FR2806387A1 - Seal for outlet of flexible container such as tube of cosmetic product comprises valve with conical seat and flexible membrane - Google Patents

Abstract

The seal (1) for a flexible container (2) consists of a valve with a generally conical seat (15) broadening towards the outlet (24), and an elastic membrane (16) of the same shape which fits closely over the seat and is deformed when the container is squeezed to allow the product to pass between the membrane and seat. The membrane and container have thrust surfaces (5, 10, 11, 12, 30, 32, 34) which co-operate when the seal is fitted to the container, and the seat and membrane are shaped so that the membrane is stretched slightly when fitted over the seat.

Description

The present invention relates to a container structure intended to contain two substances separately and to allow the mixing of these substances at the time of their use.

In particular, substances may be those which are required to be mixed to obtain a hair dye product.

A container structure intended to contain two substances separately and to allow mixing of these substances at the time of their use is known per se.

Existing container structures, however, have some practical drawbacks related either to their manufacture or their use.

The aim of the invention is to provide a structure which gives perfect satisfaction both from the point of view of the manufacture of the container, in particular with regard to the molding of the different parts constituting this container, and from the point of view of the ease of handling. of this container by the user.

The invention also aims to provide a membrane sealing device fitted to said container structure, which is easy to manufacture, by means of a molding technique relatively inexpensive and inexpensive to implement, and which allows obtaining a perfect seal.

The container structure concerned comprises, in a known manner, a first reservoir, which contains a first substance, a second reservoir, which contains a second substance, and means for mixing these substances at the moment of their use.

According to the invention, said first reservoir has a deformable structure enabling it, in the non-compression position, to contain said first substance, in a compression position, to expel this substance; said second reservoir comprises a lid ensuring its closure; the container structure comprises a central body to which said first and second reservoirs are connected, said second reservoir being pivotally mounted on this central body; - The container structure comprises means for, in the angular position of the second tank relative to the central body to act on said lid to put said second tank in communication with said first tank; the container structure comprises means for compressing said first reservoir in order to expel the substance contained therein so as to pass it, through the central body, into said second reservoir in order to mix said first and second substances.

Putting the tanks in communication with each other therefore involves simply pivoting said second tank relative to said central body and then compressing said first tank to cause the passage of said first substance in said second tank.

The container structure thus formed is simple and easy to manufacture and assemble, and is simple to handle the user.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the container structure comprises means making it possible to wedge said second reservoir with respect to the central body in an angular position; - The central body comprises a peripheral wall which has a helical groove arranged in its outer face and asperities protruding into the groove or local interruption areas of the groove; - The container structure also comprises a control part engaged around said first tank; this control part is provided with a clean bottom to press against said first reservoir to compress it, and net portions adapted to cooperate with said groove to allow the axial displacement of the piece relative to said central body, by screwing; these portions of net and said asperities or local interruptions of the groove are shaped so as to create a "hard point" allowing, below a torque threshold, to pivotally wedge said control part with respect to said central body, and beyond this torque threshold, to allow said local roughness or interruption to be crossed by said thread portions, to enable said control part to be screwed onto said central body.

Prior to the use of the container, said control member occupies a first axial position with respect to said central body, wherein said thread portions abut against said local asperities or interruptions, and wedge the control member pivotally with respect thereto. central body. The pivoting drive this control part in one direction while said second reservoir is maintained causes pivoting of the central body relative to the second reservoir to the angular position of communication of the second reservoir with said first reservoir and the pivoting position in pivoting of the second reservoir relative to the central body. This setting allows, if the pivoting drive of the control part is continued, to achieve the crossing of said asperities or local interruptions by said thread portions, and thus the screwing the control part on the central body, which performs the compression the first reservoir and thus the passage of said first substance in said second reservoir.

On the opposite side to said operculum, said second reservoir may have a deformable structure, constituted by an undulating configuration that allows its expansion to allow the introduction into it of the substance contained in said first reservoir. In its expanded form, this second reservoir can form a point of application of the product; a ball of material can be arranged at the end of the tip, being connected thereto by an area of frangible material, this ball being separable from said second tank when it is manually grasped and turned on itself to tearing said zone of material which connects it to this reservoir.

The container structure according to the invention may further comprise, between the two tanks, a diaphragm valve constituted by a stud forming the seat of this valve, which delimits an upper flow channel of one of the substances, a lower flow conduit of the same substance and a veil separating these two conduits; and - a membrane of elastically deformable material, tightly engaged on this pad and being tightly applied to said web.

The web and the membrane applied to it form said valve.

The stud may have a generally conical shape and a cross section which increases in the direction of flow of said substance, and the membrane may have a generally conical shape, corresponding to the outer shape of the stud.

The assembly of this membrane and the pad can be achieved by simple fitting.

The shapes of the pad and the membrane may be such that the membrane is slightly elongated in the circumferential direction when it is placed on the pad.

In addition, the container structure according to the invention may comprise support means cooperating with each other to maintain the membrane in its engagement position on the pad.

For a good understanding, the invention is again described below with reference to the attached schematic drawing showing, by way of non-limiting example, a preferred embodiment of the container structure that it relates.

Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view in a position; Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure 1 in another position, and Figure 3 is an enlarged view, in section, of a part that includes the container structure.

Figures 1 and 2 show a container structure 50 equipped with a sealing device 1.

The container structure 50 is intended to contain two substances separately and to allow the mixing of these substances at the time of their use.

This container structure 50 comprises a first reservoir 51, containing one of these substances, a second reservoir 52, containing the other of these substances, a central body 53 to which the reservoirs 51 and 52 are connected, and a control part 54. can be screwed onto the body 53.

The reservoir 51 has a bellows structure enabling it, in the non-compression position (FIG. 1), to contain said substance, and, compression position (FIG. 2), to expel this substance. It has a neck 5 allowing its snap on the body 53, and a conical bearing surface 11.

The reservoir 52 has a circular recess shaped to allow its connection to the body 53 by snapping, with the possibility of pivoting the reservoir 52 relative to the body 53.

The reservoir 52 also comprises a closed neck 56. This operculum 56, more particularly visible in Figure 3, comprises a patch 60 connected to it by a thin material area 61 this patch 60 being equipped with a tab 62 clean to do protruding, after mounting, beyond a curved wall 63 that includes the body 53, as it appears in Figure 1.

On the opposite side to the cover 56, the reservoir 52 has a deformable structure, consisting of a corrugated configuration which allows expansion to allow the introduction into it of the substance contained in the reservoir 51. In its expanded form shown in FIG. 2, this reservoir 52 forms a point 65 at the end of which is a ball of material 66. This ball 66 is connected to the tip 65 by a frangible material zone, and can be separated from the reservoir 52 when it is manually entered and turned on itself to tear this area of matter. This separation allows the tank 52 to open, and the tip forms an applicator.

The body 53 comprises a circular wall 70, in the outer face of which is arranged a helical groove. This groove interrupts locally, in specific locations, to create "hard point" as described below.

The body 53 also comprises a transverse web, from which a tip 72 projects for the connection of the neck 5.

The device 1 comprises a diaphragm valve constituted by a stud 15 forming the seat of this valve and by a membrane 16 of elastically deformable material, tightly engaged on the stud 15. The stud 15 is integral with the web 71. It has a curved wall upper 21, an intermediate transverse web 22 and a lower curved wall 23. The wall 21 defines, with the wall 63, an upper conduit for the flow of the substance contained in the reservoir 51; the wall 23 defines a lower flow conduit of the same substance.

veil 22 extends over the same angular portion of the stud 15 as said lower flow conduit and thus separates the lower conduit of the upper conduit.

pad 15 has a generally conical shape and has a cross-section which increases in the direction of the upper flow orifice of the substance contained in the tank 51.

The web 71 also has a circular wall 28 projecting from the inner face of this web 71.

membrane 16 is molded in an elastically deformable material. It has a generally conical tubular shape, corresponding to the outer shape of the pad 15. This shape is such that the membrane 6 can be tightly fitted on the stud 15, being slightly stretched in the circumferential direction.

The membrane 16 comprises a bead 30 at its end of smaller section and a bead 31 extended by a flange 32 at its end of greater section. The bead 30 has a face intended to bear against the range <B> 11 </ B>. The flange 32 projects radially outwards, and is shaped to be, when placing the reservoir 51 the body 53, pinched between the neck 5 and the wall 28 of the web 71.

piece 54 has a tubular shape closed by a bottom one end, and is engaged around the tank 51. On the opposite side to said bottom, it comprises portions 75 of thread, adapted to cooperate with the groove of the wall 70 to allow movement axial axis of this piece 54 between the axial positions shown respectively in Figures 1 and 2. In the position shown in Figure 1, these portions 75 are in abutment against said local interruptions of the groove. These thread portions 75 and said local interruptions of the groove are shaped so as to create said "hard point", allowing, below a torque threshold, to pivotally pivot the piece 54 relative to the body 53, and to beyond the threshold of torque, to allow the crossing of said local interruptions by said thread portions 75, to allow the screwing of the workpiece 54 on the body 53.

In practice, the membrane 16 is placed on the stud 15 by fitting to form the sealing device 1.

The circumferential stretching of the membrane 16 makes it possible to absorb any respective dimensional variations of the stud 15 and the membrane 16.

After assembly, the beads 30 and 31, the flange 32, the neck 5 and wall 28 constitute support means cooperating with each other to maintain the membrane 16 in its narrow fitting position on the pad 15 These same means make it possible to form two seals of the container structure 50. These seals are particularly effective, since the neck 5 and the wall 28 tend to press the beads 30 and 31, respectively, radially and inwards. .

To achieve the mixing of the substances contained in the tanks 51 and 52, the part 54 is grasped by one hand while the other hand grasps the tank 52. This piece 54 is pivoted in one direction while the reservoir 52 is maintained or is rotated in the opposite direction. Said abutment position of the portions 75 against said interruptions of the groove causes the tank to pivot relative to the body 53 until the tab 62 bears against the wall 63 and then cross this wall, which tears the thinned area 61 and opens Thus, the reservoir The lug 62 is then retained by the wall which holds the orifice thus created opposite the flow duct delimited by this wall 63 and the wall 21, and holds the reservoir 52 securely relative to the body 53.

wedging and continuation of the drive exerted on the workpiece 54 then allows said portions 75 to cross said interruptions of the groove of the body 53, which allows the screwing of this piece 54 relative to this body This screwing allows to compress the reservoir 51 and, in doing so, to force the passage of the substance contained in this reservoir 51 through the valve constituted by the membrane 16 and the web 22.

The ball 66 can then be removed for the opening of the container for the application of the product.

 It goes without saying that the invention is not limited to the embodiment described above by way of example but that it encompasses all variants. Thus, the part 54 could be omitted, the pressure on the reservoir can then be exerted directly.

Claims (1)

1 - A container structure for containing two substances separately and to allow mixing of these substances at the time of their use, and comprising a first reservoir (51), which contains a first substance, a second reservoir (52), which contains a second substance, and means for effecting the mixing of these substances at the time of their use; container structure (50) characterized in that said first reservoir (51) has a deformable structure enabling it, in the non-compression position, to contain said first substance, in the compression position, to expel said substance; said second reservoir (52) comprises a lid (56) ensuring its closure; the container structure (50) comprises a central body (53) to which said first and second reservoirs (52) are connected, said second reservoir (52) being pivotally mounted on this central body (53); the container structure (50) comprises means allowing, in an angular position of the second reservoir (52) with respect to the central body (53), to act on said lid (56) to put said second tank (52) in communication with said first reservoir (51); the container structure (50) comprises means (54) for compressing said first reservoir (51) to expel the substance contained therein so as to pass it, through the central body (53), into said second reservoir (52) for mixing said first and second substances. - Container structure according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises means for wedging said second reservoir (52) relative to the central body (53) in an angular position; - In that the central body (53) comprises a peripheral wall (70) which has a helical groove arranged in its outer face and asperities protruding into the groove or local interruption zones of this groove; in that the container structure (50) comprises a control member (54) engaged around said first reservoir (51); this control part (54) is provided with a bottom adapted to press against said first reservoir (51) to compress it, and thread portions (75) adapted to cooperate with said groove to allow the axial displacement of this piece (54) with respect to said central body (53), by screwing; these thread portions (75) and said local asperities or interruptions of the groove are shaped so as to create a "hard point" allowing, below a torque threshold, to pivotably wedge said control member (54) by report to said central body (53), and beyond this torque threshold, to allow the crossing of said asperities or local interruptions by said thread portions (75), to enable said control part (54) to be screwed to said central body (53). - Container structure according to claim 1 or claim 2, characterized in that the reservoir (51) has a bellows structure. - Container structure according to one of claims 3, characterized in that, on the opposite side to said operculum (56), said second reservoir (52) has a deformable structure, constituted by a corrugated configuration allows its expansion to allow introducing into the substance contained in said first reservoir (51). - Container structure according to claim 4, characterized in that, in its expanded form, said second reservoir (52) forms a tip (65). - Container structure according to claim 5, characterized in that a ball of material (66) is arranged at the tip end (65), being connected thereto by a zone of frangible material, this ball ( 66) separable from said second reservoir (52) when manually gripped and turned on itself to tear said material zone which connects it to said reservoir (52). 7 - Container structure according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that it comprises, between the two reservoirs (51, 52), a diaphragm valve constituted by - a stud (15) forming the seat of this valve, which delimits an upper flow conduit of one of the substances, a lower flow conduit of the same substance and a web (22) separating these two conduits; and - a membrane (16) of elastically deformable material, tightly engaged on this pad (15) and coming tightly on said web (22). 8 - Container structure according to the claim characterized in that the stud (15) has a generally conical shape and a cross section which increases in the direction of flow of said substance and in that the membrane (16) has a shape generally conical, corresponding to the outer form stud (15). 9 - container structure according to claim 7 or claim 8, characterized in that the shapes of the pad (15) and the membrane (16) are such that the membrane (16) is slightly stretched in the circumferential direction when is engaged on the stud (15). 10 - Container structure according to one of claims 7 to 9, characterized in that it comprises support means <B> 11, </ B> 28, 30, 31, 32) cooperating with each other to maintain the membrane (16) in its engagement position on the stud (15).