EP3999245A1

EP3999245A1 - Device for capping a container of a liquid to pasty product, and refill closed by such a device

Info

Publication number: EP3999245A1
Application number: EP20736969.5A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Pascal Hennemann; Joey KURTZ
Original assignee: Promens SA
Current assignee: Promens SA
Priority date: 2019-07-19
Filing date: 2020-07-02
Publication date: 2022-05-25
Also published as: CN114206748B; FR3098797A1; CN114206748A; FR3098797B1; US20220348396A1; WO2021013492A1

Abstract

The invention relates to a capping device (1) comprising: - a capping wall (10) having a communication through-duct (13) and intended to close the opening of a product container, - a stopper that is movable in the duct, the stopper comprising a cavity that opens onto one side of the wall, is closed by a bottom (30) and comprising at least one lateral opening (32); in the closed position, this bottom closes the duct, and in the open position, the lateral opening(s) and this bottom exit the duct, the duct then being open in fluidic communication through the stopper. The invention also relates to a product refill (4) comprising a container (7) closed by this capping device. It also relates to a dispensing device comprising this refill and a dispensing head.

Description

Title of the invention: Device for sealing a container of a liquid to pasty product and refill closed by such a device

[0001] [The present invention relates to the field of dispensing devices without air intake (also called "Airless" devices) of a liquid to pasty product, in particular a cream, an ointment or a paste, in particular for cosmetic use.

[0002] More particularly, the present invention relates to a device for

closure of a container of such a product, comprising a stopper making it possible to seal the stopper device and therefore the container in an airtight manner, the stopper being able to be moved so as to give access to the interior of the container. In particular, this movement can be implemented when mounting a product dispensing head on the container blocked by this stopper device. In an improved variant, the closure device is arranged so as to allow fixing with three elements at the same time on the same closure device, at least one of these elements being mounted in a reversible manner and at least one of these elements being mounted. irreversibly.

[0003] In particular, these three elements can be a manual pump, in

particularly without air intake, a container, in particular without air intake and of variable and / or deformable volume, and a container or shell in which the container is housed. In such a case, at least the container is irreversibly mounted on the closure device, and at least the container is reversibly mounted on the closure device.

By reversible assembly is meant in the present application an assembly which can be disassembled in the same way as it is mounted, without breaking elements, in particular with the same tool as in the assembly or without a tool , preferably with the same energy.

[0005] It is known in the state of the art for dispensing devices with a dispensing head fixed to the neck of a container or receptacle, containing a liquid or cream. These heads can in particular include manual pumps sucking the product inside the container and then pushing it outside. The container and the dispensing head are usually fixed irreversibly. Therefore, when the dispensing device is empty, it is discarded. This represents a certain amount of plastic.

[0006] Today, for the sake of saving material and reducing plastic waste, more sustainable solutions are being sought.

[0007] Solutions using refills have been developed but often the distribution devices and their refills are complex structures to produce.

[0008] An object of the present invention is therefore to find a device for

distribution of which at least some parts can be reused, while remaining simple in design.

[0009] For this, a first object of the invention relates to a closure device for a container of a liquid to pasty product, said closure device comprising:

- a stopper base comprising a stopper wall having a through communication duct, said stopper wall being intended to close the opening of a container of a liquid to pasty product,

- a movable plug in the communication duct, between a closed position and an open position,

wherein the cap comprises a bottom and a cavity open on one side of the stopper wall and closed by said bottom, the cavity comprising at least one side opening, the cap being arranged with the communication duct so that:

- in the closed position, said bottom sealingly closes the communication duct, and

- in the open position, the plug is partially outside the communication duct, said lateral opening (s) and said bottom being outside the communication duct, so that the communication duct is open in fluid communication through the plug. [0010] Thus, it is possible to close an opening of a product container, for example a product refill, by covering it with the plugging wall, for example in sealed contact, in particular in air, with the neck of this container. With the stopper in the closed position and by fixing the stopper device to the container so as to maintain this sealed contact, there is thus a sealed container.

[0011] When mounting a dispensing head, we can then move the cap partially out of the duct in the open position, thus ensuring the

communication between the dispensing head and the container through this stopper. Communication through the plug is between the side opening (s) and the opening through which said cavity opens on one side of the plug wall. With a container with a variable and / or deformable volume, and a dispensing head without air intake, in particular a manual pump without air intake, tightly mounted on this stoppering device, this displacement of the cap in position opening is carried out

"Airless", ie without air intake, and therefore without bringing the product into contact with the outside air.

[0012] The stopper thus forms an airtight closing device for the container, while allowing easy opening of the stopper when mounting the dispensing head. This simplifies use, which is particularly useful for recharging.

[0013] Furthermore, the cap thus forms a closing indicator, particularly useful in the context of refills exposed on a display, without a head.

distribution, or in the event of delivery of a closed refill by a subcontractor to a distribution device manufacturer.

[0014] On the other hand, the closure device is very simple in design,

since a single wall with a through duct and a cap with a lateral opening, for example in the form of a cup with a lateral opening, are sufficient to produce a sealed closure which can be opened when the container is assembled, for example the refill. [0015] The closure device according to the invention can optionally have one or more of the following characteristics taken separately or in combination:

the communication duct communicates between a first surface and a second surface of the stopper wall, said stopper wall being intended to close the opening of the container of a liquid to pasty product with the first surface oriented towards the inside of the containing, so that in the closed position, said lateral opening (s) and said bottom are in the communication duct and that in the open position, said lateral opening (s) ) and said bottom are outside the communication duct while being on the side of said first surface; thus the cap can be driven from the closed position to the open position by simply pushing in, for example when mounting a dispensing head on the side of the second face;

- the communication duct and / or the plug comprise at least one deformable member, arranged so as to retain the plug in the closed position up to a certain threshold of thrust exerted on the plug towards the open position; this makes the closure more secure; it also reinforces the role of opening indicator in the case of recharges;

- the communication duct and / or the cap include a device for locking the cap in the open position; this reduces the risk of the plug dislodging from the communication duct;

- Said deformable member and / or said locking member are arranged on and / or are engaged on the internal wall of the communication duct; this allows a very simple construction of the closure device;

- the plugging wall has a first surface and a second surface opposite this first surface, and comprises an irreversible fixing interface which is:

* intended to be attached to the neck of a container of a liquid to pasty product,

* arranged on the side of said first surface, and

* arranged around an area where the communication duct opens onto this said first surface;

the product tank is thus mounted irreversibly on the wall of plugging; in the case of a recharge, the guarantee is guaranteed that it has not been opened; for example, the irreversible fixing interface comprises at least one irreversible clip, in particular an annular clip; it is with this or these irreversible clips of an assembly system impossible to separate for a user;

- the closure wall has a first surface and a second surface opposite this first surface, and the closure base comprises a reversible or irreversible mounting interface which is:

* intended to be mounted on a distribution head,

* arranged on the side of said second surface, and

* arranged around an area where the duct opens

communication on this second surface;

functionality is thus added to the closure device, thus facilitating its assembly;

- the closure wall has a first surface and a second surface opposite this first surface, the first surface being intended to be oriented towards the inside of the container, and the closure base comprises a reversible mounting interface which is :

* intended to be mounted on the neck of a container,

* arranged on one side of said first surface, and

* arranged around the mounting interface;

thus, it is possible to recover the container in order to mount there another closure device;

- The closure device may include the characteristics of the two preceding paragraphs combined; in such a case, the stopper device forms a junction interface between this container and this dispensing head, thus simplifying assembly and disassembly, in particular of a refill on the dispensing head and on the container;

- the closure device can include the characteristics of the four preceding paragraphs combined; there is thus a common interface for the dispensing head, the container and the receptacle; this simplifies the assembly of a corresponding dispensing device, in particular in the context of refills;

- said first mounting interface is reversible; thus, it is possible to recover the distribution head to mount another

plugging;

- Said first mounting interface is irreversible; thus, it is impossible to recover the dispensing head, which then becomes part of an inseparable refill by the user; on the other hand, another element mounted on the closure device in a reversible manner can be recovered; moreover, this makes it possible to carry out the filling by a subcontractor, to send a refill with the container sealed by the stoppering device to a dispensing device manufacturer, who can simply assemble the dispensing head to the refill so irreversible, in particular by only making it possible to recover another element mounted on the refill, such as a receptacle surrounding the receptacle, in particular a receptacle such as

mentioned in this request;

- the one or more reversible mounting interfaces are manual mounting interfaces and therefore allow manual disassembly; by manual we mean without tools; this allows easy assembly and disassembly by the user on the closure device;

- the one or more reversible mounting interfaces are reversible threads or clips; it is an assembly system that is easy to implement for a user;

- the stopper wall comprises a fixing interface, in particular irreversible, intended to be fixed to the neck of a container of a liquid to pasty product and arranged on one side of a first surface of the stopper wall and around a zone where the communication duct opens onto this first surface; this makes it possible to fix a container filled with product and thus form a refill;

- According to the previous paragraph, the closure device may also include the reversible mounting interface intended to be mounted on the neck of a container, mentioned above, this mounting interface being arranged around the fixing interface ; the container thus forms a protective shell of the container as well as a gripping means; moreover, this shell can be more easily fitted out in an aesthetic manner;

- the closure wall comprises a cone widening out from the opening of the communication duct on a first surface of the closure wall, the bottom as well as said lateral opening (s) of the stopper being housed in this cone and at a distance from the walls of this cone when the stopper is in position opening; this makes it possible to channel the flow of product around the stopper, in particular towards its side opening (s);

the closure device comprises only two assembled single-piece parts, namely the stopper and the closure base, the latter comprising the closure wall and forming the rest of the closure device; the closure device is thus very simple to produce; especially when equipped, the closure base includes the mounting interface (s) and the fixing interface.

Another object of the invention is a refill of a liquid to pasty product intended to be mounted on a dispensing head and comprising:

- a container of a liquid to pasty product, having a neck with a container opening,

- A closure device according to the invention, mounted on the neck of the container so that, when the stopper is in the closed position, said closure wall closes said container opening in a leaktight manner.

This refill is simple in design. The stopper ensures its closure and makes it ready for use as soon as it is assembled.

[0018] When the various mounting interface options are present,

The use of this refill is greatly simplified.

[0019] The refill according to the invention may optionally have one or more of the following characteristics taken separately or in combination:

- the container is a flexible bag; this is a simple embodiment, particularly useful in the case of recharging;

- the refill comprises a protective cage attached to the closure device, the container being housed inside said cage; this facilitates the insertion of the refill container into a container, in particular

recoverable;

- the neck of the container comprises an annular rim around the opening of the container and projecting radially, the cage comprising an insertion inlet of the container, the edges of the insertion inlet clamping the annular rim against the stopper wall, thus ensuring the seal between the latter and the container; waterproofing is carried out without additional parts;

- the refill only includes four assembled parts: the stopper base, the cap, the bag and the cage.

[0020] Note that the refill according to the invention can be used to refill a product dispensing device, replacing an exhausted refill, or as an initial assembly to a dispensing head. The assembly to the latter can be reversible or irreversible, in the latter case a recoverable container being mounted around the container.

Another object of the invention is a distribution device, in particular without air intake, of a liquid to pasty product comprising:

- a refill according to the invention, the container being mounted on the side of a first surface of the closure wall,

- a distribution head mounted on the other side of the closure wall and fluidly connected to the communication duct, the stopper being in the open position.

This distribution device is thus ready to be used or assembled to a

container, as mentioned earlier.

[0023] In the case where the dispensing head is mounted reversibly, it can be kept, the refill being changed when there is no more product.

[0024] Furthermore, the design and assembly of the refill with the head of

distribution is simple.

When the different mounting interface options are present, this mounting is further simplified.

[0026] The dispensing device according to the invention may optionally have one or more of the following characteristics taken separately or in combination:

- the distribution head includes:

* a tube inserted into said communication duct, with sealed contact between the outer wall of the tube and the inner wall of the communication, the tube being in axial bearing against a thrust surface of said stopper and in the direction of the opening of this stopper, the tube having a first opening in fluid communication with said cavity and the lateral opening or openings,

* a product dispensing orifice outside the dispensing device in fluid communication with a second opening of the tube;

this tube allows the cap to be pushed into its open position when mounting the refill; thus by simply mounting the dispensing head with the refill, the cap is opened and the product placed in communication between the dispensing head and said container;

- The first opening of the tube is at one end of the tube, the edges of this first opening resting against the edges of said cavity, which thus form the thrust surface; said communication in synergy with openness is improved;

the dispensing head comprises a head base, the tube projecting from an outer surface of this head base and towards the stopper, the tube having a length substantially equal to the distance between said closed position and said open position ; this makes it possible to close the communication duct with this head base;

- The dispensing device comprises a container mounted, in particular in a reversible manner, on the closure base on the refill side, the refill being arranged inside the container; this container can be recovered when the refill is exhausted;

- the container comprises at least one portion through which the container can be seen, the latter being deformable and / or at least translucent, so that its state of filling can be seen;

- the container is made of glass;

- the container is made of polymer.

In the present application, the terms "high", "low", "lower",

"Upper", "above", "below" refer, unless otherwise indicated, to the orientation of the stopper wall positioned horizontally, surface intended to be facing the product oriented downwards , which corresponds, in the examples illustrated by the accompanying drawings, in the orientations according to Figures 5 and 6.

Other characteristics and advantages of the invention will become apparent on reading the detailed description of the non-limiting examples which follow, for the understanding of which reference is made to the accompanying drawings, among which:

[0029] [Fig. 1]: Figure 1 shows a perspective view from above of a

closure device according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention;

[0030] [Fig. 2] Figure 2 shows a perspective view from below of the

closure device of FIG. 1;

[0031] [Fig. 3] Figure 3 shows a perspective side view of the cap of the closure device of Figure 1;

[0032] [Fig. 4] Figure 4 shows an exploded view of a refill according to a

exemplary embodiment of the invention, comprising the closure device of Figure 1;

[0033] [Fig. 5] Figure 5 shows an axial section of the refill of Figure 4, before mounting in a dispensing device;

[0034] [Fig. 6] Figure 6 shows a sectional view along the same plane as Figure 5 of a dispensing device according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention, comprising the refill of Figure 5;

[0035] [Fig. 7] Figure 7 shows the dispensing device of Figure 6 in a perspective side view, but without the protective cap.

[0036] Figures 1 and 2 illustrate a closure device 1 according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention. This closure device 1 is intended to stopper a container of a liquid to pasty product, for example a cream or an ointment.

This closure device 1 comprises a closure base 2 and a

cap 3. As here, the stopper base 2 and the cap 3 can each be a single piece. In this example, the closure device 1 consists of the closure base 2 and a plug 3. he

The stopper base 2 comprises a stopper wall 10, here forming a horizontal lower wall of the stopper base 2.

A communication duct 13 passes through the closure wall 10 from side to side, thus ensuring communication on either side of this closure wall 10. Thus the communication pipe 13 comprises two openings between which it s' extends: a communication opening 16a, here low, located on the side of a first surface 11 of the closure wall 10, and a communication opening 16b, here high, located on the other side, namely a second surface 12 of the closure wall 10, here located at the top.

The plug 3 is arranged with the communication duct 13 movably between a closed position and an open position. In Figures 1 and 2, it is shown in the open position.

The cap 3 is illustrated in more detail in Figure 3.

As in this example, the cap 3 can form a cup having a cavity 31 open upwards, therefore open on the side of the second surface 12 of the plugging wall 10 via a main opening 36. The cavity 31 is closed at the bottom by a bottom 30 and delimited on the sides by a cylindrical wall 35. The cavity 31 has, here, two side openings 32 facing each other.

[0043] The stopper 3 may as here have a deformable member 33. The latter is for example a peripheral bead 33 protruding from the outer surface of said cylindrical wall 35. It thus forms a friction member making it possible to retain the stopper 3 in the communication duct 13, thus being engaged on the internal wall 14 of the communication duct 13.

In this example, the deformable member 33 has two functions: both to give a certain resistance to the opening of the plug 3, when it is in the closed position, and to form a locking member of the plug 3 in open position.

Said deformable member 33 can be arranged at the very top of the wall

cylindrical 35, thus allowing the plug 3 to descend as far as possible, leaving most of the plug outside of the communication duct 13, in particular, as here, so as to completely exit the side openings 32 of the communication duct 13.

As here, the peripheral bead 33 can go around the wall

cylindrical 35, thus also providing a sealing function with the internal wall 14 of the communication duct 13.

Here, the internal wall 14 of the communication duct 13 is smooth. In a variant not shown, it could, on the other hand, have an upper annular groove and / or a lower annular groove, arranged so as to receive the peripheral bead 33, the upper annular groove allowing locking in the closed position and the lower annular groove allowing the locking in the open position.

[0048] According to the invention, as here, the cap may have a projection 34

lower, extending around the cylindrical wall 35 and radially outward. It is arranged so as to come into contact with the edge of the lower communication opening 16a of the communication duct 13, when the cap is in the closed position. Thus, this projection 34 on the one hand reinforces the sealing of the closure of the communication duct 13 and, on the other hand, forms an end stop in the closed position.

As here, the closure wall 10 may include a cone 17 flaring out from the bottom communication opening 16a.

In the open position, the bottom 30 and the side openings 32 are released at the bottom and out of the communication duct 13 but are housed in this cone 17, as can be seen in Figure 2. Thus, the bottom 30 and the side openings 32 are distant from the walls of this cone 17, thus leaving a passage under the plugging wall 10 going from a bottom opening 18 of the cone, then through the side openings 32, then into the cavity 31 and finally to said main opening 36.

The projection 34 may be of complementary shape to said first surface 11, thus strengthening the seal in the closed position. For example, as here, it can be frustoconical so as to be adjusted with the cone 17 in the closed position. The closure base 2 comprises on the side of said second surface 12 a first mounting interface 20, here reversible, which comprises an upper skirt 21 extending upwards and having an outer surface provided with a mounting element reversible, here a thread 22. The upper skirt 21 is arranged around the communication duct 13 and its upper communication opening 16b, therefore around an area where the communication duct 13 opens onto this second surface 12.

[0053] On the other side of the closure wall 10, namely on said first

surface 11, the closure base 2 includes two other interfaces:

- an irreversible fixing interface 23 arranged around the cone 17 and the lower communication opening 16a,

- a second reversible mounting interface 27 arranged around the fixing interface.

[0054] According to the invention, as here, the second mounting interface 27 can

include a mounting groove 28, delimited between a lower skirt 29 and a first barrel 19. The internal surface of the lower skirt 29 may, as here, include a thread 29 ’.

According to the invention, as here, the fixing interface 23 may comprise a fixing groove 24, delimited between the first shank 19 and a second shank 26. The surface of the first shank 19 inside the groove fixing 24 may, as here, comprise an annular bead 25, here forming an irreversible clip.

As here, the lower skirt 29, the first barrel 19 and the second barrel 26

can be arranged concentrically and in that order from the outside to the bottom communication opening 16a.

The closure base 2 can for example be made of polypropylene and the

high density polyethylene (PE-HD) cap.

[0058] Figures 4 and 5 illustrate an example of refill 4 of a liquid to pasty product according to the invention.

This refill 4 includes:

- a container of a liquid to pasty product, here a bag 7,

- the closure device 1 mounted on the neck of the pocket 7. As can be seen in Figure 5, before use, the cap 3 is in the closed position and tightly closes the communication duct 13. In fact, the bottom 30 closes the communication duct 13. Therefore , once the closure device 1 is mounted on the neck of the container, the closure wall 10 closes the container opening 40 in a sealed manner. The refill 4 is thus a refill suitable for a dispensing device without air intake, also called “airless” type.

The side openings in the embodiment of the cap 3 in a cup are above the bottom 30, for example, as here, inside the duct of

communication 13.

The projection 34 is here adjusted against the inner surface of the cone 17.

The deformation of the deformable member 33 is such that the plug 3 is

maintained in the closed position, up to a certain thrust threshold exerted on the plug 3 towards the open position. The closure of the refill 4 is thus secured.

The pocket 7 can, as here, be broken down into four zones formed by:

- a rigid upper side wall 41,

- a flexible lower side wall 42, deformable and in the downward continuity of said upper side wall 41, in particular with an inside diameter close to or identical to that of said upper side wall 41,

- a first articulation 44 between said upper side wall 41 and said lower side wall 42,

- a rigid bottom wall 43 and of diameter smaller than the internal diameter of said side walls 41, 42,

- a second articulation 46 between said lower side wall 42 and the bottom wall 43.

Once mounted in a dispensing device, such as for example that of Figure 6, in such a pocket 7, when subjected to a vacuum, during the dispensing of the product, the bottom wall 43 is driven towards the opening 40 of the pocket 7, with the second articulation 46, causing the second articulation 46 and said lower side wall 42 in reversal on them- same. Thus, the bottom wall rises inside the pocket 7 towards the opening 40 of the pocket 7, like a piston to expel the product contained therein.

In particular, this pocket 7 operates like that described in document WO2013153297A1.

The neck of the pocket 7 comprises a free peripheral end, which can as here include an annular rim 45 delimiting the opening 40 of the pocket 7 and projecting radially outwards from said upper lateral part 41.

As here, the refill 4 can include a protective cage 8 attached to the closure device 1. The pocket 7 is housed inside the cage 8.

[0069] The cage 8 comprises an insertion inlet 47 for the pocket 7 in this cage 8. The insertion inlet 47 is surrounded by an edge forming an outer annular shoulder 49. The cage 8 makes it possible to protect the pocket 7, in particular the flexible lower lateral part 42, when the refill 4 is dispensed or transported separately from the dispensing device. However, its wall forms a cylindrical grid 48, making it possible to visualize the amplitude of the overturning, and therefore of the emptying, of the pocket 7.

[0070] According to the invention, as here, this cage 8 can also serve as a sealed clamping element of the pocket 7 against the closure wall 10.

For example as here, the necks of the pocket 7 and of the cage 8 are inserted by force into the fixing groove 24. The annular rim 45 is housed against the top of said shoulder 49, and the latter is clipped into the fixing groove 24 after passing the annular bead 25. After fixing, the annular rim 45 is clamped between the plugging wall 10 and said shoulder 49, the latter itself being clamped by the annular bead 25 towards the wall of sealing, thus ensuring the seal between the sealing wall 10 and the inside of the pocket 7.

Figures 6 and 7 illustrate a device 9 for dispensing a liquid to pasty product according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention.

This distribution device 9 comprises:

- recharge 4, - A distribution head 5 mounted on the side of said second surface 12 and connected in fluid to the communication duct 13, the cap 3 being in the open position.

Here, the distribution head 5, hereinafter head 5, comprises a head base 50 having an outer lower surface 50 ', facing the plugging wall 10. The head base 50 comprises also a tube 51, which protrudes from this lower surface 50 'and downwards and which extends between a first opening 52a, here at the bottom, and a second opening 52b, here at the top.

The tube 51 is inserted into said communication duct 13 in sealed contact between the external wall of the tube 51 and the internal wall 14 of the communication duct 13.

Here, the tube 51 has a length substantially equal to the distance between the free upper edge of the plug 3, in the open position, and the edge of the top communication opening 16b, as can be seen in figure 6. This distance also corresponds to the distance between the closed position and the open position of the cap 3.

Thus, during the assembly of the head 5 on the stopper base 2, here by screwing, the tube 51 comes opposite the stopper 3, is inserted into the duct of

communication 13 on the side of said second surface 12, then descends into this duct, the edges of the first opening 52a of the tube 51 bearing against the edges of the cavity 31, which thus form a thrust surface 37. In fact, when by screwing the head 5, the tube 51 exerts a downward thrust on this thrust surface 37, until it exceeds said thrust threshold. The stopper 3 is then driven downward, as the tube 51 descends into the conduit 13, until the head base 50 abuts the edge of the upper communication opening 16b. In addition to a stopper, this ensures

also an additional sealing area between the

communication 13 and head 5.

Thus, once the head 5 has been mounted, the tube 51 bears axially against said thrust surface 37 and in the direction of the opening of the stopper 3. Furthermore, the first opening 52a of the tube 51 is in communication fluidics with said cavity 31. In addition, the stopper being in the open position, the side openings 32 and said bottom 30 are outside the communication duct 13. The fluid communication between the refill 4, more particularly the inside of the pocket 7 and the head 5 is thus established through the plug 3.

In this example, the head 5 comprises in a known manner:

- a pusher 58 slidably mounted on the head base 50,

- a bellows 54 connected at the top to the pusher 58 and at the bottom to the head base 50 and delimiting a metering chamber 55,

a low non-return valve 53 closing an inlet of the chamber 55, this inlet here being directly in fluid communication with the second opening 52b of the tube 51,

- A high non-return valve 56 closing an outlet of the chamber 55 and communicating with a dispensing orifice 57 of the product outside the dispensing device 9.

So when the pusher 58 is pushed down, the bellows 54 is

compressed causing pressure on the fluid contained in the metering chamber 55 (namely on the air before priming or on the product after priming), which causes the closing of the bottom valve 53 and the opening of the top valve 56 and the expulsion of the fluid out of the chamber 55, then out of the dispensing orifice 57.

After this thrust, the pusher 58 is returned upwards by the bellows 54 causing a vacuum in the chamber 55, the closing of the top valve 56 and the opening of the bottom valve 53. The fluid is then sucked into the chamber 55.

The fluid is here channeled into the cone 17, passes through the side openings 32, into the cavity 31, then through the main opening 36 in the tube 51, to the inlet of the chamber 55, and fills the latter.

In a variant not shown, other types of dispensing head can be envisaged, such as piston systems.

In this example, the head 5 comprises a head skirt 59 with an internal thread screwed onto said upper skirt 21. The dispensing device 9 may also include a container 6, the neck 60 of which is here screwed into the mounting groove 28.

The pocket 7 and the cage 8 are thus housed in the container 6, which forms the outer shell of this dispensing device 9. This shell may in particular include various inscriptions on its outer surface.

Thus when the dispensing device 9 has used up the product to be dispensed, it is possible to unscrew the head 5 and the container 6, to throw away the empty refill, while retaining the head 5 and the container 6.

Then, we reuse the head 5 by screwing it onto a new refill 4, of which we made sure that the cap 3 was in the up position. Then, the cage 8 and the pocket 7 of the refill 4 are inserted into the container 6 and the outer skirt 29 of the stopper 1 is screwed onto the neck of the container 6. This gives a ready-refilled dispensing device 9. in use.

According to the invention, as in the example illustrated in Figure 7, the container 6 may include a window 61 extending longitudinally on the container 6, from a height less than or equal to that of the bottom of the cage 8, up to a height greater than or equal to that of the first articulation 44.

Thus, in this example, this window 61 forms an example of a portion 61 through which one can see the pocket 7, and in particular check whether its lower lateral part 42 is returned, in particular substantially completely, to the 'inside its upper lateral part 41, so that one can see its state of filling.

Note that in Figure 6, the head 5 comprises a cap 62 covering the

pusher.

The container 6 with its window 61 can for example be produced by

polypropylene (PP).

According to a variant not shown, instead of a window, the container may be made of a transparent or translucent material, in particular glass or polyethylene terephthalate (PETG or polyethylene terephthalate). The distribution device 9 is particularly economical since only the refill 4 is changed; the head 5 and the container 6 are reusable.

[0095] Furthermore, according to the invention, at least the refill 4 can be made from recyclable materials.

Moreover, here, the refill 4 is very simple in design, in particular in only three parts. It is also easy to assemble and

disassembly at the head 5 and at the container 6, in particular in this example where only screwing / unscrewing operations are performed by the end user.

According to a variant not shown, the first mounting interface 20 can be made so as to be irreversible, in particular via one or more irreversible clips instead of a thread, in particular via an annular clip. In certain applications, it may in fact be advantageous to change only the container 6. This also allows the bag 7 to be filled before it is sealed by the stopper device 1 in the closed position, then to transport this refill to the top. 'at the assembly site of the dispensing device, while leaving a refill integrity indicator.

Claims

[Claim 1] [Sealing device (1) for a container of a liquid to pasty product, said sealing device comprising:

- a stopper base (2) comprising a stopper wall (10) having a through communication duct (13), said stopper wall being intended to close the opening (60) of a container (7) of a liquid to pasty product,

- a plug (3) movable in the communication duct, between a closed position and an open position,

wherein the stopper (3) comprises a bottom (30) and a cavity (31) open on one side of the stopper wall (10) and closed by said bottom (30), the cavity comprising at least one side opening ( 32), the plug being arranged with the communication conduit (13) so that:

- in the closed position, said bottom (30) sealingly closes the communication duct, and

- in the open position, the plug is partially outside the communication duct, said lateral opening (s) and said bottom being outside the communication duct, so that the communication duct is open in fluid communication through the stopper, the stopper (3) comprising a thrust surface (37) on the edges of said cavity (31) adapted to receive in axial support the edges of a first opening of a tube (51) belonging to to a dispensing device (9) in the direction of opening of the stopper (3).

[Claim 2] A closure device according to claim 1, wherein the communication duct (13) communicates between a first surface (11) and a second surface (12) of the closure wall (10), said closure wall being intended to close the opening (40) of the container (7) of a liquid to pasty product with the first surface oriented towards the inside of the container, so that in the closed position, said lateral opening (s) (s) (32) and said bottom (30) are in the communication duct and that in the open position, said opening (s) side (s) (32) and said bottom (30) are outside the communication duct while being on the side of said first surface.

[Claim 3] A closure device (1) according to claim 1 or 2, in which the communication duct (13) and / or the plug (3)

comprise at least one deformable member (33), arranged so as to retain the cap in the closed position up to a certain threshold of thrust exerted on the cap towards the open position.

[Claim 4] Capping device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, in which the communication duct (13) and / or the plug (3) comprise a locking member (33) of the plug in the open position. .

[Claim 5] A closure device (1) according to claim 3 or 4, wherein said deformable member (33) and / or said locking member (33) are arranged on and / or are engaged on the inner wall (14). ) of the communication channel (13).

[Claim 6] A closure device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, in which the closure wall (10) has a first surface (11) and a second surface (12) opposite this first surface, and comprises an irreversible fixing interface (23) which is:

- intended to be attached to the neck of a container (7) of a liquid to pasty product,

- arranged on the side of said first surface (11), and

- arranged around an area where the duct opens

communication (13) on this said first surface.

[Claim 7] A closure device (1) according to claim 6, wherein said irreversible fixing interface (23) comprises at least one irreversible clip (25).

[Claim 8] A closure device (1) according to claim 6 or 7, wherein the closure base (2) comprises a reversible or irreversible first mounting interface (20) which is:

- intended to be mounted on a distribution head (5), - arranged on the side of said second surface, and

- arranged around an area where the communication duct (13) opens onto this second surface (12).

[Claim 9] A closure device (1) according to claim 8, wherein the closure base (2) comprises a second reversible mounting interface (27) which is:

- intended to be mounted on the neck (60) of a container (6),

- arranged on the side of said first surface (11), and

- arranged around the fixing interface (23)

[Claim 10] A closure device (1) according to claim 7 or 8, wherein said first mounting interface (20) is reversible.

[Claim 11] A closure device (1) according to one of claims 8 to 10, wherein the one or more mounting interfaces (20, 27) are manual mounting interfaces and therefore allow manual disassembly.

[Claim 12] The closure device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the closure wall (10) comprises a cone (17) widening out from the opening of the communication duct on a first surface. (11) of the closure wall (10), the bottom (30) as well as said lateral opening (s) (32) of the stopper (3) being housed in this cone and at a distance from the walls of this cone when the cap is in the open position.

[Claim 13] Refill (4) of a liquid to pasty product intended to be mounted on a dispensing head (5) and comprising:

- a container (7) of a liquid to pasty product, having a neck with a container opening (40),

- a closure device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, mounted on the neck of the container (7) so that, when the stopper (3) is in the closed position, said closure wall (10) closes said container opening in a sealed manner.

[Claim 14] A refill (4) according to claim 13, wherein the container (7) is a flexible pouch.

[Claim 15] Refill (4) according to claim 13 or 14,

comprising a protective cage (8) attached to the closure device (1), the container (7) being housed inside said cage.

[Claim 16] A refill (4) according to claim 15, wherein the neck of the container (7) comprises an annular rim (45) around the opening of the container and projecting radially, the cage (8) comprising an inlet for insertion (47) of the container, the edge of the insertion inlet (49) clamping the annular rim (45) against the stopper wall (10), thus ensuring the seal between the latter and the container.

[Claim 17] Device for dispensing (9) a liquid to pasty product comprising:

- a refill (4) according to one of claims 13 to 16, the container (7) being mounted on the side of a first surface (11) of the closure wall (10),

- a distribution head (5) mounted on the other side of the stopper wall (10) and connected in fluid to the communication duct (13), the stopper (3) being in the open position

in which the distribution head (5) comprises:

- a tube (51) inserted in said communication duct (13), with a sealed contact between the external wall of the tube and the internal wall (14) of the communication duct, the tube being in axial bearing against the thrust surface ( 37) of said stopper (3) and in the direction of the opening of this stopper, the tube having a first opening (52a) in fluid communication with said cavity (31) and the lateral opening (s) (32),

- a distribution orifice (57) for the product outside the distribution device in fluid communication with a second opening (52b) of the tube,

wherein the first opening (52a) of the tube (51) is at one end of the tube, the edges of this first opening resting against the edges of said cavity (31), which thus form the thrust surface (37).

[Claim 18] A dispensing device (9) according to claim 17, wherein the dispensing head (5) comprises a head base (50), the tube (51) projecting from an outer surface of this head base and towards the stopper (3), the tube (51) having a length substantially equal to the distance between said closed position and said open position.

[Claim 19] Distribution device (9) according to one of

claims 17 to 18, comprising a container (6) reversibly mounted on the stopper base (2) on the side of the refill (4), the refill being arranged inside the container, the container (6) comprising at at least one portion (61) through which the container (7) can be seen, the latter being deformable and / or at least translucent, so that its state of filling can be seen.

[Claim 20] A dispensing device (9) according to claim 19, wherein the container (6) is made of glass.

[Claim 21] A dispensing device (9) according to claim 19, wherein the container (6) is made of polymer.