FR2640942A1 - Container of the aerosol type for delivering, in the form of a foam, metered quantities of product, particularly of food product - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a container of the aerosol type, including a container body provided at its upper part with an orifice inside which can slide axially an end nozzle of a valve mechanism housed inside the container body and a hollow push-button mounted at the upper part of the container body, sliding vertically, and provided with an outlet pipe provided with a mouthpiece orifice connecting the inside of the push-button with the said nozzle. It includes, at the upper part of the container body, means defining, in conjunction with the said push-button 34, a chamber 37 communicating with the outlet pipe 35 of the push-button and into which the outlet nozzle 33 of the valve emerges, the volume of the said chamber varying under the effect of the movement of the push-button so that a downwards motion of the push-button gives rise to a decrease in the said volume and a subsequent return of the push-button to its high rest position gives rise to an increase in the said volume, and therefore to a decrease in pressure in the said chamber.

Description

 The present invention relates to an aerosol type container for delivering, in the form of foam, metered quantities of products, in particular food products.

 I1 is known to package various products in an aerosol container for use in the form of foam.

 Mention may be made, as products thus packaged, of shaving creams and, in the food sector, whipped cream.

 your containers used for this purpose generally have a cylindrical body forming a reservoir for a mixture constituted by the product to be dispensed in liquid form associated with a propellant gas, in particular a neutral gas such as carbon dioxide under pressure, said body comprising at its upper part an orifice inside which an end pipe of a valve mechanism can slide axially housed inside the body and fixed in the vicinity of the upper part thereof. The valve is actuated by pushing down the tubing by means of a hollow pusher to the part. upper part of the reservoir body so as to slide vertically, said pusher being arranged to cause, during its downward movement, a downward entrainment of the outlet pipe of the valve and an expulsion of the conditioned product through an orifice mouth formed in an outlet pipe of the pusher and in communication, inside the pusher, with the end of the outlet pipe of the valve.

 With the known pushers, when the downward pressure on the pushbutton is released, the pushbutton rises under the effect of the return spring provided in the valve and a certain quantity of the ejected product is inevitably found at the level of the orifice. mouth of the pusher. This quantity of product, in particular when it is a food product packaged in liquid form with a tendency to drip then dry, to oxidize then to provoke the development of entangling bacteria, on the one hand a risk of plugging of the orifice mouth, and secondly an alteration in the quality of the product remaining in the vicinity of the mouth of the pusher and which must be subsequently ejected during the next press on the pusher.

 The present invention proposes to produce an aerosol type container making it possible, by particularly simple and economical means, to avoid in particular the drawbacks mentioned above of existing containers, said container being usable in particular for food products packaged in liquid form such as by example of coffee, tea, or a soluble chocolate drink.

 The container according to the invention is essentially characterized by the fact that it comprises, at the upper part of the reservoir body, means defining, in cooperation with said pusher, a chamber communicating with the outlet pipe of the pusher and into which the outlet pipe opens. of the valve, the volume of said chamber varying under the effect of the displacement of the pusher so that a movement of descent of the pusher causes a reduction in said volume and a consecutive return of the pusher to its high rest position causes an abutment of said volume and therefore a vacuum in said chamber.

 As a consequence of the vacuum thus created, any quantity of product located in the vicinity of the opening orifice of the outlet pipe of the pusher is sucked into the pipe towards the interior of the pusher.

 In order to favor the reflux of the product into the pusher under the effect of the vacuum thus created, the outlet pipe of the pusher is advantageously inclined downwards from its mouth towards the interior of the pusher.

 In a preferred embodiment, said means defining in cooperation with the pusher said chamber comprise a fixed intermediate piece mounted coaxially around the outlet pipe of the valve projecting from the outlet orifice of the reservoir body, said intermediate piece comprising a cylindrical bearing concentrically surrounding the outlet pipe of the valve and along which a concentric cylindrical bearing of the pusher can slide vertically to close fit.

 Advantageously, the intermediate piece comprises a bearing surface on the outlet pipe of the valve and a deformable zone elastically connected to said bearing surface so that a support of the lower end of the cylindrical surface of the pusher on said intermediate piece causes elastic flexing of said zone and actuation of the valve by displacement of said bearing surface and of the outlet pipe of the valve.

 According to the invention there is advantageously provided a return spring for urging the pusher in the high rest position, this spring produced in the form of a compression helical spring surrounding the cylindrical bearing surfaces facing the pusher and the intermediate piece.

 Another problem which arises with aerosol type containers intended to contain food products is that of the conservation of the food product which is found after each actuation of the pusher inside thereof, in particular in the chamber provided according to the invention and in the pusher outlet duct.

 Indeed, the food product contained in this zone can, depending on the case, tend to dry out, oxidize and cause the development of bacteria making it unfit for consumption.

 According to a particular characteristic of the invention there is provided a closure element disposed across the orifice of the mouth of the pusher - in the high rest position thereof, said closure element being released from the mouth opening of the pusher when pressed down on said pusher.

 In a first embodiment, the container according to the invention comprises a fixed, hollow mouthpiece> disposed at the upper part of the container, comprising a product ejection orifice and a closure element whose cross section corresponds substantially in the section of the mouth opening of the pusher, said shutter element being arranged in such a way that in the high position of the pusher the mouth opening of the pusher is opposite the shutter element in being closed by the latter, pressing down on the pusher bringing the mouth of the pusher away from the closure element in communication with the ejection orifice of the mouthpiece .

 Preferably, the mouthpiece is made in one piece with a cylindrical envelope covering the reservoir body.

 In a second embodiment, the closure element is movable in the outlet pipe of the pusher in the vicinity of its mouth orifice, under the action of an actuating mechanism controlled by the movement of the pusher, in such a way that in the high position of the pusher the shutter element is placed across the outlet pipe of the pusher, pressing down on the pusher causing the shutter element to clear the mouth opening of the pusher.

 In a preferred embodiment, the closure element is constituted by a partition movable in the longitudinal direction of the outlet pipe of the pusher in the vicinity of its mouth orifice, the actuation mechanism being arranged to transform a vertical displacement of the pusher cn a displacement of the closure element longitudinally in the outlet pipe of the pusher.

In order to better understand the invention, we will now describe two embodiments and their operation with reference to the accompanying drawing in which
Figure 1 is a schematic partial sectional view of a first example of a container according to the invention in the rest position.

 Figures 2 and 3 are schematic sectional views illustrating the upper part of the container of Figure 1, in two positions during operation, the valve mechanism having been omitted for clarity.

 Figures 4 and 5 are schematic partial sectional views of a second example of container according to the invention in the rest position and respectively in the actuating position.

 We first refer to Figure 1.

 The container according to the invention comprises a reservoir-body of conventional shape for the reception, under a pressure of up to 20 bars, in particular of the order of 7 bars, of a mixture containing, in liquid form, the product to be ejected under form of foam, associated with an inert propellant such as nitrogen.

 The reservoir body 1 is surrounded by a cylindrical plastic casing 2. The reservoir body I has at its upper part, in a conventional manner, an orifice 3 through which protrudes an outlet tube 4 or nozzle of a mechanism of conventional valve 5, disposed inside the reservoir body and fixed to the upper part thereof by a crimped ring 6. The structure and operation of the valve are entirely conventional and do not need 'be described in detail here.

 In one piece with the envelope 2, the container comprises a mouth piece 7, hollow, having an ejection orifice 8 and a plate 9 projecting downwards from the upper wall 10 of the mouth piece 7.

 In the rest position shown in Figure 1, the wafer 9 which has a section corresponding to the section of the orifice II output of a pusher generally designated by 12 ensures sealing of said orifice. The pusher 12 comprises a substantially horizontal conduit 13 terminating in said orifice 11 and in communication with a cylindrical volume 14 defined by a cylindrical bearing with a vertical axis 15. The pusher also includes a horizontal bearing 16 serving as a bearing bearing for the upper end of a helical compression spring 17, and a second external coaxial cylindrical seat 18.

 According to the invention, there is further provided an intermediate piece generally designated by 19, having a general shape of a thin-walled collar having a first cylindrical bearing surface 20 surrounding the projecting part of the valve tubing 4 and extended at its upper part. by a bearing surface 21 on the end of the tube 4, said surface 21 having an orifice 22 aligned with the orifice of said tube.

 The intermediate part 19 further comprises a second cylindrical bearing, concentric 23, a third cylindrical bearing 24 provided with lugs on the upper part of the reservoir body, a fourth cylindrical bearing 25 supported by its lower end on the body -reservoir and a fifth cylindrical seat 26 provided with lugs on the outer casing 2 of the tank body.

 The intermediate piece 19 also comprises a first substantially horizontal annular bearing surface 27 connecting the lower parts of the first and second cylindrical bearing surfaces 20 and 23, a second substantially horizontal annular bearing surface 28 connecting the second cylindrical bearing surface 23 to the fourth cylindrical bearing surface 25 and a third bearing substantially horizontal annular - 29 connecting the ends of the fourth and fifth cylindrical bearings 25 and 26.

 Of course, the intermediate piece 19 is advantageously made in one piece, preferably made of plastic, which is elastically deformable.

 As can be seen in FIG. 1, the return spring 17 bears at its lower end on the second horizontal annular bearing 28 of the intermediate piece 19.

 The different cylindrical bearing surfaces of the pusher 7 and of the intermediate piece 19 are arranged in such a way that during the vertical displacement of the pusher, the cylindrical bearing surface 15 of the pusher slides along the second cylindrical bearing surface 23 of the intermediate piece and that the second bearing cylindrical 18 of the pusher slides along the fourth cylindrical bearing 25 of the intermediate piece.

 As can also be seen in the drawing, in the rest position of FIG. 1, in which the pusher is held in the high position under the effect of the return spring 17, there exists between the plane in which the lower end 15 a of the cylindrical surface 15 of the pusher and the first annular surface 27 of the intermediate piece, an annular space 30.

 From the position illustrated in FIG. 1, when the upper face of the pusher 12 is pressed, a sliding movement of the pusher against the return spring 17 is brought down to the position illustrated in the Figure 2 where the end 15a of the cylindrical wall 15 of the pusher comes into contact with the horizontal surface 27 of the intermediate piece. In this position, it can be seen that the ejection orifice 11 of the pusher is spaced from the plate 9 so that the internal volume of the pusher is placed in communication with the ejection orifice 8 of the mouthpiece 7. Continuing to press the button from. the position illustrated in Figure 2, we arrive at the position illustrated in Figure 3 where the support of the end 15a of the cylindrical surface 15 of the pusher on the annular surface 27 causes bending and bending of the annular surface 28 of the intermediate piece causing a displacement downwards of the upper surface 21 of said intermediate piece which collects downwards the tubing of the valve mechanism. Foam-shaped product is then ejected through the ejection orifice 8.

 When the support on the pusher 12 is removed, it tends to return to its position in FIG. 1 under the effect of the return spring 17.

 Under the effect of the vacuum thus created, the product located in the mouthpiece 7 and in the conduit 13 of the pusher, is sucked towards the interior of the pusher and is received in the interior cavity of the pusher and the annular chamber 30 formed between the pusher and the intermediate piece. The product thus contained is isolated from the external environment by the presence of the plate 9 constituting a closure element of the orifice 11 of the pusher.

 Thus, during a subsequent actuation of the pusher, this quantity of product can be ejected towards the outside while having retained its properties, in particular organoleptic, when it is a food product.

 We now refer to the embodiment of FIGS. 4 and 5.

 The reservoir body 31 is, in the same manner as the reservoir body of the first embodiment, of the conventional type.

 This tank body 31 is surrounded by a cylindrical plastic casing 32. The tank body 31 has at its upper part in a conventional manner an orifice through which protrudes an outlet pipe 33 or nozzle of a non-valve mechanism. shown but which can be of the same type as that illustrated in FIG. 1.

 The container comprises a hollow pusher generally designated by 34 comprising an outlet conduit 35 which may be horizontal or preferably, as illustrated, inclined from its mouth orifice 36 in the direction of the internal cylindrical volume 37 of the pusher, said volume being defined by a cylindrical bearing with vertical axis 38 and the upper end wall of the pusher.

 The pusher 35 further comprises a substantially horizontal bearing surface 39 serving as a bearing surface for the upper end of a helical compression spring 40.

 As seen in Figure 4, the rear outer wall 41 of the pusher is extended at its lower part by an element such as a plate 42 connected by a weakening line to the wall 41 and preventing support on the pusher being in contact with the envelope of the tank body.

 Before the first actuation of the container, the plate 42 must be broken, which allows free vertical movement of the pusher 34.

 Of course, an element similar to the plate 42 can be provided in the first embodiment illustrated in Figures 1 to 3. Other equivalent means can also be provided by being interposed between the pusher and the reservoir-body or the envelope of the latter to avoid unwanted actuation of the container, in particular when the latter is transported before or after the sale or is in the course of exhibition in the store.

 In the exemplary embodiment of FIGS. 4 and 5, the intermediate part generally designated by 43 and which, like part 19 of the first embodiment, has a general shape of thin-walled collar is produced in one piece with the casing 32 surrounding the reservoir body 31. The intermediate part 43, as well as the part 19, can be produced in one piece with the tubing. valve outlet.

 The intermediate piece 43 has a first cylindrical surface 44 surrounding the projecting part of the valve tube 33 and extended at its upper part by a bearing surface 45 on the end of the tube 33, said surface 45 having an orifice 46 aligned with the orifice of said tubing.

 The intermediate piece 43 further comprises a second concentric cylindrical bearing surface 47 surrounding the neck of the reservoir body, a third cylindrical bearing surface 48 provided with lugs on the upper part of the reservoir body, and a fourth cylindrical bearing surface 49 provided with ribs annular peripherals, along which the cylindrical seat 38 of the pusher 35 can slide in sealed manner.

 Annular or frustoconical connecting surfaces connect the different cylindrical surfaces of the tank body.

 Thus, in the example illustrated, a frustoconical bearing surface 50 connects the cylindrical bearing surfaces 44 and 47 and a frustoconical bearing surface 51 connects the cylindrical bearing surfaces 47 and 49.

 A substantially horizontal annular bearing surface in the rest position 52 connects the cylindrical bearing surfaces 49 and 48.

 As can be seen in the drawing, a closed chamber is delimited by the cylindrical surface 38 of the pusher, its upper end wall and the surfaces 44, 45, 47, 50 and 51 of the intermediate piece.

 This chamber is in communication with the outlet duct 35 of the pusher and with the outlet orifice of the valve tubing 33.

 Between the rest position of FIG. 4 and the actuation position of FIG. 5, the volume of this chamber decreases when the pusher is pressed.

 Conversely, when the pusher is released and returns to its rest position under the action of the return spring 40, this volume increases creating a vacuum in the chamber.

 As can be seen in FIG. 5, in the position of maximum support towards the bottom of the pusher, the lower end 38a of the seat 38 of the pusher comes to bear against the annular seat 52 of the intermediate piece causing deflection and a bending of this bearing 52 causing a downward movement of the upper bearing 45 of the intermediate piece which drives the tubing of the valve mechanism down in the same manner as in the embodiment of FIGS. 1 to 3.

 In the embodiment of FIGS. 4 and 5, there is provided in the outlet conduit 35 of the pusher a closure element in the form of an inclined partition 53 secured to one end of a side wall 54 of the conduit 35 secured to its opposite end of a cylindrical rod having two flats 55 and in an inclined slot 56 formed in a flange 57 integral with the intermediate piece 43 and therefore with the casing 32 surrounding the reservoir body. To ensure a displacement of the rod 55, a support tab 58 is provided downwardly from the inner face of the upper wall of the pusher.

 When pressing the pusher, from the position of Figure 4, the tab 58 pushes down and to the right the rod 55 which moves guided in the slot 56, which causes a longitudinal movement along of the outlet duct 35 of the pusher of the wall 54 thereof and therefore of the end partition 53 of which it is integral.

 In the full support position shown in Figure 5, the partition-shaped closure element 53 is located at least partially outside beyond the mouth orifice 36 of the conduit 35 defining a slit-shaped orifice for the delivery of the packaged product.

 The angle of inclination of the partition element 53 delimits the orientation of the product projected from the mouth.

 Once the pressure on the plunger is released, it returns from the position of FIG. 5 to the position of FIG. 4 under the effect of the return spring 40 and, in addition to the vacuum created as mentioned above, the partition 53 closes in the rest position the outlet duct 35 of the pusher.

 Thus if, as in the previous embodiment, any quantity of product located in the duct of the pusher and in the chamber formed between the pusher and the intermediate piece is sheltered from the external atmosphere and can be ejected towards the exterior during the next use, having retained all of its properties, in particular organoleptic.

 Although the invention has been described in connection with particular embodiments, it is obvious that it is in no way limited thereto and that it can be brought to many variations and modifications without departing from its scope or nor of his mind.

Claims (13)

 1. Aerosol-type container, comprising a reservoir body provided at its upper part with an orifice inside which can axially slide an end pipe of a valve mechanism housed inside the reservoir body and a hollow pusher mounted at the upper part of the tank body, sliding vertically, and provided with an outlet conduit provided with a mouth orifice communicating inside the pusher with said tube, characterized in that it comprises at the upper part of the reservoir body means defining in cooperation with said pusher (12,34) a chamber (14,30 ;; 37) communicating with the outlet pipe (13,35) of the pusher and into which the valve outlet tubing (4,33), the volume of said chamber varying under the effect of the displacement of the pusher so that a movement of descent of the pusher causes a reduction in said volume and a consecutive return of the pusher to its positio n high rest causes an acceleration of said volume and therefore a depression in said chamber.  2. Container according to claim 1, characterized in that said means defining in cooperation with the pusher said chamber comprise a fixed intermediate piece (19,43) mounted coaxially around the outlet pipe of the valve, said intermediate piece comprising a cylindrical bearing surface (23,49) concentrically surrounding the outlet pipe of the valve and along which a concentric cylindrical bearing surface (15,38) of the pusher can slide vertically.  3. Container according to claim 2, characterized in that said intermediate part comprises a bearing surface (21,45) on the outlet pipe of the valve and an elastically deformable zone (28,52) connected to said surface d pressing so that pressing the lower end (15a, 38a) of the cylindrical seat (15,38) of the pusher on said intermediate piece causes elastic bending of said zone and actuation of the valve by displacement of said bearing surface and the outlet pipe of the valve.  4. Container according to any one of claims 2 and 3, characterized in that it comprises a return spring (17.40) for urging the pusher (12.34) in the high position, said spring preferably produced under the form of a helical compression spring surrounding the cylindrical surfaces (15,23; 38,49) opposite the pusher and the intermediate part.  5. Container according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises a closure element (9.53) disposed across the mouth opening (11I, 36) of the outlet conduit ( 13,35) of the pusher in the high rest position thereof, said closure element being released from the opening of the pusher when pressed down on said pusher.  6. Container according to claim 5, characterized in that it comprises a fixed, hollow mouthpiece (7) disposed at the top of the container, comprising a product ejection orifice (8) and an element d 'shutter (9) whose section corresponds substantially to the section of the mouth opening of the pusher said shutter element being arranged such that in the high position of the pusher the mouth opening of the pusher is in view of the shutter element while being closed by the latter, pressing down on the pusher bringing the mouth opening of the pusher away from the shutter element in communication with the orifice injection of the mouthpiece.  7. Container according to claim 6, characterized in that the mouthpiece (7) is made in one piece with a cylindrical envelope (2) covering the reservoir body (1).  8. Container according to claim 5, characterized in that the closure element (3) is movable in the outlet pipe of the pusher (35) in the vicinity of its mouth orifice (36) under the action of '' an actuating mechanism (54,55,56) controlled by the movement of the pusher so that in the high position of the pusher, the shutter element is arranged across the outlet pipe of the pusher, a support down on the pusher causing the closure element to release the mouth opening of the pusher.  9. Container according to claim 8, characterized in that the closure element is constituted by a partition (53) movable in the longitudinal direction of the outlet conduit (35) of the pusher in the vicinity of its mouth orifice, the actuation mechanism being arranged to transform a vertical movement of the pusher into a displacement of the closure element longitudinally in the outlet conduit of the pusher.  10. Container according to claim 9, characterized in that the actuating mechanism comprises a rod (55) integral with one end of a side wall (54) of the conduit integral with its opposite end of the element obturation in the form of a partition (53), said rod (55) sliding while being guided in an inclined slot (56), under the action of a tab (58) offset downward from the inner face of the upper wall of the pusher.  11. Container according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the outlet duct (35) of the pusher is inclined downwards from its mouth (36) towards the interior (37) of the pusher.  12. Container according to any one of claims 2 to 11, characterized in that the intermediate piece (19,43) is made in one piece.  13. Container according to any one of claims 2 to 12, characterized in that said intermediate piece (19,43) is integral or made in one piece with a cylindrical envelope (2,32) covering the reservoir body (1.31).