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
  • B05B11/0008—Sealing or attachment arrangements between sprayer and container
• • 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
  • B05B11/01—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
  • B05B11/1042—Components or details
  • B05B11/1043—Sealing or attachment arrangements between pump and container
  • B05B11/1046—Sealing or attachment arrangements between pump and container the pump chamber being arranged substantially coaxially to the neck of the container
  • B05B11/1047—Sealing or attachment arrangements between pump and container the pump chamber being arranged substantially coaxially to the neck of the container the pump being preassembled as an independent unit before being mounted on the container

Definitions

• the present invention relates to an improved precompression pump, and more particularly a miniaturized pump, generally actuated by means of a finger, intended to spray fluid products, generally liquid or pasty, such as perfumes, pharmaceutical products or cosmetics.
• a manual precompression pump is described in the document
• This type of pump comprises a hollow cylindrical pump body in which an annular piston slides, said piston being controlled by a push rod which slides in the pump body by a lateral opening.
• the pump body and the piston define a pump chamber, and the piston is displaceable relative to the push rod so as to close the lateral opening of the outlet channel or, on the contrary, to put it in communication with the pump chamber.
• the piston is connected to the push rod by a precompression spring which biases the piston towards a position where said piston closes the lateral opening of the outlet channel.
• the rod When the rod is pressed, it urges the piston towards the pump chamber via the precompression spring, which creates a vacuum in the pump chamber.
• the precompression spring compresses.
• the precompression spring is sufficiently compressed so that the piston releases the lateral opening of the outlet channel, and the product contained in the pump chamber begins to be expelled.
• the lateral opening of the outlet channel is not clearly released by the piston: it therefore does not allow passage than a low product flow.
• the outlet channel of the rod and possibly the spray nozzle are dimensioned for a higher flow, the product flows in the outlet channel and possibly the spray nozzle with too low a speed to create a good spray.
• the present invention aims to solve this technical problem.
• the present invention therefore relates to a precompression pump comprising at least:
• a piston control push rod having an external end which projects out of the pump body, said push rod sliding axially in the center of the piston, said push rod comprising an outlet channel which opens out inside the body of the pump by a lateral opening, the piston being displaceable relative to the push rod so as to close the lateral opening or to make it communicate with the pump chamber, - an elastic precompression means which biases the piston towards the pump chamber and towards a rest position relative to the push rod, where it closes the lateral opening of the outlet channel, characterized in that the pump also comprises a central sealing member displaceable with the push rod and located axially between the piston and the pump chamber, and said central sealing member is in sealed contact with the piston when said piston is in its rest position, isolating it from the pump chamber a central section of the piston.
• the piston has an axial internal cylindrical surface open towards the pump chamber, said central sealing member slides with sealing in said internal cylindrical surface by isolating from said pump chamber said central section of the piston, and said inner cylindrical surface extends axially towards the pump chamber over a distance such that the central sealing member leaves said inner cylindrical surface when the piston is moved by a certain distance D2 relative to the push rod, from its position rest towards the outer end of the push rod.
• the push rod has at least one sealing zone located axially at a location between the lateral opening of the outlet channel and the pump chamber, the piston slides with sealing on said sealing zone, isolating the outlet channel with respect to the pump chamber, the piston leaves said sealing zone when it has moved axially by a distance Dl greater than D2 relative to the push rod, from its rest position in the direction of the end outside of the push rod, and the outlet channel communicates with the pump chamber as soon as the piston has moved from said distance Dl.
• the pump may comprise a return spring for the push rod, and the pump chamber may comprise an inlet valve allowing the filling of said pump chamber after each actuation of the pump.
• said central sealing member is integral with the push rod.
• FIG. 1 is a view in longitudinal section of a pump according to a first embodiment of the invention, in the rest position,
• - Figure 2 is a detail view of the pump of Figure 1, in the rest position
• - Figure 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of a variant of the pump of Figure 1, intended to spray a single dose of product
• FIG. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view of a variant of the pump of Figure 1.
• the pumps described here are generally made of molded plastic, the seals being generally made of elastomer and the springs of metal.
• FIGS. 1 and 2 show a first embodiment of the pump according to the invention.
• the pump of FIGS. 1 and 2 is an improvement on the pump shown in FIG. 7b of European patent EP-0486 378.
• the pump comprises a hollow cylindrical pump body 1, having an axis of revolution 2.
• the pump body 1 extends between an open open upper end, and a lower throttle la.
• the constriction la is extended by an inlet conduit 1b adapted to communicate with a reservoir containing product to be dispensed (not shown), directly or by a dip tube lf.
• the pump body 1 defines a pump chamber 6 which normally contains product to be dispensed, and which communicates with the inlet duct 1b via an inlet valve.
• the inlet valve may for example comprise a conical seat 16 and a ball 15 adapted to be applied in a sealed manner on the conical seat 16 by closing the inlet duct 1b, when an overpressure is created in the pump chamber 6 .
• the ball 15 comes off from its seat 16 by opening the inlet duct 1b.
• the inlet valve could have any other known shape, without departing from the scope of the present invention.
• the pump body 1 can be mounted on the neck of the product reservoir using a metal cup 10 crimped on the open upper end of the pump body, said metal cup having a bottom 10a provided with an orifice central 10b.
• the metal cup 10 further has an enlargement 10c, and an annular flat seal 31b is disposed between the enlargement 10c and the neck of the reservoir.
• the piston 3 has an outer skirt 5, at least one periphery of which is in leaktight contact with the pump body 1.
• the piston has an axial 3d inner duct.
• the piston 3 further comprises an annular lower lip 4 which extends axially towards the constriction 1a of the pump body and which is disposed in the center of the piston 3, around the inner duct 3d.
• the pump comprises an axial push rod 40, centered on the axis 2, which passes through the orifice 10b of the metal cup.
• the push rod 40 is formed in two parts, and comprises an outer sleeve 41 fixed to an inner core 42, by force fitting or by other means.
• the outer sleeve 41 has a shape of revolution around the axis 2. It passes through the central orifice 10b of the metal cup 10, and extends outside the pump body 1, to an outer end or upper 41f, which can receive a pusher 43.
• the pusher 43 allows both the actuation of the pump and the output of the product. As shown in Figure 1, the pusher may have a side outlet, optionally provided with a spray nozzle 43a.
• the pusher 43 could have any other known shape without departing from the scope of the present invention.
• the sleeve 41 has an axial channel 41a which passes through it. From the outer end 41f, the sleeve 41 extends to the inside of the pump body, to a collar 41c which extends substantially radially outward.
• the sleeve 41 may be provided with a cylindrical skirt 41d, which extends towards the lower constriction 1a of the pump body from the collar 41c.
• the cylindrical skirt 41d has an outer diameter smaller than the diameter of the collar 41c, and an inner diameter greater than the outer diameter of the inner core 42.
• the inner core 42 has a first cylindrical part 42c which extends from an upper end 42f in the direction of the lower constriction la of the pump body.
• the upper end 42f is fitted into the sleeve 41.
• Said first cylindrical part 42c of the core 42 extends towards the lower throttle 1a of the pump body by a second part 42d of greater diameter.
• Said second part 42d is here frustoconical, widening upwards; it could possibly be cylindrical.
• the core 42 is pierced with an axial blind channel 42a which communicates with the channel 41a of the outer sleeve 41, and which opens laterally, through at least one orifice 42b formed in the first cylindrical part 42c , in the vicinity of the second part 42d.
• the central internal lip 4 of the piston is cylindrical, and has a cylindrical internal surface 4b having an internal diameter substantially equal to the external diameter of the second cylindrical part 42d of the core 42.
• the lip 4 can slide in leaktight manner on said second part 42d.
• the piston 3 comprises a cylindrical part 45 which extends axially in the direction of the end 1c of the pump body, around the core 42.
• Said cylindrical part 45 has an external diameter substantially equal to the internal diameter of the skirt 41d of the sleeve 41, so that said cylindrical part 45 slides with sealing inside the skirt 41d.
• the cylindrical part 45 and the skirt 41d thus define an annular suction chamber 46, disposed around the core 42, which communicates with the orifice 42b, because the piston 3 is not in sealed contact with the first cylindrical part 42c of the core 42.
• the usefulness of this suction chamber will be seen later.
• the core 42 is extended radially outward by a widening 42e, which itself can extend towards the lower constriction 1a of the pump body by a skirt 42g.
• the skirt 42g cooperates with axial ribs lg, formed inside the pump body 1 and which extend over a certain distance from the lower constriction la of said body pump, to guide the core 42 in its movement inside the pump body.
• the enlargement 42e of the core 42 comprises a crown 44, which extends axially from said enlargement 42 towards the piston 3, up to an end 44c close to the piston 3.
• this crown is interrupted by radial cuts 44a, which extend axially over a certain distance from the end 44c of the crown 44, as shown in FIG. 2.
• the piston 3 has an annular surface 3a radial between the skirt 5 and the lip 4.
• the crown 44 has an inner surface 44b frustoconical, which widens towards the upper end of the body of pump and which exerts a radial clamping force, by wedge effect, on the lip 4 when the ring 44 is in abutment against the surface 3a of the piston.
• the tightness of the contact between the lip 4 and the second part 42d of the core 42 is reinforced, while the clamping force exerted by the crown 44 is precisely controlled by the abutment of said crown 44 against the surface 3a of the piston, which avoids irreversible deformations or jamming of the piston lip 4.
• the second part 42d of the inner core 42 is frustoconical, it forms an annular edge 50 projecting around the core 42.
• said annular edge 50 exerts on the lip 4 a concentrated pressure on an inner peripheral line of the lip 4. In this way, the sealing of the contact between said lip 4 and the part 42d is improved.
• the lip 4 slides with sealing on the second part 42d of the core over a distance Dl.
• the crown 44 further comprises a collar 44d which extends radially outwards.
• the skirt 5 of the piston has a cylindrical inner surface 5a which extends axially from the bearing surface 3a of the piston towards the lower constriction 1a of the pump body.
• the cylindrical surface 5a is extended by a frustoconical surface 5b which extends axially towards the lower constriction 1a of the pump body while widening radially outwards.
• the pump comprises a return spring 48 disposed between the enlargement 42e of the core and the lower constriction la of the pump body.
• the return spring 48 biases the core 42 and therefore the assembly of the push rod 40, towards the open end 1c of the pump body.
• the collar 41c of the sleeve 41 is applied in abutment against the bottom 10a of the metal cup 10.
• an annular seal 31a can be interposed between the collar 41c and the bottom 10a of the dish 10.
• the piston 3 has slots or ribs 49 arranged substantially radially, on which the precompression spring 47 rests.
• the precompression spring 47 is a helical spring, its end turns can be at rest included in a plane not perpendicular to axis 2.
• the spring 47 would have a tendency to deform the piston, or at least the outer skirt 5 of the piston, by imposing on it a certain cant, that is to say a certain rotation about an axis perpendicular to the axis 2.
• the operation of the pump in FIG. 1 is as follows. At rest, the piston 3 is in abutment against the crown 44 and the collar 41c is in abutment against an annular seal 31a interposed between the collar 41c and the bottom 10a of the metal cup.
• a user presses the plunger 43 he lowers the push rod 40 inside the pump body, which biases the piston 3 downwards, due to the precompression spring 47.
• the volume of the chamber pump 6 therefore tends to decrease, so that there is an overpressure which presses the ball 15 against its seat 16, isolating the pump chamber 6.
• the piston 3 cannot descend into the pump chamber: only the push rod 40 therefore descends, and possibly the piston 3 rises slightly in the pump body.
• section S 1 is meant here the projection of the surface of the pu, .on exposed to the pressure of the pump chamber, on a plane perpendicular to the axis 2 of the pump body.
• the volume of the suction chamber 46 increases, and as the piston 3 slides without sealing on the first cylindrical part 42c of the core 42, the suction chamber 46 communicates with the orifice 42b, so that the increase in volume of the suction chamber 46 produces suction in the axial channel 42a of the core 42, in the channel 41a of the sleeve 41, and in the outlet passage of the pusher 43.
• the product contained in the pusher 43 does not drip or ooze outside said pusher during storage of the device, particularly when the product has a pasty consistency.
• the return spring 48 of the push rod 40 could be mounted outside the pump body, for example between a collar of the sleeve 41 and the bottom 10a of the cup 10.
• the pump body 1 is pierced with an air intake orifice 18, located in the vicinity of the upper end of the said pump body.
• the collar 41e is no longer in contact with the seal 31a, so that air can pass between the push rod 40 and the seal 31a.
• the pump could not include an air intake orifice 18, without thereby departing from the scope of the present invention.
• the suction chamber 46 could be omitted without departing from the scope of the present invention.
• the expulsion of the product can begin as soon as the seal between the collar 44a and the skirt 5 is broken, that is to say as soon as the piston has moved distance D2 from the push rod.
• the impulse effect given to the piston when this seal is broken still exists, since the section of the piston exposed to the pump chamber pressure increases suddenly from S1 to S2.
• the impulse given to the piston 3 is less strong than in the example of FIG. 1, since the pressure in the pump chamber begins to decrease as soon as the seal between the collar 44a and the skirt 5 is broken, due to the fact that the expulsion of the product begins at this time.
• the pump of Figure 3 has a structure very similar to that of Figure 1, and will therefore not be described again in detail here.
• This pump differs from that of Figure 1 in that it is intended to spray or dispense a single dose of product, initially contained in the pump chamber 6.
• the pump of Figure 3 does not have a return port air 18. It also does not include the re-suction chamber 46 of the pump of FIG. 1, in which case the piston 3 slides with sealing on the core 42 of the rod 40. It will however be noted that the re-suction chamber 46 could possibly be kept as in FIG. 1, although re-aspiration is of little interest in the present case.
• the pump of FIG. 3 does not have an inlet valve 15, 16, nor an inlet duct 1b, but only a filling passage 60 in the bottom 1a of the pump body, closed by a ball or a other equivalent means.
• the pump of FIG. 4 is a variant of the pump of FIG. 1, in which the collar 44a of the crown 44 slides no longer inside the skirt 5 of the piston, but inside a cylindrical axial wall 5c concentric with the skirt 5.

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Publications (2)

Family

ID=9462582

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (7)

Cited By (13)

Families Citing this family (37)

Family Cites Families (5)

• 1994
  • 1994-04-27 FR FR9405112A patent/FR2719242B1/fr not_active Expired - Fee Related
• 1995
  • 1995-04-14 US US08/732,330 patent/US5803318A/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 1995-04-14 WO PCT/FR1995/000496 patent/WO1995029016A1/fr active IP Right Grant
  • 1995-04-14 ES ES95917405T patent/ES2120747T3/es not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 1995-04-14 JP JP52739395A patent/JP3661062B2/ja not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 1995-04-14 DE DE69503369T patent/DE69503369T2/de not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 1995-04-14 EP EP95917405A patent/EP0757592B1/de not_active Expired - Lifetime

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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