EP0782963A1

EP0782963A1 - Dispenser for pasty products such as toothpastes, cosmetic creams and the like

Info

Publication number: EP0782963A1
Application number: EP96203383A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Piero Battegazzore
Original assignee: Guala Dispensing SRL
Current assignee: Guala Dispensing SRL
Priority date: 1995-12-18
Filing date: 1996-11-29
Publication date: 1997-07-09
Also published as: IT1277097B1; ITMI952658A0; ITMI952658A1

Abstract

A dispenser (1) for pasty products, such as toothpastes, cosmetic creams and the like, that dispenses the desired amount of product accurately and repeatedly, comprises a deformable cap (7) that fits over a rigid container (2) and with the latter defines a pumping chamber (8) which communicates with the container (2) and with the outside via suction (9) and delivery (11) openings, both of which are fitted with shut-off members (10, 12), a portion (17) of predefined large thickness being formed in the said deformable cap (7) so as to form an essentially rigid push button (19).

Description

The present invention relates to a dispenser for pasty products such as toothpastes, cosmetic creams or the like, of the type comprising a deformable cap that fits over a rigid container and with the latter defines a pumping chamber which communicates with the container and with the outside via suction and delivery openings, both of which are fitted with shut-off members.
With these dispensers the pasty product needs to be dispensed in a predefined desired amount.
As is known, in order to dispense the pasty product, the user acts on the deformable cap, pressing it towards the container so as to reduce the volume of the pumping chamber. Known dispensers dispense the product inconsistently and never in the desired amount. In general, pressing down on the deformable cap dispenses less product than is required, so that the user has to perform the action at least twice. If he or she tries to dispense the desired amount of pasty product in one go, an excessive amount is inevitably dispensed. It has been suggested to demarcate a portion of the deformable cap on which the user should preferably press, for example with the thumb, and to give that portion an ergonomic external appearance and increased yield characteristics.
However, the results achieved by implementing this suggestion have not proved satisfactory since the dispensing action was not easily repeatable and the amounts dispensed tended to be more a question of chance than reflect the specific requirements of the user.
The basic problem faced by the present invention is one of devising a dispenser of the type specified whose structural and functional characteristics satisfy the above requirement whilst at the same time overcoming the drawbacks inherent in dispensers of the prior art.
This problem is resolved by a dispenser of the type specified, which is characterized in that a minor portion of the deformable cap, which is delimited by a contour line within a principal portion of the deformable cap, has a predefined large thickness so as to form an essentially rigid push button.
Further features and advantages of the dispenser according to the present invention will become clear from the following description of an embodiment thereof, given by way of non-limiting example with reference to the appended drawings, in which:

Figure 1 shows a sectional side view of a dispenser according to the invention,
Figure 2 shows a perspective view of a detail of the dispenser in Figure 1,
Figure 3 shows a perspective view of the detail in Figure 2, shown from a different angle,
Figure 4 shows a plan view of the detail in Figure 2,
Figure 5 shows a sectional side view of the detail in Figure 2, taken on the cutting plane V-V,
Figure 6 shows a sectional side view of the detail in Figure 2, taken on the cutting plane VI-VI,
Figure 7 shows a view from below of the detail of Figure 2,
Figure 8 shows a sectional view of the detail of Figure 2, taken on the cutting plane VIII-VIII, and
Figure 9 shows a sectional view of the detail of Figure 2, taken on the cutting plane IX-IX.

With reference to the appended figures, the reference numeral 1 denotes, as a whole, a dispenser for pasty products in general and in particular for toothpastes, cosmetic creams and the like.
The dispenser 1 comprises a basically cylindrical container 2 which has an axis X-X and is made of rigid plastic, being formed by a tubular shell 3 and by a top 4 that is integral with the shell 3. The lower end of the container 2 is closed off by a bottom 5 which can move in a leaktight manner inside the shell, like a piston.
A compartment 6 is formed inside the container 2, between the top 4 and the bottom 5, and contains the pasty product to be dispensed.
The dispenser 1 also comprises a deformable cap 7.
The deformable cap 7 is more or less dome-shaped and is fitted in a leaktight manner on the container 2 so that, together with the top 4, it defines a pumping chamber 8 in which the pasty product to be dispensed is held.
The chamber 8 communicates with the compartment 6 via a suction opening 9 which is formed in the top 4 and is fitted with a shut-off member 10, and also communicates with the outside via a delivery opening 11 which is formed in the said deformable cap and is fitted with a shut-off member 12.
A step 13, delimited by a horizontal plane 14 and by an approximately vertical wall 15, is formed in the deformable cap 7.
The deformable cap 7 comprises a principal portion 16 that has a limited thickness, indicated by S1, so that it can be deformed, and a minor portion 17 that is limited in size and is completely surrounded by the principal portion 16. The minor portion 17 has a predefined large thickness, indicated by S2, which is greater than the thickness S1 of the principal portion 16, so that it is essentially rigid and cannot be deformed.
It is important that there is a difference of at least 0.5 mm between the thickness S2 of the minor portion, which may range between 1 and 2 mm and is preferably 1.5 mm, and the thickness S1, which may range between 0.5 mm and 1 mm and is preferably 0.7 mm. This difference will preferably be 0.8 mm.
The minor portion 17 is delimited within the principal portion 16 by a contour line 18.
The portion 17 constitutes a push button 19 via which the user exerts a force in order to deform the principal portion 16 of the deformable cap, thereby reducing the volume of the chamber 8 and consequently dispensing the pasty product.
The minor portion 17 is essentially parallelepipedal 20 in shape, jutting out from the step 13 and having a top face 20a, a front face 20b and two opposite side faces, both of which are denoted 20c. The parallelepiped 20 opens into the chamber 8 via a rear face 20d and a bottom face 20e.
The contour line 18 consists of an edge 20ad of the parallelepiped 20 formed by the top face 20a and the rear face 20d, an edge 20dc formed by the rear face 20d and each side face 20c, an edge 20ec formed by the bottom face 20e and each side face 20c, and an edge 20be formed by the front face 20b and the bottom face 20e.
It should be noted that the edges 20dc, 20ec and 20be constitute a section 18a of the contour line 18 where the principal portion 16 and the minor portion 17 of the deformable cap 7 form between themselves a dihedral that is convex on the side facing the chamber, thereby enabling the push button 19 to sink easily into the chamber.
The top face 20a and the front face 20b form an edge 20ab between themselves and respective edges 20ac and 20bc with each side face 20c.
The edges 20ab, 20ac and 20bc have small radii of curvature and constitute dihedrals that are convex on the outside, constituting stiffening ribs for the push button 19 as a whole.
The deformable cap 7, together with its portions 16 and 17, is produced as a single piece, by means of injection moulding using a suitable soft thermoplastic material, for example an ethylene/vinyl acetate copolymer.
When using the dispenser, in order to dispense a desired amount of paste, the user exerts a pressure, for example with the thumb, on the top face 20a of the push button 19. The push button 19 sinks into the chamber 8 as a rigid whole, thereby gradually deforming the surrounding principal portion 16 of the deformable cap 7. As a result of the consequent reduction in volume of the chamber, and as a result of the pressure that is consequently exerted on the paste contained in the said chamber, the shut-off member 10 closes off the suction opening and the shut-off member 12 opens up the delivery opening, thereby dispensing a predefined desired amount of pasty product.
When the push button is released, the deformable cap 7 returns to its original shape, thereby causing the shut-off member 12 to close off the delivery opening 11 and the shut-off member 10 to open up the suction opening 9, with some of the pasty product being sucked back into the chamber 8 from the compartment 6.
Additional dispensing actions can be carried out repeatedly and gradually by virtue of the efficient way in which the force is transmitted from the push button to the principal portion of the deformable cap, on account of the essentially rigid structure of the said push button.
The main advantage of the dispenser according to the present invention is the accuracy with which it dispenses a desired amount of pasty product and the consistency with which this dispensing action can be repeated each time.
What is more, the dispenser according to the invention has a simple structure - not an insignificant advantage for an item which is designed to be mass produced and which is intended to be thrown away once it is empty.
It should also be noted that, on account of the fact that the push button is essentially rigid, the action of deforming the cap is not performed directly by the thumb or finger, but rather indirectly, thereby preventing the deformable cap from being damaged by his or her fingernails, an especially important point in the case of the latter, and vice versa.
Needless to say, the dispenser according to the present invention may, for the purpose of fulfilling specific and contingent requirements, be modified and varied in numerous ways by experts in the field, all such modifications and variations being encompassed by the scope of protection of the invention, as defined in the following claims.

Claims

Dispenser (1) for pasty products such as toothpastes, cosmetic creams and the like, of the type comprising a deformable cap (7) that fits over a rigid container (2) and with the latter defines a pumping chamber (8) which communicates with the container (2) and with the outside via respective suction (9) and delivery (11) openings, both of which are fitted with shut-off members (10, 12), characterized in that a minor portion (17) of the deformable cap (7), which is delimited by a contour line (18) within a principal portion (16) of the deformable cap (7), has a predefined large thickness so as to form an essentially rigid push button (19).
Dispenser according to Claim 1, characterized in that the minor portion (17) and the principal portion (16) of the deformable cap (7) form, along at least a section (18a) of the contour line (18), a dihedral that is convex on the side facing the chamber (8).
Dispenser according to Claim 2, characterized in that the said minor portion (17) is essentially parallelepipedal in shape, jutting out from the principal portion (16) of the deformable cap (7), and opens via two faces (20d, 20c) into the chamber (8).
Dispenser according to Claim 3, characterized in that the parallelepiped comprises edges (20ab, 20ac, 20bc) with small angles of curvature which constitute stiffening ribs for the push button.
Dispenser according to Claim 4, characterized in that the principal portion (16) of the deformable cap (7) has a predefined limited thichness, and in that the difference between the thickness of the minor portion (17) and the thickness of the principal portion (16) is at least 0.5 mm.