FR2827577A1 - Liquid dispenser comprises reservoir enclosed between base plate and upper plate with flexible section fitting over reservoir, spacer plate between these forming outlet channel - Google Patents

Abstract

The liquid dispenser comprises a reservoir (13) which is enclosed between a base plate (1) and an upper plate (3) with a flexible section (36) which fits over the reservoir. A spacer plate (2) between these forms a channel (38) connected to an outlet (32) in the upper plate. The reservoir contains air and liquid, which is dispensed when the flexible wall is squeezed.

Description

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 The present invention relates to a fluid dispenser comprising a fluid reservoir containing fluid and adapted to also contain a gas such as air, said reservoir comprising a deformable actuating wall on which is pressed to reduce the volume internal of the reservoir, and a dispensing orifice through which the fluid is discharged in the form of a two-phase spray by pressing on the actuating wall. A dispenser of this type is already known from document FR 2 791 645. In this document, the reservoir is formed from two flexible deformable sheets welded together on their peripheries and holding between them a piece of plastic defining an outlet orifice and supporting an element of porous material which extends inside the tank so as to soak up fluid. The two flexible sheets each form a deformable actuating wall. These two deformable actuating walls are urged away from one another by elastic means which are in the form of a spring which can be placed inside the tank but also outside the tank. . It is therefore possible to bring the two actuating walls closer to each other against the action of the spring. This document incorporates a very interesting feature which can also be implemented in the context of the present invention. In this case, the dispensing orifice is closed by a removable closure member while the spring is compressed to its maximum state so that the reservoir defines a minimum volume. This ensures minimum thickness for the dispenser so that it can be included in magazines or brochures as a free sample in the form of a true sprayer dispenser.

 However, because the reservoir is formed from two flexible deformable sheets biased by a spring, it is difficult to guarantee perfect esthetics for the dispenser. Indeed, the spring tends to deform the flexible sheets when the removable closure member is in place, because it is compressed to the maximum. To overcome these aesthetic inconveniences, it is preferable to coat or wrap the dispenser in a covering which gives it a superior aesthetic.

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 The aim of the present invention is to remedy this drawback of the prior art by defining a fluid dispenser, the appearance of which is not affected by the nature of the material used to make the reservoir and more particularly its wall or walls. deformable actuation.

 To achieve this object, the present invention proposes that the reservoir comprises a bottom plate, an intermediate plate defining an opening, and a cover plate integrating the actuating wall, the opening formed in the intermediate plate defining with the bottom and cover plate the useful volume of the tank. Unlike the aforementioned document of the prior art, the reservoir is no longer simply formed from two flexible sheets welded together to define an internal volume serving as a reservoir, but on the contrary, the useful volume of the reservoir is formed by the opening of the intermediate plate which is completed by the affixing of two other plates, respectively bottom and cover. The intermediate plate is rigid or at least substantially rigid and the bottom and cover plates can also be rigid, but they can also be flexible. Preferably, the bottom plate is rigid or substantially rigid, and the cover plate can optionally be formed from a flexible deformable or substantially deformable sheet.

 Advantageously, each plate has a wall thickness of less than about 1 mm. Preferably, it is the intermediate plate which has the greatest thickness so as to define a useful volume of reservoir of sufficient size. The opening in the intermediate plate is in the form of a cutout of simple or complex shape. This cut defines a cylinder of very reduced height, since the intermediate plate is only about a millimeter. The bottom and cover plates only close this cylinder so as to obtain a cylindrical tank.

 The actuation wall is integrated in the cover plate, but it is also possible to envisage integrating this actuation wall in the plate

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 background. It is also possible to envisage providing two actuating walls, one in each bottom and cover plate.

 Advantageously, the actuating wall is formed integrally with the cover plate. Preferably, however, the actuating wall is attached to the cover plate which has a receiving window for receiving an actuating member forming the actuating wall. With this second embodiment, it is possible to produce the bottom, intermediate and cover plates by punching simple plates and to produce the actuating member by molding deformable plastic.

 According to an advantageous embodiment, the actuating wall comprises elastic means giving it a shape memory which returns it to the rest position corresponding to the maximum volume of the reservoir. Preferably, the elastic means comprise a flexible blade embedded in the thickness of the actuating wall. Thus, the elastic means are not in contact with the fluid product contained in the reservoir so that no interaction is possible between the flexible blade and the fluid product. In addition, the flexible blade is not visible from the outside, which gives a better aesthetic appearance to the actuating wall. In addition, the flexible blade is perfectly protected within the thickness of the actuating wall.

 According to another characteristic, the reservoir contains a piece of porous material capable of retaining fluid.

 According to another aspect of the invention, the dispensing orifice is formed in the cover plate. Alternatively, the dispensing orifice is formed in the intermediate plate.

 On the other hand, the dispensing orifice can be provided with a removable sealed closure member closing the orifice before the first use and repositionable on the orifice after use.

 According to another advantageous characteristic, the closure member is initially welded around the orifice and further comprises a repositionable adhesive adapted to adhere repeatedly around the orifice. The organ

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 shutter thus provides first-time security by being initially welded and also provides an appropriate tight closure so that the dispenser can be reused later without risk of leakage.

 According to another aspect, the bottom, intermediate and cover plates are stacked and fixed to each other, advantageously by welding or gluing, around the opening formed by the intermediate plate.

 As in the aforementioned document of the prior art, the actuating wall can be flattened before the first use so that the reservoir contains substantially only fluid, the dispenser then having a thickness less than or equal to about 2 mm.

 The invention will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings which give two non-limiting examples of embodiments of the invention.

- la figure 4 est une vue en perspective éclatée en cours d'assemblage du distributeur des figures 1 et 3, - la figure 5 est une vue de dessous de l'organe d'actionnement utilisé dans le distributeur de la figure 1, - la figure 6 est une vue en coupe transversale verticale à travers l'organe d'actionnement de la figure 5, et - la figure 7 est une vue en coupe transversale verticale à travers l'organe d'actionnement de la figure 2. In the figures: - Figure 1 is a vertical cross-section view through a dispenser according to a first embodiment of the invention, - Figure 2 is a view similar to that of Figure 1 for a dispenser according to a second embodiment of the invention, FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the dispenser of FIG. 1,

- Figure 4 is an exploded perspective view during assembly of the dispenser of Figures 1 and 3, - Figure 5 is a bottom view of the actuator used in the dispenser of Figure 1, - the FIG. 6 is a view in vertical transverse section through the actuating member of FIG. 5, and FIG. 7 is a view in vertical transverse section through the actuating member of FIG. 2.

 In both embodiments, the dispenser comprises a bottom plate 1, an intermediate plate 2, a cover plate 3, an actuating wall 36 and a dispensing orifice 32; 22. Plates 1,2, 3 and the

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 actuating wall 36 together define a fluid reservoir 13.

The dispenser also comprises a piece of porous material 4 which is housed in the reservoir 13. Optionally, the dispenser can be provided with a removable sealed closure member 5 which covers the dispensing orifice 22 in a sealed manner; 32.

 The embodiments of Figures 1 and 2 differ from each other only by the location of the dispensing orifice, namely at the level of the cover plate 3 for the dispensing orifice 32 of the Figure 1 and at the intermediate plate 2 for the dispensing orifice 22 of Figure 2. It is obviously possible to envisage another embodiment, for example in which the dispensing orifice is located at the level of the plate background 1.

Anyway, it seems advantageous to see the dispensing orifice together with the actuating wall 36.

 Figure 3 shows the six component parts of the dispenser according to the embodiment of Figure 1 since the dispensing orifice is formed at the level of the cover plate.

 The plates 1, 2 and 3 are preferably relatively rigid plastic plates. However, the cover plate 3 can be a simple flexible sheet which in reality serves as a cover to complete the reservoir 13 formed by the intermediate plate 2 and the bottom plate 1. One can possibly imagine that the bottom plate 1 is also made from a flexible deformable sheet. Even the intermediate plate 2 can be deformable.

However, it is preferable that at least one of the three plates is rigid or substantially rigid in order to impart a certain rigidity to the dispenser. In practice, the bottom plate 1 and the intermediate plate 2 are relatively rigid plates and the cover plate 3 can optionally be a substantially rigid plate or a flexible deformable sheet.

 According to another characteristic, the cumulative thickness of the dispenser is substantially equal to or less than 2 mm so that it can be included in magazines or brochures. This implies that each plate has a wall thickness of less than about 1 mm. In practice, this is the plate

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 intermediate 2 which has the greatest thickness, while the bottom plates 1 and cover 3 may have a lower thickness.

 Referring now more particularly to Figure 3, we see that the bottom plate 1 is a simple rectangular element very flat and full, since it has no cutout or opening. The bottom plate 1 can for example have the dimensions of a conventional credit card with a thickness less than about 1 mm. It can be made from any suitable material, such as plastic, paper, metal, or a complex thereof. Preferably, for practical and cost reasons, the bottom plate 1 is produced by punching a large sheet of substantially rigid plastic.

 The intermediate plate 2 advantageously has the same dimensions as those of the bottom plate 1; however, it may have a greater thickness. The intermediate plate 2 can also be produced by punching a large substantially rigid plastic plate. One can also consider other materials such as those of the bottom plate 1. The intermediate plate 2 is cut so as to form an opening 21 which can be broken down here into two parts 23 and 24 which together form only one single opening.

 The cover plate 3 advantageously has the same dimensions as those of the bottom plates 1 and intermediate 2. However, it may have a thickness less than that of the intermediate plate 2 and even of the bottom plate 1, since it can be made from a simple flexible deformable sheet. However, a substantially rigid plate will be preferred. One can for example make the bottom plate 1 and the cover plate 3 from the same sheet material. In the embodiment shown in Figures 1,3 and 4, the cover plate 3 is also formed with a dispensing orifice 32 which passes through the cover plate. In the embodiment of FIG. 2, the dispensing orifice 22 is formed transversely through the intermediate plate 2: the dispensing orifice 22

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 which defines an outlet channel extends from the opening 21 to the outer edge of the intermediate plate, as can be seen in FIG. 2.

 In both embodiments, the deformable actuating wall 36 is formed by an actuating member 35 which forms a dome defining the actuating wall 36. This dome is received in a receiving housing 31 formed in the plate cover 3. The actuating member 35 is here a separate piece attached to the receiving housing 31 of the cover plate 3. It can however be imagined that the actuation wall 36 is formed integrally with the cover plate 3 so as to close off the receiving housing 31. This can be achieved by providing a thinner wall thickness at the level of the actuating wall 36. However, in this case, it is no longer possible to produce the plate. covering 3 by punching a large flat plastic plate. It is then necessary to produce the cover plate 3 by an injection and molding technique. The formation of the actuating wall by a separate actuating member is preferred for cost reasons and for practical reasons in order to be able to produce the cover plate by simple punching. Thus, the actuating member 35 defines this actuating dome 36 which is bordered peripherally by a flange 37 which is housed under the edge of the receiving housing 31. This flange 37 also comes to be housed in the opening part 23 of the opening 21 made in the intermediate plate 2. The lower surface of the flange 37 bears on the bottom plate 1. As can be seen with reference to FIGS. 5 and 6, the lower surface of the flange 37 is formed with several passage grooves 38 so that a passage is created even when the flange 37 is applied to the bottom plate 1.

 The actuating wall 36 comprises elastic means which give it a shape memory which returns it to a convex rest position. In this position, the volume defined below the actuating wall is maximum. By pressing the actuating wall, it is pressed so that the volume defined below is greatly reduced. In

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 releasing the pressure on the actuating wall, it returns to its initial convex shape due to the elastic means. In the embodiment of FIG. 1, which corresponds to FIGS. 5 and 6, these elastic means are imparted directly by the material constituting the actuating member which has elastic qualities of shape memory. A thermoplastic material is perfectly suitable. On the other hand, in the embodiment of FIG. 2 which corresponds to FIG. 7, these elastic means can be supplemented by a flexible blade 361 which is advantageously embedded in the thickness of the actuating wall 36. The flexible blade can even extend to the level of the flange 37 as can be seen in FIG. 7. Because the flexible blade 361 is embedded inside the actuating wall 36, it cannot come into contact with the product fluid to distribute. In addition, it is also protected from the outside. This submerged flexible blade 361 provides or improves the elastic shape memory characteristics of the actuating wall 36. It should be noted that this characteristic can be implemented in any elastic deformable actuating wall independently of the fact that the distributor is made up of three superimposed plates. This characteristic can therefore be protected independently.

 Finally, the piece of porous material 4 can be produced from any material capable of being impregnated with a fluid product. The shape of the piece of porous material 4 is advantageously adapted to the shape of the opening part 24 of the opening 21 formed through the intermediate plate 2. In addition, the piece of porous material 4 is formed with a recess 41 in which is inserted the flange 37 of the actuating member 35. This is clearly visible in Figure 4 where we see the intermediate plate 2 mounted in contact on the bottom plate 1 with the piece of porous material 4 housed in the opening part 24 and the actuating member 35 housed in the opening part 23 and in the recess 41.

 The removable waterproof shutter member 5 is in the form of a flexible strip which defines a permanent fixing part 51 fixed to the underside of the bottom plate 1, a shutter part 52 covering

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 sealingly the dispensing orifice 22; 32 and a gripping tab 53 by which the user can pull the strip 5 in order to remove the closure part 52 from the dispensing orifice. Advantageously, the closure part 52 is initially welded around the dispensing orifice to insulate it in a sealed manner. In addition, the closure part 52 is provided with a repositionable adhesive enabling the distribution orifice to be closed later after use. It is thus possible to use the dispenser several times without risk of leakage by flow of product through the dispensing orifice. It should be noted that such a characteristic, namely a heat-sealed and repositionably adhesive closure tab, can be implemented on any dispenser provided with a dispensing orifice, independently of the embodiment in three stacked stacked plates described here. This characteristic can therefore be protected independently.

 According to the invention, the intermediate plate 2 with its opening 21 is fixed to the bottom plate 1 along a sealed fixing line 19.

Advantageously, the technique used for fixing the intermediate plate 2 to the bottom plate 1 is heat sealing. The bottom plate 1 and the intermediate plate 2 then together define an internal volume whose peripheral walls are formed by the edges of the opening 21 and the bottom of the bottom plate 1. The piece of porous material 4 is placed in the opening 21 at the level of the part 24. Similarly, the actuating member 35 is placed in the opening 24 at the level of the portion 23. The actuating member 35 is fixed, advantageously by welding, to the bottom plate 1 along a fixing line 39 which extends peripherally on the flange 37. At this stage, we are in the configuration shown in FIG. 4. Finally, the cover plate 3 is tightly fixed on the intermediate plate 2 along a sealed fixing line 29, which can also be produced by heat sealing. The positioning of the cover plate 3 on the intermediate plate 2 causes the engagement of the domed actuating wall 36 of the actuating member 35 through the receiving housing 31 formed in the

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 covering 3. The covering plate 3 is also welded to the actuating member 35 at the level of the fixing line 39.

 The stack of the three plates 1, 2 and 3 and their sealed mutual fixing with the actuating member 35 defines a reservoir 13 which extends over the entire extent of the opening 21 of the intermediate plate 2, c ' is to say both at the level of the actuating wall 36 and at the level of the piece of porous material 4. As can be seen in FIGS. 1 and 2, the part of the reservoir defined at the level of the wall of actuation 36 communicates with the part of the reservoir defined at the level of the piece of porous material 4 by the passage grooves 38 formed on the underside of the flange 37 of the actuating member 35. It should be noted that the piece of porous material 4 is located between the actuating wall 36 and the dispensing orifice 22 or 32. Therefore crushing the actuating wall 36 has the effect of reducing the internal volume of the reservoir 13 and expelling the product fluid through the piece of porous material 4 to be dist ribbed in spray form at the dispensing orifice. Preferably, the reservoir 13 contains a small amount of fluid and gas, for example air. The fluid product can for example be entirely contained inside the piece of porous material 4, while the part of the reservoir defined under the actuating wall 36 can only be filled with air. By pressing on the actuating wall 36, this has the effect of expelling the air contained in this part of the tank through the passage ribs 38 and then through the piece of porous material 4 which is soaked with fluid. The two-phase mixture of air and fluid is then distributed through the dispensing orifice in the form of a sprayed two-phase jet.

 According to another characteristic of the invention, the actuating wall 36 is completely depressed so as to bring the wall 36 into contact with the bottom plate 1 before use. The closure of the dispensing orifice using the closure member 5 prevents the penetration of air inside the reservoir 13 which contains only or practically only fluid. Thus, in storage condition before use, the thickness of the dispenser corresponds to the cumulative thickness of the three bottom, intermediate and cover plates

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 which is advantageously less than about 2 mm. As soon as the removable closure member is removed, air can enter the reservoir and the elastic means of the actuating wall 36 return it to the convex rest position shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. After use of the actuating wall 36 by depression, the closure member can be repositioned using its appropriate adhesive, which is shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.

 Thanks to the invention, the fluid dispenser has good rigid resistance, a flat and smooth aesthetic appearance, good actuation reliability and insurance against leaks.

Claims (13)

claims 1.-Fluid product dispenser comprising: - a fluid product reservoir (13) containing fluid product and adapted to also contain a gas such as air, said reservoir (13) comprising a deformable actuating wall (36 ) on which is pressed to reduce the internal volume of the reservoir, and - a dispensing orifice (32; 22) through which the fluid is discharged in the form of a two-phase spray by pressing on the actuating wall (36), characterized in that the reservoir comprises: - a bottom plate (1), - an intermediate plate (2) defining an opening (24), and - a cover plate (3) integrating the actuating wall (36), the opening (24) formed in the intermediate plate (2) defining with the bottom plate (1) and the cover plate (3) the useful volume of the tank (13).  2. A dispenser according to claim 1, wherein each plate has a wall thickness less than about 1 mm.  3. A dispenser according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the actuating wall (36) is formed integrally with the cover plate (3).  4.-A dispenser according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the actuating wall (36) is attached to the cover plate (3) which has a receiving window (31) for receiving an actuating member (35) forming the actuating wall (36).  5. Dispenser according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the actuating wall (36) comprises elastic means (360) giving it a shape memory which returns it to the rest position corresponding to the maximum volume of the tank. <Desc / Clms Page number 13>  6. A dispenser according to claim 5, wherein the elastic means comprise a flexible blade (360) embedded in the thickness of the actuating wall (36).  7. Dispenser according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the reservoir (13) contains a piece of porous material (4) capable of retaining fluid.  8. Dispenser according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the dispensing orifice (22) is formed in the cover plate (3).  9. Dispenser according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the dispensing orifice (22) is formed in the intermediate plate (2).  10.-Dispenser according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the dispensing orifice (32; 22) is provided with a removable leaktight closure member (5) closing the orifice before first use and repositionable on the hole after use.  11. - A dispenser according to claim 10, wherein the closure member (5) is initially fixed around the orifice and further comprises a repositionable adhesive adapted to adhere repeatedly around the orifice.  12. Dispenser according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the bottom (1), intermediate (2) and cover (3) plates are stacked and fixed to one another, advantageously by welding or gluing. , around the opening (24) formed by the intermediate plate (2).  13. Dispenser according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the actuating wall (36) is flattened before the first use so that the reservoir contains substantially only fluid, the dispenser then having a lower thickness or about 2 mm.