EP0882516B1 - Fluid dispenser - Google Patents

Abstract

The spray may be used eg. as a nasal spray. It has the medication stored in a sealed reservoir which is punctured by a hollow needle when the pump action is operated. This has finger-grips to operate using the thumb and first two fingers. The first pump action is limited by internal stops. The second pump action follows a simple twist of the applicator and a pump action to the bottom of the pump travel. The spray delivers two equal doses in two separate pump actions eg. a precise nasal spray for migraine.

Description

The invention relates to a dispenser or a device for media, especially flowable media or fluids, which are liquid, powder, gaseous and / or pasty or can be similar.

For regulating media movements or media flows within the donor it is appropriate to have one or more Control devices, such as valves, with which Flow cross sections for the media flow are reversibly expanded and narrowed, e.g. can be closed pressure-tight. A such control means can be an inlet valve for repeated Sucking the medium from a media storage Outlet valve to release the medium from the outlet Discharge device, a vent valve for venting a media chamber, a ventilation valve for ventilation of a Media chamber or the like. In the rest position of this valve can be the passage cross section compared to the most expanded state narrowed or maximally narrowed, e.g. be closed. In its expanded working position the passage cross section leaves the medium in one Flow direction, which also through the Flow direction at the inlet and / or outlet of the valve or the like can be defined.

A dispenser pump has become known from EP 0 345 132 A1, the outlet valve with a movable against a spring force Valve seat works together, which is increased compared to normal operation Load the valve to exhaust the air in the pump (priming) opens.

US 4,420,101 describes a squeeze bottle according to the preamble of claim 1 below Opening and a closure provided on it, which is a leakage protection represents. Through a movable in the outlet and inlet direction The elastic cuff becomes one in the squeeze bottle when there is internal pressure Outlet opening and in the case of an internal vacuum an inlet opening is opened, the cuff works like a slide valve.

The invention has for its object to provide a donor which disadvantages of known training are avoided and the in particular a simple actuation of the control device to achieve this guaranteed different functional positions, for example to successively allow the passage to be compressed differently To enable media.

To achieve this object, the invention has the features of the claim 1 on.

According to the invention, means can be provided around the control device by actuation beyond the rest position into a working position to be transferred in which the passage cross section compared to the Rest position can be narrowed or closed, but especially is expanded when the rest position instead of the widest possible Flow cross section defined the narrowest possible. A corresponding further working position can also be operated by operating the control device can be set in the opposite direction, with then the passage cross-section is expediently larger than in the first working position is. The rest position lies between the working positions. The rest position can by mutual resilient stop Stop surfaces, in particular those that limit the passage cross section Control surfaces. By manually increasing this stable impact pressure or due to overload in the closing direction to transfer the control device into a working position without that the abutment surfaces then sliding against each other stand out from each other have to. By lifting the stop surfaces against each other the spring force is to reach the further working position, whereby the control device then mechanically instead of directly manually is actuated by the pressure of the medium or fluid.

The training according to the invention is particularly suitable for Vent a pressure chamber, such as a pump chamber Thrust piston pump, namely for so-called priming at the beginning the commissioning of the donor. With this priming the then gas or air-filled pressure chamber by suction from a memory or the like with less compressible or incompressible medium filled. In sync with this Filling the pressure chamber is vented in that the more compressible gas through the passage cross section of the Control device can escape. For this, this gas first pre-compressed manually, then the control device manually from the rest or closed position to the named open working position transferred and so the gas flow out calmly. Then the control device closes again immediately afterwards the variable-volume pressure chamber expanded again with the formation of a vacuum, so that the medium is sucked into it. The pressure chamber is after several, for example at most seven such strokes Medium sufficiently filled, so it is enough with the next one Hub caused media pressure to the controller as open pressure-dependent outlet valve and that Dispense medium through the media outlet.

Transfer of the control device or the valve into one of the working positions, especially in the ventilation position, is expediently connected to a control movement. This is transverse to that movement of the two valve bodies or stop faces, the latter when opening and Carry out closing during other operation. The Transverse movement can be a deformation movement, a resilient one Clamping movement, a sliding movement or the like. Advantageous the valve is spring loaded, especially by separate springs working against each other. So it comes back Release of external forces from every working position by itself back to the rest position.

In a further embodiment of the invention, both valve springs deformable shells made of plastic, axially aligned arranged, integrally formed with each other or different long. One spring can be used as an axial spring and others act as a radial spring.

Other advantages arise when the adjacent Stop or control surfaces of the valve when transferring to the venting position or the like. one of the mutual Axial movement superimposed or immediately preceding perform mutual transverse or rotational movement. So it will Transition from static friction to sliding friction accelerated and relieved. For this purpose, the axial spring be designed simultaneously as a torsion spring. This receives with increasing axial tension also increasing torsional tension. The latter are on the associated valve body or on the abutting abutment or control surfaces transfer.

The transfer of the valve into the venting position o. The like. Expediently takes place only after a first Partial stroke of the donor. Strikes at the end of the partial stroke rigid driver and moves the two valve bodies inevitably against each other. According to the Venting at the end of each pump stroke is also inevitable quick closing of the pressure-dependent opened valve cause. This abruptly stops the media passage.

Fig. 1

ein erfindungsgemäßer Spender, teilweise im Axialschnitt,

Fig. 2

einen Ausschnitt der Fig. 1 in vergrößerter Darstellung sowie in Ruhestellung und

Fig. 3

den Ausschnitt gemäß Fig. 2, jedoch in einer Arbeits- bzw. Entlüftungsstellung.

These and further features of the invention are also apparent from the description and the drawings, the individual features being implemented individually or in groups in the form of sub-combinations in one embodiment of the invention and in other fields and representing advantageous and protectable designs for which protection is claimed here. Embodiments of the invention are shown in the drawings and are explained in more detail below. The drawings show:

Fig. 1

a dispenser according to the invention, partly in axial section,

Fig. 2

a section of FIG. 1 in an enlarged view and in the rest position and

Fig. 3

the section of FIG. 2, but in a working or venting position.

The dispenser 1 comprises a manual discharge operation 2 by their two device units 3, 4 or their base body 5, 6 are linearly and reversibly movable against each other. As a result, a push piston pump 7 is actuated. Their pump or Pressure chamber 8 lies completely within the base body 5 the rigidly to be attached to a storage vessel Unit 3. The medium flows out of the pressure chamber 8 through a Control device or an outlet valve 10 in an outlet channel 9. This passes through the base body 6 of the unit 4 and is with this compared to the unit 3, 5 over the Pump stroke movable. The arrangements mentioned are essentially in a main axis 11 of the device 1. To her lie the actuation direction 12 of the unit 4 and the opposite flow direction 13 in the outlet channel 9 parallel.

The unit 4 or its base body 6 comprises a one-piece Piston unit 15 with a pump piston 15 and a sealing piston 16, which in a pump housing 17 in the directions 12, 13 are displaceable. Towards 13 connects to that Housing 17 a in its inner and outer cross sections extended housing section 18. On the inside the piston 16 is in the rest position according to FIG. 1 with a Direction 12 freely protruding sealing lip sealed. The in contrast in the direction 12 spaced sealing lip the piston 15 lies on the inner circumference of the narrower housing section 17 sealed on. In addition to the housing sections 17, 18, the one-piece base body 5 forms a fastening member 19 for attachment to the dash-dotted line in Fig. 1 Storage. It is a cap 19 for gripping over the storage neck and for bracing the base body 5 on this Storage neck with a thread or the like. The front wall of the Cap 19 connects to the transition between the two housing sections 17, 18. The cap jacket surrounds the housing section 17 over most of its length. The two housing sections 17, 18 are in opposite Directions only over a single side of the cap end wall in front. Instead of a screw cap, you can also use a Crimean ring be provided for bracing.

Completely inside the units 3, 4 or the base body 5, 6 is a separate, one-piece in the axis 11 Unit 20 made of plastic. It divides the Interior of the housing section 17 over its entire length and the interior of the unit 14 to the valve 10 in two nested chambers, namely the annular pressure chamber 8 and an inner chamber 21 enclosed by the latter. At the end of the housing section located within the memory 17 closes an inlet duct in axis 11, for example, a flexible riser pipe 22. It is inside the chambers 8, 21 in a channel extension, for example a nozzle 22 lying in the axis 11, continued. The nozzle 23 is in one piece with the housing section 17 trained. It stands by the riser pipe 22 penetrated end wall only in the direction 13 of FIG. 1 to in the piston unit 14 before. The jacket of the nozzle 23 is from Exits 24 penetrated in the form of longitudinal slots. By it can pass the medium from the nozzle 23 into the chamber 21. The medium flows in from the annular chamber 21 Direction 12 to the associated end of the housing section 17 or the unit 20. There it is opposite in the direction of 13 deflected and after a short flow path over a Inlet valve 25 transferred into chamber 8.

That at the associated end of the tube 22 in the axis 11 lying valve 25 has a ring-shaped valve body 26 on. It is formed in one piece with the unit 20 and it is on the inner circumference of the housing section 17 Valve seat is assigned as a stop. On the latter, the movable valve body 26 against movements in the direction 12 stop sealed against the force of a spring 27. The integrally formed with the rigid valve body 26, tubular spring 27 surrounds the connecting piece 23 and extends from valve body 26 only in direction 12. It is always axially biased and is supported by its from Valve body 26 distal free end on the inside of the End wall of the housing section 17 via radial ribs. In Direction 13 immediately adjoins the valve body 26 another spring 28 on. Its end pointing in the direction of 13 in the area of the piston lip 15 on the inner circumference of the piston unit 14 axially and against rotation. This is how it works permanently biased spring 28 as a return spring Reset units 3, 4 to the rest position. Between the mentioned setting and the valve 10 is also in the Axis 11 a further, permanently biased spring 29 as Valve spring provided. It is entirely within the Unit 14. The spring 28 is longer than the springs 27, 29 and spring 29 is shorter than spring 27. All springs 27 to 29 are formed in one piece with one another or with the unit 20 and form their media-impermeable coat. This, in Range of springs 27 to 29 consistently constant thickness showing coat forms on the inner and outer circumference single or multi-start high helix thread. So lead changes in length the springs at the same time to torsional stresses around the Axis 11 or torsional movements of the two associated Spring ends against each other. For example, the valve body 26 and the spring 27 by shortening the spring 28 by this slightly rotated relative to the housing section 17.

The valve 10 has one with the unit 4, 6 and opposite this movable valve body 30. It lies in the Axis 11 and between the pistons 15, 16 completely inside the unit 14, is opposite to it in the directions 12, 13 movable and in one piece with the spring 29 or unit 20 educated. The valve body 30 which is H-shaped in axial section is closer to the piston 16 than the piston 15 and closes directly to the associated end of the spring 29 with a dimensionally stable sleeve section. The second valve body 31 of the valve 10 is arranged in a fixed position on the unit 4, 6, formed in one piece with the unit 14 and dimensionally stable and penetrated by the associated end of the channel 9. At rest and In the closed position, the valve bodies 30, 31 are annular Control or valve surfaces 32, 33 under tension the spring 29 close together. This is the connection closed between the chamber 8 and the channel 9.

The valve body 30 has an outermost jacket 34, 35. It is made in one piece by a distance between its ends transverse wall 36 adjoining its inner circumference closed. The freely protruding from the wall 36 in the direction 12 like the wall 36 dimensionally stable jacket section 35 connects directly in one piece with its associated end the end of the spring 29. Their wall thickness is less than that of the jacket 34, 35 or that of the wall 36. The in Direction 13 from the wall 36 protruding jacket section 34 forms at its free end and at the transition between its inner circumference and its end face in cross section Control surface 32 rounded in the shape of a part or a four-part circle. On its side facing the chamber 8, 21, the wall 36 with a centering element, for example one in the axis 11 lying conical recess 37 may be provided. Corresponding the projections 34, 35 also form the valve body 31 a projection or ring jacket which projects freely in the direction of 12 38. It is on the outer circumference or at the transition between its end surface and its outer circumference with the control surface 33 provided. The oblique to the axis 11 and in the direction 12, 13 lying control surface 33 is an obtuse-angled outer cone. It forms a control edge 39 in an annular ring the control surface 32. If the control surface 32 reaches FIG. 3 in the area of this control edge 39, between the Control surfaces 32, 33 a passage 40 free. So a first one Media flow, for example air, from the chamber 8 through the Passage 40 to the inside of the jacket 34 and from there flow in direction 13 into channel 9.

From the edge 39, the control surface 33 is of channel depressions 41 enforced. They are slit-shaped evenly around that Axis 11 distributed and form the passages 40. The valve body 31, 38 is in the direction 12 via an end wall 42 of the Unit 14 before. The wall 42 closes within the piston 16 in one piece on the inner circumference of a jacket 44. It connects the pistons 15, 16 in one piece and surrounds the valve body 30, 31. The piston 16 surrounds the piston skirt 44. The has guide links on the inner circumference, e.g. axial ribs 43, for centered guidance of the valve body 30 on the outer circumference of the Coat 34, 35 on. In direction 12 at a distance from the valve body 30 closes the spring 29 to a sleeve-shaped, dimensionally stable Attachment section 45 of the unit 20. He is at Inner circumference of the jacket 44 is fixed by axial insertion.

To transfer the valve body 30 into the working or 3 is completely within the chamber 8, 21 a form-fitting driver 46 intended. He is free in direction 13 and can with a stop 47 only at the end of the actuation or pump stroke of the units 3, 4 in engagement with the in the closed position standing valve body 30, namely only with the end wall 36 comes. The driver 46 is due to a slimmer, thorn-shaped Continuation of the nozzle 23 formed. It connects the exits 24 is hollow and in one piece with the associated End wall of the housing section 17 or with the base body 5 trained. The outermost end face of the driver 46 forms the stop 47. This is continuous according to FIG. 1 flat or as shown in FIG. 3 with a centering in the opening 37 matching, conical projection.

Only after the unit 4 in the direction 12 over the entire Pump stroke has been moved relative to unit 3, the comes Stop 47 rigidly engages valve body 30. The chambers 8, 21 have then reached their smallest volume. Thereafter, the unit 4 is still less than a millimeter moved in the direction 12, the control surface 32 from it Closed and rest position with expansion along the control surface 33 move smoothly up to control edge 39. So will the passage 40 is open. At the end of this tax movement the valve bodies 30, 31 hit one another in a form-fitting manner or rigid, for example with ribs. Close this in one piece on the inner circumference of the jacket 34 and on the End wall 36 and run against the end face of the projection 38 on. The counteracts the aforementioned tax movement widening, but dimensionally rigid jacket 34 as a return spring with a spring progression. she is much higher than that of the springs 27 to 29. Once the Unit 4 is released from the operating force, presses the spring 34 therefore the control surface 32 back into its Closed position. This venting process for the chamber 8 can Carried out several times in succession over the full pump stroke become. Each time over the line 22 and the valve 25 medium or liquid from the memory in the Chamber 8 sucked in and increasingly filled.

After sufficient filling, the next one builds Pump stroke in the chamber 8 such a high pressure. He lifts that Valve body 30 against the stop of the driver 46 against the Direction 13 of the venting movement in direction 12 against the Force of the spring 29 from the valve seat 33. A ring-shaped Passage is released, which is much larger than the passage 40 is. The second media stream, namely the fluid in the Chamber 8, then flows through valve 10 into channel 9. As soon as the media pressure falls below an adjusted limit falls, the valve body 30 moves in the direction 13 below the force of the spring 29 back to its stop and closed position on the control surface 33. This travel can be larger than the travel path for transferring the valve body 30 into the Venting position. Is opened when pressure-dependent Valve body 30, the unit 4 over the full, stroke-limited Pump stroke moves, so at the end of the driver 46 the valve body 30 from the open position take it into the closed position. This will make a achieved very fast closing of the valve 10. At the Pump stroke only opens the valve 25 when the axial force of the Spring 28 is the opposing force of spring 27 overcomes.

The unit 4, 6, 14 has one of the channel 9 in the axis 11 centrally penetrated projection, for example a tubular Spigot 48, on. It immediately follows the Valve body 31 or the end wall 42 and is in the direction 13 free before. The connector 48 is used to attach a head 50 penetrated by channel 9, which has the media outlet 51 on which the medium is discharged from the Device 1 replaces. Within the socket 48, the Channel 9 approximately to the end face of the valve body 31 consistently constant cross sections. They are essential larger than the cross sections of the passage 40 the channel 9 following the end face of the valve body 31 according to Figures 2 and 3 a graded or similar Have extension. Towards 13 after this central one Channel section, namely at the free end of the nozzle 48, goes the central channel section, on the other hand, offset laterally, however parallel side channels 49 over. You are over the axis 11 is distributed and extends to the media outlet 51 or the atomizing nozzle 52 forming this or their Vortex or swirl device 53. At the free end of the Stutzens 48 includes a protruding in the direction of 13 Core body. it limits the side channels 49 together the jacket 55 of the head 50 on opposite one another Sides and forms a nozzle core 54 with its free end. This limits the swirl device on the inside of the nozzle 52 53. It turns the medium into a three-way flow the nozzle axis 11 offset.

The rod-shaped core body is like the nozzle core 54 and Stub 48 formed in one piece with the unit 14. On them the head 50 is plugged in for assembly in the direction 12. that the associated end of the shell 55 the outer circumference of the Stutzens 48 surrounds stuck. The other end of the coat 55 forms the end wall of the head 50 which extends from the nozzle 52 is enforced. The housing section 18 protrudes in any position into the head 50. To do this, this one between the ends on the jacket 55 integrally connected outer jacket 56 on. The surrounds the associated, adjoining it End of the jacket 55 at a distance. So is the housing section 18 between the two jackets 55, 56. The outer jacket 56 is with plate-shaped protruding over its circumference Provide protrusions. They form on those turned away from each other Sides of the axis 11 handle 57 or printing areas for the Operator's fingers to press the unit by finger pressure 4 to move towards 12. The inner circumference of the jacket 56 is with the outer periphery of the housing portion 18 via a Pull-off protection, for example a self-engaging one Snap connection 58 connected. Through them the in Head 50 in rest position or the unit 4 is not of the Unit 3, 5 are deducted. At the beginning of the pump stroke the snap members of the connection 58 stand out from one another. At the end of the return stroke, they form its limit stop.

In the interior of the cap 19, a seal 59 can be applied the end face of the storage neck. Between the housing shells 17, 18, namely in their through the cap end wall formed transition area, is a ventilation 60th provided for ventilation of the memory 61. The the seal 59 penetrating ventilation opening 60 closes between the interlocking jackets 18, 44 on the boundaries of these Annulus. After a first partial stroke, the system of the piston 16 on the inner circumference of the housing shell 18 so far leaks that through the head 50 over the free end of the Housing section 18 atmospheric in said annulus Air flow in and through the ventilation 60 in the Memory 61 can reach. This will also describe the Ventilation of the chambers 8, 21 facilitated.

Instead of the head 50, for example after the separation of the Core body 54, an actuating head on the socket 48 be plugged on. It has a cross-axis 11 radial nozzle outlet, forms with its in the direction 13 outermost end surface of the handle 57 and is with the Snap connection 58 axially secured. The head 50 according to Fig. 1 is used in particular for nasal application of the medium.

To assemble the dispenser either unit 14 or the unit 5 with the unit 20 by linear insertion in Pre-assembled towards 12. Thereafter, the unit 14 is through linear insertion in direction 12 connected to the unit 5. Before or after, unit 50 can also be linear Attach in direction 12 with the unit 14 firmly to be assembled. For example, so that the entire pre-assembled Unit 14, 20, 50 until the connection 58 clicks into place Unit 3 is to be assembled. When inserting section 45 in the unit 14, the bias or rest tension of the spring 29 can be adjusted precisely. Section 45 becomes more about this or less far in the jacket 44 and then through Clamping or fixed only by friction. All in one piece parts formed with one another can instead also through separate but firmly connected parts be educated. All stated properties and effects can exactly or only essentially or as described be provided and also depending on the requirements deviate more from it. Each of the components mentioned Dispenser 1 is made of plastic or injection molding, so that there are no exposed metal surfaces that come into contact with the media within dispenser 1 could.

Claims (14)

1. A dispenser for media including a base body (3,6) and a control means (10) formed by a valve whose control element (30) comprises control surface areas (32, 33) translatable into a working position forming an open position by actuation beyond a resting position forming a closed position and releasing in the working position a flow cross-section (40), one of the control surface areas (32) being flexible, characterized in that at least a second control surface area (33) is configured as a conical sliding surface area along which the first control surface area (32) slides, the first control surface area (32) flaring relative to the second control surface area (33) until the first control surface area (32) comes into contact with the passage depressions (41) in the second control surface area (33) which form the flow cross-section (40) for the fluid flow.
2. The dispenser as set forth in claim 1, characterized in that the first control surface area (32) of the control element (30) is movable in a first and second direction of movement (12, 13) and the second control surface area (33) with the first control surface area (32) defines the flow cross-section (49), relative movements of the first control surface area (32) in both first and second direction of movement (12, 13) flaring the flow cross-section (40) in a first and in a second working position.
3. The dispenser as set forth in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the flow cross-section (40) on movement in the second direction of movement (13) is to be manually flared against a strongly progressive spring force.
4. The dispenser as set forth in any of the preceding claims, characterized in that in the resting position the control surface areas (32, 33) come into contact with each other and from the stop position the flow cross-section (40) is flared by movements in the first and second direction of movement (12, 13).
5. The dispenser as set forth in any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the flow cross-section (40) on movement in the first direction of movement (12) is flared by lifting off of the first control surface area (32) from the second control surface area (33) and/or on movement in the second direction of movement (13) by continual sliding of the first control surface area (32) on the second control surface area (33).
6. The dispenser as set forth in any of the preceding claims, characterized in that at least one of the control surface areas (33) comprises a substantially conical annular surface area provided over part of its axial extension with a passage depression (41).
7. The dispenser as set forth in any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the valve (10) is an outlet valve of a pressurizing chamber (8) for the medium opened by movement in the first direction of movement (12) and a venting valve for the pressurizing chamber (8) opened by movement in the second direction of movement (13), and/or the first direction of movement (12) being located contrary to the direction of flow (13) through the flow cross-section (40) or the second direction of movement (13) being located roughly in this direction of flow.
8. The dispenser as set forth in any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the control element (30) comprises a radial deformable shell (34) directly contacting the first control surface area (32) by its inner circumference.
9. The dispenser as set forth in any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the valve (10) opens in the first direction of movement (12) as a function of fluid pressure and in the second direction of movement (13) as a function of the stroke.
10. The dispenser as set forth in any of the preceding claims, characterized in that for movement in the second direction of movement (13) a coupling means (46) is provided preferably configured as a freely protruding spike abutting the control element (30) following a partial stroke of a discharge actuation (2) of the dispenser.
11. The dispenser as set forth in any of the preceding claims, characterized in that monostable spring loading of the valve (10) is provided in both working positions to the resting position located inbetween, that the return force in the second working position is substantially higher than in the first working position and that two separate first and second return springs (29, 34) acting against each other for the control means (10) form a fitted unit.
12. The dispenser as set forth in any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the first control element (30) is configured dished with a dished shell (34) and a dished bottom (36), the outer side of which being configured as a stop and that a shell (20) is provided adjoining in the first direction of movement (12) of the first control element (30) and longer than the first control element (30).
13. The dispenser as set forth in any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the dispenser comprises two units (3, 4) of an actuating means (2) movable manually against each other over a discharge stroke, of which the first unit (3) includes the base body (5) and/or the second unit (4) a plunger (15) as wll as an outlet passage (9) for the medium, that both control surface areas (32, 33) of the control means (10) are movable together with the second unit (4) relative to the first unit (3) and that the control means (10) is loated within a plunger unit (14) including the plunger (15).
14. The dispenser as set forth in any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the first control surface area (32) in moving in at least one of the directions of movement (12, 13) is exposed to a torsional force, a torsion spring (29) preferably configured as a coarse pitch coil spring being provided for generating the torsional force.

Images