FR2574376A1 - SEALING ELEMENT FOR CONTAINERS DISPENSING LIQUID PRODUCTS - Google Patents

Abstract

AN ELEMENT 1 SHUTTER FOR LIQUID PRODUCTS DISPENSERS CONTAINERS HAS A DOME-SHAPED SOFT PART 1A, IN WHICH IS PROVIDED A CENTRAL SLOT 8. THIS ELEMENT 1 IS INTENDED TO PREVENT A LEAK THROUGH SLOT 8 WHEN A MODERATE PRESSURE IS EXERCISED ON THE BOMBED PART 1A, BUT TO ALLOW THE LIQUID PRODUCT TO EXIT FROM THE CONTAINER IN THE EVENT OF INCREASING THE INTERNAL PRESSURE OF THE CONTAINER, THIS INCREASED PRESSURE ACTING ON THE SAID SOFT PART 1A TO BALL THE SAID CENTRAL SLOT 8.

Description

SEALING ELEMENT FOR DISPENSING CONTAINERS

LIQUID PRODUCTS

  The present invention relates generally to a closure element intended to equip a container and, more

  in particular, a shutter element intended to be used

  read with a container dispensing liquid products such as soap, dermatological care products, etc., said element being located in the immediate vicinity of an outlet of the container, which outlet is preferably oriented downwards when it occupies its product discharge position

liquid.

  For a very long time, there has been the general desire to be able to dispense doses of a liquid product (such as

  liquid soap) automatically, i.e. without prior

  remove a sealing cover or the like.

  Innumerable solutions have been proposed which are all more or less complicated, and none of which has satisfactorily resolved the difficulties arising, for example, when the product dries up around the opening and causes an obstruction. The object of the present invention is to provide a closure element which is of an extremely simple design, while allowing the product to be easily and reliably

  delivered, for example, from a deformable container.

  Consequently, the invention provides a shutter element for

  intended to equip a container for liquid products provided with an outlet opening through which the liquid product can be

  dispensed, this closure element being designed to be available

  dried in the immediate vicinity of said outlet opening of the container

  content, said closure element comprising a part

  f lexi b! e and at least one central slot, said part fle-

  x i b 1 e of the element being configured in a dome towards the interior

  laughing container and said slot being formed in this dome; in addition, the closure element is intended to prevent a leakage through the slot when a moderate pressure, corresponding to the sum of the atmospheric pressure and the static pressure coming from the product inside the container, is exerted on the curved part of said element, but to allow

  said liquid product to exit the container when the pressure

  sion reigning in this container is increased, this increased pressure acting on the part f 1 e x i b 1 e in view

  yawning from the center slit.

  Thanks to the configuration of the element m u ni d u u e p a r -

  t i e f 1 e x i b 1 e, curved towards the internal space of the container and in which is made at least one central slit or incision, said element can effectively prevent a leak from occurring through this slit or incision

  when one exerts, on said curved part, a moderate pressure

  derivative corresponding to the sum of atmospheric pressure and static pressure from the liquid product inside the container; nevertheless, this element authorizes the liquid product to exit from the container when the pressure prevailing in it is increased, this increased pressure acting on said flexible part to cause the spacing, in the direction of delivery, of the central slot or incision by which the product flows as long as a pressure

  increased is kept in the container.

  Preferably, the external delimitation of the bom-

  it extends to form a sleeve or sleeve which is or

  green at its lower end and is intended to be arranged around a ledge, or to be fitted into a surrounding groove

the container outlet opening.

  Spacers and / or reinforcing ribs

  ment may be arranged at the transition between the curved portion and the sleeve, so as to impart stability to this

elastic curved part.

  In order to influence the opening and / or closing of the slit or incision as a function of the pressure prevailing in the container, recessed areas can be arranged at the

  immediate vicinity of this slit or incision.

  The sealing effect of the closure element, when there is a moderate pressure in the container, is obtained by the action of the convex part which forcibly tightens the slit or incision. However, this slit or incision is preferably studied to be slightly open when no pressure is exerted on the convex part. The provision of a recessed area in the sleeve, this area abutting against the flange on which this sleeve is placed when it occupies its position of use for

  pour a liquid, allows the application of a water force

  firmly on the slit or incision as long as the two zones are

  offset, diametrically opposite are in the ali-

  the ends of said slit or incision in the convex part. If, on the other hand, the obturation element must be introduced into a recess, the zones in recess

  are provided on the outside of the sleeve. In this case, the employment

  cementing of the recessed areas along the length of the sleeve is offset by 90 relative to the location they occupy

  on a closure element intended to be adjusted on a flange.

  The same sealing effect can be obtained if the sec-

  cross section of the sleeve is slightly oval when it is

  removed from the container, i.e. when the sealing element

  tion has an oval sleeve. This makes it possible to make the slit or incision with a narrow opening, this opening being hermetically isolated when the closure element is adjusted on the rim or in a recess. In both cases, the location of the slot relative to the oval configuration should be such that this slot extends across the

  convex part, from the opposite points at which the diameter

tre is minimal.

  The invention will now be described in more detail by way of non-limiting examples, with reference to the appended drawings in which: FIG. 1 is a side elevation with cutaway of a closure element combined with the outlet nozzle d 'a container; Figure 2 is a section through a first alternative embodiment of the shutter element according to the invention; Figure 3 is a section of a second alternative embodiment of a shutter element according to the invention; Figure 4 is a section through a third alternative embodiment of this shutter element;

  Figure 5 is a view from below of another modification.

  tion made to a closure element in accordance with the invention; Figure 6 is a section along line VI-VI of Figure S; FIG. 7 shows another embodiment of a shutter element according to the invention, in which the sleeve is oval (this ovalization being exaggerated in the figure); and

  FIG. 8 shows a closure element according to the invention.

tion, housed in a recess.

  Figure 1 illustrates a closure element according to

  i5 to the invention, cooperating with the lid of a container.

  This element 1 has a socket or sleeve 2 intended to be adjusted on a flange 3 surrounding an outlet channel 4. This channel 4 is provided with a nozzle 5. The flange 3 forms a part

  a cover 6 adjusted by screwing on a deformed container

  Mable (not shown). This cover 6 is also provided with a sealing lip 7 to ensure the seal vis-à-vis

of the container opening.

  The sleeve 2 is open at one of its ends and, at

  its other end, it has a part the flexi-

  ble and configured as a dome. The closure element 1 is provided with a central slit or incision 8 which is formed in the convex part 1a and is kept closed by the application.

  of moderate pressure on this convex part 1a. The applica-

  tion of an increased pressure on said convex part causes a displacement of the latter downward, since the

  the curved part is flexible, in the manner of an elasto-

  mother, making the incision widened to allow the contents of the container to be spilled. When the increased pressure exerted on the container is released, the convex part I a of the element 1 returns to its initial position, thus closing the slit or incision. This incision 8 is provided with edges

  substantially perpendicular, oriented downwards.

  Reinforcement ribs or protrusions 9 are arranged at the transition between the sleeve 2 and the domed part 1a of the closure element 1. These protrusions fulfill both the functions of spacers to maintain the domed part 1 adequately distant from the free edge of the rim 3 and, moreover, they act to reduce the elasticity of

  the shutter element 1 proper.

  FIG. 2 illustrates, on an enlarged scale, a first va-

  laughing embodiment of the closure element 1, in which the slot or incision 8 is surrounded by regions 10 in the form of flanges. The object of these regions is to increase the sealing effect of the element 1, and they have the effect that a more marked increase in the pressure in the container is necessary before the slot 8 opens to

  allow product distribution.

  FIG. 3 illustrates a second alternative embodiment of a closure element 1 in which surfaces a,

  delimiting the slit or incision 8, are rounded down.

  This eliminates the risk of overlapping the lips of the slit, which could prevent proper operation of the shutter member. The presence of the rounded surfaces also reduced the opening pressure required, since these surfaces roll against each other

  when the shutter member is open.

  FIG. 4 shows a third alternative embodiment of a closure element 1, in which the slit or incision 8 is provided with tabs which are substantially perpendicular and oriented downwards, occupy a central position on said slit and are dimensioned so eliminate any risk of overlap. These downward-facing tabs 13 also confer a better sealing effect because the contact surface of the edges of the slot, delimited by these tabs 13,

is increased.

  Figure 5 is a view from below of another variant

  for producing a shutter element in accordance with the invention.

  The essential difference between this type of embodiment and those illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 4 resides in the presence of recessed areas which are inside (marked by 11) or outside (indicated by 12) of the sleeve 2 of the shutter element 1. These recessed areas are produced either inside or outside depending on whether the shutter element is intended to be housed in a flange as shown in FIG. 5, or well to style a cornm rim shown in Figure 1. As shown in Figure 6, the

  recessed areas extend along the enveloping part

  collar of sleeve 2. In the case of zones 11 located inside

  laughing, a pressure is exerted on the convex elastic part la of the obturating element when the latter is threaded on the rim 3, which reinforces the sealing effect of the slot

or incision 8.

  If the sealing element is to be housed in a hollow

  ment cylindrical (Figure 8), the external recessed areas 12, occupying diametrically opposite positions, exert

  the same sealing effect on the slit or incision.

  Figure 7 shows yet another way to make

  force the sealing effect on the slit or incision and, in this case, the lower region of the element envelope

  shutter 1 has an oval section. This form is strong-

  exaggerated in FIG. 7. When a obturator element having this configuration is placed around a flange or in a recess, the resulting deformation causes an increased sealing effect on the slit or incision 8, as described below. before. The increased tightness of the slit or incision which has just been described makes it possible to produce this slit with a narrow opening, that is to say that it is slightly open in the state

not assembled.

  It goes without saying that many modifications can be made to the closure element described and shown,

  without departing from the scope of the invention.

2,574376

Claims (13)

  1. Sealing element intended to equip a container for liquid products provided with an outlet opening through which the liquid product can be dispensed, this sealing element being designed to be placed in the immediate vicinity of said outlet opening of the container. , element characterized in that it comprises a part (1la) f 1 ex ibie and at least one central slot (8), said flexible part (la) of this element (1) being configured in an inward dome container and said slot (8) being formed in this dome; and by the fact that the closure element (1) is arranged to prevent a leak   through the slot (8) when a moderate pressure corresponds to   While the sum of the atmospheric pressure and the static pressure coming from the product inside the container, is exerted on the convex part (la) of the element, but to allow said liquid product to leave the container when the pressure   reigning in this container is increased, this pressure increases   tee acting on said flexible part (la) for a yawn of said central slot (8).   2. Element according to claim 1, characterized in that the external delimitation of the curved part (la) is extended in the form of a sleeve or sleeve (2), which is open at its lower end and is intended to be arranged around a flange (3) surrounding the opening or channel outlet (4) from the container.   3. Element according to claim 1, .caractérisé in that the external delimitation of the curved part (la)   is extended to form a socket or sleeve which is or   green at its lower end and is intended to be adjusted   in a groove surrounding the outlet opening of the container.   4. Element according to one of claims 2 and 3, charac-   terrified by the fact that spacers and possibly, or alternatively, reinforcing ribs (9) are arranged   at the transition between the curved part (la) and the sleeve (2).   5. Element according to claim 1, characterized in that zones (11, 12) in recess are arranged in the immediate vicinity of the slot (8), these zones in recess   influencing the elastic properties of said slot.   6. Element according to claim 1, characterized by the   fact that the slit or incision (8) is provided with sensitive edges   perpendicular, oriented downwards.   7. Element according to claim 1, characterized in that the slit or incision (8) is surrounded by regions (10) in the form of flanges.   8. Element according to claim 1, characterized in that the slit or incision (8) is delimited by surfaces (a) rounded down.   9. Element according to ia claim 1, characterized in that, due to the presence of the part (la) in shape   dome, the application of increased pressure causes the spreader   of the slit or incision (8) in the direction of issue.   10. Element according to claim 1, characterized in that the slit or incision (8) is slightly open   when no pressure is exerted on the curved part (la).   11. Element according to claim 2, characterized in that zones (11, 12) in recess are arranged along the length of the sleeve (2) in order to exert increased tension   closing on the slit or incision (8).   12. Element according to claim 2, characterized by the   fact that the sleeve (2) of this element (1) is of cross-section dirty oval.   13. Element according to claim 1, characterized in that the outlet channel (4) of the container is directed downwards when this container occupies a delivery position liquid product.