FR2855816A1 - SEMI-LIQUID PRODUCT DISPENSER CONTAINING SUCH A DEVICE - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a dispenser (1) for a semi-liquid product (2) containing such a product (2) and comprising a tubular body (3), a dispensing head (4) for the product (2) and at least one means. distribution (5) of the product (2) and in which the side wall (11) of the tubular body (3) has at least one translucent part (11) comprising at least one graduated scale (20, 21, 22) and in this that said product (2) contains at least one agent accelerating the flow of the product (2) along the wall (11) when the distributor (1) is in the vertical position.

Description

The invention relates to a product dispenser.

  semi-liquid containing such a product and comprising a tubular body, a product dispensing head and at least one means of dispensing the product.

  Distributors are known which make it possible to distribute a semi-liquid product drop by drop.

  When using such dispensers, the quantity of product used is checked by counting the number of drops deposited, which proves to be tedious and can moreover be subject to errors when the number of drops filed is important.

  Also, when the product is expensive, an accumulation of errors in the assessment of the quantity of product used can cause irreversible financial losses.

  In addition, using these dispensers, it is not possible to know the quantity of product still contained in the dispenser.

  In this context, the invention relates to a semiliquid product dispenser making it possible to overcome the aforementioned drawbacks and thus obtain an instantaneous and precise reading of the amount of semiliquid product in the dispenser.

  The dispenser of the invention is essentially characterized in that the side wall 11 of the tubular body 3 has at least one translucent part 11 comprising at least one graduated scale 20, 21, 22 and in that the said product 2 contains at least one agent 30 accelerating the flow of product 2 along the wall 11 when the distributor 1 is in the vertical position.

  Preferably, the agent accelerating the flow of the product 2 along the wall 11 is a surfactant.

  Advantageously, the amount of surfactant is greater than 0% and less than 5% by weight of the semi-liquid product 2.

  Preferably, the surfactant is chosen from anionic, cationic, amphoteric and nonionic surfactants.

  In addition, the surfactant used can belong to the family of esters of polyhydroxy compounds.

  Advantageously, the surfactant is a sorbitan ester.

  It is also possible that the surfactant 10 is a carboxylate.

  Preferably, the wall 11 is translucent over its entire surface.

  In one embodiment of the invention, the graduated scale 20, 22 is substantially vertical and 15 extends longitudinally at least over the entire length of the wall 11.

  According to another embodiment of the invention, the graduated scale 21 extends helically along the wall 11.

  In addition, it is envisaged that the dispensing head 4 has a translucent cylindrical side wall 14 comprising a thread 17 which cooperates with the internal face of a plug 18 to ensure the screwing of the latter on the dispensing head 4.

  In this case, the graduated scale 20, 21, 22 extends from the wall 11 to the translucent cylindrical wall 14 of the dispensing head 4 and in that the thread has a longitudinal interruption 23 making it possible to view the graduated scale 20, 21, 22 of 30 the translucent wall 14 of the dispensing head 4.

  Advantageously, the graduated scale 20, 21, 22 is simple, which allows the amount of product 2 remaining in the dispenser to be read.

  In addition, the graduated scale 20,21,22 can be inverted which makes it possible to read the quantity of product 2 used.

  In the dispenser of the invention, the means of dispensing 5 of the product 2 may comprise a flexible capsule 10 on which manual pressure is exerted to ensure the passage of the product 2 towards the outside of the dispenser 1 through the dispensing head 4.

  Also, the dispensing head 4 may include a tubular outlet passage for the product 16, the diameter of which is adapted to the drop-by-drop distribution of the product 2.

  Preferably, the semi-liquid product 2 contains abrasive particles suspended in a binder.

  In this case, it is advantageous for the abrasive particles to have a diameter of between 0.25 and 90 microns.

  The invention will be better understood and other objects, advantages and characteristics thereof will appear more clearly on reading the description which follows and which is given with reference to the appended drawings which represent nonlimiting exemplary embodiments of the invention. invention and in which: - Figure 1 is a front view of the dispenser of the invention according to a first embodiment; - Figure 2 is a sectional view along the axis IIII of the dispenser of Figure 1 shown without cap 25 18; - Figure 3 shows a front view of the dispenser of the invention according to a second embodiment; and - Figure 4 shows a front view of the dispenser of the invention according to a third embodiment.

  Figures 1 and 2 show a dispenser 1 of the invention suitable for dispensing a semi-liquid product 2 and which mainly has a tubular body 3, containing the product 2, a dispensing head 4 secured to the one of the ends of the tubular body 3 and in product communication 2 with the body 3, and a means 5 for distributing the product 2 through the distribution head 4 which is fixed to the other end of the tubular body 3.

  A translucent side wall 6 extends longitudinally approximately over the entire length of the dispenser 1 and has a cylindrical upper part 7 extended by an upper shoulder 8 on which a cylindrical part 9 of the product dispensing means 5 comes to bear in solidarity with the upper wall 7 7 and coaxially with the distributor 1.

  The cylindrical part 9 of the product distribution means comprises on its upper part, a flexible capsule 10 which is fixed integrally by its external lateral edge 10a on the internal face of the cylindrical part 9 and which comes to bear on the upper end of the cylindrical wall 7.

  The wall 6 also has an approximately cylindrical central part 11 which corresponds to the side wall of the tubular body 3 and which extends from the shoulder 8 to a lower shoulder 12 extended by an annular wall 13 connected to the head of distribution 4 which has a translucent cylindrical bottom wall 14 of smaller diameter which ends in a frustoconical part 15 and a tubular passage 25 for the outlet of the product of small diameter 16.

  The diameter of the tubular passage 16 is adapted to the drop-by-drop dispensing of product.

  The external face of the cylindrical lower wall 14 has a thread 17 cooperating with the internal face 30 of a plug 18 to ensure the screwing of the plug 18 on the dispensing head 4 Before its use, the plug 18 is linked in a frangible manner to an annular part 19 fixed on the annular wall 13 and bearing on the lower shoulder 35 12.

  The dispenser 1 can be made of one or more polymeric materials of the polypropylene, polycarbonate and / or acrylonitrile polystyrene type.

  The distribution of the abrasive product 2 by the distributor 1 is ensured by exerting a relatively short pressure on the flexible capsule and by maintaining the distributor in approximately vertical position which allows the controlled distribution of one or more drops of product 2 through the tubular passage 10 16.

  According to the invention, the dispenser 1 has a graduated vertical scale 20 which is printed over the entire length of the translucent central wall 11 and suitable for reading the quantity of product 2 remaining 15 and / or for reading the quantity of product used and whose shape conforms to graduation scales well known to those skilled in the art.

  Thus, the graduation of the scale 20 can be simple to allow the reading of the quantity of product 2 contained in the dispenser 1 or reversed to allow the reading of the quantity of product 2 used or even can present these two types of graduations on the same scale 20.

  According to a variant of the invention represented in FIG. 2, the graduated scale 21 is helical and extends over the entire length of the central wall 11 which allows an easier and more precise reading of the quantity of product remaining in the tube or already used according to the scale 21.

  According to another variant of the invention shown in FIG. 4, the graduated scale 22 extends to the translucent cylindrical bottom wall 14 of the dispensing head 4.

  To make the part of the graduated scale 35 22 visible at the level of the wall 14, the threading 17 has a longitudinal interruption 23.

  In this way, at the end of use of the dispenser 1, when the semi-liquid product 2 is no longer contained except in the dispensing head 4, its quantity is also measurable.

  In addition, according to the invention and for all the embodiments described above, the semi-liquid product 2 contains a surfactant chosen from anionic, cationic, amphoteric and nonionic surfactants which reduces the surface tension of the product 10 semi-liquid 2 on the wall 6 thus allowing the instantaneous flow of the product 2 along the wall 11 and this, without residual film, when the dispenser 1 is kept in the vertical position.

  Preferably, the surfactants are chosen from anionic surfactants such as sulfates, carboxylates and sulfonates, cationic surfactants such as imidazoline derivatives and quaternary ammonium salts, amphoteric surfactants such as betaines and sulfobetaines and nonionic tensioning agents such as oxyethylates and esters of polyhydroxy compounds.

  Advantageously, the surfactants used are the carboxylates and the esters of polyhydroxy compounds such as the sorbitan esters.

  The amount of surfactant added to product 2 must be adapted to the nature of the semi-liquid product 2 and to the desired efficiency in terms of the speed of flow of the semi-liquid product 2 along the wall 11.

  Preferably, the amount of surfactant is greater than 0% and less than 5% by weight of the abrasive product 2.

  For example, one to two drops of surfactant can be added to 100 to 200 g of semi-liquid product 2.

  According to the invention, the addition of surfactant in the semiliquid product 2 and the presence of a graduated scale visible on the dispenser 1 makes it possible to obtain a quick and precise reading of the amount of product 5 contained. in the dispenser 1 and / or the quantity of product 2 consumed since when the dispenser 1 is kept in the vertical position, the product flows rapidly along the wall 6 leaving no film of product 2 on this wall by 10 the combined effect of gravity and the presence of the surfactant, which results in that the actual level of product 2 in the dispenser 1 is quickly visible, the precise quantity of product 2 can be immediately read on the graduated scale (20, 21, 22).

  By way of example, the semi-liquid product 2 may be a product based on abrasive particles 2, hereinafter called abrasive product 2, which is used for lapping or polishing any material requiring it.

  In this field, the polishing is carried out by the application of a few drops of abrasive product 2 to the material to be polished, followed by the operation of a suitable polishing apparatus which, by friction of the abrasive particles on the surface of the material, allows to obtain a controlled surface roughness.

  Abrasive dispensers are suitable for dispensing small quantities of product since, as mentioned above, the polishing techniques require the application of only a few drops of abrasive product to the material to be polished.

  Depending on the nature of the material to be polished or the surface roughness desired, the size of the abrasive particles generally varies between 0.25 and 90 microns and these particles may be in suspension in a binder based on water, oil or in a any solvent.

  The abrasive particles in suspension must be distributed in a relatively homogeneous way in the product and must not form an agglomerate which would reduce the effectiveness of the product during its use and this, even after addition of one or more surfactants.

  In addition, it is imperative that the abrasive product and the agent (s) added are biodegradable, have no dangerous, toxic, harmful or irritating character for the user.

  The quantity and nature of the surfactant in product 2 must be adapted to avoid agglomeration and settling of the abrasive particles and, more generally, must not modify the properties of abrasive product 2 in terms of stability, homogeneity and efficiency.

  Naturally, the invention is not limited to the above-mentioned examples since any graduated scale suitable for displaying the quantity of any semi-liquid product 2 contained in the dispenser 1 can be used and, in the same way, one or more agents accelerating the flow of the semi-liquid product along the wall 6 of the distributor 1 can be added to the semi-liquid product 2.

Claims (18)

  1. Distributor (1) of semi-liquid product (2) containing such a product (2) and comprising a tubular body (3), a dispensing head (4) of the product (2) and at least one dispensing means (5) of the product (2), characterized in that the side wall (11) of the tubular body (3) has at least one translucent part (11) comprising at least one graduated scale 10 (20, 21, 22) and in what said product (2) contains at least one agent accelerating the flow of product (2) along the wall (11) when the distributor (1) is in the vertical position.   2. Dispenser according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the agent accelerating the flow of the product (2) along the wall (11) is a surfactant.   3. Dispenser according to claim 2, characterized in that the quantity of surfactant 20 is greater than 0% and less than 5% by weight of the semi-liquid product (2).   4. Dispenser according to any one of claims 2 or 3, characterized in that the surfactant is chosen from anionic, cationic, amphoteric and nonionic surfactants.   5. Dispenser according to claim 4, characterized in that the surfactant belongs to the family of esters of polyhydroxylated compounds.   6. A dispenser according to claim 5, characterized in that the surfactant is a sorbitan ester.   7. A dispenser according to claim 6, characterized in that the surfactant is a carboxylate.   8. Dispenser according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the wall (11) is translucent over its entire surface.   9. A dispenser according to claim 8, characterized in that the graduated scale (20, 22) is substantially vertical and extends longitudinally at least over the entire length of the wall (11).   10. Distributor according to claim 8, characterized in that the graduated scale (21) extends helically along the wall (11).   11. Dispenser according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the dispensing head (4) has a translucent cylindrical side wall (14) comprising a thread (17) which cooperates with the internal face of a plug ( 18) to ensure the screwing of the latter on the dispensing head (4).   12. Dispenser according to claim 11, characterized in that the graduated scale (20, 21, 22) extends from the wall (11) to the translucent cylindrical wall (14) of the dispensing head (4) and in that the thread has a longitudinal interruption 20 (23) allowing the graduated scale (20, 21, 22) to be displayed on the translucent wall (14) of the dispensing head (4).   13. Dispenser according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the graduated scale (20, 21, 22) is simple, which allows the reading of the quantity of product (2) remaining in the dispenser.   14. Dispenser according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the graduated scale (20,21,22) is inverted which makes it possible to read the quantity of product (2) used.   15. Distributor according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the product distribution means (5) (2) comprises a flexible capsule (10) on which manual pressure is exerted to ensure the passage of the product ( 2) towards the outside of the dispenser (1) through the dispensing head (4).   16. Distributor according to one of claims   above, characterized in that the dispensing head (4) has a tubular product outlet passage (16), the diameter of which is adapted to the drip distribution of the product (2).   17. Dispenser according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the semi-liquid product (2) contains abrasive particles suspended in a binder.   18. Dispenser according to claim 17, characterized in that the abrasive particles have a diameter between 0.25 and 90 microns.