FR2970474A1 - Dispensing system for use with bottle for dispensing e.g. perfume, has dispensing units arranged in communication with plunger tube, and over-tube equipped with decorative element that is arranged to be visible from over-tube - Google Patents

Abstract

The system has a sampling device comprising a body that is integrated with dispensing units, where the dispensing units are arranged in communication with a plunger tube (7). An over-tube (14) surrounds the plunger tube over a part of the length, where the plunger tube and the over-tube are made of fluorinated polymer based material. The over-tube is equipped with a decorative element (14a) that is arranged to be visible from the over-tube. The over-tube is attached with the body. A casing comprises an external bearing around which an upper end of the over-tube is arranged. An independent claim is also included for a bottle for dispensing a fluid product, comprising a reservoir.

Description

The invention relates to a system for dispensing a fluid product comprising a device for sampling under pressure of said product. The invention also relates to a dispensing bottle comprising such a dispensing system which is mounted on a product conditioning tank, said reservoir being formed inside a transparent or at least translucent wall.

In a particular application, the dispensing system is intended to equip bottles used in perfumery, in cosmetics or for pharmaceutical treatments. Indeed, this type of bottle conventionally comprises a product conditioning tank which is returned under pressure by a manually operated sampling device by means of a push button which is arranged to allow the spraying of the product.

To do this, the sampling device has a body mounted on the reservoir, said body incorporating distribution means which are fed with conditioned product via a dip tube disposed in said reservoir.

In some applications, including cosmetics, the visibility of the dip tube through the wall of the bottle is considered unsightly. To solve this aesthetic problem, it has been proposed to use an over-tube surrounding the dip tube over at least a part of its length so as to hide it, said overtube then being able to be chosen to present an advantageous aesthetic in The reservoir.

In a variant, there are plunger tubes made of fluoropolymer-based material which have the advantage of being quasi-invisible once immersed in a product, in particular in an alcoholic solution of perfume, but remain visible when they are not are not. It is also known, in particular from document WO-2008/050004, the fact of producing a decorative element on such an invisible dip tube, said element being visible through the wall of the bottle in order to give the impression that it is in levitation in the packaged product. 2 However, in view of the reduced diameter of the dip tube, the production of a decorative element on its periphery is limited to small elements which therefore remain poorly visible through the wall of the bottle.

In addition, the decorative elements of small size are complicated and imprecise to achieve on the dip tubes.

The invention aims to improve the prior art by proposing in particular a distribution system incorporating a decorative element which may appear levitated in the packaged product, said element may have a larger dimension so as to improve its visibility, its accuracy and as its ease of realization.

For this purpose, and according to a first aspect, the invention proposes a system for dispensing a fluid product comprising a device for sampling under pressure of said product, said device having a body incorporating distribution means that are in communication with a tube plunger, said plunger tube being made of fluoropolymer-based material, said system further comprising an over-tube surrounding the plunger tube over at least a portion of its length, said over-tube also being made of polymer-based material fluorinated and being provided with at least one decorative element which is arranged to be visible from said on-tube.

According to a second aspect, the invention proposes a dispensing bottle for a fluid product comprising a container for packaging said product which is formed inside a transparent or at least translucent wall, said bottle further comprising such a system. dispenser which is mounted on the reservoir with the dip tube and the tube on top disposed in said reservoir so that the decorative element is visible through the wall.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear in the description which follows, made with reference to the appended figures, in which: FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of a dispensing bottle according to an embodiment of the invention. 1a and 1b are side views of a dispensing bottle according to one embodiment of the invention, respectively; Figures 2a and 21) are enlarged views of Figure 1 showing more particularly the dispensing system with the push button pressed; FIGS. 3 and 4 are views of the overmould of the dispensing bottle of the dispensing bottle according to FIG. 1, respectively in perspective from below (FIG. 3a) and in longitudinal section (FIG. 3b).

In the description, the terms of positioning in space are taken with reference to the position of the bottle shown in FIGS.

In connection with the figures, there is described below a bottle for containing a fluid for distribution, and a dispensing system of such a product. In particular examples, the product may be liquid, in particular a cosmetic care, make-up or perfume product, or a pharmaceutical product. Preferably, the product is an alcoholic perfume solution, especially such a solution which is colorless or weakly colored.

The bottle comprises a body 1 having a wall 2 in which a container 3 for packaging the product is formed, said body also having a neck 4 which overcomes said reservoir. In particular, the body 1 has a sufficient rigidity so that the volume of the reservoir 3 remains substantially constant. In addition, the wall 2 is transparent or at least translucent to allow visualization of the packaged product through it.

The body 1 can be made in one piece, for example by injection blow molding or extrusion blow molding, or in several injected parts and then assembled, for example by ultrasonic welding, rigid plastic at least translucent or glass. The bottle also comprises a dispensing system which is mounted on the reservoir 3, said system comprising a device for sampling the packaged product under pressure. In the embodiment shown, the sampling device comprises a dispensing pump manually operated by means of a push button 5 which is fed with the product under pressure for distribution.

The sampling device has a body 6 incorporating distribution means which are in communication with a plunger tube 7 via a valve 8, said plunger tube being disposed in the reservoir 3 to allow feeding of the dispensing means in packaged product. The body 6 is equipped with a vent hole 9 which is arranged to make it possible to compensate by air the volume of product dispensed, in order to prevent a depression from being established inside the rigid reservoir. 3 as the distribution proceeds. Alternatively, the sampling device may be of the type without air intake, the body 6 then being devoid of vent hole.

In the embodiment shown, the body 6 has a cylindro-conical geometry comprising a central zone 6a connected to an upper zone 6b via a divergent connection fillet 6c. Furthermore, the body 6 has a tubing 6d in which the plunger tube 7 is fitted, said tubing being connected below the central zone 6a via a seat 6e in which a ball 8 forming a valve is disposed. Moreover, the vent hole 9 is formed in the upper end of the central zone 6a.

In relation with FIG. 2b, the dispensing means comprise a piston 29 which is mounted in sealed translation in the central zone 6a by delimiting a metering chamber in communication with the dip tube 7 via the valve 8. The piston 29 is disposed on a nozzle 10 secured to the push button 5 to be actuated in reversible translation relative to the body 6, on a stroke respectively distribution and suction of the product.

The nozzle 10 has a distribution path comprising at least one upstream orifice 11 and a channel 12 whose downstream end is in communication with the push button 5, the piston 29 being arranged to present a state of closure of the orifice upstream 11 and a communication state of said upstream port with the metering chamber. In particular, the piston 29 may be deformable and / or displaceable under the effect of the compression of the product in the metering chamber.

The push button 5 comprises an upper zone allowing the user to exert a digital support on said push button in order to be able to axially move the nozzle 10, the return of said push button on the suction stroke being conventionally carried out by a spring 30 In Figure 1 and Figures 2, the nozzle 10 is shown at the end of the dispensing stroke.

The push button 5 is equipped with a spray nozzle 13 which is arranged to radially distribute an aerosol of the product. However, the invention is not limited to a particular mode of product distribution. In particular, especially for a nasal spraying nozzle, the push button 5 may allow axial distribution of the product and another type of sampling device may be envisaged.

The dispensing system further comprises an over-tube 14 surrounding the plunger tube 7 over at least a part of its length. In relation with FIGS. 1, the dip tube 7 extends substantially to the bottom of the tank 3 and the overtube 14 surrounds said dip tube over substantially its entire length, leaving the lower end of said dip tube through which the product is sucked. Moreover, the over-tube 14 has a cylindrical geometry of revolution with an inside diameter adapted for the disposition of the plunger tube 7 inside. Alternatively, the over-tube 14 may have any elongated geometry in which the dip tube 7 may be disposed.

The plunger tube 7 and the over-tube 14 are made of fluoropolymer so as to be almost invisible once immersed in the product, especially in an alcoholic solution of perfume.

To do this, the material of the plunger tube 7 and / or the over-tube 14 may be based on polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), tetrafluoroethylene and perfluoroethylene (PFA), tetrafluoroethylene and hexafluoropropylene (FEP), tetrafluoroethylene and of ethylene (ETFE), polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF), polychlorotrifluoroethylene (PCTFE), ethylene and tetrafluoroethylene (EFEP), ethylene and modified tetrafluoroethylene, polyfluoroacrylates, polytrifluoroacetate, tetrafluroethylene and hexafluoropropylene and vinylidene fluoride (THV), a mixture of these materials.

In particular, the plunger tube 7 and the over-tube 14 may be made of the same material, in particular by extrusion of a material of the Neoflon EFEP family sold by the company Daikin Industries Ltd. For example, the EFEP-4020, the EFEP-4040, the EFEP-5000 or a mixture of these materials are well suited for producing a dip tube 7 and an on-tube 14 almost invisible in a alcoholic solution of perfume.

In a preferred embodiment, the material used comprises a mixture of EFEP-5000 with EFEP-4020 or EFEP-4040 in proportions ranging from 10/90 to 25/75 as a percentage by weight, so in particular to obtain a dip tube 7 and an over-tube 14 whose crystallinity is greater than 15% to optimize their mechanical properties.

Advantageously, a good invisibility can be obtained when the plunger tube 7 and / or the over-tube 14 has at least one of the following characteristics: a transparency greater than 80%; a refractive index of less than 1.5, especially having a difference with the refractive index of the product which is at most equal to 0.04.

The over-tube 14 is provided with at least one decorative element 14a which is arranged to be visible from said over-tube. Thus, the outer tube 14 is almost invisible in the product, only the decorative element 14a is visible through the wall 2 of the bottle to give the impression that it is levitating in the packaged product.

In addition, the decorative element 14a being formed on the tube 14 which has a dimension, in particular an outer diameter, larger than the plunger tube 7 which it surrounds, said element may have a larger dimension so as to be able to improve its visibility as well as its accuracy and ease of implementation.

The decorative element 14a may comprise any marking produced, in particular by laser etching or by printing, on an area of the periphery of the over-tube 14, for example in the form of a decoration, a text or a geometric shape. In relation with FIGS. 1a and 1b, the decorative element 14a comprises a marking in the form of an inscription which is made on an area of the periphery of the over-tube 14, this inscription being able to be made in wired letters (FIG. ) or in solid letters (Figure 1b). In these figures, the dip tube 7 and the tube 14, although almost invisible in the product, are shown for the sake of clarity of the description.

Alternatively, the decorative element 14a may comprise an object which is secured to the tube 14, said object being made of a material which remains visible in the packaged product, for example thermoplastic material of polyolefin type.

In relation to FIGS. 2 and 3, the association of the over-tube 14 in the neck 4 of the body 1 of the bottle is described below so that said combination is masked 8 in said neck. To do this, the over-tube 14 is associated with the body 6 by means of a sleeve 15 which has an outer surface 15a around which the upper end of the tube-over 14 is disposed and an inner surface 15b in which said body has climbed. The bushing 15 may be made integrally of ductile material, in particular by molding a plastic material of polyolefin type.

In the embodiment shown, the sleeve 15 has a lower annular groove 16 in which a rod 17 formed inside the over-tube 14 is engaged to ensure the axial retention of said over-tube on said sleeve. Furthermore, the rod 17 delimits the upper end of the tube 14 which is disposed around the outer surface 15a, said upper end having an inside diameter which is greater than the inside diameter of the tube 14 which extends below said ring.

In connection with FIGS. 3, the sleeve 15 has an upper ring 18 which overcomes a sleeve 19, said upper ring being connected to said sleeve by a convergent fillet 20. The outer bearing surface 15a is then formed around the sleeve 19 and the inner bearing 15b extends inside the ring 18 and said sleeve. In particular, the outer tube 14 and the central zone 6a extend radially on an outer and inner portion of the sleeve 19, respectively.

In the embodiment shown, the central zone 6a is disposed in the sleeve 19 and the upper zone 6b is disposed in the upper ring 18 so that the vent hole 9 is disposed radially facing the connection fillet 20. More specifically, the upper zone 6b has an upper flange 6f which bears axially against the upper end of the ring 18 with the pushbutton 5 disposed above the bushing 15. In addition, the geometries of the outermost peripheries respectively of the body 6 and Inside the sleeve 15 are arranged to form an annular clearance 21 between the vent hole 9 and the fillet 20.

Furthermore, the bushing 15 has an outer skirt 22 which surrounds the upper ring 18, said outer skirt comprising means for fixing said bushing on the tank 3. In the embodiment shown, the distribution system is mounted on the tank 3 through the sleeve 15 by arranging the upper end of the neck 4 between the outer skirt 22 and the upper ring 18. In addition, a seal 23 is interposed between the upper surface of the neck 4 and the surface bottom of the connecting surface 24 of the outer skirt 22 to the upper ring 18.

In the embodiment shown, the skirt 22 is provided with a flange 25 for fastening under the neck 4 which is arranged opposite radial connection fillet 20. In known manner, the flange 25 is protruding from the outer skirt 22 to allow the positioning of the sleeve 15 on the neck 4 and, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, folded into the fixing position under said neck by sliding a band 26 around said skirt. As a variant, the skirt 22 can be positioned by clipping on the neck 4, said clipping being made reliable by a hoop 26.

The inner bearing surface 15b has an orifice 27 which is in communication with the vent hole 9, said orifice opening into the inner bearing surface 15b above the outer bearing surface 15a and thus above the over-tube 14. In particular, the orifice 27 is formed in the fillet 20 to be in communication with the vent hole 9 via the annular clearance 21. Alternatively, a plurality of communication orifices 27 may be distributed over the inner bearing 15b.

Thus, an air return path is formed between the vent hole 9 and the tank 3 via the communication orifice 27, said path not passing through the inside of the over-tube 14 so that to avoid product leaks while making the air intake function more reliable. In particular, the communication port 27 is disposed in the neck 4, well above the product, so as to avoid any risk of invasion by the product. In addition, this embodiment 10 avoids any introduction of air into the tube 14, which would affect its quasi-invisibility in the packaged product.

In the embodiment shown, the bushing 15 has a groove 28 which extends axially on the outer bearing surface 15a, said groove having an upper extension which is formed above said outer bearing surface, the communication orifice 27 being made in said extension. In addition, the axial groove 28 opens axially in the lower part of the bush 15 to be in communication with the space above the product in the over-tube 14. Alternatively, a plurality of grooves 28 may be provided on the bushing 15, a communication port 27 being formed in an upper extension of each of said grooves.

Thus, even if the groove is at least partially filled with the product by capillary phenomenon, the pressure equalization during the actuation of the push button 5 is achieved through the communication orifice 27 with a flow rate of sufficient air to prevent product leakage.

Advantageously, for producing the communication orifice 27 during the manufacture by molding of the bushing 15, the upper ring 18 has an internal diameter D 2 and the groove 28 has a bottom which fits into a diameter D 1. Thus, when the diameter D1 is less than or equal to the diameter D2, the communication port 27 is formed by interference of said diameters in the bottom region of the groove 28 which extends over the fillet 20.

Claims (13)

REVENDICATIONS1. A dispensing system for a fluid product comprising a device for sampling under pressure of said product, said device having a body (6) incorporating dispensing means which are in communication with a plunger tube (7), said plunger tube being made of material based on fluoropolymer, said system being characterized in that it further comprises an over-tube (14) surrounding the plunger tube (7) over at least a part of its length, said over-tube also being made of material based on fluoropolymer and being provided with at least one decorative element (14a) which is arranged to be visible from said on-tube. 2. Dispensing system according to claim 1, characterized in that the material of the plunger tube (7) and / or the over-tube (14) is based on polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), tetrafluoroethylene and perfluoroethylene (PFA), tetrafluoroethylene and hexafluoropropylene (FEP), tetrafluoroethylene and ethylene (ETFE), polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF), polychlorotrifluoroethylene (PCTFE), ethylene and tetrafluoroethylene (EFEP), ethylene and tetrafluoroethylene modified polyfluoroacrylates, polytrifluoroacetate, tetrafluroethylene and hexafluoropropylene and vinylidene fluoride (ThIV), a mixture of these materials. 3. Dispensing system according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the dip tube (7) and / or the over-tube (14) has a transparency greater than 800 / o. 4. Dispensing system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the dip tube (7) and / or the over-tube (14) has a refractive index of less than 1.5. 12 5. Dispensing system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the dip tube (7) and / or the over-tube (14) has a crystallinity greater than 15%. 6. Dispensing system according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the decorative element (14a) comprises a marking made on the over-tube (14) and / or an object secured to said over-tube. 7. Dispensing system according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the over-tube (14) is associated with the body (6). 8. Dispensing system according to claim 7, characterized in that it comprises a sleeve (15) of association of the on-tube (14) to the body (6), said sleeve having an outer bearing (15a) around which the upper end of the tube (14) is disposed and an inner bearing (15b) in which said body is mounted. 9. Dispensing system according to claim 8, characterized in that the body (6) is equipped with a vent hole (9) which is arranged to make it possible to compensate by air the volume of product dispensed, the inner bearing (15b) having an orifice (27) which is in communication with the vent hole (9), said orifice opening into the inner bearing (15b) above the outer bearing (15a). 10. Dispensing system according to claim 8 or 9, characterized in that the sleeve (15) has an outer skirt (22) which comprises means (25) for fixing said sleeve to a reservoir (3) of product to be dispensed . 11. Vial for dispensing a fluid product comprising a reservoir (3) for packaging said product which is formed inside a wall (2) transparent or at least translucent, said bottle further comprising a dispensing system according to any one of claims 1 to 10 which is mounted on the reservoir (3) with the dip tube (7) and the over-tube (14) disposed in said reservoir so that the decorative element (14a) is visible at through the wall (2). Dispensing bottle according to Claim 11, characterized in that the reservoir (3) contains a product whose difference in refractive index with the dip tube (7) and with the over-tube (14) is at most equal to 0.04. 13. dispensing bottle according to claim 11 or 12, characterized in that the reservoir (3) is surmounted by a neck (4) in which the over-tube (14) is associated with the body (6).