EP3525937B1 - Distributor filling cartridge - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a filling cartridge for a fluid dispenser comprising a fluid reservoir. The preferred fields of application of the present invention are those of perfumery, cosmetics or even pharmacy. The invention also relates to an assembly consisting of a fluid dispenser and a filling cartridge.

In the field of perfumery, we know the document WO2013 / 017803 which describes an applicator dispenser comprising a removable member provided with an applicator which is adapted to be removed axially by sealingly sliding out of a base part which comprises a cup the bottom of which is pierced with an injection orifice connected to a dip tube. More precisely, the removable member is unscrewed from the base part, which causes its sliding axial displacement: at the end of unscrewing, the removable member can be completely withdrawn and separated from the base part in order to be able to put the applicator in contact with a suitable surface, such as skin. During unscrewing, a vacuum forms between the base part and the removable member, so that the fluid product stored in a reservoir is sucked through the dip tube and the injection orifice in order to fill the applicator. We can also see in this document WO2013 / 017803 that the applicator is formed by a tubing internally defining a sampling and application space.

In general, this type of dispenser-applicator comprises a reservoir of average, or even very small, capacity of the order of a few tens of milliliters. Once empty, it would be interesting to be able to fill it again with fluid. However, due to the presence of the dip tube integrated into the base part which is permanently mounted on the reservoir, it is not possible to carry out filling by gravity or simply pouring.

The object of the present invention is therefore to remedy this drawback of the prior art by defining a filling cartridge, in particular for an applicator dispenser of the type described in the document. WO2013 / 017803 , allowing easy, rapid filling without risk of loss or soiling. In other words, the filling cartridge must be able to be mounted quickly on the dispenser while ensuring a perfect seal. The use of certain elements of the dispenser is sought, in order to reduce as much as possible the number of constituent parts of the filling cartridge.

To do this, the present invention provides an assembly comprising a fluid dispenser and a filling cartridge as defined in the claims.

It can be noted that the functions of fixing or mechanical holding and sealing are separate, distinct and decorrelated, with on one side the fixing ring and on the other side the internal sleeve whose sealed sliding wall generates radial contact. sliding waterproof, and not not axial contact by crushing a seal. As a result, the sealed contact is established regardless of the axial position of the crown with respect to the distributor.

Advantageously, a ventilation passage extends between the external fixing ring and the internal sleeve. On the other hand, the external fixing ring can be connected to the internal sleeve via an annular radial flange which forms at least one vent hole in communication with the vent passage. Thus, in addition to fixing and sealing, the connection end piece also ventilates the reservoir.

In a practical embodiment, the container may be a collapsible flexible pouch which is sealed, for example by welding, to the junction appendage. The user then just has to crush the bag in his hand to transfer the fluid from the container to the reservoir through the connection nozzle.

According to an advantageous aspect, the junction appendage is removably mounted, for example by screwing, on the internal sleeve, the junction appendage advantageously comprising a self-joining lip which comes into sealed contact with the internal sleeve. It is thus possible to change the container without having to remove the connection end of the dispenser. This also makes it possible to use part of the dispenser to constitute the connection end piece, as will be seen below.

Advantageously, the connection end piece can comprise a non-return valve, advantageously at the level of the junction appendix. This valve makes it possible to manipulate the filling cartridge without the risk of losing fluid at the slightest pressure. In addition, the valve prevents the entry of outside air into the container.

The piston is used to recreate a radial seal between the filler cartridge and the dispenser. The fixing sleeve is also used to ensure the mechanical retention of the cartridge on the dispenser. It can be said that the connection end piece fulfills the same fixing and sealing functions as the removable member.

In addition, the base part can form at least one vent window which communicates the exterior of the cup directly with the interior of the fixing sleeve. Venting of the reservoir during filling is therefore done in the same way as when the removable member is withdrawn.

According to an interesting feature, the junction appendage is on the one hand removably mounted on the internal sleeve and the gripping appendix is on the other hand removably mounted on the tubing, so that after removal of the gripping appendage, the junction appendage can be mounted on the tubing, which then acts as an internal sleeve, while the fixing ring acts as an external fixing ring. It can thus be said that the removable member, devoid of its gripping appendage, constitutes the connection end piece, devoid of its junction appendage.

One can thus imagine a kit comprising one or more receptacles (equipped with their junction appendages) and a single truncated connection end piece (sleeve + crown), so that the user can either connect a receptacle to the removable member from which he has removed the gripping appendage, or connect the truncated connection tip and insert it into the base piece after removing the removable member.

The spirit of the invention lies in a filling or refill cartridge which takes advantage of the characteristics of the fluid product dispenser to ensure good hold and a perfect seal on the dispenser, during the transfer of fluid product. The fact of pooling the constituent elements of the dispenser is an additional aspect of the invention, which makes it possible to reduce the number of parts and the risk of loss of fluid.

The invention will now be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, giving by way of nonlimiting examples, two embodiments of the invention.

• La figure 1 est une vue en coupe transversale verticale à travers un distributeur de produit fluide susceptible d'être rechargé grâce à la cartouche de remplissage de l'invention,
• La figure 2 est une vue similaire à la figure 1, montrant le distributeur de la figure 1 en train d'être rechargé avec à la cartouche de remplissage de l'invention,
• La figure 3 est une vue similaire à la figure 1 pour un second mode de réalisation de l'invention,
• La figure 4 est une vue montrant le distributeur de la figure 3 à l'état ouvert, et
• La figure 5 est une vue similaire à la figure 2 pour un second mode de réalisation de l'invention.

In the figures:

• The figure 1 is a vertical cross-sectional view through a fluid dispenser capable of being refilled by means of the filling cartridge of the invention,
• The figure 2 is a view similar to figure 1 , showing the distributor of the figure 1 being refilled with the inventive refill cartridge,
• The figure 3 is a view similar to figure 1 for a second embodiment of the invention,
• The figure 4 is a view showing the distributor of the figure 3 in the open state, and
• The figure 5 is a view similar to figure 2 for a second embodiment of the invention.

We will first refer to the figure 1 to describe in detail the structure and operation of a fluid dispenser applicator which can be filled or refilled with the filler cartridge of the invention.

The dispenser, designated by D, first of all comprises a fluid reservoir 1 which is shown in a truncated manner. The reservoir 1 forms a neck 11 which is quite conventional, with an external reinforcement for attachment. The fluid reservoir 1 can be of any kind and be made of any material, given that the reservoir is not a critical element for the present invention.

In addition to the reservoir 1, the dispenser comprises two other constituent parts, namely a base part 2 which is fixedly mounted on the reservoir 1 and a removable member 3 which is removably mounted on the base part 2.

The base part 2 comprises hooking means, which may be in the form of a skirt 20, split or not, which engages around the neck 11 of the reservoir 1. This is a design. quite conventional for fixing a dispensing member in the fields of cosmetics, perfumery or even pharmacy. The hooking of the skirt 20 around the neck 11 can serve to crush an annular neck seal 4 on the upper edge of the neck 11. The base part 2 also comprises a cup 21 which extends inside the neck 11. of the tank. At its lower end, the cup 21 forms a bottom 22 which is crossed by an injection orifice 23. From the bottom also leaves a plunger tube 24 which extends inside the tank 1 up to its proximity. background. The cup 21 is provided with a piston 25 which forms a piston lip. The piston 25 is an attached part which is placed in the cup 21 and held for example by snap-fastening. It is also possible to provide for the piston to be produced by overmolding or bi-injection. The technique of maintaining piston 25 in cup 21 is not critical to the present invention. Base part 2 also forms at least one ventilation window 29 which is produced in a connecting flange which forms the junction between the cup 21 and a fixing sleeve 26 forming an internal thread 27: this window 29 therefore makes the outside of the cup 21 communicate directly with inside the fixing sleeve 28.

Optionally, the base part 2 may include an outer covering band 28, which may possibly participate in maintaining the skirt 20 around the neck 11.

The removable member 3 comprises a gripping appendage 31 that the user can grip between his fingers. The removable member 3 also comprises a pipe 32 of substantially cylindrical shape and internally defining a sampling and application space 33 which is open at its lower end and closed at its upper end, so as to define a blind space. More precisely, it is an axial pin 331 of the gripping appendage 31 which penetrates into the tubing 32 and defines the closed upper end of the sampling and application space 33. The opening of the space 33 is located near the bottom 22 of the cup 21. It can also be seen that the outer wall of the pipe 32 comes into sealing sliding contact with the lip of the piston 25. The removable member 3 also forms a fixing ring 34 defining a external thread 35 adapted to cooperate with the internal thread 27 of the base part 2. The fixing ring 34 extends around the upper part of the tube 32 by defining between them a venting annular 36. On the other hand , the fixing ring 34 is connected to the pipe 32 by an annular flange which is pierced with a vent hole 37 which communicates directly with the vent annular 36. Thus, the interior of the tank 1 communicates with the 'outside through the neck 11, the co 14, vent window 29, vent 37, and vent annulus 36. This maintains the interior of the reservoir at atmospheric pressure by letting air in or out.

Starting from the configuration shown in figure 1 , a user can grasp the gripping appendage 31 to impart to it a rotational movement, which has the effect of unscrewing the removable member 3 from the base 2. In doing so, the tubing 32 slides in a sealed manner inside the piston 25, creating a vacuum inside the sampling and application space 33. This vacuum will generate a suction of fluid in from the reservoir 1 through the dip tube 24 and the injection orifice 23. The fluid will thus be injected inside the sampling and application space 33 as indicated by the upward arrow line on the figure 1 . The injection of fluid product will continue until the space 33 is filled and even beyond, as long as the tubing 32 is in sealed sliding contact inside the piston 25. At the same time, the outside air enters Reservoir 1 as indicated by the downward arrow line on the figure 1 .

We will now refer to the figure 2 to describe the first embodiment of a filling cartridge of the invention, which is implemented on the distributor D of the figure 1 . On this figure 2 , it can be seen that the removable member 3 has been removed from the base part 2 and that a filling cartridge C has been placed in place of the removable member 3.

This filling cartridge C firstly comprises a container 5 which contains fluid product, for example a perfume, a lotion, a serum, etc. This container 5 may be in the form of a flexible collapsible bag, a collapsible container or more generally of a variable volume container. A reservoir with a sliding piston that the user can push is also possible. A rigid container is also possible, but not preferred. The container 5 is shown truncated, like the tank 1.

The filling cartridge C also comprises a connection end piece 6 which serves to connect the container 5 to the distributor D, or more precisely on and in the base part 2. This connection end piece 6 comprises a junction appendage 60 on which the container is mounted in a sealed manner. In the case of a flexible pouch, the opening of the pouch is welded to the junction appendage 60. In certain cases, the junction appendage 60 may be integral with the container 5.

The connection end piece 6 also includes an internal sleeve 61 internally forming a fluid passage 62 making the interior of the container 5 communicate with the exterior. The internal sleeve 61 externally forms a sealed sliding wall 63 adapted to come into sealed sliding radial contact with the piston 25 of the distributor D to provide a temporary radial annular seal between the filling cartridge C and the distributor D. The radial contact can thus be qualified as a dynamic sliding contact.

The connection end piece 6 also comprises an external fixing ring 64 provided with an external thread 65 adapted to come into threaded engagement with the internal thread 27 of the base part 2, as shown in FIG. figure 2 . The internal sleeve 61 extends inside the external fixing ring 64, forming between them a ventilation passage 68. Furthermore, the external fixing ring 64 is connected to the internal sleeve 61 by means of an annular radial flange 66 which forms at least one vent hole 67 in communication with the vent passage. Thus, the interior of the reservoir 1 communicates with the exterior through the neck 11, the neck seal 4, the vent window 29, the vent hole 67 and the vent passage 68. This makes it possible to maintain inside the tank at atmospheric pressure allowing air to enter or exit.

Thus, it is possible to transfer the fluid product from the container 5 to the reservoir 1 through the passage 62, the cup 21, the injection port 23 and the dip tube 24, as indicated by the downward arrow line on the diagram. figure 2 . At the same time, the air from tank 1 can be evacuated by following the upward arrow line on the figure 2 . Due to the high pressure drop through the dip tube 24, flow by simple gravity is slow, if not impossible. It is therefore preferable to assist the transfer of fluid product by manually crushing the container 5. The crushing can continue until the tank 1 is completely filled.

Referring now to figures 3 to 5 , we will see a second embodiment, in which part of the removable member 3 will be used to partially form the connection end piece.

On the figure 3 , the distributor D, which is only partially shown, may be similar or identical to that of the figure 1 , except the fact that the gripping appendage 31 'is removably mounted on the pipe 32'. More precisely, the free upper end of the tubing 32 'forms an external thread 321 and the gripping appendage 31' forms an internal thread 312. Other removable mounting modes are also possible, such as for example snap-fastening, clamping, bayonet, etc. Thus, the gripping appendage 31 ′ can be removed from the remainder of the removable member 3 ′, and in doing so, the axial pin 311 is extracted from the pipe 32 ′, which is then open through and through, as we can see on the figure 4 , so that it thus defines a passage of fluid. The removable member 3 'is then truncated and reduced to its tubing 32' to which is associated its fixing sleeve 26.

According to the invention, this reduced removable member (pipe 32 '+ sleeve 26) can be integrated into a connection end piece 6' of design very similar to that of the figure 2 . Indeed, the tube 32 'has a design very close to that of the internal sleeve 61 and the sleeve 26 is similar or identical to the ring 64. It is therefore sufficient for the connection end piece 6' to integrate a junction appendage 60 'which has an internal thread 601 so as to be able to screw it onto the external thread 321 of the pipe 32', as shown in figure 5 . The container 5 is mounted on the junction appendage 60 ', which can advantageously form a self-joining lip 602 which comes into sealed contact in the tubing 32'. It is also possible to provide a non-return valve 603 on the junction appendix 60 ': this valve 603 can be a valve with a self-joining slot.

In practice, the user removes the gripping appendage 31 'from the removable member 3' and instead mounts the junction appendage 60 '. More precisely, the removable member 3 'can be completely removed from the base part 2, then the gripping appendage 31' is unscrewed while maintaining the removable member 3 'by the sleeve 26. Then, the junction appendage 60 'is screwed onto the threaded tube 32' to form a filling cartridge C ' according to the invention, which is finally placed on the base part 2 to perform the filling operation.

Without departing from the scope of the invention, a non-return valve can be provided in the first embodiment of the figure 1 in the fluid passage 62 at the level of the internal sleeve 61 or of the junction appendage 60. The connection end piece 6 is shown as being made in one piece, but it is preferable to make it in at least two parts. In the second embodiment, the gripping appendage 31 'is screwed onto the threaded pipe 32' and the connecting appendage 60 'is also threaded. Instead of a thread, one can very well imagine other types of removable fixing means, such as for example clamping by friction, snap-fastening or even the bayonet.

Thanks to the filling cartridge of the invention, it is possible to refill fluid dispensers, and more particularly dispenser applicators, with ease, efficiency and safety, in particular due to the fact that the radial contact between the sealed sliding wall 63 of the internal sleeve and the fluid dispenser (piston 25) is effected by means of a sealed sliding.

Claims (9)

1. An assembly comprising a fluid dispenser (D) and a filling cartridge (C; C'), the fluid dispenser comprising:

   • a base part (2) that is mounted on a fluid reservoir (1), the base part (2) including a dip tube (24) and a cup (21) in which there is formed an injection orifice (23) that is connected to the dip tube (24), the cup (21) being provided with a piston (25), the base part (2) also including a fastener bushing (26), and

   • a removable member (3) that is mounted on the base part (2) in removable manner along a slide axis, the removable member (3) comprising a grip appendage (31), a tubular part (32) that is suitable for sliding along a slide axis in leaktight manner against the piston (25) over a leaktight axial stroke and an applicator (33) that is capable of retaining a dose of fluid coming from the injection orifice (23) by suction that is generated by the leaktight sliding of the tubular part (32) against the piston (25), the applicator including an extraction and application space (33) that is formed in the tube (32), the fluid being injected into the extraction and application space (33) through the dip tube (24) and the injection orifice (23), the removable member (3) also comprising a fastener ring (34) that is fastened in removable manner on the fastener bushing (26),

   the filling cartridge (C; C') comprising a container (5) containing fluid, and a connector endpiece (6; 6') for connecting to the fluid dispenser (D) for passing the fluid from the container (5) to the fluid reservoir (1), the connector endpiece (6; 6') comprising:

   • a junction appendage (60; 60') for the container (5),

   • an outer fastener ring (64; 34) that is adapted to co-operate with the fluid dispenser (D) so as to fasten the filling cartridge (C; C') in removable manner on the fluid dispenser (D, and

   • an inner sleeve (61; 32') that extends inside the outer fastener ring (64; 34), the inner sleeve (61; 32') internally forming a fluid passage (62) that puts the inside of the container (5) into communication with the outside, the inner sleeve (61; 32') externally forming a leaktight sliding-contact wall (63) that is adapted to come into radial leaktight sliding contact with the fluid dispenser (D) so as to achieve temporary sealing between the filling cartridge (C; C') and the fluid dispenser (D),

   the connector endpiece (6; 6') of the filling cartridge (C; C') being mounted in removable manner on the base part (2) with the inner sleeve (61; 32') penetrating into the cup (21), the leaktight sliding-contact wall (63) is mounted in radial leaktight sliding contact with the piston (25) and the outer fastener ring (64; 34) in engagement with the fastener bushing (26).
2. An assembly according to claim 1, wherein a vent passage (68; 36) extends between the outer fastener ring (64; 34) and the inner sleeve (61; 32').
3. An assembly according to claim 2, wherein the outer fastener ring (64; 34) is connected to the inner sleeve (61; 32') via an annular radial flange (66) that forms at least one vent hole (67; 37) that is in communication with the vent passage (68; 36).
4. An assembly according to claim 1, 2, or 3, wherein the container (5) is a squeezable flexible pouch that is sealed, e.g. heat-sealed, on the junction appendage (60; 60').
5. An assembly according to any preceding claim, wherein the junction appendage (60') is mounted in removable manner, e.g. by screw-fastening, on the inner sleeve (32'), the junction appendage (60') advantageously including a self-sealing lip (602) that comes into leaktight contact with the inner sleeve (32').
6. An assembly according to any preceding claim, wherein the connector endpiece (6') includes a check-valve (603), advantageously at the junction appendage (60').
7. An assembly according to any preceding claim, wherein the base part (2) forms at least one vent slot (37) that puts the outside of the cup (21) directly into communication with the inside of the fastener bushing (26).
8. An assembly according to any preceding claim, wherein, firstly, the junction appendage (60') is mounted in removable manner on the inner sleeve (32'), and secondly, the grip appendage (31') is mounted in removable manner on the tubular part (32'), such that after the grip appendage (31') has been removed, the junction appendage (60') may be mounted on the tubular part (32'), which thus acts as the inner sleeve (61), while the fastener ring (32) acts as the outer fastener ring (64).
9. An assembly according to claim 8, wherein the removable member (3), without its grip appendage (31), constitutes the connector endpiece (), without its junction appendage ().

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