Classifications

• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B05—SPRAYING OR ATOMISING IN GENERAL; APPLYING FLUENT MATERIALS TO SURFACES, IN GENERAL
  • B05B—SPRAYING APPARATUS; ATOMISING APPARATUS; NOZZLES
  • B05B7/00—Spraying apparatus for discharge of liquids or other fluent materials from two or more sources, e.g. of liquid and air, of powder and gas
  • B05B7/0018—Spraying apparatus for discharge of liquids or other fluent materials from two or more sources, e.g. of liquid and air, of powder and gas with devices for making foam
  • B05B7/0025—Spraying apparatus for discharge of liquids or other fluent materials from two or more sources, e.g. of liquid and air, of powder and gas with devices for making foam with a compressed gas supply
  • B05B7/0031—Spraying apparatus for discharge of liquids or other fluent materials from two or more sources, e.g. of liquid and air, of powder and gas with devices for making foam with a compressed gas supply with disturbing means promoting mixing, e.g. balls, crowns
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B05—SPRAYING OR ATOMISING IN GENERAL; APPLYING FLUENT MATERIALS TO SURFACES, IN GENERAL
  • B05B—SPRAYING APPARATUS; ATOMISING APPARATUS; NOZZLES
  • B05B11/00—Single-unit hand-held apparatus in which flow of contents is produced by the muscular force of the operator at the moment of use
  • B05B11/01—Single-unit hand-held apparatus in which flow of contents is produced by the muscular force of the operator at the moment of use characterised by the means producing the flow
  • B05B11/10—Pump arrangements for transferring the contents from the container to a pump chamber by a sucking effect and forcing the contents out through the dispensing nozzle
  • B05B11/1001—Piston pumps
  • B05B11/1023—Piston pumps having an outlet valve opened by deformation or displacement of the piston relative to its actuating stem
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B05—SPRAYING OR ATOMISING IN GENERAL; APPLYING FLUENT MATERIALS TO SURFACES, IN GENERAL
  • B05B—SPRAYING APPARATUS; ATOMISING APPARATUS; NOZZLES
  • B05B11/00—Single-unit hand-held apparatus in which flow of contents is produced by the muscular force of the operator at the moment of use
  • B05B11/01—Single-unit hand-held apparatus in which flow of contents is produced by the muscular force of the operator at the moment of use characterised by the means producing the flow
  • B05B11/10—Pump arrangements for transferring the contents from the container to a pump chamber by a sucking effect and forcing the contents out through the dispensing nozzle
  • B05B11/1087—Combination of liquid and air pumps

Definitions

• the present invention relates to a two-phase distribution device, that is to say for simultaneously dispensing a fluid and a gas, generally air.
• This type of dispensing device is generally mounted on a reservoir containing the fluid to be dispensed.
• Such a device can be used for two different applications: in a first application, this type of dispenser is used as a foam pump allowing a fluid product to be dispensed in the form of mouses, that is to say mixed with fines air bubbles.
• the device can be used to dispense the fluid product in the form of a jet of finely sprayed droplets entrained by the air flow.
• the dispensing device has an identical design incorporating a fluid pump and an air pump.
• the dispensing device further comprises a foam-forming chamber, while in the case of application in the form of a sprayer, the dispensing device is generally equipped. a nozzle at the outlet allowing the dispersion of the fluid product into fine droplets.
• this type of two-phase distribution device it is important that the fluid product is mixed with the air as homogeneously as possible to avoid chaotic distribution of the fluid product. This homogeneous mixture is particularly important when used as a foam pump.
• the homogeneity of the mixture depends greatly on the volume in which this mixture is created and more precisely on the turbulence likely to be generated in this volume.
• the air is mixed with the fluid product at the outlet nozzle, or at the outlet of the fluid pump, as is the case in the document EP-0 511 894.
• Another document of the prior art in this case the document WO 95/30490, describes a two-phase distribution device, in which a free piston is mounted sliding on an actuating rod, the free piston also being slidably mounted in a pump body so as to delimit the pump chamber.
• the free piston defines with the actuating rod the top valve of the fluid pump as well as the top valve of the air chamber.
• the pressurized fluid flows inside an internal conduit formed inside the actuating rod.
• the pressurized air flows through a separate duct.
• the two fluid and air ducts meet at a spray nozzle which allows the fluid to be distributed in the form of a jet of fine droplets.
• the air and the fluid are only mixed in a very small volume defined by the very limited internal volume of the nozzle. It should be noted that this dispensing device is only intended for dispensing in spray form and not for dispensing foam. Consequently, the homogeneity of the mixture of fluid and air is not a particularly sought-after goal, as is the case in the application as a foam pump.
• Another pump described in document EP-0 613 728 comprises a fluid outlet valve located at the upper end of the actuating rod and an air pump outlet valve communicating with the upper end of the rod actuation by an air passage which extends around the actuation rod. Again, the mixing of air and fluid takes place only at the outlet of the actuating rod so that the mixing volume is restricted.
• the present invention therefore aims to define a two-phase distribution device, in particular a foam pump but not only, in which the mixing of fluid and air takes place in a large volume allowing good homogeneity of the mixture.
• a fluid product dispensing device comprising: a fluid product pump comprising: a pump body provided with an inlet valve, - an actuating rod movable axially in the body, a free piston mounted to slide in a leaktight manner in the body, said piston being mounted displaceable on the actuating rod to form with it an outlet valve, an air pump comprising an air chamber provided with an inlet valve and d an outlet valve and a piston for compressing the air in the chamber, the outlet valve of the fluid pump and the outlet valve of the air pump opening into a common duct.
• the outlet valve of the air pump is formed by the free piston. Consequently, there is only one piece which performs the dual function of a movable outlet valve member.
• the actuating rod forms a valve seat for the air pump outlet valve.
• the actuating rod defines, at the level of the free piston, several radial channels surrounded by an internal wall of the free piston, together defining a part of said common conduit . It is thus possible to form the part of the actuating rod situated at the level of the Ubre piston so as to have a cross section substantially in the form of a star with three, four or five branches depending on the number of radial channels that one wishes to form. The sum of the cross sections of the different radial channels is considerably greater than that of a conventional internal channel extending inside the actuating rod. Therefore, the volume geometry of mixing is very complex and therefore generates a lot of turbulence.
• the free piston comprises at least one sealing lip in sealed sliding contact with the body and a sealing lip in sealed sliding contact with the actuating rod.
• the actuating rod comprises a socket defining an internal sliding wall against which the sealing lip is in sealed sliding contact. It is advantageous for the piston to penetrate inside the sleeve with its sealing lip: in this way, the sealing lip is strongly pressed against the internal sliding wall by the pressurized fluid product flowing through the common conduit at the outlet of the valve.
• the internal sliding wall of the sleeve is formed with at least one sealing rupture profile at which the sealing lip of the piston is not no longer in leaktight contact so as to form an air passage towards the common duct.
• the sealing rupture profile is in the form of a recess or a groove formed in the internal wall of the sleeve.
• the sealing rupture profile is in the form of a flat surface pan creating a defect in circularity in the internal wall of the sleeve.
• the common conduit communicates downstream with a foam forming chamber.
• the common conduit communicates downstream with an outlet nozzle.
• FIG. 1 is a vertical cross-section view through a dispensing device according to the invention in the rest position
• FIG. 2a is a vertical cross-section view of the dispensing device of FIG. 1 in the actuated position
• Figure 2b is an enlarged view of the circled detail of Figure 2a
• Figure 2c is a horizontal cross-sectional view of the detail shown in Figure 2b
• Figure 2d is a greatly enlarged view of part of the device dispenser showing the passage of air and fluid inside the device.
• the dispensing device used to illustrate the present invention is a foam pump for dispensing a fluid product mixed with air so as to form a foam at the outlet of the dispensing device.
• the fluid product contained in a reservoir (not shown) contains a foaming agent suitable, in contact with air, to expand so as to trap fine bubbles of air inside the fluid product .
• a foam is thus obtained at the outlet of the dispenser.
• the present invention could also have been illustrated by means of a two-phase pump making it possible to distribute a spray jet of fine droplets of fluid product.
• the outlet of the distribution device is generally equipped with a spray nozzle.
• the dispensing device comprises a fluid pump designated as a whole by the reference numeral 1 and an air pump defining an air chamber 54 of variable volume.
• the device is provided with a pusher 4 on which is pressed, at a bearing surface 41, to simultaneously actuate the fluid pump and the air pump.
• the dispensing device further comprises an outer covering 52 in leaktight engagement with an internal fixing ring 51 used for fixing the device to the neck of a reservoir (not shown) containing the fluid product to be dispensed.
• the air chamber 54 is located substantially around the fluid pump 1 with a wall of the fixing ring 51 serving as the bottom for the air chamber 54, the internal wall of the covering 52 serving as a sealed sliding wall for an air piston 48 of substantially annular shape mounted inside the pusher 4.
• the pusher 4 defines at its upper part the bearing surface 41 to which is connected a peripheral skirt 44, here of ogival shape, which ends with a collar 45 which projects outwards.
• the pusher 4 defines a sleeve 46, the free lower end of which serves for connection to an actuating rod 2 forming an integral part of the fluid product pump 1.
• the sleeve 46 internally defines a conduit which extends towards the top by an outlet channel 42 opening to the outside through an outlet orifice 43.
• the sleeve 46 receives inside an insert defining a foam-forming chamber 47
• Chamber 47 has a low inlet and a high outlet, both provided with a filter for foaming.
• the foam-forming chamber 47 can be in the form of a separate plastic part inserted by force into the sleeve 46 of the pusher 4 which can be formed in one piece.
• the air piston 48 extends in an annular shape stepped around the sleeve 46 with which it is in leaktight contact at the level of an annular sealing lip 481.
• This lip 481 provides a static seal at the level of the sleeve 46.
• the air piston 48 defines a lip 482 intended to varnish in sealed sliding contact with the internal wall of the covering 52.
• the outer flange 45 of the pusher 4 is in contact, with its lower annular surface, with the periphery outside of the air piston 48 substantially at the level of the dynamic sealing lip 482.
• the dispensing device is shown in the rest position, in which the outer flange 45 of the pusher 4 is in abutment against an inner flap 521 of the casing 52 used to fix the top dead center of the air pump.
• the covering 52 is in sealed engagement with the fixing ring 51 which forms the bottom of the air chamber 54.
• the fixing ring 51 is formed for this purpose with an external ring 513 in sealed contact with the internal wall of the covering 52 and an internal screw ring 512 formed with an internal thread intended to cooperate with an external thread formed on the neck of the container (not shown).
• This is a fixing by screwing, but of course other fixing techniques can be imagined without departing from the scope of the invention.
• the outer ring 513 and the inner ring 512 are connected and extend inward by an internal annular flange 511 defining a central opening through which the fluid pump 1 passes.
• This internal flange 511 comes in taken with an external fixing flange 142 which is an integral part of the fluid product pump 1.
• the dispensing device is fixed to a fluid reservoir.
• the fixing ring 51 substantially forms at the junction of the outer ring 512 and the inner ring 512 several air intake ducts 514 which are selectively closed by a flexible washer 515 which is pressed on the outlet of the conduits 514.
• the washer 515 is pressed by pressure on the conduits 514 and seal them hermetically.
• air can be sucked through the conduits 514 by slightly lifting the washer 515.
• the washer 515 combination with the ducts 514 forms the air intake valve for the air chamber 54.
• This fluid pump 1 includes a generally cylindrical pump body 10 provided at its lower end with an inlet 11 to which a dip tube can be connected. Above the inlet 11, the pump body 10 defines a valve seat 120 for a ball 12 serving as a low valve member.
• the ball 12 is advantageously confined in a limited space defined by an insert 121 on which the lower end of a return spring 15 rests.
• the pump body 10 is provided with an annular reinforcement 13, projecting outwards, inserted by snap-fastening into a housing formed by a turn 114 which form on the outside the retaining flange 142 intended to come into engagement between the flange 511 of the fixing ring 51 and the upper end of the neck of the reservoir (not shown) with the possible interposition of a seal 17.
• An air return passage can be formed in the peripheral reinforcement 13 to allow air to enter the reservoir from the outside as fluid is distributed by the pump 1.
• the spinner 114 defines inside the body 10 a ferrule 141 which makes it possible to limit the stroke of the pump 1 and fix its rest position.
• the fluid pump 1 is conventionally provided with an actuating rod 2 at the lower end of which bears the other end of the return spring 15 so as to urge the actuating rod 2 in its rest position shown in Figure 1.
• the actuating rod 2 is provided with a free piston 3 which can move on the actuating rod 2 over a limited distance.
• the numerical references relating to the free piston 3 are visible in FIG. 2a.
• the piston free 3 is therefore slidably mounted on the actuating rod 2 and, on the other hand, it slides inside the pump body 10 with sealing.
• the actuating rod 2 is here formed of a lower part 21 and an upper part 22 connected to each other for example by force fitting.
• the upper part 22 defines a flow passage 221 at its upper end which is inserted inside the sleeve 46 defined by the pusher 4. Below this section forming the flow passage 221, the upper part 22 defines a substantially cylindrical skirt 222 defining at its lower end a sealed sliding bushing 223.
• the lower part 21 is inserted in the upper part 22 so that the substantially cylindrical skirt 222 partially surrounds the lower part 21.
• the assembly of the two lower parts 21 and upper 22 define between them a conduit 23 which communicates with the flow passage 22 formed at the upper end of the upper part 22.
• the lower part 21 defines over a large part of its height several radial channels 211 which extend to near the lower end of the lower part 21 where it forms a tray 213 in which is defined an annular groove 212 serving as an outlet valve seat.
• This groove 212 is formed on the upper surface of the plate 213 while the lower surface of the plate 213 receives the upper end of the return spring 15.
• the free piston 3 is mounted on the lower part 21 of the actuating rod 2.
• the piston 3 includes an inner sleeve 33 which internally defines an internal wall 87 which surrounds the lower part 21 formed with the radial channels 211.
• the lower end of the sleeve 33 forms a high valve member 332 adapted to come into tight contact in the annular groove 212 formed by the lower part of the actuating rod as can be seen in FIG. 1 in the rest position.
• the cuff 33 defines a sealed sliding lip 331 adapted to come into sealed sliding contact with the internal wall 224 formed by the sliding bush 223 of the actuating rod 2.
• the piston 3 comprises an outer ring 31 connected to the sleeve 33 by a connecting flange 32.
• the outer ring 31 defines at each of its ends a sealing lip 311 and 312 in sealed sliding contact against the interior wall of the pump body 10. In the rest position shown in FIG. 1. The lip sealing upper 311 of the piston 3 abuts against the lower end of the ferrule 141 so as to fix the top dead center of the pump 1.
• this fluid pump 1 takes place as follows: when the pusher 4 is pressed, the actuating rod is pressed into the pump body 10 so that the pump chamber decreases in volume. To compensate for this reduction in volume, the free piston 3 which is then no longer in abutment contact with the ferrule 141 moves relative to the actuating rod 2 so as to open the top valve to create an outlet passage for the fluid which then flows between the free piston 3 and the lower part 21 of the actuating rod 2. The product then flows into a conduit 23. From there it flows through the passage 221 then through the chamber 47 and finally the outlet channel 42 which opens at 43 on the outside.
• the piston 80 and more particularly with respect to the internal wall 87, partially defines the external wall of the conduit making it possible to connect the outlet of the high valve to the passage 221 leading outwards.
• the internal diameter of the cuff 33 is relatively large compared to that of an internal conduit of the actuating rod of a conventional distributor, there is a large passage section which therefore defines a large internal volume and which on the other hand only induces a small pressure drop.
• the top valve leaves there is a large volume in which the foaming product can be mixed with the air coming from the air pump.
• the outlet valve of the air pump is defined by the sleeve 33 of the piston 3 at its contact with the sliding bush 223.
• the air which is compressed in the pump chamber 54 finds an outlet passage defined between the actuating rod 2 and the ferrule 141 as can be seen in FIG. 2d. More specifically, the air escapes initially between the lower part of the sleeve 46 of the pusher 4 and the ferrule 141 of the spinner 14. Then, the air finds a passage between the upper part 21 more precisely the skirt 22 , and the ferrule 141. Lower, the air flows between the sleeve 223 and the internal wall of the pump body then between the ring and the piston. The air flow passage is indicated by bold arrows in Figure 2d.
• the air therefore arrives at the contact of the sealing lip 331 of the piston 3 with the internal wall 224 of the sleeve 223. Since the contact is sealed, the air cannot find a passage at this location.
• the internal wall 224 of the sleeve 223 is formed with a profile 225 making it possible to interrupt the sealed contact of the lip 331 with the wall 224.
• This sealing interruption profile 225 may for example be in the form of grooves or grooves at the level of which the lip 331 cannot establish a tight contact. According to a variant of the invention, shown in FIG.
• the sealing interruption profile 225 may be in the form of flat surface sections which interrupt the cylindricity of the wall 224 so that at the level of the junction of the sides with the cylinder segments, it creates edges at which the lip 331 can not come into tight contact.
• the particular shape of the sealing interrupting profile or profiles 225 does not limit the present invention insofar as the air can find a flow passage at this level when the dispensing device is in the actuated position shown in FIG. 2a.
• the air which flows beyond the top valve formed by the sealing lip 331 in sliding contact with the wall 224 opens into the same conduit as that in which the fluid product flows.
• the pressurized air and the pressurized fluid therefore flow through a common conduit 23 formed between the piston 3 and the actuating rod 2 in its lower part then between the lower part 21 and the upper part 22 of the rod. actuation 2.
• the pressurized air is therefore injected into pump 1 near the top valve of the fluid pump so that the mixture of air and foaming fluid takes place immediately at the outlet of the top valves fluid pump and air pump respectively.
• the principle of the present invention is based on the fact that the free piston is used to form the two outlet valves of the fluid and air pumps to open into a common conduit 23, which moreover has a volume of important and complex mixture.
• the cuff 33 is forced to move on the sealing interruption profiles 225 under the effect of the fluid under pressure, this guarantees the opening of the top valve of the air pump.
• the fluid product pump is used to form a mixing chamber, so that at the outlet of the actuating rod, the fluid product is already in the form of foam.
• the foaming chamber located in the pusher further improves the quality of the foam. There is therefore in the present invention a double stage of foam formation. In the pumps conventional foam, there is at most a single foaming chamber into which air is injected.
• This provides a particularly effective dispensing device for dispensing a foam, but which can of course be used as a dispenser in the form of a jet of sprayed fluid.

Landscapes

• Containers And Packaging Bodies Having A Special Means To Remove Contents (AREA)
• Closures For Containers (AREA)
• Reciprocating Pumps (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Publications (2)

Family

ID=9544749

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (7)

Families Citing this family (30)

Family Cites Families (6)

• 1999
  • 1999-04-22 FR FR9905118A patent/FR2792553B1/fr not_active Expired - Fee Related
• 2000
  • 2000-04-19 US US09/959,151 patent/US6398079B1/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 2000-04-19 JP JP2000613577A patent/JP2002542124A/ja active Pending
  • 2000-04-19 ES ES00920838T patent/ES2200863T3/es not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 2000-04-19 DE DE60003665T patent/DE60003665T2/de not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 2000-04-19 EP EP00920838A patent/EP1173288B1/de not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 2000-04-19 WO PCT/FR2000/001018 patent/WO2000064593A1/fr active IP Right Grant

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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