FR2800360A1 - EXTEMPORANE MIXTURE DISPENSER - Google Patents

Abstract

Fluid product dispenser comprising a dispensing member (3) and two reservoirs (1, 2) separated by a partition (21), characterized in that displacement means (33) are provided for moving the dispensing member (3) towards the partition (21) to make it yield and thus allow, before distribution, the mixing of the contents of the two reservoirs.

Description

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  The present invention relates to a dispenser for dispensing a mixture of fluid product in an extemporaneous manner, that is to say that the mixture of the various constituents of the fluid product are mixed just before the dispenser can be used to deliver a dose of said mixture. . The dispenser comprises a dispensing member, such as a pump, a valve or even a plug, as well as two reservoirs separated from each other by a common partition. The user of this dispenser, before first use, must carry out an operation aimed at mixing the two products contained in the two tanks by breaking or removing the common partition. The rupture of this common partition can be carried out in various ways and the present

  invention provides another solution.

  According to the invention, there is provided displacement means for moving the dispensing member towards the partition to cause it to give way and thus allow, before dispensing, the mixing of the contents of the two tanks. The distribution member thus fulfills an additional initial function, namely that of pushing or piercing member of the common partition. Advantageously, the dispensing member extends inside one of the two reservoirs, said reservoir comprising a wall forming said partition. The distribution member is therefore already in place in one of the two tanks, but not in its final position which will only be reached when the common partition has been removed or destroyed.

  by the dispensing member during its movement.

  According to another characteristic, the dispensing member is fixed to one of the two tanks and movable relative to the latter between an initial position where the partition separates the two tanks and a final position where the partition has failed under pressure from the 'distribution organ. Preferably, the two tanks are fixedly mounted relative to one another. The distribution member is thus movable relative to the two

  2 5 reservoirs which form an inseparable entity.

  According to one embodiment, the two initial and final positions are snap positions. Advantageously, the dispensing member comprises a fixing ring cooperating by snap-fastening with one of the two reservoirs. The technique of snap-fitting a dispenser member using a ring onto a reservoir is a completely conventional technique, except that in the present invention, two are provided.

  snap positions, namely an initial and a final.

  As a variant, the two initial and final positions are screwing positions.

  Advantageously, the distribution member comprises a fixing ring cooperating by

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  screwing with one of the two tanks. Again, this is quite a technique

  conventional and the final position can for example be reached at the end of tightening.

  According to another characteristic, a tank called the second tank seals the other tank said to be the first tank. Advantageously, the dispensing member sealingly seals the second reservoir forming the partition. In order to guarantee a perfect seal during the displacement of the dispensing member, the latter comprises a sealing lip mounted to slide against a cylindrical internal wall of the second reservoir. Thus, the dispenser is perfectly sealed

  even in the initial position as well as during the movement of the dispensing member.

  According to a practical embodiment, the dispensing member is snapped on or screwed onto the first reservoir. On the other hand, the second tank is mounted clamping inside the

first tank.

  According to a preferred embodiment, the dispensing member comprises a dip tube which extends in a reservoir in the direction of the partition so as to yield the

  partition by displacement of the dispensing member towards the partition.

  The invention will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings.

  giving by way of nonlimiting example two embodiments of the present invention.

  In the drawings: - Figures 1a and 1b are views in vertical cross section through a distributor according to the invention in the initial position and in the final position respectively, and - Figures 2a and 2b are views similar to those of figures la and lb for a

  dispenser according to a second embodiment of the invention.

  The extemporaneous mixture distributor according to the invention comprises three essential constituent elements, namely a first reservoir 1, a second reservoir 2 and a member

distribution 3.

  The first tank 1 can be made of glass or plastic and comprises

  a body 10 defining an internal volume intended to contain a first fluid product Pi.

  The first reservoir 1 forms at its upper end a neck 11 which forms

  3 0 externally snap profiles 111, 112 or screw 110.

  The second tank 2, which can be made of plastic, extends inside the first tank 1, so that it is partially surrounded by the fluid P1. The second tank 2 comprises a body 20 closed at its lower end by a partition 21. At its upper end, the body 20 of the second tank 2 forms a flange 22: 3 which extends radially outwards. The second tank 2 is engaged inside the first tank 1 with a tight contact of the body 20 of the second tank 2 against the internal wall of the neck 1i1 of the first tank 1. The final position of the second tank 2 inside the first tank 1 is reached when the radial flange 22 abuts against the upper surface of the neck I1l of the first tank 1. The tight contact between the body 20 and the neck 11 is perfectly sealed so that the second tank 2 hermetically seals the first tank 1. The second tank 2 contains a second product

  fluid P2, separated from the first fluid product P1 by the common partition 21.

  According to the invention, the common partition 21 can be pierced, torn or separated from the body 20 so as to bring the products P1 and P2 into contact to produce a mixture of these products. The partition 21 can be completely separated from the body 20 but can also remain attached to the body for example by a bridge of material providing a form of hinge. Partial or total removal of the partition 21 is preferred to piercing or tearing it in order to provide a larger passage between the reservoir 1 and

  tank 2 to promote and improve the mixing of products P1 and P2.

  According to the invention, the distribution member 3 is used to cause the common partition 21 to yield. To do this, the distribution member 3 can be moved in the direction of the common partition 21 between an initial position in which the partition separates the two tanks 1 and 2, and a final position in which the partition has given way under the pressure of the dispensing member. The dispensing member 3 can therefore move translatively in the direction of the partition 21. Advantageously, the dispensing member 3 is provided with a dip tube 32, the end of which serves as a pushing or piercing member which comes in contact with the partition 21 to cause it to yield. One can also provide a thrust member in the form of a rigid rod or a tube which extends next to or around the

2 5 dip tube.

  The dispensing member, which can be a pump, a valve, or even a plug, is fixed to one of the two tanks, in this case the first tank 1, using fixing means, here in the form of a ring 33. The ring 33 which may or may not form an integral part of the dispensing member 3 cooperates with the profiled neck 11i of the first reservoir 1, either by snap-fastening, as shown in FIGS. 1a and 1b, or by screwing , as shown in Figures 2a and 2b. In the first embodiment shown in FIGS. 1a and 1b, the neck 11 of the first reservoir 1 forms two latching grooves 111 and 112, while the ring forms a latching profile 330. In the initial position corresponding to the Figure la, the snap profile 330 of the ring 33 is

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  engaged in the first latching groove 111 of the neck 11. By pressing on the ring 33, it is possible to cause the latching profile 330 to come out of the groove 111 and to be snapped into the second latching groove 112 of the neck 11. During this movement, the dip tube 32 has moved translatively towards the partition 21 so as to cause it to yield, as shown in FIG. 1b. In the variant shown in Figures 2a and 2b, the principle is the same with fixing by screwing. To do this, the neck 11 of the first reservoir 1 is formed with an external thread 110 while the ring 33 forms an internal thread 333 in engagement with the threaded neck 11l. In the position shown in Figure 2a, the ring 33 is not screwed to 1 0 bottom on the neck 11 and the end of the dip tube remains remote or just in contact with the partition 21 without causing it to yield. By screwing the ring 33 onto the neck 11, the dip tube 32 moves translatively towards the partition 21 until it yields, which corresponds to the position shown in FIG. 2b. The end position can for example be reached

  when the ring 33 is fully screwed onto the threaded neck 11.

  We have already seen that the seal between the two reservoirs 1 and 2 is achieved by the tightening contact of the body 20 against the internal wall of the neck 11. In order to guarantee a perfect seal between the dispensing member 3 and the reservoirs, the fixing ring 33 also forms a sealing lip in the form of a skirt 331 which comes into leaktight sliding contact against a cylindrical part of the internal wall of the body 20 of the second reservoir 2. The sealing of the distributor is thus guaranteed in the initial position, in the final position but also when moving the pump body to reach the final position. Thanks to the invention, the user can mix the two products P1 and P2 at the last moment just before actuating the dispenser, simply by acting on the ring 33, either by pushing in the case of snap-fastening, either by rotation in the case of screwing.

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Claims (14)

Claims:   1.- Fluid product distributor comprising a distribution member (3) and two reservoirs (1, 2) separated by a partition (21), characterized in that displacement means (33) are provided for displacing the distribution member (3) towards the partition (21) to make it yield and thus allow, before distribution, the mixing of the contents of the two tanks. 2. A fluid dispenser according to claim 1, in which the dispensing member (3) extends inside one of the two reservoirs (2), said reservoir (2)   having a wall forming said partition (21).   3. A fluid dispenser according to claim I or 2, wherein the dispensing member (3) is fixed on one of the two tanks (1) and movable relative to the latter between an initial position o the partition separates the two tanks and   a final position where the partition gave way under pressure from the dispensing member.   4. A fluid dispenser according to any one of the claims   previous, in which the two tanks (1, 2) are fixedly mounted relative to each other to the other.   5. A fluid dispenser according to claim 3, in which the two   initial and final positions are snap positions.   6. A fluid dispenser according to claim 5, in which the dispensing member (3) comprises a fixing ring (33) cooperating by snap-fastening with 2 0 one of the two tanks (1).   7. A fluid dispenser according to claim 3, in which the two   initial and final positions are screwing positions.   8. A fluid dispenser according to claim 7, in which the dispensing member (3) comprises a fixing ring (33) cooperating by screwing with one of the 2 5 two tanks (1).   9. A fluid dispenser according to any one of claims   previous, in which a tank called second tank (2) seals   the other tank says first tank (1).   10. A fluid dispenser according to claim 9, wherein the dispensing member (3) seals the second reservoir (2) forming the partition (21). 6 2800 360   11. A fluid dispenser according to claim 10, wherein the dispensing member (3) comprises a sealing lip (331) slidably mounted against a   cylindrical inner wall of the second tank (2).   12. A fluid dispenser according to claim 10 or 11, wherein the dispensing member (3) is snapped onto or screwed onto the first reservoir (1). 13. A fluid dispenser according to claim 9, wherein the second   tank (2) is clamped inside the first tank (1).   14.- fluid dispenser according to any one of claims   previous, in which the dispensing member (3) comprises a dip tube (32) which extends in a reservoir (2) in the direction of the partition (21) so as to yield   the partition by displacement of the dispensing member towards the partition.