EP1651355A1

EP1651355A1 - Fluid product dispenser

Info

Publication number: EP1651355A1
Application number: EP03807868A
Authority: EP
Inventors: stéphane Beranger; Firmin Garcia; Philippe Levillain; Franck Plessis
Original assignee: Valois SAS
Current assignee: Aptar France SAS
Priority date: 2002-10-07
Filing date: 2003-10-06
Publication date: 2006-05-03
Also published as: WO2004033112A1; FR2845355A1; CN1703282A; JP2006502056A; FR2845355B1; BR0315135A

Abstract

The invention concerns a fluid dispenser comprising: a fluid product reservoir (1, 1') formed with an opening (10, 10'), the opening consisting of a neck (10) including an upper end (12) and an inner wall defining a shrunk opening section (111) proximate the upper end and a recessed section (112) extending beneath the shrunk opening section, a dispensing member (2) formed with a body (20), a fixing member (3, 3') for fixing said body in the opening, said fixing member including a skirt (31, 31') designed to be urged into engagement into the opening and a sleeve (32) designed to be urged into engagement around the body. The invention is characterized in that the body forms a cam section (204) for deforming the skirt outwards into pressure contact in the opening, the skirt (31) comprising a sealing zone (313) urged, in final position, into sealing contact with the shrunk opening section (111) and a fixing zone (314) urged, in final position, into clamping contact with the recessed section (112).

Description

Fluid dispenser

The present invention relates to a fluid dispenser comprising a fluid reservoir formed with an opening, a dispensing member formed with a body and a fixing member for fixing the body in the opening. This type of dispenser is frequently used in the field of perfumery, cosmetics or even pharmacy to distribute fluid products such as perfumes, lotions, creams, gels, liquid or even powdered pharmaceutical products.

There are several techniques for fixing a dispensing member in the opening of a tank. Therefore, there are several types of fixing member which cooperate either with the inside of the opening, or with the outside of the opening. For example, crimping rings or screwing rings have been known for a long time. These two techniques allow fixing on the outside of the opening. There are also known fastening members by snap-fastening and / or blocking on the outside of the opening. A well-known configuration implements a ring forming an external skirt provided internally with a hooking head or with a continuous hooking cord. The skirt can be continuous or split so as to form legs separated by slits. On the other hand, the opening is in the form of a neck defining an external wall formed with a reinforcement delimited at its lower part by an inward shoulder. The attachment heads or the attachment cord are intended to come into engagement with this shoulder inwards and the skirt is then locked in position by a covering band which comes to surround the skirt. A variant even provides for using the lower edge of the covering band to deform by creep the lower part of the skirt so as to deform it inwards under the reinforced part of the neck.

JQ also exists other types of fixing member allowing fixing inside the opening. We can for example cite a very simple technique consisting in forcibly engaging the fixing member or even directly the body of the dispensing member inside the opening in the manner of a plug. More elaborate techniques provide one or more recesses inside the internal wall of the opening intended to receive protruding parts of the fixing member. It is then an internal click. With this technique, it is necessary to exert a relatively strong thrust on the fixing member, or even sometimes on the dispensing member, to embed the fixing member inside the opening. In addition, the fact of embedding or force fitting the fixing member in the opening creates an overpressure inside the tank, which can be harmful in the case where the tank has a very low capacity. The present invention aims to remedy the aforementioned drawbacks of the prior art by defining a fixing member inside the opening which requires almost no pushing force on the fixing member and which does not create overpressure inside the tank. In addition, the attachment is very secure. To achieve these goals, the present invention provides a fluid dispenser comprising a fluid reservoir formed with an opening, the opening being formed by a neck comprising an upper end and an internal wall defining a narrowed opening section nearby. from the upper end and a recessed section which extends below the narrowed opening section, a dispensing member formed with a body, a fixing member for fixing said body in the opening, said fixing member comprising a skirt intended to come into engagement in the opening and a sleeve intended to come into engagement around the body, characterized in that the body forms a cam section to deform the skirt towards the outside in pressed contact in the opening, the skirt comprising a sealing zone coming in final position in leaktight contact with the narrowed opening section and a fixing zone coming, in posi tion, in close contact with the hollowed out section. Thus, the body of the fixing member serves as a tool for bringing the skirt into the final mounting position. It should be noted that the skirt cooperates with the opening at the level where it is in pressed contact, and preferably does not extend below the opening inside the tank. In the case where the opening is formed by a neck defining an internal wall, the skirt cooperates with this internal wall and does not extend below the neck at the level where the neck is connected to the body of the reservoir.

Advantageously, the body comprises an enlarged section on which the sleeve comes into tight sealing engagement in the final mounting position.

Advantageously, the body comprises an intermediate section situated above the cam section and below the enlarged section, the skirt coming into tight engagement with this intermediate section in the final mounting position, the sleeve being engaged with this intermediate section. before the skirt engages the cam section.

Advantageously, the body comprises a reduced section located below the cam section, the skirt being engaged with this reduced section when the sleeve is engaged with the intermediate section. Thus, the sleeve is initially engaged and momentarily held in position at the intermediate section of the body, and is then moved along the body so as to engage on the enlarged section, with which it defines a tight tight grip corresponding to the final mounting position. On the other hand, the skirt is initially engaged on the body at the reduced section, and is then moved along the body passing over the cam section to reach the final mounting position engaged with the intermediate section. One can of course imagine that the cam section and the intermediate section form only one profiled section, for example in a frustoconical manner.

Alternatively, the opening may have a substantially cylindrical inner wall. In this case, the part of the skirt which comes into pressed contact with the cylindrical internal wall of the opening ensures both sealing and fixing.

According to one embodiment, the skirt forms legs separated by slots. In this case, the tabs formed by the skirt only guarantee the fixing, and the seal is ensured by the upper part of the skirt which is not split but which is nevertheless deformed against the internal wall of the opening. According to another aspect of the invention, the body forms an upper collar under which the sleeve abuts in the final position.

According to another characteristic of the invention, the sleeve comprises an internal wall forming a retaining ring adapted to come into tight engagement with the intermediate section to hold the fixing member in place on the body during its introduction into the neck, before reaching its final mounting position.

On the other hand, the skirt may include an internal wall formed with a cam ring intended to come into engagement with the cam section. In another aspect, the skirt includes a lower lip in contact with the body. In this case, the skirt can be in contact with the intermediate section only with the cam ring and the lower lip.

According to another characteristic, the fixing member comprises a support flange intended to come to bear freely on the opening without force fitting. Thus, the dispensing member can be pre-engaged inside the fixing member with the sleeve located at the intermediate section and the skirt at the reduced section. This sub-assembly can then be easily introduced into the opening without tight contact or friction until the support flange comes to bear on the opening. Thus, no overpressure is created inside the tank.

The invention will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings which give two embodiments of the invention by way of non-limiting example.

In the figures: FIGS. 1 to 3 represent three successive stages of mounting a dispenser according to a first embodiment of the invention, and

FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of a detail of FIG. 3, and

Figures 1 to 7 are views similar to Figures 1 to 3 for a second embodiment of the invention. Reference will first be made to FIGS. 1 to 4 to explain the first embodiment of the invention. The partially represented distributor includes three constituent elements, namely, a reservoir 1 forming a neck 10 which defines an opening which communicates with the interior of the reservoir, a dispensing member 2 which may be a pump or a valve, and a fixing member 3 making it possible to fix the dispensing member 2 in the neck 10. In this first embodiment, the reservoir 1 can typically be a glass reservoir which is used as a bottle, particularly in the field of perfumery. The neck 10 of this reservoir comprises an upper end wall 12 of annular shape which can advantageously be provided with a sealing profile 122. The neck 10 further comprises an internal wall 11 which is connected to the end wall 12 by an input chamfer

121. Below this inlet chamfer 121, the internal wall 11 forms a narrowed opening section 111 which can advantageously be substantially cylindrical. Below this narrowed opening section 111, the internal wall 11 forms a hollowed out section 112 whose internal diameter is greater than that of the narrowed opening section 111. Below the hollowed out section 112, the internal wall 111 forms a rounded section 113 which is connected to the internal wall of the shoulder which makes it possible to connect the neck 10 to the body of the reservoir (not shown). The diameter of the section 113 is less than that of the section 112, and advantageously also less than that of the section 111. This is a completely conventional design for a glass tank neck produced by blowing.

The dispensing member 2 comprises a body 20 inside which an actuating rod 21 is movable by pressing on a pusher 22 mounted at the upper end of the rod 21. The body 20 defines at its lower end a sleeve inlet 201 which defines an inlet allowing the interior of the reservoir to communicate with the interior of the body 20. Above the sleeve 201, the body forms a transition section 202 which widens outwardly frustoconical and / or cylindrical. Above this transition section 202, the body forms a reduced cylindrical section 203. This section 203 is connected upwards to a cam section 204 which is here of frustoconical shape by flaring outwards and towards the high. Beyond this cam section 204, the body forms a cylindrical intermediate section 205. Beyond this section 205, the body forms a junction section 206 which flares here frustoconically outward and upward. Beyond this junction section 206, the body forms an enlarged section 207 which is advantageously of cylindrical shape. Finally, beyond this expanded section

207, the body forms an upper flange 208 which projects outwards. In summary, the body 20 forms three main cylindrical sections 203, 205 and 207 having increasing diameters and connected together by joining sections 206 or cam 204. The fixing member 3 is here in the form of a ring comprising a skirt 31 in the lower part, a sleeve 32 in the upper part and a support flange 33 which extends radially outwards at the level where the sleeve 32 is connected to the skirt 31.

The skirt 31 can be perfectly continuous, but preferably it is split over at least part of its height so as to define a solid upper crown 313, from which extend legs 314 separated by slots 315, as this is visible from Figures 1, 2 or 3. The skirt, at the level where it forms the legs 314 defines an external wall forming an outer bead 312. The diameter of the skirt at the bead 312 is greater than that of the skirt at the level of the continuous upper crown 313. Below the bead 312, the skirt tightens in a substantially frustoconical manner. The skirt 31 always at the level of the legs 314 defines an internal wall forming at its lower end a lip 316. In addition, the internal wall of the skirt 31 forms a rod 311 which can for example be in the form of a series of protuberance formed on each leg 314 and arranged along a circular line. It is the same for the lip 316 which can also be in the form of a series of reinforcements arranged at the lower ends of the legs 314. Of course, it is also possible to use a continuous skirt with a continuous lip 316 as well than a continuous rod 311. The rod 311 has a cam function as will be seen below. The sleeve 32 includes a free annular upper end 322 as well as an internal wall defining a retaining ring 321.

On the other hand, the support flange 33 advantageously forms an annular housing 331 intended for the reception of the sealing profile 122 formed by the upper end wall 12 of the neck 10.

Reference will now be made to FIG. 1 to explain how the fixing ring 3 is initially engaged on the body 20 before mounting the ring in the neck 10. The sleeve 32 is engaged on the intermediate section 205 of the body 20. The retaining ring 321 is in tight engagement with the intermediate section 205. Consequently, the internal diameter of the ring 321 has a diameter slightly less than the external diameter of the section 205, while the rest of the internal wall of the sleeve 32 may have an internal diameter slightly greater than the external diameter of the section 205. Thus, the sleeve 32 is in contact with the section 205 only at the level of the retaining ring 321. The skirt 31 which begins below the support flange 33, extends partially at the intermediate section 205, but also at the cam section 204 and the reduced section 203. It can be seen in FIG. 1 that the tabs 314 formed by the skirt extend entirely at the level of the cam section 204 and of the reduced section 203. The cam ring 311 is situated at the level of the cam section 204, without however coming into contact with it. As for the lower lip 313, it comes into contact, advantageously not tightening, with the reduced section 203. Only the continuous upper crown 313 is located at the level of the intermediate section 205, without however coming into contact with the section 205. In Indeed, the internal wall of the crown 313 extends in the extension of the internal wall of the sleeve 32 which is in contact with the intermediate section 205 only at the level of the retaining ring 321. It is in this initial position before mounting that the fixing ring 3 is engaged on the body 20 of the dispensing member.

The dispensing member 2 with its fixing ring thus forms a momentary unitary unit which is engaged in the neck 10 so as to make the skirt 31 penetrate the neck 10 until the support flange 33 comes rest on the upper end 12 of the neck. Preferably, the maximum external diameter of the skirt 31, situated at the level of the external bead 312, is equal to or slightly less than the minimum internal diameter of the neck situated at the level of the reduced section 111. As a result, the skirt 31 can be engaged in the neck 10 without excessive friction or effort. However, it can also be imagined that the bead 312 of the skirt 31 has an external diameter very slightly greater than the internal diameter of the reduced section so that the skirt can be engaged with very reduced pressure inside the neck 10. From anyway, the force necessary for the engagement of the skirt in the neck must not be greater than the holding force exerted by the retaining ring 321 at the intermediate section 205. Indeed, it is necessary that the fixing member 3 maintains its initial position in FIG. 1 until the skirt 31 is engaged in the neck 10 with the support flange 33 bearing on the neck 10. This is shown in FIG. 2. The third mounting step consists in exerting a pressing force F on the dispensing member, that is to say on its pusher or on the flange 208. As soon as the force becomes greater than the holding force exerted by the ring 321, the pump body 20 moves inside the fixing ring 3. Firstly, the cam ring 311 comes into contact with the cam surface 204 of the body 20. This has the effect of deforming or expanding the skirt towards the exterior so that it comes into abutting contact against the internal wall of the neck 10. Of course, the cam action performed by the surface 204 has the effect of expanding the outside diameter of the skirt 31. Since the ring cam 311 is located substantially at the level where the legs 314 are connected to the ring 313, both the ring 313 and the legs 314 undergo deformation by expansion. It should be noted that the lower lip 316 is still situated at the level of the reduced section 203. By continuing to exert the pressure force F on the dispensing member, its body 20 continues to move inside the ring fixing 3. The sleeve 32 then begins to engage with a tight tight contact on the enlarged section of the body 20. It is therefore preferable that the internal diameter of the sleeve 32 is slightly less than the external diameter of the enlarged section 207. At the same time as the sleeve 32 continues its engagement on the enlarged section 207, the lip 316 located initially at the level of the reduced section 203 moves on the cam section 204 to arrive at the level of the intermediate section 205 The passage of the lip 316 from the reduced section 203 to the intermediate section 205 also generates a deformation by expansion of the skirt, which has the effect of further increasing the external diameter of the skirt, particularly at its bead 312 The final position is reached when the upper end 322 of the sleeve 32 abuts under the flange 208 as shown in FIG. 3 and FIG. 4. It can be noted that only the sleeve 32 is engaged at the widened section 207 by creating a cylindrical seal. The skirt 31 is entirely situated at the level of the intermediate section 205. It may also be noted that the internal wall of the skirt 31 is in contact with the section 205 only at the level of the cam ring 311 and the lower lip 316 Everywhere else, there remains a space between the skirt and the intermediate section 205. Thanks to the cam ring 311 and to the lower lip 316, the expansion of the skirt towards the outside to come into tight and tight contact with the internal wall. 11 of the neck thus operates in two stages, namely an initial stage during which the cam ring 311 engages the cam section 204 to finally reach the level of the intermediate section 205, and a second stage during which the lip 316 follows the same path. The cam ring 311 rather has the effect of expanding the skirt at its crown 313 and the upper end of the legs 314 while the lip 316 rather has the effect of expanding the lower end of the legs. It can be understood that the bead 312 which is located between the rod 311 and the lip 316 undergoes expansion in two successive stages generated by the raising of the cam rod 311 then of the lip 316 on the cam section 204 to reach to the intermediate section 205. On the other hand, the ring 313, because it is continuous, and comes into tight contact with the narrowed opening section 111, defines an annular or cylindrical sealing zone. The expanded legs 314 can only provide a holding and blocking function. Reference will now be made to FIGS. 5 to 7 which illustrate an alternative embodiment in which the dispensing member 2 can be strictly identical to that of FIGS. 1 to 4. In this case, the body 20 can be on the same floor way, or at least realized with a reduced section, a cam section, an intermediate section and then an enlarged section.

The reservoir 1 here comprises a neck 10 ′ having an internal wall 11 which is substantially cylindrical over the entire height. The upper end wall of the neck 10 ′ may be identical to that of the previous embodiment. There is therefore no hollowed out part at the level of the internal wall 11 'of this neck 10'.

As for the fixing member 3 ', it may include an upper sleeve 32 and a support flange 33 strictly identical to those of the previous embodiment. However, the skirt 31 'differs from that of the previous embodiment in that it comprises a substantially cylindrical outer wall and an inner wall forming an upper cam shoulder 311' located just below the cam section 204 in position pre-assembly initial. This is visible in Figures 5 and 6. This cam shoulder 311 'will play the same role as the cam ring 311 of the previous embodiment. The skirt 31 'can be engaged inside the neck 10' without exerting considerable force. For example, the external diameter of the skirt 31 'is somewhat less than the internal diameter of the internal wall 11' of the neck 10 '. Thus, the skirt 31 'can be placed inside the neck 10' until the support flange 33 comes to bear on the upper end of the neck 10 '. This is shown in Figure 6. The cam shoulder 311 'is then still still located below the cam section 204. By pressing the dispensing member 2, the cam shoulder 311' will engage with the cam section 204 then go back to the intermediate section 205. This generates an expansion of the skirt 31 'which has the effect of making a tight tight contact with the internal wall 11'. By continuing to push the dispensing member 2 into the fixing member 3 ', the sleeve 32 will go up on the enlarged section 207 as in the previous embodiment until it comes into abutment with its upper end under the flange 208 of the body 20. Being given that the skirt 31 'is also produced with a lower lip 316, this will also go up on the cam section 204 to reach the intermediate section 205. The raising of the lip 316 also generates a dilation which improves or completes the tight tight grip of the skirt 31 'against the wall 11'.

In this embodiment, the fixing and sealing of the fixing member 3 ′ is only carried out by a tight tightening cylinder against cylinder. In the previous embodiment, the flared part 112 formed by the internal wall 11 of the neck 10 still has the effect of making a hooking or blocking below the narrowed opening section 111. This was all the more favored by the presence of the peripheral bead 312.

Claims

claims

1.- Fluid product distributor comprising:

- a fluid reservoir (1; l ') formed with an opening (10; 10'), the opening being formed by a neck (10) comprising an upper end (12) and an internal wall defining a section of a narrowed opening (111) near the upper end and a hollow section (112) which extends below the narrowed opening section,

- a distribution member (2) formed with a body (20),

- a fixing member (3; 3 ') for fixing said body in the opening, said fixing member comprising a skirt (31; 31') intended to engage in the opening and a sleeve (32) intended to engaging around the body, characterized in that the body forms a cam section (204) for deforming the skirt outwards in pressed contact in the opening, the skirt (31) comprising a sealing zone (313 ) coming into the final position in leaktight contact with the narrowed opening section (111) and a fixing zone (314) coming, in the final position, into tight contact with the hollowed out section (112).

2. A fluid dispenser according to claim 1, wherein the body (20) comprises an enlarged section (207) on which the sleeve

(32) comes in tight tight grip in the final mounting position.

3. A fluid dispenser according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the body (20) comprises an intermediate section (205) located above the cam section (204) and below the enlarged section (207) , the skirt (31; 31 ') coming into tight engagement with this intermediate section

(205) in the final mounting position, the sleeve (32) being engaged with this intermediate section (205) before the skirt comes into engagement with the cam section (204).

4. A fluid dispenser according to claim 3, wherein the body (20) comprises a reduced section (203) located below the cam section (204), the skirt (31; 31 ') being engaged with this reduced section (203) when the sleeve (32) is engaged with the intermediate section (205).

5. A fluid dispenser according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the opening has a substantially cylindrical internal wall.

6. A fluid dispenser according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the skirt forms lugs (314) separated by slots (315).

7. A fluid dispenser according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the body (20) forms an upper flange (208) under which the sleeve (32) abuts in the final position.

8. A fluid dispenser according to claim 3, in which the sleeve (32) comprises an internal wall forming a retaining ring.

(321) adapted to come into tight engagement with the intermediate section (205) to hold the fixing member (3) in place on the body (20) during its introduction into the neck.

9. A fluid dispenser according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the skirt (31) comprises an internal wall formed with a cam ring (311) intended to come into engagement with the cam section (204).

10. A fluid dispenser according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the skirt (31; 31 ') comprises a lower lip (316) in contact with the body (20).

I - Fluid product dispenser according to claims 9 and 10, wherein the skirt (31; 31 ') is in contact with the intermediate section (205) only with the cam ring (311) and the lower lip (316).

12. A fluid dispenser according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the fixing member (3) comprises a support flange (33) intended to come to rest freely on the opening (10; 10 ') without force fitting.

13. A fluid dispenser according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the body (20) is provided with a vent hole (209) located at the level of the skirt.