EP2139606B1 - Fluid product distributor - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a fluid dispenser comprising a reservoir provided with an opening and a dispensing member, such as a pump or a valve, mounted in the opening of the reservoir. This type of portable manual dispenser is frequently used in the fields of perfumery, cosmetics or even pharmacy.

In the prior art, the document is already known WO 2005/070560 which describes a fluid dispenser whose dispensing member, which is a pump, comprises a body provided with fixing means on a tank neck, a pusher forming the dispensing orifice and on which the user can press for actuate the pump and a differential piston housed inside the pusher and sliding in a barrel formed by the body. A pre-compression and return spring is supported on the body and pushes the differential piston towards the pusher away from the body. The pump chamber formed by this dispenser member extends on either side of the differential piston: by pressing on the pusher with the aid of one or more fingers, the differential piston will move against the spring both in relation to the body and the pusher, hence its differential characteristic. The displacement of the differential piston relative to the pusher makes it possible to disengage a dispensing orifice through which the pressurized fluid product inside the chamber can escape and be advantageously distributed in pulverized form.

The distributor described in the document WO 2005/070560 has reduced dimensions with a tank of the order of a few milliliters. The distributor is more like a sample. When mounting the pump in the tank opening, an overpressure is created inside the tank. This is because the pump body slides sealingly into the tank opening over a certain height. The body thus fulfills an undesired piston function: moreover, this phenomenon of overpressure is commonly referred to as "piston".

Therefore, a first object of the present invention is to mitigate or eliminate this pressure inside the tank during assembly of the dispenser.

Another problem that is frequently encountered with this type of dispenser is the priming of the pump, that is to say the first filling of the pump chamber with fluid from the reservoir. Initially, after mounting the pump on the tank, the pump chamber is filled with air. By actuating the pusher, the volume of the pump chamber is reduced and the air is thus compressed inside. However, the pressure reached inside the chamber is often not sufficient to open the outlet valve so as to allow air trapped in the chamber to be forced out through the orifice of the chamber. distribution. It is often necessary to actuate the pusher several times to fill, that is to say, prime, the pump chamber. Sometimes, booting is not even possible.

Therefore, another object of the present invention is to allow easy and fast priming of the pump chamber. Preferably, the present invention must allow both an elimination of the pressure in the reservoir and a priming of the pump during a single simple operation, which can be easily implemented during the distributor assembly.

The document US-A-4,369,900 describes a pump whose pump chamber communicates with the reservoir through the inlet valve and with the outside through the outlet valve, and this in a completely depressed configuration to prime the pump. The present invention seeks to avoid a leakage path through the outlet valve.

To achieve these objects, the present invention provides a fluid dispenser comprising a fluid reservoir provided with an opening, and a dispensing member, such as a pump or a valve, mounted on the reservoir opening, member forming a fluid product chamber provided with an inlet valve, an outlet valve and a displaceably movable lip in a cylindrical barrel between a position resting position and a depressed position for varying the volume of the chamber, and discharging the fluid product from the chamber through the outlet valve to a dispensing orifice, characterized in that the inlet valve defines, close to the depressed position, a first escape route which makes the tank communicate with the chamber, the communicating chamber, proximity of the depressed position, with the outside through a second leakage path that does not pass through the outlet valve and the dispensing orifice, so that the tank and the chamber communicate with the outside, close to the depressed position, through the first and second vanishing paths open with the closed outlet valve. Thus, the overpressure in the reservoir can be decreased or eliminated by communicating with the chamber, and the compressed air within the chamber can escape outwardly without passing through the outlet valve. In the end, there is a perfect compensation of the pressures inside the distributor with the atmospheric pressure.

According to an advantageous characteristic, the first escape path is open before the second escape path, so that the chamber communicates with the reservoir before it communicates with the outside. Thus, in a first step, the pressure in the reservoir is equalized with the pressure prevailing in the chamber, and in a second step, the common pressure in the reservoir and the chamber is equalized with the outside. The establishment of the first and second escape paths is effected by bringing the pusher to its depressed position. This can be done when mounting the dispenser member on the opening of the tank with a press pressing the pusher. The press begins by pushing the pusher fully into the depressed position before mounting the dispensing member in the opening of the tank. Thus, the two escape routes are established before any overpressure can be generated inside the tank. Continuing to press the pusher, with both escape paths open, the dispensing member is brought into the final mounting position in the opening of the reservoir. The press then releases its pressure on the pusher returning to its rest position. During this return phase, the second escape route is closed before the first escape route. Then, the inlet valve performs its normal function, creating a vacuum inside the chamber that will allow to draw fluid from the tank. The dispensing member is thus initiated as soon as it is mounted on the reservoir. In addition, any overpressure inside the tank is prevented.

On the other hand, in normal operation, that is to say after ignition of the dispensing member, the phase shift of establishment or opening of the escape paths makes it possible to eliminate any risk of leakage of fluid product out from the room. Indeed, since the first leakage path is open before the second leakage path, pressurized fluid inside chamber C at the end of the stroke of the plunger would be forced through the first leak path in the direction of flow. of the tank, and not through the second escape route which will only open later. It is therefore this temporal sequencing of the escape route openings that makes it possible to avoid any risk of leakage of fluid during normal operation of the dispenser.

According to a practical embodiment, the lip breaks its tight sliding with the cylindrical barrel near the depressed position to establish the second escape path. Preferably, the barrel forms at least one discontinuity on which the lip passes, thus creating the second escape path. The function of the discontinuity (s) is to take off at least locally the lip of the barrel to create a leakage that will serve as a leakage path for pressurized air.

According to another practical aspect of the invention, the inlet valve comprises two elements engaged to slide one inside the other, except in the rest position in which the valve is open and close to the depressed position to establish the first escape route. Advantageously, one of the elements forms at least one profile over which the other element passes, thus creating the first escape route. Again, the function of the profile (s) is to create a local leakage leakage path for the pressurized air and possibly for the fluid under pressure.

According to a practical embodiment, the dispensing member comprises a body intended to be mounted on the opening of the reservoir, the body forming the cylindrical barrel, an axially displaceable pusher back and forth on the body between the rest and depressed positions, a differential piston comprising a first lip slidably engaged in the barrel of the body and second lip slidably engaged in the pusher. Advantageously, the body forms an inlet pipe and the differential piston forms a rod which is slidably engaged in the pipe in such a way as to define together the inlet valve, the rod forms at least one profile at the level of which the pipe is not not in sealed contact, thus establishing the first escape route. According to another advantageous aspect, the dispenser member comprises a spring which urges the differential piston toward the pusher away from the body. According to another advantageous characteristic, the dispensing member comprises a self-sealing sleeve which comes into sealing contact with the opening of the reservoir during assembly of the dispensing member on the reservoir.

It is the race of sealed contact of the sleeve in the opening of the tank which would trap air inside the tank and would increase considerably its pressure in the absence of the two escape routes established according to the invention.

The present invention solves both the problem of overpressure in the tank and the problem of the priming of the dispensing member, without creating a risk of fluid leakage. The present invention is preferably applied to pumps, but can also be applied to valves. Similarly, it applies preferably to small capacity dispensers such as samples, but can also be applied to any other dispenser of higher capacity.

The invention will now be more fully described with reference to the accompanying drawings giving by way of non-limiting example an embodiment of the invention.

The figures 1 and 2 are views in partial vertical cross section through a fluid dispenser according to the invention, respectively in the rest position and in the depressed position.

We will refer indifferently to figures 1 and 2 to first describe the structure of a fluid dispenser according to the invention, then its operation. The distributor comprises several constituent elements, namely a reservoir 1 and a dispensing member, which is in the embodiment of a pump, but it could also have been a valve. This pump comprises a body 2, a dip tube 3, a differential piston 4, a pusher 5 and a return and pre-compression spring 6. The dip tube 3 is here attached to the body 2, but it is also possible to make the dip tube in one piece with the body 2. Similarly, the spring 6 is an independent piece, but it is possible alternatively to make it integrally with the body 2 or the differential piston 4. Therefore, the pump of the invention comprises three to five constituent elements.

The reservoir 1 is intended to contain fluid product to be dispensed. It can be made of glass, metal or plastic. Its capacity may be of the order of two to three millimeters in the case of samples or may be much higher in the case of conventional tanks. The tank can have all the appropriate forms. It comprises a bottom (not shown), a side wall (partially shown), and an opening 10 defined here by a neck 11. This neck 11 comprises a peripheral annular groove 12 at its outer wall. The neck 11 also comprises an inner wall 14 which will serve to seal with the pump, as will be seen below. The neck 11 also defines an upper annular edge 13. Below the neck 11, the reservoir forms an outer shoulder 15 which is directed upwards. This is only a particular embodiment for the tank. In a very general way, it is sufficient that it defines a useful storage volume for the fluid product and an opening through which the fluid can be extracted from the reservoir.

The pump used to illustrate the present invention is of the "pusher pump" type, which has the particularity that the pusher forms part of the pump chamber generally designated by C. In most cases, the pusher also defines a sliding shaft for the piston.

The pump body 2 can be made by injection molding of suitable plastic material. The body is a piece that presents advantageously a symmetry of revolution around the visible X axis on the figure 1 . The body comprises in a very general manner two series of three concentric rings which extend on either side of a radial plate 25 which is traversed at its center by an inlet channel 20.

More specifically, the series of three concentric rings which extends downwards from the plate 25 comprises an external fixing ring 21 provided on its inner wall with a fastening cord 22 adapted to snap into the groove 12 of the neck 11. The ring 21 is the outermost ring. Inside this ring 21, the body 2 comprises a self-sealing cylindrical sleeve 24 which comes into sealing contact with the inner wall 14 of the neck 11. Inside this sleeve 24, the body forms a connecting sleeve 23 inside which is engaged the upper end of the dip tube 3 which extends into the tank 1 to near its bottom. The connecting sleeve 23 extends axially forming the inlet conduit 20. The ring 21, the sleeve 24 and the sleeve 23 all extend downwards from the annular radial plate 25. When mounting the body 2 on the neck 11 of the reservoir, the self-sealing sleeve 24 will slide sealingly against the inner wall 14 of the neck 11 on a relatively large axial stroke. At the end of the stroke, the cord 22 engages snap-fit inside the groove 12. This corresponds to the final mounting position of the body 2, and thus of the pump, on the reservoir.

The series of three crowns that extend upward from the plate 25 includes an outermost guide sleeve 26 which is located the outermost. The guide sleeve 26 defines a shoulder 261 which will act as a stop, as will be seen below. Internally, the sleeve 26 serves as a bearing surface for the spring 6 which is housed between the sleeve 26 and the barrel 27. Inside this sleeve 26, the body forms a sliding shaft 27 which has an inner wall essentially cylindrical. According to the invention, the inner wall of the barrel forms at least one boss or rib which defines a discontinuity 271 in the cylindricity of the barrel. Its function will be given below. Inside the barrel 27, the body further defines an inlet pipe 28 which internally defines a portion of the inlet conduit 20. The free upper end of the pipe 28 forms a sliding sealing bead 281, as will be seen hereinafter.

The inlet duct 20 thus directly communicate the tubing 28 with the plunger tube 3. It should be noted that there is no system or vent passage between the body and the reservoir.

The differential piston 4 comprises a hollow axial tube 41 whose free end defines a main piston lip 42 adapted to slide sealingly inside the barrel 27 of the body 2. Advantageously, the lip 42 is elastically deformable. Inside the tube 41, the differential piston 4 comprises a rod 43 which performs a function of moving member of the inlet valve. This rod 43 advantageously defines three sections, namely a lower section 431 of reduced diameter or groove, an intermediate section 432 of maximum diameter and an upper section 433 defined with at least one protruding or hollow profile 434. In the figures, the profile is in the form of one or more grooves which advantageously extend axially. The rod 43 is engaged inside the tubing 28 so that the sealing bead 281 is positioned at the reduced diameter lower section 431 when the pump is at rest, as shown in FIG. figure 1 . There is then no sealed contact between the bead 281 and the rod 43. Functionally, the tubing 28, or more precisely its sealing bead 281, cooperates with the rod 43 to form together the inlet valve pump. Therefore, as we have just seen, the inlet valve is open in the rest position, since there is no contact between the cord 281, which serves as an inlet valve seat, and the rod 43, which serves as movable member of the inlet valve. It will be readily understood that the axial displacement downwards of the differential piston relative to the body 2 will bring the intermediate section 432 level and in sealing contact of the cord 281 over a certain stroke. Beyond the intermediate section 232, the bead 281 will be at the upper section 433 which forms the grooves 434; at at this time, there will no longer be sealing between the bead 281 and the rod 43. This will be explained more fully below.

On the other hand, the differential piston 4 forms a connecting channel 44 which passes through the tube 41. At its upper end, the differential piston 4 forms an annular flange 45 which extends radially outwards. On its outer periphery, this flange 45 forms a differential piston lip 46 and an annular flange 47 which serves as a movable outlet valve member, as will be seen hereinafter. The spring 6 bears under the annular flange 45.

The pusher 5 comprises an upper support plate 51 on which the user can press with the aid of one or more fingers. On its outer periphery, this plate extends downwardly forming a skirt 52, here of substantially cylindrical shape. The skirt 52 defines near its upper end where it is connected to the plate 51 an internal distribution wall 53 at which is formed a dispensing orifice 50. According to an advantageous embodiment, the wall 53 also forms channels and a swirl chamber 54 centered on the orifice 50. Below the distribution wall 53, the skirt 52 forms a sliding cylinder 55 which has a diameter slightly greater than that of the distribution wall 53. At its lower end, the skirt 52 forms an internal stop reinforcement 56 which is housed below the shoulder 261 of the guide sleeve 26. The skirt 52 also performs a guiding function by being engaged around the upper part of the sleeve 26. The stop reinforcement 56 prevents the withdrawal of the pusher 5 from the body 2 and defines the rest position. The plate 51 includes an inner bottom wall that will form a portion of the pump chamber. On the other hand, the plate 51 forms at its outer periphery an outlet valve seat 511, which has a generally frustoconical configuration.

The differential piston 4 is engaged inside the pusher 5 so that its lip 46 comes into sealing contact with the sliding cylinder 55. On the other hand, the collar 47 comes into contact sealed with the seat 511 in the rest position, as shown on the figure 1 . In this position, the spring 6 urges the differential piston 4 against the plate 51 away from the body 2. As mentioned above, the tube 41 is engaged inside the barrel 27 and the rod 43 is engaged inside the Thus, the pump chamber C defines a lower part formed between the barrel 27 and the tubing 28 and an upper part formed between the flange 45 and the plate 51. These two parts communicate with each other through the connecting channel 44. extending through the piston 4.

We will now describe a complete cycle of normal operation of this dispenser from its rest position to its depressed position shown in FIG. figure 2 .

In the rest position, the spring 6 which bears on the inner shoulder of the bushing 26 pushes the differential piston 4 away from the body 2. This has the effect of pressing the flange 47 of the piston 4 against the seat 511 of the plate 51. The pusher 5 is thus also biased away from the body 2 and the rest position is defined when the abutment reinforcement 56 abuts against the shoulder 261 of the sleeve 26. The pump chamber C is then isolated from the outside by the sealing contact between the flange 47 on the seat 511. On the other hand, the main piston lip 42 is at its highest position inside the barrel 27. As for the inlet valve, it is open, since the cord 281 does not come into sealed contact with the rod 43. The pump chamber C then only communicates with the reservoir through the inlet duct 20 and the plunger tube 3.

When axially pressing the push-button 5 from the rest position of the figure 1 , the differential piston 4 is driven axially downwards so that the intermediate section 432 of the rod 43 engages sealingly in the annular bead 281 of the pipe 28. The inlet valve is then closed and the chamber C no longer communicates with the tank. The pressure rises inside the chamber C, and because of the surface differential between the lower part and the upper part of the chamber, the differential piston 4 moves away from the plate 51, thus opening the valve of outlet formed by the flange 47 and the seat 511. The chamber C then communicates with the outside and the pressurized fluid can be dispensed through the orifice 50. For the outlet valve to open, it is necessary that the pressure inside the chamber is greater than the force exerted by the spring 6.

Continuing to press the pusher, one reaches the depressed position shown on the figure 2 . The outlet valve is closed again, since the pressure has dropped inside the chamber which is again isolated from the outside. It should be noted that the bead 281 is positioned at the upper section 433 formed with the grooves 434 and that the main piston lip 42 is located at the discontinuity 271. In this position, the inside of the tank communicates with the outside through a first escape path F1 established at the cord 281 and a second leakage path F2 established at the lip 42. The passage of air is represented by the arrows.

By releasing the pressure exerted on the pusher, the differential piston will rise under the action of the spring 6. The lip 42 will again regain its position of sealed contact in the barrel 27 and the inlet valve will close. A depression will form inside the chamber C and when the valve will again return to its rest position of the figure 1 , fluid product from the tank through the plunger tube 3 will fill the chamber again. This corresponds to a normal operating cycle of the dispenser.

The present invention is particularly interesting, not in the normal operating cycle of the dispenser, but during the mounting phase of the pump on the tank and during the priming phase of the pump. Indeed, when the pump is mounted on the tank, the self-sealing sleeve 23 slides sealingly over a certain stroke against the inner wall 14 of the neck 11. This would normally have the effect of considerably increasing the pressure at the top of the tank. inside the tank, especially when it is of a low capacity. Thanks to the escape routes F1 and F2, the air pressurized inside the tank can escape to the outside by following the arrow path of the figure 2 . In addition, this venting of the tank and the chamber allows easy and automatic priming of the pump. Indeed, since the chamber C is at atmospheric pressure in the depressed position corresponding to its minimum volume, as soon as the pusher is released, the inlet valve will close and the depression that forms inside the chamber will allow to suck fluid in the pump chamber, thus priming the pump. This simultaneous operation of venting the tank and priming the chamber can be performed when mounting the pump on the tank using a press that presses the pusher. The force exerted by the press will firstly snap the ring 21 on the neck 11 and secondly put the pump in the depressed position.

Another interesting feature of the invention lies in the fact that the leak F1 is established before the leak F2, so that the chamber C first communicates with the tank and then only with the outside. In other words, the pressure prevailing inside the tank will first be balanced with the chamber and the residual pressure is balanced with the outside at atmospheric pressure. This phase shift or sequencing of the opening of the escape paths F1 and F2 also makes it possible to avoid any risk of leakage of fluid during normal operation of the dispenser. Indeed, since the escape path F1 opens before the escape path F2, the fluid remaining in the chamber C near the depressed position, when the outlet valve is closed, will be forced to flow to the tank through the F1 escape path, and not through the leakage path F2 which is still closed. The pressure in the chamber is no longer sufficient to keep the outlet valve open, but still higher than the pressure in the tank or the atmospheric pressure. The opening phase shift can be very simply achieved by providing that the seal between the bead 281 and the rod 43 is broken before the sealing contact between the lip 42 and the barrel is. One can very easily play on the height of the ribs and / or grooves to establish the escape routes. Of course, the grooves 434 of the rod can be replaced by any configuration suitable for breaking the seal between the tubing 28 and the rod 43. Similarly, the ribs or bosses 271 formed at the drum can be replaced by any configuration to break the seal with the lip 42.

It should be noted that the second escape path F2 is separate from the outlet valve, so that the air is forced out of the chamber through the leakage path F2 while the outlet valve is and remains closed.

The venting system of the present invention thus makes it possible not only to avoid any overpressure inside the tank and to prime the pump, but also to avoid any risk of leakage during normal operation of the pump, and this advantageously through the implementation of two separate escape paths whose openings are not simultaneous.

Claims (10)

1. A fluid dispenser comprising:

   · a fluid reservoir (1) provided with an opening (10); and

   · a dispenser member (2, 3, 4, 5, 6), such as a pump or a valve, mounted on the opening (10) of the reservoir, the member forming a fluid chamber (C) that is provided with an inlet valve (28, 43), an outlet valve (47, 511), and a lip (42) that is movable in leaktight sliding in a cylinder (27) between a rest position and a depressed position, so as to cause the volume of the chamber (C) to vary, and the fluid in the chamber to be driven through the outlet valve towards a dispenser orifice (50);
   in the proximity of the depressed position, the inlet valve defines a first escape path (F1) that puts the reservoir (1) into communication with the chamber (C),
   said dispenser being characterized in that the chamber, in the proximity of the depressed position, communicates with the outside through a second escape path (F2) that does not passe via the outlet valve and the dispenser orifice so that, in the proximity of the depressed position, the reservoir (1) and the chamber communicate with the outside through the open first and second escape paths (F1 and F2), and with the outlet valve closed.
2. A dispenser according to claim 1, wherein the first escape path (F1) is opened before the second escape path (F2) so that the chamber (C) communicates with the reservoir (1) before it communicates with the outside.
3. A dispenser according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the sliding of the lip (42) against the cylinder (27) ceases to be leaktight in the proximity of the depressed position, so as to establish the second escape path (F2).
4. A dispenser according to claim 3, wherein the cylinder (27) forms at least one discontinuity (271) over which the lip (42) passes, thereby creating the second escape path (F2).
5. A dispenser according to any preceding claim, wherein the inlet valve comprises two elements (28, 43) that are engaged to slide in leaktight manner one inside the other, except in the rest position in which the valve is open, and in the proximity of the depressed position so as to establish the first escape path (F1).
6. A dispenser according to claim 5, wherein one (43) of the elements forms at least one profile (433) over which the other element (28) passes, thereby creating the first escape path (F2).
7. A dispenser according to any preceding claim, wherein the dispenser member comprises:

   · a body (2) for mounting on the opening (10) of the reservoir (1), the body forming the cylinder (27);

   · a pusher (5) that is axially movable down and up on the body (2) between the rest position and the depressed position; and

   · a differential piston (4) including a first lip (42) that is engaged to slide in leaktight manner in the cylinder (27) of the body, and a second lip (46) that is engaged to slide in leaktight manner in the pusher (5).
8. A dispenser according to claim 7, wherein the body (2) forms an inlet pipe (28), and the differential piston (4) forms a rod (43) that is engaged to slide in leaktight manner in the pipe (28) in such a manner as to co-operate to define the inlet valve, the rod forming at least one profile (434) where the pipe (28) is not in leaktight contact, thereby establishing the first escape path (F1).
9. A dispenser according to claim 7 or claim 8, wherein the dispenser member includes a spring (6) that urges the differential piston (4) towards the pusher (5), away from the body (2).
10. A dispenser according to any preceding claim, wherein the dispenser member includes a self-sealing cuff (24) that comes into leaktight sliding contact with the opening (10) of the reservoir (1) while the dispenser member is being mounted on the reservoir.

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