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
  • B65D75/00—Packages comprising articles or materials partially or wholly enclosed in strips, sheets, blanks, tubes or webs of flexible sheet material, e.g. in folded wrappers
  • B65D75/52—Details
  • B65D75/58—Opening or contents-removing devices added or incorporated during package manufacture
  • B65D75/5861—Spouts
  • B65D75/5872—Non-integral spouts
• • 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
  • B65D75/00—Packages comprising articles or materials partially or wholly enclosed in strips, sheets, blanks, tubes or webs of flexible sheet material, e.g. in folded wrappers
  • B65D75/52—Details
  • B65D75/58—Opening or contents-removing devices added or incorporated during package manufacture
• • 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
  • B65D83/00—Containers or packages with special means for dispensing contents
  • B65D83/771—Containers or packages with special means for dispensing contents for dispensing fluent contents by means of a flexible bag or a deformable membrane or diaphragm
• • 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
  • B65D2221/00—Small packaging specially adapted for product samples, single-use packages or échantillons

Definitions

• the present invention relates to a liquid or powdery fluid dispenser comprising a fluid reservoir of variable volume as well as a dispensing orifice in communication with the reservoir so that the fluid from the reservoir can be discharged, during a reduction volume of the tank, through the dispensing orifice.
• the reservoir preferably comprises at least one deformable or displaceable wall for varying the internal volume of the reservoir. Thus, by acting on this wall, it is possible to reduce the volume of the reservoir and thus to discharge fluid product through the dispensing orifice.
• Such distributors find an application for example in the field of perfumery, cosmetics or even pharmacy.
• the document FR 2 791 645 describes for example a dispenser comprising two flexible deformable sheets welded together on their periphery so as to create an internal volume defining a reservoir of fluid product.
• a distribution piece is fixed by welding between the two sheets.
• This dispensing piece advantageously defines a dispensing orifice and at the same time serves as a support piece for an element of porous material capable of being imbibed or impregnated with liquid or pulverulent fluid product.
• the reservoir constituted by the two flexible sheets contains a spring making it possible to bring the two sheets back into a configuration defining the maximum volume of the reservoir.
• This spring thus serves as a return spring, which allows after each actuation to return the reservoir to its initial rest position, in which it defines a maximum volume.
• the fluid reservoir contains a small amount of fluid and a larger amount of gas, for example air.
• a mixture of air and of fluid product is discharged through the dispensing orifice, and advantageously through the piece of porous material impregnated or soaked with fluid product.
• the reservoir is kept at a minimum volume, and the fluid product which it contains is practically not in contact with air.
• the spring can relax so that the volume of the reservoir increases by the entry of air through the dispensing orifice. Then, the dispenser is actuated by pressing on the flexible sheets which constitute deformable actuation walls. Once the pressure on the sheets is stopped, the spring contained in the tank returns it to its initial state of maximum volume.
• the disadvantage of this dispenser of the prior art lies in the fact that the spring located inside the reservoir acts on the actuating walls, that is to say the flexible sheets, even when the member removable cover is in place. This results in a local deformation of the flexible sheets which is aesthetically not very attractive.
• this spring when made of metal, constitutes a large mass of metal inside the tank, which can be harmful for certain products.
• the spring when the spring is made of plastic, it tends to lose its stiffness due to the tendency of plastics to creep over time.
• the present invention aims to remedy the aforementioned drawbacks of the prior art by defining a new type of dispenser which can be overcome by any permanent spring means making it possible to bring the fluid reservoir back to its rest position defining the volume maximum. The dispenser can thus remain at rest with a tank volume which is much less than its maximum volume before dispensing.
• Another object of the present invention is to define a dispenser whose reservoir can increase in volume just before dispensing.
• the dispenser comprises actuating means making it possible, firstly, to increase the volume of the reservoir by entering air into the reservoir and, secondly, to decrease the volume of the tank by delivering air and fluid through the dispensing orifice.
• the actuation means comprise a support zone and a reaction zone, the displacement of the support zone towards the reaction zone generating the increase then the reduction in volume of the reservoir.
• the actuation means comprise a flexible front plate and a flexible rear plate between which the reservoir is located, the front plate being integral with the rear plate at two respective opposite edges so that a bringing the opposite edges of the front plate together by bending the latter leaves, in said first step, the opposite edges of the rear plate static with respect to each other and the rear plate without constraints, and, entails, in said second step, bringing the opposite edges of the rear plate together by bending the latter with a curvature going in the same direction as that of the front plate in order to crush the reservoir therebetween.
• the flexibility of the plates serves as a return spring means which allows the distributor to return to its initial state of rest.
• the front plate defines the support zone and the reaction zone.
• at least one edge of the front plate is provided with a flap defining a groove in which the respective edge of the rear plate is freely engaged with play.
• the groove forms a stop bottom, separated at the rest, of the respective edge of the rear plate, so that the edge of the rear plate abuts against the abutment bottom of the groove only after a certain approximation of the edges of the front plate.
• a single groove is sufficient when the front plate and the rear plate are made in one piece.
• a groove must be provided at each opposite edge of the front plate.
• the front plate has a curvature at rest which tends to increase when the bearing zone approaches the reaction zone. It can be the same for the back plate with a less pronounced curvature at rest. Thus, it is ensured that the two plates will bend with a curvature going in the same direction.
• the front plate is provided with an opening at the level of which the dispensing orifice of the reservoir is positioned.
• a pocket defining the reservoir, its movable wall and the dispensing orifice is fixedly disposed between the front and rear plates, with the dispensing orifice positioned at the level of the opening.
• the front plate and the rear plate form the reservoir.
• the reservoir contains a piece of porous material capable of being impregnated with fluid, said piece being placed in contact with the dispensing orifice.
• a removable closure member is initially positioned on the dispensing orifice, so as to maintain the reservoir with a minimum volume, in which it contains almost no fluid, the rear plate then being pressed against the front plate.
• the present invention also defines a dispenser comprising a fluid reservoir of variable volume, said reservoir defining at least one wall movable in a first direction so as to vary the volume of the reservoir, the dispenser further comprising a dispensing orifice in communication with the reservoir so that the fluid from the reservoir can be discharged, during a reduction in volume of the reservoir, through the dispensing orifice, characterized in that it comprises actuating means defining a support area and a reaction area, the support area being movable towards the reaction area in a second direction transverse to the first direction.
• the displacement of the support zone towards the reaction zone leads to an increase in the volume of the reservoir.
• the actuating means may comprise a front flexible plate and a rear flexible plate between which the reservoir is located, the front plate being integral with the rear plate at two respective opposite edges so that a rimpedement opposite edges of the front plate by bending it leaves the opposite edges of the rear plate static with respect to each other and the rear plate without constraints.
• the front plate defines the support zone and the reaction zone at its opposite edges.
• the displacement of the support zone towards the reaction zone involves a reduction in the volume of the reservoir.
• the actuating means may comprise a front flexible plate and a rear flexible plate between which the reservoir is located, the front plate being integral with the rear plate at two respective opposite edges so that a rimpedement opposite edges of the front plate by bending it causes the opposite edges of the back plate to be brought together by bending it a curvature going in the same direction as that of the front plate to crush the tank between them.
• the general inventive concept of the present invention resides in the fact of not acting directly on the movable wall of the tank so that it is possible to move it in one direction and / or in the other direction, that is to say - say towards an increase and / or a decrease in the tank volume.
• the most advantageous solution lies in increasing, then decreasing the volume of the reservoir consecutively.
• This general inventive concept is expressed on the one hand by an actuation allowing a consecutive increase and decrease in the volume of the reservoir, and on the other hand by an actuation whose pressure force component is exerted between a support zone and a reaction zone whose direction is perpendicular to the direction of movement of the movable wall of the tank.
• Figure 1 is an exploded view of a fluid dispenser according to a first embodiment of the invention
• Figure 2a is a vertical cross-sectional view through the dispenser of Figure 1 in the state mounted in position rest after removal of the removable obturation member
• FIG. 2b is a view similar to that of FIG. 2a in the initial actuation phase
• FIG. 2c is a view similar to that of FIGS. 2a and 2b for the dispenser in the final actuation phase
• FIG. 3 is a view in vertical cross section through a dispenser according to an alternative embodiment
• Figure 4 is a view similar to that of Figure 3 for another alternative embodiment.
• the exemplary embodiments, used to illustrate the present invention and represented in the figures, implement actuation principles which can be combined or implemented individually, but which are linked together by a common general concept which resides in the fact that the pressure required to move a wall of a fluid reservoir is not located at this wall.
• the user does not press or pull directly on the wall of the tank to move it, but on the contrary applies a pressure force between a support zone and a reaction zone located outside of the movable wall, so as to generate either an increase in volume of the tank, or a decrease in volume of the tank or a consecutive combination of increase and decrease or decrease and increase.
• actuation principles apply more particularly, but not exclusively, to reservoirs forming or comprising a displaceable wall: this means that the wall can move for example in a reservoir body or that the wall is deformable relative to the remaining from the tank.
• the movable wall may for example be in the form of a follower or scraper piston which slides in leaktight manner inside a tank barrel.
• the deformable wall may for example be a flexible wall of a pocket; this is precisely the case in the embodiments shown in the figures.
• the fluid dispenser which can be liquid or pulverulent, comprises a pouch of fluid product designated as a whole by the reference numeral 3, as well as gripping and actuation means, formed here by two plates, namely a plate front 1, and a rear plate 2. These actuation means also serve here as means for covering and elastic return for the bag of fluid 3.
• the fluid bag 3 comprises two sheets 31 and 32 which are advantageously made of an easily deformable material.
• the two sheets 31, 32 are connected at one of their edge so as to form a single sheet folded back on itself.
• Each sheet defines a peripheral edge region 310, 320.
• These peripheral regions 310, 320 are intended to be sealed, for example by a heat-sealing technique.
• a volume is thus defined between the two sheets 31 and 32 which serves as a fluid reservoir 30, as can be seen in Figures 2a, 2b and 2c.
• One of the sheets, in this case the sheet 31, is pierced with a dispensing orifice 311.
• the fluid product stored in the reservoir 30 of the bag 3 can exit the reservoir through the dispensing orifice 311.
• the sheets 31 and 32 are made of an easily deformable material, they each form a deformable or displaceable actuating wall on which one can act to vary the internal volume of the reservoir 30. By moving them away from one of the other, the volume of the reservoir is increased, as shown in FIG. 2b, and by bringing them closer to one another, the volume of the reservoir is reduced as shown in FIGS. 2a and 2c. If the sheet 31 is fixedly held, the sheet 32 will then be considered as the actuating wall of the pocket 3, and vice versa.
• the reservoir 30 contains a piece of porous material 33 which is advantageously fixed to the sheet 31 at the level of the dispensing orifice 311.
• This part 33 has the function of impregnating or imbibing the fluid, liquid or pulverulent product stored in the reservoir 30 of the bag 3.
• the reservoir 30 may contain only fluid product, but preferably, it contains a fluid product and a gas, for example air.
• the air from the tank 30 can be expelled during a reduction in volume of the tank through the material of the porous piece 33 loaded with fluid. This results in a spraying of a mixture of fluid and air through the dispensing orifice 311.
• the pocket 3 By providing spring means for moving the sheet 32 away from the sheet 31, so as to define a maximum reservoir volume , one could use the pocket 3 as a stand-alone fluid dispenser. This is for example the case of the aforementioned prior art document FR 2 791 645.
• the pocket 3 is devoid of internal or own spring means.
• the sheets 31 and 32 of the pocket it is preferable for the sheets 31 and 32 of the pocket to be freely deformable, and not to be biased away or in approach by spring means from the pocket, even integrated or intrinsic to the sheets 31 and 32. It it is not useful, for example, for one or both of the sheets to have shape memory. This is however not excluded.
• the pocket 3 defines a reservoir having at least one movable or deformable actuating wall so as to be able to vary the internal volume of the reservoir in order to be able to discharge the fluid product which it contains, whether or not it is mixed with a gas, through a dispensing orifice.
• the dispensing orifice can for example be formed in a separate piece attached to a sheet or between the two sheets.
• the actuating means which are here in the form of two plates 1 and 2, serve first of all to vary the internal volume of the reservoir 30 by moving or deforming one sheet with respect to the other. These actuating means can thus act on the volume of the reservoir so as to increase and / or decrease it.
• These actuating means comprise a support zone and a reaction zone by which the dispenser can be grasped, for example using a hand so as to position the thumb on the reaction zone and one or more other fingers (s) with the same hand on the support zone, or vice versa.
• the front plate 1 forms the support zone and the reaction zone as will be seen below.
• the front plate 1 comprises a front panel 10 defining two opposite lateral edges 13 and two opposite upper 11 and lower edges 12.
• the panel 10 is also pierced with an opening
• the upper edge 11 is here formed by a longitudinal edge which extends substantially perpendicular to the plane of the panel 10. This edge is then extended by a flap 111 which extends parallel to the plane of the panel 10. It is the same for the lower edge 12 which is also formed by a song provided with a flap
• the two flaps 111 and 121 point towards each other.
• Two grooves 112 and 122 are thus formed which are open towards one another.
• the groove 112 is formed between the flap 111 and the panel 10 and comprises a bottom formed by the edge 11 which forms the upper edge of the plate 1.
• the groove 122 is formed between the flap 121 and the panel 10 and comprises a bottom formed by the edge defining the lower edge of the plate 1.
• the flaps 11 and 121 here extend over the entire width of the plate 1 so that the grooves 111 and 122 extend over the entire width of the plate.
• the grooves extend only over part of the width of the plate 1, so that the upper edge 11 and the lower edge
• the plate 1 according to the invention has a certain rigidity, while having a certain elastic deformability.
• the plate can thus be bent or bent in an elastic manner by exerting a constraint between the upper 11 and lower edges 12. It is thus possible to bring the edge 11 of the edge 12 by elastically deforming the panel 10 by bending it. It is practically not possible to deform the plate 1 in the other direction, especially when the flaps 111 extend over the entire width of the plate 1. In fact, the flaps 111 and 122 increase the rigidity of the plate 1 at the edges 11 and 12.
• the plate 1 since the lateral edges 13 are straight, it is possible to deform them by bending or buckling. It is advantageous for the plate 1 to have an elastic shape memory, so that it always returns to its rest position.
• the panel 10 is shown as being perfectly planar. However, it is preferable that the panel 10 has a curvature or an initial curvature, as shown in FIG. 2a. This initial bending ensures that the panel 10 will always deform in the same direction, in this case to the left in FIG. 2a.
• the plate 1 can be made of any material such as for example plastic, metal, cardboard, or a laminate of metal, plastic and / or cardboard.
• the rear plate 2 can be made with the same material as the front plate 1. It can also have the same rigidity and deformability characteristics as the front plate 1.
• the rear plate 2 is in the form of a panel 20 which is substantially flat or slightly curved.
• the rear panel 20 comprises two lateral edges 23, an upper edge 21 and an opposite lower edge 22. If the panel 20 is produced with a slight curvature, this extends over the height of the panel 20, so that the edges 23 are curved, while the edges 21 and 22 remain straight. It is advantageous that the curvature of the panel 20 is oriented in the same direction as the initial curvature of the front panel 10 of the plate 1.
• the rear panel 20 is here solid, but it can also be cut locally if necessary.
• the panel 20, like the panel 10, is here perfectly smooth, but one can also imagine forms of profiled panel for functional and or aesthetic reasons.
• the rear plate 2 is attached to the front plate 1 by inserting the lower edge 22 in the lower groove 122 and the upper edge 21 in the upper groove 112.
• the height of the rear plate 2 defined by the height of the lateral edges 23 is advantageously greater than the distance separating the bottom of the lower groove 122 from the free lower edge of the flap 111.
• the rear plate 2 is integral with the front plate 1 and cannot disengage from the grooves 112 and 122, since the upper edge 21 of the plate 2 extends beyond the lower free edge of the flap 111, as it can be seen in Figure 2a, and this even in the rest position.
• One can for example engage the plate 2 in the plate 1 by a lateral sliding movement.
• the front plate 1 as well as the rear plate 2 have a certain elastic deformability, it is possible to deform the front plate 1 by keeping it between its support zone defined by the upper edge 11 and its reaction zone defined by the lower edge 12, as can be seen in FIG. 2b. Bringing the edge 11 towards the edge 12 first has the effect of deforming the front panel 10 of the plate 1 by accentuating its curvature. During this time, the back plate 2 remains unconstrained. The front plate 1 continues to bend and the rear plate remains unconstrained until the upper edge 21 of the rear plate 2 abuts against the bottom of the groove 112, as shown in FIG. 2b. Since the front plate has increased its curvature while the rear plate has remained static, the front plate 1 has moved away from the rear plate 2 at the opening 14. It may even be noted that the volume inscribed between the two plates increased between Figure 2a and Figure 2b. By continuing to press zone 11 in reaction to the zone
• FIG. 3 One can of course imagine an alternative embodiment, such as that shown in FIG. 3, in which the rear plate 2 is produced in a single piece with the front plate 1.
• the lower edge 22 'of FIG. 3 can for example be connected by monobloc with flap 121 '.
• the bag 3 containing the fluid, liquid or pulverulent product is placed between the two plates 1 and 2.
• the front sheet 1 provided with the dispensing orifice 311 can for example be fixed to the front panel 1 around the opening 14.
• the back sheet 32 of the pocket 3 can be fixed to the back plate 2 substantially at the level of the dispensing orifice 311. It is better than the rest of the pocket
• the distributor can be provided with a removable closure member 4 which is housed in the opening 14 and which sealingly closes the dispensing orifice 311.
• this removable closure member 4 can be removed so as to unmask the 'dispensing orifice, which is shown in Figures 2a and 3.
• the reservoir 30 contains only fluid before removal of the removable closure member 4.
• the reservoir is maintained at a minimum volume so that the rear plate 2 is pressed against the front plate 1.
• air can enter the reservoir 30 through the dispensing orifice 311 and through the piece of porous material 33.
• the volume of the reservoir 30 can then increase slightly, owing to the fact that the rear plate can relax to return to its initial rest position shown in FIGS. 2a or 3.
• the dispenser is in the form shown in Figures 2a and 3 when the removable closure member 4 is in place.
• the dispenser is in the form shown in Figures 2a or 3.
• the front sheet 31 is connected to the front plate 1 and the back sheet 32 is connected to the back plate 2, the front sheet 31 is driven away from the back sheet 32, which generates an increase in volume of the reservoir 30. This is visible in FIG. 2b.
• the rear panel 2 will also deform so that it will approach the front panel 1 at the opening 14. This has the effect of bringing the rear sheet 2 closer to the front sheet 31, this which decreases the internal volume of the reservoir 30.
• air is inspired in the reservoir 30 through the dispensing orifice 311, while in the phase going from FIG. 2b in FIG. 2c the air previously sucked in is forced through the dispensing orifice
• the air reservoir is first filled, then this air is expelled as a mixture with fluid from the reservoir. This is done without pressing directly on the actuation wall or walls of the tank.
• support and reaction zones are used which are distant from the actuation wall or walls of the reservoir, which makes it possible to increase or decrease during a single actuation gesture.
• the tank volume or both increase and decrease the tank volume.
• the invention should not be considered solely in the fact of being able to increase and then decrease the volume of the reservoir by acting on support and reaction zones indirectly connected to the actuating walls of the reservoir.
• the invention can also be seen as the simple possibility of increasing the volume of the reservoir by acting on support and reaction zones whose direction is transverse or perpendicular to the movement of the actuation wall or walls of the reservoir. This simply corresponds to the initial phase going from Figure 2a to Figure 2b.
• the invention can also be seen as the possibility of reducing the volume of the reservoir by acting on support and reaction zones whose direction is transverse or perpendicular to the movement of the actuation wall or walls of the reservoir. This corresponds to the phase going from FIG. 2b to FIG. 2c.
• the rear plate (2, 2 ') in which the reservoir increases in volume, it is necessary for the rear plate (2, 2 ') to have sufficient rigidity and / or elasticity to allow the plate to be folded without the plate rear folds to allow an increase in tank volume.
• the back plate was too flexible, it would be driven by the plate without generating an increase in tank volume.
• the two plates can have different rigidities and / or flexibilities: the front plate can for example be more flexible than the rear plate.
• the back plate can start to fold with the front plate.
• a fluid dispenser preferably a two-phase dispenser which can be devoid of a permanent return spring, and the actuation of which allows subsequent increase and then decrease in volume of the reservoir.

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• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Containers And Packaging Bodies Having A Special Means To Remove Contents (AREA)
• Nozzles (AREA)
• Loading And Unloading Of Fuel Tanks Or Ships (AREA)
• Feeding, Discharge, Calcimining, Fusing, And Gas-Generation Devices (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (5)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=32095131

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (5)

Family Cites Families (4)

• 2002
  • 2002-11-25 FR FR0214753A patent/FR2846307B3/fr not_active Expired - Lifetime
• 2003
  • 2003-10-20 EP EP03767850A patent/EP1558501A2/de not_active Withdrawn
  • 2003-10-20 BR BR0315646-0A patent/BR0315646A/pt not_active Application Discontinuation
  • 2003-10-20 WO PCT/FR2003/003093 patent/WO2004039693A2/fr not_active Ceased
  • 2003-10-20 JP JP2004547696A patent/JP2006503768A/ja not_active Withdrawn

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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