FR2861058A1 - Fluid product e.g. perfume, sample distributor in e.g. perfumery field, has substrate whose front side has visual information applied by affixing technique, where substrate is transparent to make external surfaces to be visible - Google Patents

Abstract

The distributor has visible external surfaces (112, 142) partially covered with a substrate (2). A front side of the substrate is provided with visual information (24) e.g. logo, that is applied by an affixing technique. The substrate is transparent to make the external surfaces to be visible through the substrate except at level of the visual information that partially masks the external surfaces.

Description

The present invention relates to a fluid dispenser such as

  it can be found in the fields of perfumery, cosmetics or even pharmacy to distribute fluids, liquids or even powder. The present invention applies more particularly but not

  exclusively to the small dispenser, which are particularly suitable for use as a sample.

  In general, this type of dispenser comprises a fluid reservoir having a capacity of several hundred milliliters, for a distributor for sale in the trade, up to five milliliters or less for some distributors and especially the samples intended for be distributed free of charge.

  In addition to the reservoir, the dispenser may also include a dispensing member which may be in the most diverse forms such as a permanent opening, a valve shutter, a tampon applicator, a rotating ball system, etc. The dispensing member may also be in the form of a pump for taking fluid from the reservoir and dispensing it with each actuation of the pump. The pump may be provided with a dispensing head in the form of a pusher forming a dispensing orifice which may be in the form of a spray nozzle.

  The pump can be fixed directly in the tank without an intermediate part, or alternatively, the pump can be fixed in the tank with the aid of a fixing ring. In addition, the dispenser may comprise a cap covering the pump, or more particularly the dispensing head of the pump.

  This is a quite conventional design for a fluid dispenser, such as perfume, lotion, cream, gel, etc. As mentioned above, the reservoir can be of various capacities ranging from the large model to the sample. Even in the case of a sample, the dispenser may be provided with a pump, and of course with another type of dispensing member.

  In general, the dispenser includes an outer surface formed by the reservoir or cap that serves as an information affixing surface. This information may be of various natures such as a decor, a logo, the brand of the product and / or the manufacturer of the product, readable information concerning the capacity of the reservoir, the composition of the fluid product, its use, etc. There are several techniques for affixing this information on the dispenser, and more particularly on its reservoir and possibly on its cap. A first technique is to screen the information directly on the outer surface of apposition formed by the distributor. Thus, the information is directly applied to the constituent material forming the dispenser. This is a relatively expensive technique which is more particularly suited to the medium and large capacity model sold commercially. Another apposition technique is to print the information by pad printing directly on the outer surface of the dispenser. A third so-called hot-stamping technique consists in transferring an initially opposite information onto a sheet on the outer surface using a heat application. These pad printing and hot stamping techniques are also relatively expensive and more particularly adapted to the medium and large capacity distributor. A fourth apposition technique is to print the information on a label which is then glued to the outer surface of the dispenser. This is the least expensive technique but also the least aesthetic.

  The techniques of screen printing, pad printing and hot stamping make it possible to mask the dispenser only at the information level. The remainder of the outer surface of the dispenser remains uncoated and thus perfectly apparent and clean. In contrast, with the labeling technique, most of the outer surface of the dispenser is coated and therefore not apparent.

  In the particular case of samples, a consistent and understandable target requirement is to produce the sample with the lowest possible cost, since it is distributed free of charge. So logically, the labeling technique should be preferred. However, it is so unattractive that it removes any attractive appearance. As a result, the printing techniques (screen printing, pad printing, hot stamping, etc.) are also used for the samples despite the relatively high cost.

  The present invention seeks to remedy this problem of the prior art, particularly but not exclusively related to the sample dispenser, by defining an inexpensive information affixing technique, easy to implement and easy to implement on all types of information. distributor, but more particularly on the samples.

  To achieve this object, the present invention provides a fluid dispenser comprising an external surface visible at least partially coated with a substrate on which visual information is affixed, characterized in that the substrate is transparent, thus revealing the surface external through said substrate, as if it were not coated, except at the level of visual information that at least partially hides the outer surface. By using a transparent substrate which acts as a label, the same aesthetic effects are obtained as with the printing techniques with a relatively low cost related to the labeling technique. As mentioned above, such a transparent substrate is particularly advantageous for a sample-type dispenser, but it can also be used with all types of dispensers of very diverse tank capacities.

  Advantageously, the transparent substrate comprises a rear face and a front face, the rear face being provided with an adhesive in contact with the outer surface.

  Preferably, the information is affixed to the front face.

  However, the information can also be affixed to the back side of the substrate.

  According to another characteristic, the dispenser comprises an at least partially cylindrical section defining said external surface.

  Alternatively or additionally, the dispenser comprises a reservoir of fluid product forming the outer surface.

  Advantageously, the reservoir comprises a circular cylindrical barrel forming the outer surface.

  According to another aspect of the invention, the dispenser may comprise a removable cap forming the outer surface.

  According to an embodiment which is similar to a conventional sample dispenser, the dispenser may comprise a reservoir, a pump mounted on a reservoir of fluid and a protective cap covering the pump, the cap extending in the extension of the reservoir and the cap being of substantially identical sections and diameters so as to give the dispenser a generally cylindrical circular shape. In this case, the transparent substrate can be applied to both the reservoir and the cap.

  In another aspect of the invention, the outer surface may be of plastics material. Of course, other constituent materials may be used, such as glass or metal.

  Advantageously, the dispenser may comprise a tank with a capacity of less than five milliliters. This is a typical capacity for a sample dispenser.

  The invention will now be more fully described with reference to the accompanying drawings giving by way of non-limiting example an embodiment of the invention.

  In the figures: FIG. 1 is a slightly elevated perspective view of a fluid dispenser provided with a substrate according to one embodiment of the invention, FIG. 2 is a front view of the dispenser of FIG. 1, FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2 with the removable cap 25 slightly removed, FIG. 4a is a view similar to that of FIG. 2 for the dispenser of FIGS. 1 to 3, still uncoated with the substrate, and FIG. Figure 4b is a view of the substrate of the invention flat ready to be applied to the dispenser of Figure 4a.

  The embodiment shown in the figures and used to illustrate the present invention is a fluid sample dispenser which is substantially represented on a real scale. This particular type of dispenser, that is to say serving as a sample, should not be considered as the only possible embodiment for the invention. The sample dispenser is only a preferred embodiment for the aforementioned reasons. The dispenser, denoted as a whole by the reference numeral 1, is associated with or provided with a substrate 2 on which information 24 appears. The dispenser 1 comprises a reservoir 11, a dispenser member in the form of a pump 13 , a fixing ring 12 and a removable cap 14. The ring 12 and the cap 14 are optional parts that can be dispensed with in some cases. The pump 13 can be directly mounted in the tank 11 and be devoid of cap 14. The dispensing member chosen to illustrate the present invention, namely a pump 13, should not be considered as the only dispensing member possible in the of the present invention. A dispenser tip, applicator type or shutter can also be used in place of the pump. A simple plug closing the tank can also be used as a dispensing organ.

  The reservoir 11 comprises a bottom 110, and a body or barrel 111 comprising an open end 113 defining an opening through which the fluid can be introduced and extracted from the reservoir. The barrel 111 comprises a visible external surface 112. This surface 112 is here of circular cylindrical shape over the entire height of the barrel 111. However, it can also be envisaged that the barrel 111 is cylindrical, but not circular or partially cylindrical on only a part its height and its periphery. A non-cylindrical outer surface may also be envisaged, but this complicates the manufacturing as well as the implementation of the invention. The reservoir 11 is preferably made of plastic, but can also be made of glass or metal. It may have a capacity or capacity of the order of a few milliliters, for example from one to ten milliliters, and preferably about two milliliters.

  The fixing ring 12 may also be made of molded injected plastic, and conventionally comprises a skirt engaged within the tank, receiving means for holding the pump 13 in place in the ring, a collar support 12 which bears on the upper end edge 113 of the reservoir 11, and optionally a sleeve 123 which extends from the flange 121 upwardly as can be seen in FIG. of the ring is to achieve a stable attachment of the pump 13 relative to the tank 11. This stable attachment can be achieved directly by the engagement of the pump 13 in the tank 11. The particular form of the fixing ring is not critical for the present invention. It may however be noted that the external diameter of the flange 121 is substantially equal to the outside diameter of the barrel 111 at its outer surface 112 so that the flange 121 extends in the extension of the barrel 111.

  The pump 13, which is only very partially shown in Figure 3, comprises a pump body engaged in the ring 12. This pump body comprises an inlet optionally provided with a dip tube which extends to the inside the tank 11 to take fluid. At the opposite end, the pump body is provided with a movable reciprocating actuating rod on which is mounted a dispensing head 131 which serves here as an actuating pusher. The user can press with a finger, preferably the index, on the pusher to actuate the pump. The pusher is further provided with a dispensing orifice 132 which may be of the spray type in some cases. A distribution in the form of a drop is also envisaged.

  The cap 14 has an upper end surface 140 from which extends a cylindrical shell 141 defining a visible outer surface 142. The outer diameter of the shell at the outer surface 142 is substantially or perfectly the same as the diameter. external barrel 111 and the collar 121, so that the cap extends in the extension of the barrel 111 and the collar 121 without creating discontinuity. Of course, the envelope may have a shape other than perfectly cylindrical.

  As can be seen in Figures 2 and 4a, the sample dispenser 30 has a generally cylindrical or tubular regular shape. The cap 14 comprises a lower end 143 which can abut on the flange 121. A tight frictional contact can be made between the inner surface of the casing 141 and the sleeve 123 of the ring 12 to achieve a removable attachment of the cap 14 on the ring 12.

  According to the invention, the substrate 2 is made from a transparent flexible sheet. The substrate 2 comprises a front face, a rear face, a lower edge 20, two lateral edges 21 and an upper edge 22. The rear face is preferably locally or entirely coated with an adhesive. The front face is provided with information that is applied by any printing technique such as printing. The information can have the most diverse forms, such as a decor, letters or numbers. These are only non-limiting examples. The information 24 may optionally be affixed to the rear face of the substrate. Thus, the substrate comprises coated areas consisting of the information 24 and transparent uncoated areas 23 at which one sees through the substrate, since it is transparent. According to the invention, this substrate 2 is applied to the dispenser 1 with its rear face in contact with the outer surface 112 and / or 142 of the dispenser 1. When the rear face of the substrate 2 is coated with an adhesive, the fixing of the Substrate on the dispenser is made using this adhesive. Attaching the back side of the substrate to the dispenser can also be accomplished by other adhesion techniques such as coating an adhesive on the dispenser or induction or ultrasonic welding techniques. However, it is preferable that the rear face of the substrate is coated or covered at least locally and advantageously entirely of an adhesive. The substrate 2 may cover part or all of the outer surface 112 or the outer surface 142. The substrate 2 may even extend over some or all of the surfaces 112 and 142 by covering the flange 121. In this case, the cap 14 is held on the ring 12 by the substrate 2 which connects the cap 14 to the tank 1. The substrate can then serve as a first-use security. However, in the embodiment shown in the figures, the substrate 2 extends over a portion of the outer surface 112 formed by the barrel 111 of the tank 11. The lower edge 20 is located near the bottom 110 while the edge Upper 22 is located near the upper end edge 113. As for the side edges 21, they may overlap, in contact or spaced apart from each other. This depends on the width of the substrate 2 relative to the diameter of the barrel 111.

  Since the substrate 2 is transparent at the level of the uncoated zone 23, the external surface 111 is visible at this point through the substrate 2. In contrast, at the level of the information 24, the substrate is not visible or partially visible, depending on the nature of the information. The general visual impression that emerges from the dispenser is that the information is directly affixed to the dispenser without the interposition of the substrate. The user ignores the existence of the substrate because of its transparency and believes that the information is directly applied to the external surface of the dispenser, as by a printing technique.

  In the case where the tank is made of transparent or translucent glass, one can even see the fluid in the tank through the transparent or translucent wall of the tank and the transparent substrate. The substrate can be colored or tinted while remaining transparent. This can also be the case with an opaque tank.

  In the case where the external surface of the distributor is not cylindrical, it can be provided that the substrate is made of a heat-shrinkable material, so that the rear face will follow the complex shape of the outer surface by applying heat.

Claims (11)

claims   1.- fluid dispenser (1) comprising a visible outer surface (112, 142) at least partially coated with a substrate (2) on which is affixed visual information (24), characterized in that the substrate (2) ) is transparent, thus allowing the outer surface to appear through said substrate, as if it were not coated, except at the level of the visual information which at least partially obscures the outer surface.   2. The dispenser of claim 1, wherein the transparent substrate (2) comprises a rear face and a front face, the rear face being provided with an adhesive in contact with the outer surface (112, 142).   3. The dispenser of claim 2, wherein the information (24) is affixed to the front face.   4. A dispenser according to any one of the preceding claims, comprising an at least partially cylindrical section (111, 141) defining said outer surface (112, 142).   5. Dispenser according to any one of the preceding claims, comprising a fluid reservoir forming the outer surface (111).   6. Dispenser according to claim 5, wherein the reservoir (11) comprises a circular cylindrical barrel (111) forming the outer surface (112).   7. A dispenser according to any one of the preceding claims, comprising a removable cap (14) forming the outer surface (142).   8. A dispenser according to any one of the preceding claims, comprising a reservoir (11), a pump (13) mounted on a fluid reservoir and a protective cap (14) covering the pump, the cap extending into the extension of the reservoir, the reservoir and the cap being of sections and diameters substantially identical so as to give the distributor a generally cylindrical circular shape.   9. Dispenser according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the outer surface (112, 142) is of plastic or glass.   10. A dispenser according to any one of the preceding claims, comprising a fluid reservoir (11) having a capacity of less than about 5 milliliters.   11. A dispenser according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the transparent substrate is colored or tinted.