns the corners 15 of the envelope which purposely admit a rounded shape.

These particular arrangements are explained by the method of filling the tube illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 6. In the filling phase, the tube 1 is in fact placed in a rigid tube holder 3 (made of steel for example). The rounded corners 15 of the envelope facilitate its introduction into the recess 31 of the tube holder 3. The latter has a height slightly less than that of the envelope of the tube 1 (cf. FIG. 5) and an elliptical section (cf. Figure 6). The long side of the ellipse is however less than the distance between the two sides 11 and 12 of the unconstrained envelope. Also when the latter is forced into the recess 31 of the tube holder 3, it is caused to deform. The periphery of the tube 1 at rest is shown in dotted lines in FIGS. 5 and 6. Thus, the change of shape imposed on tube 1 during this operation. Its section becomes more oval and approaches that of the base 16 of the neck. The recess at the weld of the edges 14 therefore disappears along the faces of the envelope. However, it appears around its sides 11 and 12. In total, the capacity of the tube becomes significantly greater.

When the tube 1 is filled to the brim with the product to be dispensed, it is set with a valve 2 so that no air bubble remains trapped. The valve 2 can be formed of a simple valve whose actuation frees a passage for the product towards the outside. In fact, as soon as the hermetically closed tube 1 is removed from the tube holder 3, its elastic walls seek to resume their original shape (cf. FIGS. 7 and 8). They therefore tend to compress the product. Provided that the latter is not very compressible, such as a liquid or a paste, this results in an increase in its pressure which therefore becomes greater than atmospheric pressure. Therefore, the simple actuation of the valve causes a lively emission of product to the outside.

But, over the emissions, the quantity of product decreasing within the tube, it gradually resumes its original shape (dotted lines in Figures 5 to 11). Its walls therefore no longer compress the rest of the product. Also the use of a simple valve does not allow to exhaust the contents of the tube. In truth, it is more advantageous to use a valve 2 of the pump type. This must then comply with certain operating principles which prohibit the use of any pump. Those planning to replace the dose of product emitted by air at ambient pressure are not suitable, any more than those whose outlet valve opens at the slightest pressure above atmospheric pressure. On the contrary, so-called precompression pumps adapt particularly well. An example of such a precompression pump is described in French Patent No. 2,305,241. Its outlet valve opens only if the pressure prevailing in the pump chamber exceeds a certain value determined by a prior setting of elastic means. In this case, this value is chosen to be greater than the maximum pressure of the product, to which is added the additional pressure appearing when the user manipulates the tube. No product is therefore likely to be released unintentionally.

The pump really begins to be useful when a sufficient quantity of product has been emitted so that the tube has returned to its initial shape. It allows you to continue extracting the product. For this there is no need for a dip tube since all the volume available inside the tube is occupied by product. For the same reason, emission can be caused in all positions of the tube relative to the vertical. While the evacuation of the product continues, a depression then develops within the tube 1. Its faces 10 therefore begin to approach one another finally giving the shape described by the front, side and in cross section of Figures 9, 10 and 11 respectively. By this means, it is possible to expel between 90% and 95% of the product initially placed in the tube 1.

Certain products, in particular pharmaceuticals, are traditionally presented in cylindrical bottles. In order to keep this presentation to which users are now accustomed, a second embodiment of the container of the invention adapts to the case of small bottles with symmetry of revolution the principle described above with regard to a flat tube.

Such a cylindrical bottle 1 is shown just after its manufacture in front view in FIG. 13 and in top view in FIG. 12. It comprises an elongated neck 17 molded in one piece with a body of ovoid shape. The most rounded part of the ovoid has an edge 11 which is equivalent to the sides 11 and 12 of the envelope of the flat tube. It is in fact reinforced by an extra thickness of material while the faces 10 of the body of the bottle 1 are thinner. Furthermore, a bottom 13, also reinforced, makes it possible to give the bottle a seat. It also offers a support point for the thumb, for example of the user, who can thus manipulate it with one hand by passing two fingers over the face 10 of the bottle opposite the bottom 13.

As for the flat tube, the bottle is filled while it is placed in a rigid bottle holder 3. The recess 31 of the bottle holder 3 is this time cylindrical, its inner section having a diameter substantially smaller than the outside diameter presented by the edge 11 when the bottle is at rest (see the outline drawn in dotted lines in FIG. 14). Thus, the positioning of the bottle within the recess 31 results in a change in shape which the faces 10 of the bottle allow due to their elasticity. This results in a significant increase in its capacity (for example double the capacity of the unconstrained bottle).

When the bottle 1 is filled to the brim, a valve 2 is crimped onto its neck 17 so that all the air is absent inside the bottle. As before, the valve 2 is preferably a precompression pump. In this way, the pressure prevailing within the bottle also goes through three phases. Initially, the walls of the bottle 1 seek to return to their original shape and therefore compress the liquid or pasty product present in the bottle. Then, over the product emissions, the pressure decreases while the bottle 1 returns to its original size. Finally, the pump 2 authorizing further extraction of the product, the interior of the bottle is placed under vacuum. The flexible faces 10 then approach each other as shown in FIG. 15. The absence of the dip tube allows maximum flattening of the initially ovoid body. If necessary, the user can favor the latest emissions by pressing on the bottom 13 of the bottle. This possibility is made all the easier since the assembly of the bottle 1 and of the valve 2 constitutes a sprayer operating in all positions. It follows an exhaustion of the product which easily reaches 95% of the initial quantity

It should be emphasized that the distributors thus designed cannot be very large. They are indeed dependent on the elasticity of the container. And this is only guaranteed, in the case of plastics usually used for containers, for small areas. In addition, the conditions of handling of the containers impose sizes suitable for gripping. The user must be able to help expel the product when it ceases to be under pressure. This is how the capacities of cylindrical bottles in particular are rather around 10 centilitres.

Claims (10)

1. Dispensing device for a pasty or a liquid product comprising a receptacle (1) adapted to be mechanically deformed between a beginning configuration and a larger volume configuration so that, after its filling with said product in said larger volume configuration and its next sealing, the receptacle (1) seeks to return toward its beginning configuration and puts like this under pressure said product to be dispensed, characterized in that said receptacle (1) is provided with two flexible faces (10) which are interconnected by a reinforced folding (11, 12, 13) so that said receptacle faces (10) can move away from each other, one receptacle configuration being changed in the other ; and in that a dispensing valve (2) ensuring that air cannot penetrate into said receptacle at any stage, sealingly closes said dispensing device.

2. Dispenser according to claim 1, characterized in that said faces (10) of said receptacle (1) are arranged in order that one receptacle configuration is changed in the other in introducing said receptacle (1) into a hollow (31) formed in an undeformable part.

3. Dispenser according to claim 1 or claim 2, characterized in that said receptacle (1) is a flat tube, said folding (11, 12, 13), which interconnects said two flexible faces (10), constituting two sides (11, 12), a bottom (13) as well as corners (15) of said flat tube, said flat tube further comprising a neck (16, 17) which is constituted by a rigid base (16) surmounted by a bottlenek (17).

4. Dispenser according to claim 3, characterized in that an envelope comprising said faces (10), said sides (11, 12), said bottom (13) and said corners (15) is welded to said base (16) of said neck (16, 17).

5. Dispenser according to anyone of claims 3 to 4, characterized in that said corners (15) of said flat tube are rounded in order to facilitate the introducing of said tube into said hollow (31) of said undeformable part constituting said mechanical means (3).

6. Dispenser according to anyone of claims 3 to 5, characterized in that said hollow (31) of said underformable part, which constitutes said mechanical means (3), is a cylinder of elliptical section, with the long axis of said elliptical section being shorter than the distance between said sides (11, 12) of said tube when said tube is at rest.

7. Dispenser according to claim 1 or claim 2, characterized in that said receptacle (1) is a cylindrical flask having an elongate neck (17), an ovoid body and a bottom (13), said reinforced folding (11) interconnecting said two faces (10) in order to form with them said ovoid body, said neck (17) and said bottom (13) being rigid.

8. Dispenser according to claim 7, characterized in that said hollow (31) of said underformable part, which constitutes said mechanical means (3), is a cylinder of circular section with the diameter of said section being less than the diameter of said folding (11) of said flask when said flask is at rest.

9. Dispenser according to anyone of the preceding claims, characterized in that said receptacle (1) is made of molded plastic material.

10. Dispenser according to anyone of the preceding claims, characterized in that said valve (2) is a precompression pump valve.

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