FR2815674A1 - Distribution pump, for fluid products, has priming mechanism fitted to low piston of pump chamber to remove air from chamber during first operation of pump. - Google Patents

Abstract

The pump is constructed in a body (10), containing a pump chamber (11), formed between a high piston (20) and a low piston (30). The pistons slide and are sealed to the pump body. The pump is fitted with a priming element, fitted to the low piston, and which is mobile and/or deformable in the pump chamber in order to evacuate any air contained within the pump chamber during the first operation of the pump.

Description

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 The present invention relates to a fluid dispenser pump, and a fluid dispenser device comprising such a pump.

distribuer la dose de produit contenue dans ladite chambre de pompe. Dans certains cas, la chambre de pompe peut être délimitée entre deux pistons, un piston haut et un piston bas, qui coulissent dans ledit corps de pompe jusqu'à l'ouverture d'un clapet de sortie de la chambre de pompe permettant l'expulsion du produit contenu dans ladite chambre de pompe. Fluid product dispensing pumps are well known in the art. They generally include a pump body which encloses a pump chamber in which a piston slides to

distribute the dose of product contained in said pump chamber. In certain cases, the pump chamber can be delimited between two pistons, a high piston and a low piston, which slide in said pump body until the opening of an outlet valve of the pump chamber allowing the expulsion of the product contained in said pump chamber.

 A problem which arises with fluid dispensing pumps concerns their priming. Indeed, before the first actuation of the pump, the pump chamber contains air which it is necessary to evacuate in order to be able to fill said pump chamber with fluid product for distribution during the next actuation. In order to avoid partial filling of the pump chamber, and therefore an incomplete distribution of a dose during the next actuation of the pump, it is important to empty the air contained in the pump chamber as much as possible. from the first actuation of the pump.

 It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a fluid dispensing pump which allows safe and reliable priming of the pump when it is first actuated.

 The present invention also aims to provide such a pump, which is simple and inexpensive to manufacture and produce.

 The present invention therefore relates to a fluid dispensing pump comprising a pump body comprising a pump chamber delimited between a high piston and a low piston, said pistons sliding in leaktight manner in said pump body, characterized in that said pump comprises a movable and / or deformable priming member in the pump chamber to evacuate the air contained in the pump chamber during the first actuation of the pump.

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 Preferably, the pump has an air passage which is open when the pump chamber does not contain any fluid, said priming member closing said air passage when the pump chamber is filled with fluid.

 According to a first embodiment of the invention, the priming member is formed by the low piston.

Advantageously, the low piston is mounted floating in said pump body between the high piston and an element forming an inlet valve seat of the pump chamber, said element being urged towards the rest position of the pump by an elastic element forming pump return spring.

Advantageously, the upper piston has a groove which cooperates with the lower piston at the end of the first actuation of the pump, when the pump chamber contains air, to form part of the air passage.

 Advantageously, said low piston has a shoulder which cooperates with the element forming the inlet valve seat of the pump chamber to seal said air passage when the pump chamber contains fluid.

 According to a second embodiment of the invention, the initiating member is formed by a collapsible seal.

 Advantageously, the collapsible seal is disposed in the pump chamber and closes a vent hole provided in said pump body, said seal being deformed by the high piston at the end of the first actuation of the pump, to open said vent hole. and allow the evacuation of the air contained in the pump chamber.

 According to a third embodiment of the invention, the priming member is a movable element sliding in said pump chamber.

 Advantageously, said movable element slides between a position in which it closes a vent hole provided in said pump body, and a position in which it opens said vent hole.

 Advantageously, the movable element is in its non-shutting position before the first actuation of the pump, and is biased towards its

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 closed position by said high piston, or an element integral with the latter, at the end of the stroke of the first actuation of the pump, in order to close said vent hole.

The present invention also relates to a device for dispensing a fluid product comprising a pump as described above.

- la figure 1 est une vue schématique en section transversale d'un premier mode de réalisation de la présente invention, en position de repos de la pompe, - la figure 2 est une vue de détail agrandie de la figure 1, - la figure 3 est une vue similaire à celle de la figure 2, en position de

fin de course de premier actionnement de la pompe, - la figure 4 est une vue schématique en section transversale d'un second mode de réalisation de l'invention, en position de repos de la pompe, - la figure 5 est une vue de détail agrandie de la figure 4,

- la figure 6 est une vue schématique en section transversale d'un troisième mode de réalisation de la présente invention, dans une position en cours de premier actionnement de la pompe, - la figure 7 est une vue similaire à celle de la figure 6, en position de fin de premier actionnement de la pompe, et - la figure 8 est une vue similaire à celles des figures 6 et 7, en position d'actionnement de la pompe, après amorçage de celle-ci. Other characteristics and advantages of the present invention will appear more clearly during the following detailed description of three embodiments thereof, with reference to the accompanying drawings, given by way of nonlimiting examples, in which

- Figure 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a first embodiment of the present invention, in the pump rest position, - Figure 2 is an enlarged detail view of Figure 1, - Figure 3 is a view similar to that of FIG. 2, in the position of

limit switch of first actuation of the pump, - Figure 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a second embodiment of the invention, in the pump's rest position, - Figure 5 is a detail view enlarged from figure 4,

FIG. 6 is a diagrammatic view in cross section of a third embodiment of the present invention, in a position during the first actuation of the pump, FIG. 7 is a view similar to that of FIG. 6, in the end position of the first actuation of the pump, and - Figure 8 is a view similar to those of Figures 6 and 7, in the actuation position of the pump, after priming thereof.

 The present invention will be described below with reference to three distinct embodiments thereof, but it is understood that other alternative embodiments are possible for those skilled in the art.

réalisation avantageux de l'invention. De manière connue, la pompe Referring to Figures 1 to 3, there is shown a first mode

advantageous embodiment of the invention. In known manner, the pump

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etc.) ne seront pas décrits ci-après car n'intervenant pas directement dans la présente invention. L'élément 42 formant siège de clapet d'entrée 40 est avantageusement sollicité par un ressort 60 vers la position de repos de la pompe, ledit ressort agissant en tant que ressort de rappel de la pompe. Le fonctionnement de la pompe est donc classique, l'utilisateur appuie sur le piston haut 20 par l'intermédiaire d'une tige d'actionnement, ce qui a pour

effet de déplacer celui-ci dans le corps de pompe 10, ce qui entraîne également le déplacement du piston bas 30, puisque le produit contenu dans la chambre de pompe 11 est incompressible, jusqu'à l'ouverture du clapet de sortie 50, qui est de préférence réalisée en fin de course d'actionnement de la pompe, afin de permettre l'expulsion du produit contenu dans la chambre de pompe 11. comprises a pump body 10 which contains a pump chamber 11 defining a dose of product to be dispensed. The pump chamber 11 is delimited between a high piston 20 and a low piston 30, the two pistons 20 and 30 sliding in leaktight manner in said pump body 10. An inlet valve 40, generally produced in the form of a ball valve, comprising a ball 41 resting on a valve seat 42, and an outlet valve 50, generally produced in the form of a needle valve 51 cooperating with a frustoconical valve seat 52, are provided to define the inlet and outlet of the pump chamber 11. The other elements of the pump (expulsion channel, actuating rod, fixing tank, ferrule, seals,

etc.) will not be described below since they are not directly involved in the present invention. The element 42 forming an inlet valve seat 40 is advantageously biased by a spring 60 towards the rest position of the pump, said spring acting as a return spring for the pump. The operation of the pump is therefore conventional, the user presses the high piston 20 by means of an actuating rod, which has for

effect of displacing it in the pump body 10, which also causes the displacement of the bottom piston 30, since the product contained in the pump chamber 11 is incompressible, until the outlet valve 50 opens, which is preferably carried out at the end of the pump actuation stroke, in order to allow the product contained in the pump chamber 11 to be expelled.

 According to the invention, the pump comprises a priming element which is mobile and / or deformable in the pump chamber 11 to evacuate the air contained in the pump chamber 11 during the first actuation of the pump. More particularly, the invention provides for an air passage to be formed inside the pump, said air passage being open when the pump chamber 11 does not comprise any fluid, and said air passage being sealed by said priming member when the pump chamber 11 is filled with fluid, after the first actuation of said pump.

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3, correspondant à la fin de course du premier actionnement de la pompe. En effet, avant le premier actionnement, la chambre de pompe est remplie d'air, de même que le restant du corps de pompe, de sorte que lorsque l'utilisateur actionne pour la première fois la pompe, la même pression est exercée par l'air des deux côtés du piston bas 30. La pression exercée par l'utilisateur déplace donc le piston haut 20 à l'intérieur du corps de pompe mais le piston bas 30 reste immobile. La pression exercée par l'utilisateur sur le piston haut 20 par l'intermédiaire de la tige d'actionnement est également transmise par l'élément de clapet de sortie 51 audit siège de clapet 42 pour le déplacer, contre la force du ressort 60, à l'intérieur du corps de pompe 10, de telle sorte que le piston bas 30 se décolle dudit élément formant siège de clapet 42 comme représenté sur la figure 3. De cette manière, un passage d'air est créé entre ledit piston bas 30 et ledit élément 42 permettant

l'évacuation de l'air contenu dans la chambre de pompe 11. Avantageusement, le piston haut 30 comporte également une rainure 29 qui coopère en fin de course du premier actionnement de la pompe avec l'extrémité supérieure du piston bas 30 afin de permettre l'évacuation maximale de l'air de la chambre de pompe 11, en limitant au maximum le volume mort restant à l'intérieur de celle-ci. Cette position est représentée sur la figure 3 et montre bien que la quasi-totalité de l'air contenu à l'origine

dans la chambre de pompe 11 est évacuée à travers le passage d'air formé d'une part entre le piston haut 20 et le piston bas 30, au moyen de ladite rainure 29, et d'autre part entre le piston bas 30 et le siège de clapet d'entrée 42, comme expliqué précédemment. Lorsque l'utilisateur relâche la pression sur le piston haut, après le premier actionnement, le ressort 60 ramène l'élément 42 axialement vers le haut dans le corps de pompe 10, qui luimême, par l'intermédiaire d'un épaulement approprié qui coopère avec l'élément de clapet de sortie 51 déplace le piston haut 20 vers sa position de According to the first embodiment described in Figures 1 to 3, the priming element is formed by the low piston 30. Thus, the latter is mounted floating inside the pump body 10, and can in particular peel off in relation to the valve seat 42, in the position shown in the figure

3, corresponding to the end of travel of the first actuation of the pump. Before the first actuation, the pump chamber is filled with air, as is the rest of the pump body, so that when the user actuates the pump for the first time, the same pressure is exerted by the air on both sides of the low piston 30. The pressure exerted by the user therefore moves the high piston 20 inside the pump body but the low piston 30 remains stationary. The pressure exerted by the user on the high piston 20 via the actuating rod is also transmitted by the outlet valve element 51 to said valve seat 42 to move it, against the force of the spring 60, inside the pump body 10, so that the low piston 30 comes off from said valve seat element 42 as shown in FIG. 3. In this way, an air passage is created between said low piston 30 and said element 42 allowing

the evacuation of the air contained in the pump chamber 11. Advantageously, the top piston 30 also has a groove 29 which cooperates at the end of the stroke of the first actuation of the pump with the upper end of the bottom piston 30 in order to allow the maximum evacuation of air from the pump chamber 11, limiting as much as possible the dead volume remaining inside the latter. This position is shown in Figure 3 and shows that almost all of the air originally contained

in the pump chamber 11 is discharged through the air passage formed on the one hand between the high piston 20 and the low piston 30, by means of said groove 29, and on the other hand between the low piston 30 and the inlet valve seat 42, as previously explained. When the user releases the pressure on the high piston, after the first actuation, the spring 60 brings the element 42 axially upwards in the pump body 10, which itself, by means of a suitable shoulder which cooperates with the outlet valve element 51 moves the high piston 20 to its position of

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repos représenté sur la figure 1. Le point essentiel ici est que lorsque la pompe revient vers sa position de repos après son premier actionnement, le clapet d'entrée 40 s'ouvre et la chambre de pompe 11 se remplit avec du produit. Ainsi, à partir du moment où le piston bas 30, par l'intermédiaire de son épaulement 35, coopère à nouveau avec l'élément 42 formant siège de clapet d'entrée de la chambre de pompe, le produit contenu à l'intérieur de la chambre de pompe 11 force ledit piston bas 30 vers cette position de fermeture du passage d'air, représenté plus en détail sur la figure 2, et le produit fluide étant incompressible, le piston bas 30 ne peut plus se décoller de cette position dans laquelle son épaulement 35 coopère avec le siège de clapet 42, de sorte qu'à partir de ce moment là, le siège de clapet 42 et le piston bas 30 agissent comme une pièce monobloc. Le piston bas remplit donc parfaitement son rôle d'élément d'amorçage, en ce qu'il ouvre le passage d'air lorsque la chambre de pompe contient de l'air, et en ce qu'il le ferme de manière définitive à partir du moment où la chambre de pompe 11 contient du produit fluide.

rest shown in Figure 1. The main point here is that when the pump returns to its rest position after its first actuation, the inlet valve 40 opens and the pump chamber 11 is filled with product. Thus, from the moment when the bottom piston 30, by means of its shoulder 35, cooperates again with the element 42 forming the inlet valve seat of the pump chamber, the product contained inside the pump chamber 11 forces said bottom piston 30 towards this position for closing the air passage, shown in more detail in FIG. 2, and the fluid product being incompressible, the bottom piston 30 can no longer come off from this position in which its shoulder 35 cooperates with the valve seat 42, so that from this moment there, the valve seat 42 and the low piston 30 act as a single piece. The low piston therefore perfectly fulfills its role of priming element, in that it opens the air passage when the pump chamber contains air, and in that it closes it definitively from as soon as the pump chamber 11 contains fluid.

 Figures 4 and 5 schematically show a second embodiment of the present invention. In this second embodiment, the low piston is made in one piece with the valve seat 42 of the inlet valve 40. The pump body 10 incorporates a priming element 100, which in this embodiment is produced in the form of a collapsible seal 100 disposed opposite a vent hole 15 provided in said pump body 10. FIG. 5 shows this implementation in more detail. This collapsible seal 100 is advantageously deformed at the end of the stroke of the first actuation of the pump by the high piston 20, which allows the opening of the vent hole 15 and the evacuation of the air contained in the pump chamber 11 .

comporte également un trou d'évent 15 permettant l'évacuation de l'air contenu dans la chambre de pompe 11 avant le premier actionnement de la Figures 6 to 8 show a third embodiment of the present invention. In this variant, a priming element 200 is movably mounted inside the pump body 10. The pump body

also includes a vent hole 15 allowing the evacuation of the air contained in the pump chamber 11 before the first actuation of the

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pompe. La figure 6 représente la pompe dans une position en cours de premier actionnement. La chambre de pompe 11 est remplie d'air et la pression exercée des deux côtés sur l'élément d'amorçage 200 est la même de sorte que lors de l'actionnement de la pompe, il ne se déplace pas et laisse ouvert le trou d'évent 15 permettant l'évacuation de l'air contenu dans la chambre de pompe. En fin de course de premier actionnement, représentée sur la figure 7, le piston haut 20, ou un élément solidaire de celui-ci, sollicite mécaniquement ledit élément d'amorçage 200 vers sa position de fermeture dudit trou d'évent 15. A partir de ce moment là, lorsque la pompe remonte vers sa position de repos et que la chambre de pompe se remplit avec du produit fluide, l'élément d'amorçage 200 sera toujours sollicité par la pression du produit vers cette position de fermeture et ne pourra donc plus se déplacer dans une position dans laquelle le trou d'évent 15 serait ouvert.

pump. Figure 6 shows the pump in a position during first actuation. The pump chamber 11 is filled with air and the pressure exerted on both sides on the priming element 200 is the same so that when the pump is actuated, it does not move and leaves the hole open vent 15 allowing the evacuation of the air contained in the pump chamber. At the end of the first actuation stroke, shown in FIG. 7, the top piston 20, or an element integral with the latter, mechanically biases said priming element 200 towards its closed position of said vent hole 15. From from this moment, when the pump rises to its rest position and the pump chamber is filled with fluid, the priming element 200 will always be stressed by the pressure of the product towards this closed position and cannot therefore no longer move into a position in which the vent hole 15 would be open.

permettre un fonctionnement normal de cette pompe par la suite. Of course, the embodiments described are given only by way of examples, and various modifications could be made thereto without departing from the scope of the present invention. In particular, the shape of the priming elements can be different, as long as in accordance with the invention, the priming element opens an air passage during the first actuation of the pump to empty the air contained in the pump chamber, and closes said air passage at the end of said first actuation of the pump, in order to

allow normal operation of this pump thereafter.

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claims
1.-Fluid product distribution pump comprising a pump body (10) comprising a pump chamber (11) delimited between a high piston (20) and a low piston (30), said pistons (20,30) sliding sealingly in said pump body (10), characterized in that said pump comprises a priming member (30,100, 200) movable and / or deformable in the pump chamber (11) to evacuate the air contained in the chamber pump (11) during the first actuation of the pump.

 2. -Pump according to claim 1, wherein the pump has an air passage which is open when the pump chamber (11) does not contain a fluid, said priming member (30, 100,200) closing said passage air when the pump chamber (11) is filled with fluid.

 3. -Pump according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the priming member is formed by the low piston (30).

 4. -Pump according to claim 3, wherein the low piston (30) is mounted floating in said pump body (10) between the high piston (20) and an element (42) forming an inlet valve seat (40 ) of the pump chamber (11), said element (42) being biased towards the pump rest position by an elastic element (60) forming a return spring for the pump.

Claims (2)

5. Pump according to claim 3 or claim 4, wherein the top piston (20) has a groove (29) which cooperates with the bottom piston (30) at the end of the first actuation of the pump, when the pump chamber (11) contains air, to form part of the air passage.  6. -Pump according to any one of claims 3 to 5, wherein said bottom piston (30) has a shoulder (35) which cooperates with an element (42) forming an inlet valve seat (40) of the chamber pump (11) for sealing said air passage when the pump chamber (11) contains fluid.  7. -Pump according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the priming member is formed by a collapsible seal (100).  8. -Pump according to claim 7, wherein the collapsible seal (100) is disposed in the pump chamber (11) and closes a vent hole (15) provided in said pump body (10), said seal ( 100) being deformed by the high piston (20) at the end of the first actuation of the pump, to open said vent hole and allow

 the evacuation of the air contained in the pump chamber (11). 9. A pump according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the priming member is a movable element (200) sliding in said pump chamber (11).  10. -Pump according to claim 9, wherein said movable member (200) slides between a position in which it closes a hole <Desc / Clms Page number 10>  vent (15) provided in said pump body (10), and a position in which it opens said vent hole (15).  11.-Pump according to claim 10, wherein the movable element (200) is in its non-shutting position before the first actuation of the pump, and is biased towards its closed position by said top piston (20) , or an element integral with the latter, at the end of the stroke of the first actuation of the pump, to close off said vent hole (15).  12. -Dispositif fluid product distribution, characterized in that it comprises a pump produced according to any one of the preceding claims.