EP1024094B1 - Locking dispenser head - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a dispensing head intended to be mounted on the actuating rod of a dispensing member, such as a pump or a valve. This particular type of head comprises a fixed body intended to be mounted by screwing or snap-fastening on a container containing the fluid to be dispensed by the valve or the pump. The head further includes a pusher provided with a receiving housing for the actuating rod of the dispensing member and of a dispensing orifice, sometimes provided with a nozzle, communicating with said receiving housing by a conduit internal. In addition, a bell is mounted on the pusher, the bell having a hole for passage for the dispensing orifice. To actuate the head, press with the help one or more finger (s) on the bell which is pressing on the pusher. This head of distribution therefore consists of three essential parts, if we exclude the sprinkler, know a fixed body, a pusher and a bell covering the pusher and partially the fixed body.

There are different types of dispensing heads in the prior art. For example, there is in particular a type of dispensing head in which the pusher is connected to the body fixed by a bridge of material which fulfills a function of hinge. The pusher can therefore pivot relative to the fixed body around this hinge. The fixed body and the connected pushers are further surmounted by a bell which is pressed to move the pusher axially by pivoting around the hinge. Such a head is notably described in document US-5,027,982 or also in document US-5 649,645.

However, this type of dispensing head has a drawback related to the fact that the stroke of the pusher is very limited due to its connection with the fixed body. Indeed, since the pusher must pivot around the hinge, its range of movement axial is strongly limited, in practice to 1 or 2 mm. This kind of distribution head certainly suitable for actuating a valve, but is totally unsuitable for the actuation of a pump whose actuation stroke is much greater, at know about 5 to 6 mm.

Another object of the present invention is related to the actuation safety of the distributor equipped with such a distribution head. Indeed, it is better, if not prevent any involuntary actuation of the dispenser, in particular when stored, for example, in a handbag. The present invention therefore also the object of ensuring a locking of the dispensing head.

Another object of the present invention is to limit the number of parts to be molded, which has an effect on the manufacturing cost.

To do this, the present invention provides a dispensing head such that defined in claim 1. Advantageously, the body and the pusher are molded in one piece being connected by bridges of material intended to be broken so as to separate the body from the pusher. According to an interesting characteristic, a bell is rotatably mounted on the pusher between at least one locking position in which the bell prevents any axial movement of the pusher relative to the body and a dispensing position in which the pusher can be moved axially with respect to the body. Thus, the dispensing head consists only of two elements (except the nozzle), namely a part forming the body and the pusher and another room made up of the bell. At the exit of the mold, the pusher is connected to the body by bridges of brittle material, and it is only when the bell is mounted on the pusher as these bridges are broken so the pusher is completely separate from the body and therefore has a degree of freedom in axial movement which is not limited as is the case of the dispensing head of the prior art where the pusher remains connected to the fixed body. Advantageously, the material bridges are broken using the bell which is first snapped in a rotary manner on the pusher still connected to the body, it is only later that sufficient force is applied to the bell to break the material bridges, so that the pusher remains connected to the bell while being able to rotate relative to it, while the pusher is completely separate from the body.

The locking of the dispensing head takes place by turning the bell on the pusher which remains fixed in rotation relative to the fixed body. Advantageously, the bell hides the dispensing orifice in the locked position. User can thus directly know whether the dispenser is in the locked position or in the unlocked simply by looking to see if the dispensing orifice is visible through the Bell.

As a variant, deformable material links allowing axial displacement translative of the pusher relative to the body are provided in place of material bridges breakable.

In addition, the body includes axial guide means to prevent the pusher to rotate relative to the body while allowing it to move axially conveyance. Thus, the pusher can move axially relative to the body and the bell can rotate on the pusher, so that the bell can rotate relative to the fixed body and can also move axially relative to the same body in unlocked dispensing position.

According to one embodiment, the bell is snapped onto the pusher while being able to turn in relation to it. The clipping of the bell on the pusher must therefore be strong enough to prevent easy separation of these two parts, and at the same time must be loose enough to allow rotation of the bell on the pusher. According to a particularly aesthetic version, the bell can include a hole at the bearing surface through which the pusher is visible.

The invention also defines a manufacturing process having such steps as defined in claim 9. Dependent claim 10 gives a mode advantageous operating.

The invention will now be described more fully with reference to the drawings. joints giving by way of nonlimiting example an embodiment of the present invention.

• les figures 1 et 2 sont des vues en perspective partiellement découpées pour montrer l'intérieur de la tête, respectivement en position déverrouillée et verrouillée,
• la figure 3 est une vue en perspective de la pièce unique constituée du corps et du poussoir reliés ensemble,
• la figure 4 est une vue en coupe transversale de derrière de la pièce représentée sur la figure 3,
• la figure 5 est une élévation de devant de la pièce représentée sur la figure 2,
• la figure 6 est une vue partiellement en élévation, partiellement en coupe de la cloche à monter sur la pièce de la figure 5,
• la figure 7 est une vue en coupe transversale de profil de la pièce représentée sur la figure 3,
• la figure 8 est une vue en coupe transversale de profil de la cloche à monter sur la pièce de la figure 7,
• la figure 9 est une vue de dessus de la pièce de la figure 3,
• la figure 10 est une vue de dessous montrant l'intérieur de la cloche à monter sur la pièce de la figure 9, et
• les figures 11a à 11c et 12a à 12c sont des représentations, respectivement en coupe et en élévation, servant à illustrer les différentes opérations de montage d'une tête de distribution selon l'invention.

In the drawings:

• FIGS. 1 and 2 are perspective views partially cut out to show the inside of the head, respectively in the unlocked and locked position,
• FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the single piece made up of the body and the pusher connected together,
• FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional rear view of the part shown in FIG. 3,
• FIG. 5 is a front elevation of the part shown in FIG. 2,
• FIG. 6 is a view partially in elevation, partially in section, of the bell to be mounted on the part of FIG. 5,
• FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional profile view of the part shown in FIG. 3,
• FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional profile view of the bell to be mounted on the part of FIG. 7,
• FIG. 9 is a top view of the part of FIG. 3,
• FIG. 10 is a bottom view showing the interior of the bell to be mounted on the part of FIG. 9, and
• Figures 11a to 11c and 12a to 12c are representations, respectively in section and in elevation, used to illustrate the various mounting operations of a dispensing head according to the invention.

The dispensing head used to illustrate the present invention comprises three essential constituent elements, namely a fixed body 1, a pusher 2 and a bell 3.

Generally, the pusher 2 is axially movable relative to the body fixed 1 and the bell 3 is mounted on the pusher 2 in a rotary manner. Therefore, the bell 3 can rotate relative to body 1 and move axially together with the pusher 2 when the bell 3 is in a particular position known as unlocked. The three elements 1, 2 and 3 are therefore totally separate from each other, in the sense that they are not connected by any continuous material bond. Indeed, the pusher is completely independent of the fixed body 1, while the bell 3 is snapped on both the pusher 2 and on the fixed body 1. The bell 3 therefore acts as a connecting member between pusher 2 and fixed body 1.

We will now describe in their structure these three constituent elements as well as their mutual interactions.

The body 1 has a generally cylindrical shape with a hollow interior. The body 1 comprises a fixing base 11 which allows the body 1 to be fixed on the reservoir containing the fluid to be dispensed by means of a valve or a pump (not shown). In the example used, the fixing base 11 is a base snap internally defining a snap cord capable of cooperating with a snap rim formed by the reservoir. We can also consider other fixing techniques for mounting the fixed body on a tank. For example, the base latching 11 can internally define threads allowing it to be screwed onto a tank. Above the fixing base 11, the fixed body 1 defines a tower 10 of cylindrical section in which is formed a notch 12 whose function will be given below. At its upper end, the spinner 10 defines a re-entrant flange 17 which extends over almost the entire periphery of the tower. This inside edge 17 is interrupted at several points, in particular at the notch 12 but also on each side of the notch 12 where the tourette 10 defines a niche which extends over a periphery segment of the tourette projecting from the inside edge 17. Consequently, the opening 12 is bordered on each side by a protruding niche which has the effect of increasing the height of the notch 12 relative at the inside edge 17. At their upper ends, the two slots define a surface 13 which extends in a plane parallel to that of the re-entrant flange 17. In addition, each slot forms a recess which defines a vertical abutment surface 14 which connects the surface 13 to the inside edge 17. Indeed, as we can see more clearly in FIG. 9, the re-entrant flange 17 extends to the foot of the surface of stop 14 which is extended at its upper end by the surface 13 which defines the top of the niche. The inside edge 17 is also interrupted in an area which is located diametrically opposite the opening 12 for a reason which will be given below. On the other hand, the inside edge 17 also defines two windows 16 which are located diametrically opposite and offset from the opening 12 by 90 ° as can be seen in Figure 9.

The pusher 2 comprises a substantially cylindrical main part 22 to the lower end of which extends a peripheral flange 25 substantially on the major part of the periphery of the main part 22. The maximum diameter outside of the flange 25 is somewhat less than the inside diameter of the flange re-entering 17 so that the peripheral flange 25 can pass through the opening defined by the inside edge 17. At its upper end, the part central 22 defines a surface 20, which is connected to the central part 22 by forming a annular snap groove 21. The main part 22 is also formed with a dispensing nozzle 23 which extends laterally from the main part 22 as can be seen for example in FIG. 3. This dispensing nozzle 23 defines a dispensing orifice 24 which can optionally be fitted with a nozzle (not shown), depending on the type of fluid to be dispensed. The dispensing nozzle 23 defines an internal conduit which communicates the dispensing orifice 24 with a receiving housing 28 intended to receive the actuating rod of the distribution. Thus, and in a completely conventional manner, the distribution of the fluid product simply by pressing push-button 2 so as to push in the rod actuation in the distribution organ. These are quite techniques which will not be further explained. So diametrically opposite the end piece 23, the main part 22 defines a buttress 26 which has an upper bearing surface whose function will be given below.

According to a particularly advantageous characteristic, the fixed body 1 and the pusher 2 are molded in one piece in the form shown in Figure 3, that is to say with the peripheral flange 25 extending substantially in the same plane as the inside edge 17. The dispensing tip 23 is then placed just above the notch 12 without entering it. As can be seen in Figure 9, the pusher 2 is connected to the body 1 by bridges of material 27, here four in number, which connect the re-entrant rim 17 at the peripheral flange 25. Thus, on leaving the mold, the body 1 and the part 2 constitute only one and the same part connected by the material bridges. To allow the pusher 2 to be positioned inside the fixed body 1 as shown in Figures 1 and 2, simply separate the pusher 2 from the body 1 at the bridges of material 27 that it suffices to break by exerting sufficient pressure on the end surface 20 of the pusher 2. The material bridges can also be torn or cut using a tool. All of the material bridges 27 must be broken so that pusher 2 can come into an appropriate position inside the body fixed 1. The pusher 2 is then no longer at all connected to the fixed body 1. Once in position at inside the fixed body 1, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the pusher 2 is fixed in rotation relative to the body 1, due to the fact that the dispensing end piece 23 is engaged inside the notch 12 formed in the spinner 10 of the fixed body 1. The pusher 2 can only perform a vertical axial translational movement in the drawing relative to body 1.

In the embodiment shown in the drawings, the pusher is connected to the body by bridges of brittle material. We can also consider, in place of these bridges, one or more bonds of deformable material, for example by stretching, elongation or bending, which will not be destroyed when the head is assembled. These connections, after deformation, must allow the pusher to move axially translatively with respect to the body, as previously described, with the same degree of freedom.

Such a distribution head assembly, comprising such a body 1 and such pusher, can be mounted on a tank fitted with a pump or a valve. The fixing base 11 of the body 1 must be mounted on the container or a valve, then that the receiving housing 28 of the pusher 2 must be mounted on the rod pump or valve actuation. This can for example be done in two steps, a first step of mounting the body 1 on the container, and a second step of pressing on the surface 20 of the pusher 2 until the material bridges 27 give way, thus separating the pusher 2 from the body 1, which can then engage with its receiving housing on the actuating rod of the pump or the valve and with its dispensing tip 23 in the notch 12 of the tourette 10 of the fixed body 1. The assembly formed by the pusher 2 and the body 1 connected together can be kept until the head is mounted on a container. It can therefore be brought to the container in its still unitary form, which simplifies assembly operations.

Although pusher 2 and body 1 as described above can be used as a dispensing head to be mounted on a container fitted with a pump or valve, it is advantageous and interesting according to the invention to complete this set of distribution with a bell 3 which covers the pusher 2 as well as the body 1, at the at least partially at the level of the tourette 10.

Generally, the bell 3 is in the form of a cap with an upper end wall 30 which defines a bearing surface on which one exerts pressure with one or more finger (s). In addition, bell 3 defines a peripheral skirt 31 which extends downwards. The inside diameter of the skirt 31 must be somewhat greater than the upper diameter of the turret 10 of the body 1 so as to be able to move freely on it, and preferably for aesthetic reasons, the outer diameter of the skirt 31 is substantially equal to the outer diameter of the base fixing 11 of body 1 so as to give it a certain continuity of shape cylindrical. An opening 32 is formed in the peripheral skirt 31 which can be positioned so that it is perfectly centered on the spray hole 24 of pusher 2, as can be seen in FIG. 1.

The main function of the bell 3 is to lock the pusher 2 so that it can no longer move axially in the body 1. To do this, the bell is rotatably mounted on the pusher so that it can rotate between at least one locking position in which the bell prevents axial movement of the pusher relative to the body and an unlocked dispensing position in which the pusher can be moved axially relative to the body. In the form of embodiment used to illustrate the invention, the dispensing head defines two positions locking on either side of the unlocked dispensing position. For allow the rotation of the bell 3 on the pusher 2, the bell defines a ring latching 33 which extends downwardly defining a bead internally protruding latch adapted to cooperate with the latching groove 21 formed on pusher 2 below the end surface 20. This snap connection must allow a solid securing of the pusher 2 to the bell 3 while allowing the bell 3 to rotate relative to pusher 2 without excessive friction.

The bell 3 can thus rotate on the pusher 2 so as to mask and selectively unmask the dispensing orifice 24 of the pusher 2. In FIG. 2, well the dispensing orifice 24 is visible because the bell is partially cut out, it is actually masked by the peripheral skirt 31 of the bell since the opening 32 is offset to the left of the dispensing orifice 24, as can be seen see in FIG. 2. The orifice is then masked by the skirt 31.

In addition, the bell 3 is secured to the body 1 by means of segments latching 35 which extend downwards from the bearing surface 30 and have a snap cord that protrudes toward their bottom end outside. These snap-fit segments 35 are arranged concentrically with the snap-in sleeve 33 and offset 90 ° from opening 32 as can be see it in Figure 10. This snap-fit segments 35 are adapted to cooperate by snap-fastening with the internal edge of the inside edge 17 defined by the fixed body 1 as this can be seen in Figure 11b. By this snap connection, the bell 3 is freely fixed in rotation to the fixed body 1. The pusher 2 which is fixed in rotation relative to the fixed body 1 is therefore connected to the latter via the bell 3 which can rotate both relative to the pusher and to the body.

The bell 3 also defines two flanges 34 which extend downwards from the bearing surface 30 along and outside the snap segments 35 on a height less than that of the segments 35 as can be seen in FIG. 6. The bell 3 further defines two tabs 36 and 37, the tab 36 being arranged close to the opening 32 extending from the bearing surface 30, while the tab 37 is diametrically opposite and also extends from the surface of support 30 downwards over a length which is greater than that of the tab 36 as can be seen in Figure 8. The height of the flanges 34 adjacent to the segments latching 35 is determined so that their ends come into contact with the inside edge 17 when the snap-in sleeve 33 is snapped into the snap groove 31 of the pusher 2 as shown in Figure 2. So similar, the height of the leg 36 is determined so that it comes to bear on the surface 13 of the tourette 10, and the height of the tab 37 is such that it comes into contact with the inside edge 17 of the tourette 10. The inside edge 17 and the surface end 13 therefore serve as bearing or abutment surfaces for the flanges 34 and the lugs 36 and 37 of the bell 3, in the locked position. When these different legs and flanges are in contact with surfaces 17 and 13, it is not possible to push in the bell 3 on the body 1 so that the pusher 2 cannot move axially relative to the body 1. The dispensing head is then in the locked rest position (fig. 2).

In order to limit the rotation of the bell 3 on either side of the orifice of distribution 24, one of the flanges 34 abuts against the surface 14 defined by one of the slots formed by the tower 10. The orifice 32 of the bell 3 is then rotated by 45 ° by relative to the dispensing orifice 24 of the pusher 2. One of the two flanges 34 is then abutment against both the inside edge 17 and the abutment wall 14 while the other flange 34 is only in contact with the re-entrant flange 17. The tab 36 is in abutment on the surface 13 and the other tab 37 is in abutment on the re-entrant flange 17. A position of symmetrical locking is defined when the bell 3 is rotated 90 ° so that it is the other flange 34 which abuts against the other abutment surface 14. The stops 14 thus define the maximum angles on either side of the dispensing orifice that the bell 3 can reach. The dispensing head cannot then be actuated and the dispensing orifice is masked by the skirt 31.

On the other hand, when the opening 32 is perfectly aligned with the orifice of distribution 24, the lower end of the flanges 34 no longer rests on the re-entrant flange 17 but is positioned above the windows 16 formed in the inside edge 17 as can be seen in Figure 9. On the other hand, the tab 36 is no longer supported on the surface 13 but is positioned centrally on the dispensing nozzle 23. From even, the tab 37 is no longer disposed on the re-entrant flange 17 but on the surface support of the buttress 26 situated diametrically opposite with respect to the dispensing end piece 23 of the pusher 2. The bell 3 is then in the rest position unlocked as shown in Figure 1. To facilitate positioning of the bell 3 in the unlocked rest position, centering points 231 and 261 are provided between which the legs 36 and 37 can be accommodated. The correct positioning of the bell can thus be felt in a tactile way. When bell 3 is in this position (fig. 1), pressing on its bearing surface 30 has the effect of bringing it down on the fixed body 1 by pushing the pusher 2 to which it is snap-connected, as shown in Figure 2. This is possible since the legs 36 and 37 are in abutment contact with the pusher 2 and that the flanges 34 can engage the inside of the windows 16 formed in the re-entrant flange 17 of the body 1. In this position, and only in this position, actuation is possible.

In practice, the handling is very simple: when the opening 32 is opposite the dispensing orifice 24, actuation is possible, and as soon as the dispensing orifice 24 is hidden by the skirt 31, the dispensing head is in the locked position.

It will now be described with reference to Figures 11a, 11b and 12a, 12b, a method of mounting such a dispensing head consisting of a fixed body, a pusher and a bell. Starting from the one-piece assembly consisting of the pusher 2, and of the body 1 connected together by the bridges of brittle material 27, we begin by snapping the bell 3 onto the pusher 2 by engaging the snap-in sleeve 33 with the groove latching 21. It is important that this latching can be carried out without breaking the bridges of material 27. Once the bell has been latched, the dispensing head is in the state shown in FIGS. 11a and 12a. A higher pressure exerted on the bearing surface 30 of the bell 3 must then be applied so as to break the material bridges 27 which connect the pusher 2 to the body 1. After rupture of the material bridges 27, the dispensing head is in the state shown in FIGS. 11b and 12b, the opening 32 not necessarily being aligned with the orifice 24. Then bringing the opening 32 in front of the dispensing orifice 24, the bell 3 can be operated to axially move the plunger 2 in the body 1. such an assembling operation can be performed during assembly of the dispensing head of a container equipped with a valve or a pump. We then start by mounting the body 1 on the tank then we click the bell 3 on the pusher 2 and finally we break the material bridges 27. It is also possible to assemble the head in the factory without mounting it on a container, so it can be delivered in the assembled state. It then remains only to mount it on a container.

It should be noted that the dispensing head thus produced from a single piece forming the pusher 2 and the body 1 has an advantageous advantage in that the stroke of the pusher is not limited by any articulation connecting the pusher to the body 1. The stroke of the pusher is limited only by the height of the notch 12 formed in the fixed body 1. In addition, the height of the notch 12 can be modified very simply by varying the height of the slots bordering it. Thus, the pusher 2 can as well perform a short stroke of the order of 2 to 3 mm for valves, as a greater stroke of the order of 5 to 6 mm necessary for the actuation of a pump.

According to an interesting characteristic giving the dispensing head an appearance aesthetic, the bearing surface 30 of the bell 3 can be pierced with an opening 38 (fig. 10) through which the end surface 20 of the pusher 2 is visible. The attraction aesthetic is all the more important as the colors of the bell and the pusher are different.

Thanks to the one-piece molding process of the pusher and the body, and adding a bell, it is possible to make a dispensing head in two parts with lockable actuation.

Claims (10)

1. A dispenser head for mounting on the actuator rod of a dispenser member such as a valve or a pump, said head comprising a stationary body (1) and a pusher (2) provided with a housing (28) for receiving the actuator rod and with a dispenser orifice (24) communicating with said housing, the pusher being axially displaceable relative to the body during actuation of the dispenser member, the head being characterized in that the body and the pusher are initially molded as a single piece.
2. A dispenser head according to claim 1, in which the body and the pusher are initially connected together by bridges of material (27) for breaking so as to separate the body from the pusher.
3. A dispenser head according to claim 1, in which the body and the pusher are initially connected together by links of deformable material enabling the pusher to move in axial translation relative to the body.
4. A dispenser head according to claim 1, 2, or 3, in which a bell (3) is pivotably mounted on the pusher (2) to move between at least a locking position in which the bell prevents any axial displacement of the pusher relative to the body, and a dispensing position in which the pusher can be moved axially relative to the body.
5. A dispenser head according to claim 4, in which the bell (3) masks the dispenser orifice (24) in the locking position.
6. A dispenser head according claim 4 or claim 5, in which the bell (3) is snap-fastened (33) on the pusher (2) while being free to turn relative thereto.
7. A dispenser head according to any one of claims 4 to 6, in which the bell includes a hole (38) level with the bearing surface (30) through which the pusher (2) is visible.
8. A dispenser head according to any preceding claim, in which the body (1) includes axial guide means (12) to prevent the pusher (2) from turning relative to the body, while allowing it to move in axial translation.
9. A method of fabricating a dispenser head for mounting on the actuator rod of a dispenser member such as a valve or a pump, said head comprising a stationary body (1), a pusher (2) provided with a housing (28) for receiving the actuator rod, and a dispenser orifice (24) communicating with said housing, the method being characterized by the fact that the body and the pusher are molded as a single piece.
10. A method of fabrication according to claim 9, in which a bell (3) is pivotally mounted on the pusher (2) while still connected to the body (1), sufficient force subsequently being exerted on the bell to cause the pusher to move axially relative to the body.

Images