EP2036833B1 - Self-closing dispensing head - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to a self-closing dispensing head for a pressure vessel with a dispensing valve for dispensing media, in particular viscose, self-foaming and / or gel-like products, wherein the dispensing head a closable by a closing element discharge opening, an opening mechanism through which in the assembled state, the dispensing valve of Pressure vessel can be opened, and having an opening into the discharge opening channel for the medium, wherein the channel has at least a first channel portion and a second channel portion and wherein actuated by pressure on an actuating element both the opening mechanism and designed as a movable closing piston closing element and the second channel portion relative to each other are moved so that the closing element is moved out with the release of a discharge opening from the discharge opening.

Pressure vessels with dispensing heads for eg shaving foams and gels of conventional design usually have a non-closable dispensing opening, so that it After use often comes to the fact that in spite of no longer activated actuators, the medium nachlaufs or nachschäumt, resulting in unsightly residues in the output port, which dry out and contaminate the newly applied, fresh medium when reused. In addition, the discharge opening is often clogged due to dried and clumped residual medium.

To avoid these disadvantages is out of the EP 1 295 812 A1 a self-closing dispensing head for a pressure vessel of the type mentioned, in which the dispensing opening can be closed and opened via a closing element. When pressure is applied to an actuating element, both the opening mechanism are actuated and the closing element and the second channel section are moved relative to one another. Thus, on the one hand the dispensing valve is opened, so that the pressurized medium can flow into the channel. There, however, it can only exit via the dispensing opening when the closing element has released the second channel section. By spring means, for example by a partially elastically deformable shaped housing of the dispensing head, the respective elements with decreasing pressure on the actuator can be brought back into their original position relative to each other and to the pressure vessel, so that both the dispensing valve and the dispensing opening are closed again. In order for a Nachfließen or Nachschäumen is effectively met.

The disadvantage here, however, is that residual amounts of the medium to be dispensed remain in the area of the dispensing opening. Furthermore, the safe closing of the delivery port causes problems.

From the US 5,205,443 For example, a dispensing head for a medium is known in which the closing element is elastic. An actuator acts in a shaft-like region in front of the dispensing head of the closing element on this and can cause a deflection of this shaft when actuated with the consequence that the dispensing head can be moved into the housing interior to release a dispensing opening. In a subsequent discharge of the actuating element, the closing element is moved back into the dispensing opening with the consequence that still adhering medium residues are pressed into the dispensing opening and clog these or Nachschäumen is unavoidable.

From the JP 2006289302 A a self-closing dispensing head for a pressure vessel with a dispensing valve for dispensing media, in particular viscous, self-foaming and / or gel-like products is known in which the dispensing head a closable by a closing element discharge opening, an opening mechanism through which the dispensing valve of the pressure vessel is opened in the assembled state can be and has a channel opening into the discharge opening for the medium. The channel has at least a first channel portion and a second channel portion, wherein actuated by the pressure on an actuating element, both the opening mechanism and the locking member designed as a movable closing piston and the second channel portion relative are moved relative to each other such that the closing element is movable out of the dispensing opening while releasing a dispensing opening. In addition, centering lugs are provided, being provided between individual centering flow through chambers for the medium, and on the side facing away from the dispensing opening end of the closing piston, an elastic spring portion is provided, which is bounded at the end by a standing with the actuator head piece. The head piece in this case has a rounded cross-sectional configuration, wherein the actuating element slides during the opening and closing movement of the closing piston on the rounded head piece in the open or closed position and wherein the rounding of the head piece is adapted to the movement path of the actuating element. Self-foaming or gel-like products can be applied relatively well with this self-closing dispensing head. In many applications, however, it can not be ruled out that re-foaming of the product takes place.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to further improve a self-closing dispensing head for a pressure vessel, in such a way that remaining amounts of material to be dispensed effectively to avoid and the dispensing opening is safe to close.

To solve this problem, the self-closing dispensing head according to claim 1 is provided.

Thus, a self-closing dispensing head is created for a pressure vessel, with the very clean a medium and not, as conventionally rather spiral, but is straight forward. This is due in particular to the fact that due to the provided centering lugs, which are supported in the second channel portion on the inner surfaces during the entire movement of the closing piston both during transfer to its open position as well as transfer to its closed position, relative positional deviations of the closing piston relative to housing parts safely avoided are, which means that over the prior art, no position inaccuracies during the closing process in the region of the outlet opening occur, so that the closing piston can be reproduced and accurately translated into its opening and closing position. As a result, residual quantities remaining in the outlet opening can be safely returned to the first channel section when the closing piston is transferred from its open position to the closed position. This leaves at the outer region of the discharge opening of the dispensing head at most only small residues from the medium to be dispensed, the user by simple means, e.g. can be removed by simply wiping with your finger or rinsing off. The risk of blockage of the discharge opening is thus safely met.

Since there are flow-through spaces between the individual centering approaches, the delivery of the medium is not hindered. The same applies to the return of a medium after decreasing pressure on the actuator and a movement of the closing piston in its closed position. To one over the circumference To have evenly distributed centering, the centering lugs are preferably distributed over a peripheral portion evenly distributed on the closing piston. It has been found that, for example, four centering approaches, which are evenly distributed over the circumference, allow a positionally accurate movement and centering of the closing piston. It must be ensured that during the entire closing movement no tilting moments are possible over the length of the closing piston, so that the centering elements on the closing piston extend near its front end. For this purpose, the front end can also have a cross-sectional widening, which extends over the circumference of the closing piston, so that it has an enlarged peripheral portion there, on which the centering elements are arranged. This also leads to an increase in the flow rate of the medium to be dispensed there.

At the front end, i. the end of the closing piston, which faces the discharge opening, a sealing element is injection molded, preferably via an inner central supply channel within the closing piston and perpendicular thereto, in the lateral surface of the closing piston opening feed lines. Such a sealing material consists e.g. made of a plastic soft material such as e.g. TPE, silicone. The closing piston may e.g. made of ABS, PP or POM material, each plastic hard materials.

In order to further promote the return of dispensing material, the second channel portion has a valve seat into which the closing piston with the sealing element in its closed position is to be completely introduced. With a slight oblique orientation of the closing piston to the horizontal is taking a position, wherein an upper region of the output-side end of the closing piston is arranged at a distance to the Ausgaböffnungsende, but otherwise no longer protrudes beyond the housing of the dispensing head in the region of the dispensing opening. Preferably, the closing piston assumes a position in the valve seat that its front end is flush with the outer surface of the housing, so that product residues can be easily removed. This can very clean there still adhering material on the seal and the valve seat are returned to the side channel section.

Fig. 1

ein Ausführungsbeispiel eines Ausgabekopfes (schematisch mit Einblick in das Innenleben) im geschlossenen Zustand des Schließkolbens;

Fig. 2

eine zu Fig. 1 analoge Darstellung mit geöffnetem Schließkolben;

Fig. 3

vergrößert ausschnittsweise eine Querschnittsdarstellung des Ausgabekopfes des Ausführungsbeispiels nach Fig. 1 im Bereich des Ausgabeendes und des Schließkolbens;

Fig. 4

eine zu Fig. 3 analoge Darstellung mit geöffnetem Schließkolben;

Fig. 5

die Darstellung nach Fig. 3 mit Ausrichtung des Schließkolbens;

Fig. 6

eine Querschnittsdarstellung gemäß der Querschnittslinie VI/VI in Fig. 5;

Fig. 7

vergrößert das der Ausgabeöffnung abgewandte Ende des Schließkolbens mit Federelement und Betätigungselement;

Fig. 8

eine Einzeldarstellung eines Schließkolbens (aufgeschnitten), mit innerem Kanal zum Anspritzen der vorderen Dichtung und des Federelementes.

Further advantageous embodiments of the invention will become apparent from further dependent claims, the following description and the drawings. In the drawing show:

Fig. 1

an embodiment of an output head (schematically with insight into the interior) in the closed state of the closing piston;

Fig. 2

one too Fig. 1 analogue representation with opened closing piston;

Fig. 3

Enlarged section of a cross-sectional view of the dispensing head of the embodiment according to Fig. 1 in the region of the discharge end and the closing piston;

Fig. 4

one too Fig. 3 analogue representation with opened closing piston;

Fig. 5

the representation after Fig. 3 with alignment of the closing piston;

Fig. 6

a cross-sectional view according to the cross-sectional line VI / VI in Fig. 5 ;

Fig. 7

increases the discharge opening facing away from the end of the closing piston with spring element and actuator;

Fig. 8

a single representation of a closing piston (cut open), with inner channel for injection molding of the front seal and the spring element.

In the drawing, basically equivalent parts are provided with matching reference numerals. Generally indicated at 1 is the dispensing head, which is preferably formed integrally with the pressure vessel, not shown. This has a housing 2 and a not shown discharge valve for dispensing media, such as viscous, self-foaming and / or gel-like products. This dispensing valve is associated with the inner container space in which the medium is filled, and can be operated by an opening mechanism.

The dispensing head has a dispensing opening in fluid communication with a first channel section 4 and a second channel section 5. The second Channel section is associated with the designed as a closing piston closing element which dominates the discharge opening 3. This closing piston is arranged relatively movably within the channel section 5, so that it moves out of its closed position (FIG. Fig. 1 ) in its open position ( Fig. 2 ) can be moved.

To perform this movement, an actuating element 7 is provided, which from its rest position ( Fig. 1 ) Can be pressed into the operating position and thus can be pivoted. This actuator 7 simultaneously actuates the opening mechanism with which the dispensing valve can be opened.

As in particular closer from the Fig. 3, 4 . 5, 6 and 8th As can be seen, 6.1 centering 6.2 are formed in the front region of the closing piston 6 at a portion 6.1, which are supported on the inner circumferential surfaces of the second channel section 5 in the housing. In the illustrated embodiment, a total of four centering 6.2 are distributed evenly distributed over the circumference. In the front region of the second channel section 5, ie in its end region which opens into the outlet opening 3, a valve seat 3.1 is formed in the housing. This valve seat is associated with the front region of the closing piston 6, which is provided with a molded plastic soft material seal 8. The front head section 6.4 of the closing piston 6 has a congruent design following the conical shape of the valve seat and is to be completely introduced into the valve seat, as shown in more detail Fig. 3 shows. It takes in the Fig. 3 apparent upper part a distance from the outlet opening 3 (the front end) a. Nevertheless, he is a total sunk arranged in the closed state, so that about the remaining Remaining quantities of the dispensed medium are to be wiped off with a finger swipe and then, with a simple rinsing process, the still accessible from the outside is also rinsed off the valve seat. This reliably avoids that residual quantities which can dry out and agglomerate remain in the area of the outlet opening 3. By the return movement of the closing piston out of his Fig. 4 apparent opening position in the closed position in Fig. 3 causes residual amounts remaining to be returned to the inner channel section 5.

The discharge opening 3 facing away from the end of the closing piston has a spring element 9 made of a plastic soft material, which is provided to the actuating element 7 out with a head 10, which has a rounded sliding surface 10.1. The spring element 9 is at the same time a sealing element, so that the product mass can not leave the container there either. The actuating element has a correspondingly congruent contact surface 7.1, which slides along this surface 10.1 in the course of the actuation, that is to say depression of the actuating element 7. Due to the rounding there are only relatively low frictional forces, which also means that no tilting moments are transmitted to the closing piston as in the prior art. Furthermore, the desired near-horizontal position of the closing piston can be realized, although it is acted perpendicular to the actuating element. Due to the low frictional forces, the reduced tilting moments and the provided centering approaches 6.2, the closing piston is very precise position in the respective open or closed position to translate, resulting in an optimized sealing behavior and taking the closed position with superimposed recycling of the medium leads. In Fig. 8 is the inner channel 6.5 can be seen in the transverse channels 6.6 for molding the seal 8 and the spring element 9 open.

Claims (4)

1. Self-closing dispenser head for a pressurised container having a discharge valve for discharging media, more particularly viscous, self-foaming and/or gel-type products, wherein the dispenser head comprises a dispensing opening (3) which can be closed by means of a closing element, an opening mechanism by means of which, when assembled, the dispensing valve of the pressurised container can be opened, and a channel for the medium, said channel opening into the dispensing opening (3), wherein the channel comprises at least a first channel portion (4) and a second channel portion (5), and wherein, by applying pressure to an actuating element (7), the opening mechanism is actuated, and the closing element in the form of a movable closing piston (6) and the second channel portion (5) are moved relative to one another such that the closing element is movable out of the dispensing opening (3), thereby releasing the dispensing opening (3), wherein the closing element is in the form of a movable closing piston (6) comprising centring projections (6.2) which are provided at a distance from one another and so as to be movable together with the closing piston (6), wherein between individual centring projections (6.2), flow passages (6.3) for the medium are provided, and wherein at the end face of the closing piston (6) which faces away from the dispensing opening (3), a resilient spring region (9) is provided which is delimited at the end thereof by a head portion (10) which is connected to the actuating element (7), and wherein the head portion (10) has a rounded cross-sectional design and the actuating element (7) slides along the rounded head portion (10) into the opening and closing positions during the opening and closing movement of the closing piston (6), and wherein the rounded design of the head portion (10) is adapted to the movement path of the actuating element (7), and wherein the closing piston (6) has a head portion provided with an injection-moulded seal (8) made of a soft plastics material, and the second channel portion (5) has a valve seat (3.1) into which the closing piston (6) can be inserted completely together with the sealing element (8) so as to assume the closing position.
2. Self-closing dispenser head according to claim 1, characterised in that the centring projections (6.2) are distributed uniformly about the circumference of the closing piston (6) on the external surface thereof.
3. Self-closing dispenser head according to either claim 1 or claim 2, characterised in that the longitudinal central axis of the closing piston (6) is oriented such that it is at an angle α of less than 15° to the horizontal.
4. Self-closing dispenser head according to any of claims 1 to 3, characterised in that the closing piston (6) has a central line and, in the region where the sealing element is to be provided, is provided with branch lines for injection-moulding the soft sealing element (8), said branch lines being oriented towards the external surface of the closing piston (6) and opening into the central opening channel.

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