EP1673176B1 - Fluid product distributor pump - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a fluid product distributor pump comprising: a pump casing (10), a pump chamber (20) which is equipped with an inlet valve (30) and an outlet valve (40), and a piston (50) which slides inside the aforementioned pump casing (10) in order to distribute the product contained in the pump chamber (20). The aforementioned outlet valve (40) comprises a valve element (41) which co-operates with a valve seat (42), said outlet valve (40) comprising deformable sealing means (45, 46) which are provided between the valve seat (42) and the valve element (41). According to the invention, the sealing means (45, 46) are elastically deformed in the closed position of the outlet valve (40) in order to provide improved sealing.

Description

The present invention relates to a fluid dispenser pump and a fluid dispenser device comprising such a pump (see for example the document US-A-5,176,296 ).

Pumps are well known for dispensing fluid or powdery products, especially in the field of pharmacy, perfumery or cosmetics. These pumps often include a pump body which contains a pump chamber in which a piston is slid tightly for metered dispensing to produce contents in the pump chamber. When the pump is dosing, the pump chamber generally comprises an inlet valve and outlet valve, which, when both closed, define the volume of the dose to be dispensed. The sealing of the outlet valve in the closed position serves firstly to prevent leaks during actuation, but also to prevent contamination of the product contained in the pump chamber in the rest position. Especially in the field of pharmacy, where a precise and reproducible dosage is often required, any risk of leakage, and therefore dose reduction is undesirable. Therefore, the sealing requirement at the outlet valve is very important. On the other hand, it is not necessary that an excessive sealing in the closed position of the outlet valve affects the proper functioning of said valve, for example by blocking it in the closed position, which would prevent the pump from functioning properly. and therefore a correct distribution of the dose.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a fluid dispensing pump which satisfies the above requirements optimally without duplicating the disadvantages of the pumps of the prior art.

More particularly, the present invention aims to provide a fluid dispensing pump which ensures a perfect seal in the closed position of the outlet valve of the pump chamber.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a fluid dispensing pump which operates in a safe and reliable manner and which guarantees a precise and reproducible dispensing of a dose of product each time the pump is actuated.

The present invention also aims to provide a fluid dispenser pump that is simple and inexpensive to manufacture and assemble.

The subject of the present invention is therefore a fluid product delivery pump comprising a pump body, a pump chamber provided with an inlet valve and an outlet valve, and a piston sliding in said pump body for dispensing the product contained in the pump chamber, said outlet valve having a valve member cooperating with a valve seat, said outlet valve having deformable sealing means provided between said valve seat and said valve member, said valve member sealing means being elastically deformed in the closed position of said outlet valve to improve the seal.

Advantageously, said piston is integral with an actuating rod, said actuating rod being hollow and defining an expulsion channel for the product, said valve seat being formed in said expulsion channel.

Advantageously, during actuation of the pump, the outlet valve is biased towards its closed position by a spring, said valve being open by the pressure of the product contained in the pump chamber.

According to a first variant embodiment of the invention, said deformable sealing means are formed on the valve element.

According to a second embodiment of the invention said deformable sealing means are formed on the valve seat.

According to a first embodiment of the present invention, said deformable sealing means comprise at least one deformable annular lip.

Advantageously, said annular lip is flexible and cooperates with a frustoconical surface in the closed position of the valve.

Advantageously, said annular lip is made by overmolding.

Advantageously, the valve seat comprises a flexible annular lip cooperating with a frustoconical valve element, said valve element being substantially rigid.

Advantageously, the valve seat is made of bi-material, said annular lip being made of a softer material than the rest of the valve seat.

According to a second embodiment of the present invention, said deformable sealing means comprise a deformable annular seal.

Advantageously, said annular seal cooperates with a frustoconical surface in the closed position of the valve.

Advantageously, said seal is fixed by snapping, latching or overmolding.

Advantageously, the valve element is substantially rigid and comprises a deformable annular seal cooperating with a frustoconical valve seat, said valve seat being substantially rigid.

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

• la figure 1 est une vue schématique en section transversale d'une pompe selon un premier mode de réalisation de la présente invention ; et
• la figure 2 est une vue similaire à celle de la figure 1 montrant un second mode de réalisation de la présente invention.

Other characteristics and advantages of the present invention will emerge more clearly in the following detailed description of two embodiments thereof, made with reference to the accompanying drawings, given by way of non-limiting examples, and in which:

• the figure 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a pump according to a first embodiment of the present invention; and
• the figure 2 is a view similar to that of the figure 1 showing a second embodiment of the present invention.

The figures represent an example of a pump, but it is understood that the present invention applies to all types of pump, with different structures from those shown in the drawings.

With reference to the figure 1 , the pump comprises a pump body 10 in which slides a piston 50 secured to an actuating rod 5. This rod 5 is advantageously hollow and defines an expulsion channel 4 for the product. The pump body 10 contains a pump chamber 20 which is defined between an inlet valve 30 and an outlet valve 40. In the example shown, the outlet valve 40 and the inlet valve 41 comprise the same element. 41. The latter is respectively urged against an inlet valve seat 32, advantageously secured to the pump body 10, in the closed position of the inlet valve 30, and against an outlet valve seat 42, advantageously integral with the actuating rod 5, and preferably defined at the expulsion channel 4, in the closed position of the outlet valve 40. Of course, the present invention would also apply to the pumps in which the valve elements input 30 and output 40 would be different, for example completely separate.

The present invention more specifically relates to the outlet valve 40 of the pump chamber 20, and all other components of the pump could be modified. We will therefore not describe in more detail this pump below, since the other elements of this pump are not directly involved in the present invention.

With reference to the figure 1 , there is shown a first embodiment of the invention. According to this first embodiment, the valve seat 42 comprises at least one flexible deformable lip 45 which, in the closed position of the outlet valve 40, cooperates with the valve member 41. This valve element 41 is preferably rigid and advantageously comprises a frustoconical surface at its surface which cooperates with the flexible lip 45. As visible on the figure 1 , in the closed position of the valve 40, the lip 45 is deformed to improve the seal in this closed position. Alternatively, one could consider two or more lips cooperating with the valve member 41. The lip 45 can be made integrally with the rest of the valve seat 42, and in particular with the actuating rod 5 and the piston 50 , in the example of the figure 1 . Alternatively, the lip 45 could be overmolded on the valve seat 42, in which case it could be made of a softer material than the rest of the valve seat, and in particular that the rest of the stem This implementation makes it possible to improve the sealing even more advantageously, while maintaining the necessary rigidity for the other constituent elements of the pump. Preferably, and this is also valid for the embodiment shown on the figure 2 , the outlet valve 40 is biased towards its closed position by a spring 70, preferably the return spring of the pump which returns to its rest position. The opening of the outlet valve 40 is advantageously done by the pressure of the product contained in the pump chamber 20. In a variant, the outlet valve could be biased towards its closed position by the pressure of the product contained in the pump chamber. during the actuation of the pump. The opening of the outlet valve could then be done at the end of actuation stroke, for example mechanically. This spring 70 or this pressure of the product which urges the outlet valve 40 towards its closed position further improves the sealing in the closed position of the outlet valve and particularly during the actuation of the pump, which prevents any leakage of the product and therefore dose loss.

As an alternative to the embodiment shown in the figure 1 a reverse embodiment could be envisaged, that is to say in which the valve element 41 would comprise a flexible or deformable sealing lip which cooperates with a valve seat 42, which could for example be frustoconical.

The figure 2 represents a second embodiment of the present invention. In this second embodiment, the deformable sealing element is formed by an annular seal disposed on the valve member 41. This annular seal can be fixed on the valve member 41 by plugging, latching or overmolding. Advantageously, this annular seal is made of a softer material than the remainder of the valve member 41 which improves the sealing in the closed position. As shown on the figure 2 , the annular seal 46 advantageously cooperates with a frustoconical surface of the valve seat 42.

As an alternative to the embodiment shown in the figure 2 , one could consider fixing the annular seal not on the valve element 41 but on the valve seat 42 in which case it would be a frustoconical valve element, like that of the figure 1 , which would be advantageously used to cooperate with this annular seal 46 which would be integral with the valve seat 42.

The fact of providing a frustoconical surface to cooperate with the deformable sealing element (lip 45 or seal 46) not only ensures a centering of the valve member 41 on the valve seat 42, but also ensures sealing during actuation even if the force exerted by the user on the actuating rod 5 is not quite axial.

The pump of the present invention is obviously intended to be fixed on a tank (not shown), for example by means of a fixing ring 60, which in the example shown would be a crimp cap. Of course, other variants are possible. Furthermore a dispensing head (not shown) can also be assembled on the actuating rod 5 to dispense the product from the pump.

Although the present invention has been described with reference to two embodiments thereof, it is understood that it is not limited by the examples shown. On the contrary, a person skilled in the art can make any useful modifications without departing from the scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims.

Claims (15)

1. A fluid dispenser pump comprising a pump body (10), a pump chamber (20) provided with an inlet valve (30) and with an outlet valve (40), and a piston (50) sliding in said pump body (10) so as to dispense the fluid contained in the pump chamber (20), said outlet valve (40) comprising a valve element (41) co-operating with a valve seat (42), the fluid dispenser pump being characterized in that said outlet valve (40) further comprises deformable sealing means (45, 46) provided between said valve seat (42) and said valve element (41), said sealing means (45, 46) being elastically deformed when said outlet valve (40) is in the closed position, so as to improve sealing.
2. A pump according to claim 1, in which said piston (50) is secured to an actuator rod (5), said actuator rod being hollow and defining an expulsion channel (4) for the fluid, said valve seat (42) being formed in said expulsion channel (4).
3. A pump according to claim 1 or claim 2, in which, while the pump is being actuated, the outlet valve (40) is urged towards its closed position by a spring (70), said valve (40) being opened by the pressure of the fluid contained in the pump chamber (20).
4. A pump according to any preceding claim, in which said deformable sealing means (45, 46) are formed on the valve element (41).
5. A pump according to any one of claims 1 to 3, in which said deformable sealing means (45, 46) are formed on the valve seat (42).
6. A pump according to claim 4 or claim 5, in which said deformable sealing means comprise at least one deformable annular lip (45).
7. A pump according to claim 6, in which said annular lip (45) is flexible and co-operates with a frustoconical surface when the valve (40) is in the closed position.
8. A pump according to claim 6 or claim 7, in which said annular lip (45) is made by overmolding.
9. A pump according to any preceding claim, in which the valve seat (42) includes a flexible annular lip (45) co-operating with a frustoconical valve element (41), said valve element (41) being substantially rigid.
10. A pump according to claim 9, in which the valve seat (42) is made out of two materials, said annular lip (45) being made out of a material that is softer than the remainder of the valve seat (42).
11. A pump according to claim 4 or claim 5, in which said deformable sealing means comprise a deformable O-ring (46).
12. A pump according to claim 11, in which said O-ring (46) co-operates with a frustoconical surface when the valve (40) is in the closed position.
13. A pump according to claim 11 or claim 12, in which said O-ring (46) is secured by interfitting, snap-fastening, or overmolding.
14. A pump according to any preceding claim, in which the valve element (41) is substantially rigid and includes a deformable O-ring (46) co-operating with a frustoconical valve seat (42), said valve seat (42) being substantially rigid.
15. A fluid dispenser device, characterized in that it includes a pump according to any preceding claim.

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