EP4166239B1 - Squeeze bottle dispenser with actuator securing device - Google Patents

Description

The invention primarily relates to a squeeze bottle dispenser with an actuation safety device, in particular a child safety device. A squeeze bottle dispenser in the sense of the invention is a liquid dispenser, for example for dispensing pharmaceutical liquids, which has a dimensionally stable liquid reservoir, the walls of which can be elastically compressed at least in part, so that the liquid in the liquid reservoir can be pressurized.

The reduction in volume of the liquid reservoir caused by the actuation and the associated increase in pressure cause liquid to be pressed into a discharge head of the squeeze bottle dispenser and to the discharge opening provided there. In squeeze bottle dispensers of the generic type as well as those according to the invention, an outlet valve is usually installed upstream of the discharge opening, which opens when there is sufficient liquid pressure.

Generic squeeze bottle dispensers are widely used. They are used in particular for pharmaceutical liquids, for example eye drops. A squeeze bottle dispenser of the type described is known, for example, from the document EN 10 2016 210 992 B3 known.

Especially with squeeze bottle dispensers that contain pharmaceutical liquids, it is important that this liquid is not spilled by children playing or otherwise unintentionally.

Squeeze bottle dispensers with child safety locks are known from the subsequently published European patent application 21155900.0.

From the EP0155471A2 Various variants of cartridge dispensers are known which have a housing with sliders on the outside which act as actuation protection.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a squeeze bottle dispenser that offers a high degree of safety against unintentional activation and/or activation by children at play.

For this purpose, a squeeze bottle dispenser is proposed which has a liquid reservoir designed as a squeeze bottle and a discharge head with a discharge opening. The discharge head is preferably manufactured as a separate assembly and coupled to the liquid reservoir, for example by means of a snap-in connection or a threaded connection. However, designs are also possible in which the discharge head and the liquid reservoir, or at least their outer surfaces, are formed by a one-piece component.

The liquid dispenser is preferably filled with a pharmaceutical liquid, for example with a liquid containing imidazoline for relieving conjunctival irritation. The liquid reservoir preferably has an internal volume of less than 50 ml, in particular less than 20 ml.

The liquid reservoir is designed as a squeeze bottle. The squeeze bottle body is preferably designed with an inherent rigidity that allows the internal volume to be reduced by at least 5% when pressure of 20 Newtons is applied on both sides. The wall of the liquid reservoir is preferably made of a soft plastic, in particular polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyethylene (PE) or a cycloolefin copolymer (COC).

Various types of liquid discharge are possible. The dispenser according to the invention can be designed to discharge a liquid jet or a spray. Preferably, however, the squeeze bottle dispenser is designed as a drop dispenser. For this purpose, the squeeze bottle dispenser preferably has drop-forming means in the area of the discharge opening, in particular in the form of a drop-forming surface surrounding the discharge opening, where discharged liquid collects until the amount of liquid is sufficient for a drop to form, which detaches from the drop-forming means and falls down.

According to the invention, a squeeze bottle dispenser according to the invention has a protective sleeve that is captively connected to the liquid reservoir. This is axially displaceable repeatedly relative to the liquid reservoir between a Protective position and a release position. The displaceability can be purely translational. However, it is also possible for the protective sleeve to be displaceable translationally and rotationally, for example superimposed in the manner of a thread movement or sequentially in the manner of a bayonet movement.

For the purposes of the invention, a captive attachment of the protective sleeve to the squeeze bottle dispenser means that the protective sleeve cannot be separated from the squeeze bottle dispenser during normal use. The fact that separation is possible using brute force does not contradict the captiveness for the purposes of the invention.

In the protective position, the protective sleeve is arranged relative to the liquid reservoir in such a way that it either completely prevents compression of the liquid reservoir or at least makes it extremely difficult by covering access to the outer wall of the liquid reservoir. This prevents liquid from escaping.

In the release position, however, the protective sleeve allows the liquid reservoir to be compressed and thus the liquid to be discharged. For this purpose, the protective sleeve is displaced so far in relation to the liquid reservoir that it no longer represents any obstacle or at least allows the liquid reservoir to be subjected to a force that is easier than in the protective position.

For the purpose described, the protective sleeve can be displaced at least translationally relative to the liquid reservoir. The degree of displaceability in the axial direction relative to the main axis is preferably at least 20 mm, in particular preferably at least 30 mm. This dimension describes the axial path that the protective sleeve can move between opposite end positions, i.e. between the release position and the end position associated with the protection position.

The protective sleeve is sufficiently rigid to prevent a significant reduction in the internal volume of the liquid reservoir when force is applied to the protective sleeve. The protective sleeve is preferably made of a rigid plastic, in particular polycyclohexylenedimethylene terephthalate / glycol-modified (PCTG), polypropylene (PP), a cycloolefin copolymer (COC), a cycloolefin polymer (COP), polyethylene terephthalate (PET) or a hard polyethylene (HDPE). The protective sleeve does not necessarily have to be made of a stiffer material than the liquid reservoir to achieve its stability. Alternatively, the higher stability can also be achieved by using a greater wall thickness.

In order to allow a guided displacement of the protective sleeve, the squeeze bottle dispenser has at least one guide surface along which the protective sleeve can be displaced in a guided manner. In principle, it is possible to use the outside of the liquid reservoir directly as a guide surface. However, a design in which a component separate from the liquid reservoir provides the guide surface is preferred.

One possible design provides for at least one guide surface to be provided on the outside of a guide ring. This guide ring is attached to the liquid reservoir, the discharge head or in an intermediate area in between. An inside of the guide ring is designed in such a way that the ring cannot or can hardly be displaced in the axial direction relative to the liquid reservoir. On the outside, the guide ring has a sliding surface along which the protective sleeve can be slidably displaced.

A design in which the guide ring is attached to a tapered neck area of the liquid dispenser is particularly advantageous. In this case, its inner diameter is smaller than the diameter of the liquid reservoir and the discharge head on both sides of the tapered neck area. Such a ring can be installed by placing the guide ring in the neck area before the discharge head is attached to the liquid reservoir.

However, it is considered advantageous in terms of a more flexible assembly sequence if the guide ring is designed in such a way that it can also be mounted when the discharge head is already attached to the bottle neck. This can be achieved, for example, by a guide ring interrupted by a separating slot, which is temporarily widened in the axial direction or from the side for assembly. In particular, the guide ring can be designed as an interrupted guide ring that has an interruption in a segment that spans a maximum of 120° and which preferably spans a maximum of 10°. Such an interruption in the ring structure or at least a slotted design is advantageous in order to be able to widen the guide ring during automated assembly. Preferably, a guide ring provided with an interruption or slot and the protective sleeve held thereby are coordinated with one another in such a way that the guide sleeve prevents the guide ring from widening to a level that would be sufficient to pull the guide ring over the liquid reservoir or the discharge head and thus separate the protective sleeve from the squeeze bottle dispenser.

An alternative design of a guide ring provides that the guide ring is designed as a multi-part guide ring, in particular as a two-part guide ring. It has at least two guide ring segments which are connected to one another at at least one end, preferably at both ends, to form the joined guide ring, in particular preferably by means of a snap-in connection. With such a design, the guide ring is only assembled from the multiple guide ring segments in the area of the neck area of the liquid reservoir.

In order to slide the protective sleeve onto the guide ring during assembly, an insertion bevel is preferably provided on the protective sleeve and/or on the guide ring. During assembly, the protective sleeve is preferably pushed on from a side facing away from the discharge opening. In this case, the insertion bevel is provided on the upper edge of the protective sleeve or on the lower end of the guide ring.

The guide ring can have at least one guide structure on its outside that extends in the direction of movement of the protective sleeve, for example in the form of a short vertical groove. This allows a protective sleeve provided with a corresponding inward-facing guide structure to not only be guided longitudinally by means of the guide ring, but also to be secured in a rotationally fixed manner to the guide ring. It has been shown that this results in greater guide stability and a reduced tendency to tilt.

The guide ring preferably also forms a stop that limits the displacement of the protective sleeve in at least one direction of movement. The guide ring can also form a locking edge of a displacement lock, which will be explained below.

An alternative design of the guide surface provides that at least one guide surface is provided on an inner side of a guide sleeve surrounding the protective sleeve. This guide sleeve can be held on the liquid reservoir or on the discharge head or between the liquid reservoir and discharge head, in particular using an intermediate ring. The guide sleeve surrounds the liquid reservoir and is stationary in the axial direction or only slightly movable axially relative to it. The guide sleeve has at least one recess through which the liquid reservoir can be compressed. Preferably, two recesses opposite one another are provided. The recesses preferably have an extension in the axial direction of at least 10 mm, preferably of at least 15 mm.

In such a design, the protective sleeve can be arranged between the guide sleeve, which is largely stationary axially to the liquid reservoir, and the outer wall of the liquid reservoir. If the protective sleeve is in its protective position, it is located in the area of at least one recess, so that it is impossible to apply force to the liquid reservoir. If the protective sleeve is in its release position, it at least partially releases the recess and thus enables the squeeze bottle reservoir to be compressed.

As already explained, the guide sleeve is preferably attached to the squeeze bottle dispenser using an intermediate ring. As already explained above with regard to the guide ring, the intermediate ring can also be designed as a slotted ring or as a ring with an interruption to make assembly easier. A guide ring made up of several ring segments in the manner described is also possible.

While the guide ring described serves to guide the protective sleeve in a sliding manner, the intermediate ring is preferably designed for axial fixation on the guide sleeve. The intermediate ring and the guide sleeve are preferably locked together in a form-fitting manner, with a groove being provided on one of the parts and a web engaging therein on the other part.

In the simplest case, the protective sleeve can be guided by the guide ring or the guide sleeve in such a way that the outside of the guide ring and the inside of the protective sleeve or the outside of the protective sleeve and the inside of the guide sleeve have a substantially identical cylindrical shape.

However, it is preferred if interlocking guide structures are provided on the guide surface and opposite thereto on the protective sleeve, by means of which the protective sleeve is guided in a rotationally fixed manner relative to the guide surface or by means of which the protective sleeve is guided in a rotationally and translationally guided manner relative to the guide surface, for example in the manner of a threaded movement or a bayonet movement.

In particular, a recessed guide groove can be provided on one side, into which a guide web or a guide cam on the opposite side engages. Such a structure leads to more reliable guidance, in which tilting can be easily avoided. If the guide groove has a helical shape at least in sections, the thread movement mentioned is achieved.

This makes it possible to move the protective sleeve between the release position and the protective position by applying a moment and thereby indirectly causing axial displacement.

The guide groove can have a partial section at one or both axially spaced ends that extends circumferentially to the main axis so that it does not run in the axial direction of the main axis. By means of these end sections, the protective sleeve and the liquid reservoir can be held in the protective position or the release position.

The requirement to first move the protective sleeve into the release position before using a liquid dispenser according to the invention provides a high level of security against unintentional activation. In order to increase this level of security even further, particularly in a design that serves as a child safety lock, a displacement lock can be provided by means of which the protective sleeve can be secured against displacement in its protective position. To move it into the release position, the displacement lock must first be released using a separate operation.

In particular, the displacement protection device can have at least one elastically deflectable locking element which is fixed either to the liquid reservoir and the guide sleeve or to the securing sleeve and which, in the protective position, interacts with a locking edge provided on the other side in such a way that a translational or a rotational movement and thus indirectly a translational movement of the protective sleeve relative to the liquid reservoir is prevented. In order to bring the liquid dispenser into the release position, the user must first deflect the locking element by applying direct manual force so that it can be guided past the locking edge.

The elastically deflectable locking element can be attached in particular to the protective sleeve or to the guide sleeve, in particular as a one-piece molded section that is connected to surrounding wall parts of the sleeve via an elastically deformable material bridge. It is particularly preferred if the deflectable locking element is provided on the protective sleeve itself. If it is a protective sleeve that can be displaced within a guide sleeve, the corresponding locking edge is preferably provided on the guide sleeve, in particular as the edge of an opening through which the locking element can be pressed in. This opening can be identical to the recess through which the Force is applied to the squeeze bottle. If the protective sleeve is mounted on an internal guide surface of a guide ring, the locking edge is preferably provided on this guide ring.

Particularly in a design with a guide ring, it can be useful to design the elastically deflectable locking element as a rocker element with two opposing arms on either side of a tilting axis. One of the arms can then be used to lock with the locking edge, while the other arm is manually operated to release the lock. The rocker element thus causes a reversal of direction for the purpose of releasing the lock.

In the protective position, the protective sleeve surrounds the liquid reservoir at least in those areas where it would be accessible from the outside. In the release position, the protective sleeve is translationally displaced relative to the liquid reservoir. Designs are conceivable in which the translational displacement of the protective sleeve occurs in the direction of the discharge opening or away from the discharge opening.

In the first case, the protective sleeve is closer to the dispensing opening in the release position than in the protective position. This makes it possible to use an upper edge of the protective sleeve as a contact surface that is placed in the area of the skin where liquid is to be applied. In the case of eye drops, for example, the contact surface can be placed in the area of the eyebrow to enable particularly safe and reproducible dispensing.

It is advantageous for this purpose that the contact surface of the protective sleeve is arranged in the release position such that it is positioned a maximum of 15 mm away from the discharge opening in relation to the main axis and in particular preferably protrudes beyond the discharge opening.

Such a design is particularly useful when the protective sleeve is guided on an internal guide ring. Preferably, holding means are provided, in particular in the form of stops on the guide ring and on the protective sleeve, in order to prevent the protective sleeve from being pulled off the guide ring.

Another design, in which the protective sleeve is displaced away from the discharge opening in the release position, is preferably implemented using the guide sleeve described. This is able to securely hold the protective sleeve displaced away from the discharge opening. The extension of the dispenser as a whole caused by the displacement of the protective sleeve can offer a considerable advantage in handling.

Even with such a design, holding means are preferably provided which prevent the protective sleeve from being pulled off in the opposite direction to the discharge opening. In particular, these can be stops on the protective sleeve and the guide sleeve. A particularly advantageous design provides that the stop on the side of the guide sleeve is formed by an edge which delimits the actuation recess.

In the case of a design with a guide sleeve, in order to be able to move the protective sleeve arranged inside the guide sleeve into the release position, the user must be able to grasp the protective sleeve. This can be done through the recess. However, to make handling easier, the protective sleeve can also have a distal end section that protrudes beyond the guide sleeve at the lower end even when the protective sleeve is in the protective position. The additional length of the protective sleeve can be used when the protective sleeve is designed with a closed base to arrange electronic dispenser components such as a counter within the receiving space defined in this way.

The protective sleeve covers the liquid reservoir at least in phases. In order to make any labelling on the liquid reservoir legible, the protective sleeve can be made of transparent plastic. Printing on the outside of the liquid reservoir or on a label attached to the outside can thus be read through the protective sleeve. If a guide sleeve is provided, this can also be made of transparent plastic.

It is also possible to use the protective sleeve or, if applicable, the guide sleeve to provide printing thereon, if necessary in the form of a printed label.

It is also possible to provide printing on the protective sleeve or the guide sleeve on the one hand and on the liquid reservoir on the other. This can be used, for example, to attach instructions or similar to the liquid reservoir, which can only be detected in the release position and which are not yet required when the protective sleeve is in the protective position.

The squeeze bottle dispenser preferably has a protective cap which protects the discharge opening when fitted and which is removed to use the dispenser and then fitted again. Such a protective cap can in particular be a protective cap with at least one ventilation opening, whereby this ventilation opening is preferably still closed in the delivery state.

The protective cap can provide additional security by interacting with the protective sleeve in such a way that when the protective cap is in place or at least when the protective cap has not yet been opened for the first time, the displacement of the protective sleeve is prevented, in particular by arranging the protective cap at the point where the protective sleeve must be moved to be moved into the release position.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

• Fig. 1 und 2 zeigen einen gattungsgemäßen Tropfenspender, anhand dessen die Bauweise eines gattungsgemäßen Quetschflaschenspenders erläutert wird.
• Fig. 3 bis 6B zeigen ein erstes Ausführungsbeispiel eines erfindungsgemäßen Flüssigkeitsspenders.
• Fig. 7A und 7B zeigen eine Variante des erstes Ausführungsbeispiels.
• Fig. 8 und 9 zeigen ein zweites Ausführungsbeispiel eines erfindungsgemäßen Flüssigkeitsspenders.
• Fig. 10 bis 13B zeigen ein drittes Ausführungsbeispiel eines erfindungsgemäßen Flüssigkeitsspenders.
• Fig. 14 zeigt eine alternative Bauweise eines Führungsrings für den Flüssigkeitsspender gemäß dem dritten Ausführungsbeispiel.

Further advantages and aspects of the invention emerge from the claims and from the following description of preferred embodiments of the invention, which are explained below with reference to the figures.

• Fig. 1 and 2 show a generic dropper dispenser, which is used to explain the construction of a generic squeeze bottle dispenser.
• Fig. 3 to 6B show a first embodiment of a liquid dispenser according to the invention.
• Fig. 7A and 7B show a variant of the first embodiment.
• Fig. 8 and 9 show a second embodiment of a liquid dispenser according to the invention.
• Fig. 10 to 13B show a third embodiment of a liquid dispenser according to the invention.
• Fig. 14 shows an alternative design of a guide ring for the liquid dispenser according to the third embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EXAMPLES

The Fig.1 and 2 initially show a squeeze bottle dispenser 10 without actuation safety device, which is further developed by additions to form a liquid dispenser according to the invention with actuation safety device.

The squeeze bottle dispenser 10 has a discharge head 12 with an outer housing 14, which is pierced at the distal end by a discharge opening 16.

The squeeze bottle dispenser 10 also has a liquid reservoir 20, which is designed as a squeeze bottle and whose walls can therefore be pressed in to reduce the internal volume of the liquid reservoir 20 and increase the pressure accordingly. The discharge head is attached to the open end of the liquid reservoir 20.

As in Fig.2 As shown, the pressure during the compression of the liquid reservoir 20 forces the liquid contained therein towards the discharge head when the discharge opening is oriented downwards and reaches the discharge opening 16 after a discharge valve 18 has been opened due to pressure.

The squeeze bottle dispenser 10 can, for example, be a drop dispenser, in particular for ophthalmic use, whose discharge opening is designed to dispense drops, in particular by means of a drop formation surface surrounding the discharge opening 16 on the outside, in particular with a surrounding sharp-edged tear-off edge.

To protect this discharge opening 16, the dispenser 10 can comprise a protective cap 22. To enable rapid drying of the droplet formation surface after use, the protective cap is provided with ventilation openings.

The Fig. 3 to 6B show a first embodiment of a dispenser according to the invention. This is based on the drop dispenser of Fig.1 , which is due to the Fig.5 clearly visible components 70, 50, 30. The Fig. 3 and 4 show the liquid dispenser 10 in the assembled state before and after removal of the protective cap 22.

The additional components 30, 50, 70 represent components of a safety device intended to prevent accidental discharge of liquid. In particular, the components together form a child safety lock that is difficult for small children to overcome.

The child safety device comprises a protective sleeve 30 which is inserted into a guide sleeve 50. The guide sleeve 50 is provided with a recess 54 on opposite sides in the area of its outer surface, through which the force is applied to the liquid reservoir 20 as intended. However, this force is prevented when the protective sleeve 30 is completely pushed into the guide sleeve 50 and thus in the Fig. 3 and 4 The recesses 54 are blocked as shown.

The guide sleeve 50 is provided on its inner side with guide surfaces 52 in the form of two guide grooves 53 extending in the direction of the main axis 2, opposite one another. Corresponding to this, guide webs 33 are provided on the outside of the protective sleeve 30. The protective sleeve 30 can thus only be moved in a translational manner when inserted into the guide sleeve 50. The protective sleeve 30 has stop webs 37 on both sides at the upper edge that protrude outwards and prevent the protective sleeve 30 from being completely pulled out of the guide sleeve 50. As soon as the stop 37 hits the lower edge of the window recesses 54, which forms another stop, the protective sleeve 30 cannot be pulled out any further.

The guide sleeve 50 has a locking opening 59, the lower end edge of which forms a locking edge 64. Corresponding to this, a locking element 62 is provided which can be elastically deflected inwards and which is an integral part of the protective sleeve 30 in the form of a tongue cut out in a U-shape.

The assembly of the guide sleeve 50 and the protective sleeve 30 inserted therein is attached to the liquid reservoir 20 of the liquid dispenser 10 by means of an intermediate ring 70. The intermediate ring 70 is in the Fig.5 As can be seen, the intermediate ring is not designed to be closed all the way round, but is provided with an interruption 74. This interruption 74 allows the intermediate ring to be pushed onto a tapered area 20B of the liquid reservoir 20 from above or below, but in particular also from the side. It can then be pressed together sufficiently far so that the combination of guide sleeve 50 and protective sleeve 30 can be pushed on from below.

Fig. 6A shows the child safety lock mounted in this way in a sectional view. It can be seen that a groove 78 on the outside of the intermediate ring 70 is used to fasten an inward-facing retaining web 58 of the guide sleeve 50.

Fig. 6A shows the protective position of the protective sleeve 30. As already explained above, the protective sleeve 30 blocks its recesses 54 in this position so that the user is not able to compress the liquid reservoir 20.

In order to make the dispenser ready for operation, the user must first elastically press in the locking element 62. Once this has been done, the user can pull the protective sleeve downwards by applying force to the protective sleeve 30 against the guide sleeve 50 or the discharge head 12, so that the state of the Fig. 6B The downward shift is achieved by the stops 37, 57. In the position of the Fig. 6B the dispenser as a whole is now significantly extended, so that it is easier to handle and the dispenser can be placed securely, for example above an eye to be treated. If the liquid reservoir is now subjected to force on both sides through the recesses 54, the pressure in the liquid reservoir increases, so that the dispensing valve 18 opens and liquid is dispensed through the discharge opening 16.

After use, the user pushes the protective sleeve 30 upwards again. A bevel on the locking element 62 causes it to be indirectly elastically deflected inwards until it springs back into the opening 59 and restores the protective state.

The design of the Fig. 7A and 7B differs from that of the Fig. 3 to 6B by the fact that the protective sleeve is extended at its lower end so that it can also be used in the protective position of the Fig. 7A protrudes downwards beyond the guide sleeve 50. This can facilitate the transfer to the release position of the Fig. 7B facilitate.

The design of the Fig. 8 and 9 is that of the previous Fig. 3 to 7B quite similar. A significant difference is that here no purely translational movement of the protective sleeve 30 is provided, but rather a superimposed translational and rotational movement. For this purpose, a predominantly helical guide groove 35 is provided on an outer side of the protective sleeve 30, which only changes into horizontal sections at its ends. A guide cam 55 is arranged within the groove, which is provided on the inside of the guide sleeve 50.

The helical guide groove 35 ensures that the Fig.8 in the release position of the Fig.9 firstly, the locking element 62 must be pressed in as already described, but then the protective sleeve 30 is not pulled out directly, but is unscrewed, as it were, by a rotary movement and a translational movement indirectly caused thereby.

The design of the Fig. 10 to 13B has fundamental differences to the previous embodiments. As can be seen from Fig. 12 As can be seen, only two additional components are provided here to achieve an actuation safety, namely a guide ring 40, which is pushed onto a tapered area 20B of the liquid reservoir 20 from above or below, but in particular from the side, similar to the intermediate ring 70, and a protective sleeve 30, which is pushed onto the liquid reservoir 20 surrounding the guide ring 40. On the upper edge of the guide sleeve 30, insertion bevels 38 are provided, which are used for ensure that the guide ring 40 is temporarily compressed so that it can expand again below the guide bevels 38.

Based on the Fig. 13A and 13B It is clear that the guide ring 40 fulfils a number of functions. From the protective position of the Fig. 13A it is not possible to pull the protective sleeve 30 downwards, since the bevels previously used during assembly only work in the opposite direction. Furthermore, it is initially not possible to move the protective sleeve 30 upwards, since a locking element 62 designed as a rocker element rests with an upper edge on the locking edge 64 of the guide ring 40. Only when the lower half of the locking element 62 is pressed, the upper half is tilted outwards, so that the protective sleeve can then be moved upwards. The end position is in the Fig. 13B visible position is reached in which a stop 64 of the guide ring 40 comes to rest against an inwardly pointing stop 31 of the protective sleeve 30.

Fig. 13B shows the release position in which a force can now be applied to the liquid reservoir 20. Deviating from Fig. 13B This force is applied when the dispenser is in an angled position with the discharge opening 16 pointing downwards. The upper end edge of the protective sleeve 30 can be used in this release position by placing the contact surface 34 there on a part of the user's skin in order to allow the most precise drop dispensing possible. In particular, the contact surface 34 can be placed on the user's eyebrow, for example.

Fig. 14 shows an alternative design of a guide ring 40. This is not provided with an interruption 44 that allows for expansion, but is instead formed from two ring segments 40A, 40B that can be connected to one another via cooperating coupling means 41. This allows the guide ring of the Fig. 14 to be attached after the liquid reservoir 20 and the discharge head 12 have already been connected to one another by feeding the two ring segments in the tapered region 20B from opposite sides and locking them around the bottle neck.

The guide ring 40 of the Fig. 14 furthermore has a guide structure 48 on the outside. These are short vertical grooves. These grooves can interact with corresponding webs on the inside of the protective sleeve 30 so that the protective sleeve 30 cannot rotate about the main axis 2 relative to the guide ring. This allows for secure guidance and a low tendency to tilt.

Claims (14)

1. Squeeze bottle dispenser (10) with actuation lock, having the following features:

   a. the squeeze bottle dispenser (10) comprises a liquid reservoir (20) in the form of a squeeze bottle, and

   b. the squeeze bottle dispenser (10) comprises a discharge head (12) with a discharge opening (16),

   characterized by the following further features:

   c. the squeeze bottle dispenser (10) has a protective sleeve (30), which is captively connected to the liquid reservoir (20) and can be displaced in a translational movement or a superposed or sequential translational and rotational movement between a protective position and a release position in relation to the liquid reservoir (20) with respect to a main axis (2), and,

   d. in the protective position, the protective sleeve (30) prevents or hinders the manual application of force to the liquid reservoir (20) and thus the discharge of liquid, and,

   e. in the release position, the protective sleeve (30) does not prevent or hinder the manual application of force to the liquid reservoir (20) and thus allows the discharge of liquid.
2. Squeeze bottle dispenser (10) according to Claim 1, having the following further features:

   a. the squeeze bottle dispenser (10) has a discharge direction which defines the main axis (2), and/or the liquid reservoir (20) has an at least partially cylindrical, in particular circular-cylindrical, wall, the centre axis of which defines the main axis (2), and

   b. the translational displacement of the protective sleeve (30) takes place along this main axis (2) and/or the rotational displacement of the protective sleeve (30) is effected about this main axis (2).
3. Squeeze bottle dispenser (10) according to Claim 1 or 2, having the following further feature:

   a. the squeeze bottle dispenser (10) has at least one guide surface (42, 52), along which the protective sleeve (30) is guidedly displaceable.
4. Squeeze bottle dispenser (10) according to Claim 3, having the following further feature:

   a. at least one guide surface (42) is provided on an outer side of a guide ring (40), which is mounted on the liquid reservoir (20) or in an intermediate region between the liquid reservoir (20) and the discharge head (12) or on the discharge head (12), preferably having the additional feature:

   b. the guide ring (40) is in the form of a slotted or interrupted guide ring (40), which has an interruption (44) in a segment which spans at most 120° and preferably spans at most 10°, or

   c. the guide ring (40) is in the form of a multi-part guide ring (40), in particular a guide ring composed of two guide ring segments (40A, 40B), which are connected to one another to form the guide ring at least at one end, preferably at each of their ends, in particular preferably by means of a detent connection, and/or

   d. the guide ring (40) is designed such that, during the mounting, the protective sleeve (30) can be pushed during the mounting onto the guide ring (40) from a side remote from the discharge opening (16), wherein an insertion bevel (38) for facilitating the pushing-on operation is preferably provided on the guide ring (40) and/or on the protective sleeve (30), and/or

   e. the outer side of the guide ring (40) has at least one guide structure (48) which extends in the direction of movement of the protective sleeve (30), and the protective sleeve (30) has a corresponding inwardly facing guide structure.
5. Squeeze bottle dispenser (10) according to Claim 3, having the following further features:

   a. at least one guide surface (52) is provided on an inner side of a guide sleeve (50) which is mounted, preferably using an intermediate ring (70) in between, on the liquid reservoir (20) or in an intermediate region between the liquid reservoir (20) and the discharge head (12) or on the discharge head (12), wherein the guide sleeve (50) externally surrounds the liquid reservoir (20) and the protective sleeve (30), and

   b. the guide sleeve (50) has at least one cutout (54), through which force can be applied to the liquid reservoir (20) when the protective sleeve (30) is in the release position, and which is at least partially closed when the protective sleeve (30) is in the protective position,

   preferably having the additional feature:
   c. the guide sleeve (50) has at least two oppositely situated cutouts (54).
6. Squeeze bottle dispenser (10) according to Claim 5, having the following further feature:

   a. an intermediate ring (70), by means of which the guide sleeve (50) is mounted on the liquid reservoir and/or on the discharge head, is provided,

   preferably having the additional features:

   b. the intermediate ring (70) is in the form of an interrupted intermediate ring (70), which has an interruption (74) in a segment which spans at most 120° and preferably spans at most 10°, and/or

   c. the intermediate ring (70) is in the form of a multi-part intermediate ring (70), in particular an intermediate ring composed of two intermediate ring segments, which are connected to one another to form the intermediate ring at least at one end, preferably at each of their ends, in particular preferably by means of a detent connection, and/or

   c. the intermediate ring (70) and the guide sleeve (50) are latched to one another in a form fit, wherein a respective outwardly or inwardly open holding groove (78), into which a holding flange (58) of the guide sleeve (50) or of the intermediate ring protrudes, is preferably provided on the intermediate ring (70) or on the guide sleeve.
7. Squeeze bottle dispenser (10) according to either of Claims 5 and 6, having the following further feature:

   a. guide structures (33, 53, 35, 55), which engage in one another and which rotationally fixedly guide the protective sleeve (30) in relation to the guide surface or guide the protective sleeve (30) in superposition or sequential rotation and translation in relation to the guide surface (52), are provided on the guide surface (52) and on the protective sleeve (30),

   preferably having one of the following additional features:

   b. the guide surface (52) is formed by a guide groove (53), in which a guide flange (33) or a guide cam of the protective sleeve (30) engages, or

   c. the guide surface (52) has a guide flange or a guide cam (55), which engages in a guide groove (35) of the protective sleeve (30), and/or

   d. the guide groove (35) at least partially has a helical shape, so that the movement of the protective sleeve (30) in relation to the guide surface (52) is a superposed rotational and translational movement, and/or

   e. at least one end of the guide groove (35) has a portion which extends around the circumference in relation to the main axis (2), wherein the portion does not extend in the axial direction relative to the main axis (2).
8. Squeeze bottle dispenser (10) according to one of the preceding claims, having the following further feature:

   a. a displacement lock (60), by means of which the protective sleeve (30) in its protective position can be locked against displacement, is provided.
9. Squeeze bottle dispenser (10) according to Claim 8, having the following further feature:

   a. the displacement lock (60) comprises at least one elastically deflectable detent element (62) which in the protective position of the protective sleeve (30) interacts with a detent edge (64), which is translationally and/or rotationally fixed in relation to the liquid reservoir (20) or to the protective sleeve (30), such that a translational and/or rotational movement of the protective sleeve (30) is prevented,

   preferably having the following additional features:

   b. the elastically deflectable detent element (62) is mounted on the protective sleeve (30) or the guide sleeve (50), wherein the detent element (62) is preferably a one-piece part of the component that predominantly forms the protective sleeve (30) or the guide sleeve (50), respectively, and/or

   c. the latching edge (64) is provided on the guide sleeve (50), and/or

   d. the latching edge (64) is provided on the guide ring (40), and/or,

   e. in the protective position, the detent element (62) mounted on the protective sleeve (30) is arranged in the region of the cutout (54), wherein the detent edge (64) is formed by a rim of the cutout (54), and/or

   f. the elastically deflectable detent element (62) is in the form of a rocker element with two mutually opposite extensions on either side of a tilt axis.
10. Squeeze bottle dispenser (10) according to one of the preceding claims, having the following further feature:

    a. the translational displacement of the protective sleeve (30) from the protective position to the release position is effected in the direction toward the discharge opening (16),

    preferably having the following additional features:

    b. an upper rim of the protective sleeve (30) at least partially forms a contact surface (34) for coming to lie against part of the skin, and/or,

    c. in the release position, the contact surface (34) is arranged such that the contact surface (34) is positioned at most 15 mm away from the discharge opening (16) with respect to the main axis (2), and/or

    d. holding means (31, 46) are provided, which prevent the protective sleeve (30) from being pulled off in the direction toward the discharge opening (16) and are in particular in the form of stops (31, 46) on the protective sleeve (30) and on the guide ring (40).
11. Squeeze bottle dispenser (10) according to one of Claims 1 to 9, having the following further feature:

    a. the translational displacement of the protective sleeve (30) from the protective position to the release position is effected away from the discharge opening (16), preferably having at least one of the following additional features:

    b. holding means (37, 57) are provided, which prevent the protective sleeve (30) from being pulled off in the direction away from the discharge opening (16) and are in particular in the form of stops (37, 57) on the protective sleeve (30) and on the guide sleeve (50), wherein in particular preferably the stop (57) of the guide sleeve (50) is formed by an edge delimiting the cutout (54),

    c. the protective sleeve (30) has a distal end portion (32), which protrudes beyond the guide sleeve (50) at the lower end in the protective position of the protective sleeve (30), wherein the distal end portion (32) in particular defines a receiving space, in which electronic components of the dispenser are arranged.
12. Squeeze bottle dispenser (10) according to one of the preceding claims, having one of the following further features:

    a. the protective sleeve (30) is made from a transparent plastic, wherein a printing is provided in particular on an outer side of the liquid reservoir (20) and remains visible through the protective sleeve (30) even when the protective sleeve (30) is in the protective position, or

    b. a printing is applied to the protective sleeve (30) and no printing is applied to the outer side of the squeeze bottle, or

    c. a respective printing is provided both on the protective sleeve (30) and on the outer side of the liquid reservoir (20).
13. Squeeze bottle dispenser (10) according to one of the preceding claims, having the following further features:

    a. the squeeze bottle dispenser (10) has a removable and replaceable protective cap (22), and

    b. the protective cap (22) interacts with the protective sleeve (30) such that the displacement of the protective sleeve (30) is prevented when the protective cap (22) is fitted or when the protective cap (22) has not yet been opened for the first time.
14. Squeeze bottle dispenser (10) according to one of the preceding claims, having at least one of the following further features:

    a. the squeeze bottle dispenser (10) is in the form of a drop dispenser,

    wherein drop forming means, in particular a drop forming surface surrounding the discharge opening, are provided in the region of the discharge opening (16), and/or

    b. the liquid reservoir (20) is made from a soft plastic, in particular from polyethylene terephthalate, from polyethylene or from a cyclic olefin copolymer and/or

    c. the protective sleeve (30) is made from a rigid plastic, in particular from glycol-modified polycyclohexylenedimethylene terephthalate, from polypropylene, from a cyclic olefin copolymer, from a cyclic olefin polymer, from polyethylene terephthalate, or from a hard polyethylene, and/or

    d. the liquid reservoir (20) is filled with a liquid, preferably with pharmaceutical liquid, in particular preferably with an imidazoline-containing liquid, and/or

    e. the discharge head and the liquid reservoir are formed by separate components and connected to one another preferably by a detent connection, or

    f. the discharge head and the liquid reservoir are formed in one piece by one component, and/or

    g. the discharge head (12) comprises a discharge valve (18), and/or

    h. the liquid reservoir has a tapered neck region, wherein the intermediate ring (70) or the guide ring (40) are provided in the region of this tapered neck region.

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