EP2674373B1 - Adapter-like device for coupling two containers - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to an adapter-like device for coupling two containers to allow the mixing of separately stored fluids therein. Such adapter devices are mainly used in the use of two- or multi-component product preparations in which the individual preparation components are not compatible with each other due to their chemical composition or should only be mixed shortly before the actual use. Such product preparations are known, inter alia, from the cosmetic, medical, food and detergent sectors.

This is how the German utility model describes DE 29721872 U1 For example, an arrangement for coupling two containers with the aim of possible mixing of initially separately stored in the containers fluids. Among other things, the coupling arrangement described therein serves to mix individual components of hair colorants, the individual components being incompatible with one another and therefore having to be stored separately from one another until they are actually used in separate containers. The mixing of the individual components to the ready-to-use hair dye is then carried out immediately before use. For this purpose, the coupling arrangement has two coupling elements which each allow the connection of an associated container. The coupling elements each form a flow passage, which is in fluid communication with the respective container interior. In addition, the two flow passages are aligned within the clutch assembly. In addition, the coupling arrangement has a control element, which is arranged displaceably between one of the first and second positions in one of the flow passages. Depending on the respective position of the control element, the flow passages may be open or closed. In this respect, depending on the position of the control, a flow through the flow passages and thus the entire clutch arrangement is possible or prevented. Usually, the flow passages are closed in the initial state of the clutch assembly. In this case, an additional plug is provided to improve the sealing function, which closes a flow passage in the initial state of the clutch assembly. As part of the use of the plug is removed under the action of the movable control element, so that the flow passages are released to flow through.

From the WO 2007/111667 A2 another system is described with two containers for the separate storage of two container contents, in which the different container contents can be mixed immediately before use by means of a coupling device connecting both containers. For this purpose, the coupling device has a valve arrangement which can be moved between a closed and an open position. In the open valve position is in the coupling device a flow passage is released, which forms a fluid connection between the two containers. Thus, a mixture of the two container contents is allowed when the valve position is open.

Although the above-described systems basically permit a separate storage of different substances and their mixing immediately before the actual use, but have an undesirably complicated structural design. In addition, such systems may also contain hazardous chemical substances for which careful and correct use is a prerequisite. In such a case, it is above all possible to prevent an undesired mixture of the individual substances.

Proceeding from this, the object of the invention is to provide an adapter-like device for coupling two containers to allow the mixing of separately stored therein fluids, which effectively prevents an unwanted mixture of fluids with a simple structural design.

Basically, the term "fluids" in the context of the invention, all flowable and free-flowing substances are understood, d. H. not only liquid or corresponding viscous substances but also solid bulk materials, such as powder or granules.

The object is achieved by an adapter-like device according to claim 1, which allows the mixing therein separately stored fluids. Thereafter, the adapter-like device comprises two relatively movable adapter elements, of which a first adapter element is attachable to a first container and a second adapter element to a second container is detachably fastened, wherein the adapter-like device is movable by relative movement of the two adapter elements between a first closed position in which the fluids stored in the containers are separated from one another in the case of containers coupled to each other, and a second opened position in which the fluids stored in the containers are in fluid communication with containers coupled to each other. In general, generic adapter devices are often used in two- or multi-component compositions in which the individual components are incompatible with each other and therefore must be stored separately from each other until the actual use. Immediately before use, the individual components are mixed and can then be used as a mixture afterwards. As an example of such multi-component compositions may be mentioned, for example, washing and cleaning agent preparations or cosmetic preparations, especially hair cosmetic preparations. In this context, in particular, hair dyes, especially oxidative Haarfärbemitel be mentioned. Such oxidative hair dyes usually consist of a first developer component containing hydrogen peroxide or a comparable peroxide, and a second dyeing component. These components are chemically incompatible with each other and also aggressive, so a careful handling of them is necessary. The components of such a hair dye need not necessarily be both in liquid or viscous consistency. It is also possible to use one of the components For example, to submit the dyeing components in pourable solid form, such as powder or granules.

To generally increase the safety of use and in particular to prevent unwanted mixing of the container contents, the adapter device according to the invention comprises a locking arrangement which secures the two adapter elements in the first closed position against undesired relative movement to each other. In particular, the two adapter elements are locked or latched to each other in the closed position, so that an unwanted mixing of the container contents is reliably prevented.

The locking arrangement is solvable only by means of two independent forces acting on the adapter elements to allow a relative displacement of the adapter elements. Thus, the locking arrangement acts like a child safety. Exclusively with two independent forces acting on the adapter device, eg. Press + rotate, press + push, press + drag, the adapter elements can be moved in the open position. An undesirable mixing of the container contents is at least effectively prevented.

According to the invention, the locking arrangement fixes the adapter elements in the first closed position in a form-fitting manner. Without external force the adapter elements are so fixed to each other.

According to the invention, one of the adapter elements has at least one elastically deformable locking projection, which in the first closed position in each case engages positively in an associated recess of the other adapter element. Only under the action of force on the locking projection does this deform elastically, so that it no longer engages in the associated recess. In this way, the adapter elements are released for relative movement.

According to an advantageous embodiment of the adapter device, each adapter element in each case has a fastening section for the releasable attachment of a, preferably bottle-shaped, container. This allows the individual adapter elements to be designed and manufactured independently of the containers. In particular, such adapter elements can be combined with different container shapes. Preferably, the attachment portion is designed as a threaded portion. Alternatively, however, Rastverbindungs- or comparable acting fastening sections are conceivable.

According to a useful embodiment of the adapter device, the adapter elements in the second open position form a flow passage, which in the case of coupled containers with each other aligned and thereby the interior of the first container with the interior of the second container connect. The fluid connection of the container via the intermediate adapter device thus allows only the mixing of the container contents.

To improve the sealing effect of the adapter device is provided that in the first closed position, one end of a flow passage is releasably closed by means of a plug. Such an improved sealing effect is particularly significant in chemically highly reactive or health hazardous container contents.

A further developed embodiment of the adapter device provides at one of the adapter elements for a plug associated with the mandrel-like survey to remove the plug in transition to the second open position due to relative movement of the adapter elements from the flow passage. More specifically, during the movement of the adapter element, the plug is pressed out of its closure position by its thorn-like elevation, so that the flow passage is opened.

According to a preferred embodiment variant, the adapter device according to the invention for mixing a stored in the first container solid-like bulk material is used with a stored in the second container liquid or viscous substance accordingly. In particular, the described adapter device is used for mixing a first solids-like and bulkable hair treatment component stored in the first container with a second liquid hair treatment component stored in the second container. Alternatively, of course, other fluid preparations and fluid consistencies in the sense of the invention are also conceivable.

Further inventive features will be explained below with reference to the embodiment shown in FIGS.

Fig. 1-4

in mehreren Ansichten den Vorgang der Kopplung zweier Behälter mittels der erfindungsgemäßen Adaptervorrichtung sowie der anschließenden Mischung der Behälterinhalte.

Show it:

Fig. 1-4

in several views the process of coupling two containers by means of the adapter device according to the invention and the subsequent mixing of the container contents.

That in the Figures 1-4 embodiment shown shows a system with two containers 10, 20, which can be coupled to each other via an adapter device 1. Such systems are used for storing and mixing of two- or multi-component preparations, wherein the preparation components are stored separately until the actual use. This is often because the preparation components to be mixed are incompatible with each other and thus generally lose the desired property or effectiveness in premature mixing. Therefore, the aim in the handling of such preparations, the individual components as late as possible, ie usually only immediately before use to mix and then to use. The preparation components are fluids according to the invention in the sense already defined above.

The present embodiment shows a system with two containers 10, 20 and an adapter device 1 for a two-component hair treatment agent, in particular a hair dye. Such, especially oxidative hair dyes usually comprise on the one hand a developer component and on the other hand a hair dyeing component. These individual components are stored separately in separate containers 10, 20 until use. The individual components are usually in flowable consistency, d. H. liquid or correspondingly viscous, or free-flowing, d. H. for example, powdered, granular or in a comparable form provided. Due to the flowable or pourable consistency, the individual components can be mixed very well. In addition, bottle-shaped containers 10, 20 are particularly suitable, since they ensure user-friendly handling. However, in the context of the invention, other container designs are also conceivable.

The adapter device 1 essentially comprises a first adapter element 2, which can be fastened to the first container 10, and a second adapter element 6, which is releasably attachable to the second container 20. In the present case, the first adapter element 2 is fastened by means of a collar-shaped fastening section 3 via a latching connection to the associated bottle-neck-shaped fastening section 11 of the container 10. Alternatively, a threaded connection or a kind of acting connection between the first adapter element 2 and the first container 10 would be useful. Before the first adapter element 2 is attached to the first container 10, it is usually filled with the corresponding first preparation component 12. For the described embodiment, the first preparation component 12 is a granular hair dyeing component 12, ie a solids-like bulk material 12. Analogously, however, other fluids within the meaning of the invention are also possible as contents of the first container 10. Not only the first adapter element 10 but rather the entire adapter device 1 is preassembled on the first container 10 via the locking connection shown. In this way, the filled first container 10, as in FIG. 1 illustrates, together with the adapter device 1, a preassembled module, which can be handled particularly advantageous.

To improve the sealing function of the first container 10, the interior of the first container 10 is closed by means of a plug 30. This measure is particularly useful when the content of the first container 10 is chemically highly reactive or harmful to health. In detail, the plug 30 is positively or possibly positively inserted into a flow passage 4 of the first adapter element 2, whereby the first adapter element 2 together with the stopper 30 reliably closes an outlet opening 13 on the first container 10.

The second adapter element 6 is fixed relative to the first adapter element 2 movable on this. That is, the second adapter element 6 is indeed secured captive on the first adapter element 2, but can be moved under force against this. In addition, the second adapter element 6 also has a fastening section 7, in the form of an internal thread 7, which serves for the releasable fastening of a corresponding bottle-neck-shaped fastening section 21 of the second container 20. For this purpose, at the associated bottle neck attachment portion 21 a corresponding external thread formed. On the inside, the second adapter element 6 has a tubular flow passage 8, which terminates at one end, which faces the first adapter element 2 or the first container, with a thorn-like elevation 9. The thorn-like elevation 9 is thus in the first closed position of the adapter device 1 immediately adjacent to the sealing plug 30 of the first adapter element 2. In addition, the thorn-like elevation 9 has lateral openings 16, which starting from the environment of the elevation 9, a fluid connection to the tubular, form inside flow passage 8.

On the outside, the second adapter element 6 has a sleeve section 17, which surrounds the first adapter element 2 and at the same time forms the movable connection thereto. In detail, the first 2 on the second adapter element 6 is movable, in the present case translationally displaceable set. For this purpose, the first adapter element 2 has a sleeve portion 5 which is slidably mounted on the associated sleeve portion 17 of the second adapter element 6. In order to prevent undesired opening of the initially closed adapter device 1, it comprises at least one locking device 14 which fixes the two adapter elements 2, 6 in the first closed adapter position in a form-fitting manner. In this case, the locking device 14 consists essentially of an elastically deformable locking projection 15 on an adapter element which engages positively in the closed adapter position in an associated recess 18 of the other adapter element. For the present embodiment of the adapter device 1 according to the Figures 1-4 two Verrieglungsvorrichtungen 14 are provided which are distributed uniformly over the circumference of the adapter device 1. In the present embodiment, the locking projections 15 are integrally formed on the first adapter elements 2, while the associated recesses 18 are formed on the second adapter elements 6. Of course, a reverse arrangement is also according to the invention. Basically, the locking devices 14 ensure that the closed in the initial state adapter device 1 is not opened unintentionally. As a result, in the case of containers 10, 20 which are already coupled to one another by means of the adapter device 1, the undesired mixing of the container contents is effectively avoided. In this case, the locking devices 14 act on the principle of child safety, for example, as in known container closures with parental control functionality. The locking devices 14 of the adapter device 1 can be solved only under two independent forces acting on the two adapter elements 2, 6.

The exact operation of the adapter device 1 with locking devices 14 will now be directly on the basis of Figures 1-4 explained. This illustrate the Figures 1-4 the individual steps during the coupling of two containers 10, 20 by means of the adapter device according to the invention with subsequent mixing of the container contents.

FIG. 1 shows the initial state of the multicomponent hair dyeing product with two containers 10, 20 and the adapter device 1 immediately before the coupling, ie at the time immediately before the actual application of the multi-component hair dyeing preparation at the user. It is the with a solids-like bulk material 12 (ie, the hair color component), such as a powder or

Granules, filled first container 10 by means of the adapter device 1 with plug 30 sealed. The first container 10 forms together with the attached adapter device 1 an independently manageable assembly. The filled with a second liquid developer preparation second container 20 is in the salable original state, first with a corresponding cap, not shown, sealed. Within FIG. 1 However, the second container 20 is already without this cap, ie open, shown.

In the second step according to FIG. 2 the two containers 10, 20 are coupled to one another via the adapter device 1. For this purpose, the second container 20 with its threaded portion 21 at the bottleneck in the direction of arrow 22 on the corresponding internal threaded portion 7 of the second adapter element 6 is releasably screwed. Following the two containers 10, 20 are coupled via the adapter device 1 to each other. However, the adapter device 1 is still in the first closed position, so that the container contents are still separated from each other.

To open the adapter device 1, the effective between the two adapter elements 2, 6 locking devices 14 must be solved, as in FIG. 3 is shown. This requires two independent forces acting on the two adapter elements 2, 6 or the containers 10, 20. The differently directed force effects 25, 26 are within FIG. 3 represented by arrows 25, 26. In a first substep, a force 25 directed radially relative to the substantially cylindrical shape of the adapter device 1 is applied to the elastically deformable locking projections 15. As a result of this radial force 25, the locking projections 15 are each pressed elastically inwards and thus dip into the associated recess 18 on the second adapter element 6 a. Thereby, the locking of the adapter elements 2, 6 is released, so that the adapter elements 2, 6 can be moved to each other, in the present embodiment, especially axially. However, the two adapter elements 2, 6 after solving the locking devices 14 only by combining both forces 25, 26 in a second step as a result of additional axial force 26 on the adapter elements 2, 6 or container 10, 20 are moved axially to each other. In detail, the two adapter element 2, 6 are pushed axially together in the present embodiment. In principle, other relative movements are conceivable between the two adapter elements 2, 6, in order to transfer the adapter device 1 from the first closed position to the second open position. For example, the adapter elements 2, 6 can also be pulled apart axially after the locking devices 14 have been released, or they can be rotated relative to one another in the circumferential direction. Also by these alternative types of movement, it is possible to release the flow passages 4, 8 of the two adapter elements 2, 6 for fluid flow.

FIG. 4 Finally, the container 10, 20 of the hair dyeing product coupled in the open position of the adapter device 1 is coupled via the adapter device 1. Basically, by sliding the two adapter elements 2, 6 together after releasing the locking device 14, the elastically deformed locking projections 15 are respectively inserted into the sleeve section 17 of the second adapter element 6 pushed. In addition, the mandrel-like elevation 9 presses axially due to the axial displacement of the adapter elements 2, 6 against the sealing plug 30. Within the FIG. 4 moves the elevation 9 up against the sealing plug 30 and pushes it out of his seat at the end of the first flow passage 4. The further axial movement of the elevation 9, ie in FIG. 4 upward, causes an overlap of the lateral elevation openings 16 with the outlet opening 13 of the first container 10. The individual lateral openings 16 in the elevation 9 are, however, so dimensioned above all in terms of the axial dimensions that an overlap of the side openings 16 with the outlet opening 13 occurs only with strong immersion of the survey 9 in the first container 10. For example, the lateral openings 16 may be dimensioned such that, even when the sealing plug 30 is pushed out, an overlap with the outlet opening 13 is not yet reached directly. Only after further axial displacement and clear axial immersion of the elevation 9 in the first container 10 thus the fluid connection would be created by appropriate coverage. In this way, the access of the first flow passage 4 to the interior of the first container 10 is ultimately opened. The free-flowing hair color component 12 contained in the first container 10 can initially enter the first flow passage 4 via the side openings 16 and then "flow" into the second flow passage 8 aligned therewith. From there, there is a free fluid connection to the interior of the second container 20, so that the hair color component 12 also enters the second container 20. In the interior of the second container 20, the solid-like hair color component 12 is then finally mixed without problems with the liquid developer component stored in the second container 20. The resulting multicomponent hair color mixture can then be used immediately afterwards. For this purpose, only the second container 20 is released again from the adapter device 1, so that the finished hair color mixture can be discharged via the resulting opening 23 in the second container 20.

In principle, the two adapter elements 2, 6 are reversibly movable relative to one another, so that the adapter device 1 can also be effortlessly transferred from the second opened position back to the first closed position. In this respect, it is also conceivable to provide only a part of the first container contents for a subsequent use. In addition, this offers the possibility of varying the mixing ratio in multi-component mixtures as required.

Within the in the Figures 1-4 shown embodiment, each bottle-shaped container designs are shown. In general, however, any other container sizes or configurations are also conceivable within the scope of the teaching according to the invention.

Claims (6)

1. An adapter-like device (1) for coupling two containers (10, 20) so as to allow fluids (12) separately stored in said containers to be mixed, comprising two adapter elements (2, 6) that can move relative to one another, a first adapter element (2) of which can be fastened to a first container (10) and a second adapter element (6) of which can be releasably fastened to a second container (20), the adapter-like device (1) being reversibly movable between a first, closed position in which the fluids stored in the containers (10, 20), with the containers (10, 20) being coupled to one another, are separated from one another, and a second, open position in which the fluids stored in the containers (10, 20), with the containers (10, 20) being coupled to one another, are in fluid communication, by the two adapter elements (2, 6) moving relative to one another, characterized in that the device comprises a locking arrangement (14), which

   - positively fixes the adapter elements (2, 6) in the first, closed position and thus secures them against undesirable movement relative to one another, one of the adapter elements (2) comprising at least one elastically deformable locking projection (15) which, in the first, closed position, positively engages in an associated recess (18) in the other adapter element (6),

   - can be released by means of two independent applications of force (25, 26) to the adapter elements (2, 6), in order to allow relative displacement of the adapter elements (2, 6), the first application of force (25) being directed radially on the locking projections (15) and the second application of force (26) being directed axially on the adapter elements (2, 6),
   a first, solid-like and free-flowing (12) hair treatment component being stored in the first container (10) and a second, liquid hair treatment component being stored in the second container (20) in order to mix the two hair treatment components (12) in the second container (20).
2. The adapter-like device (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that each adapter element (2, 6) comprises a fastening portion (3, 7) for releasably fastening a preferably bottle-shaped container (10, 20).
3. The adapter-like device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that, in the second, open position, the adapter elements (2, 6) form a flow passage (4, 8) which connects the interior of the first container (10) to the interior of the second container (20) when the containers (10, 20) are coupled.
4. The adapter-like device (1) according to claim 3, characterized in that, in the first, closed position, one end of the flow passage (4) is releasably closed by a stopper (30).
5. The adapter-like device (1) according to claim 4, characterized in that one of the adapter elements (6) comprises a spike-like raised portion (9) associated with the stopper (30) in order to remove the stopper (30) from the flow passage (4) when said device is moved into the second, open position as a result of the relative movement of the adapter elements (2, 6).
6. The use of an adapter-like device (1) according to one of the preceding claims for mixing a first, solid-like and free-flowing (12) hair treatment component stored in a first container (10) with a second, liquid hair treatment component stored in a second container (20) inside the second container (20).

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