FR2497176A1 - ADHESIVE DISPENSING DEVICE WITH TIP, DISPENSER AND DEVICE LATCHING SYSTEM - Google Patents

Abstract

THE INVENTION RELATES TO A DEVICE FOR DISTRIBUTING AN ADHESIVE SUCH AS CYANO-ACRYLATE. THIS DEVICE INCLUDES A BOX 44 INCLUDING AN ELEMENT DEFINING A MOUTH 46, A DISTRIBUTION END 10 FIXED TO THE MOUTH 46 OF THE CONTAINER AND DEFINING A PASSAGE FOR THE DISTRIBUTION OF THE PRODUCT OUTSIDE THE CONTAINER, A REMOVABLE CAP 12 FOR CLOSING THE PASSAGE 58, A COVER FOR CLOSING THE DISTRIBUTION END 10 AND A TWO-PHASE LOCKING SYSTEM 82, 84, 92, 94 FOR FIXING THE COVER ON THE BOX 44. FIELD OF APPLICATION: CONTAINERS FOR LIQUID ADHESIVES.

Description

The invention relates to distributors, and more

  particularly fluid dispensers.

  As a result of safety regulations, various locked caps for containers have been designed to prevent accidental ingestion by a child of the contents of the containers. Large orifice pills often have a cap that is rotatably mounted and can only be removed

  when a cue of the cork is aligned with a mark corresponding to

  laying of the container. When this alignment is achieved, the plug can be raised relatively easily. In the case of screw caps, a snap locking mechanism is often used, such a mechanism requiring pressing the stopper and rotating it at the same time so that it can be screwed onto the container and that can be removed. Various embodiments of mechanisms

  requesting double simultaneous repositioning, described above

  above, of the cap relative to the container, have been designed.

  However, all of these mechanisms require some play in adjusting the cap when the cap is locked into place.

  square. In addition, the plugs described above are mainly

  used with wide port

pills and other medicines.

  Cyanoacrylate adhesives have been used for a number of years to bond tightly fitting elements together. One of the reasons

  for which a cyano-based adhesive

  Acrylate is chosen in such applications in preference to other adhesives is that this adhesive creeps or capillaries into narrow joints before polymerizing and making a connection between the elements. Of

  Moreover, the volume of hardened adhesive used corresponds

  space between the closely fitting elements and has no action on the fitted elements, does not move them, or does not reposition or

reorients otherwise.

  One of the problems with cyanoacrylate adhesive dispensers is polymerization and crusting by the adhesive in the vicinity of the dispensing tip and the discharge port. This problem is indicated in U.S. Patent No. 3,523,628 which discloses a spring-loaded ball bearing sealingly against the discharge port for removal of the cyanoacrylate adhesive after the

  distribution of a certain amount of this adhesive.

  In some cyanoacrylate adhesive dispensers, the channel is flared from the discharge port to the container so that the presence of a large diameter channel tends to avoid the retention of the adhesive across the container. this channel and to prevent polymerization or crust formation by the adhesive. Tests have shown clearly that crust formation occurs

also in this case.

  Disclosed is a dispensing tip for cyanoacrylate adhesives which is designed so that it does not become clogged, dripping by itself and being mounted on a container. This dispensing tip has a single or divided constant diameter channel having annular ends with tapered edges, and designed for dispensing cyanoacrylate adhesives. A diver triggers the evacuation of any cyanoacrylate-based adhesive

  inside the channel and discharge port of the nozzle.

  A removable cap is intended to evacuate the channel of the dispensing nozzle. The cap and tip are configured to be molded in one piece, with a brittle junction that creates a tapered discharge port on the dispensing tip. The dispenser according to the invention comprises a container and a container cap fixed by means of a double locking mechanism to

two-step maneuver.

  The invention will be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings by way of non-limiting examples and in which: - Figure 1 is an elevation of the dispensing tip and the associated plug, before their separation; FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view, partially broken away, showing the elements of the

  dispenser according to the invention for cyano-type adhesives

  acrylate; FIG. 3 is a longitudinal section of the dispenser of FIG. 2; - Figure 4 is a partial longitudinal section showing the fit of the cap with the dispensing tip; - Figure 5 is a partial longitudinal section showing the dispenser tip clogged and mounted on a container; - Figure 6 is a partial longitudinal section showing the dispensing tip inserted into a container before the cap is detached, this view also showing a cap placed on the container and enclosing the tip; - Figure 7 is a section along the line 7-7 of Figure 3; Figure 8 is a section along the line 8-8 of Figure 3; Fig. 9 is an elevation, partly in section, showing a portion of the two-part latch securing the cap to the container;

  - Figure 10 is a section along line 10-

  of Figure 9; - Figure 11 is an elevation, partially in section, showing the unlocking achieved during a relative rotation between the cap and the container;

  - Figure 12 is a section along line 12-

  12 of Figure 11; FIG. 13 is an exploded perspective view of a variant of the dispenser according to the invention; and - Figure 14 is an elevation, with section

  partial, of the variant of Figure 13.

  Figure 1 shows a dispenser tip 10 and a plug 12 molded in one piece and separable from each other before or after attachment of the base of the tip to a container. In the preferred embodiment described herein, the assembly is attached to the container and the separation is performed by the end user of the product, this time keeping the container sealed until the first use of the fluid. By molding the dispensing tip and the cap in one piece, it reduces by half the number of organs to handle during manufacture and assembly, resulting in savings in handling, storage and assembly. The dispenser tip has a hollow boss 14 which projects downwardly from a disc-shaped portion 16, the boss comprising a cylindrical portion 18 of constant diameter and a tapered portion 20 tapering inwardly. Flanges 21 and 22, diametrically oriented, project upwards and constitute a structural support between the base 24 of the nozzle 26 and the disk-shaped portion 16. These tabs are also members that cooperate with an apparatus for welding the dispensing tip on the container. The tip 26 is tapered and has an annular groove 28 close to the

  base 24, and it is crossed by a channel.

  The plug 12 has a hollow conical portion for fitting with the nozzle 26. A shutter 32 (Figure 4) projects from the top, inside the conical portion. A disc 34 is located near the top of the conical portion 30. Flanges 36 and 38 project from the disc on the outer surface of the conical portion to

  to confer a certain rigidity of structure on the plug 12.

  These wings also tend to limit the diametral expansion of the lower end of the conical portion and to facilitate the manipulation of the plug. An inner annular rib 40, located within and near the base of the conical portion 30 (Fig. 3), is dimensioned to fit snugly into the groove 28 of the tip 26. The rib and throat are, by their nature, a latching device which maintains the

cap on the tip.

  The junction between the end of the endpiece 26 and the disc 34 is defined by an annular recess 42 which, in cross section, has a V-shaped profile having a small angle at the top. A branch of the "V" may be constituted by the flat surface of the disc. The nominal thickness of the wall measured between the inside dimension of the recess and the

  channel that this recess surrounds is 0.5 mm.

  After the dispensing tip has been secured in the neck of a container, the tip and cap are ready to be separated manually or otherwise from each other, as shown in FIG. effect of clearing an orifice 56 of the nozzle 26 (Figure 2) which remains smooth and is not shredded or torn, because of the thin wall defined by the annular recess. For reasons set out in more detail below, the shutter 32 of the plug enters the orifice of the channel 58 and adjusts with the

  channel when fixing the cap on the tip.

  The main elements of the dispenser according to the invention are shown in FIGS. 2, 3, 4 and 5. A container 44 intended to contain a fluid 45 to be dispensed, for example a liquid of the family of cyanoacrylate type adhesives, exhibits an orifice 46 delimited by an inner cylindrical surface 48 of a neck 50 projecting from a shoulder 52. The diameter of the cylindrical surface 46 is equal to or slightly smaller than the diameter of the cylindrical portion 18 of the dispensing nozzle 10 so as to ensure friction or force fit between the two parts. The tapered portion 20 facilitates the introduction of the cylindrical portion into the cylindrical surface and fits with a corresponding tapered shoulder 54 (Figure 3). The plug 12 engages with the tip 26, this engagement having the effect of introducing the shutter 32 through the orifice 56 in the channel 58 (Figure 3) of the nozzle and to fit the rib 40 of the plug in the throat 28 of the mouthpiece. A cap 60 encloses the dispensing nozzle 10 and the plug 12 which is connected to it when the locking members disposed inside the cap are engaged with the locking members arranged around the cap.

cylindrical neck 50.

  Figure 6 shows the tip 10 attached to the container 44 and housed inside the cap 60. It should be noted that the plug 12 has not been detached from the tip. In other words, the cap is dimensioned specifically to allow the transport of the distributor from the manufacturer to the end user through the various distribution circuits while

  by keeping the dispenser tightly closed.

  Experience has shown that the removal of the cyanoacrylate-type adhesive from the nozzle channel leading to the discharge port is a complex function of several variables including the propensity of the adhesive to rapid polymerization, the surface tension, the configuration of the channel and the degree of surface energy of the material constituting the channel and the discharge port. It was initially thought that by flaring the channel to the container, it would prevent the formation of cyanoacrylate adhesive bridges across the channel and also prevent the adhesive from polymerizing or forming a crust sufficient to seal the canal. This is not

not the case.

  Contrary to the predictions of those skilled in the art, an almost total flow of the cyanoacrylate adhesive occurs in the case of a channel of constant or stepped diameter, the downstream end of the channel terminating. by a sharp edge. In addition, the evacuation seems to be favored if a

  forced flow is triggered. To the extent of the knowledge

  current, it is thought that this phenomenon depends mainly on the surface tension of the cyano-acrylate adhesive and that the surface tension, combined with the other parameters indicated above, continues the flow after an initial flow has been sets off

by means of a diver or other.

  Therefore, as shown in FIGS. 1 to 6, a shutter 32 is formed inside the plug 12 in order to engage in an upper section of the channel 58 when

  the nesting of the cap on the dispenser tip.

  The initial insertion of the shutter into the channel causes a downward forced flow of any cyanoacrylate adhesive with which the shutter contacts, this downward flow may also be caused by a rise in pressure air contained in the channel between the penetration end of the plunger or shutter and any adhesive contained in the channel. The adhesive that initially flows downward joins any other adhesive contained in the remaining portion of the channel and, as a result of what is considered an "avalanche" effect, triggers and maintains a substantially complete flow of the adhesive of the

  channel, the adhesive thus being returned to the container.

  As can be seen from the previous description

  of the structure of the plug 12 and the dispenser tip 10, the engagement of the rib 40 in the groove 28 holds the cap connected to the dispensing tip to prevent any

  accidental opening of canal 58 by removal of the

  Moreover, the combined effect of the shutter 32 fitting in the channel 58, the conical tip 26 adjusting with the inner conical surface of the conical portion 30 and the rib 40 adjusting in the groove 28 provides an airtight or almost airtight seal preventing any flow of fluid, whether the latter is cyanoacrylate type adhesive or air, to

  inside and out of the container 44.

  The various parameters relating to the configuration of the channel 58 will be reviewed with reference to FIGS. 3, 5 and 6. For reasons indicated previously, the wall delimiting the channel must not be conical, because when such a wall is conical, it often appears clogging and crusting due to a bad flow, then the formation of a "bridge" by the adhesive of the

cyano-acrylate type.

  Due to the necessary tolerances, an injection molding process is used to make the bit and cap in one piece. The tolerance that can be obtained allows the formation of a very smooth wall for the channel 58 and it allows the maintenance of a constant diameter, of the order of 0.4 to 1.35 mm over the entire length. To promote and facilitate the separation of any adhesive cyano-acrylate evacuated type and to send the adhesive channel 58 into the container 44, the latter is made so that it has an entry orifice .2 2 having a deliberately bright edge . Such a sharp edge substantially eliminates the formation of

  drops or residual droplets from said edge.

  The importance of the limitations and the injection molding performed limit the maximum length of the channel 58 that can be made to the requested tolerance, together with the channel diameter, the decreasing thickness of the wall and the diameter of the nozzle 26. For To solve this problem in the case of long endpieces, important tests have led to the channel the configuration shown for the channel 58a in Figure 6. This channel avoids the constraints imposed by the limitations of injection molding, and it ensures good evacuation and does not close. The channel 58a has several sections 64, 66, 68 and 70 of increasing but constant diameters. At the junction of adjacent sections, annular shoulders 72, 74, 76 and 78, respectively, with sharp edges are formed. The evacuation of any residual cyanoacrylate adhesive from each of sections 64, 66, 68 and 70 occurs for reasons previously indicated. The sharp edge of each shoulder

  provides insufficient grip to ensure that surface tension

  any droplet or droplet makes it possible to retain the latter in suspension. Therefore, the flow or evacuation is assured. In one embodiment of the channel 58a, the dimensions of the sections are: diameter (mm) length (mm) Section 64 1.016 7.493 Section 66 2.134 7.747 Section 68 2.381 32.182 Section 70 6.350 3.124 As briefly described above, the end of the tip 26 having the orifice 56 must be smooth and must have a sharp edge to prevent the retention of a droplet of cyano-acrylate type adhesive likely to form a crust or plug the orifice. In the case of

  junctions to break, the formation of such an edge generally poses

  a problem. The solution to this problem in the case of the present invention has two aspects. First of all the channel 58 or 58a is formed so as to pass completely through the nozzle 26 and to partially penetrate into the disc-shaped portion 34 of the plug 12, as shown in particular in FIGS. 5 and 6. The recess Annular 42 has a V-shaped cross section having a small apex angle and surrounds the tip 26 near the flat surface of the disc-shaped portion 34. When the plug 12 is separated manually or not manually from the nozzle 10, a sharp edge is formed at the end of the nozzle tip 26, this edge having a conical shape and having a substantially smooth surface that is not notched or torn, so as to define the orifice 56, as shown in Figure 4. A small recess 80, which was previously an extension of the channel formed in the distributor / cap assembly during manufacture, remains in the surface of the disc 34, this recess having no effect on the operation of the plug. However, the extension of the channel beyond the recess 42, inside the disc, ensures that the orifice formed after the breakage of the tip is

  well defined and has a smooth circular edge.

  The elements of the devices for locking the cap 60 and the container 44 to one another will now be described with reference to FIGS. 2, 3, 7, 8, 9, 11 and 12. Four pins 82 are located at equal distance

  from each other on the surface of the cylindrical neck 50.

  These lugs are in the form of flaps oriented downwards, as shown. The cap 60 has four flanges 84 which protrude inwardly from its inner wall and which occupy psitios corresponding to those of the lugs 82 so as to achieve a tight interlock between the lugs and the notches when the lower edge 86 of the cap is positioned. on the skin of the container. These edges are in the form of the flank oriented towards

the top, cowime re.rS-.

  The plug has a square cross-section and its bottom edge is dimensioned so as to correspond to little the square configuration of the straight section of the stop. The abutment 44 protrudes from the shoulder 88, each butt end has a groove 92 rising from the shoulder 88 and extending radially from the cylindrical neck 30, the capu-hon 60 having ribs.

  94 protruding into two opposite corners.

  These ribs have a width - a height enabling them to engage in diametrically opposed grooves 92 when positioning the cap 60 on the container 44.

  when the lower edge 86 is adjacent to the shoulder 88.

  As shown in FIG. 10, the ribs are configured so as not to contact the disc 34 of the plug 12, the introduction of the cap 60 on the container 44 and its removal from the container 44 will now be described in FIG. FIGS. 9, 10, 11, and 12 show the diagrams. To remove the cap from the container, the diametrically opposite angles 96 of the cap are compressed towards one another, these angles not having ribs 94. The flexion of the cap 60 which as a result of which the two diametrically opposed angles 98 are laterally displaced from one another.

  displacement disengages the ribs 94 from the corresponding grooves.

  After this clearance, the stresses made between the cap and the container and preventing them from rotating relative to each other disappear. At the same time as the angles 96 are compressed and after the ribs have been disengaged, the cap 60 is rotated relative to the container 44 about the longitudinal axis of the cap and container. This rotation causes angular displacement of the flanges 84 relative to the pins 82 and is continued until the flanges are no longer in contact with the corresponding lugs. This position is shown in Figure 12. The cap can then

be removed from the container 44.

  The introduction of the cap 60 on the container 44 is performed by reverse operations of that described above. In other words, the cap 60 is placed on the container 44 so that the flanges 84 are approximately aligned with the stops 90. The cap is then rotated about its longitudinal axis relative to the container until the ledges snap into

  sliding and locking with the pins 82. Simultaneous

  The angles 96 of the cap are pressed together to provide some clearance between the ribs 94 and the corresponding stops 90. When the rotation between the cap and the body is sufficient to align the edges of the corners of the cap. with the edges of the corners of the container, the ribs 94 align with the grooves 92 and the cap can be released. At this moment, the rotation of the

  cap from the container is prevented by the

  ribs 94 in the grooves 92 of the abutments, and any vertical displacement of the cap relative to the container is prevented by the locking made between the lugs 82 and

the ledges 84.

  It follows from the previous description that the

  edge 86 of the cap may be forcefully applied against the shoulder 88 by appropriate positioning of the lugs 82 and / or flanges 84 to rigidly hold the cap. In addition, the narrowness of the fit between the cap and the container has no effect on the leaks because the plug 12 is used to seal the

channel of the dispensing nozzle.

  The large contact surface obtained between the cylindrical section 18, the conical section 20 and the surface

  radial axis of the disc 16 with the corresponding surfaces

  The ends of the cylindrical neck 50 of the container 44 make it possible to produce a weld between these surfaces which ensures a complete seal between the dispensing nozzle and the container, despite variations in the manufacturing tolerance and the possible deformation of the corresponding surfaces under the effect of stripes, etc. Figures 13 and 14 show a variant of

  dispenser according to the invention. In this form of realization

  The container 100 and the cap 102 have a circular cross section rather than a square section. The container carries a cylindrical neck 104 intended to receive the tip 10 and the plug 12 which is connected to it, as described above. The mechanism for removably connecting the cap 102 to the container comprises an annular rib 106 formed around the cylindrical neck and having an inclined surface 108 and a surface 110 perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the neck. A projection 112, radially inwardly oriented, is formed near the edge 112 of the cap to elastically detachably engage the rib 106. As a result, the cap may be

  easily removed and put back on the container.

  It goes without saying that many modifications can be made to the distributor nozzle described and

  represented without departing from the scope of the invention, these modifications

  which may relate to the structure, arrangement, proportions, elements, materials and

constituting this tip.

Claims (11)

  1. Device for dispensing an adhesive such as cyanoacrylate, characterized in that it comprises a housing (44) comprising a member (50) defining a mouth (46), a dispensing nozzle (10) attached to the mouth (46) of the container and defining a passage (58) for dispensing the product out of the container, a   removable cap (12) for closing the passage (58), a neck   vercle (60) for closing the dispensing nozzle (10) and a two-phase locking system (82, 84, 92, 94)   for fixing the cover (60) on the casing (44).   2. Device according to claim 1, characterized   characterized in that the lock comprises lugs (82) arranged around the mouth (46, 50) of the container, flanges (84) inside the lid (60) made in such a way that they can enter contact with   pins (82) when the cover (60) is angularly displaced   relative to the container, and ribs (94) and grooves (92) positioned midway between the lid (60) and the container to prevent rotation of the lid relative to the container, the ribs (94) and the grooves (92) which can move laterally relative to each other so as to disengage the grooves by   to the ribs and to allow angular displacement   the lid (60) relative to the container, such that the lid (60) can be removed from the container as the lid rotates relative to the container after contacting the ribs (94) relative to the grooves (92).   3. Device according to claim 1, characterized   characterized in that the mouth (46, 50) of the container (44) has a hollow portion (48) and the lugs (82) are located on the outer surface of the portion hollow (48).   4. Device according to claim 3, characterized   characterized in that the grooves (92) comprise at least one   channel formed on the hollow portion (48) and that the   vures (94) have at least one element (94) extending from the cover (60) to allow contact with one of the channels (92).   5. Device according to claim 4, characterized   and the channel g92) extends parallel to the longitudinal axis of the reuse portion (48) and has an orifice (92) for receiving the rib (94),   6. Device according to claim 5, characterized   characterized in that the container (44J has two channels (92) facing each other and that the lid (EO)   has two nerves (94) facing each other.   Device according to claim 6, characterized   characterized in that the hollow portion (48, 50) comprises four lugs (82) located at 1e-1 and in that the lid (60) comprises four internally-located lugs (34) so as to be able to enter in fact, in the same way with the pins (82}.   8. Disclaimer of claim 7,   in that the canaries (92) are not in good   with a plane s e.en'an -ravers two lugs (82).   9. A device according to claim 8, characterized   characterized in that the cover (60) has an integral edge   (86) and that the container (44) has a shoulder (88) around the hollow portion (48) so as to allow the lower edge (86) of the cover (60 ) when the latter is locked on the container.   10. Device according to claim 9, characterized   characterized in that the container (44) and the lid (60) are generally square in cross-section and in that the channels (92) are arranged near the opposite edges of the container while the ribs (94) are arranged near edges opposite of the lid.   11. Device according to claim 3, characterized   characterized in that the passage (58) has a cross-section cylindrical.   12. Device according to claim 8, characterized   characterized in that the hollow portion (48, 50) is cylindrical.