EP2703090B1 - Vial for dispensing a fluid product - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to a dispensing bottle of a fluid product, in particular a liquid product, for example a cosmetic care, make-up or perfume product, or a pharmaceutical product.

The document DE2556973 discloses a dispensing bottle according to the preamble of claim 1.

The dispensing bottle includes a body in which a product conditioning tank is formed, as well as a device for removing the packaged product which is sealingly mounted in said body. In particular, the sampling device may comprise a manually operated pump which is fed with conditioned product, said pump being arranged to distribute the product under pressure, for example in the form of an aerosol.

In an exemplary application, the bottles according to the invention allow the distribution of product samples, in particular for a volume of packaged product in the reservoir which is between 1 and 10 ml. In particular, the samples thus distributed can allow a customer to test the product, the bottles then being called sample vials. Alternatively, the bottles can be called "bag" in that they can easily transport a reduced volume of product, as opposed to bottles of higher capacity which are usually heavy and bulky because affluent. In these applications, for example for logistical, practical or environmental recycling reasons, it may be desirable to be able to recharge the reservoir product from a source of said product. Indeed, it is impractical for a user to fill the tank with a small funnel and unecological to discard an empty bottle to replace it with a full constituent refill.

Dispensing bottles are already offered for sale, in which the body is equipped with a tank filling valve which is arranged to allow the communication of a product source with said reservoir. In particular, the valve can be opened by pressing on the outlet tube of the pump a source bottle that must be actuated several times to achieve the filling of the reservoir by injection of the source product, which is a little intuitive gesture for the user.

The filling valve may comprise a rigid cap sealingly mounted in the body of the bottle for placing an internal housing of said cap in communication with the reservoir via a downstream passage. In particular, the inner housing may be equipped with a displaceable nozzle or a deformable valve between a stable state of sealing of the tank and a constrained state of filling said tank.

We also know, especially from the document FR-2,854,131 emptying a tank by means of a dispensing pump without air intake so as to create a vacuum in said tank, said depression allowing filling of said tank by suction of the source product.

The document EP-2,441,344 proposes dispensing vials whose reservoir is empty of product and has an air depression which is arranged to be able to subsequently perform the initial filling of the reservoir product by sealed communication of a source of product with said reservoir by the intermediate of a valve so that said depression induces the filling of said reservoir by suction of the product contained in said source.

However, the valves according to the prior art are not entirely satisfactory, especially with respect to the seal through it, which is even more penalizing when the filling must be performed by suction of the source product since then arises the problem of the conservation over time of a vacuum of sufficient air to ensure satisfactory filling of the tank.

In addition, the valves according to the prior art are not compatible with the different configurations of commercial outlet tubes, which limits the filling possibilities of a dispensing bottle equipped with such a valve.

The invention aims to improve the prior art by providing in particular a dispensing bottle equipped with a filling valve whose reliability is improved, especially with respect to its tightness under vacuum of air in the tank.

For this purpose, the invention proposes a dispensing bottle of a fluid product comprising a body in which a reservoir for packaging said product is formed, said bottle further comprising a device for sampling said packaged product which is mounted in a sealed manner in said body, said body being further equipped with a filling valve of said reservoir which is arranged to allow the communication of an outlet tube of a product source with said reservoir, the valve comprising a rigid cap having an inner housing in which a deformable valve is mounted, said cap being sealingly mounted in said body to put the inner housing in communication with the reservoir via a downstream passage, said inner housing having a structure equipped with an intermediate passage formed between an upstream opening and a downstream opening, the deformable valve having a cork equipped with an upstream passage formed between a lower receiving surface of the outlet tube and an upper surface which is surmounted by a sealing lip, said valve being arranged to have a stable state in which the occult sealing lip of sealing the downstream opening and a state constrained by axial support of the outlet tube on the lower seat in which the seat is compressed by axial compression of the upper bearing on the structure allowing communication between the upstream passage and the upstream opening said compression inducing detachment of said lip to open the communication between the downstream opening and the downstream passage to allow the filling of the reservoir by sealing communication of the outlet tube with the reservoir through the passages.

• la figure 1 est une vue en coupe longitudinale d'un flacon de distribution selon l'invention qui est représenté en état de stockage, les figures 1a à 1c étant des vues agrandies des zones respectivement A, B et C de la figure 1 ;
• la figure 2 est une vue en coupe longitudinale du flacon de la figure 1 montrant le remplissage du réservoir au moyen d'une source de produit, la figure 2a étant une vue agrandie de la zone A de la figure 2 ;
• la figure 3 est une vue en coupe longitudinale du flacon de la figure 1 qui est représenté en état d'utilisation ;
• les figures 4 à 6 sont des vues des composants de la soupape de remplissage du flacon de la figure 1, montrant respectivement le chapeau en perspective de dessous (figure 4), le clapet déformable en coupe longitudinale (figure 5) et l'armature du clapet déformable en perspective de dessus (figure 6).

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear in the description which follows, made with reference to the appended figures, in which:

• the figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of a dispensing bottle according to the invention which is shown in the storage state, the Figures 1a to 1c being enlarged views of the areas A, B and C respectively of the figure 1 ;
• the figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the bottle of the figure 1 showing the filling of the tank by means of a source of product, the figure 2a being an enlarged view of area A of the figure 2 ;
• the figure 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of the bottle of the figure 1 which is shown in use state;
• the Figures 4 to 6 are views of the components of the bottle filling valve of the figure 1 , respectively showing the hat in perspective from below ( figure 4 ), the deformable valve in longitudinal section ( figure 5 ) and the armature of the deformable valve in perspective from above ( figure 6 ).

In the description, the spatial positioning terms are taken with reference to the position of the bottle shown in the figures.

In connection with the figures, there is described below a bottle for containing a fluid for distribution. In particular examples, the product may be liquid, in particular a cosmetic care, make-up or perfume product, or a pharmaceutical product.

The bottle comprises a body 1 in which a container 2 for packaging the product is formed. According to a particular application, the tank 2 may have a capacity of between 1 and 10 ml so as to allow the distribution of product samples.

In the embodiments shown, the body 1 is rigid, in particular having sufficient rigidity so that the volume of the reservoir 2 remains substantially constant, even if the internal pressure varies. Body 1 can be monobloc, for example by injection blow molding or extrusion blow molding, or in several injected parts then assembled, for example by ultrasonic welding, or laser, or rotary friction, rigid plastic material, metal, for example in aluminum, or glass.

The vial comprises a device for collecting the packaged product which is sealingly mounted in the body 1. In particular, the sampling device is equipped with a pushbutton 3 which is provided with a dispensing orifice 4 of said product, said push button being reversibly movable over an actuating stroke of said device between a rest position and a depressed position in which the dispensing orifice 4 is in communication with the reservoir 2 via said device.

In the embodiment shown, the sampling device comprises a dispensing pump 5 manually operated by means of a push button 3 which is fed with the product under pressure for distribution.

The pump 5 comprises means for supplying the conditioned product which, in the figures, comprises a dip tube 6 disposed in the tank 2, said tube being equipped with a valve 7 for entering the product into the pump 5. The button Pusher 3 is mounted on the nozzle 8 of the pump 3 by putting the dispensing orifice 4 in communication with an outlet channel 9 of said nozzle.

The pump 5 also comprises a casing 10 in which a piston 11 mounted around the nozzle 8 is arranged to delimit a metering chamber 12 in said casing, said nozzle being reversibly displaceable over a distribution stroke - suction respectively - in which the piston 11 opens - respectively closes - the communication between the outlet channel 9 and the metering chamber 12.

The push button 3 comprises an upper zone 3a allowing the user to exert a digital support on said push button in order to be able to move the nozzle 8 on its dispensing stroke to a depressed position of said push button, the return of the push button 3 in the rest position on the suction stroke of the nozzle 8 being conventionally realized by a spring 13.

In the embodiment shown, the push button 3 is equipped with a spray nozzle 14 which is arranged to radially distribute an aerosol of the product through the dispensing orifice 4. However, the invention is not limited. to a particular mode of distribution of the product. In particular, especially for a nasal spraying nozzle, the push button 3 may allow axial distribution of the product and another type of sampling device may be envisaged.

The body 1 of the bottle is equipped with a valve 15 for filling the reservoir 2 which is arranged to allow the communication of a source of product 16 with said reservoir. In relation to the figure 2 the product source 16 comprises a source reservoir on which an outlet tube 17 is arranged, the product filling of the reservoir 2 being carried out by mounting said tube in tight abutment on the valve 15 which is arranged to open reversibly .

In particular, it is possible to use as a product source 16 a nipple of higher capacity, said vial being equipped with a pump 18 whose push button is removed to allow the nozzle 17 to be placed in sealed abutment on the valve 15. Indeed, in addition to the opening of the valve 15, the sealed support causes the opening of the pump 18 to allow the passage of the filling product through it.

In another embodiment, the source reservoir 16 is formed inside a flexible bag which can be filled with product without air or gas for the proper preservation of said product. The transfer of the product into the tank is then possible in all positions and the flexible bag can not be diverted from its source role since without propellant or pressure internal, or push button for actuating a possible pump or valve associated with the outlet tube 17.

According to one embodiment, the tank 2 has an air vacuum which is arranged to be able to fill said product tank by sealing the product source 16 with said tank via the valve 15 so that said depression induces the filling of said reservoir by suction of the product contained in said source. In particular, the air depression can be of the order of -980 hPa.

The tank 2 may be empty of product and have an initial air depression which is used to make the first filling of said tank product. The sampling device 5 can then be of the type without air intake to allow subsequent refilling or with air intake to limit the use of the vial to a single filling. In the embodiment shown, the pump 5 is a model with air intake and therefore has a vent hole 19 which is arranged to compensate for the volume of product taken from the tank 2 by air.

In particular, the initial air depression can be achieved by placing the empty container 2 of product in communication with an air suction device. For this purpose, it is possible, for example, to use an air suction device which comprises a vacuum bell in which the dispensing bottle is placed, the sealed assembly of the sampling device 5 in the body 1 being made after activation of said Bell. Thus, the depression is formed in the reservoir 2 and the sampling device 5 is mounted sealingly to maintain said depression.

It is also possible to use an air suction device comprising a vacuum pump, said suction device being placed in sealed communication with the valve 15, after sealing of the sampling device 5 in the body 1, sucking the air from the tank 2 through said valve.

The valve 15 comprises a rigid cap 20 having an inner housing 21 in which a deformable valve 22 is mounted, said cap being sealingly mounted in the body 1 to put the inner housing 21 in communication with the reservoir 2 via a downstream passage 23.

The inner housing 21 has a structure 24 equipped with an intermediate passage 25 formed between an upstream opening 25a and a downstream opening 25b, the deformable valve 22 having a seat 26 which is equipped with an upstream passage 27 formed between a lower bearing 28 receiving the outlet tube 17 of the product source 16 and an upper bearing surface 29 which is surmounted by a sealing lip 30.

In addition, the valve 15 is arranged to have a stable state, in which the sealing lip 30 sealingly conceals the downstream opening 25b, and a state constrained by axial support of the outlet tube 17 on the lower bearing surface 29, in which the seat 26 is compressed by axial compression of the upper bearing surface 29 on the structure 24 allowing communication between the upstream passage 27 and the upstream opening 25a, said compression inducing a detachment of said lip to open the communication between the downstream opening 25b and the downstream passage 23.

Thus, the filling of the tank 2 is achieved by simply pressing the outlet tube 17 to seal said outlet tube with the tank 2 through the passages 27, 25, 23, the withdrawal of said output tube inducing the return of the valve 15 in a stable state by making the sealing more reliable through it by concealing the downstream opening 25b.

Advantageously, the seal is made reliable by providing that the sealing lip 30 is connected to the seat 26 so that compression - respectively axial extension - of said seat between its upper 29 and lower 28 surfaces induces a detachment respectively a radial plating of said lip on the downstream opening 25b.

In particular, the lower 28 and upper 29 bearing surfaces are annular and extend radially around the upstream passage 27 being axially spaced, the lip 30 also being annular and extending radially around said upper bearing surface being connected thereto by the intermediate of a pan 31 which is inclined outwards. Thus, when the upper span 29 is compressed on the structure 24, the inclination of the pan 31 facilitates the radial detachment of the lip 30.

Furthermore, the air depression formed in the tank 2 tends to sealing plating of the sealing lip 30 on the downstream opening 25b in order to make the preservation of said depression more reliable. In addition, to improve the sealing of the valve 15, prevent its pollution by foreign bodies coming from outside and be a first-use indicator, said valve can be reversibly covered by a sealing cap 32 that The user removes or tears when he wishes to fill the reservoir 2. In particular, the seal 32 may be welded under the cap 20, said cap being itself welded in the body 1 to seal the mounting of the valve In said body.

Advantageously, the valve 22 may comprise an armature 33 on which is associated, in particular by overmolding to facilitate the assembly of the valve 15, an element 22a of elastically deformable material. The seat 26 is formed on the element 22a, the armature 33 comprising a peripheral wall 34 of association with the cap 20 and a plate 35 disposed between the upper 29 and lower 28 bearing surfaces having an orifice 36 through which the upstream passage 27 extends.

In particular, the plate 35 extends radially and is connected to the peripheral wall 34 by at least one arm 37 allowing axial displacement of said plate within said peripheral wall. Thus, in a stable state, the arms 37 can exert a plating force of the sealing lip 30 on the downstream opening 25b in order to make the conferred sealing more reliable.

In addition, the plate 35 ensures the uniform distribution of the force exerted by the outlet tube 17 during the filling operation, whatever the diameter and the centering of said tube.

In the embodiment shown, the structure comprises a stud 24 having a peripheral wall delimited between an inner surface 24a, an outer surface 24b and a free lower edge 24c, the intermediate passage 25 comprising at least one duct formed recessed in said wall with the upstream opening 25a - respectively downstream 25b, opening into the inner surface 24a - respectively outer 24b.

In particular, the upstream passage 25a of each conduit 25 opens into the stud of the structure 24, the upper span 29 being arranged facing the lower edge 24c to be crushed on it in the stressed state and the sealing lip 30 to the stable state is in waterproof support on the outer surface 24b.

In relation to the figure 4 , the intermediate passage comprises four ducts 25 angularly spaced about 90 °, said ducts opening into the lower edge 24c of the stud 24. In addition, the ducts 25 are inclined downwards between their upstream opening 25a and downstream 25b, said opening downstream being obscured by the base of the pan 31 in order to make the conferred sealing more reliable. Furthermore, the downstream passage 23 comprises four orifices which are arranged facing respectively a conduit 25.

In relation to figures 1 and 2 an upper wall 40 is integrated into the body 1 by means of a sealing means 41 which can be manually destroyed, the sampling device 5 being mounted in said body with the push button 3 held in a depressed position on said wall upper so as to put said connecting means in communication with the reservoir 2. Advantageously, the holding in the depressed position is achieved by placing in axial bearing the upper zone 3a under the upper wall 40. Thus, during the storage of the bottle, the tightness of the air depression of the tank 2 is not achieved at the sampling device 5 which is kept in the open position, but by the integration of the upper wall 40 to body 1, said integration can be easily arranged to retain in time said air depression, in particular without requiring modification of the sampling device 5.

Then, the user can fill the tank 2 by suction ( figures 2 ) and then breaking the connecting means 41 to release the push button 3 which is then placed in the rest position corresponding to the state of use of the bottle ( figure 3 ). Alternatively, the connecting means 41 can be broken before filling the tank 2.

In the embodiment shown, the body 1 has an upper opening 1a which is obscured by the upper wall 40 and a lower opening 1b in which the cap 20 of the filling valve 15 is sealingly mounted, so in particular to fill the tank 2 by the bottom of the bottle, which corresponds to an intuitive gesture.

In addition, the sampling device 5 is mounted in the body 1 via a bushing 42, said bushing comprising a bore 43 in which the housing 10 is fixed and an outer ring 44 in sealing engagement on the inside of said body. In particular, the sampling device 5 equipped with the sleeve 42 is introduced into the lower opening 1b and then translated into the body 1 until the push button 3 is pushed into the depressed position by pressing the upper zone 3a under the upper wall. 40.

To make reliable the maintenance of the push button 3 in the depressed position, the inside of the body 1 has a radial groove 45 on which the outer ring 44 bears axially at the end of the mounting of the sampling device 5 in said body ( figure 1b ).

Furthermore, the inside of the body 1 has at least one axial groove 46 for venting allowing air to escape during sliding assembly of the sleeve 42 in the body 1 ( figure 1a ). In addition, to facilitate the escape of air, the interior of the body 1 may have a conical geometry that converges upwards.

In the embodiment shown, the body comprises a thinned area 41 which is disposed under the upper wall 40 to form the sealing means. In particular, the thinned zone 41 extends over the entire periphery of the upper opening 1a of the body 1 in order to be able to separate the upper wall 40 of said body after destruction of said zone.

Furthermore, the upper wall 40 is surrounded by a skirt 47, the thinned area 41 of the sealing connection means being formed under said skirt. In relation with the figures, the upper wall 40 and the skirt 47 thus form a cover which, when connected to the body 1 by the sealing connection means 41, delimits an internal space in which the pushbutton 3 is placed in position. pressed.

In particular, the internal space is in communication with the reservoir 2 since, in the depressed position of the push button 3, the outlet channel 9 of the nozzle 8 and thus the dispensing orifice 4 opening into said internal space is in communication with the tank 2 via the metering chamber 14. In addition, the internal space is in communication with the tank 2 via the vent hole 19.

Moreover, to encourage the user to grasp the skirt 47 to destroy the sealing means 41, said skirt may have an outer surface provided with ridges 48, said grooves further making it easier for said user to grip said skirt for rotate it and / or lift it, so as to break the thinned area 41 to release the push button 3.

Claims (13)

1. Bottle for dispensing a fluid product comprising a body (1) in which a container (2) intended for packaging said product is formed, said bottle further comprising a device (5) for taking off said packaged product that is mounted sealingly in said body, said body further being equipped with a valve (15) for filling said container that is arranged so as to put an outlet tube (17) of a product source (16) in communication with said container, the valve (15) comprising a rigid cover (20) having an internal housing (21) in which a deformable shutter (22) is mounted, said cover being mounted sealingly in said body in order to put the internal housing (21) in communication with the container (2) by means of a downstream passage (23), said internal housing having a structure (24) equipped with an intermediate passage (25) formed between an upstream opening (25a) and a downstream opening (25b), said bottle being characterised in that the deformable shutter (22) has a seat (26) equipped with an upstream passage (27) formed between a lower span (28) for receiving the outlet tube (17) and an upper span (29) that is surmounted by a sealing lip (30), said valve being arranged so as to have a stable state in which the sealing lip (30) sealingly closes off the downstream opening (25b) and a state constrained by axial abutment of the outlet tube (17) on the lower span (28) in which the seat (26) is compressed by axial crushing of the upper span (29) on the structure (24) while allowing communication between the upstream passage (27) and the upstream opening (25a), said compression causing a detachment of said lip in order to open communication between the downstream opening (25b) and the downstream passage (23) in order to allow filling of the reservoir (2) by putting the outlet tube (17) in sealed communication with the container by means of the passages (27, 25, 23).
2. Dispensing bottle according to claim 1, characterised in that the structure comprises a stud (24) having a peripheral wall delimited between an internal surface (24a), an external surface (24b) and a free bottom edge (24c), the intermediate passage (25) comprising at least one conduit formed in a hollow in said wall with the upstream opening (25a) - or respectively the downstream opening (25b) - emerging in the internal surface (24a) - or respectively the external surface (24b).
3. Dispensing bottle according to claim 2, characterised in that the conduit (25) emerges in the bottom edge (24c).
4. Dispensing bottle according to claim 2 or claim 3, characterised in that the upstream passage (27) emerges in the stud (24), the upper span (29) being disposed opposite the bottom edge (24c) so as to be crushed on it in the constrained state and the lip (30) in the stable state being in sealed abutment on the external surface (24b).
5. Dispensing bottle according to any of claims 1 to 4, characterised in that the sealing lip (30) is connected to the seat (26) so that the axial compression - or respectively extension - of said seat between its upper (29) and lower (28) spans causes a radial detachment - or respectively pressing - of said lip on the downstream opening (25b).
6. Dispensing bottle according to claim 5, characterised in that the lower (28) and upper (29) spans extend radially around the upstream passage (27) while being spaced apart axially, the lip (30) extending radially around said upper span while being connected thereto by means of an outwardly inclined surface (31).
7. Dispensing bottle according to any of claims 1 to 6, characterised in that the shutter (22) comprises a frame (33) on which there is associated an element (22a) made from elastically deformable material on which the seat (26) is formed, said frame comprising a peripheral wall (34) for association with the cover (20) and a plate (35) disposed between the upper (29) and lower (28) spans while having an orifice (36) through which the upstream passage (27) extends.
8. Dispensing bottle according to claim 7, characterised in that the plate (35) extends radially and is connected to the peripheral wall (34) by at least one arm (37) allowing an elastic axial movement of said plate inside said peripheral wall.
9. Dispensing bottle according to any of claims 1 to 8, characterised in that the taking-off device (5) is of the type without take-up of air in the packaging container (2) in compensation for the volume of product dispensed.
10. Dispensing bottle according to any of claims 1 to 9, characterised in that the filling valve (15) is reversibly covered by a sealing cap (32).
11. Dispensing bottle according to any of claims 1 to 10, characterised in that the body (1) has a lower opening (1 b) in which the cover (20) is mounted sealingly.
12. Dispensing bottle according to any of claims 1 to 11, characterised in that the container (2) has a negative air pressure that is arranged so as to be able to effect the filling with product by suction of the product contained in the product source (16).
13. Dispensing bottle according to claim 12, characterised in that, the taking-off device (5) being equipped with a push button (3) that is provided with an orifice (4) for dispensing the product, said push button being reversibly movable over an actuating path for said device between an idle position and a pressed-in position in which the dispensing orifice (4) is in communication with the container (2) by means of said device, a top wall (40) being integrated in the body (1) by means of a sealed connection means (41) that can be destroyed manually, said taking-off device being mounted in said body with the push button (3) held in the pressed-in position on said top wall so as to put said connection means in communication with said container.

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