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
  • B05B11/0027—Means for neutralising the actuation of the sprayer ; Means for preventing access to the sprayer actuation means
• • 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
  • B05B11/1023—Piston pumps having an outlet valve opened by deformation or displacement of the piston relative to its actuating stem
  • B05B11/1025—Piston pumps having an outlet valve opened by deformation or displacement of the piston relative to its actuating stem a spring urging the outlet valve in its closed position
• • 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
  • B05B11/0062—Outlet valves actuated by the pressure of the fluid to be sprayed
  • B05B11/0064—Lift valves
• • 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
  • B05B11/0062—Outlet valves actuated by the pressure of the fluid to be sprayed
  • B05B11/007—Outlet valves actuated by the pressure of the fluid to be sprayed being opened by deformation of a sealing element made of resiliently deformable material, e.g. flaps, skirts, duck-bill valves
• • 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
  • B05B11/0097—Means for filling or refilling the sprayer
• • 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
• • 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
  • B05B11/1023—Piston pumps having an outlet valve opened by deformation or displacement of the piston relative to its actuating stem
• • 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
  • B05B11/1023—Piston pumps having an outlet valve opened by deformation or displacement of the piston relative to its actuating stem
  • B05B11/1026—Piston pumps having an outlet valve opened by deformation or displacement of the piston relative to its actuating stem the piston being deformable and its deformation allowing opening of the outlet

Definitions

• the present invention relates to a device for spraying a predetermined dose of a fluid product, and to its filling method. More particularly, the invention relates to a device containing a single dose of product and disposable after emission of this dose.
• the product to be sprayed can be a drug, a cosmetic or the like.
• the device according to the invention is more specifically intended for nasal sprays, but could be used for other purposes: ear, sublingual sprays, etc.
• the single dose can optionally be divided into several sub-doses, as disclosed in document EP-A-0 311 863.
• the actuating means comprises a cylindrical part which extends between an end close to the cylindrical tank and a stop more distant from the cylindrical tank, said end close to the product tank is integral with a crown, said product outlet passage is arranged at least partially inside said cylindrical part of the actuating means, said product outlet passage opens out of said cylindrical part between said crown and said stopper, in the vicinity of said crown, the piston has an internal sleeve which slides on said cylindrical part of the means
• the piston has an outer peripheral sealing lip which slides in leaktight manner in the cylindrical tank and which is wedged between the tank and the crown when the piston is in its storage position.
• the crown comprises an annular rib directed towards the piston
• the piston comprises an annular groove adapted to receive the rib of the crown
• the piston composes an annular rib directed towards the crown and inside said annular groove
• the crown has an annular groove adapted to receive the annular rib of the piston.
• the crown may include at least one passage which communicates the reservoir with the groove of the piston when said piston is in its storage position, and the rib of the piston is then in sealed contact with the groove of the crown.
• the cylindrical reservoir has a bottom and the crown has a face directed towards said bottom and having a shape substantially complementary to said bottom, and said face of the crown abuts against said bottom at the end of the piston stroke, so that substantially all of the product contained in the tank is expelled.
• the piston can optionally be urged towards its storage position by elastic means.
• the internal sleeve of the piston can be in abutment against the stop of the actuating means when the piston is in its storage position, and the displacement of the piston towards its actuating position is then effected by deformation of at least part of said internal sleeve.
• the internal sleeve of the piston then has longitudinal slots over a part of its length in the vicinity of said stop of the actuating means, so as to facilitate the deformation of said internal sleeve.
• the piston sleeve can be applied in sealed contact against said stop of the actuating means when the piston is in its actuating position.
• said abutment has a concave annular surface surrounding the cylindrical wall and of concavity directed towards the sleeve, and said concave annular surface deforms radially inward a free end of said sleeve when the piston is in its actuation position.
• the piston sleeve can slide with sealing on the cylindrical wall of the actuating means.
• the piston has a cylindrical part which slides on a complementary cylindrical part of the crown while maintaining cut off the communication between the cylindrical reservoir and the product outlet passage as long as the piston has not moved away from the crown from a predetermined distance.
• the cylindrical product reservoir has a filling orifice capable of receiving a stopper ball, and said orifice is extended towards the outside of the reservoir by a duct provided with longitudinal slots, said ball can be forced into said conduit in an intermediate position where it allows the communication of the tank with the outside via said longitudinal slots.
• the present invention also relates to a method of filling the above-mentioned device, comprising at least the following steps:
• said predetermined volume of product is measured by a measurement means external to the device of the invention and said volume can have any value less than or equal to the total volume of said cylindrical tank.
• the device may include an elastic means which biases the piston towards its closed position.
• said piston at rest, said piston is in sealed contact with said crown along a peripheral line close to the cylindrical wall of the reservoir so that only a radially outer part of the piston is initially exposed to the pressure prevailing in the reservoir , so that the section of the piston which is exposed to the pressure prevailing in the tank increases suddenly when the piston separates from the crown, which promotes a clear opening of the communication between the tank and the outlet passage.
• it comprises locking means which immobilize the pusher axially with respect to the reservoir.
• said locking means are unlockable by a rotation of the pusher relative to the reservoir.
• the locking means remain locked in the unlocked position after they have been unlocked.
• the means may consist of at least one bridge of breakable material between the pusher and the reservoir.
• it includes means for preventing its involuntary actuation.
• it comprises at least one zone of breakable material which forms a stop which opposes actuation and which is broken during actuation.
• said present invention also relates to a method of filling the above-mentioned device, comprising at least the following steps:
• FIG. 1 is a view in longitudinal section of an embodiment of the device according to the invention, in the storage position,
• FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the device in FIG. 1,
• FIG. 3 is a detailed view of part of the device in FIG. 1,
• FIG. 3A is a bottom view of the crown 10 of FIG. 3, in the direction A of FIG. 3, - FIG. 3B is a view similar to FIG. 3, showing a variant of the device of the invention,
• FIG. 4 is a partial view in longitudinal section of the device in FIG. 1, in the end of actuation position,
• FIG. 5 is a partial view in longitudinal section of a variant of the device according to the invention, in the storage position,
• FIG. 6 is a partial view in longitudinal section of another variant of the device according to the invention, in the storage position,
• FIG. 7 is a partial view in longitudinal section of the device of Figure 6, in the end of actuation position
• - Figure 8 is a sectional view similar to that of Figure 3, for a variant of the invention particularly suitable for the configurations of FIGS. 6 and 7,
• FIG. 9 is a partial view in longitudinal section of another variant of the device according to the invention, in the end of actuation position,
• FIG. 10 is a detailed view of the device in FIG. 9,
• FIG. 11 is a sectional view of another variant of the device according to the invention.
• FIG. 12 is a schematic view in longitudinal section of a variant of the device of the invention, in the end of actuation position, the rod 4 and the piston 2 not being shown,
• FIG. 13 is a side view in longitudinal section of the device in FIG. 12, in the storage position,
• FIG. 14 is a sectional view along line A-A of the device in FIG. 13,
• - Figure 15 is a side view of another variant of the device of the invention
• - Figure 16 is a partial sectional view of another variant of the device of the invention
• FIG. 17 is a sectional view of another variant of the device of the invention.
• Figures 1 to 4 show a first embodiment of the device according to the invention.
• This device is intended to project a single dose of fluid, generally of the order of a few milliliters.
• the device of the invention is therefore small, and measures a few centimeters in its largest dimension. It is generally made of plastic.
• the device comprises a pusher 3 provided with an outlet nozzle 18 having an enlarged base 19 from which extends radially outward a support surface 20 extended by a skirt 21.
• a pump body 22 comprising support wings 23 adapted to slide in said skirt 21.
• the device can be actuated by being held between the thumb and one or two fingers , the thumb being applied against the support wings 23 and the other fingers being applied against the support surface 20.
• the skirt 21 generally has a recess 24 allowing the passage of the thumb.
• the pump body 22 comprises a cylindrical reservoir 1 which extends between an open end 25 and a bottom 16 provided with a filling orifice 26.
• the filling orifice 26 can be closed by a ball 27 force-fitted into said orifice, or by any other means of sealing.
• the skirt 21 of the pusher 3 has at its free end an internal snap-on lip 28 which makes it possible to maintain said support wings 23 inside said skirt 21. 3/00172
• the enlarged base 19 of the outlet nozzle 18 is constituted by a cylindrical wall 29 arranged around the cylindrical tank 1, and which extends between the bearing surface 20 and an annular wall 9 which itself extends radially inwards to the outlet end piece 18.
• the outlet end piece 18 extends between said annular wall 9 and an outlet end 30 comprising an outlet opening 6.
• the outlet end piece 18 is hollow, and extends over a certain distance inside the cylindrical wall 29 of the enlarged base 19, by a cylindrical wall 7 which extends to one end 8.
• the outlet nozzle 18 and the cylindrical wall 7 delimit a cylindrical longitudinal channel 31, which communicates with the outlet orifice 6.
• a rod 4 also cylindrical is force fitted into the longitudinal channel
• the rod 4 extends from a first end 32 placed in contact with the outlet end 30 of the outlet nozzle 18, as far as beyond the end 8 of the cylindrical wall 7, where said rod 4 extends radially outwards by a crown 10.
• the rod 4 has over its entire height one or more external grooves 5 which communicate with the outlet orifice 6, generally by grooves formed on the first end 32 of the rod 4 , in a well known way.
• the device of the invention further comprises a piston 2 which slides in the cylindrical tank 1, and which can slide on the cylindrical wall 7 of the pusher between the ring 10 and the annular wall 9 forming a stop.
• the piston 2 includes an internal sleeve 11 which extends to a free end 43 close to the annular wall 9 of the pusher, and which slides on the cylindrical wall 7 of the pusher.
• the piston 23 has an outer skirt 33 which slides in leaktight manner in the cylindrical tank 1.
• FIG. 3 represents in detail the structure of the piston 2 and of the crown 10.
• the crown 10 comprises an annular rib 12 directed towards the piston, and the piston 2 comprises an annular groove 13 disposed opposite the annular rib 12.
• the groove annular 13 of the piston is delimited externally by an external peripheral sealing lip 34 of the skirt 33, which slides in sealed contact in the cylindrical tank
• the crown 10 further comprises a groove 15 adapted to receive said rib 14.
• the piston 2 is first assembled on the crown 10 by fitting the annular rib 12 into the groove 13. Then the rod 4 is force-fitted into the longitudinal channel 31 of the pusher and the piston 2 is introduced into the cylindrical reservoir 1.
• the cylindrical reservoir 1 advantageously comprises an internal chamfer 41 at its end opened. When the sealing lip 34 is introduced into the chamfer 41, it is gradually deformed radially inwards, so that it comes to clamp the rib 12 which is thus compressed between the rib 14 and the lip 34.
• the contact between the lip 34 and the rib 12 is not sealed, since the crown 40 has one or more slots 40 at its outer periphery, which make the reservoir of product 1 with groove 13 of the piston.
• the seal between the piston 2 and the crown 10 is ensured by the contact between the rib 14 and the groove 15. This seal is reinforced by the radial tightening due to the sealing lip 34, which applies the rib 12 between the rib 14.
• the rib 14 is also wedged in the groove 15, and participates in the wedging of the piston 2 on the crown 10.
• the slots 41 can be omitted.
• the wedging and sealing between the piston 2 and the crown 10 could be ensured by the contact between the sealing lip 34 and the crown 10, provided that said crown 10 no longer comprises slots 40. It is then no longer necessary to provide a rib or groove on the piston 2 or the crown 10.
• the piston 2 When this force is sufficient to separate the piston 2 from the crown 10, the piston 2 is pushed upward t while the pusher 3, with the rod 4 and the crown 10, begins to descend towards the bottom 16 of the cylindrical tank 1. In this way, the internal sleeve 11 of the piston 2 is pushed into abutment against the annular wall 9 of the pusher 3, and a space 35 is created between the piston 2 and the crown 10, as shown in FIG. 4.
• the sleeve 1 1 When the sleeve 1 1 is applied in abutment against the annular wall 9 under the effect of the pressure prevailing in the reservoir product 1 and friction between the piston 2 and said reservoir 1, the contact between the sleeve 1 1 and the annular wall 9 is sealed.
• the annular wall 9 has an annular surface 42, although / 00172 ⁇
• the space 35 places the cylindrical reservoir 1 in communication with the grooves 5 of the rod 4, so that the product contained in said cylindrical reservoir 1 can be expelled through the passage 35, the grooves 5 and the outlet orifice 6, while the piston 2 and the crown 10 descend into said cylindrical reservoir 1, towards the bottom 16.
• This movement stops when the crown 10 abuts against said bottom 16.
• the crown 10 has a face 17 directed towards the bottom 16 which has a shape substantially complementary to that of said bottom 16 and of the ball 27, so that when the crown 10 is in abutment against the bottom 16, substantially all of the product contained in the cylindrical tank 1 has been expelled.
• FIG. 5 shows a variant of the device of FIG. 1, in which an elastic means such as a helical spring 36 is disposed between the annular wall of the pusher 3 and the piston 2, so as to elastically urge the piston 2 towards the crown 10.
• an elastic means such as a helical spring 36 is disposed between the annular wall of the pusher 3 and the piston 2, so as to elastically urge the piston 2 towards the crown 10.
• This variant can be useful especially in the case where the volume of the dose to be projected is relatively large, and where the stroke of the piston 2 in the cylindrical reservoir 1 is relatively large. Indeed, it could be possible while a user interrupts or slows down the movement of the piston 2 in the cylindrical tank 1 during the stroke of said piston 2.
• FIGs 6 and 7 show another variant of the device of the invention, in which the internal sleeve 11 of the piston 2 is placed in abutment against the annular wall 9, when the piston is in its storage position. So the displacement of the piston towards its actuation position, as shown in Figure 7, is by deformation of a portion of the inner sleeve 11 of the piston, radially outward, in the vicinity of the annular wall 9 of the pusher.
• the ring 10 it is particularly advantageous for the ring 10 to have a cylindrical surface 44 on which a complementary cylindrical part of the piston slides with sealing. If the height of the cylindrical surface 44 is called h, the piston 2 must move away from the crown 10 by the distance h before freeing the passage between the product reservoir 1 and the outlet grooves 5. This distance h traveled by the piston corresponds to a predetermined compression of the sleeve 11 which itself corresponds to a predetermined force exerted by the sleeve 11 on the piston 2: thus, it is ensured that the product is only expelled if the pressure inside the tank 1 reaches a predetermined value, and therefore said product is sprayed finely.
• FIG. 9 represents a variant of the device of FIGS. 6 and 7, in which the internal sleeve 11 of the piston has longitudinal slots 37 which extend over part of its length in the vicinity of the annular wall 9 of the pusher 3, so to facilitate the deformation of said internal sleeve 11.
• the seal between the piston 2 and the pusher can no longer be ensured at the level of the annular wall 9. It is then possible to produce a peripheral sealing lip 45 between the sleeve 11 of the piston and the cylindrical wall 7 of the pusher, as shown in FIG. 10.
• This lip 45 could be formed for example inside the sleeve 11, but could also be formed outside the cylindrical wall 7. It will be noted that the variants described above of the device of the invention could also be equipped with the sealing lip 45, replacing the sealing by abutment of the sleeve 11 against the wall 9.
• the device of the invention can be filled with product according to the following process:
• the step of evacuating the vacuum chamber can be placed after the step of introducing into the reservoir 1 a volume of product measured externally.
• the volume of product introduced into the tank 1 is chosen between 0 and a maximum volume. This is particularly advantageous insofar as the same spraying device according to the invention can be used to contain doses of products various, which makes it possible to produce in larger series and therefore at a lower cost.
• the enlarged base 19 of the endpiece 18 may include slots 46, which make it possible to precisely adjust the position of the reservoir 1 relative to the piston 2, in order to precisely fix the maximum volume of product which can contained in said tank 1.
• the slots 46 make it possible to press the piston 2 and not the pusher 3 during the positioning of said piston in the cylindrical tank 1. This prevents the piston 2 from leaving its position storage during its installation, due to the friction between said piston and the cylindrical tank 1.
• the orifice 26 of the bottom 16 can be extended towards the outside by a conduit 47 provided with longitudinal slots 48.
• the ball 27 can be partially introduced into the conduit 48 without blocking the orifice 26, which then communicates with outside by the slots 48.
• Figures 12 to 14 there is shown a variant of the invention which aims to more surely maintain the device in its storage position.
• the piston 2 is not shown, any more than the rod 4 and the crown 10.
• the reservoir 1 has two grooves 100 in a plane perpendicular to the axis of the device, and each groove 100 communicates at one end with an axial groove 101 which moves away from the pusher 3.
• the pusher 3 comprises two elastic arms 102 substantially axial, which each extend to a free end provided with a lug 103 which in the rest position, enters a groove 100 at its end which does not communicate with an axial groove 101. In the rest position, the pusher 3 is therefore immobilized axially, relative to the reservoir 1.
• a welding point 104 is produced between the pusher 3 and the reservoir 1, in order to guarantee that the two parts do not move relative to each other during storage or transport, and to put clearly any opening of the device or any actuation of the device, the weld point 104 being broken during the opening or actuation.
• the device comprises an anti-opening security which consists of elastic lugs 105 snapped into orifices 106 in the pusher when the device is in its storage position.
• the pins have a lower face 105a whose normal is directed axially away from the outlet 30 of the pusher 3, and an inclined upper face 105b whose normal has an axial component directed towards the end piece 18 and a radial component directed towards outside.
• the lower face 105a abuts against the wall of the pusher while preventing the reservoir 1 from being withdrawn, while when the reservoir 1 is urged towards the outlet 30 of the pusher, the inclined face 105b pushes back radially inward the lug 105 and the emerges from the orifice 106, which allows actuation.
• the pusher 3 further comprises orifices 107 in which the lugs 105 engage when the device is in its end of actuation position, so that the reservoir 1 cannot be opened to be refilled.
• the reservoir 1 it is advantageous for the reservoir 1 to be guided in its axial movement relative to the pusher 3, so that the pins 105 certainly penetrate into the orifices 107.
• the pusher 3 has detachable pads 108 and the reservoir 1 has axial rods 109 in correspondence, which punch the pellets 108 by detaching them from the pusher 3 during actuation. This avoids inadvertent actuation during storage or transport, and the detachment of the pellets 108 highlights the fact that the device has already been actuated.
• FIGS. 12 to 17 could apply to a device in which the piston is not held by wedging, and more generally to any device of the general type of that of the invention, having a cylindrical reservoir , and a piston secured to a pusher and provided with an outlet passage.

Landscapes

• Containers And Packaging Bodies Having A Special Means To Remove Contents (AREA)
• Pistons, Piston Rings, And Cylinders (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (5)

Publications (2)

Family

ID=26228777

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (5)

Families Citing this family (34)

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• 1992
  • 1992-06-25 WO PCT/FR1992/000583 patent/WO1993000172A1/fr active IP Right Grant
  • 1992-06-25 JP JP5501222A patent/JPH06508549A/ja active Pending
  • 1992-06-25 EP EP92913803A patent/EP0591365B1/de not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 1992-06-25 DE DE69206988T patent/DE69206988T2/de not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 1992-06-26 US US08/170,326 patent/US5511698A/en not_active Expired - Lifetime

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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