FR2632280A1 - PRESSURIZED CONTAINER ALLOWING THE DISPENSING OF THE PRODUCT CONTAINED UNDER EASY HANDLING CONDITIONS - Google Patents

Abstract

This pressurized container 1 is provided with a dispensing head 5 comprising a peripheral skirt 6 for hooking onto the container, which is connected to a bottom 7 in which is formed, between two parallel slots, a movable middle band. The latter comprises a central part in which is formed the connecting sleeve with the valve outlet tube 4 and which is connected by two hinge zones 24, perpendicular to the aforementioned slots, to two lateral zones carrying control levers 26 and they themselves connected to the fixed part of the bottom 7 by hinge zones 25 parallel to the previous ones. The inward tilting of the lateral zones by bringing the levers 26 together causes the aforementioned central zone and the tube 4 associated with it to be pushed in, and, consequently, the ejection of the product. The operation is simpler than with a conventional push-button, in particular in the case where a dispensing nozzle 9 extends the connection sleeve.

Description

i

  PRESSURIZED CONTAINER FOR DISPENSING

  OF THE PRODUCT THAT IT CONTAINS IN CONDITIONS

OF EASY MANEUVERING.

  The present invention relates to pressurized containers, of the "aerosol can" type, used for the packaging and distribution of products in a pasty, liquid, foam or aerosol state. The pressurized containers are provided with a dispensing valve allowing the user, when he acts on a control member associated with the valve, to cause the ejection of a dose of the product to be dispensed by an ejection channel. intended to make the interior of the container communicate with the exterior when the valve is open; the ejection channel is formed in a movable part integral with said control member and adapted on the outlet end of the container to cooperate with the movable element of the dispensing valve. Generally speaking, the organ

  of known containers of this type is con-

  set up by a push button and, in the case where the movable element of the dispensing valve is constituted by an outlet rod emerging from the

  container, the aforementioned movable part comprises a handle

  chon by which it fits on said exit rod

  tie and which carries the associated push button.

  The products which can thus be dispensed from containers of the aforementioned type are in particular cosmetic products, hygiene products and cleaning products. In the field of body and hair care, there may be mentioned, by way of example, the packaging in pressurized cans of foaming shaving creams, possibly self-foaming shaving gels, hair dyes, reducers for permanent cold hair, shampoos, depilatories,

make-up removal foams.

  To prevent the mobile part, of which the push button is a part, from being lost, it has already been proposed that this mobile part belongs to a dispensing head, which also comprises a fixed part, by which it adapts to the top of the container. The fixed part may in particular comprise a peripheral skirt which snaps, by its lower edge, into a

  container throat formed under the crimp bead

  valve valve cup, and which is connected to an annular bottom. The latter overhangs the peripheral edge of the valve holder cup, and it is advantageously provided with fins intended to come to bear on the latter. The movable part of the dispensing head is housed in the opening delimited by the internal border of the annular bottom and it is articulated by a film hinge to an area of said border, the push button being constituted, opposite of this film hinge by an extension

  lateral of the sleeve formed in the center of said part

  mobile tie for the adaptation of said mobile part on the emerging valve stem. In the case where the product is intended to be applied on a support, for example, in the case of hair products, provision may be made for the sleeve to be extended by an elongated tip. With such a structure, the operation of the push button does not allow a rigorously axial insertion of the valve outlet rod for the opening thereof. Repeated maneuvers on the push button can lead to rapid deterioration of the valve, or even to stop of operation, with the consequence that the defective pressurized container must be discarded

while it has not been emptied.

  To remedy this drawback, we have pro-

  posed to realize the distribution head in two parts

  separate parts, namely a fixed part and a

  mobile tie, the latter being mounted to slide in a sealed manner in the fixed part when the push-button is operated. Under these conditions, guiding the movable part relative to the fixed part, along the axis of the container or parallel to this axis, avoids all the problems of bending of the tube.

valve.

  However, although this can prevent damage to the valves, it has been found that the pressurized containers are, in some cases, inconvenient to use, for example in the case where they are intended for application and distribution of a hair product part by part in a hair; in fact, in this case, the user or the hairdresser must keep the index finger on the push-button, while having the container in his hand, and directing it appropriately to apply the product. In addition, the presence of the dispensing nozzle near the push button causes breakage

  of nails, which is observed especially in pro-

hairdressing professionals.

  The present invention provides a solution to this problem and proposes to replace the conventional push-button with a freer and easier access control means, offering the additional advantage of

  require less effort to maneuver and conserve

  touting, moreover, the advantage of an axial maneuver

valve stem.

  To this end, the control means according to the invention, associated with a distribution head of the

  type of those comprising a fixed part and a

  movable tie, is constituted by two control levers integral with two lateral zones of the movable part, articulated by means of hinges, on the one hand, at the outer edge, relative to the fixed part, and, on the other hand, inner edge, relative to a central zone of said movable part carrying the connection member with the movable element of the valve. The tilting of the two aforementioned lateral zones towards the interior of the dispensing head, caused by the bringing together of the upper part of the two levers, causes the central zone to sink axially, and, consequently, the opening of the

  valve whose movable element is integral in transla-

  tion of the aforementioned connecting member.

  This type of structure is advantageous-

  a dispensing head molded in one piece from a flexible plastic material, the hinges being

then film hinges.

  Access to the control levers is freer and easier than for a distribution head of the state of the art; in fact, the orientation of the container is less precise in the case where the index finger of a hand must come to bear on a push button; the operating levers are reached by

  the user without having to change the position too much

  tion of the fingers of the hand having grasped the container, as illustrated and described below; the levers being located on either side of the end piece

  distribution, not being directly connected to it

  ci and being controlled by lateral support from the outside, the hand does not come into contact with the tip, thus avoiding nail breakage encountered with push button containers of the prior art. This lateral control by lever also ensures a reduction in the pressure effort, thus making the already simpler, more obvious dispensing gesture less tiring.

and more practical.

  The present invention therefore firstly relates to the new industrial product which constitutes a

  pressurized container for packaging a product

  duit and its distribution by the actuation of an operating member causing the opening of a dispensing valve disposed on the outlet orifice of the container, by depressing the movable element of said valve in the direction of the interior from the container,

  a distribution head being attached, by a

  fixed tie, on the outlet of said container, said dispensing head comprising a movable part, which is connected by articulation members to said fixed part and which has a member for connecting said head to said movable valve element, said connection being traversed by an ejection channel communicating the interior of the container with the exterior upon actuation of the operating member, characterized in that the movable part of said head comprises a central zone carrying said member of connection, and two opposite lateral zones, each connected to said central zone by a central hinge zone, these two central hinge zones being mutually parallel and orthogonal to the axis of outlet of the product from the container, each of the lateral zones being connected to the fixed part of said head by two other lateral hinge zones, arranged parallel to the previous ones, said operating member being constituted by two levers arranged on either side of the aforementioned outlet axis and each carried by one of the aforementioned lateral zones in the vicinity of the zone

  side hinge connecting with the

  fixed tie, the tilting of said lateral zones

  around the aforementioned lateral hinge zones

  evoking the translation of the corresponding middle zone

  while pushing down the movable valve element.

  Preferably, the connection member is extended by a dispensing end piece, the free end of which is located outside the operating space of the levers. In a particular embodiment, the dispensing tip is arranged

  along the axis of exit of the product out of the container.

  Furthermore, the dispensing head is advantageously made in one piece from a flexible plastic material, the hinge zones then being constituted by film hinges. These film hinges are formed, for example, by wall zones whose thickness is weakened by

making grooves.

  According to another characteristic of the present invention, the levers are symmetrical with respect to the axis of exit of the product from the container. In a particularly preferred embodiment, the dispensing head is constituted by a peripheral skirt allowing the attachment to the

  container, said skirt being connected to a bottom sur-

  sealing the valve holder cup and carrying the movable part of said head, radial fins carried by the skirt and the bottom bearing on the edge of the valve holder cup when said head is

mounted on the container body.

  The movable part can be formed between two slots made in the bottom, parallel between

  them, on either side of the exit axis, and per-

  pendular to the hinge areas, the hinge areas connecting between the lateral areas and the middle area of the movable part each extending

from one slot to another.

  In the case where the movable element of the valve consists of an emerging outlet tube, the connecting member of the movable part of the

  distribution head to said outlet tube is con-

  advantageously set up by a sleeve with chamfered entry. Furthermore, it is useful for the pressurized container of the invention to have a removable protective cover, the peripheral skirt of which can be provided to bear on a shoulder of the peripheral skirt of the dispensing head, with sufficient friction for keep it in place

said cover.

  To better understand the object of the present invention, we will now describe, by way of purely illustrative and non-limiting example, an embodiment shown in the drawing

Annex.

  In this drawing: - Figure 1 is an elevational view of a pressurized container according to the invention, without its protective cover, with, shown in phantom, the hand of a user in the position ready for the operation of distribution of a dose of product; - Figure 2 is an axial sectional view of the upper part of the container of Figure 1 with its protective cover, this axial section being made along the plane of symmetry passing through the

  control levers carried by the dispenser head

  tion; - Figure 3 is a sectional view along

111-III of figure 2.

  If we refer to the attached drawing, we see that we have designated by 1, as a whole, a pressurized container of the "aerosol can" type, in which is conditioned a hair dye which is intended to be distributed under the shape of a foam as soon as it leaves the container 1, being

  applied to the hair, parted by, e.

  The container 1 comprises a body 2 having a cylindrical side wall 3 on the upper end edge of which is fixed,

  by means of a crimp, a valve holder cup.

  In the central zone of the valve holder cup, there is a valve provided with an emerging outlet tube 4. The valve holder cup, the valve and its outlet tube are only shown schematically, and in elevation, on the drawing because they are structural

completely classic.

  If the valve outlet tube is pushed in, the contents of the

  container 1, which is then projected out of this

  deny under the effect of the propellant present in the container with simultaneous production of foam by

  following the presence, in the liquid phase, of a pro-

  foaming product consisting of at least one surfactant

  active ingredient and the partial dissolution of the propellant in said liquid phase inside the

container 1.

  On the body 2, a dispensing head 5 is fitted, coming from one-piece molding and

  made of a relatively flexible plastic.

  The dispensing head 5 is constituted by a cylindrical peripheral skirt 6 connected to a flat bottom 7 having a central opening 8, bordered by an axial tube directed opposite the skirt 6; the part of said tubing, which is associated with the opening 8, constitutes a sleeve for connecting the head 5 with the outlet tube 4 of the valve, and its elongated end part constitutes an axial end piece of

distribution 9.

  The skirt 6 has internally, in the vicinity of its free edge, an interrupted annular ring 10, which, in the mounting position of the head 5, snaps inside the peripheral groove 11 resulting from the crimping operation of the valve holder cup on the side wall of the container body 2. Furthermore, in the vicinity of its junction with the bottom 7, the skirt 6 has an annular recess 12 towards the interior coming in, in the head mounting position. 5, substantially at

  level of the upper edge of the cup

  valve. The dispensing head 5 also comprises several radial fins 13, connected to the bottom 7 and to the part 14 of the skirt 6 located between the

  offset 12 and said bottom 7. These fins 13 come

  bear against the upper peripheral edge of the valve cup, when it comes to ensuring

  fixing the head 5 to the body 2.

  The connecting sleeve of the head 5 on the outlet tube 4 of the valve is delimited by an internal wall 15, which is cylindrical in shape in the region situated above the upper wall of the bottom 7, and which ends in a chamfered wall 16 widening towards the container. The aforementioned sleeve and the dispensing nozzle 9 are internally separated by an annular shoulder 17, the wall associated with the sleeve constitutes a stop for the upper edge of the tube 4 in the assembly position of the head 5 on the container 1. In this position where the tube 4 passes through the opening 8, the ejection channel of the tube 4 opens into the space delimited by the internal edge 18 of the shoulder 17, a space which opens in the cylindrical axial channel 19 delimited by the internal wall of the end piece 9. The external wall of the end piece 9 is slightly tapered towards its free end, to allow a more precise application of

  the substance distributed in the hair.

  In the bottom wall 7, two straight slots 20, of equal length and parallel to each other, each of these end pieces 20 are formed, on either side of the end piece 9, and at equal distances therefrom. stopping, b its two ends, at a point located near the edge of the bottom 7, at equal distances from the latter. The bottom 7 also comprises, on its internal wall, two pairs of V-shaped grooves, respectively 21 and 22. The two grooves 21 are formed on either side of the opening 9, perpendicular to the slots 20, immediately adjacent to the short cylindrical skirt 23 bordering the opening 8 on the internal side; each of the grooves 21 extends from one slot 20 to the other. The grooves 22 are formed parallel to said grooves 21, on either side

  of these, and outside the rectangular area

  bottom strip 7, the two longitudinal sides of which are formed by the two slots 20. The grooves 22, shorter in length than the grooves 21, are also symmetrical with respect to the line

  diametral of the bottom 7 parallel to the slots 20.

  The grooves 21 and 22 make it possible to consti-

  kill areas, respectively 24 and 25, of bottom 7, whose thickness is weakened, which, like this

  is described below, play the role of hinges-

  films in the operation of the container valve 1.

  The dispensing head 5 also comprises a means for controlling the valve of the container 1, which is constituted by two operating levers 26 carried

  externally through the bottom 7, substantially perpendicular to

  lairement to this background. These levers 26 are symmetrical with respect to the diametral plane of the head 5, which is perpendicular to the slots 20. Each of them is located between two adjacent film hinges 24 and 25, in the immediate vicinity of the film hinge 25, and s 'Extends substantially from one slot 20 to another; each lever 26 has a height substantially equal to one third of the

tip height 9.

  The container 1 is completed by a cover

  removable 31, intended to protect the dispensing head

  tion 5, in the storage or non-use position of the container 1. The cover 31, made of a relatively rigid plastic material, consists of a

  cylindrical side skirt 32 connected to a bottom 33.

  In the position of non-use of the container 1, the skirt 32 comes to bear, by its lower edge, on the shoulder 12 of the peripheral skirt 6 of the head, the internal edge of said skirt 32 sliding the

  along the wall 14 of said skirt 6, with a rub

  sufficient to maintain the

cover 31.

  In the container 1, the foaming preparation is conditioned in the usual way, comprising, in combination with the active ingredients to be dispensed,

  a propellant. We then present the head of dis-

  tribution 5 above the body 2, along the axis, and it is lowered until snap ring 10 on the crimping bead. During this operation, the chamfered wall 16 guides the introduction of the valve stem 4 into its housing at the base of the end piece 9. The end of travel corresponds to the position shown in FIG. 2, in which the fins 13 are supported on the upper edge of the valve holder cup; the upper edge of the valve stem 4 is substantially in abutment against the shoulder 17. During this positioning, the stem 4 is not subjected to depression

  axial which would cause the valve to open

  tribution and would unfortunately release a dose of the substance to be dispensed, due to the presence of the fins 13. The protective cover 31 is then put in place, being presented axially above

of the dispensing head 5.

  When the hairdresser, or, in a way

  general, the user wishes to apply the composition

  tion contained in the container 1, on a hair, after having removed the protective cover 31, he grasps the container 1 with one hand, as shown diagrammatically in FIG. 1, placing the thumb and the second

  phalanx of the index finger, in the support position on each

  cun of the two bosses 30 formed outside: e ent at the upper part of each of the levers 26. In this position o the maintenance of the container in the palm folded with the hand is properly ensured, the user can then carry out the application of the line by line composition, pressing when it wishes on the two bosses 30 to bring the two levers 26 towards each other, commanding each

  times the distribution of a dose, without significant effort

  so much. The bottom area 7 of the head 5 which is located between the two slots 20 constitutes a movable part. The tilting of the levers 26 towards one another is made possible by the presence of the hinged zones 24 and 25 and also by the fact that the

  material constituting the head is relatively flexible.

  In this maneuver, the two lateral zones of this movable part, each constituted between two adjacent film hinges 24 and 25, tilt towards the inside of the container 1, around the external hinges 25, this tilting causing the translation in the same direction, parallel to itself, of the central zone of the mobile region, which is defined between the two hinges 24, and which carries the connection sleeve to the valve stem 4. The latter therefore undergoes the desired axial depression without damage , for

  release the foam through the channel 19 of the nozzle 9.

  When the hairdresser releases the pressure on the bosses 30 of the levers 26, the internal spring equipping the valve raises the movable part of the bottom 7, which returns to its rest position when the valve is closed, with reverse work of the

hinge zones 24 and 25.

It is understood that the mode of

  realization described above is in no way limited

  tif and may give rise to any desirable modifications, without departing from the scope of the invention.

Claims (8)

  1 - Pressurized container for the condi-   tion of a product and its distribution by   the actuation of a proving member (26)   when the opening of a dispensing valve arranged   on the container outlet (1), by pressing   ment of the movable element (4) of said valve in direction   tion of the interior of the container (1), a dispensing head   tribution (5) being attached, by a fixed part, to the outlet of said container (1), said dispensing head (5) comprising a movable part, which is connected by articulation members (24, 25) to   said fixed part and which has a connecting member   cordage from said head (5) to said movable valve element (4), said connection member being traversed by an ejection channel communicating the interior of the container (1) with the exterior during actuation of the operating member, characterized in that the movable part of said head (5)   includes a middle zone carrying said connecting member   cord, and two opposite lateral zones, each connected to said central zone by a central hinge zone (24), these two hinge zones   central (24) being parallel to each other and ortho-   gonales to the axis of exit of the product out of the container (1), each of the lateral zones being connected to the fixed part of said head (5) by two other lateral hinge zones (25), arranged parallel to the preceding ones, said member of maneuver (26) consisting of two levers arranged on either side of the aforementioned outlet axis and each carried by one of the aforementioned lateral zones in the vicinity of the lateral hinge zone (25) ensuring the connection with the part fixed, the tilting of said lateral zones   around the lateral hinge zones (25) provo-   as the translation of the corresponding median zone   when the movable valve element (4) is pushed in.   2 - Pressurized container according to the claim   tion 1, characterized in that the connecting member   cord is extended by a distribution nozzle (9) whose free end is located outside   the operating space of the levers (26).   3 - Pressurized container according to the claim   tion 2, characterized in that the dis-   tribution (9) is arranged along the exit axis of the product out of the container (1).   4 - Pressurized container according to one of   Claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the   dispensing head (5) is made in one piece from a flexible plastic material, the hinge zones (24, 25) then being constituted by film hinges. - Pressurized container as claimed -   tion 4, characterized in that the hinges   films (24, 25) are constituted by wall zones whose thickness is weakened by the realization of grooves (21, 22).   6 - Pressurized container according to one of   Claims i to 5, characterized in that the   levers (26) are symmetrical with respect to the axis of   outlet of the product out of the container (1).   7 - Pressurized container according to one of   Claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the   dispensing head (5) is constituted by a peripheral skirt (6) allowing attachment to the container (1), said skirt (6) being connected to a   bottom (7) overhanging the valve holder cup and   both the movable part of said head (5), radial fins (13) carried by the skirt (6) and the faith.d (7)   coming to bear on the edge of the cup holder   valve when said head (5) is mounted on the body of container (2).   8 - Pressurized container according to the claims   cations 4 and 7 taken simultaneously, characterized in that the movable part is formed between two slots (20) formed in the bottom (7), mutually parallel, on either side of the outlet axis, and perpendicular at the hinge zones (24, 25), the hinge zones (24) connecting between the lateral zones and the central zone of the movable part   each extending from one slot (20) to another.   9 - Pressurized container according to one of the   claims 1 to 8, wherein the movable member of   the valve consists of an emerging outlet tube   (4), characterized in that the connecting member   the movable part of the dispensing head   (5) said outlet tube (4) is constituted by a man- chon with chamfered entry (16).   - Container according to one of the claims -   1 to 9, characterized in that it includes a removable protective cover (31).