FR3003480A1 - RECHARGEABLE FLUID PRODUCT DISPENSER. - Google Patents

Abstract

Rechargeable dispenser comprising a reservoir (R) and a pump without air intake (P) mounted on the reservoir (R) so that the pump (P) creates a vacuum in the reservoir (R), the pump (P) comprising a pump body (1), a pump chamber (Cb, Ch), a piston (3), an inlet valve (37, 131) and an outlet valve (23, 33) connected to a dispensing orifice (21), the pump (P) comprising a pusher (2) movable along an axis of actuation X to move the piston (3) and thus vary the volume of the pump chamber (Cb, Ch), the dispenser comprising in addition, a filling valve (5) through which the fluid product from a source bottle (F) can be sucked into the tank (R) by the prevailing depression, characterized in that the filling valve (5) is mounted on the pump (P) and communicates with the reservoir (R) without passing through the outlet valve (23, 33).

Description

The present invention relates to a refillable fluid dispenser comprising a reservoir and a pump without air intake mounted on the reservoir so that the extraction of the fluid from the reservoir through the pump without air intake creates a vacuum in the tank.

The pump comprises a pump body, a pump chamber, a piston, an inlet valve and an outlet valve connected to a dispensing orifice. The pump also comprises a pusher movable along an axis of actuation to move the piston and thus vary the volume of the pump chamber. The dispenser further comprises a filling valve through which fluid from a source bottle can be drawn into the reservoir by the prevailing depression. The preferred field of the present invention is that of perfumery, or else of cosmetics, in which the use of refillable or "nomadic" dispensers is becoming more and more widespread. The reservoir of the refillable dispenser has a reduced capacity compared to that of the reservoir of the source bottle. In this field of suction refillable dispensers, it is already known EP-2 441 344 which describes a refillable dispenser comprising a rigid reservoir on which is mounted a pump without air intake (airless), so that a depression is generated in the tank once empty. This refillable dispenser also includes a fill valve disposed at the lower end of the reservoir, as is generally the case for refillable dispensers. However, this requires the use of a specific tank that is specifically designed to integrate the fill valve. A tank in the form of a traditional glass bottle is not possible. In most cases, this type of tank with integrated filling valve is made by injection molding plastic material. The reservoir is then rather in the form of a barrel open at both ends, the lower end receiving the filling valve while the upper end receiving the airless pump. In the same field of suction refillable dispensers, it is also known from EP-1 473 233 which describes a refillable dispenser comprising a conventional reservoir on which is mounted a conventional airless pump (airless). When the fluid has been removed from the tank by the pump, there is a vacuum that will then be used to suck fluid through a source bottle through the airless pump. In an entirely conventional manner, the airless pump comprises a pump body, a pump chamber, a piston, an inlet valve, an outlet valve, an actuating rod and a pusher mounted on the actuating rod. . To fill the tank of the refillable dispenser, it is first necessary to remove the pusher from the actuating rod. Then, the actuating rod is attached to a specific mechanism of the source vial which includes a pin which fits inside the actuating rod to push the outlet valve to the open position. Thus, a continuous communication is established between the vacuum tank and the source bottle through the open inlet valve, the pump chamber, the closed outlet valve, the actuating rod and an open outlet valve of the source flask. . It can thus be said that the outlet valve of the airless pump also fulfills a function of filling valve operable by means of the pin of the source bottle. However, it is easily understood that the introduction of the pin inside the actuating rod is not an easy operation, because of the small diameter of the inner pipe of the actuating rod. The spigot of the source bottle should be thin and elongated to reach contact with the outlet valve of the airless pump. As a result, the pin is extremely fragile and can be damaged during incorrect insertion. In addition, the mechanism of the source bottle is extremely complicated since it also incorporates jaws to fix the actuating rod so that it does not move inside the pump body when the spindle is supported. on the outlet valve. Indeed, it is not necessary that the actuating rod is depressed, at the risk of closing the inlet valve, and to cut the communication between the vacuum tank and the source flask. In summary, the mechanism of the source bottle must allow the fixed retention of the actuating rod while the pin is inserted into the actuating rod to open the outlet valve while keeping the inlet valve open. This causes many drawbacks, malfunctions and deteriorations, both of the refillable reservoir and the source vial.

The present invention aims to overcome the aforementioned disadvantages of the prior art by defining a filling valve which can be implemented with a conventional rigid reservoir without inducing a complex and laborious manipulation during the filling operation. In other words, the filling valve of the invention can be implemented with a closed-bottomed bottle, such as glass, with an airless pump whose components accommodate the filling valve. To achieve these objects, the present invention proposes that the filling valve is mounted on the pump and communicates with the reservoir without passing through the outlet valve. Thus, leaving aside or "shunting" the outlet valve, it is not necessary to manipulate or actuate it as is the case in the aforementioned document EP-1 473 233. Preferably, the Filling valve can communicate with the tank without going through the inlet valve. In this case, the filling valve communicates directly with the reservoir without using the functional path of the fluid product towards its dispensing orifice. The fluid drawn by the filling valve from the source flask does not even walk through the pump chamber. According to another advantageous feature of the invention, the filling valve is mounted on the pusher. This is particularly advantageous because it is no longer necessary to remove the pusher from the pump, as is the case for the refillable dispenser of the aforementioned document EP-1 473 233. The pusher remains in place, and the filling nozzle the source bottle can be directly pressed against the filling valve integrated in the pusher. In a practical embodiment, the pusher forms an annular outlet valve seat and an annular upper portion of the pump chamber that extend around the fill valve. Advantageously, the outlet valve communicates downstream with an annular outlet chamber which leads to the dispensing orifice. It can thus be said that the filling valve is located in the center of the outlet valve seat, the annular upper part of the pump chamber and the annular outlet chamber. This coaxial arrangement makes it possible to "shunt" all the downstream portion of the pump chamber to the dispensing orifice. According to another advantageous structural feature, the inlet valve comprises an annular valve seat and an annular movable member adapted to selectively come into sealing engagement with the annular seat, a connecting duct extends through the annular movable member and connects the fill valve to the tank. Again, it can be said that the fill valve is disposed within the inlet valve which extends around it. This makes it possible to "shunt" the inlet valve and thus directly communicate the filling valve with the reservoir without passing through the functional dynamic components of the pump. According to another very interesting characteristic, a shutter member is movable between a closed position and an open position to selectively cut the communication between the connecting conduit and the reservoir. This shutter member is intended to isolate the tank of the pump, especially when it is in depression, to maintain the depression inside. This avoids any risk of leakage through the pump. It should be borne in mind that the filling valve is disposed on the pump, and no longer on the tank as is often the case in the prior art, so that the closure member serves as the blocking member of the tank. The risk of leakage at the pump assembly on the tank is extremely low, since it has long been a perfect seal at this level. According to one embodiment, the closure member is integral in displacement of the annular movable member of the inlet valve. Alternatively, the closure member may also be integral with the pusher.

According to a preferred embodiment, the piston is a differential piston which moves between the body and the pusher under the effect of the pressure variation of the fluid product in the pump chamber, the differential piston forming the inlet valve with the body and the outlet valve with the pusher, the pusher comprising a pipe and the piston comprising a sleeve which slides in a sealed manner around the pipe, the filling valve being mounted in this pipe. Advantageously, the sleeve forms an inlet valve movable member adapted to selectively come into sealed contact with an inlet valve seat, the sleeve defining internally a connecting pipe which connects the filling valve to the reservoir. Advantageously, a closure member is movable between a closed position and an open position to selectively cut the communication between the connecting pipe and the reservoir, this closure member being integral with the sleeve or the tubing. Advantageously, the body forms an inlet tube which connects the reservoir to the inlet valve and to the connecting pipe, the sleeve being engaged around the inlet tube to form the inlet valve and the closure member being engaged in the inlet tube. This particular pump, often referred to as a "pusher pump", because the differential piston moves inside the pusher, has coaxial annular seals, making it possible to provide a space on its axis of revolution for accommodating the filling valve. and define the connecting conduit which connects directly to the tank, with the possible interposition of a sealing member.

Whatever the embodiment, it can be seen that the pusher, the inlet valve, the outlet valve and the filling valve are movable along the axis of actuation. The spirit of the invention lies in the double fact that the filling valve is not mounted on the reservoir, and that it communicates with the reservoir without passing through the outlet valve and / or the inlet valve. the airless pump. By using a pump of the plug pump type as described in the document FR-2 864 176, FR-2 864 046 or FR-2 866 579, it is possible to directly mount the filling valve on the pusher and make it communicate with the pusher. tank passing through the center of the outlet valve, pump chamber and inlet flap. The invention will now be further 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 vertical cross-sectional view through a refillable dispenser according to a first embodiment in a rest or non-use phase. FIG. 2 is a view similar to that of FIG. 1 for the distributor. in the first embodiment during a filling phase, FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIGS. 1 and 2 for the refillable dispenser according to the first embodiment during a fluid dispensing phase, and FIG. 4 is a view similar to that of FIG. 1 for a variant of the first embodiment of the invention. Referring firstly to Figures 1 to 3 to describe in detail the structure and operation of a fluid dispenser according to a first non-limiting embodiment of the invention. The fluid dispenser comprises two main components, namely a fluid reservoir R with a collar R1 and a pump P which is fixedly mounted and sealed on the neck R1 of the reservoir.

The reservoir R is preferably rigid or semi-rigid, so as to withstand an internal depression. The tank R can be made in one piece from suitable materials, such as glass, plastics, metal, etc. The bottom (not shown) of the tank is closed, and the neck R1 can define a constriction forming a narrowed opening which communicates the interior of the tank with the outside. The neck R1 may be formed with an outer annular reinforcement R2 which will serve in a conventional manner for the attachment of the pump P. An annular collar seal R3 may be arranged on the upper edge of the neck R1 to ensure the seal between the tank and pump. The pump P is a pump without air intake or "airless", which does not allow outside air entering the tank as the fluid product is extracted. In other words, the airless pump P only allows the extraction of the fluid from the tank, without outside air intake. As a result, an increasing depression is generated inside the tank R as fluid is withdrawn from the pump. When the tank R was completely emptied of its contents, the depression reached its maximum level. We will see below how the airless pump P allows the passage of fluid from a source bottle F, the fluid being sucked through the pump P by the vacuum inside the tank R The pump P comprises the following constituent elements, namely a pump body 1, a pusher 2, a piston 3, a return spring 4, a filling valve 5 and a protective cover 6 which is optional. All these components can be reported on each other axially along an axis of actuation X. All these elements can be made by injection molding plastic material, the protective cover 6 can also be made with other materials, such as metal. The pump body 1 is fixedly mounted on the neck R1 of the tank R by means of an annular fixing flange 10 which engages around the projecting annular reinforcement R2 of the neck of the tank. The fixing flange 10 may for example be snapped under the annular reinforcement R2. This also makes it possible to crush the neck seal R3 on the annular upper edge of the neck R1. The fastening flange 10 is concentrically surrounded by a bushing 17 which is advantageously externally threaded to engage a threaded skirt formed by the protective cover 6. A seal 62 may be provided to be compressed between the pump body 1 and in shoulder of the capo 6 to increase the sealing of the distributor. Inside the fixing flange 10 concentrically extends a hooking tube 11 into which is inserted a dip tube 12 which extends to near the bottom (not shown) of the tank. Substantially in the extension of this attachment tube 11 extends upwardly an inlet tube 13 which internally defines a supply conduit 14. The inner wall of this inlet tube 13 may advantageously be provided with a or several vertical grooves 133. The upper end of this inlet tube 13 also internally forms a shutter seat 132, whose function will be given below. The outer wall of this inlet tube 13 forms an inlet valve seat 131, as will be seen hereinafter. The pump body 1 also forms a main shaft 15 which extends concentrically around the inlet tube 13. A guide flange 16 concentrically extends around the main shaft 15. The pump body 1 can further Other elements, such as an axial guide sleeve for the piston 3. Advantageously, the pump body 1 is made integrally. Once mounted on the tank R, it is intended to no longer be removed. Thus, the only possible communication between the interior of the tank R and the outside is through the plunger tube 12 and the supply duct 14. The pusher 2 forms a dispensing orifice 21, which is advantageously arranged laterally , and which can be formed by a nozzle reported in a suitable housing. This is a very classic measure in the field of perfumery, cosmetics or even pharmacy. Internally, the pusher forms a secondary shaft 22 for sliding the piston 3, as will be seen below. The pusher 2 also forms an annular outlet valve seat 23 which cooperates with the piston 3, as will be seen hereinafter. The pusher 2 also forms a pivoting cover 24 which makes it possible to mask / disengage the filling valve 5 which is here mounted on the pusher 2. For this purpose, the pusher 2 forms an axial tube 25 which projects downwards. The filling valve 5 is mounted in this tubing 25 so as to be accessible and operable when the lid 24 is open, as can be seen in FIG. 2. The filling valve 5 may quite simply comprise a movable valve member. 51 which is biased on a valve seat formed by the pipe 25 by a spring 52 which bears on a support member 53 integral with the pipe 25. At rest, the spring 52 urges the movable member 55 against a seat 255 formed However, when a bearing force is applied downwards on the upper end of the movable member 51, it moves against the force exerted by the spring 52. in order to break the sealed contact with its seat 255. The operation of this filling valve is completely conventional and conventional.

The piston 3 slides both sealingly in the main drum of the pump body 1 and in the secondary shaft 22 of the pusher 2 under the effect of the pressure variation that prevails inside a formed pump chamber between these three elements. This piston 3 can therefore be described as a differential piston which moves both with respect to the pump body 1 and the pusher 2. This differential piston 3 comprises a main lip 31 which slides in a sealed manner inside the piston. main barrel 15 of the pump body 1. The differential piston 3 also comprises a secondary lip 32 which slides sealingly inside the secondary shaft 22 of the pusher 2. The piston 3 also comprises a sleeve 36 which slides in a sealed manner around of the tubing 25 of the pusher 2. At its lower end, the sleeve 36 forms a movable inlet valve member 37 intended to come into sealingly sliding contact with the inlet valve seat 131 formed by the outer wall of the tube. The differential piston 3 also forms a movable outlet valve member 33 for sealingly contacting the outlet valve seat 23 formed by the pusher 2. beyond the outlet valve, an annular outlet chamber 34 is defined between the pusher 2 and the piston 3 which communicates directly with the dispensing orifice 21. The piston 3 also forms a communication passage 35 which connects a low chamber Cb formed between the pump body 1 and the differential piston 3 to a high chamber Ch formed between the pusher 2 and the differential piston 3. These two low chambers Cb and high Ch together form the pump chamber C of the airless pump P. Because that the differential piston 3 slides inside the pusher 2, this airless pump is often referred to as a "push pump", in particular because the pusher 2 plays an active role in the operation of the pump forming the part high Ch of the pump chamber. In the rest position shown in Figure 1, the inlet valve formed by the movable member 37 and the seat 131 is open, while the outlet valve, formed by the movable member 33 and the seat 23, is closed under the action of the return spring 4 which bears between the pump body 1 and the differential piston 3. According to a characteristic of the invention, the sleeve 36 internally forms a connecting channel 38 which connects the filling valve 5 14. In the rest position of FIG. 1, this connecting channel 38 also communicates with the interior of the pump chamber, since the inlet valve is open. On the other hand, the differential piston 3 forms a closure member 39 which extends inside the connecting duct 38 and which is engaged in the inlet duct 13 inside the supply duct 14 This shutter member 39 is axially movable along the axis of actuation X between a closed position shown in FIG. 1 in which the closure member 39 is in sealing contact with the sealing seat 132 formed in FIG. the interior of the inlet tube 13, and an open position in which the closure member 39 is pushed into the interior of the supply duct 14 so as to break the sealing contact with its seat 132, as shown in FIG. In other words, the closure member 39 is in the sealed closed position when the pump is at rest and in the open position when the differential piston 3 is moved downwards. This occurs by pressing the pusher 2, either during a fluid dispensing phase as shown in Figure 3, or during a filling phase, as shown in Figure 2. Indeed, when the lid 24 is open, a nozzle F1 of a source bottle F can be pressed against the movable member 51 of the filling valve 5 so as to open. However, pressing against the filling valve 5, the pusher 2 is depressed, also moving the differential piston 3 so as to bring the closure member 39 in the open position. Direct communication is then established between the tank R which is under vacuum and the source bottle F which is at atmospheric pressure. This communication is done through the plunger tube 12, the supply duct 14, the connecting duct 38 and the filling valve 5 forced into the open state by the nozzle F1 of the source flask F. It may be noted that the flap the inlet member is closed, since the annular movable member 37 is sealingly engaged around its seat 131 formed by the inlet tube 13. Fluid product from the source bottle F is thus sucked into the tank R until the filling valve 5 is forced to the open state until the pressures in the respective tanks are balanced.

Since the refillable dispenser of the invention is effected by suction generated by the underpressure of the reservoir, it is advisable or important to maintain the vacuum level inside the reservoir. This is made possible thanks to the invention by the presence of the closure member 39 sealingly closing the only communication passage that exists between the reservoir R and the pump P. The closure member 39 is it is biased in its sealed closed rest position by the return spring 4. As a result, it is no longer necessary to ensure that the other sealed contacts of the pump are optimal. The general architecture of this airless plug pump, which is also known in principle from the prior art, allows easy mounting of the filling valve 5 on the pusher 2 and the formation of a connecting channel 38 to connect the filling valve 5 to the tank, without passing through the outlet valve or the inlet valve. This is possible because the inlet and outlet valves have a concentric coaxial annular configuration so as to disengage the central axial space allowing the arrangement of the filling valve 5, the connecting duct 8 and the control member. In a very schematic way, it can be said that the filling function occupies a central axial position, while the distribution function occupies a peripheral annular position. In a variant shown in FIG. 4, it can be seen a pump Pa integrating a closure member 55, which may be substantially similar or identical to the closure member 39, is connected directly by tabs 54 to the element of FIG. support 53 of an alternative filling valve 5 '. In this case, it can be said that the closure member 55 is integral in displacement of the pusher 2, since the support member 55 is fixedly engaged inside the tubing 25 of the pusher 2. Thus, the shutter member may be secured to either the differential piston 3 or the pusher 2. Thanks to the present invention, there is a rechargeable refill valve with the filling valve is placed on the pump, and preferably on the pusher pump, without passing through the outlet valve or the inlet valve of the pump. The implementation of a complementary obturating member makes it possible to maintain the depression in a durable manner inside the reservoir.

Claims (13)

CLAIMS1.- Refillable fluid product dispenser comprising a reservoir (R) and a pump without air intake (P; Pa) mounted on the reservoir (R) so that the extraction of the fluid product from the reservoir (R) through the pump without air intake (P; Pa) creates a vacuum in the tank (R), the pump (P; Pa) comprising a pump body (1), a pump chamber (Cb, Ch), a piston (3), an inlet valve (37, 131) and an outlet valve (23, 33) connected to a dispensing orifice (21), the pump (P; Pa) comprising a pusher (2) movable according to a actuating axis X for moving the piston (3) and thus varying the volume of the pump chamber (Cb, Ch), the dispenser further comprising a filling valve (5; 5a) by which fluid product from a source flask (F) can be sucked into the reservoir (R) by the prevailing depression, characterized in that the filling valve (5; 5 ') is mounted on the pump (P; Pa) and communicates with the reservoir (R) without passing through the outlet valve (23, 33). 2. A dispenser according to claim 1, wherein the filling valve (5; 5 ') communicates with the reservoir (R) without passing through the inlet valve (37, 131). 3. A dispenser according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the filling valve (5) is mounted on the pusher (2). 4. A dispenser according to claim 3, wherein the pusher (2) forms an annular outlet valve seat (23) and an annular upper part (Ch) of the pump chamber which extend around the filling valve ( 5). 5. A dispenser according to claim 4, wherein the outlet valve (23, 33) communicates downstream with an annular outlet chamber (34) which leads to the dispensing orifice (21). 6. A dispenser according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the inlet valve comprises an annular seat (131) and an annular movable member (37) adapted to selectively come into sealing engagement with the annular seat (131), a connecting conduit (38) extends through the annular movable member (37) and connects the filling valve (5; 5 ') to the reservoir (R). 7. A dispenser according to claim 6, wherein a shutter member (39; 55) is movable between a closed position and an open position to selectively cut the communication between the connecting pipe (38) and the tank (R). . 8. A dispenser according to claim 7, wherein the closure member (39) is integral in displacement of the annular movable member (37) of the inlet valve. 9. A dispenser according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the piston (3) is a differential piston which moves between the body (1) and the pusher (2) under the effect of the pressure variation of the product. fluid in the pump chamber (Cb, Ch), the differential piston forming the inlet valve (37, 131) with the body (1) and the outlet valve (23, 33) with the pusher (2), the pusher (2) comprising a pipe (25) and the piston (3) comprising a sleeve (36) which slides in a sealing manner around the pipe (25), the filling valve (5; 5 ') being mounted in this pipe (25). 10. A dispenser according to claim 9, wherein the sleeve (36) forms a movable inlet valve member (37) adapted to selectively in sealing contact with an inlet valve seat (131), the sleeve (36) ) internally defining a connecting pipe (38) which connects the filling valve (5; 5 ') to the reservoir (R). 11. A dispenser according to claim 9 or 10, wherein a shutter member (39; 55) is movable between a closed position and an open position to selectively cut the communication between the connecting pipe (38) and the reservoir ( R), this closure member (39; 55) being integral with the sleeve (36) or the tubing (25). 12. A dispenser according to claim 10, wherein the body (1) forms an inlet tube (13) which connects the reservoir (R) to the inlet valve (37, 131) and to the connecting pipe (38). , the sleeve (36) being engaged around the inlet tube (13) to form the inlet valve (37, 131) and the closure member (39; 55) being engaged in the inlet pipe ( 13). 13. A dispenser according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the pusher (2), the inlet valve (37, 131), the outlet valve (23, 33) and the filling valve (5; ') are movable along the axis of actuation X.