EP0755880B1 - Dispensing means for a pressurised product and container provided with such means - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a device for distribution of a product stored under pressure in a container provided with a control rod valve, in particular but not exclusively a valve with lateral push opening on a rod tilt control, and more precisely a device of the type comprising a snap-on cap on the container, provided with a nozzle tubular to be engaged on the control rod to form with this last one product passage channel, an annular space externally bordering the end piece.

The annular space externally bordering the tip of the caps known dispensing devices is empty of material in a concern for economy and, so far, the mounting of the caps has carried out by machines which have to respect a very close alignment precise tip and control rod prior to snapping of the cap, to avoid the risk of fixing it with the control rod not engaged in the end piece and extending in oblique outside of it in the aforementioned annular space, this which is of course essential to avoid because it could lead breakage of the control rod or emptying of the container.

We know from the European patent application 0 037 903 a device for dispensing a product stored under pressure in a container, comprising a snap-on cap on the container. The latter is provided with a control rod valve, opening by axial thrust on the control rod. The control rod is fixed on the body of the container by means of a cup. The device has a tip to be engaged on the control rod and forming with the latter a product passage channel. This tip presents below a cylindrical part sliding on a boss formed in the center of the cup. The tip cannot be lowered onto the rod only if, beforehand, the lower cylindrical part of the nozzle was engaged on the boss of the cup. Such device requires on the one hand a special conformation of the cup bearing the control rod and on the other hand applies exclusively to a container with a push-open control rod axial.

The present invention relates to a new device in which the assembly of the cap is facilitated and can be carried out in safe even by an inexperienced operator.

It achieves this by the fact that the cap has at least a scope disposed outside the end piece and capable of prohibiting occupancy by the control rod of the annular space bordering externally the tip, in order to oppose the snap of the cap when the control rod is in an inclined position.

Thanks to the invention, it is possible to use for mounting caps on machine containers less precise and therefore less expensive, because the possibility of snapping the cap with the rod command out of the nozzle is deleted.

The Applicant has found that the additional cost caused by the presence of material in the annular space bordering on the outside the tip was a posteriori largely compensated by the gain of productivity provided by the invention.

In addition, in the event of accidental disassembly of the cover by a user, the latter can easily reassemble it without risking to snap it with the control rod not inserted in the nozzle.

In a particular embodiment of the invention, said range is achieved by means of an insert on the end cap, suitable to prohibit the occupation by the control rod of the region ring externally bordering the nozzle.

In another particular embodiment of the invention, the headdress has several scopes in the form fins extending the tip radially outwards.

Advantageously, each span forms a guide structure from the control rod to the nozzle.

The invention also relates to a container equipped with a distribution device as mentioned above.

• la figure 1 est une vue en coupe axiale, schématique, d'un récipient équipé d'une coiffe conforme à un premier exemple de réalisation de l'invention,
• la figure 2 est une vue en coupe axiale, schématique, d'un récipient équipé d'une coiffe conforme à un deuxième exemple de réalisation de l'invention,
• la figure 3 représente isolément l'embout de la coiffe de la figure 2,
• la figure 4 est une section selon le trait de coupe IV/IV de la figure 3,
• la figure 5 est une vue, analogue à la figure 3, représentant l'embout d'une coiffe conforme à un troisième exemple de réalisation de l'invention,
• les figures 6 à 8 correspondent à différentes orientations relatives d'une coiffe conforme à l'invention et du récipient associé, lors de tentatives de mise en place de celle-ci, et
• les figures 9 à 11 illustrent la possibilité de claquer une coiffe connue avec la tige de commande hors de l'embout lors du remontage de la coiffe par un utilisateur non expérimenté.

Other characteristics and advantages of the present invention will appear on reading the detailed description which follows, of three nonlimiting exemplary embodiments of the invention, and on examining the appended drawing in which:

• FIG. 1 is a schematic view in axial section of a container equipped with a cap according to a first embodiment of the invention,
• FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic view in axial section of a container fitted with a cap according to a second embodiment of the invention,
• FIG. 3 represents the tip of the cap of FIG. 2 in isolation,
• FIG. 4 is a section along the section line IV / IV of FIG. 3,
• FIG. 5 is a view, similar to FIG. 3, showing the tip of a cap according to a third embodiment of the invention,
• FIGS. 6 to 8 correspond to different relative orientations of a cap according to the invention and of the associated container, when attempts are made to set it up, and
• Figures 9 to 11 illustrate the possibility of snapping a known cap with the control rod out of the nozzle during reassembly of the cap by an inexperienced user.

FIG. 1 shows a device 1 in accordance with the invention, used for the distribution of a product, such as a deodorant, stored under pressure in a container 2 known as itself, of the aerosol can type.

The device 1 comprises a cap 3 provided in a known manner per se at its lower part of a tubular skirt 4 generally symmetric of revolution around an axis X contained in the plane of section of FIG. 1, comprising at its base an annular bulge 5 radially projecting inwards, to be fixed by snap-fastening, that is to say snap-fastening, in an annular groove 6 formed in upper part, in the shape of a warhead, of the container.

The cap 3 has at its upper part an applicator mobile 7 for dispensing the product, connected to the tubular skirt 4 by a flexible connection, constituted in the example described by a openwork crown 8 to form several flexible tabs.

Applicator 7 can be protected, when not in use of device 1, by a cover 9 to be engaged on the upper end of the tubular skirt 4. The cover 9 is retained by friction or by snap on the tubular skirt 4 and rests, when in place on the cover 3, by its lower end edge 11 on a external shoulder formed by a recess 10 of the tubular skirt 4. The cover 9 is crossed at its upper part by a vent 12, and its external lateral surface is located in the extension of the external surface of the tubular skirt 4 when it is in place on the latter.

The applicator 7 comprises an applicator member 13 intended in the example described coming into contact with the skin and consisting of a slightly deformable and porous pad, obtained by sintering, fixed on a support part 14. The latter has a central wall tubular 15 of axis X, connected at its top to a transverse wall 16 slightly curved upwards, and extended in its part lower by a flat annular wall 17 and perpendicular to the X axis.

The annular wall 17 is connected at its periphery on a tubular wall 18 of axis X, at about half height thereof. The tubular walls 15 and 18 are coaxial and define between them an annular groove 19 open upwards and the bottom of which corresponds to the annular wall 17. The applicator member 13 presents, in axial section in a section plane containing the axis X, the shape of an inverted U whose branches, engaged in the groove annular 19, meet by covering the transverse wall 16.

The tubular wall 18 is connected to the tubular skirt 4 by the crown 8 above. The latter extends at rest perpendicular to the X axis, and it is fixed by its edge radially outer on an inner shoulder formed by the offset 10 and by its radially internal edge on the edge lower end of the tubular wall 18.

The container 2 is provided at its upper end with a valve cup 20 fixed by crimping into an opening in the container and crossed in its center by a control rod tilting 21. The orientation of the latter depends the opening or closing of a valve integrated into the container, known in itself, and also called a lateral deformation valve. The rod 21 is, for its part located outside the container, cylindrical of revolution around an axis coincident with the X axis when it is at rest, in the closed position of the valve, and it is engaged with tightening in an integral end piece 22 of the support part 14. It is crossed axially by a outlet channel of the product to be distributed, leading to its edge upper end 23. The control rod 21 causes the opening of the valve when it is tilted in an oblique position relative to the X axis, by a force exerted on its side transversely to the X axis, for example following the displacement in contact with the skin of the user of the organ application 13 and the deformation of the crown 8 which results therefrom.

The end piece 22 is connected at its upper end to the transverse wall 16 and it is internally stepped to define a maximum insertion position of the control rod 21. The bottom 24 of the nozzle 22 is crossed by an orifice 25 forming a jet breaker for the passage of the product to be distributed. The upper surface of the wall transverse 16 is hollowed out radially, in a manner known per se, in 26, for the distribution on the internal face of the applicator member 13 of the product leaving the orifice 25, in order to achieve a uniform product distribution.

A part 28 is added in the annular groove 29 formed between the end piece 22 and the tubular wall 15. This part 28 can be fixed by any means known to those skilled in the art, by snap-fastening example and presents two coaxial walls 30, 31 joined at their lower end by a concave wall 32 towards the container 2. The wall 30, radially innermost, is internally stepped and has two surfaces 33, 34 cylindrical of revolution around a axis of symmetry coincides with the X axis when the control rod is at rest, and joined by a shoulder 35 perpendicular to this axis of symmetry. The surface 33 is applied to the surface radially of the end piece 22 and the shoulder 35 is in contact with the lower end edge of it. Surface 34 extends down the internal surface of the nozzle 22 in contact with the rod 21. The wall 31 is applied to its upper part by its radially outer surface 36 on the tubular wall 15 and extends axially at its lower part below the annular wall 17 as shown in Figure 1. Reference 37 is the slice lower end of the wall 31. The wall 32 forms an angle of Approximately 78 ° with the X axis in the vicinity of its most radially edge internal. Those skilled in the art will note that the part 28, by its shape, is easy to mold into a plastic material such as polypropylene and that the lower part of the end piece 22, in which is inserted the control rod 21, is also easy to mold because it does not have an undercut.

When the cap 3 is in place on the container 2, the edge lower of the annular bulge 5 extends in a centered circle on the X axis. We indicated by O one of the two intersections of this circle with the section plane of figure 1. We referenced K the arc of larger diameter circle whose center is O and which intersects the edge 38 formed at the junction of the end edge lower 37 and surface 36. The circle of smaller diameter of center O intersecting the edge 39 formed at the junction of the external cylindrical surface of the control rod 21 and its upper end edge 23 is referenced C. It will be noted on Figure 1 that the radius of circle K is greater than that of the circle C so that a rotational movement of the cap 3 around an axis geometric of rotation passing through point O and perpendicular to section plane of Figure 1 is not likely to lead to fixation of the cap 3 with the control rod 21 not engaged in the end piece 22, as will be explained below.

FIGS. 2 to 4 show a device for distribution 1 'in accordance with a second exemplary embodiment of the invention.

We will attribute in the following description the same reference numbers for elements identical to those of the production previous, and which may therefore not be described in new in detail.

The device 1 'differs mainly from the previous one by the support part 14 'of the applicator member 13. The rod control 21 is engaged at its upper end in a nozzle 40 forming an integral part of the support part 14 ', larger length as the end piece 22 previously described and extended radially outwards by fins 41 replacing the insert 28 from the previous realization. The fins 41 came from material with the end piece 40 and are arranged in a star around the latter as shown in FIG. 4. In the example described, the end piece 40 is bordered by twenty fins 41 equidistributed around the X axis and forming an angle of 18 ° between them.

The thickness and the angular spacing of the fins 41 are chosen so as to prevent the control rod 21 from interfering between two adjoining fins and prevent it from occupying the space annular located between the end piece 40 and the tubular wall 15.

The lower free edge 42 of each fin 41 has, in a section plane containing the X axis, a rounded shape, convex towards the exterior, as shown in Figure 3, and all of the fins 41 constitutes a guide structure for the control rod 21 converging on the end piece 40. The latter is chamfered internally to form a 35 ° angled conical mouthpiece approximately on the X axis. Each fin 41 extends radially between the end piece 40 and the wall 15 and protrudes from its end lower 41a radially outermost, below the wall annular 17, as shown in Figure 3. The reference 43 is the radially outermost surface of the lower part of fins 41 and referenced 44 each edge defined at the junction an edge 42 with this surface 43.

It will be noted on examining FIG. 2 that the circle K of center O and of larger diameter containing an edge 44 has a radius greater than that of circle C.

A 14 '' variant of realization of the support part 14 'previously described.

This achievement differs from the previous one by the geometry of the 40 '' nozzle and that of the 41 '' fins. These present a 42 '' lower free edge no longer rounded as in the embodiment previous but plane and perpendicular to the X axis. The 40 '' nozzle extends axially over the entire height of the 41 '' fins and is internally chamfered at its lower end to define a conical surface intended for centering the control rod 21 when mounting the cap, making an angle of about 15 ° with the X axis.

The radially outermost surface of the fins 41 '', projecting under the annular wall 17, and we have referenced 44 '' each edge defined at the junction of this surface lateral 43 '' with a 42 '' edge.

The height of the fins 41 '' is chosen so that the circle K of larger diameter having O for origin and containing an edge 44 '' includes the circle C defined as above.

We will now tackle the installation on a container 2 of the device 1 'described with reference to FIGS. 2 to 4. Of course, the installation of the devices according to the variant embodiments Figures 1 and 5 is similar.

Various positions have been represented in FIGS. 6 to 8 relative of the cover 3 'of the device 1' relative to the container 2. We will usefully compare these figures to Figures 9 to 11 which illustrate the possibility, when using a cap conforming to state of the art, fix the latter with bad positioning of the control rod following, for example, a accidental detachment of the cap and its replacement on the container by an inexperienced user.

Accidental detachment of the cap may occur if the user tries for example to remove the protective cover while the latter is connected to the cap by bands serving as witness of inviolability. The invention avoids the risk of a reassembly of the cover by the user with tilting of this last around a geometric axis of rotation containing the point contact of the lower end of the cap with the throat annular of the container as shown in FIGS. 9 to 11, the user mistakenly believing that he can automatically bring the end piece on the control rod at the end of this tilting. This movement leads, in known devices, to the breakdown of the cap with the control rod out of the nozzle, because the circle C defined as above has a radius greater than the circle K, of so that the end cap E of the cap abuts against the side of the control rod 21 and tilt it as shown in FIG. 10. Access to the annular region A externally bordering the end piece E is possible, in known devices, so that the user can, by pressing the cap enough, snap it on the container despite the fact that the control rod 21 is not not engaged in tip E. The latter is then in a valve open position which leads to the emptying of the container.

On the contrary, thanks to the invention, it is impossible to fix the cover with the control rod in the inclined open position valve. If an inexperienced user attempts to reassemble the 3 'cap by tilting around a geometric axis of rotation containing the point O defined above and perpendicular to the plane section of Figures 6 to 8, the fins 41 prohibit occupation by the control rod 21 of the annular space formed between the end piece 40 and the tubular wall 15, and the trajectory of the edge 44 the most distant from the aforementioned geometric axis of rotation does not intersect the side of the control rod 21, so that the latter remains oriented as shown in Figure 6 in its rest position coaxial with the X axis, in which it presents the best resistance to oppose the placement of the cap.

If the user nevertheless succeeds, by wanting to reset place the cap on the container, tilt the control rod 21 outwards as shown in FIG. 7, the fins 41, which occupy the annular space surrounding the end piece 40, oppose a descent of the cap on the container to snap the annular bulge 5 in the annular groove 6.

When the user does not try to replace the tilting cap as just described but looking rather to engage it by a translational movement parallel to the X axis as shown in FIG. 8, the fins 41 constitute a guide structure which facilitates the introduction of the rod control 21 in the nozzle.

Finally, the invention makes it possible, by eliminating the risk of a snapping of the cover with the control rod out of the end cap benefit on the one hand from increased security when mounting the cap on the container, and on the other hand increase productivity thanks to the wider tolerances it allows for relative positioning of the end cap and the front control rod snapping of the cap, without hampering the maneuverability of the applicator for actuating the valve.

The use of an insert 28 as described in reference to figure 1 is preferred when one wishes to bring little modifications to existing parts and molds used for make them.

Of course, various modifications can be made to the examples of embodiments which have just been described without departing from the part of the present invention.

In particular, the valve can be opened by pressing of the control rod.

Claims (9)

1. Device for dispensing a product stored under pressure in a container (2), this device comprising a shroud (3; 31) to be snap-fitted onto the container, the latter being provided with a valve with an operating stem (21), the shroud comprising a tubular end fitting (22; 40; 40'') to be fitted over the operating stem, and forming with the latter a duct for the passage of the product: there being an annular space around the outside of the end fitting, characterized in that the shroud (3, 3') comprises at least one surface (28; 41; 41'') arranged on the outside of the end fitting and capable of preventing the operating stem (21) from occupying the annular space that there is around the outside of the end fitting (22; 40; 40''), so as to prevent the shroud (3; 3') from being snap-fitted when the operating stem (21) is in an inclined position.
2. Device according to Claim 1, characterized in that the said surface is made by means of a piece (28) attached to the end fitting (22), capable of preventing the operating stem (21) from occupying the annular region (29) around the outside of the end fitting.
3. Device according to Claim 1, characterized in that the shroud has a number of surfaces arranged in the form of fins (41; 41'') extending the end fitting (40; 40'') radially outwards.
4. Device according to Claim 3, characterized in that the lower free edge (42) of the fins (41) is convex outwards.
5. Device according to any one of Claims 1 to 4, characterized in that each surface forms a structure (32; 41) for guiding the operating stem (21) towards the end fitting (22; 40).
6. Device according to Claim 3, characterized in that the lower free edge (42'') of the said fins (41'') is flat.
7. Device according to any one of Claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the end fitting (22; 40; 40'') forms an integral part of a part (14; 14'; 14'') for supporting an applicator member (13) connected by flexible link (8) to the rest of the shroud.
8. Device according to any one of Claim 1 to 7, characterized in that the valve is a valve which can be opened by a sideways thrust on the operating stem.
9. Container containing a product stored under pressure, characterized in that it is equipped with dispensing device (1; 1') in accordance with any one of the preceding claims.

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