EP2983832B1 - Improved spraying head - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an improved spray head and a fluid dispenser device incorporating such a spray head.

It is known for certain types of fluid dispensing devices, with which it is desired to distribute the product in the form of a fine spray, to form a spray profile upstream of the dispensing orifice, generally comprising a chamber of swirling fed by one or more swirling channels. This type of dispensing device is nowadays widely used in a large number of fields, and in particular in pharmacy, perfumery and cosmetics. In the document EP 0 131 501 , there is disclosed a spray head for fluid device, wherein a cylindrical insert of constant section is inserted into the expulsion channel. The end face of the insert, which is perpendicular to the axis of said insert, cooperates with the bottom of the expulsion channel to define a spray profile comprising a swirl chamber and one or more swirl channels connecting the channel. expulsion to said swirl chamber.

This type of device may, however, in some cases have disadvantages. Thus, the ISO 20072 standard entitled "Verification of the design of an aerosol", includes a chapter concerning the resistance to falls, commonly called "drop test". Briefly, this test requires the delivery device to drop from a height of at least 1 meter, in three starting orientations, with and without a protective cover. The risk of falling on the spray head appears very clearly as one of the main risks for the integrity of the dispensing device. Although the center of gravity of the dispensing devices generally causes rotation during the fall, the risk of shock in the axis of the spray head is likely. By experience, this type of shock causes generally changes in the interference between the internal nozzle and the swirl chamber. In particular, the internal nozzle may either deviate from the spray profile or, on the contrary, compress it, thereby preventing a reliable operation of said spray profile, and thus a poor quality of the spray.

Another problem that can occur with internal sprinklers is the mechanical stress between the components. This type of stress, especially in materials of the polyolefin type, may cause a creep phenomenon and therefore change the geometry of the spray profile over time, with a loss of quality of the spray. The documents EP 0815946 , US5439178 , GB2007807 , US3490658 , US5622318 , EP0930102 and US4989790 describe state of the art devices. The present invention aims to provide a spray head that does not reproduce the aforementioned drawbacks.

The present invention also aims to provide a spray head that withstands the "drops tests" and the flow of materials over time.

The present invention also aims to provide a spray head that is simple and inexpensive to manufacture and assemble, and reliable in use throughout the life of the device.

The present invention therefore relates to a spray head according to claim 1. Advantageously, said body comprises an inner sleeve forming the expulsion channel and an outer body.

According to a second advantageous variant, said insert is placed entirely inside said internal part of the body, said insert comprising an upstream part and a downstream part, in the direction of flow of the fluid, said elastically deformable part connecting said parts. upstream and downstream.

Advantageously, said upstream portion of the insert is mounted by clamping in said internal part of the body.

Advantageously, said internal portion of the body comprises an internal radial shoulder, said upstream portion of the insert being abutted on said shoulder to maintain the insert in said internal part of the body.

Advantageously, said upstream portion of the insert comes into contact with the dispensing member when the spray head is assembled on said dispenser member.

Advantageously, said elastically deformable portion of the insert is deformed during assembly of the spray head on said dispensing member.

Advantageously, said downstream portion of the insert comprises a portion of reduced diameter axially offset from the downstream end of said insert, to form a chamber in the expulsion channel near said spray profile, so that said downstream end of the The insert may at least partially pivot relative to said reduced diameter portion, generating a ball-and-socket effect.

Advantageously, said elastically deformable portion of the insert is disposed at the upstream end of said insert.

The present invention also relates to a fluid dispenser device comprising a dispensing member, such as a pump, and a spray head as described above, assembled on said dispensing member.

• les figures 1 à 5 sont des vues schématiques en section transversale d'une tête de pulvérisation selon différents modes de réalisation avantageux, et
• les figures 6 à 13 sont des vues schématiques de plusieurs variantes de réalisation d'un insert utilisable dans une tête de pulvérisation selon l'invention.

These and other features and advantages of the present invention will appear more clearly from the following detailed description, given with reference to the accompanying drawings given by way of non-limiting examples, in which:

• the Figures 1 to 5 are schematic cross-sectional views of a spray head according to various advantageous embodiments, and
• the Figures 6 to 13 are schematic views of several embodiments of an insert usable in a spray head according to the invention.

The present invention will be described with reference to several embodiments. It is understood, however, that the present invention is not limited by the embodiments shown in the drawings.

The present invention, which mainly concerns a particular implementation of a spray profile in a dispensing head of a fluid dispenser device, is adaptable to all fluid dispensing devices comprising such a spray profile. . However, a particularly advantageous application of the present invention relates to nasal delivery devices, and the present invention will therefore be described with reference to a nasal pusher. It should be clear, however, that the present invention is not limited to this application example.

In a known manner, for example from the document EP 0 131 501 , a spray head 1 comprising a body 10 which incorporates an expulsion channel 11 which extends into said body 10 between an upstream part intended to connect to the dispensing member, for example a pump, of the dispensing device on which said spray head 1 will be applied, and a downstream end incorporating a dispensing orifice 12. body 10 may comprise an inner sleeve 101, which defines the expulsion channel, and an outer portion 102. To limit the dead volume in the expulsion channel 11 and to allow dispensing in spray form, an insert 20, also called internal nozzle, is placed inside said expulsion channel 11, and preferably extends substantially over a large part of said expulsion channel 11. Preferably, said insert 20 fills to a large extent the volume of the delivery channel. expulsion 11, leaving only one or more narrow passage (s) as an expulsion channel. Also known, the downstream end of the insert 20, in the flow direction of the product, defines with the downstream end portion of the expulsion channel 11 (or bottom portion of the expulsion channel) a spray profile, which promotes a distribution of the fluid in finely pulverized form. This spray pattern may be of any shape, but it generally has one or more swirl channels that connect the expulsion channel to a central swirl chamber disposed just upstream of the dispensing orifice.

The spray head 1 is intended to be associated with a dispensing member 2, such as a pump, a part of which is schematically represented on the Figures 4 and 5 .

According to the invention, the insert 20 comprises an elastically deformable portion 21, adapted to deform, for example to absorb deformations of the body 10 of the spray head 1, deformations that may be due to shocks or creep materials . This elastically deformable portion 21 of the insert 20 thus generates a spring effect to compensate for the dimensional variations of the body 10 of the spray head 1. The elastically deformable portion 21 can also act to absorb and / or compensate for dimensional variations of said insert 20 , and / or to compensate for deformations and / or displacements of said insert 20 in said body 10, for example during a displacement of the piston 2 which may cause over-stress on the insert or play or displacement of said insert.

The Figures 2 to 5 , which are schematic illustrations, represent this elastically deformable portion 21 in the form of a spring, but it is understood that this schematic representation relates to the spring function, and not the structure itself. The figures 1 and 6 to 13 illustrate various possible structural forms to achieve this spring function in the elastically deformable portion 21 of the insert 20.

This elastically deformable portion 21 of the insert 20 also ensures a good definition of the geometry of the spray profile, by applying a certain pressing force on the downstream end of the insert 20, against the downstream end portion of the expulsion channel 11 (or bottom part of the expulsion channel). This guarantees a correct positioning in all circumstances of the insert 20 in the inner sleeve 101 defining the expulsion channel 11.

In some embodiments, which will be described below, the elastically deformable portion 21 of the insert 20 also allows to pre-assemble the insert 20 in the body 10 of the spray head, and not to contact the insert with the bottom of the spray channel (or alternatively to increase the contact force) only when the spray head is assembled on the pump.

The figure 1 represents an advantageous embodiment, wherein the elastically deformable portion 21 is formed by deformable material bridges connecting an inner portion 201 of the insert 20 extending inside the inner sleeve 101 of the body 10 to an outer portion 202 of the insert 20 which remains outside said inner sleeve 101. This outer portion 202 may in particular be fixed to the pump, and comprise an axial sleeve 203 extending axially around a portion of said inner sleeve 101 of the body 10, and a radial flange 204, which may be in contact with an inner surface of said outer portion 102 of said body 10. This axial sleeve 203 and / or radial flange 204 are not necessarily associated with said bridges of material deformable connecting the inner portion 201 to the outer portion 202. In case of dimensional changes of the body 10, the insert 20 may deform at the level of said deformable material bridges, and thus absorb these variations, while maintaining a correct contact with the bottom of the expulsion channel, to ensure the integrity of the spray profile.

In the Figures 2 to 5 , the insert 20 is entirely disposed inside the inner sleeve 101 of the body 10, and therefore has no external part as in the figure 1 .

On these Figures 2 to 5 , it is schematically represented that the insert 20 has an upstream portion 25 and a downstream portion 26, in the direction of flow of the fluid, which are interconnected by said elastically deformable portion 21.

In the example of the figure 2 the lower part is held in the inner sleeve 101 by clamping. Of course, one or more internal and / or external fluid passages are provided in this lower portion to allow the fluid to pass.

In the example of Figures 3 to 5 said inner portion 101 of the body 10 has an internal radial shoulder 103, said upstream portion 25 of the insert 20 abutting said shoulder 103 to maintain the insert 10 in said inner portion 101 of the body 10.

More particularly, on Figures 4 and 5 said upstream portion 25 of the insert 20 comes into contact with the dispensing member 2, in this case the outlet of the pump, when the spray head 1 is assembled on said dispensing member 2. Advantageously, said part elastically deformable 21 of the insert 20 is deformed during this assembly of the spray head on said dispensing member. This optimizes the contact between the insert 20 and the body 10, to define the spray profile, only at the time of assembly.

On the figure 4 , the upstream end of the upstream portion 25 of the insert 20 extends beyond the radial shoulder 103 to come into contact with the pump during assembly. On the figure 5 , the pump is snapped onto said radial shoulder 103 of the body 10.

Advantageously, as visible on the figure 5 , said downstream portion 26 of the insert 20 may comprise a portion of reduced diameter 28 shifted axially from the downstream end 27 of said insert 20, to form a chamber 15 in the expulsion channel 11 near said spray profile. Thus, said downstream end 27 of the insert 20 can at least partially pivot relative to said reduced diameter portion 28, generating a ball-and-socket effect, which further enables the contact between the insert 20 and the bottom of the channel to be further optimized. This allows in particular to compensate for a lack of perpendicularity between the insert and the bottom of the head.

The Figures 6 to 13 show various possible embodiments for the elastically deformable portion 21 of the insert.

On the Figures 9, 11, 12 and 13 said elastically deformable portion 21 of the insert 20 comprises axially and / or radially deformable lugs 210. These blades may comprise inclined parts which will deform both axially and radially to generate the spring effect. In particular, these tabs can be arranged at the upstream end of said insert 20.

The figure 10 shows an example in which said elastically deformable portion 21 of the insert 20 has an overmolded portion 220 of deformable material. This overmoulded part may also be disposed at the upstream end of said insert 20.

On the figure 6 said elastically deformable portion 21 of the insert 20 has one or more radial openings 230, in this case three, passing through said insert 20.

The Figures 7 and 8 show an elastically deformable portion 21 of the insert 20 which comprises at least one strip of inclined deformable material 240. On the figure 7 , there is an S-shaped band, whereas on the figure 8 there are two X-shaped bands.

Of course, other embodiments are also conceivable.

• résistance aux drops tests, notamment ceux prévus dans la norme ISO 20072, l'insert ayant la capacité d'absorber les chocs violents;
• élimination des risques de fluage des matériaux, l'insert pouvant absorber les contraintes de fluage exercées sur lui par le corps de ladite tête de pulvérisation.

The present invention therefore makes it possible to provide a spray head comprising a spray profile, particularly suitable for nasal sprays, and which has the following advantages in particular:

• resistance to drops tests, in particular those provided for in ISO 20072, the insert having the capacity to absorb violent shocks;
• eliminating the risks of creep of the materials, the insert being able to absorb the creep stresses exerted on it by the body of said spray head.

The spray head of the invention, especially as described above with reference to the figures, of course adapts to any type of suitable fluid dispensing device.

Of course, the invention is not limited to the embodiments shown in the drawings, and the scope of the invention is instead defined by the appended claims.

Claims (10)

1. A spray head (1) for a fluid dispenser device, said spray head (1) comprising a body (10) that defines an expulsion channel (11) that is terminated by a dispenser orifice (12), an insert (20) being arranged in said expulsion channel (11), the end of said insert (20) that is downstream in the flow direction of the fluid co-operating with the downstream end portion of said expulsion channel (11) to define a spray profile, said insert (20) including an elastically-deformable portion (21) that is adapted to deform so as to absorb and/or compensate variations in the dimensions of said body (10) and/or in said insert (20), and/or so as to compensate deformations and/or movements of said insert (20) in said body (10), the spray head being characterized in that said elastically-deformable portion (21) of the insert (20) comprises two sloping strips of deformable material (240) that form an X-shape.
2. A head according to claim 1, wherein said body comprises an inner sleeve (101) that forms the expulsion channel (11), and an outer body (102).
3. A head according to claim 2, wherein said entire insert (20) is arranged inside said inner portion (101) of the body (10), said insert (20) comprising, in the flow direction of the fluid, an upstream portion (25) and a downstream portion (26), said elastically-deformable portion (21) interconnecting said upstream and downstream portions (25, 26).
4. A head according to claim 3, wherein said upstream portion (25) of the insert (20) is mounted by clamping in said inner portion (101) of the body (10).
5. A head according to claim 3, wherein said inner portion (101) of the body (10) includes an inner radial shoulder (103), said upstream portion (25) of the insert (20) being in abutment against said shoulder (103) so as to hold the insert (10) in said inner portion (101) of the body (10).
6. A head according to any one of claims 3 to 5, wherein said upstream portion (25) of the insert (20) comes into contact with the dispenser member (2) when the spray head (1) is assembled on said dispenser member (2).
7. A head according to claim 6, wherein said elastically-deformable portion (21) of the insert (20) is deformed while the spray head (1) is being assembled on said dispenser member (2).
8. A head according to any one of claims 3 to 7, wherein said downstream portion (26) of the insert (20) includes a portion (28) of small diameter that is axially offset from the downstream end (27) of said insert (20), so as to form a chamber (15) in the expulsion channel (11) in the proximity of said spray profile, such that said downstream end (27) of the insert (20) may pivot, at least in part, about said portion (28) of small diameter, generating a ball joint effect.
9. A head according to any preceding claim, wherein said elastically-deformable portion (21) of the insert (20) is arranged at the upstream end of said insert (20).
10. A fluid dispenser device characterized in that it comprises a dispenser member (2), such as a pump, and a spray head (1) according to any preceding claim, assembled on said dispenser member (2).

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