EP1497039B1 - Distribution pump for a liquid product - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a manually actuated distribution pump which is used to supply a dose of a liquid product each time it is actuated. Said pump comprises a pump housing (10) containing a pump chamber (11) and a return spring (50) which elastically brings the pump towards its neutral position and automatically brings it back into said neutral position after each actuation. Said pump chamber (11) comprises an outlet valve (40) which is pushed towards a closing position by the pressure of the product when the pump is actuated, and is mechanically opened by a valve control element (60) at the end of the actuation, when the dose is complete. The invention is characterised in that the distribution pump comprises valve blocking means for maintaining the outlet valve (40) in the open position while the product is ejected from the pump chamber (11), in order to prevent the flow of the liquid product from closing the outlet valve (40) before the entire dose of the liquid product has been ejected. Said outlet valve (40) is mechanically closed by the valve control element (60) by means of the return spring (50) of the pump once the liquid product has been ejected.

Description

The present invention relates to a product dispensing pump fluid, and more particularly a manually operated pump for Dispense a dose of fluid every time you operate.

Pumps, and in particular so-called dosing pumps, which dispense a dose of product at each actuation, are well known in the state of the technical. They are generally used to dispense fluid, such as as pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, perfume or the like. Such a pump generally comprises a pump chamber defined between an inlet valve of the pump chamber and an outlet valve of the chamber pump. When actuated, the inlet flap is closed automatically, and after a while, the outlet valve is opened allowing the expulsion of the product contained in the pump chamber. To improve the functioning of such a pump, it has been proposed to make the outlet valve of the chamber of pump so that during pump actuation the pressure of the pump produced inside the pump chamber urges the outlet valve towards its closing position, which guarantees an absolute seal. The outlet valve is then mechanically opened, preferably at the end of actuation, when the dose is complete, to open the passage and allow the expulsion of the product contained in the pump chamber. Such a pump is particularly described in EP0614702 and in the French patent application FR 00-13569, filed on October 23, 2000. Although functioning satisfactorily, such a pump can, however, present a problem in the operation of the outlet valve. Indeed, the outlet valve being biased during actuation of the pump towards its closing position by the pressure of the product, then open mechanically to permit the expulsion of this product, there is a risk that the flow of fluid product out of the pump chamber after opening the outlet valve returns it to its closed position, so that the distribution of the dose of product may be incomplete. Reproducibility of the dose is not so not certain.

The present invention aims to provide a dispensing pump of fluid product that does not reproduce the aforementioned disadvantages.

The present invention thus aims to provide a pump of fluid distribution which guarantees the total distribution of each dose of fluid product with each actuation of the pump.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a pump for fluid dispensing that is simple and inexpensive to manufacture and to assemble.

The subject of the present invention is therefore a pump for dispensing fluid product manually operated to dispense a dose of fluid each actuation, said pump comprising a pump body containing a pump chamber and a return spring resiliently biasing the pump towards its rest position and automatically returning it to this position of rest after each actuation, said pump chamber having a outlet valve, said outlet valve being, during actuation of the pump, biased by the pressure of the product towards a closed position and being open mechanically by a valve control element at the end of actuation, when the dose is complete, characterized in that the pump comprises valve locking means for holding the outlet valve in position open during the expulsion of the product from the pump chamber, for to prevent the flow of the fluid product from closing the said front outlet valve the expulsion of the entire dose of fluid product, said outlet valve being mechanically closed at the end of expulsion of the fluid product by said element of valve control, under the effect of said return spring of the pump.

Advantageously, the pump chamber is defined between a first piston and a second piston.

Advantageously, said valve blocking means consist of a jamming of the outlet flap in the open position.

Advantageously, said outlet valve comprises a valve member and a valve seat, said valve member having a valve head cooperating in a sealed manner with said valve seat in the closed position of the valve, and a valve body extending axially from said head of valve, the diameter of said valve body being smaller than the diameter of said head, said valve body having, on the opposite side to said valve head, a foot valve having a diameter greater than the diameter of said valve body, the valve control member being slidably mounted around said body of valve and cooperating mechanically with said valve foot to open the valve outlet, and with said valve head for closing the outlet valve.

Advantageously, the valve seat is formed in said first piston, said valve head being frictionally inserted into said first piston, a force greater than said friction force being required to move said valve head with respect to said valve seat between its closed positions and opening.

Advantageously, the valve seat is formed by an annular surface radial approximately perpendicular to the central axis of the pump and surrounding the entrance an expulsion channel connecting the pump chamber to a dispensing orifice, said valve head cooperating with said radial annular surface by via a respective radial surface.

Advantageously, the first piston comprises an axial sleeve in which slides said valve head, the internal diameter of said axial sleeve being slightly smaller than the outer diameter of said valve head for define said friction force, and therefore the force required to move said valve head with respect to said valve seat.

Advantageously, said axial sleeve comprises stop means, such as a radial shoulder, to define the opening position of said head of valve.

Advantageously, the surface of said axial sleeve on which slides said valve head is at least partially frustoconical.

Advantageously, said valve head comprises means of passage product, such as one or more opening (s) on the periphery of the said valve head.

The present invention also relates to a dispensing device fluid product comprising a pump as described above.

• la figure 1 est une vue schématique en section transversale d'une pompe de distribution de produit fluide selon un mode de réalisation avantageux de la présente invention, en position de repos de la pompe,
• la figure 2 est une vue similaire à celle de la figure 1, en position d'actionnement de la pompe,
• la figure 3 est une vue schématique de détail en section transversale représentant à échelle agrandie le clapet de sortie de la pompe des figures 1 et 2, en position de fermeture du clapet de sortie,
• la figure 4 est une vue similaire à celle de la figure 3, en position d'ouverture du clapet de sortie, et
• la figure 5 est une vue schématique représentant une variante de réalisation de l'invention, en position de fermeture du clapet.

The present invention will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings, given by way of non-limiting examples, and in which:

• FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic cross-sectional view of a fluid dispenser pump according to an advantageous embodiment of the present invention, in the rest position of the pump,
• FIG. 2 is a view similar to that of FIG. 1, in the actuation position of the pump,
• FIG. 3 is a diagrammatic cross-sectional detail view showing on an enlarged scale the outlet valve of the pump of FIGS. 1 and 2, in the closed position of the outlet valve,
• FIG. 4 is a view similar to that of FIG. 3, in the open position of the outlet valve, and
• Figure 5 is a schematic view showing an alternative embodiment of the invention, in the closed position of the valve.

With reference to the drawings, the present invention relates to a pump comprising a pump body 10 containing a pump chamber 11. The pump chamber 11 is defined between a first piston 20, called "piston top "and a second piston 30 called" low piston ", and the pump chamber 11 comprises an inlet valve 80 and an outlet valve 40. The inlet valve 80 can advantageously be produced in the form of a ball cooperating with a valve seat suitable. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the top piston 20 slides advantageously in a portion of pump body of larger diameter, and the lower piston 30 slides in one more pump body part small diameter. This is conventional for this type of pump. The pump comprises in addition to a return spring 50 which resiliently urges the pump towards its position resting position shown in Figure 1, and which automatically returns to this rest position after each actuation. In the example shown, the return spring 50 is disposed between the pump body and the valve seat input 80, but any other positioning of the return spring 50 is also possible.

The outlet valve 40 is made so that during the actuation of the pump, it is stressed by the pressure of the product contained inside the pump chamber 11 towards its closed position, said outlet valve 40 being mechanically open by a valve control member 60 at the end when the dose is complete. This control element of valve 60 cooperates on the one hand with the outlet valve 40, and on the other hand with the piston low 30 or an integral element thereof.

According to the invention, the pump comprises valve locking means to keep the outlet valve 40 in the open position during the expulsion of the produced outside the pump chamber 11. In this way, it is avoided that the flow of the fluid from the pump chamber 11 does not close the outlet valve 40 before the entire dose contained in said chamber pump 11 has been expelled. Closing the outlet valve 40 is then performed mechanically, at the end of expulsion of the fluid product, by said element valve control 60 under the effect of the return spring 50 of the pump. Of advantageously, the outlet valve blocking means consist of a jamming of the outlet valve 40 in the open position, as will be described hereinafter with reference to an advantageous embodiment of the present invention.

Figures 1 to 4 show an advantageous embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, the outlet valve 40 comprises a valve element 41 which cooperates with a valve seat 42. The element of valve 41 comprises a valve head 43 which cooperates tightly with said valve seat 42 in the closed position of the valve 40. The valve member 41 also comprises a valve body 44 which in the example shown extends axially from said valve head 43. Advantageously, the the diameter of the valve body 44 is smaller than the diameter of the valve head 43, and the valve body 44 has on the opposite side to said valve head 43, a foot valve 45 whose diameter is again greater than the diameter of said body of In this way, the valve body 44 defines a central portion of smaller diameter disposed between the valve head 43 and the valve foot 45. The valve control member 60 is slidably mounted around said body of valve 44, in particular around said portion of smaller diameter, and cooperates mechanically on the one hand with the valve foot 45 to open the flap of output 40, and secondly with the valve head 43 to close the outlet valve 40. These opening and closing operations of the outlet valve are carried out mechanically by said valve control member 60.

Advantageously, the valve seat 42 of the outlet valve 40 is formed to inside said first piston 20, or high piston, said valve head 43 being frictionally inserted into said first piston 20. In this way, a force greater than said frictional force is required to move said head of valve 43 with respect to said valve seat 42 between these closed positions and opening. Advantageously, the valve seat 42 can be formed by a transverse or radial annular surface, approximately perpendicular to the central axis of the pump, and which surrounds the inlet 71 of an expulsion channel 70 connecting the pump chamber 11 to a dispensing orifice. In a classic way, the piston up 20 may be integral with an actuating rod which incorporates the central channel 70 for the expulsion of the product. The valve head 43 cooperates advantageously with said radial annular surface 42 via a respective radial surface 43 '. A particular profile can be provided at level of the interface between said annular radial surfaces 42 and 43 'for promote the sealing of the outlet valve 40 in the closed position. The flapper outlet 40 is thus biased towards its closed position as soon as a pressure is created in the pump chamber 11, which ensures complete sealing of said valve.

Advantageously, the top piston 20 comprises an internal axial sleeve 21 in which slides said valve head 43. To realize the invention, the inner diameter of said axial sleeve 21 may be slightly less than outer diameter of said valve head 43. In this manner, said friction force between said valve head 43 and said axial sleeve 21, and by therefore also the force required to move said valve head 43 relative to said valve seat 42. Advantageously, as shown on the FIGS. 3 and 4, the axial sleeve 21 of the top piston 20 may comprise means stop 22, made for example in the form of a continuous radial shoulder or segmented, to define the opening position of said valve head 43. Advantageously, the surface 23 of the axial sleeve 21 on which the head slides valve 43 may be at least partially frustoconical, narrowing between the closed position and the open position, as shown on the FIG. 5. Optionally, this frustoconical portion 23 can be combined with a abutment shoulder as described above. In addition, in its configuration particular embodiment shown in the drawings, the valve head 43 may comprise product passage means 48, for example made in the form of one or several aperture (s) that may (vent) be provided on the periphery of said head valve 43.

The operation of the pump according to the invention is as follows. When the user actuates the pump from its rest position shown on the 1, it urges the actuating rod, which is integral with the upper piston 20, axially downwards in FIG. 1, which creates an overpressure inside the the pump chamber 11. This overpressure automatically closes the valve 80 and causes a displacement of the low piston 30 under the effect of the pressure created inside the pump chamber 11. The diameter of the body of pump in which slides the lower piston being smaller than the diameter of the body of pump in which slides the piston up, the piston down 30 moves faster axially downwards as the top piston 20. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the low piston 30 cooperates with the control element 60 via a radial shoulder, so that when the lower piston 30 moves axially, it drive with said valve control member 60. Said element of valve control 60 therefore slides around the valve body 44 of diameter reduced. Indeed, the valve member 41 moves together with the first piston 20 while the valve control member 60 moves together with the second piston 30, so that the valve control member 60 is moves axially downwardly faster than the valve member 41. When the valve control member 60 arrives at the lower end position, in which it cooperates via a shoulder 61 with the foot of valve 45, it will then cause said valve member 41 axially downwards, so that said valve member 41 will peel off the valve seat 42 against which he was pressed by the pressure of the product contained in the chamber of pump 11. As shown in Figure 4, the valve member 41, and in particular the valve head 43, moves axially inside the sleeve internal axial axis 21 of the first piston 20 over a short distance A, sufficient to open a passage to the product contained in the pump chamber 11. The product contained in said pump chamber 11 then flows through said passage of produced 48 to said expulsion channel 70 contained within said first piston 20. The shoulder 22 (and / or frustoconical surface 23), which can be provided in the lateral wall of the axial sleeve 21, advantageously defines the positon opening of the outlet valve 40, shown in FIG. schematically in a very exaggerated way in FIGS. 3 and 4, the diameter external of the valve head 43 is greater than the internal diameter of the sleeve axial 21. This causes a jamming friction of said valve head 43 in said axial sleeve 21, said friction being sufficient to maintain said outlet valve 40 in the open position for the duration of the expulsion of the product contained in the pump chamber 11. There is therefore no risk that the outlet valve 40 closes before the total expulsion of the dose of product contained in the pump chamber 11, which makes the distribution and the reliable and safe operation of the pump, particularly with regard to reproducibility of the dose. When the user releases the pressure on the pump, the return spring 50 returns the control element 60 axially towards the up, so that this valve control element slides back around of said valve body 44 until it comes to cooperate with the valve head 43 through its shoulder 61. The friction force between the head of valve 43 and the axial sleeve 21 is then defined so that it is slightly less than the force exerted by the return spring 50 on the element valve control 60. Thus, this valve control member 60 is mechanically close the outlet valve 40 by pushing axially the valve member 41 upwardly in sealing contact with the valve seat 42, despite the frictional force existing between the valve head 43 and the sleeve axial 21 of the upper piston 20.

The present invention therefore provides a product dispensing pump fluid in which the outlet valve is biased towards its closed position during the entire actuating stroke of the pump, which guarantees a absolute seal at this level, then is mechanically open at the end of race to allow the expulsion of the product contained in the chamber of pump, the distribution of the entire dose contained in the chamber of pump being guaranteed by the fact that the outlet valve can not close again accidentally under the effect of the flow of the product leaving before the end of expulsion of the product contained in the pump chamber.

The present invention has been described with reference to an embodiment particular of it, but it is understood that any modification may be provided by a person skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims. In particular, the specific form of the outlet valve, namely its valve element and the valve seat, and that the shape of the valve control element can be realized from differently, provided that they perform the function of openness and mechanical closing of said outlet valve. We can also consider ways blocking of the outlet valve in the open position which are made of different way of a jam. For example, we could use mechanical blocking means which would prevent a closing of the output until these blocking means are released from any way when the pump returns to its rest position, after each actuation.

Claims (11)

1. A fluid dispenser pump actuated manually to dispense a metered quantity or "dose" of fluid each time it is actuated, said pump including a pump body (10) containing a pump chamber (11) and a return spring (50) resiliently urging the pump towards its rest position and returning it automatically to said rest position after each occasion on which it is actuated, said pump chamber (11) being provided with an outlet valve (40), said outlet valve (40) being urged towards a closed position by the pressure from the fluid while the pump is being actuated, and being opened mechanically by a valve control element (60) at the end of actuation, once the full dose has been prepared, said pump being characterized in that it includes valve locking means for keeping the outlet valve (40) in the open position while the fluid is being expelled from the pump chamber (11), to prevent the flow of fluid from closing said outlet valve (40) again before the full dose of fluid has been expelled, said outlet valve (40) being closed mechanically at the end of fluid expulsion by said valve control element (60) under the effect of said return spring (50) of the pump.
2. A pump according to claim 1, in which the pump chamber (11) is defined between a first piston (20) and a second piston (30).
3. A pump according to claim 1 or 2, in which said valve locking means consist in wedging the outlet valve (40) in the open position.
4. A pump according to any preceding claim, in which said outlet valve (40) comprises a valve element (41) and a valve seat (42), said valve element (41) comprising a valve head (43) co-operating in leaktight manner with said valve seat (42) when the valve (40) is in the closed position, and a valve body (44) extending axially from said valve head (43), the diameter of said valve body (44) being smaller than the diameter of said head (43), said valve body (44) being provided with a valve foot (45) at its end opposite from said valve head (43), said valve foot (45) being of diameter larger than the diameter of said valve body (44), the valve control element (60) being mounted to slide around said valve body (44), and co-operating mechanically with said valve foot (45) to open the outlet valve (40), and with said valve head (43) to close the outlet valve (40).
5. A pump according to claim 4, in which the valve seat (42) is formed in said first piston (20), said valve head (43) being inserted in said first piston (20) with a friction force, a force greater than said friction force being necessary to move said valve head (43) relative to said valve seat (42) between its closed and open positions.
6. A pump according to claim 5, in which the valve seat (42) is formed by a radial annular surface that is substantially perpendicular to the central axis of the pump and that surrounds the inlet (71) of an expulsion channel (70) connecting the pump chamber (11) to a dispensing orifice, said valve head (43) co-operating with said radial annular surface (42) via a corresponding radial surface (43').
7. A pump according to claim 5 or 6, in which the first piston (20) includes an axial sleeve (21) in which said valve head (43) is mounted to slide, the inside diameter of said axial sleeve (21) being slightly smaller than the outside diameter of said valve head (43) to define said friction force, and therefore to define the force necessary to move said valve head (43) relative to said valve seat (42).
8. A pump according to claim 7, in which said axial sleeve (21) is provided with abutment means (22) such as a radial shoulder to define the open position of said valve head (43).
9. A pump according to claim 7 or 8, in which the surface (23) of said axial sleeve (21) on which said valve head (43) slides is at least partially frustoconical.
10. A pump according to any one of claims 4 to 8, in which said valve head (43) is provided with fluid passageway means (48) such as one or more openings provided in the periphery of said valve head (43).
11. A fluid dispenser device characterized in that it includes a pump according to any preceding claim.

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