EP2714544B1 - Dispenser - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to a dispenser according to the preamble of claim 1.

A corresponding donor is also known as a tube dispenser in connection with toothpaste, however, the invention is not limited thereto, but also applicable to other viscous products or products to be dosed with a dispenser.

In the following, however, an example of a tube dispenser for toothpaste should be assumed.

The dispenser has a usually circular-cylindrical or oval-cylindrical container, at the upper end of which a pump-like removal device is formed. In the interior of the container, which forms a product space, the toothpaste is received and at the lower end of the container in this an axially displaceable closure piston is inserted. On the side facing away from the product space of the closure piston sits a spreading spring, which is connected to the closing piston and is supported on the inner wall of the container or is in engagement with this inner wall.

The toothpaste is conveyed out by displacement and with or after deactivation of the removal device, a negative pressure is generated in the product space, as a result of which the closure piston is axially displaced by a small amount in the container is shifted until the volume of the product space has decreased so far that a pressure equalization has taken place.

The spreading spring has the task, a displacement of the closure piston in the opposite direction, i. to prevent towards the lower end of the container. When the closure piston is displaced due to the negative pressure prevailing in the product space, it pulls the spreading spring with it, which then briefly comes out of or in less engagement with the inner wall of the container. As soon as the piston has changed its movement, the spreading spring restores itself to the inner wall of the container due to its inherent elasticity.

The spreading spring is formed by a metal part, which must be prefabricated and then attached to the usually made of plastic sealing piston. This procedure is complex and costly.

In addition, there is a risk that children or careless users reach into the container from below and injure themselves on the spreading spring arranged there. For this reason, a cover is usually provided, with which the container is closed at its lower end. The manufacture and retrofitting of this cover increases the cost of the donor again.

From the generic DE 37 16 821 A1 a dispenser with a closure piston is known, which has on its side facing away from the product space a plastic spreading spring in the form of a central part and molded thereon, distributed over the circumference of the fingers, which engage at its outer end respectively with the inner wall of the dispensing container. The middle part and the fingers are integrally formed, the fingers due their geometry are connected as a cantilevered component hinged to the central part. The clamping force of the spreading spring is determined by the deformability of the fingers.

The invention has for its object to provide a dispenser of the type mentioned, in which the deformability or spring action of the fingers can be determined.

This object is achieved with a dispenser with the features of claim 1. It is provided that the spreading spring consists of plastic and has a central part, from which a plurality of fingers distributed over the circumference extend radially outward. Each finger is pivotally connected at its radially inner end to the central part and engages at its radially outer end with the inner wall of the container, wherein the middle part and the fingers are integrally formed with each other and each finger is connected via a web to the middle part, wherein a recess is formed in the region of the web

The complete design of the spreading spring made of plastic makes it possible to produce this as a cost-effective injection molded part and either subsequently attach to the closure piston and in particular to lock or even to design the closure piston and the spreading spring in one piece. The clamping force of the spreading spring is achieved by the elasticity of the fingers, which in the assembled state under radial prestress with the inner wall of the container in engagement and thereby ensure that the closure piston can move only in a first direction to the removal device, while it moves on in an opposite direction 2 to the lower end of the container the spreading spring is prevented.

The central part may be, for example, a sleeve, a scar or a ring, wherein the fingers are each connected on the outside. According to the invention it is provided that the middle part and the fingers are integrally formed with each other and in particular produced in a single injection molding step.

Each finger is connected via an integrally formed web, which forms a hinge joint, with the middle part. The geometric dimensions of the web, which preferably represents a cross-sectional weakening relative to the cross section of the fingers, determine the deformability of the fingers relative to the central part and also the clamping forces with which the fingers rest against the inner wall of the container.

In the region of the web, a recess is formed which is preferably filled with a filling material acting as a return spring, it being possible for the filling material to be an elastomeric plastic. When the fingers are pivoted relative to the central part, the filling material is compressed and exerts on the fingers as a reaction force a restoring force that can be used for tightening the spreading spring in the container.

In one possible embodiment of the invention, it is provided that the fingers respectively project freely from the central part and thus give the spreading spring a star-shaped form. Alternatively, however, it can also be provided that respectively adjacent fingers are connected to one another via a skin or membrane. This skin or membrane can also be made of an elastomeric plastic and serves a complete coverage.

The fingers abut against the inner wall of the container at their radially outer end. In one possible embodiment of the invention, it is provided that the fingers are held or braced by the frictional forces alone. However, a better power transmission and an improved clamping effect can be achieved if the fingers are formed at their radially outer end either cut-shaped or provided with radially projecting retaining claws.

Fig. 1

einen Vertikalschnitt durch das untere Ende eines Spenders,

Fig. 2

eine Aufsicht auf eine Spreizfeder gemäß einem 1. Ausführungsbeispiel,

Fig. 3

den Schnitt III-III in Figur 2,

Fig. 4

eine Aufsicht auf eine Spreizfeder gemäß einem 2. Ausführungsbeispiel,

Fig. 5

den Schnitt V-V in Figur 4,

Fig. 6

eine Aufsicht auf eine Spreizfeder gemäß einem 3. Ausführungsbeispiel,

Fig. 7

den Schnitt VII-VII in Figur 6,

Fig. 8

das Detail VII in Figur 6,

Fig. 9

eine Aufsicht auf eine Spreizfeder gemäß einem 4. Ausführungsbeispiel,

Fig. 10

den Schnitt X-X in Figur 9,

Fig. 11

das Detail XI in Figur 9,

Fig. 12

eine Aufsicht auf eine Spreizfeder gemäß einem 5. Ausführungsbeispiel und

Fig. 13

den Schnitt XIII-XIII in Fig. 12.

Further details and features of the invention will become apparent from the following description of embodiments with reference to the drawings. Show it:

Fig. 1

a vertical section through the lower end of a donor,

Fig. 2

a plan view of a spreading spring according to a first embodiment,

Fig. 3

the section III-III in FIG. 2 .

Fig. 4

a plan view of a spreading spring according to a second embodiment,

Fig. 5

the cut VV in FIG. 4 .

Fig. 6

a plan view of a spreading spring according to a third embodiment,

Fig. 7

the section VII-VII in FIG. 6 .

Fig. 8

the detail VII in FIG. 6 .

Fig. 9

a plan view of a spreading spring according to a fourth embodiment,

Fig. 10

the section XX in FIG. 9 .

Fig. 11

the detail XI in FIG. 9 .

Fig. 12

a plan view of a spreading spring according to a fifth embodiment and

Fig. 13

the section XIII-XIII in Fig. 12 ,

FIG. 1 shows a section through a dispenser 10 with a circular cylindrical housing 11, in which a product space 14 is formed, for example, for receiving toothpaste. In the container 11 from the lower end of a closure piston 12 is inserted, which bears sealingly against the inner wall 11 a of the container 11 and prevents the product located in the product space 14 can flow down from the container 11.

On the product space 14 facing away from, according to Fig. 1 Lower side of the closure piston 12, a spreading spring 13 is arranged, which has a hub-shaped central part 20, on which an axial, in the longitudinal direction of the container 11 pointing approach 23 is formed, which is inserted into a receptacle 12 a of the closure piston 12 and fixed there. The central portion 23 carries a plurality of distributed over the circumference arranged fingers 15 which extend from the Mitteilteil radially outwardly and obliquely to the lower, the product space 14 opposite end of the container 11 inclined and with its radially outer end under bias on the inner wall 11a abut the container 11 and engage with these.

The FIGS. 2 and 3 show the spreading spring 13 according to a first embodiment in a sole representation. The middle part 20, the projection 23 and the fingers 15 are formed as a one-piece plastic part, each finger 15 at its radially inner, the middle part 20 facing end via a web 17 of reduced diameter, which forms a hinge joint, is pivotally connected to the central part 20 , Due to the reduction in cross-section in the region of the web 17, a recess 16 is formed above the web between the finger 15 and the central part 20, which according to the in the FIGS. 2 and 3 illustrated embodiment is released, so that the deformability or spring action of the fingers 15 is determined substantially by the web 17.

In particular FIG. 3 shows, the fingers 15 are designed at its radially outer end 18 like a blade.

When a user has removed a desired amount of product from the product space 14, a negative pressure is created in the product space 14, through which the closure piston 14 according to FIG. 1 is pulled upward in a first direction R. Since the Closure piston 14 is connected to the spreading spring 13, and the spreading spring 13 is pulled in the first direction R. The fingers 15 and / or pivot relative to the central part 20 and are pulled with their radially outer ends on the inner wall 11a of the container 11. When the closure piston 12 has completed its movement, put the fingers 15 due to their inherent elasticity to the inner wall 11 a of the container 11 and tense at this. In this way, the spreading spring 13 prevents the piston from being able to move in a direction 2 opposite to the first direction R.

The FIGS. 4 and 5 show a second embodiment of the spreading 13th Opposite in the FIGS. 2 and 3 illustrated embodiment, the spreading spring 13 differs according to the FIGS. 4 and 5 essentially in that the recess 16 formed above the web 17 is filled with a filling material 19 made of an elastic and preferably elastomeric plastic, so that upon deformation of the fingers 15 increased restoring forces occur and increased spring forces can be applied to the fingers 15.

In addition, each adjacent finger 15 are connected to each other via a membrane 22, so that the spreading spring 13 is formed umbrella-like and the bottom of the closure piston 12 completely covers. The filling material 19 and / or the membrane 22 may be made of an elastic and preferably elastomeric plastic, wherein the entire spreading spring 13 is produced in a two-component injection molding process, in which first the middle part 20 and the fingers 15 in a 1st method step be sprayed and then the filling material 19 and the membrane 22 are molded in a second process step.

The FIGS. 6, 7 and 8 show a third embodiment, which is a development of the embodiment according to the FIGS. 4 and 5 represents. In particular FIG. 8 shows, it is provided that the fingers 15 are formed at their radially outer end respectively with sharp-edged retaining claws 21, which cause a better engagement between the inner wall 11 a of the container 11 and the fingers 15.

While 12 substantially rod-shaped fingers 15 are distributed over the circumference of the central portion 20 in the embodiments described so far, the show FIGS. 9 to 11 a fourth embodiment, in which five distributed over the circumference arranged plate-shaped fingers 15 are provided which have at their radially outer end respectively retaining claws 21, wherein the radial dimensions of the retaining claws 21 in the central peripheral region of the fingers 15 is greater than in the respective edge region of the fingers 15 are. This implies that the fingers 15 in its middle region engage the inner wall 11a of the container 11 with a greater force.

The FIGS. 12 and 13 show a fifth embodiment of the spreading spring 13, wherein the middle part 20 is now formed as an oval ring, from which a plurality of fingers 15 extend radially outwardly freely cantilevered. Instead of a hub-shaped projection, a receiving opening 24 is formed in the central part 20, with which the spreading spring 13 in a manner not shown on the closure piston can be attached.

In the illustrated embodiments, the closure piston and the spreading spring are each formed as independent components, which are connected to each other or attached to each other. However, it is also possible to form the closure piston and the spreading spring as an integral part.

Claims (7)

1. Dispenser (10) having a container (11) whereof one end is sealed by a sealing piston (12) which, in relation to the container (11), is adjustable in a first direction (R), wherein there is arranged, on the side of the sealing piston (12) remote from a product chamber (14) of the container (11), a spreading spring (13) which is in engagement with the inner wall (11a) of the container (11) and prevents movement of the sealing piston (12) in a second direction (S) which is opposed to the first direction (R), characterized in that the spreading spring (13) is made from synthetic material and has a central part (20) from which a plurality of fingers (15) arranged distributed over the periphery extend radially outwards, wherein each finger (15) is connected to the central part (20) in a manner articulated at its radially inner end and is in engagement at its radially outer end with the inner wall (11a) of the container (11), and wherein the central part (20) and the fingers (15) are constructed in one piece with one another and each finger (15) is connected to the central part (20) by way of a web (17), wherein in the region of the web (17) a cutout (16) is formed.
2. Dispenser according to Claim 1, characterized in that a filling material (19) that acts as a restoring spring is introduced into the cutout (16).
3. Dispenser according to Claim 2, characterized in that-the filling material (19) is an elastomeric synthetic material.
4. Dispenser according to one of Claims 1 to 3, characterized in that adjacent fingers (15) are connected to one another by way of a membrane (22).
5. Dispenser according to Claim 4, characterized in that the membrane (22) is made from an elastomeric synthetic material.
6. Dispenser according to one of Claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the fingers (15) are constructed at their radially outer end in the form of a blade.
7. Dispenser according to one of Claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the fingers (15) are provided at their radially outer end with retaining claws (21).

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