EP1542911B1 - Fixing member and fluid product dispenser comprising same - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a fastener and a fluid dispenser comprising a container, a dispensing member such as a pump or a valve and a fastener for fixing the dispenser member on the container. Such dispensers are frequently used in the field of perfumery, cosmetics or even pharmacy to dispense fluid products by manual support with a finger on a pusher.

The present invention applies inter alia to a type of container forming an opening or a neck defining an inner wall which forms a narrowed opening section below which the wall is at least locally outwardly recessed to form a lower opening section hollowed out. However, the inner wall of the neck may also be cylindrical. As for the fixing member, the latter comprises receiving means for receiving the body of the dispensing member and a fixing skirt intended to be force-fitted into said opening. The skirt comprises an outer wall defining a section intended to come into contact with the inner wall of the neck, when the skirt is fitted fully into the neck of the container.

A dispenser comprising a fastener of this type is known from US-A-3,937,366. In this document, the inside wall of the neck of the receptacle comprises a peripheral groove in which a rib formed on the outer wall snaps into engagement. of the skirt. The portion of the skirt located just above the rib has a smaller diameter than the bottom of the rib, even when the skirt is not yet fitted into the neck of the container. It can be said that the outer profile of the skirt is perfectly complementary to the internal profile of the neck of the container. Similarly, the shape of the groove in the inner wall of the neck is exactly complementary to the shape of the rib of the skirt. Thus, there is no tight radial contact between the skirt and the inner wall collar, but just a snap of the rib in the groove of the collar. The seal between the skirt and the collar is thus very difficult to ensure.

It is the same for the fastener described in the document FR-A-2 792 295. This member uses a ring on which is mounted a pump or a valve. This ring also cooperates with the inner wall of a container neck which has a narrowed opening section below which extends a recessed opening section. The ring is formed with a skirt intended to engage inside the neck. This skirt has an outer radial projection intended to be housed in the recessed opening section which is here in the form of a simple peripheral recess formed inside the inner wall of the neck. This is a snap system which involves engaging the outer projection of the skirt in the internal recess of the neck. The skirt is deformed only momentarily, the time that the projection reaches the recess. Then, the skirt relaxes to return to its original shape.

Above the outer projection, the skirt defines a smaller diameter section which is housed at the narrowed opening section formed just above the inner recess of the neck. However, it is not visible in the figures of this document that the outer diameter of the section of the skirt located at the narrowed opening section of the neck has a smaller diameter than the latter. This is also not described in the text of this document.

Moreover, in the text of this document and in the claims, it is clearly defined that the fixing member comprises snap-fastening means adapted to be housed in said recess of the inner wall of the neck; in this case, these latching means are formed by the outer projection.

On the other hand, it has been noticed that the plastic fasteners are subject to a creep of the plastic material at the point where they are in contact against the neck. This results in the medium term in loosening the grip of the organ in the neck, so that the fastener can be easily torn from the neck.

The present invention seeks to overcome the drawbacks of the prior art by defining a fixing ring which performs both a solid attachment and a perfect seal, and this even in the long term.

To achieve this object, the present invention provides a fastener for fixing a dispensing member on a container neck, said fastener comprising receiving means for receiving said dispensing member and fastening means for cooperating with an inner wall and an abutment surface of the container neck, when the fastener has reached its final fixing position on the neck, said fastening means comprising an outwardly extending flange which is intended for abutting the abutment surface of the neck in the end position and a skirt intended to be engaged in the neck so as to come into tight contact with the inner wall of the neck in the final position, said skirt comprising an upper end and a lower end , characterized in that the skirt comprises an elastically deformable section radially inwards which is adapted to be and remain el astically deformed by contact with the inner wall of the neck in the end position. This contact is a pressing contact pressed and advantageously sealed and is also permanent since the deformable section remains deformed in the final position of the ring in the neck. It should also be noted that the fixing member of the invention is not deformed by creep or material displacement.

This is not the case in US-A-3 937 366 in which the skirt has a diameter strictly equal to that of the neck, even at the groove. It is the same in the document FR-A-2 792 295 where the ring snaps into the recess formed in the inner wall of the neck. This means that the ring in these two documents of the prior art undergoes a very temporary elastic deformation only when it is introduced into the neck, but relaxes when it reaches the final latched position. The ring does not remain in a permanently deformed state elastically.

Advantageously, the upper end of the skirt is substantially indeformable. In a symmetrical manner, the lower end of the skirt may be substantially indeformable. In this case, the deformable section is located between the indeformable upper and lower extremities. This elastically deformable section may then be in the form of a flexible ring held firmly at its two solid ends.

Advantageously, the lower end forms a contact surface adapted to abut against the dispensing member.

According to another characteristic of the invention, the deformable section internally defines an annular housing at which the deformable section is intended to remain out of contact with the dispensing member so that it can be deformed inwards without coming into contact. of the distribution organ. Advantageously, the housing is located above the lower end of the skirt which defines a contact surface, preferably sealed, which is adapted to abut against the dispensing member. Preferably, the housing contains an elastic flexible material adapted to be compressed radially inwards by the deformable section, advantageously against the dispensing member. In this case, the flexible material is attached or overmolded in the housing. It is preferably in contact with the skirt and the body of the dispensing member without occupying the entire volume of the housing.

In another aspect, the deformable section is externally cylindrical. Alternatively, the deformable section is provided with at least one outwardly projecting profile which may advantageously be adapted to be housed in a recess formed in the inner wall of the container neck.

The invention also defines a fluid dispenser comprising a container forming a neck, a dispensing member and a fastener. Advantageously, the neck defines an inner wall formed with a recess for receiving the deformable section of the skirt.

In another aspect, the skirt is moved away from the body by an intermediate space.

The invention will now be more fully described with reference to the accompanying drawings giving as non-limiting examples three embodiments of the invention.

• la figure 1 est une vue schématique en section transversale à travers un organe de distribution équipé d'un organe de fixation selon l'invention prêt à être inséré dans un col de récipient,
• la figure 2 est une vue correspondant à celle de la figure 1 avec l'organe de fixation engagé dans le col de récipient,
• la figure 3 est une vue similaire à celle de la figure 1 pour un second mode de réalisation,
• la figure 4 est une vue similaire à celle de la figure 2 pour le second mode de réalisation,
• la figure 5 est une vue similaire à celle de la figure 1 pour un troisième mode de réalisation de l'invention, et
• la figure 6 est une vue similaire à celle de la figure 2 pour le troisième mode de réalisation selon l'invention.

In the figures:

• FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic cross-sectional view through a dispenser member equipped with a fastener according to the invention ready to be inserted into a container neck;
• FIG. 2 is a view corresponding to that of FIG. 1 with the fastener engaged in the container neck;
• FIG. 3 is a view similar to that of FIG. 1 for a second embodiment,
• FIG. 4 is a view similar to that of FIG. 2 for the second embodiment,
• FIG. 5 is a view similar to that of FIG. 1 for a third embodiment of the invention, and
• Figure 6 is a view similar to that of Figure 2 for the third embodiment according to the invention.

In the figures, it has been shown that the upper part of a fluid dispenser according to the invention, so that the container is represented only by its neck. However, the dispenser of the invention comprises three constituent elements, namely a container 3, a dispenser member 2 and a fastener 1.

The container 3 is here provided with a neck 30 which protrudes upwards from the body of the container (not shown) whose function is to contain fluid product. The neck defines an opening that allows communication inside the container. However, it is possible to imagine other embodiments for the container, in which there is no protruding neck, but simply an opening in the body of the container. Referring to the figures, it is possible for example to imagine that the end portion of the neck 30 is located directly at the shoulder 37. One can then speak of opening without neck. The protruding neck is therefore not an indispensable element in the present invention.

In FIGS. 1 to 4, the neck 30 comprises an internal wall 31 which is not cylindrical, but instead has a narrowed opening section 32 below which a recessed opening section 23 is defined. The narrowed opening aperture is located near the exit of the neck which forms at this location an upper end 35 of annular shape. Advantageously, the narrowed opening section 32 is connected to the upper end 35 by a frustoconical or flared leading section 34. The narrowed opening section 32 may be substantially cylindrical. The recessed opening section 14 may also be of substantially cylindrical section. It is conceivable that the recessed opening section 33 is in the form of a peripheral recess which extends over a certain height of the neck, which extends downwards by another section of diameter substantially equal to that of the narrowed opening section. It is also conceivable that the recessed opening section is in the form of a plurality of recesses distributed over the inner periphery of the neck. In other words, regardless of the shape of the recessed opening section, it must have at least locally an internal diameter greater than that of the narrowed opening section. In the embodiment of the figures, the narrowed opening section is cylindrical, and the recessed opening section 14 extends downwardly from the narrowed opening section 13 starting with a flared transition section. It can be considered that the flared transition section is part of the recessed opening section 33 since its diameter is smaller than that of the tapered opening section 32. The recessed opening section 33 then extends downwards to become connect to the shoulder 37. It is of course conceivable that there is no transition section and the recessed opening section is connected to the narrowed opening section by a sharp-edged shoulder. In this case, it is not necessary to have a neck that extends over a certain height, and such an opening with a narrowed section and a recessed section can be made at the shoulder 37.

In contrast, in the third embodiment of Figures 5 and 6, the neck has a cylindrical inner wall, at least on the portion of its height for cooperating with the fastener.

The dispensing member 2, which is here a pump or a valve, comprises a body 20 defining at its upper end a flange 21 which protrudes outwards. Below this flange, the pump body defines a body portion 22 below which is connected a second body portion 24 of smaller diameter so that between the two body portions 22 and 24 there is a transition 23 in the form of a frustoconical step, as can be seen more clearly in the figures. Below the second body portion 24, the body 20 defines another body portion still having a smaller diameter. It can be said that the body 20 is staggered four times, since it comprises four body parts of decreasing diameter starting from the flange 21. This is only a particular embodiment, and one can of course imagine a perfectly cylindrical body 20. In a conventional manner, the pump 2 comprises an actuating rod 25 which slides inside the body 20. This actuating rod 25 is surmounted by a pusher 26 defining a dispensing orifice. To operate the pump 2; it is sufficient to press the pusher to push the rod into the body, which has the effect of discharging a dose of product through the rod to the dispensing orifice. This is a pump or a valve quite classic.

The purpose of the fixing member 1 is to hold the dispensing member 2 and fix it in the opening of the neck 30. The member is in the form of a fixing ring comprising receiving means under the form of a sleeve 12 defining internally a latching housing 120 in which is received the flange 21 of the pump. The fixing ring 1 also comprises a fixing skirt 10 intended to be inserted inside the neck. This skirt 10 extends substantially in the extension of the sleeve 12. It may be noted that the skirt 10 is not in contact with the body at the second body portion 22, but that there remains a housing or an intermediate space 106 which prevents any contact or interference of the skirt 10 on the body 20. This is possible because the body is stepped, but could have obtained the same housing or intermediate space by staggering the skirt 10 relative to the sleeve 12. The skirt has an outer wall which is substantially cylindrical as in the embodiment of Figures 3 and 4, or profiled in that of Figures 1, 2, 5 and 6. At its lower end, the skirt can be formed with a chamfer 108 which facilitates the insertion of the skirt into the opening of the neck.

The skirt 10 thus extends substantially in the extension of the sleeve 12 away from the body 20 at its upper section 22 to form a housing or an intermediate space 106. The flange 21 of the body 20 is snapped into the interior. sleeve 12 which gives it a certain rigidity or indeformability. At the level where the skirt 10 is connected to the sleeve 12, thus forming a junction, extends a flange 11 which projects radially outwards. This flange 11 is provided at its lower face with a groove 110 intended to receive a sealing ring 36 formed at the upper end 35 of the neck 30. The radial flange 11 also provides a non-deformability characteristic of the ring so that the upper end 101 of the skirt is substantially indeformable. On the other hand, the skirt 10 defines a lower end 102 which is also substantially indeformable. This indeformability characteristic is provided here by the fact that the lower end 102 defines a contact surface 105 adapted to come into bearing contact against the body 20, for example at the frustoconical transition section 23 and the section 24. It should be noted that the body 20 is already maintained perfectly stable inside the fixing member due to the snap of the flange 21 in the latching housing 120 formed by the sleeve 12 However, the contact surface 105 still contributes to the stability of the body 20 in the fastener, firstly because it encloses the section 24, and secondly because it forms a stop against the frustoconical transition section. 23. In summary, the upper ends 101 and lower 102 of the skirt 10 are substantially indeformable.

According to the invention, the skirt 10 further defines an elastically deformable section 103 which extends here between the indeformable ends 101 and 102. This elastically deformable section 103 is here in the form of a substantially cylindrical section whose two ends 101 and 102 are substantially indeformable. It should be noted that this characteristic of elastic deformability is conferred because the ends are substantially deformable so that the elastically deformable section is somehow maintained or "stretched" between these ends.

On the other hand, the elastically deformable section 103 is located at the level where the housing or intermediate space 106 which separates the skirt 10 from the pump body 20 is formed at the level of the upper section 22. For this purpose, it can be said that housing 106 is formed by the inner wall of the skirt 10, the indeformable lower end 102 of the skirt 10, the upper section 22 of the body 20 and the collar 21 snapped into the sleeve 12. This housing 106, which is largely delimited by the skirt 10, allows the elastically deformable section 103 to be deformed radially inward without coming into contact with the body 20. It can thus be said that the housing 106 serves as a clearance space to allow the deformation of the elastically deformable section 103 inwardly.

According to the invention, this housing 106 contains an elastic flexible material 4, which is preferably very little subject to creep material. In other words, this material 4 must have a permanent elasticity characteristic even after a long period of time. The piece of flexible material 4 partially fills the housing 106 so as to leave a free or empty portion 107. Thus, the material 4 can come to expand in the empty portion 107 when the elastically deformable section 103 is constrained radially inwards and thereby decreases the volume of the housing 106. The material 4 is preferably arranged to be in contact with both the inner wall of the skirt and the outer wall of the upper section 22 of the pump body 20. Thus, it can play the spring function or elastic return to confer on the elastically deformable section 103 its elastic deformability characteristic, in case it would lose it by creep material. Indeed, it is quite possible in the context of the invention to dispense with the piece of flexible elastic material 4 disposed inside the housing 106, in the case where the plastic material constituting the skirt 10 has a characteristic permanent elastic deformability or durable, ie if it is not subject to a creep material as is often the case with most plastic materials. In the case where the plastic material constituting the skirt 10 is fluid, it is preferable to partially fill the housing 106 with such a flexible elastic material 4. This material makes it possible to continuously push the skirt 10 against the inner wall of the neck by reaction on the pump body 20. The piece of flexible elastic material 4 therefore supplements the elastically deformable section 103 in case it is necessary.

Reference will now be made more particularly to FIGS. 1 and 2 to explain in detail this first embodiment. Here, the neck 30 is formed with a narrowed opening section 32 which is extended downwards by a recessed section 33. As for the skirt 10, it is formed at its outer wall with a projecting annular bead 104 which is located in the lower part of the elastically deformable section 103. Once engaged to the maximum in the neck as shown in Figure 2, the fastener 1 is positioned so that its flange 11 abuts on the upper end The elastically deformable section 103 is located at the tapered opening section 32. Since the inner diameter of the tapered opening section 32 is less than the outer diameter of the elastically deformable section 103, before plugging of the fastener in the neck, the tapered opening section 32 has the effect of deforming the elastically deformed section 103 inwardly so as to form a boss 134 which reduces the internal volume of the housing 106 in which may be disposed the piece of flexible material 4. The elastically deformable section 103 is thus deformed around the narrowed opening section 32 so that the upper part of the elastically deformable section extends slightly over the frustoconical section 34 of the neck and the lower part of the elastically deformable section provided with the cord 104 is housed in the recessed section 33, which contributes to or improves the fixing and locking the fastener inside the neck. In a way, the cord 104 is made to click into the recessed section 103 while the elastically deformable section is pressed against the opening section. narrowed 32: this pressure action can advantageously be completed by the presence of the piece of elastic material 4 in the housing 106.

In the second embodiment of Figures 3 and 4, the elastically deformable section 103 has a substantially or perfectly cylindrical outer wall. On the other hand, the neck is similar or identical to that of the embodiment of Figures 1 and 2, that is to say with a narrowed opening section 32 which is extended downwards by a recessed section. once engaged in the neck as shown in Figure 4, the skirt 10 is deformed in the same manner as in Figure 2. The only difference between these two embodiments is that the skirt 10 of Figures 3 and 4 does not present protruding bead 104 formed at the lower portion of the elastically deformable section 103. The result is virtually identical except that the lower portion of the elastically deformable section 103 does not penetrate as much into the recessed section 33 of the neck. This demonstrates that the skirt 10 may be cylindrical or formed with more or less protruding profiles.

The third embodiment of FIGS. 5 and 6 is substantially identical with respect to the fastener to that of FIGS. 1 and 2, in that the skirt 10 is formed with a projecting bead 104 formed at the level of the elastically deformable section. 103. In contrast, the inner wall 31 of the neck 30 is here perfectly cylindrical. Once engaged in the neck, the skirt 10 is deformed at its elastically deformable section 103 inwardly so as to form a boss 134 which penetrates into the housing 106 and thus deforms the piece of flexible material 4. As for the outer wall of the skirt 10, it has a configuration identical to that of the cylindrical inner wall 31 of the neck 30.

The spirit of the invention lies in the fact that the skirt engaged in the neck is elastically deformable (and not deformed by displacement of material or creep): this elastic deformability characteristic allowing the skirt to exert a constant pressure in the time against the inner wall of the neck. The skirt can be aided by a piece of durable elastic flexible material placed inside the skirt.

Claims (13)

1. A fixing member (1) for fixing a dispensing member (2) to a neck (30) of a receptacle (3), said fixing member comprising member-receiving means (120) serving to receive said dispensing member (2), and fixing means (10) serving to co-operate with an inside wall (31) and an abutment surface (35) of the receptacle neck, once the fixing member has reached its final position in which it is fixed to the neck, said fixing means comprising a collar (11) which extends outwards and which serves to come into abutment against the abutment surface (35) of the neck in the final position, and a skirt (10) serving to be engaged in the neck so as to come into tight-fitting contact with the inside wall (31) of the neck in the final position, said skirt (10) having a top end (101) and a bottom end (102), said fixing member being characterized in that the skirt (10) includes an elastically-deformable segment (103) that can be elastically deformed radially inwards and that is suitable for being and for remaining elastically deformed by contact with the inside wall (31) of the neck in the final position.
2. A fixing member according to claim 1, in which the top end (101) of the skirt (10) is substantially non-deformable, the bottom end (102) of the skirt (10) also being substantially non-deformable,and the deformable segment (103) being situated between the non-deformable top end (101) and the non-deformable bottom end (102).
3. A fixing member according to claim 1 or claim 2, in which the bottom end (102) forms a contact surface (105) suitable for coming into abutment against the dispensing member (2).
4. A fixing member according to any preceding claim, in which the deformable segment (103) internally defines an annular setback (106) at which the deformable segment remains out of contact with the dispensing member (2) so that it can be deformed inwards without coming into contact with the dispensing member.
5. A fixing member according to claim 4, in which the setback (106) is situated above the bottom end (102) of the skirt that defines a contact surface (105) which is advantageously leaktight and which is suitable for coming into contact against the dispensing member (2).
6. A fixing member according to claim 4 or claim 5, in which the setback (106) contains a flexible elastic material (4) suitable for being compressed radially inwards by the deformable segment, advantageously against the dispensing member (2).
7. A fixing member according to any preceding claim, in which the deformable segment (103) is externally cylindrical.
8. A fixing member according to any one of claims 2 to 6, in which the skirt (10) is provided with at least one outwardly-projecting profile (104).
9. A fluid dispenser comprising a receptacle (3) forming a neck (30), a dispensing member (2), and fixing member (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 8.
10. A dispenser according to claim 9, in which the neck (30) defines an inside wall (31) provided with a recess (33) serving to receive the deformable segment (103) of the skirt.
11. A dispenser according to claim 10, in which the section (103) is provided with a projecting profile (104) received in the recess (33).
12. A dispenser according to claim 11, in which the inside wall has a reduced-aperture segment (32) situated above the recess (33), the deformable section (103) being deformed against the reduced-aperture segment, the projecting profile (104) being received in the recess.
13. A dispenser according to claim 9, 10, 11, or 12, in which the skirt (10) is spaced apart from the body (20) by a setback (106).

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