EP0370842A1 - Attachment for dispensing a product, especially a foaming product - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a nozzle for dispensing a product, in particular a foaming product, contained in a pressurized container. This nozzle is made up of three elements; a fastening element (6) on the container, a distribution element (5) and a lateral element (7) for joining the two preceding ones; the junction element (7) has an elasticity such that its height varies between the operating position and the rest position, by a value equal to the sum of the distance between the upper edge of the emerging rod in the rest position and the range of the bore when the end piece is in the rest position, and of the distance corresponding to the driving stroke of the emerging rod between its rest position and the fully open position of the valve. The emerging stem of the valve, in the rest position, is entirely external to the bore.

Description

The present invention relates to a nozzle for dispensing a product, in particular a foaming product, contained in a pressurized container equipped with an emerging stem valve mounted in a valve cup.

In known manner, a dispensing nozzle for a pressurized container has a fastening element on the container. This element can be, for example, a latching or fitting device on the retaining flange of the valve cup on the container. The nozzle also comprises, in a known manner, an ejection tube, this ejection tube possibly being in a plane perpendicular to the axis of the emerging stem of the valve or making a slight angle relative to such a plane; this ejection tube communicates with the emerging stem of the valve by a bore of the same axis as said emerging stem. When the user presses on the dispensing nozzle, to actuate the valve, the emerging rod is introduced into the bore up to a range, where the junction between the valve and the bore is tight, then the bore transmits the push of the user to the emerging rod so as to push the latter and open the valve.

When distributing a foaming product, the use of tips of this type has several drawbacks. On the one hand, a small amount of the product in the form of foam remains in the ejection tube and in the bore after distribution; this product tends to liquefy and flow along the walls of the tube and the bore to the emerging stem of the valve; therefore, when the foam dries, there is a blockage of the ejection tube and the emerging stem of the valve.

On the other hand, when dispensing is stopped, the expansion of the foaming product continues inside and at the outlet of the ejection tube; there is therefore formed at the outlet of the ejection tube, after distribution, a foam flake, which tends to stain the walls of the container.

To solve these different problems many proposals have been made. It has, in particular, been proposed that the emerging rod moves in a bore having a shape such that in the operating position, the junction between the rod and the bore is sealed and that in the rest position, it is not not. Under these conditions, the product, which remains in the ejection tube and the bore, has the possibility of flowing in the space between the valve cup and the dispensing nozzle. Non-sealing can be obtained using grooves hollowed out in the bore, as described in French patent application No. 06 06273, or by arranging so that in the rest position, the rod emerging from the valve is completely out of the bore.

However, the non-sealing of the junction between the emerging valve stem and the bore does not solve the problem of eliminating the foam flake, which forms at the outlet of the ejection tube and the corresponding burrs. In addition, this solution is not very satisfactory in the case of viscous products or very loaded with solid materials, such as foundations, which have a high pigment content.

To avoid the formation of external burrs, it has been proposed, in French patent application 87-09536, to seal the outlet opening of the ejection tube in the rest position, this opening being released that during operation. Furthermore, it has also been proposed, in the patent of the United States of America 3,785,528, to create a vacuum in the space included above the valve cup inside the dispensing nozzle, so as to suck in this space the product remaining in the ejection tube after dispensing. But the devices proposed so far do not allow precise control of the suction and, therefore, do not reliably suck the product remaining in the ejection channel.

The present application relates to a dispensing nozzle, in which a vacuum is created in a chamber between the ejection tube and the valve cup, when the dispensing is stopped, and in which the vacuum caused is precisely controlled. .

The present invention relates to a nozzle for dispensing a product, in particular a foaming product, contained in a pressurized container equipped with a valve with an emerging stem mounted in a valve cup, said nozzle comprising:
- first, a fastening element on the container.
- secondly, a distribution element comprising, on the one hand, a bore, one bearing of which is intended to receive the free end of the emerging valve stem in the operating position, when the user presses on the element distribution, said bore having the same axis as the emerging rod with which it cooperates, on the other hand, an ejection tube perpendicular to the axis of said bore or slightly inclined relative to a perpendicular to said axis, this tube ejection being in communication with said bore, and finally, a bearing surface allowing the action of the user on the tip,
- and thirdly, a lateral junction element between the fixing element and the distribution element,
characterized by the fact that the dispensing element is entirely rigid and that the junction element is organized symmetrically with respect to the axis of the emerging rod and has an elasticity such that its height h can vary, between the operating position and the rest position, with a value Δh equal to the sum of the distance Δ h1 between the upper edge of the emerging rod in the rest position and the range of the bore when the end piece is in the rest position, and the distance Δh2 corresponding to the driving stroke of the emerging rod between its rest position and the fully open position of the valve, the emerging rod of the valve, in the rest position, being entirely external to the bore .

In a first variant, the joining element consists of a bellows, the very shape of which provides the necessary elasticity even if the material used has a relative rigidity.

In a second variant, the junction element has the shape of a dome and, in this case, it is made of an elastic plastic material such as polyethylene, polyvinyl chloride or the like.

The distance Δh is preferably between 2 mm and 15 mm for tips having a diameter of 15mm to 35 mm.

Provision may be made for the dispensing element to constitute a part assembled on the junction element or to be molded in one piece with said junction element. Preferably, the fixing element and the joining element form a single piece.

The tip according to the present invention works as follows. When the user presses on the rigid dispensing element, it causes the progressive reduction in the height of the junction element and, consequently, the reduction in the volume of the chamber included inside the end piece. above the valve cup. Simultaneously, the bore is moved towards, then pressed on the valve stem until it comes into abutment on the bearing surface; then the bore causes the emergence of the emerging valve stem: the distribution of the product begins. When the user stops pressing on the dispensing element, the emerging stem of the valve rises, the bore disengages from the emerging stem of the valve and, thanks to its elasticity, the lateral junction element regularly resumes its initial height. The increase in the volume of the defined chamber, inside the end piece, between the valve cup, the distribution element and the junction element, generates a vacuum. This depression is well controlled because the user presses on a rigid surface and the reduction in the volume of the chamber is silenced regularly over the entire cross section thereof; this eliminates irregularities due to the way in which the user presses on the dispensing element, irregularities which exist in the case where the dispensing element is not entirely rigid. In addition, the symmetry of the junction element with respect to the axis of the valve results in a substantially axial deformation so that the bore of the dispensing element is correctly adjusted on the emerging rod at the end of the deformation. The depression causes the suction of the product contained in the ejection channel, that is to say in the ejection tube and in the bore; said product flows inside the chamber. In these conditions, the aspirated product gradually dries; if a new use is made later, said product is dried but the dry extract remains in the chamber and does not interfere with the further distribution.

To better understand the object of the invention, we will describe below, purely by way of illustration and not limitation, two embodiments shown in the accompanying drawing.

• - la figure 1 est une vue en perspective d'un premier mode de réalisation d'un embout selon l'invention fixé sur un récipient pressurisé ;
• - la figure 2 représente, en section axiale verticale, l'embout de la figure 1, lorsque l'utilisateur commence à appuyer sur l'élément de dis­tribution ;
• - la figure 3 représente l'embout de la fi­gure 2 en position de fonctionnement ;
• - la figure 4 représente l'embout de la fi­gure 2 en position de repos ;
• - les figures 5 et 6 représentent, en sec­tion axiale verticale, un deuxième mode de réalisation de l'embout sel on l'invention, en position de repos (figure 5) et en position de distribution (figure 6).

On this drawing :

• - Figure 1 is a perspective view of a first embodiment of a nozzle according to the invention fixed on a pressurized container;
• - Figure 2 shows, in vertical axial section, the nozzle of Figure 1, when the user begins to press the dispensing element;
• - Figure 3 shows the tip of Figure 2 in the operating position;
• - Figure 4 shows the tip of Figure 2 in the rest position;
• - Figures 5 and 6 show, in vertical axial section, a second embodiment of the salt nozzle according to the invention, in the rest position (Figure 5) and in the dispensing position (Figure 6).

As can be seen in Figures 1 to 4, the dispensing nozzle 1 is fixed to a pressurized container 2 of generally cylindrical shape. The container 2 has a bottom 21 and it is closed, at the end opposite the bottom 21, by a valve cup 3, which is fixed to the container 2 by a bead 31. The dispensing valve 4 is placed in the center of the valve cup and it has an emerging rod 41 axially. The end piece 1 consists of three elements: a distribution element 5, a fixing element 6 and a lateral junction element 7, which connects the distribution element and the 'element of fixation.

The dispensing element 5 is molded from a rigid plastic material; it comprises an axial bore 51 which comprises, moving axially from the inside towards the outside of the end piece, a frustoconical part 51 a , followed by a cylindrical part 51 b having an inside diameter slightly greater than the outside diameter of the valve stem 41 and of a part 51 c of smaller diameter than the part 51 b so as to form an annular seat 51 d which serves as a sealed stop for the emerging rod 41. The dispensing element 5 also includes a ejection tube 52 whose inner channel 52 a communicates with the bore 51. Above the dispensing element 5 is a bearing surface 53, on which the user can press to actuate the end piece distribution. The fastening element 6 is snapped onto the retaining flange 31 of the valve cup on the container 2. It consists of a cylindrical skirt 61 comprising, on the side of the container 2, a snap flange 62 disposed under the bead 31 and, on the side of the dispensing element 5, of an annular planar portion 63, which rests on the edge of the valve cup 3.

The lateral junction element 7 is constituted by a bellows constructed, for example, from flexible, elastically deformable plastic. According to the embodiment described, the fixing element 6 and the lateral joining element 7 are molded in one piece. The joining element 7 comprises, at its upper part, a cylindrical part 71, in which the distribution element 5 is fitted, which has been molded separately from a rigid plastic material. The lateral junction element 7 internally delimits a chamber 72.

The device works as follows: when the user wishes to actuate the dispensing endpiece, he presses with a finger on the bearing surface 53 of the dispensing element. It thus pushes in the distribution element 5, which has the consequence of causing the reduction in the height of the junction element 7, the accordion parts being folded over one another. At the same time, the upper edge of the emerging rod 41 enters part 51 a of the bore and then part 51 b . When it reaches the bottom of the part 51 b , the emerging rod is in abutment against the annular bearing surface 51 d which exists because the part 51 c has a smaller diameter than the part 51 b : the upper edge 41 a of the emerging rod therefore abuts against the bearing 51 d . The thrust of the user therefore causes the valve rod 41 to sink, which causes the valve 4 to open. As the height of the chamber 72 decreases, air is expelled by the bore 51 and the ejectlon tube 52. When the rod 41 is fully depressed, the height of the lateral chamber has decreased by a value Δh (see FIG. 4), which is the sum of the distance Δ h1 measured, in the rest position, between the upper rim 41 a of the emerging rod and the bearing surface 51 d of the bore, and of the distance Δ h2 corresponding to the driving stroke of the emerging rod. When the user releases the pressure on the bearing surface 53, the chamber 72, thanks to the elasticity of the lateral junction element, regularly returns to its initial volume, which creates in said chamber 72 a depression. The variation in volume of the chamber 72 does not depend on how the user presses on the dispensing element but only on the final position of the dispensing element which is always the same. Depression is therefore reproducible reliably; it causes the aspiration of products, which would have remained in the channel 52 a of the ejection tube and in the bore 51; the liquid falls into the chamber 72. The variation in pressure being reliable and reproducible, this suction is therefore always possible insofar as the variation in volume of the chamber, that is to say the variation in height Δh has been determined properly. In the embodiment shown, the variation Δh in height is, for example, 10 mm for an internal chamber diameter of 25 mm. If there is a relatively long time between two successive presses, it is possible that the aspirated liquid has dried; in this case, there remains in the chamber 72 only a dry solid, but its presence is not a problem for the rest of the distribution. The nozzle shown in FIGS. 1 to 4 makes it possible to dispense, without problem, foaming foundations having a dry matter content of approximately 300 g / l.

Figures 5 and 6 show a second embodiment of a dispensing nozzle according to the present invention. The constituent elements, which are analogous or have a function similar to those described in connection with FIGS. 1 to 4, will be designated by references equal to the sum of the number 100 and the reference used for the corresponding element in FIGS. 1 to 4. The description will therefore only be made succinctly.

According to this embodiment, the dispensing nozzle 101 comprises a dispensing element 105, a fixing element 106 clipped onto the container 102 and a lateral joining element 107 connecting the fixing element 106 to the distributing element 105 The distribution element 105 has a bore 151 and a distribution tube 152 which is slightly inclined relative to a plane perpendicular to the axis of the emerging rod 141 of the valve. 104. The fixing element 106 is obtained by molding in one piece with the lateral joining element 107 the distribution element 105. Said fixing element 106 comprises two circular skirts of the same axis as the emerging rod 141, which allow it to snap onto the fixing bead 131 of the valve cup 103 on the container 102. The lateral junction element 107 has the shape of a thin dome capable of elastic deformation. This nozzle is made of elastic material, for example polyethylene, and the rigidity of the dispensing element 105 is obtained by a sufficient excess thickness of material in the support area of the user.

FIG. 5 represents the nozzle in the rest position and FIG. 6 represents the nozzle in the operating position when the user has pressed on the dispensing element 105 until the valve 104 opens. In this case also, the variation in volume of the chamber 172 does not depend on the way in which the user presses on the dispensing device 105, this variation in volume is controllable and reproducible in a reliable manner due to the symmetry of the deformable part of the tip and the rigidity of the dispensing tip on which the user presses. Aspiration of the remaining liquid, contained in the ejection tube 152 and in the bore 151, is therefore always possible, even with thick liquids.

Claims (7)

1 - End-piece for dispensing a product, in particular a foaming product, contained in a pressurized container (2, 102) equipped with a valve (4, 104) with emerging stem (41, 141) mounted in a valve cup (3 , 103), said nozzle comprising:
- firstly, a fixing element (6, 106) on the container.
- secondly, a distribution element (5, 105) comprising, on the one hand, a bore (51, 151), of which a bearing surface (51 d , 151 d ) is intended to receive the free end of the rod emerging from valve (41, 141) in operating position, when the user presses on the dispensing element, (5, 105), said bore having the same axis as the emerging rod with which it cooperates, on the other hand , an ejection tube (52, 152) perpendicular to the axis of said bore (51, 151) or slightly inclined relative to a perpendicular to said axis, this ejection tube (52, 152) being in communication with said bore (51, 151), and finally, a bearing surface allowing the action of the user on the end piece,
- and thirdly, a lateral element (7, 107) for joining between the fixing element (6, 106) and the distribution element (5, 105),
characterized in that the distribution element (5, 105) is entirely rigid and that the junction element (7, 107) is organized symmetrically with respect to the axis of the emerging rod and has an elasticity such that its height h can vary, between the operating position and the rest position, by a value Δh equal to the sum of the distance Δ h1 between the upper edge (41 a , 141 a ) of the emerging rod in the rest position and the range (51 d , 151 d ) of the bore when the endpiece is in the rest position, and of the distance Δ h2 corresponding to the driving stroke of the emerging rod (41, 141) between its rest position and the fully open position of the valve, the emerging rod (41, 141) of the valve, in the rest position, being entirely external to the bore (51, 151). 2 - End piece according to claim 1, characterized in that the joining element (7) is constituted by a bellows. 3 - End fitting according to claim 1, characterized in that the joining element (107) is a dome made of elastic plastic material. 4 - End piece according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the distance Δh is between 2 mm and 15 mm for end pieces having a diameter of 15 mm to 35 mm. 5 - End fitting according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the distribution element (5) is a part assembled on the junction element (7). 6 - End piece according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the distribution element (105) is molded in one piece with the joining element (107). 7 - End fitting according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the fixing element (6, 106) forms a single piece with the joining element (7, 107).

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