EP0696479B1 - Packaging device for a product comprising a manual pump for dispensing unitary doses - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to the field packaging technique, and more specifically that of packaging of a product intended for distribution in unit doses using a manual pump.

The subject of the invention is more particularly a packaging and dosing device unitary, and which comprises a rigid external container, in which houses at least the major part of a container deformable internal, intended to contain the product in front be dispensed in unit doses using a pump manual type without air inlet, which is mounted on the open necks of both containers.

We know packaging devices conventional structure, comprising a container on which is adapted a manual pump to dispense the product contained in the container. Such a pump generally comprises a pusher, allowing, at the touch of a finger the user, to cause the displacement of a piston in a pumping chamber, the volume of which determines the dose at distribute. A first valve isolates this room of the internal volume of the container, when the product is expelled from this room by a second valve, under the effect displacement of the piston by pressing on the pusher, and the second valve isolates the room from the outside, when this chamber is filled with the first valve of a dose of product from inside the container, and drawn into the chamber by the return of the piston towards its initial position, pressing against a stop of a body of pump in which the piston slides, and under the action of elastic return means.

Thus, each time the piston returns to the initial position, obtained under the effect of elastic return means, such as a spring, a dose of product is drawn into the pump chamber.

This aspiration of the product causes a depression inside the container.

To prevent outside air from entering the container to compensate for this depression it was proposed packaging and distribution devices comprising a pump without air inlet and a container deformable, which contains the product to be packaged and distribute. Each time a dose of product is expelled from the deformable container, the depression created contracts this deformable container, around which an external container rigid was provided to provide mechanical protection for the deformable internal container. But for a device thus realized works, it is necessary that the container deformable internal can retract.

For this reason, it is necessary to leave enter outside air into the volume delimited between the deformable inner container and rigid outer container.

This air inlet is generally provided in the bottom of the rigid container, in which a passage is arranged for this purpose (see WO-A-93/12013: Fig. 10), but the air intake can also be made around the neck of this rigid container (DE-A-2 710 894).

The major drawback of this type of device conditioning lies in the fact that the inner container deformable, which is made of plastic, must have a small wall thickness to be able to easily deform, and this results in permeability of the wall of the deformable container, and a migration of part of the product and / or evaporation of at least minus a volatile component of the product to be distributed to through this flexible wall of the deformable container.

This phenomenon is particularly noticeable with aqueous, alcoholic and / or products containing one or more volatile materials.

A gas given off by the conditioned product or a vapor resulting from the evaporation of a volatile phase from this product can pass through the thin wall of the deformable container and escape to the outside through the passage reserved for the air intake.

To remedy this drawback, it has been proposed deformable containers made of materials relatively waterproof flexible composites.

However, these materials have the disadvantages of being of a high cost and difficult to implement. In addition, they are never completely waterproof and migration and / or evaporation is always noted after a longer period at least important.

Another solution already proposed to this problem consists of providing a non-return or unidirectional valve, placed in the passage or downstream of the passage intended for the air intake.

Such a valve only allows passage in one direction, and it lets air into the volume between the two containers, when the suction due to the return of the piston pump to its rest position, pressing against a stop of the pump body, requires it, but prevents the outlet to the exterior of gas and / or vapor whose presence in the volume between the two containers results from evaporation and of the volatile phase (s) of the product contained in the container deformable through the thin wall of this container.

Thus, the evaporation of the product and its migration to the volume between the two containers ceases as soon as this volume reaches saturation.

But, the implementation of check valves of this type requires the manufacture and assembly of at least one additional piece to make this valve, which significantly increases the cost of the device.

A second drawback of this type of device packaging, including a manual pump without inlet of air suitable for a set of two containers, one of which deformable internal and a rigid external, lies in the cost of manufacturing the deformable container.

The two processes currently used for manufacture these deformable thin-walled containers are extrusion blow molding and injection blow molding plastic.

These two methods do not allow obtaining all desirable shapes of container necks, and they also do not allow obtaining parts at very low price.

A first object of the invention is to remedy the main disadvantage stated above, by proposing a structure of packaging and distribution device not requiring additional parts for make a non-return valve allowing air entry outside in the volume between the two containers and opposing the exit of gas or vapor from this volume.

A second object of the invention is to allow the manufacture of deformable thin-walled containers by the plastic injection technique, by proposing, especially for this purpose, special wall shapes which allow to use this technique, and who also the advantage of allowing easy insertion of the container deformable inside the rigid container, as well as the possibility of completely emptying the deformable container of product it contains, in packaging devices and manual pump distribution according to the invention and as presented above.

In order to achieve the main object of the invention, it offers a packaging device and distribution of a product, comprising an external container rigid, open neck, deformable internal container, neck open and which is basically housed in the container external, and intended to contain a product to be packaged and distribute, and a manual pump of the type without air inlet in the internal container and intended to distribute the produced in unit doses, and which is mounted on the neck of the outer container and tightly on the neck of the internal container using sealing means, the device characterized in that the outer container is closed bottom, the inner container has a stiffer neck that its deformable body, and at least one of the collars delimits at least partially, outside the sealing means at least one air passage and / or orifice in the volume delimited between the two containers, and the pump has a body mounted on the necks of the containers and having, at least outside the sealing means, an air inlet in the volume between the two containers, so that said passage and orifices air intake define in succession a duct allowing the entry of outside air into the volume between the two containers, at least when the pump is activated, and the device further comprises means for confining any part of the product passing through the deformable body of the internal container, from the internal volume to the latter towards the volume between the two containers, and tending to escape to the outside through the air intake duct, at least when the pump is not activated.

Thus, air can pass through these passages and orifices successive and compensate for the depression created between the deformable container and the rigid protective container, when the user operates the pump. On the other hand, the gas and / or vapor (s) resulting from the evaporation of the product located in the deformable container and having passed through the wall of the latter cannot or cannot escape by taking these successive passages and orifices, because their path will be blocked by means of containment.

In a first embodiment, advantageously simple, the air inlet passages and external and internal containers and the pump are in permanent communication with each other, so the air inlet duct is permanently open, and the containment means include a sealed cover, fixing removably and tightly on the device, around the pump and container necks, and the conduit air inlet opens inside the hood when this the latter is fixed on the device.

In this embodiment, the confinement is therefore provided by a cover, which such a device generally comprises, so no additional parts are required.

When the device is fitted with a pump of the type comprising a piston, applied against a stop of the body pump by elastic return means, in the position of rest of the pump, and moved away from the stop against the elastic return means by manual user support on a pusher, when the pump is activated, it is so advantageous that, as in the previous embodiment, the air intake passages and orifices of the receptacles external and internal and the pump are in communication permanent with each other, so that the conduit air inlet is permanently open, but the means of containment include the stopper, which has one end annular and conical, forming a tight seat, in contact with a peripheral conical part of the piston, in the position of pump rest, the stop delimiting with the body of pumps at least one passage allowing air to pass from the outside from the device to the air intake duct, as soon as the piston is moved away from the conical end of the stop, when the pump is activated.

In this variant, it is not enough to remove the removable cover, generally provided on this type of device, to admit air into the volume between the containers, but the pump must be operated. However, as long as it is not actuated, and even if the cover is removed, containment vapors and gases from the product in the container internal, and having been able to pass through the volume between the two containers, is ensured by the cooperation of the stop with the piston, in the rest position.

When the sealing means of mounting the pump on the neck of the inner container include a seal ring seal, surrounding the pump body and retained between the latter and this pass, it is advantageous that, according to another variant of the device of the invention, the air inlet port of the internal container, which passes through the neck of the latter outside the seal, either in permanent communication, on the one hand, with the air inlet passage of the external container (passing through its col), and, on the other hand, with an annular space, delimited between the pump body and the neck of the internal container, and into which the air inlet opening of the body of pump, and the means of containment include the seal annular seal, which is elastic and substantially flat, and has at least one part extending in said annular space and forming non-return valve, applying resiliently against the pump body in position shutting off its air inlet when the pump is not in the pumping phase of a dose of product out of the internal volume of the internal container, while the seal seal flexes elastically inward of the annular space and clears the air inlet port of the pump body, to put the outside of the device in communication with the volume between the containers, under the effect of the depression produced in this volume between the two containers, in the pumping phase of a dose of product outside the internal volume of the internal container.

Thus, the outside air can enter the volume between the two containers passing through the inlet of air formed in the pump body, and pushing the gasket forming a valve, but gases and vapors cannot escape the other way because their pressure causes the air inlet opening to close of the pump by applying the seal against this orifice, or adds its effects to the inherent elasticity of the joint to return to the closed position of the pump body air inlet.

Thus, the evaporation of the product through the deformable container is stopped, as soon as saturation is reached in the volume between the two containers. This volume being a closed space, by the joint sealing forming a valve, or extended by an enclosed space delimited by the cover or by the cooperation of the piston of pump and its stop, depending on the variant, and only air outside that can penetrate into this volume between the containers, whereas no gas and no vapor can exit to the outside, it is also advantageous that this volume between containers contains at least one body chemical or a substance capable of fixing a gas and / or a vapor contained in the outside air admitted into this volume, to prevent the diffusion of this gas or vapor to through the wall of the internal container and towards the product in the interior volume of the latter. For exemple, this chemical body can fix oxygen from the air or vapor of water contained in the outside air, and the diffusion of which towards the inside of the deformable container, through the wall of the latter, would have the effect of degrading the products sensitive to oxidation or humidity.

The second object of the invention, namely the use special wall shapes to use the plastic injection technique for manufacturing of deformable containers, is affected by the fact that the internal plastic container is shaped general cylindrical with closed bottom at one end opposite to that arranged in an open collar extending its deformable body thin-walled with longitudinal ribs in protruding inwards, and of thickness and / or width gradually decreasing (s) from the bottom to the neck. This structure of the deformable container with thin wall allows the release of the inner part and the shape of the longitudinal ribs promotes the passage of material plastic melted during the injection of the part. So, he very thin-walled containers can be molded, and easily deformable, without using injection pressure high.

When using a deformable container thus produced in the packaging device of the invention, the raised ribs make it possible to obtain that different parts of the wall of the deformable container do not do not stick against each other, and do not imprison no portion of the product in a space it would not be possible to drain. In addition, the cylindrical shape of the deformable container with thin and flexible wall allows its easy and deformation-free introduction into the container external rigid which protects it.

Advantageously, the external container is also plastic and generally cylindrical in shape, and the rigid wall of its body is provided with longitudinal grooves formed in its internal face, and at least one of which extends, from the neck to the bottom of this container, at least one groove forming an air inlet passage in the neck of the rigid container. This structure of the outer container is advantageous in that it makes it possible to mold it by injection, without significantly increasing its thickness. Advantageously, so that the two containers can be assembled in the factory, and to prevent them from separating during their transport, it is expected that the necks of the outer containers and internal are provided with projections and / or recesses having complementary forms of coupling allowing the attachment of the two containers to each other by their neck, after introduction of the internal container into the outer container whose neck has an inner diameter larger than the diameter of the inner container, to allow easy introduction of the latter into the container external. This attachment can be obtained by wedging and / or elastic interlocking by the cooperation of forms complementary to the projections and / or hollows complementary to the passes.

• la figure 1 est une vue schématique en coupe axiale d'un premier exemple de dispositif conforme à l'invention, comportant un récipient interne déformable et un récipient externe protecteur avec lesquels coopère une pompe manuelle de distribution en doses unitaires d'un produit contenu dans le récipient déformable;
• la figure 2 est une vue agrandie en coupe partielle représentant les passage et orifices d'entrée d'air extérieur au travers de la pompe et des cols des récipients d'un dispositif analogue à celui de la figure 1;
• les figures 3 et 4 sont des vues analogues à la figure 2 pour respectivement un second et un troisième exemple de réalisation du dispositif;
• la figure 5 est une vue schématique en coupe axiale d'un récipient déformable utilisable dans un dispositif selon l'invention;
• la figure 6 est une vue schématique en coupe axiale partielle du récipient déformable de la figure 5 assemblé dans un récipient rigide; et
• la figure 7 est une vue analogue à la figure 6 pour une variante de récipient rigide.

Other characteristics and advantages of the invention emerge from the description given below, with reference to the appended drawings, which represent, by way of non-limiting examples, embodiments and implementation of the object of the invention. In these drawings:

• FIG. 1 is a schematic view in axial section of a first example of a device according to the invention, comprising a deformable internal container and a protective external container with which a manual pump for dispensing unit doses of a product contained in the deformable container;
• FIG. 2 is an enlarged view in partial section showing the passage and orifices for the entry of outside air through the pump and the necks of the containers of a device similar to that of FIG. 1;
• Figures 3 and 4 are views similar to Figure 2 respectively for a second and a third embodiment of the device;
• Figure 5 is a schematic view in axial section of a deformable container usable in a device according to the invention;
• Figure 6 is a schematic view in partial axial section of the deformable container of Figure 5 assembled in a rigid container; and
• Figure 7 is a view similar to Figure 6 for a variant of rigid container.

In the various figures, similar elements or correspondents have been identified by the same references digital.

As shown in Figure 1, the device packaging and distribution includes a container 1 internal and deformable, the body of which has a wall flexible thin plastic, which is mounted in a rigid external container 2, a pump 15, type without air intake, being assembled on open necks 17 and 16 of the receptacles 1 and 2 respectively.

This pump 15 comprises a body 13 having a cylindrical central part, in which slides a piston 6, having a central chimney through which the piston 6 is moved by a pusher 5 provided with a channel distribution 24. A first valve 8 cooperates with a seat around the central opening in the bottom 13a of the part body 13, to isolate the interior volume of the chamber 7, delimited between the piston 6 and the bottom 13a of the body 13, of the interior volume 11 of the deformable container 1. A second valve 9 cooperates with a seat formed around the central opening of an annular stop, provided in the piston chimney 6 to serve as a stop for a spring reminder 10, so that the second valve 9 can isolate the chamber 7 from the outside, through the internal channels of the pusher 5. The spring 10, extending in the chamber 7 between the two valves 8 and 9, recalls the piston 6 in rest position, against a stop projecting radially towards inside the cylindrical part of the body 13.

This cylindrical part of the body 13 is engaged in the inside of the open neck 17, more rigid than the body of the deformable container 1, and an annular seal 4 is mounted around the pump body 13 and between a flange folded down from the latter and the neck 17 of the internal container 1, which collar 17 is applied inside and against the face upper neck 16 of the rigid container 2. The seal between the body 13 of the pump 15 and the neck 17 of the container deformable 1 is thus ensured by the seal 4. The folded rim of the body 13 is provided with a redent 14, in protruding towards the inside of the body 13, and allowing the attachment of the body 13 on a corresponding redent on the neck 16 of the outer container 2, and projecting outwards from this latest.

This mounting of the pump 15 on the collars 16 and 17 of the containers 2 and 1 appear in more detail in FIG. 2, which also shows an orifice 18 formed in the edge of the body 13, and in permanent communication with a volume annular 19, delimited between the rim of the body 13 and the neck 17 of the deformable container 1, to accommodate the seal 4. This annular volume 19 is itself in communication permanent with an orifice 20 formed in the neck 17 of the deformable container 1, radially outside the seal sealing 4, like the orifice 18 of the body 13. This orifice 20 opens into grooves 21 formed, for example axially or longitudinally, in the neck 16 of the container rigid 2, and themselves in permanent communication with the volume 12 delimited between the two containers 1 and 2.

Thus, orifice 18, volume 19, orifice 20 and the grooves 21 delimit, in succession or in continuity, an air intake duct, permanently open between the outside of the pump 15 and of the receptacles 1 and 2, and the volume 12 delimited between these containers 1 and 2.

Finally, a waterproof cover 3 is fixed so removable and waterproof, for example by elastic interlocking, around the pump 15 and the necks 16 and 17 of the containers 1 and 2.

The device, whose structure has just been described, operates as follows: the cover 3 of the pump 15 being removed, manual pressure exerted by the user on push-button 5, successively opens the valve 9 by a central rod of pusher 5 then moves the piston 6 against spring 10 towards bottom 13a of body 13, which allows the product contained in the chamber 7 escape to the outside via the chimney central piston 6 then channel 24 of pusher 5, while that simultaneously, the valve 8 is closed, which prevents any discharge of the product contained in chamber 7 towards the interior 11 of the deformable container 1.

A dose of the product is thus distributed to outside.

When manual pressure on button 5 is not more exercised, the spring 10 recalls the piston 6 until it initial rest position, pressing against the stop in the body 13, and the upper valve 9 closes, which prevents any outside air intake in room 7, and, at contrary and simultaneously the lower valve 8 opens, this which allows a new dose of product to enter the chamber 7 from the interior volume 11 of the container internal 1.

This aspiration of the product from volume 11 creates a depression inside this volume 11, which has consequence of causing a contraction of the container deformable 1, to compensate for the loss of volume.

This deformation of the container 1 causes itself a suction in the volume 12 delimited between the two containers 1 and 2, and it is necessary to let in air coming from outside to compensate for this depression. As cover 3 is removed, outside air passes through the orifice 18, then through the annular space 19, then through port 20 and finally enters volume 12 in using the passage created by the grooves 21 in the neck 16 of the rigid container 2.

Between two uses of the device, or during storage of the product in the packaging device, before use, some phase evaporation volatile of the product, see even a certain migration of a part of the product, can be done through the wall thin body of the deformable container 1. This evaporation and / or migration, due to the permeability of the material thin plastic constituting this wall, causes an accumulation of vapors and / or gases, or even product, in volume 12 between containers 1 and 2, and causes an increase in pressure.

These gases and / or vapors tend to borrow the opposite path to that taken by the outside air, when a depression is created in this same volume 12. This reverse path is stopped by cover 3, which is waterproof and is fixed with sealing on the body 13 of the pump 15, because this cover 3 is in place on the device, between two uses or before using this latest.

The cover 3 thus constitutes a means of containment gases and / or vapors which could accumulate in the volume 12 between containers 1 and 2, since this volume 12 is in permanent communication with the inside of the cover 3, mounted on the device, by the air intake duct formed through the orifices and passage 18, 19, 20 and 21.

In the variant of Figure 3, the body stop 13 of the pump 15, against which the spring 10 recalls the piston 6, when the pump is not actuated, is a part 27 comprising a cylindrical part engaged in the body 13 and a radial annular part, and this part 27 is made integral with the body 13 by clamping in it latest. This stop 27 comprises, in its cylindrical part, longitudinal or axial grooves 28 in its face facing the body 13, and this part of the stop 27 is ends, on the side of the piston 6, with an annular end 29 conical in shape, constituting a seat collaborating with a peripheral part 30, also conical, on the piston 6, so that the tapered end 29 of the stopper 27 and the conical part 30 of piston 6 seal tightly the lower end of the grooves 28, when the piston 6 is returned by the spring 10 in the rest position, and so the bottom end of the grooves 28 is open to the outside of the pump 15, when the piston 6 is not in the rest position, because the pusher 5 is or has been pressed. The end of the grooves 28 which is opposite the conical end 29, is in communication permanent with a volume 31, delimited between the edge of the body 13 and the annular radial part of the stop 27, and into which opens the orifice 18 formed in the body 13 and in permanent communication, as in the previous example, with the annular volume 19 for housing the seal 4, the orifice 20 passing through the neck 17 of the container deformable 1 and the grooves 21 forming an inlet passage air in the neck 16 of the rigid container 2, delimiting thus a permanently open air intake duct opening into the volume 12 between the receptacles 1 and 2.

Thus, the gases and / or vapors accumulated in the volume 12, coming from the product inside the deformable container 1, and having passed through its wall, and which would like to escape towards the outside by the grooves 21, the orifice 20, the volume 19 and the orifice 18, are confined in volume 31 and grooves 28, delimited between the body 13 and the stopper 27, as long as the pump 15 is not used and that the piston 6 is in leaktight support by its conical part 30 against the conical end 29 of the stop 27. On the other hand, during use of the pump 15, the piston 6 is not in contact with the stop 27, the end bottom of the grooves 28 is not blocked, and the air outside can use the passage delimited by grooves 28, volume 31 and the air intake duct 18-19-20-21 to enter volume 12 and compensate for the depression created in this volume by the operation of the pump 15.

In the variant of Figure 4, unlike embodiments of Figures 2 and 3, the orifice 18 in the body 13 of pump 15 is not directly related to the annular space 19 housing the seal 4, but is separated from space 19 by a part of this joint seal 4, which is annular, elastic and flat, and which applies by its natural elasticity against the body 13 by closing hole 18. For the rest, we find that space 19 is in permanent communication with the orifice 20 in the neck 17 of the deformable container 1, the orifice 20 itself being in permanent communication with the grooves 21, formed in the neck 16 of the rigid container 2, for lead into volume 12 between containers 1 and 2.

Under the effect of a depression in this volume 12, a suction develops in the grooves 21, the orifice 20 and space 19, and under the effect of this aspiration, the external radial part of the seal 4, which closes the orifice 18, is flexed inward of space 19, and releases the orifice 18 thereby allowing air to enter from the outside towards volume 12. On the other hand, any pressure is developing in space 19 through orifice 20 and the grooves 21, due to gases and / or vapors present in volume 12 has the effect of pressing the seal 4 against the body 13 by closing the orifice 18, and does not allow not the passage of these gases and / or vapors to the outside.

In the variant of Figure 4, the seal 4 acts as a non-return valve, and allows passage of air from the outside to volume 12, but prevents the escape of vapors and / or gases to the outside, from this volume 12, even in the absence of the cover 3. It nor is it essential to provide such a stop that 27 in FIG. 3. The stop limiting the displacement of the piston 6 can be as shown in FIG. 2.

This produces a packaging device and distribution in which the permeability of the wall of the deformable container 1 no longer poses a problem, since the migration and / or evaporation of part of the product contained in the interior volume 11 of the deformable container 1 is stopped when saturation is reached in volume 12 located between containers 1 and 2.

It should be noted that this result is achieved without the addition of additional parts.

If it is feared that a gas, such as oxygen, or a vapor, such as water vapor, present in the air contained in said volume 12, outside the container deformable 1, can diffuse through the thin wall of this container 1 and come to present a risk of oxidation or humidification for the product therein, a simple remedy for this problem is to introduce into the volume 12, before installing the pump 15 on the necks 16 and 17 of receptacles 1 and 2, a chemical substance or body able to fix or absorb this gas or vapor.

In the variant of Figure 4, in particular, the seal 4, forming a non-return valve, prevents any exit of this substance or chemical towards outside the device and also prevents any exchange with the outside, likely to saturate this substance or this chemical body absorbing oxygen or water vapor.

FIG. 5 represents, in axial section, a advantageous embodiment of the deformable container 1, to which it was given a cylindrical shape, in order to allow its manufacturing with a flexible and thin wall of its body, by molding according to the plastic injection technique. The internal volume 11 of the deformable container 1 is obtained, in the molding tool, by a core whose shape cylindrical allows demoulding without undercut. In the example of figure 5, the thin and flexible wall of the body cylindrical of the deformable container 1 present, on its face internal and radially projecting inward, ribs longitudinal 22 which, on the one hand, facilitate the passage of plastic during injection, from a injection point located at the closed bottom 23, at the opposite of the neck 17 of this container 1, and which, on the other hand, allow the molten plastic during the injection to fill more easily the massive part of the col 17, and to avoid braking of this plastic material by the weakness of the thickness of the body wall cylindrical of this deformable container 1. These ribs 22 gradually have a width and a thickness decreasing from the closed bottom 23, at the point injection, and towards the neck 17, because the remaining distance to be covered by the material plastic during the injection decreases when this material approaches neck 17.

The problem of obtaining deformable containers 1 with thin wall, by manufacturing by molding according to the plastic injection technique, is therefore resolved by a structure of this container 1 comprising these ribs 22, which facilitate the passage of the injection material during molding and which do not interfere in any way with the deformation of this container 1, in use.

In the absence of these ribs 22, during this use, container 1 may occur distorts in an uncontrolled manner, and parts opposite of its wall stick to each other halfway up, which would cut communication of the product remaining in the bottom of the deformable container 1 to pump 15. This phenomenon would cause a loss important product.

The presence of the ribs 22, intended to facilitate the molding of the deformable container 1, creates a space between each rib 22 and the flexible wall part which is attached to it opposite, which results in sparing a passage for the product, even if the parties are brought together opposite walls against each other.

Figure 6 partially shows a variant preferred of the invention, in which the two containers 1 and 2 constitute an assembled assembly, the container deformable 1 being that of FIG. 5, in which the orifice 20 crossing its neck 17 is formed in the bottom of a annular shoulder 19 ′, delimiting the annular space 19 in an embodiment such as that of FIG. 4.

In FIG. 6, the deformable container 1, of shaped cylindrical, is assembled in the rigid external container and protector 2, the neck 16 of which has the grooves 21, Le outer diameter of the deformable body of the container 1 is smaller than the inside diameter of the container neck 16 rigid external 2, which allows the easy introduction of the first in the second, without special machine.

However, a projection 25, directed radially towards the outside of the container 1, and formed in the neck 17 of the container 1, allows to hang by elastic interlocking this container 1 in container 2, the neck 16 of which has a projection 26, directed towards the inside of the containers and internal diameter slightly smaller than the external diameter of the projection 25 of corresponding shape and mating with it on the internal container 1. The projection 26 of the neck 16 of the rigid container 2 may have recesses and be made with a fluted shape, that is to say comprising vertical recesses around its entire circumference.

We thus produced a set of two containers 1 and 2 easy to assemble and cannot be separated each other during transport. It is clear that the outer container 2 is advantageously also shaped cylindrical, and can be molded in plastic by injection, with a closed bottom.

Figure 7 shows a similar set of two receptacles 1 and 2 joined together by respective projections 25 and 26, and in which the internal face of the body cylindrical of the rigid outer container 2 has longitudinal or axial grooves 21 ', some of which extend from the neck 16 towards the closed bottom of this container 2, the grooves 21 delimited for the passage of air in the neck 16 by the projection (s) 26 of the latter.

This configuration allows the container to be molded rigid 2 by the plastic injection process, the shape particular of the projection 26, and of the grooves 21 and 21 ' reducing the undercut part of the nucleus in the mold and allowing easier release.

Note that containers 1 and 2 can hang by their collars 16 and 17 by means of other projections and / or recesses of complementary shapes, without departing from the scope of the invention. By example, a raised projection on the neck 16 of the container rigid 2 can cooperate for this purpose with a hollow groove in the neck 17 of the deformable container 1.

Claims (10)

1. Device for packaging and dispensing a product, comprising a rigid outer container (2), with an open neck (16), a deformable inner container (1), with an open neck (17) and which is essentially accommodated inside the outer container (2), and intended to contain a product to be packaged and dispensed, and a manual pump (15) of the type without air intake into the inner container (1), and intended to dispense the product in individual metered amounts, and which is mounted on the neck (16) of the outer container (2) and in a leaktight manner on the neck (17) of the inner container (1) with the aid of leaktight means (4), characterized in that the outer container (2) has a closed bottom, the inner container (1) has its neck (17) which is more rigid than its deformable body, and at least one of said necks (16, 17) delimits at least partially, outside the leaktight means (4), at least one passage (21) and/or orifice (20) for air intake into the volume (12) delimited between the containers (1, 2), and the pump (15) includes a body (13) mounted on the necks (16, 17) of the containers (1, 2) and which has, outside the leaktight means (4), at least one orifice (18) for air intake into said volume (12) between the containers (1, 2), so that said passage (21) and orifices (20, 18) for air intake define in succession a channel permitting the intake of external air into the volume (12) between the containers (1, 2), at least when the pump (15) is actuated, and the device also comprises means for confining (3, 4-19, 27-28-29-30,31) any part of the product passing through the deformable body of the inner container (1) from the internal volume (11) of the latter towards the volume (12) between the containers (1, 2), and tending to escape towards the outside via the channel (18, 20, 21) for air intake, at least when the pump is not actuated.
2. Device according to Claim 1, characterized in that the passage (21) and orifices (18, 20) for air intake of the outer (2) and inner (1) containers and of the pump (15) are in permanent communication with one another, so that the channel for air intake is permanently open, and the confinement means comprise a leaktight cap (3) fixed removably and in a leaktight manner on the device, around the pump (15) and the necks (16, 17) of the containers (1, 2), and inside which the channel (18, 20, 21) for air intake opens out when the cap (3) is fastened on the device.
3. Device according to Claim 1, in which the pump (15) is of the type comprising a piston (6), applied against a stop (27) of the body (13) of the pump (15) by means for elastic return (10) to the rest position of the pump (15) and separated from the stop (27) against the elastic return means (10) by manual pressure on a plunger (5) when the pump (15) is actuated, characterized in that the passage (21) and orifices (18, 20) for air intake of the outer (2) and inner (1) containers and of the pump (15) are in permanent communication with one another, so that the channel for air intake is permanently open, and the confinement means comprise the stop (27) which has an annular and conical end (29), forming a leaktight seat, in contact with a conical peripheral part (30) of the piston (6), and which delimits, with the body (13) of the pump (15), at least one passage (28, 31) allowing air to pass from the outside of the device towards the channel (18, 20, 21) for air intake as soon as the piston (6) is separated from the conical end (29) of the stop (27).
4. Device according to Claim 3, characterized in that the stop (27) delimits, with the pump body (13), firstly, a volume (31) into which the channel (18, 20, 21) for air intake opens out and, secondly, at least one groove (28) opening out into said volume (31) and extending as far as said conical end (29) of the stop (27) in order to allow air to pass from the outside of the device towards said volume (31) as soon as the piston (6) is separated from said conical end (29) of the stop (27).
5. Device according to Claim 1, in which the leaktight means for mounting the pump (15) on the neck (17) of the inner container (1) comprise an annular seal (4) surrounding the body (13) of the pump and held between the latter and the neck (17), characterized in that the orifice (20) for air intake of the inner container (1) is in permanent communication, firstly, with the passage (21) for air intake of the outer container (2) and, secondly, with an annular space (19) delimited between the pump body (13) and the neck (17) of the inner container (1) and into which the orifice (18) for air intake of the pump body (13) opens out, and the confinement means comprise said annular seal (4), which is substantially flat and elastic and has at least one part extending into said annular space (19) and forms a non-return valve by pressing elastically against the pump body (13) in the position in which its orifice (18) for air intake is closed off when the pump (15) is not in a phase of pumping a metered amount of product out of the inner volume (11) of the inner container (1), whilst the seal (4) flexes elastically towards the inside of the annular space (19) and clears the orifice (18) for air intake of the pump body (13) in order to place the outside of the device in communication with the volume (12) between the containers (1, 2) through the effect of the reduced pressure produced in the volume (12) between the containers (1, 2) in the phase of pumping a metered amount of product out of the internal volume (11) of the inner container (1).
6. Device according to any one of Claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the volume (12) between the containers (1, 2) contains at least one chemical body capable of fixing a gas and/or a vapour contained in the outside air admitted into this volume (12) in order to prevent its diffusion through the wall of the inner container (1) and towards the internal volume (11) of the latter.
7. Device according to any one of Claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the inner container (1) is made from plastic and has a general cylindrical shape with a closed bottom at an end opposite that arranged as an open neck (17), extending its thin-walled deformable body equipped with longitudinal ribs (22) projecting inwards, and of a thickness and/or width progressively decreasing from the bottom towards the neck (17) of the inner container (1).
8. Device according to any one of Claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the outer container (2) is also made from plastic and has a general cylindrical shape, and the rigid wall of its body is equipped with longitudinal grooves (21') in its inner face and at least one of which extends, from the neck (16) towards the bottom of this container (2), at least one groove (21) forming a passage for air intake in said neck (16).
9. Device according to any one of Claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the necks (16, 17) of the outer (2) and inner (1) containers are provided with projections (26, 25) and/or hollows having complementary shapes for coupling, permitting fastening of the two containers (1, 2) on each other via their necks (16, 17) after insertion of the inner container (1) into the outer container (2), the neck (16) of which has an internal diameter greater than the diameter of the body of the inner container (1) so as to permit easy insertion of the latter into the outer container (2).
10. Device according to any one of Claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the body (13) of the pump (15) includes a peg (14) permitting fastening over a corresponding peg on the neck (16) of the outer container (2).

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