GB1563749A

GB1563749A - Atomizing dispenser

Info

Publication number: GB1563749A
Application number: GB33180/77A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: LOreal SA
Current assignee: LOreal SA
Priority date: 1976-10-20
Filing date: 1977-08-08
Publication date: 1980-03-26
Also published as: FR2368306A2; DE2746993C2; BE856857R; FR2368306B2; DE2746993A1; CH617104A5

Description

(54) ATOMIZING DISPENSER (71) We, L'OREAL, a French Body Corporate of 14, rue Royale, 75 Paris 8eme, France, do hereby declare the invention for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to be performed, to particularly described in and by the following statement:- The present application relates to an improvement in the invention claimed in our earlier British Patent No. (Serial No.

1546720) (Application No. 32334/76).

In our said British Patent No. (Serial No.

1 546 720) (Application No. 32334/76) there is claimed an atomizing dispenser for spraying a liquid product, comprising: a flexible walled container having a neck, a spray head which has at one end an annular portion the edge of which is connected to a peripheral mounting skirt adapted to be fitted inside the neck of said container to which the spray head may be fitted, and a hollow central shaft which is encircled by said mounting skirt and is closed at its end opposite said one end of the spray head by a wall, a depending tube extending into said container and terminating in a tip seated inside the hollow central shaft and cooperating with said spray head to define an atomization chamber; an ejection orifice in said wall and leading from said atomization chamber to the exterior of said spray head, at least one air intake orifice in said annular portion of the spray head cooperating with a valve member in the form of a flexible plate which covers said at least one air intake orifice when urged thereagainst by pressure within said container, said plate being centred around said tip and gripped between a collar formed on said tip and the opposed area of the surface of said annular portion of the spray head.

Such a dispenser can be advantageously used for dispensing pharmaceutical products and, in particular, nasal sprays. To this effect, the upper part of the central shaft of the spray head can consist of a frusto-conical nozzle having the discharge orifice at its narrower end. It is noted that this variant of the device of the Parent Patent Specification No.

1 546 720 (Application No. 32334/76) permits the flask to serve as a transportable nasal nebulizer which enables any entry of contaminated product into the container to be avoided, by the action of the valve washer, when the conical nozzle is in place in one of the nostrils of the user. In fact, the said at least one air intake orifice is situated, in relation to the body of the container, at a level which is lower than that of the discharge orifice from the nozzle, and this helps to protect the air intake orifice or orifices from any contact with the outside while this nebulizer is used.

In order to use the dispenser described above, the user squeezes the flexible walls of the container and the excess pressure causes the expulsion of the liquid product through the discharge orifice; and at the same time the air enclosed in the container, being prevented from escaping through the air intake orifices by the blocking action of the valve, passes into the spray chamber to be ejected thereafter with the liquid product. As soon as the user relaxes his squeezing action, the return of air into the container occurs through the air intake orifices which, because of the reduction of pressure created inside the container, are now no longer blocked by the valve. It is clear that, between two successive atomization operations a return flow of air occurs from outside the container through the air intake orifices, and this air of course comes into contact with the liquid contained inside the container. The result of this process is a risk of contamination of the product to be atomized if the surrounding air contains solid particles or germs.

According to the present invention we provide an atomizing dispenser for spraying a liquid product, comprising: a container; and an atomizing device including a spray head which has at one end an annular portion the edge of which is connected to a peripheral mounting skirt adapted to be fitted inside the neck of said container, and a hollow central shaft encircled by said mounting skirt, and closed at its end opposite said one end of the spray head by a wall pierced by an ejection orifice leading from said shaft to the exterior of said atomizing device; a depending tube extending into said container and terminating in a tip seating inside the hollow central shaft and cooperating with said spray head to define an atomization chamber; at least one channel system disposed to communicate said atomization chamber with the neck region of said container in the neck of which said spray head mounting skirt is to be fitted; at least one air intake orifice in said annular portion of the spray head cooperating with a valve member in the form of a flexible plate which covers said at least one air intake orifice when urged thereagainst by pressure within said container, said plate being centred around said tip and gripped between a collar formed on said tip and the corresponding area on the inner surface of said annular portion of the spray head; and at least one porous plug cooperating with said at least one air intake orifice and permitting the passage of air therethrough and into said container.

The abovementioned disadvantage of the dispenser of the invention of the Parent Patent Paten is eliminated in that the said at least one porous plug associated with the air intake orifices prevents the penetration of solid particles, into the container by filtration of the incoming air and, on the other hand, renders the air entering the inside of the container aseptic if an appropriate bactericide is deprinted onto these plugs.

The preferred porous plugs used preferably show two characteristics: that of being made of a material which cannot be wetted by the product to be sprayed, and that of being treated with a bactericide which is both insoluble in the product to be sprayed and also chemically inert with regard to this product, in order to avoid any determination in case the air intake valve inadvertently allows a small amount of liquid to pass through to come into contact with the porous plug.

The porous plug advantageously consists of a matrix of hydrophobic fibres forming a woven, non-woven or knitted support, which is treated with an appropriate bactericide.

In a preferred embodiment, the porous plug consists of hydrophobic fibres, which are preferably polyvinyl chloride-, polyamide-, polyester-, polypropylene-, and/or polyacrylicfibres. The porous plug is in the form of a disc, which is arranged at right angles to the direction of air intake flow through the intake orifice or orifices, and is located towards the outside of the flask in relation to the valve, the said disc being inserted between the peripheral skirt and the central passage of the spray head. The porous plug rests by its two peripheral edges on two annular ledges, provided in a raised position along the gap between the peripheral skirt and the central passage of the spray head, one of the abovementioned ledges being situated on the inner wall of the said peripheral skirt, and the other being situated on the outer wall of the central passage. The porous plug is fixed onto the two abovementioned annular ledges, against which it abuts, by means of a perforated securing ring which is intended to be pressed onto the porous plug, the said ring being inserted, after fixing, between the porous plug and an annular snap-in bead provided in a raised position along the inner wall of the peripheral skirt of the spray head. The abovementioned peripheral fixing skirt includes, on its upper edge which is opposite to the edge where it is joined to the base of the spray head, an annular shoulder which projects radially outwards in relation to the said skirt, the shoulder resting on the rim of the neck.

After fixing, the porous plug is arranged essentially perpendicularly to the axis of the spray head between the base, where the air intake orifices are made, and the abovementioned annular shoulder. The wall which closes the upper part of the central passage of the spray head consists of a nozzle in the form of a cone or truncated cone at the narrower end of which the discharge orifice or orifices is or are situated.

In the dispenser according to the present invention, the inlet of the air intake orifices is protected from all contact with the outside when the vaporizer is in use, since these orifices open into an annular space between the peripheral skirt and the central passage of the spray head and they are in addition situated, in relation to the body of the flask, at a level which is lower than the level of the spray orifice. The air which penetrates into the flask through the at least one air intake orifice is not able to contaminate the liquid to be sprayed, since the air must pass through the porous plug preferably treated with bactericide, this rendering the air essentially asceptic.

In order that the present invention may be better understood, one embodiment thereof will now be described merely by way of an example, with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which: Figure 1 is an exploded view of the various components of a vaporizer according to the invention, designed for the dispensing of nasal sprays; and Figure 2 is an axial cross-section of the vaporizer of Figure 1, in assembled form.

Figures 1 and 2 illustrate a nasal spray atomizing dispenser 100, according to the invention. This dispenser consists of a flexible flask 101 in this case blow moulded of a plastics material, the flask being thus suf ficiently flexible for the user to be able to deform its walls easily in order to effect ejection of a liquid product which will be contained in the flask. The flask 101 is provided with a neck 102, which is essentially cylindrical and carries externally a screwthread intended to cooperate with a corresponding screw-thread provided on the inner side wall of a cap 103, which ensures that the vaporizer 100 is closed during transporting or storage.

A spray head, denoted in its entirety by numeral 104, fits on the inside of the neck 102 of the flask 101, and consists of an annular base, which is perforated with four air intake orifices 105. These orifices 105 are circular and are arranged at regular intervals concentrically in relation to the axis of the head 104. An essentially cylindrical fixing skirt 106 is fitted on the peripheral edge of the annular base at right angles thereto. At the upper edge of the skirt 106, which is opposite the edge where the annular base of the spray head 104 is attached, is an annular shoulder 107 which extends radially outwardly from the skirt 106. An annular rim or ledge 108 is defined on the inner wall of the skirt 106, i.e. on the opposite wall to that which comes into contact with the flask neck 102.

Joined to the inner edge of the annular base of the head 104, in which base the air intake orifices 105 are defined, is the wall 109 of a central duct which projects axially outwardly in relation to the skirt 106. The part of the central passage which is surrounded by the skirt 106 is in the form of a cylinder, and is surmounted by a frustoconical nozzle 110, the frustum of the cone 110 of which has a cross section with three lobes 111, which are separated by grooves 112. The central passage is open at the end adjacent the annular base, and the upper part, in the region of the smaller base of the frustum of the cone 110, is closed by a wall which is perforated with a discharge orifice 113 coaxial with the cone. Opposite the annular ledge 108, situated on the fixing skirt 106 of the head 104, is another annular ledge 114 having essentially the same dimensions as ledge 108 and located on the outer face of wall 109 of the central passage.

The fixing of the spray head 104 onto the flask 101 is carried out by force-fitting the skirt 106 into the flask neck 102, until the shoulder 107 comes to rest on the rim of the neck 102.

A channelled nozzle 115 is used to connect a dip tube 116 to the above-described spray head 104. This nozzle 115 comprises a moulded piece made of plastics generally cylindrical in shape, and having a bore made along its axis. One end of the tube 116 fits inside this bore. In the region of its lower end face, through which thetube 116 penetrates, the channelled nozzle 115 has an end collar 117 extending radially outwardly perpendicularly and having an external diameter which is greater than the internal diameter of the central passage, as measured in the region of the base where the air intake orifices 105 are made. On the cylindrical side wall of the nozzle 115, and along two of its generatrices, are two diametrically opposed channels 118.

The two channels 118 extend through the end collar 117, by means of two notches provided in the end collar.

The channelled nozzle 115 is fitted to the inside of the central passage defined by wall 109 and, together with this passage, defines a spray chamber 119. The chamber 119 connects both with the outside air, through the discharge orifice 113, and with the interior of the flask, through, on the one hand, the dip tube 116 and, on the other hand, the two channels 118. The channels 118 face the cylindrical inner face of wall 109 in order to create two channel systems, which connect the interior of the flask to the chamber 119.

A flexible washer 120 acts as a blocking valve for the air intake orifices 105 in the annular base of the spray head 104. The valve washer 120 functions as a one-way valve so as, on the one hand, to allow air to pass into the inside of the flask after a dispensing operation-that is to say, as soon as the flexible flask wall has been released and allowed to spring back to cause a reduced pressure inside the flask-and, on the other hand, to prevent the air in the flask from escaping through the orifices 105 during a vaporization squeezing of the flask wall. This washer 120 is, on the one hand, centred around the channelled nozzle 115 and, on the other hand, inserted between the collar 117 and the corresponding region of the wall of the annular base of the spray head 104.

In order to prevent air which enters the flask through the intake orifices 105 between two successive vaporizations from contaminating the liquid to be sprayed, a porous plug 121 blocks the inlet of the said orifices 105 and comprises a matrix of fibres which cannot be wetted by the flask contents, i.e. the product to be sprayed. In the case where the liquid product to be sprayed is an aqueous solution, or a suspension in an aqueous medium, the fibres constituting the plug 121 are advantageously made of a hydrophonic material such as polyvinyl chloride, polyester, polypropylene, polyamide or polyacrylic fibres.

The abovementioned hydrophobic fibres can be assembled to form a textile support which is of woven, knitted, needle-punched non woven, or non-woven form produced by a dry process or by a wet process. The fibres density of the fibrous plug 121 used in this embodi ment is preferably between 150 and 250 g/m2.

The porous plug 121 acts as a filter for the incoming air which penetrates because it removes any solid particles from the air. But this plug may also be used to destroy germs, contained in the air which penetrates into the inside of the flask, if the plug is treated with an appropriate bactericide. It is possible that the valve 120 may inadvertently allow escape of a small amount of the liquid to be vaporized, which liquid would then come into contact with the plug 121. For this reason, it is advantageous that the bactericide used should be both insoluble in the liquid to be sprayed and chemically inert with regard to this liquid. In this preferred embodiment, the bactericide used is that known under the trade mark "IRGASAN DP 300", and treatment of the plug 121 by a bactericide of this type is carried out in the conventional manner, for example by impregnation.

The porous plug 121 is in the form of an annulus, which is intended to be placed around the central passage 109 so that it rests by its two peripheral edges on the two ledges 108 and 114, which are provided for this purpose. Fitted onto the porous plug 121 which is directly above the air intake orifices 105, between the skirt 106 and the central passage 109 of the head 104, is a perforated securing ring 122 whose internal and external diameters are essentially identical to those of the porous plug 121. The securing ring 122 comprises two concentric bands joined by four radial cross-pieces. In order to ensure that the securing ring 122 is locked against the porous plug 121, a thin peripheral snap-in rib 123 is provided, which is situated on the inner wall of the skirt 106 above the annular ledge 108.

The securing ring 122 force-fitted over the rib onto the fibrous plug 121 so as to be inserted between the plug 121 and the snap-in rib 123.

Figure 1 illustrates the method of assmbling the atomizing device onto the neck 102 of the flask: The tube 116 is fitted into the interior bore of the channelled nozzle 115 e.g. as a force fit. The washer 120 is then threaded onto the channelled nozzle 115 and lies on the collar 117 so that when the channelled nozzle 115, equipped in this way, is joined to the spray head 104 by forcing the nozzle 115 into the inside of the central passage (defined by wall 109), the washer 120 will be trapped by the collar 117 to rest against the annular base of the spray head 104.

The atomizing device, assembled in this way, is then fitted onto the flask neck 102, which will have been previously filled with the liquid product to be vaporized.

Once this fitting operation has been completed, the porous plug 121 and its associated securing ring 122 are applied in the manner which has been indicated above.

The cap 103 which covers and closes the spray head 104 during transporting or storage of the vaporizer, consists, in its central region, of a form of a truncated conical housing 124 which fits onto the frustum of the cone 110 of the spray head 104. At the narrower end of the frustum of the housing 124 is a protuberance 125 which, when the cap 103 is screwed onto the neck 102 of the flask 101, enters into and closes the discharge orifice 113 to ensure the tight sealing of the orifice 113. In the same manner, the cap 103 carries on its inside an annular crown with lips 126, which fits in the annular gap between the wall 109 of the central passage and the skirt 106 of the spray head 104 in order to ensure a seal just in case the valve 120 and the plug 121 might allow a small amount of the liquid contained in the flask 101 to pass through.

To operate the dispenser 100, which is adapted for the dispensing of nasal sprays, the user unscrews the cap 103 and then squeezes the flexible walls of the flask to cause the liquid to pass into the tube 116 and the spray chamber 119 and to be ejected through the orifice 113. At the same time the air contained in the flask, which cannot escape through the intake orifices 105 blocked by the valve 120, passes through the two channel systems 118 and into the chamber 119 and is there mixed with ejected liquid product to be ejected therewith through nozzle 112. As soon as the user relaxes the squeezing action, air enters the flask through the fibrous plug 121 andthence through the orifices 105 which are no longer blocked by the valve washer 120.

In this embodiment, the upper part of the central passage, namely the cone 110, will be placed in the nostrils where nebulizing is to be carried out. It is supposed that in such a case the discharge orifice 113 will become contaminated in the course of usage, since it comes into contact with the nasal mucus.

However, the risk of pollution of the liquid to be dispensed is reduced, since air intake to the flask does not occur through the discharge orifice 113 but instead through the air intake orifices 105 via the bactericidetreated porous plug 121. It is to be noted, therefore, that this nasal nebulizer avoids the contamination of liquid in the flask, even when the conical nozzle 110 is in position in a nostril of the user.

In the illustrated embodiment there is a single annular porous plug 121. However, it is of course possible to provide more than one plug, for example several plug discs disposed in a circular array around the axis of the spray head 104.

WHAT WE CLAIM IS: 1. An atomizing dispenser for spraying a liquid product, comprising: a container; and an atomizing device including a spray head which has at one end an annular portion the edge of which is connected to a peripheral mounting skirt adapted to be fitted inside the neck of said container, and a hollow central shaft encircled by said mounting skirt, and closed at its end opposite said one end of the spray head by a wall pierced by an ejection orifice leading from said shaft to the exterior of said atomizing device; a depending tube extending into said container and terminating

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. the valve 120 may inadvertently allow escape of a small amount of the liquid to be vaporized, which liquid would then come into contact with the plug 121. For this reason, it is advantageous that the bactericide used should be both insoluble in the liquid to be sprayed and chemically inert with regard to this liquid. In this preferred embodiment, the bactericide used is that known under the trade mark "IRGASAN DP 300", and treatment of the plug 121 by a bactericide of this type is carried out in the conventional manner, for example by impregnation. The porous plug 121 is in the form of an annulus, which is intended to be placed around the central passage 109 so that it rests by its two peripheral edges on the two ledges 108 and 114, which are provided for this purpose. Fitted onto the porous plug 121 which is directly above the air intake orifices 105, between the skirt 106 and the central passage 109 of the head 104, is a perforated securing ring 122 whose internal and external diameters are essentially identical to those of the porous plug 121. The securing ring 122 comprises two concentric bands joined by four radial cross-pieces. In order to ensure that the securing ring 122 is locked against the porous plug 121, a thin peripheral snap-in rib 123 is provided, which is situated on the inner wall of the skirt 106 above the annular ledge 108. The securing ring 122 force-fitted over the rib onto the fibrous plug 121 so as to be inserted between the plug 121 and the snap-in rib 123. Figure 1 illustrates the method of assmbling the atomizing device onto the neck 102 of the flask: The tube 116 is fitted into the interior bore of the channelled nozzle 115 e.g. as a force fit. The washer 120 is then threaded onto the channelled nozzle 115 and lies on the collar 117 so that when the channelled nozzle 115, equipped in this way, is joined to the spray head 104 by forcing the nozzle 115 into the inside of the central passage (defined by wall 109), the washer 120 will be trapped by the collar 117 to rest against the annular base of the spray head 104. The atomizing device, assembled in this way, is then fitted onto the flask neck 102, which will have been previously filled with the liquid product to be vaporized. Once this fitting operation has been completed, the porous plug 121 and its associated securing ring 122 are applied in the manner which has been indicated above. The cap 103 which covers and closes the spray head 104 during transporting or storage of the vaporizer, consists, in its central region, of a form of a truncated conical housing 124 which fits onto the frustum of the cone 110 of the spray head 104. At the narrower end of the frustum of the housing 124 is a protuberance 125 which, when the cap 103 is screwed onto the neck 102 of the flask 101, enters into and closes the discharge orifice 113 to ensure the tight sealing of the orifice 113. In the same manner, the cap 103 carries on its inside an annular crown with lips 126, which fits in the annular gap between the wall 109 of the central passage and the skirt 106 of the spray head 104 in order to ensure a seal just in case the valve 120 and the plug 121 might allow a small amount of the liquid contained in the flask 101 to pass through. To operate the dispenser 100, which is adapted for the dispensing of nasal sprays, the user unscrews the cap 103 and then squeezes the flexible walls of the flask to cause the liquid to pass into the tube 116 and the spray chamber 119 and to be ejected through the orifice 113. At the same time the air contained in the flask, which cannot escape through the intake orifices 105 blocked by the valve 120, passes through the two channel systems 118 and into the chamber 119 and is there mixed with ejected liquid product to be ejected therewith through nozzle 112. As soon as the user relaxes the squeezing action, air enters the flask through the fibrous plug 121 andthence through the orifices 105 which are no longer blocked by the valve washer 120. In this embodiment, the upper part of the central passage, namely the cone 110, will be placed in the nostrils where nebulizing is to be carried out. It is supposed that in such a case the discharge orifice 113 will become contaminated in the course of usage, since it comes into contact with the nasal mucus. However, the risk of pollution of the liquid to be dispensed is reduced, since air intake to the flask does not occur through the discharge orifice 113 but instead through the air intake orifices 105 via the bactericidetreated porous plug 121. It is to be noted, therefore, that this nasal nebulizer avoids the contamination of liquid in the flask, even when the conical nozzle 110 is in position in a nostril of the user. In the illustrated embodiment there is a single annular porous plug 121. However, it is of course possible to provide more than one plug, for example several plug discs disposed in a circular array around the axis of the spray head 104. WHAT WE CLAIM IS:

1. An atomizing dispenser for spraying a liquid product, comprising: a container; and an atomizing device including a spray head which has at one end an annular portion the edge of which is connected to a peripheral mounting skirt adapted to be fitted inside the neck of said container, and a hollow central shaft encircled by said mounting skirt, and closed at its end opposite said one end of the spray head by a wall pierced by an ejection orifice leading from said shaft to the exterior of said atomizing device; a depending tube extending into said container and terminating

in a tip seating inside the hollow central shaft and cooperating with said spray head to define an atomization chamber; at least one channel system disposed to communicate said atomization chamber with the neck region of said container in the neck of which said spray head mounting skirt is to be fitted; at least one air intake orifice in said annular portion of the spray head cooperating with a valve member in the form of a flexible plate which covers said at least one air intake orifice when urged thereagainst by pressure within said container, said plate being centered around said tip and gripped between a collar formed on said tip and the corresponding area on the inner surface of said annular portion of the spray head; and at least one porous plug cooperating with said at least one air intake orifice and permitting the passage of air therethrough and into said container.

2. An atomizing dispenser according to claim 1, wherein said at least one porous plug is in the form of an annular plate situated at right angles to the axis of said at least one air intake orifice towards the outside of the container in relation to said valve, said plate being inserted between said peripheral mounting skirt and said central shaft of the spray head.

3. An atomizing dispenser according to claim 2, wherein said porous plug rests by its two peripheral edges on two annular ledges provided in the space between said peripheral mounting skirt and said central shaft of the spray head, one of said ledges being situated on the inner wall of the said peripheral skirt, and the other being situated on the outer wall of the central shaft.

4. An atomizing dispenser according to claim 3, wherein a perforated securing ring is provided for holding said porous plug onto said two ledges, said perforated ring being adapted to be inserted between the said plug and an annular snap-in bead provided on the inner wall of said peripheral skirt of the spray head.

5. An atomizing dispenser according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein said peripheral skirt of the spray head has on its upper edge which is at the opposite end to the edge where said annular portion of the said spray head is joined, an annular shoulder which projects radially outwards in relation to the said skirt and is adapted to rest on the rim of the container neck.

6. An atomizing dispenser according to claim 5, wherein said porous plug is arranged to extend essentially perpendicularly to the axis of the spray head, between said annular portion where the air intake orifices are formed and the said annular shoulder.

7. An atomizing dispenser according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein said wall which closes the upper part of the central shaft of the spray head, defines a frusto-conical nozzle with said discharge orifice at its narrower end.

8. An atomizing dispenser according to any one of the preceding claims, when mounted on the neck of a flexible-walled container which is filled with a liquid product to be sprayed and said at least one porous plug is made of a material which cannot be wetted by the product to be sprayed which is contained in the container.

9. An atomizing dispenser according to claim 8, wherein the material of which said at least one porous plug is made is treated with a bactericide.

1U. An atomizing dispenser according to claim 9, wherein said bactericide is insoluble in the product to be sprayed and does not react with this product.

11. An atomizing dispenser according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein said at least one porous plug comprises hydrophobic fibres.

12. An atomizing dispenser according to claim 11, where said fibres are polyvinyl chloride, polyamide, polyester, polypropylene, and/or polyacrylic fibres.

13. An atomizing dispenser substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.