Classifications

• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
  • B65D47/00—Closures with filling and discharging, or with discharging, devices
  • B65D47/04—Closures with discharging devices other than pumps
  • B65D47/20—Closures with discharging devices other than pumps comprising hand-operated members for controlling discharge
  • B65D47/2018—Closures with discharging devices other than pumps comprising hand-operated members for controlling discharge comprising a valve or like element which is opened or closed by deformation of the container or closure

Definitions

• the invention relates to a hermetic device for dispensing a fluid, in particular a liquid substance and / or a paste, such as an eye drop or another fluid for pharmaceutical or para-pharmaceutical use (toothpaste, liquid soap,... ), a food fluid (milk, fruit juice, ...), or a fluid for industrial use (lubricant, catalyst, polymerizable resin, %)
• Fluids of the aforementioned type generally have a limited shelf life after opening their packaging.
• a known solution is to package them for single use in the form of "single-dose" packaging.
• this solution increases the price of the packaging, in relation to the volume of fluid it contains.
• Another solution consists in mixing the fluid with chemical substances known as "preservatives" to protect it from various pollutants (air, light, dust, bacteria, etc.), liable to come into contact with the fluid.
• preservatives can be dangerous and / or frowned upon by some users and it is often desirable to remove them.
• the present invention improves the situation.
• a fluid dispensing device comprising a reservoir capable of being actuated by pressure, and a supply head communicating with the reservoir to obtain an at least partial flow of the fluid towards at least one outlet orifice.
• the head comprises a fixed body and a membrane mounted tightly on at least part of the fixed body.
• the tightening of the membrane is then chosen: 2
• One of the advantages afforded by the present invention consists in that, in the equilibrium position of the membrane, a thin film of fluid remains trapped between the membrane and the abovementioned part of the fixed body.
• This film in combination with the sealing by the membrane of the inlet and outlet orifices of the abovementioned peripheral space, then makes it possible to substantially seal the communication between the outlet orifice and the reservoir, relative to the ambient air likely to pollute the contents of the tank.
• the fixed body is of substantially convex shape and comprises a base secured to the reservoir and provided with at least one channel which communicates with the reservoir on the one hand, and with the peripheral space d 'somewhere else.
• the membrane envelops the external surface of the aforementioned part of the fixed body, and comprises the outlet orifice.
• the apex of the convexity of the fixed body can close the outlet, while the membrane, in its equilibrium position, also envelops the base of the fixed body by closing the communication between the channel and the peripheral space.
• the fixed body preferably comprises a part of substantially convex shape that is full (or, in a variant, hollow but closed in its 3 upper part), provided with at least one channel communicating on the one hand with the reservoir, and on the other hand with the peripheral space.
• the membrane is substantially in the form of a pocket and comprises a compressed light material, to maintain the external surface of the membrane in surface contact with the aforementioned part of the fixed body.
• the fixed body also comprises a rigid shell suitable for covering the membrane and provided with said outlet orifice.
• the membrane is preferably secured to an internal surface of the rigid shell and has an orifice arranged to communicate with the outlet orifice.
• the aforementioned peripheral space is thus delimited by the membrane and by the full convex part of the fixed body.
• the aforementioned part of the fixed body is always of substantially convex shape, but hollow in this second embodiment, to substantially accommodate the membrane.
• the membrane is in contact with an internal surface of the fixed body and the outlet orifice is arranged substantially at the top of the convexity of the fixed body. Thanks to its own elasticity and / or to a compressed light material which it can contain, the membrane exerts a pressure on the internal wall of the fixed body, from the inside to the outside.
• the fixed body has a solid convex part and the membrane is integral with this solid part.
• the peripheral space is, in this case, delimited by the membrane and 4 by an internal surface of the aforementioned rigid shell.
• the membrane therefore has no orifice.
• FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of a fluid dispensing device, comprising a reservoir provided with a fixed body (or appendage) and a membrane in contact with the external surface of the latter, according to the first embodiment cited above;
• FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of a fluid dispensing device, comprising a reservoir provided with a fixed body (or appendage) and a membrane in contact with an internal wall of this appendage, according to a second embodiment of the present invention
• FIG. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of a fluid dispensing device, comprising a reservoir provided with an appendage and a membrane in contact with an internal wall of a rigid shell that includes this appendage, according to one embodiment more elaborate of the aforementioned second embodiment;
• FIG. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view of a fluid dispensing device, according to a more elaborate embodiment of the first embodiment mentioned above;
• FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view along the line V-V of FIG. 3, of a variant of the dispensing device shown in FIG. 3.
• FIG. 1 a tank 1 provided with an appendix 2, which is integral, appears.
• This reservoir 1 generally has an oblong shape, substantially hollow cylindrical. It is preferably made from a deformable material, for example polyvinyl chloride. It can thus be actuated by pressure, in particular manual. To facilitate this pressure, it further comprises concentric undulations appearing in FIG. 1, forming a bellows.
• the tank 1 has an integral appendix 2 in one piece in the example described.
• the appendix 2 can be made integral with the reservoir 1 by screwing, by snap-fastening or even by gluing.
• Appendix 2 is of substantially cylindro-ogival solid shape, in the example described. It comprises a base 8 by which it is integral with the reservoir 1. The base 8 is crossed by a channel 4 which communicates with the reservoir 1.
• This channel 4 extends, moreover, to the external surface of one appendage 2.
• the appendix 2 has a shape of a hollow dome, provided, near its base, with an opening forming the aforementioned channel 4.
• the dispensing device comprises a membrane 3 made at least in part from an elastic material. It is mounted tight against the appendix 2 so that in the rest position, this membrane 3 is in surface contact with the appendix 2.
• the membrane 3 is in contact with the external surface of the appendix 2. It is fixed near the base 8, substantially under the channel 4. In practice, it is fixed between the appendix 2 and the tank 6
• the membrane 3 can be fixed by bonding or thermo -soldering, or by mechanical retention (clamping ring, screwing, snap-fastening, ).
• the membrane 3 is fixed so that the space between the membrane and the base 8 is sealed along its periphery.
• the membrane 3 has an orifice 5a, arranged substantially at the top of the appendix 2.
• the top of the appendage 2 has a protrusion 5b which coincides substantially with the orifice 5a. This protuberance 5b is inserted into the orifice 5a, when the membrane 3 is in a rest position, then closing the orifice 5a.
• the fluid 6 engages in the channel 4.
• the membrane 3, advantageously elastic near this channel 4 extends laterally to form a passage of the fluid 6 between the internal surface of the membrane 3 and the external surface of the appendix 2.
• the membrane 3 undergoes an outward thrust, substantially normal to its surface.
• the orifice 5a of the elastic membrane emerges from the protuberance 5b, leaving the fluid under pressure.
• the elasticity of the membrane 3 is chosen to allow flow through the channel 4, through the peripheral space 7, then through the orifice 5a.
• the orifice 5a is of a shape chosen so that the flow of the fluid is substantially unidirectional.
• the orifice 5a can be of truncated conical shape with the top of the cone towards the top of FIG. 1.
• the membrane is made of an elastic material such as natural rubber or a suitable synthetic material, for example an elastomer of chosen elasticity.
• only part of the membrane 3 is made of an elastic material of the aforementioned type, while another part is made of a relatively rigid material such as polyvinyl chloride. This different part can then form a rigid strip or even a rigid cap, covering a part of appendix 2.
• FIG. 2 to describe a dispensing device according to the aforementioned second embodiment of the present invention.
• the body of the reservoir 1 is not shown in its entirety. It will then be understood that its shape corresponds substantially to that shown in FIG. 1.
• Appendix 2 is still substantially convex in shape (cylindro-ogival in the example described), but hollow according to this second embodiment. It is made of a rigid material such as polyvinyl chloride, preferably of low thickness, and has a base 8, 8 fixed to the reservoir 1. This fixing can be ensured by mechanical retention such as screwing, snap-fastening or even by gluing.
• the orifice 5a is now provided at the top of the appendix 2.
• the membrane 3 is housed inside the appendix 2, in contact with its internal surface. It is produced in the form of a pocket containing a light material compressed to maintain, in the rest position, its external surface in forced contact with the internal surface of the appendix 2. In practice, it contains a gas under pressure, such as nitrogen, or a flexible compressed foam (for example expanded polyurethane), or a compressible gel (for example a silicone gel).
• a gas under pressure such as nitrogen, or a flexible compressed foam (for example expanded polyurethane), or a compressible gel (for example a silicone gel).
• the membrane may be of solid shape and made of a flexible elastic material. In both cases, its compression results from the fact that its initial dimensions (unconstrained membrane) are greater than that of its housing which forms the cavity of the hollow appendage, or also due to a subsequent expansion.
• the membrane is of elasticity chosen (substantially more rigid) to maintain itself against the internal surface of one hollow appendage.
• the membrane 3 advantageously carries a protuberance 5b arranged to be inserted into the orifice 5a presented by the appendix 2. When the membrane 3 is in a rest position, this protuberance 5b closes the orifice 5a.
• the fluid 6 flows in the channel 4.
• the fluid 6 while insinuating itself in the peripheral space 7 delimited on the one hand by the internal surface of the appendix 2, and d on the other hand by the external surface of the membrane 3, pushes back laterally the 9 membrane 3. It therefore flows from the channel 4 to the orifice 5a, progressing in the peripheral space 7.
• the fluid 6 finally repels the protuberance 5b of the membrane, in the example described, and s '' flows through orifice 5a.
• part of the membrane 3 is made of a substantially rigid material such as polyvinyl chloride, forming a strip or a rigid cap.
• the hollow appendage 2 in this second embodiment plays the role of a rigid shell protecting the membrane 3.
• the delivery head of the device comprises a solid appendage 2a (or, in a variant, hollow but closed in its top part), on which is mounted, to be joined, a membrane 3, produced in the form of a pocket containing a compressed light material 30 of the type described above.
• the supply head comprises a rigid shell 2b, covering the appendix 2a and the membrane 3.
• This rigid shell is provided with an outlet orifice 5a in its top part and the membrane 3 is provided with a protu canter 5b which is introduced into the orifice 5a in an equilibrium position of the membrane (in the absence of actuation by pressure of the reservoir 1).
• a channel 4 communicating with the tank.
• this channel 4 communicates, on the one hand, with the reservoir 1 and, on the other hand, with an interface (or peripheral space) 7 between an external surface of the membrane 3 and an internal surface of the rigid shell 2b .
• the fluid 6, conveyed by the channel 4 creeps into the interface 7 (peripheral space between the membrane 3 and the rigid shell 2b), until it leaves by the orifice 5a of the rigid shell 2b, while the protuberance 5b of the membrane 3 subjected to the pressure exerted by the fluid 6, in particular on the light material 30 which it contains, retracts towards the interior of the debtor head.
• the flow rate of fluid distributed by the head of the device is chosen as a function:
• the membrane 3 is preferably of different elasticity from the base 8 to the outlet orifice of the supply head. It is, in fact, provided to provide the device according to the invention with a membrane of selected profile (substantially thicker or resilient near the base 8) to obtain a differentiated clamping in the supply head, with a pressure that undergoes the fluid 6 more important at the base 8 than at the outlet orifice 5a.
• a profile of the membrane 3 can be obtained by molding or by cutting an elastic material of the above type, adapted to this profile.
• a thin film of fluid remains in the vicinity of the outlet orifice of the device according to the invention, while an even thinner film of fluid advantageously seals the interface between the fixed body and the membrane 3, which allows to eliminate or, at least, to minimize air contamination of the fluid in the reservoir 1.
• FIG. 5 shows an embodiment of the device shown in FIG. 3, in which the delivery head is of generally substantially flat shape in the extension of the reservoir 1.
• the rigid shell 2b and, in particular, the full appendage 2a have general shapes of warheads flattened on two lateral faces, parallel and symmetrical with respect to the axis of the warhead.
• the membrane 3 is here produced in the form of a ribbon containing a compressed light material 30.
• a groove is provided on the periphery of the solid appendage 2a to accommodate the material 30 that the membrane 3 encloses. the latter is then secured by its ends to the edges of the peripheral groove of the appendix 2a. Subject to the pressure exerted by the light material 30, the membrane 3 comes into surface contact with an inner peripheral wall of the rigid shell 2b.
• the solid part 2a of the appendix comprises a single channel 4.
• a single channel 4 can be arranged in the solid part of appendix 2a.
• FIG. 4 describes a hybrid variant of the embodiments shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, in which the relative positions of the membrane 3 and of the compressed light material which it contains are reversed with respect to the embodiment shown in FIG. 3.
• the external surface of the membrane 3 is, in this variant, in surface contact with the internal solid appendage 2a, which is provided with a channel which communicates, on the one hand, with the reservoir 1 and, on the other hand, with the interface (or peripheral space) 7 between the membrane 3 and the appendix 2a.
• the membrane 3 is, in this variant, secured to the internal surface of the rigid shell 2b.
• the membrane 3 is provided with an orifice which communicates with the orifice 5a of the rigid shell, while the solid appendage 2a has a protuberance 5b which coincides, in the equilibrium position of the membrane 3, with the orifice that the latter comprises.
• the fluid 6, conveyed by the channel 4 creeps into the interface (or peripheral space) 7 between the membrane 3 and the full appendage 2a, up to the orifice 5a of the rigid shell 2b, while the membrane 3 retracts against the rigid shell 2b, to form a passage for the fluid 6.
• the dispensing device according to the invention is further provided to equip the dispensing device according to the invention with a protective cap (not shown), having a hollow shape to substantially cover the membrane and / or appendix 2.
• the dispensing device according to the invention also includes a guarantee seal to ensure the closure of the cap before a first use.
• the arrangement of an elastic membrane in a dispensing device ensures on the one hand the sealing of the aforementioned opening of the channel 4, and on the other hand 13 starts the sealing of the orifice 5a, when the reservoir 1 is not subjected to external pressure (membrane 3 in the rest position). Because the membrane 3 substantially matches the shape of the fixed body, it also makes it possible, in the rest position, to seal the fluid passage defined by the peripheral space 7. The path of the fluid 6, from the reservoir 1 up to the orifice 5a, is thus protected from any penetration of the external environment, and therefore from any pollution by the latter.
• the supply head may include a movable insert that is substantially convex, instead of having a fixed body (or appendage).
• This insert can, for example, be in the form of a ball which the elastic membrane envelops 3. This ball then rests on external walls of the reservoir 1, in the manner of a ball resting on a bottle neck. During pressure actuation of the reservoir, the fluid pressure lifts the ball slightly. A passage of the fluid between the ball and the reservoir then forms an equivalent of the above-mentioned channel 4. The fluid can then flow into the peripheral space delimited by the surface of the ball and the internal surface of the membrane 3. It then flows through the orifice 5a of the membrane.
• such a device includes a return of the ball, elastic (spring) or even magnetic (magnet, while the ball is made, for example, of iron), to facilitate the flow of the fluid 6 through the orifice 5a of the membrane.
• the concentric waves presented by the reservoir 1 facilitate manual pressure that a user would exert.
• a tank 1 substantially pear-shaped or other, as soon as this shape is hollow and the material in which it is made, is deformable. 14
• appendix 2 shown substantially cylindrical ogival in Figures 1 and 2, is described above by way of example. Indeed, appendix 2 may have a different shape, but preferably convex, which advantageously allows almost total surface contact of the membrane 3 with the appendix 2.
• Appendix 2 (membrane 3) has a protuberance 5b at its top in the first (second) embodiment described above.
• This protuberance 5b is essentially of an optional character and may disappear in a different embodiment from the present invention.
• appendix 2 is of substantially convex, full shape. Alternatively, this shape may be hollow.
• the appendage then comprises a base 8 secured to the reservoir 1, and crossed by at least one channel 4 communicating on the one hand with the reservoir and on the other hand with the peripheral space 7.
• the channel 4 crosses the base 8 without communication with the interior of the appendix 2, which makes it possible to isolate the hollow interior of the appendix from any penetration of the external environment and / or of the fluid 6.
• the base 8 of appendix 2 comprises a single channel 4 communicating with the reservoir 1.
• a greater number of channels can be provided to favor the fluid flow.
• an increasing number of channels can be provided with the viscosity of the fluid.
• the number of orifices 5a can also increase with the viscosity of the fluid, these orifices being arranged substantially in an upper part of the membrane 3 or of the appendix 2, in the first or second embodiments, respectively.
• the arrangement of a single orifice advantageously makes it possible to limit the risks of contamination of the fluid by the medium in which the exterior of the membrane or of the membrane is immersed. appendix. 15
• the solid appendages may be, in respective variants, hollow but having an opening only near their base to form a channel 4.
• the reservoir 1 can be produced in the form of a fluid distribution conduit 6, for example at a downstream end of a fluid distributor circuit.

Landscapes

• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Feeding, Discharge, Calcimining, Fusing, And Gas-Generation Devices (AREA)
• Containers And Packaging Bodies Having A Special Means To Remove Contents (AREA)
• Sampling And Sample Adjustment (AREA)
• Electrical Discharge Machining, Electrochemical Machining, And Combined Machining (AREA)
• Coating Apparatus (AREA)
• Devices For Dispensing Beverages (AREA)
• Loading And Unloading Of Fuel Tanks Or Ships (AREA)
• Cyclones (AREA)
• Closures For Containers (AREA)
• Nozzles (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Publications (2)

Family

ID=9525826

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (11)

Families Citing this family (27)

Family Cites Families (19)

• 1998
  • 1998-04-29 FR FR9805394A patent/FR2778173B1/fr not_active Expired - Fee Related
• 1999
  • 1999-04-29 CA CA002330800A patent/CA2330800C/fr not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 1999-04-29 PT PT99916958T patent/PT1075433E/pt unknown
  • 1999-04-29 EP EP99916958A patent/EP1075433B1/de not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 1999-04-29 DE DE69900682T patent/DE69900682T2/de not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 1999-04-29 AT AT99916958T patent/ATE211992T1/de not_active IP Right Cessation
  • 1999-04-29 AU AU35260/99A patent/AU3526099A/en not_active Abandoned
  • 1999-04-29 PL PL99343800A patent/PL343800A1/xx not_active IP Right Cessation
  • 1999-04-29 ES ES99916958T patent/ES2172322T3/es not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 1999-04-29 WO PCT/FR1999/001023 patent/WO1999055594A1/fr not_active Ceased
• 2000
  • 2000-10-26 US US09/699,671 patent/US6536631B1/en not_active Expired - Fee Related

Non-Patent Citations (1)

Also Published As

Similar Documents

Legal Events