EP2719467B1 - Refillable bottle of a fluid dispenser - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to a refillable bottle dispensing a fluid, and an assembly comprising such a bottle and a product source for filling said bottle.

In particular, the refillable bottle allows the dispensing of a liquid product, for example a cosmetic care, makeup or perfume product, or a pharmaceutical product.

The refillable bottle comprises a body having an outer wall in which a product conditioning tank is formed, as well as a dispensing device of the packaged product which is sealingly mounted on said body. In particular, the dispensing device may comprise sampling means in the form of 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 . Alternatively, the dispensing device may comprise means for applying the product, for example in the form of a ball.

In an exemplary application, the refillable vials according to the invention allow the distribution of product samples, especially 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 using a small funnel and unecological to discard an empty flask to replace it with a full constituent refill.

Refillable 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 tank for filling. In particular, the valve comprises a communication passage between the source and the reservoir, said passage having a seat equipped with a valve which is movable relative to said seat between a closed position and an open position of said passage.

To perform the filling, the prior art proposes to use a source bottle comprising a dispensing pump, the valve being moved by means of the nozzle of said pump. In particular, the sealed support of the nozzle on the valve allows the reversible opening of said valve and the actuation of the pump for injecting the source product into the reservoir through the valve.

However, this embodiment requires to previously remove the push button equipping the nozzle of the pump of the source bottle and to repeatedly actuate said nozzle to inject a sufficient volume of product, which is difficult and not very intuitive for the user. In addition, a poor replacement of the push button on the nozzle after filling is potentially detrimental to the subsequent operation of the source bottle.

Furthermore, this embodiment poses sealing problems during filling, in particular because of the difficulty of correctly positioning the nozzle in sealing engagement with the valve and the injection pressure of the product through the valve. In addition, the valves according to the prior art are not compatible with the different configurations of nozzles on the market, which limits the filling possibilities of a bottle equipped with such a valve, except to provide a set of adapters which further complicates the realization of a waterproof filling.

During filling also arises the problem of the volume of product introduced into the tank which must be sufficient to allow the subsequent use of the bottle while not being too important to avoid the risk of overpressure inside said tank. Indeed, particularly in relation to a product containing alcohol or other volatile solvent, a rise in temperature induces an increase in the pressure in the tank which, in the case of excessive filling, can go up to a damaging value for the use of the bottle, in particular with respect to a violent projection of product during distribution or even product leakage. The embodiment of FIGS. 13a to 14c disclosed in the patent application FR 2 802 447 describes a filling bottle according to the preamble of claim 1.

The invention aims to improve the prior art by proposing in particular a bottle whose filling gesture is simplified while avoiding the occurrence of an overpressure due to excessive filling of the tank.

For this purpose, according to a first aspect, the invention provides a refillable dispensing bottle for dispensing a fluid product comprising a body having an external wall in which a reservoir for packaging said product is formed, said bottle comprising a dispensing device for dispensing said product. packaged product which is sealingly mounted on said body, said bottle being equipped with a tank filling valve which is arranged to allow the communication of a product source with said tank for filling, said valve comprising a communication passage between said source and said reservoir, said passage having a seat equipped with a valve which is movable relative to said seat between a closed position and an open position of said passage, the valve being arranged to be movable between its closing and opening positions under the effect of gravity which is induced by the positioning the bottle respectively in an upright position and in an inverted position, said bottle comprising at least one bell disposed in the reservoir, said bell being arranged for, in the upright position, to be in communication with said reservoir and, in the inverted position, to be isolated of said reservoir so as not to be filled with the product from the source.

According to a second aspect, the invention provides an assembly comprising such a refillable bottle and a product source for filling said refillable bottle, said source comprising a product reservoir which is equipped with a socket arranged to allow the waterproof connection of the filling valve on the source tank by putting the passage in communication with said tank.

• la figure 1 représente en perspective l'ensemble formé d'un flacon remplissable et d'un flacon source, chacun étant assemblé et prêt à être connecté ;
• la figure 2 représente en coupe longitudinale un flacon remplissable selon un mode de réalisation de l'invention ;
• les figures 3 sont des représentations partielles et en coupe longitudinale de la connexion du flacon remplissable selon la figure 2 sur un flacon source, respectivement en position droite de fermeture étanche (figure 3a) et en position retournée d'ouverture du passage en vue du remplissage (figure 3b) ;
• la figure 4 représente en coupe longitudinale un flacon remplissable selon un autre mode de réalisation de l'invention, la figure 4a étant une vue partielle en perspective coupée du flacon de la figure 4 ;
• les figures 5 sont des représentations partielles et en coupe longitudinale de la connexion du flacon remplissable selon la figure 4 sur un flacon source, respectivement en position droite de fermeture étanche (figure 5a) et en position retournée d'ouverture du passage en vue du remplissage (figure 5b).

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 represents in perspective the assembly formed of a refillable bottle and a source bottle, each being assembled and ready to be connected;
• the figure 2 represents in longitudinal section a refillable bottle according to one embodiment of the invention;
• the figures 3 are partial representations and in longitudinal section of the connection of the refillable bottle according to the figure 2 on a source bottle, respectively in a right sealing position ( figure 3a ) and in the open position of opening of the passage for filling ( figure 3b );
• the figure 4 represents in longitudinal section a refillable bottle according to another embodiment of the invention, the figure 4a being a partial cut perspective view of the bottle from the figure 4 ;
• the figures 5 are partial representations and in longitudinal section of the connection of the refillable bottle according to the figure 4 on a source bottle, respectively in a right sealing position ( figure 5a ) and in the open position of opening of the passage for filling ( figure 5b ).

In the description, the terms of positioning in space are taken with reference to the straight position of the refillable bottle as shown in particular on the figures 2 and 4 .

In connection with the figures, described below a refillable 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 refillable bottle comprises a body 1 having an outer wall 1c 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. The body 1 may be integral, for example produced by injection-blow molding or extrusion-blow molding, or in several parts injected and then assembled, for example by ultrasonic welding, or by laser, or by rotary friction, made of rigid plastic material, metal, for example aluminum, or glass.

The bottle comprises a device for dispensing the packaged product which is sealingly mounted in the body 1. In the embodiment shown, the dispensing device comprises a pump 3 manually actuated by means of a pushbutton 4, said pump being fed product through a dip tube 5 which is disposed in the tank 2.

However, the invention is not limited to a method of dispensing the product. In particular, other types of means for taking the product from the tank 2 can be envisaged. The dispensing device may also comprise means for applying the product, for example in the form of a ball.

The push button 4 comprises a dispensing orifice 6 and an upper zone allowing the user to exert a digital support on him in order to moving the nozzle of the pump 3 on its supply stroke of said orifice product under pressure. In the embodiment shown, the push button 4 is equipped with a spray nozzle which is arranged to radially distribute an aerosol of the product through the dispensing orifice 6. However, especially for a nasal spraying nozzle, the push button 4 may allow axial distribution of the product. Alternatively, the product can be dispensed in the form of a hazelnut or a web.

The bottle is equipped with a filling valve 7 of the tank 2 which is arranged to allow the communication of a source 8 of product with said tank for filling. In connection with the figures, the body 1 has an upper opening 1a in which the pump 3 is mounted by means of a collar assembly 9, and a lower opening 1b which is equipped with the filling valve 7.

The lower opening 1b is formed in the bottom of the body 1 and the filling valve 7 comprises a skirt 10 which extends axially peripherally under said opening. Thus, a communication passage 11 is formed between the source 8 of product and the reservoir 2, said passage extending in the skirt 10.

On the figure 2 , the skirt 10 is attached under the body 1. For this purpose, the filling valve 7 comprises a hollow housing whose upper wall is fitted into the lower opening 1b, the skirt 10 being formed under said upper wall to extend outside the body 1. In relation to the figure 4 the skirt 10 is formed in one piece with the bottom 1d of the outer wall 1c of the body 1.

The passage 11 of communication has a seat 12 equipped with a valve 13 which is movable relative to said seat between a sealed position and an open position of said passage. In particular, the seat 12 can be formed on the inner periphery of the skirt 10.

The bottle may also comprise a locking device of the valve 13 in the closed position which makes it possible to prevent the displacement of said valve in the open position, in particular between two fillings, in order to avoid product leakage through the valve 7 In addition, the locking device can be arranged to be deactivated by leaving the valve 13 in the closed position in order to release the subsequent movement of said valve in the open position.

The valve 13 is arranged to be movable between its closing and opening positions under the effect of the gravity which is induced by the positioning of the refillable bottle respectively in a straight position ( figures 3a , 5a ) and in an inverted position ( figures 3b , 5b ). Thus, after unlocking the valve 13, the filling is effected by simple gravitational flow of the product and a transfer of air in the opposite direction through the passage 11 between the source 8 of product and the reservoir 2 to be filled, the filling can be achieved by a simple gesture mounting the refillable bottle in the upright position on the source 8 of product followed by a reversal of the whole refillable bottle - source 8 of product.

In particular, the upright position corresponds to the normal position of use of the refillable bottle in which the push button 4 is arranged upwards. Alternatively, the refillable bottle in the upright position can be oriented differently, provided that the valve 13 is there in the closed position under the effect of gravity.

The refillable bottle in the upright position can be mounted and connected to the source 8 of product without inducing product transfer, in particular because of the lack of pressurization of said product. Then, the returned position corresponds to a rotation of the refillable bottle assembly - source 8 of product for disposing said source above the tank 2 to induce filling by flow. On the figures 3 and 5 , the rotation is 180 ° but it could have a different angle, provided it is sufficient to open the valve 13 under the effect of gravity.

After filling, the refillable bottle - source 8 of product is returned to the initial position before disconnecting said bottle for later use. In particular, this reversal induces the closing of the valve 13 under the effect of gravity.

In relation with the figures, the valve 13 comprises an annular bearing surface 14 which, in the closed position, comes into sealing engagement with the seat 12 which has a complementary bearing surface, said bearing in the open position being disposed at a distance from said complementary bearing surface . To improve the tightness in the closed position, the bearing surface 14 and the complementary bearing surface of the seat 12 may be frustoconical.

Furthermore, the valve 13 is equipped with a ballast 16 whose weight is sufficient to move said valve between its open and closed positions. In particular, the ballast 16 induces a tight plating force of the annular bearing surface 14 on the seat 12 and ensures the detachment of said bearing during the overturning.

In the embodiment shown, the valve 13 is movable in axial translation between its closed and open positions. As a variant, possibly complementary, the valve 13 can be movable between its closing and opening positions by deformation induced by gravity, in particular by deformation of the annular bearing surface 14 on the seat 12.

In the figures, the valve 13 comprises an upper cage 17 having a lower bead on which the annular bearing surface 14 is formed, an attached weight 16, for example based on metal, being fixed in said cage. Alternatively, the ballast 16 may be integrated with the valve 13, in particular by making said valve based on a material of high density, for example a polymer loaded with metal particles or directly metal material.

The valve 13 comprises a lower rod 18 which extends under the cage 17, said rod being slidably mounted in a tube 19 integral with the skirt 10, said rod and said tube being arranged to define the end of travel of the valve 13 in the open position. In the embodiment shown, the upper end of the rod 18 is snapped into a lower hole of the cage 17, but said rod could be formed integrally with said cage.

The bottle comprises a bell 21 which is arranged in the tank 2 for, in the upright position ( figures 3a , 5a ), be in communication with said reservoir and, in the inverted position ( figures 3b , 5b ), be isolated from said tank so as not to be filled with the product from source 8.

Thus, during the emptying of the tank 2, a volume of air is formed which, during the overturning, is retained in the bell 21 to be released into said tank during the return to the upright position, which makes it possible to guarantee the presence of a sky of air in said tank after filling. Advantageously, the lower end 5a of the dip tube 5 is disposed inside the bell 21 to promote the emptying of said bell to form the volume of air retained.

In particular, the air space allows expansion of the product during a rise in temperature without exceeding the permissible pressure in the tank 2, for example of the order of 5 bars. This embodiment is particularly advantageous when the product contains alcohol, for example by providing that the retention volume of the bell 21 is of the order of 5 to 7% of the conditioning volume of the tank 2.

In connection with the figures, a bell 21 is formed inside a peripheral wall which extends on a bottom wall to form a retention volume, said walls being arranged so that said retention volume is open at the top. and that, in the inverted position, said retention volume is not in flow communication with the passage 11. in particular, the peripheral wall extends axially, the lower wall extending radially.

In the embodiment of the figure 2 , the cage 17 is equipped with a lid 20 which makes it possible to isolate the ballast 16 from the contact with the packaged product in the tank 2. In addition, the lid 20 forms a bell 21 which is integral in displacement of the valve 13 while being disposed in the reservoir 2. In particular, the cover 20 has an axial peripheral wall 20a which extends on a radial bottom wall 20b, the bell 21 being formed inside said walls to form the retention volume which is open in the top part.

In relation to the embodiment of the figure 4 a bell 21 is formed inside walls which are integral with the outer wall 1c of the body 1. More specifically, the tank 2 has two bells 21 which are formed on either side of the lower opening 1b, the bottom 1d having a cross section of substantially parallelepiped geometry in the center of which said opening is formed.

• des parties de paroi externe 21a et latérales 21b qui sont formées par des parties correspondantes de la paroi externe 1 c du corps 1 ;
• une partie de fond 21c formée d'une partie du fond 1d de la paroi externe 1c du corps 1 ; et
• un pont 21 d disposé dans la paroi externe 1 c du corps 1 pour former une partie de paroi interne, ledit pont s'étendant entre les parties latérales 21b.

More specifically, each bell 21 comprises:

• outer wall 21a and side 21b portions which are formed by corresponding portions of the outer wall 1c of the body 1;
• a bottom portion 21c formed of a portion of the bottom 1d of the outer wall 1c of the body 1; and
• a bridge 21 d disposed in the outer wall 1c of the body 1 to form an inner wall portion, said bridge extending between the side portions 21b.

Alternatively not shown, a bell 21 may be formed by a lower extension which is formed in the reservoir 2, the upper opening of said extension extending under the lower opening 1b of the body 1 to allow the retention of the volume of air when turning over. In particular, the lower extension may extend around the skirt 10 of the filling valve 7. The source 8 of product comprises a reservoir 23 of product, in particular formed inside a vial with a capacity greater than that of the refillable bottle. According to another embodiment, the source reservoir 23 is formed inside a flexible bag which can be filled with product without air or gas for the proper preservation of said product.

The source reservoir 23 is equipped with a bushing 24 which is arranged to allow the sealing connection of the filling valve 7 to said source reservoir by putting the passage 11 in communication with it. In addition, the filling valve 7 is equipped with a device for sealing the bottle on the source 8 of the product, the sleeve 24 being equipped with a connection device which is complementary to that of the filling valve 7.

The bushing 24 comprises a collar 25 for mounting on the neck of the source bottle 8, said collar being fixed on said neck by means of a band 27. The collar 25 has an upper opening which is surmounted by a sleeve 28 extending axially peripherally. Advantageously, the bushing 24 is devoid of means for pressurizing the filling product. Thus, the bottle 8 can not be diverted from its source role since without propellant or internal pressure.

The skirt 10 of the filling valve 7 is arranged to slide axially with respect to the sleeve 28 of the sleeve 24. In particular, the skirt 10 and the sleeve 28 are annular, the outer diameter of the skirt 10 being slightly smaller than the inside diameter. of the sleeve 28 to allow axial mounting without play of the refillable bottle on the source 8 of product. In addition, the skirt 10 may be slightly frustoconical and have a lower chamfer to ensure radial clamping during axial sliding of said skirt in the sleeve 28.

In the embodiment shown, the connecting devices comprise lugs 30 integral with the skirt 10 or the sleeve 28 which are intended to cooperate with ramps 31 secured to the sleeve 28 or the skirt 10 to allow mounting and immobilization of the refillable bottle in the connected position on the source reservoir 23. In the figures, a set of two diametrically opposed pins 30 is formed around the skirt 10 to cooperate with a set of two ramps 31 formed in the sleeve 28, said lugs having a lower chamfer facilitating their introduction into the ramps 31.

Advantageously, the filling valve 7 and / or the sleeve 24 are equipped with a cap 40 arranged to maintain the tightness of the tanks 2, 23 between two fillings. Each cap 40 comprises a connecting device which is complementary to that of the filling valve 7 or the sleeve 24. Thus, the caps 40 can be removed before filling and delivered after filling according to a gesture which is similar to that respectively of the disconnection and connection of the refillable bottle on the source 8 of product.

Claims (13)

1. Fillable bottle for dispensing a fluid product, comprising a body (1) having an external wall (1c) in which a reservoir (2) intended for packaging said product is formed, said bottle comprising a device (3) for dispensing said packaged product that is mounted sealingly on said body, said bottle being equipped with a valve (7) for filling the reservoir (2) that is arranged so as to enable a product source (8) to be put in communication with said reservoir with a view to filling thereof, said valve comprising a passage (11) for communication between said source and said reservoir, said passage having a seat (12) equipped with a shutter (13) that is able to move relative to said seat between a position of sealed closure and a position of opening of said passage, said bottle being characterised in that the shutter (13) is arranged so as to be able to move between its closed and open positions under the effect of gravity that is caused by the positioning of the bottle respectively in a straight position and in a turned-over position, said bottle comprising at least one bell (21) disposed in the reservoir (2), said bell being arranged so as, in the straight position, to be in communication with said reservoir and, in the turned-over position, to be isolated from said reservoir so as not to be filled by the product coming from the source (8).
2. Fillable bottle according to claim 1, characterised in that a bell (21) is formed inside a peripheral wall that extends over a bottom wall in order to form a retention space, said walls being arranged so that said retention space is open at the top part and so that, in the turned-over position, said retention space is not in flow communication with the passage (11).
3. Fillable bottle according to claim 2, characterised in that the peripheral wall extends axially, the bottom wall extending radially.
4. Fillable bottle according to claim 2 or 3, characterised in that the retention volume of the bell (21) is around 5% to 7% of the packaging volume of the reservoir (2).
5. Fillable bottle according to any one of claims 2 to 4, characterised in that a bell (21) is formed inside the walls (21a-21d) that are secured to the external wall (1c) of the body (1).
6. Fillable bottle according to claim 5, characterised in that at least part of the walls (21a, 21c) of the bell (21) is formed by a part of the external wall (1c) of the body (1).
7. Fillable bottle according to claim 6, characterised in that the external wall (1c) has a bottom (1d), at least part of which forms the bottom wall (21c) of the bell (21).
8. Fillable bottle according to any one of claims 5 to 7, characterised in that at least part of the walls of the bell (21) is formed by a bridge (21d) disposed in the external wall (1c) of the body (1).
9. Fillable bottle according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterised in that a bell (21) is constrained to move with the shutter (13).
10. Fillable bottle according to claim 9, characterised in that the shutter (13) comprises a cover (20) in which the bell (21) is formed.
11. Fillable bottle according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterised in that the dispensing device comprises a pump (3) supplied with product by means of a plunger tube (5), the bottom end (5a) of said plunger tube being disposed inside a bell (21).
12. Fillable bottle according to any one of claims 1 to 11, characterised in that the shutter (13) is equipped with a ballast (16), the weight of which is sufficient to move said shutter between its open and closed positions.
13. Assembly comprising a fillable bottle according to any one of claims 1 to 12 and a product source (8) intended for filling said fillable bottle, said source comprising a product reservoir (23) that is equipped with a sleeve (24) arranged so as to allow sealed connection of the filling valve (7) on the source reservoir (23) by putting the passage (11) in communication with said reservoir.

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