IE64266B1

IE64266B1 - Creamy or pasty product dispenser with a central rotationally controlled aperture in the cap

Info

Publication number: IE64266B1
Application number: IE4690A
Authority: IE
Inventors: Bernard Schneider
Original assignee: Cebal
Priority date: 1989-01-06
Filing date: 1990-01-05
Publication date: 1995-07-26
Also published as: CA2007175A1; DE69007131D1; PT92787A; IS1579B; EP0378488A1; EP0378488B1; FI94118B; IS3534A7; ATE102569T1; JPH02233371A; FI94118C; DK0378488T3; ES2049954T3; NO900045D0; FI900076A; CA2007175C; NO900045L; PT92787B; DE69007131T2; FI900076A0

Abstract

The dispenser for viscous products comprises a head (1) fixed to a body (100) or skirt (100) and a cap (2), this head (1) and this cap (2) comprising additional means (9, 19) of raising this cap (2) by the rotation of the said cap (2), this cap (2) having a central opening (14) and the head (1) comprising a stopper (3) carried by oblique lugs (4) fixed to the inside (5) of the head (1) and blocking this opening (14) in the low position of the cap (2), the head (1) and the cap (2) carrying additional sealing means (6, 15), characterised in that: a) the said sealing means consist of an internal skirt (15) of the cap (2) which inserts itself with a tightening action into the upper end of the head (1); b) and c) the oblique lugs (4) are fixed directly to the inside of the head (1), sufficiently low to liberate the engagement of the said internal skirt (15) in the head (1) during the operating of the cap (2). This dispenser is used in the pharmaceutical, cosmetic, hygiene and food fields. <IMAGE>

Description

CREAMY OR PASTY PRODUCT DISPENSER WITH A CENTRAL ROTATIONALLY CONTROLLED APERTURE IN THE CAP The invention relates to a creamy or pasty product dispenser comprising a head fixed on a body or skirt and a cap, the said head and the said cap comprising complementary means of raising and lowering the cap by rotation of the said cap, said cap comprising a central aperture, the head comprising a top end in which there is an orifice through which product can pass, and also a stopper carried by sloping lugs, the bottom ends of which are fixed to the inside of the said passage, the said stopper occluding the said central aperture in the cap when this latter is in the low position, the cap comprising an inner skirt which is inserted with a sealing-tight clamping effect into the interior of the said top end of the head. - 2 64266 Patent Application FR-A2574377 (-US-A-4690304) describes a dispenser of this type. The top end of its head consists of a ring or neck of a receiving container carrying a valve capsule which has at its centre an orifice through which the contained product (to be precise a liquid) can pass, and a pointed member positioned by slanting radial arms in the centre of said orifice. The descent of the cap, whose central aperture is thereby blocked by the pointed member, and its raising are controlled by the interaction of notches or stops of the valve-capsule and sloping surfaces inside the cap. The distribution of product by the exit passage and along the pointed member is susceptible of suppling an excess of product at the closure of the central aperture of the cap. Furthermore sealing-tightness between the head and the cap or the lateral sealing-tightness of the passage through which product passes is provided by two concentric skirts in the valve capsule, one bearing against a sealing-tight skirt on the cap and the other bearing against the inside of the ring or neck on the container. The two-fold seal employed gives rise to friction and mediocre fluid-tightness, since the two sealing means can work in opposition to each other. Furthermore, the recessed sloping surfaces on the cap mean that its side wall is reduced in thickness, which may give rise to problems of decorative appearance. Furthermore, the sliding of the notches or pins in the sloping surfaces represents a certain clearance which, as the notches become worn, is accentuated which results in unsatisfactory guidance of the cap.

The applicants have sought to perfect a creamy or pasty product dispenser as described above, with a distribution which does not supply an excess of product on closure with a sealing-tightness between the head and the improved cap and preferably overcoming the other indicated drawbacks.

The object of the invention is to provide a creamy or pasty product dispenser of the above type characterised in that according to the invention : (a) the top end of the head consists of a neck, the said inner skirt which is less rigid than the neck fitting directly against the inner surface of the said neck; (b) the said bottom ends of the sloping lugs are fixed directly to the said inner surface of the neck below the bottom level of the said inner skirt in the said low position of the cap, and the top ends of these lugs fixed to the under side of the stopper and supporting the said stopper and situated above the neck, the said sloping lugs thus defining with the neck and the stopper wide passages through which the said creamy or pasty product escapes or falls back when the dispenser is in use.

Once the cap is fitted on the head of the dispenser, the seal is established permanently and securely by the fact that the inner skirt of the cap fits with a clamping action against the inside cylindrical surface of the head, usually a clamping effect of 0.05 to 0.25 mm at the diameter and preferably 0.10 to 0.20 mm at the diameter. The opposite arrangement, that is to say the clamping fitment of such a skirt which is on the inside of the cap around the top end of the neck or head would not be suitable for satisfactory sealing-tightness since the neck is more rigid than such an interior skirt. Furthermore, such a reverse arrangement would prevent the preferred use of the intermediate skirt described hereinafter as a means of arresting the axial rise of the cap. The sloping lugs which carry the stopper are then fixed directly on the interior of the said neck, sufficiently below its top end to allow all its interior cylindrical surface clear to engage the internal sealing-tight skirt of the cap. With these long and thin sloping lugs, usually three to five in number and with a transverse thickness which is typically comprised between 1 and 3 mm, a very aerated arrangement is obtained which favours passage of the product towards the outlet orifice and thus its return when the cap is closed, avoiding the product spilling out due to compression at the time of the closure. This very aerated arrangement arises particularly from the high ratio between the maximum diameter of passage of the product between the sloping lugs, that is to say at the level of their bottom ends, and the outlet diameter provided for product passing through the said central aperture in the cap, a ratio which is normally from 1.7 to 3.5 and preferably from 2 to 3, and it makes it possible easily and without sudden spilling of product, to dispense creams and pastes having a viscosity ranging from 100 to 100,000 cP (100 to 100,000 mPa.s). The - 4 position at which the sloping lugs are fixed to the interior of the neck plays an essential role here in achieving the surprising dispensing results which are enjoyed.

For satisfactory guidance of the cap and facility of engagement of its complementary raising means, it is preferable for the said raising means to consist of a male screwthread with a plurality of (n) threads which are circumferentially offset by 2n7n carried on the exterior of the head and one matching female screwthread of (n) threads carried on the inside of a skirt in the cap midway between the said inner skirt which ensures fluid tightness and the external skirt on the cap. Therefore, these is no visible trace of this female screwthread on the outside of the cap.

It has been found that in the present case a number (n) of threads equal to 3 was particularly advantageous, the stability of the cap during its raising or decending movement always being ensured without any question, because there is at all times an equilibrium between three small zones of contact between the male thread and the corresponding female thread, which are correctly spaced apart. If one departs from the 3 thread guide system, the choice should then by order of preference fall to 5 threads or 4 threads. The entry space of the threads corresponds to their circumferential spacing of 2ίΓ/η, in other words 120° for the 3 threads and to a pitch which gives a cap opening/closing distance which is normally less than one turn and which is preferably between 1/3 and 1/4 turn, a so-called quick action pitch being typically between 8 and 12 mm/turn. This entry space makes it possible easily to engage the threads in the corresponding threads of the cap.

The intermediate skirt in the cap which ensures the engagement and axial displacement of the cap by the co-operation of its generally recessed female screwthread with the male screwthread on the head is advantageously provided with an inner relief rib situated above the recessed threads, the end of the head being itself provided with an outer shoulder or rebate against which the said rib can abut, so arresting the cap in its high or open position during normal operation of the dispenser.

The same outer rib and rebate may serve as a security means with regard to introduction of the cap or to prevent its involuntary removal, the rib having a rounded lateral surface and the rebate on the head having a sloping lateral surface opposite this rounded surface, these two surfaces achieving an engagement in which the cap is forcibly pushed onto the head, followed, thanks to the screwing action, by the click arrangement which locks the high position of the cap arresting rib under the outer rebate on the head.

The forcible action referred to corresponds to a clamping effect which is typically chosen between 0.05 and 0.25 mm at the radius, preferably between 0.08 and 0.15 mm at the radius. It has been found that if this forcing level is exceeded, engagement of the cap is difficult for a young child and that its disengagement, which requires a releasing of the click effect of the cap arresting rib, is then virtually impossible.

When the central aperture of the cap has a frustoconical lateral surface, the frustoconical lateral surface of the stopper has a total cone angle which is equal or may be slightly greater (by not more than 10°) in order to achieve a good flush fit and a locking of the stopperin the aperture ensuring the finish of the downwards movement of the cap and the sealing-tight closure of its aperture or orifice.

Usually, the cap comprises an outer skirt intended solely as a decoration. For questions of appearance and general life of the receptacle, it preferably fits around a substantially cylindrical portion of the bottom of the head, for example with a clearance of 0.1 and 0.3 mm at the diameter. This engagement can be used to provide an indication that the dispenser had been opened, possibly in the form of a decoration, for example a colouring of the said cylindrical portion which is revealed when the cap is unscrewed and rises, and which is masked by the downwards movement of the cap. Then, this external skirt improves maintenance of the cap in the axis which already emerges from the socket-type clamping of the inner skirt of the cap on the inside of the head and the means of axial displacement of the cap. - 6 The head, usually of plastics material, may be fixed on the body or on the skirt by an over-moulding, welding or gluing process, the body or the skirt being themselves of plastics or metalloplastics material (plastics material on the outside) in the first two cases. It is also possible to produce the head fixed on the body or on the skirt in one single moulding operation.

Compared with the dispenser of the cited patent, the dispenser according to the invention has the following main advantages: simplicity of the device, excellent sealing-tightness, very satisfactory guiding of the cap particularly in the case of 3 to 5 offset threads, with no deterioration of the guiding during the course of use.

The dispenser according to the invention is used in the pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, hygiene and foodstuffs fields.

The invention will be more clearly understood from the following example which is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which : Fig. 1 Shows in half axial section, on the right the position of the cap when it is first fitted, on the left the position of closure, and Fig. 2 shows in half axial section, on the left the same closed position of the cap and in half section through the cap and with an external view of the head of the dispenser on the right, the cap in the open position.

The device according to the invention comprises a dispenser head (1) and a cap (2). The head (1) is of high density polyethylene 1mm thick overmoulded onto a medium density PE skirt which is 0.5 mm thick. The cap is of moulded PP (polypropylene) with a thickness of 1.25 mm at the location of its outer skirt. The head (1) comprises a frustoconical stopper or plug (3) carried by three obliquely disposed supports (4) connected to the interior of the neck (5) and with a transverse width, that is to say in a direction at right angles to the axial plane passing through the lug (4) in question, which is equal to 1.5 mm. - 7 This neck (5) has an inner cylindrical end surface (6). It carries at its top end an outer rebate (7) comprising at the top a chamfer (8).

The outer surface of the neck (5) carries three threads (9) of retangular cross-section disposed at 120° from one another. The bottom part of the head (1) consists of a cylindrical portion (10) connected to the upper part by a flared frustoconical portion (11).

The plug (3), the supports (4) and the neck (5) define wide passages (12) through which the pasty or creamy product contained in the receptacle can escape when the receptacle is being used.

The aerated disposition of the supports (4) allows the product to fall back freely when the orifice (14) is closed by the plug (3), so avoiding undesired emergence of product due to over-pressure caused by internal constriction, emergence which is found with the prior art devices.

The cap (2) comprises at the top a web (13) in which there is a frustoconical aperture (14) similar to the plug (3). The cap comprises three skirts, an inner skirt (15), an intermediate skirt (16) and an outer skirt (17), The inner skirt had an outer cylindrical surface (18) which bears with force against the inside of the end surface (6) of the neck (5), ensuring excellent sealing-tightness. The intermediate skirt (16) comprises on its inside surface a female screwthread (19) corresponding to the threads (9) and which is surmounted by a circular seal (20) of substantially semi-circular cross-section. The outer skirt (17) comprises an inner bottom (21) which fits with clearance around the outer surface of the casing (10).

The outlet diameter of the orifice (14) is in this case 5 mm and the diameter for passage of product at the level of the bottom of the supports (4) is 14 mm, the corresponding ratio of passage diameter:product outlet diameter therefore being 2.8.

In the position of engagement (on the right in Fig. 1), the stopper is engaged by translation and then rotation (as it is screwed) into the - 8 upper part of the threads (9). Continuing the movement of rotation allows the seal (20) to negotiate the shoulder (7) with force, thanks to the chamfer (8). Screwing may be continued until the aperture (14) (on the left in Fig. 1) is completely closed by the plug (3).

At the time of unscrewing, the aperture (14) in the stopper is clear and the stopper is retained in the high position by the seal (20) which bears on the shoulder (7) (on the right in Fig. 2). By forcing the rotation in the "unscrewing direction at this location, it is possible to free the stopper (2) from the body of the dispenser (1) but this goes beyond normal use of the dispenser.

This operation is not carried out during normal use of the dispenser, the cap only being moved between the closed position (on the left in Fig. 2) and the open position (on the right in Fig. 2).

Numerous tests with successive dispensing and closing actions were carried out with dispensers according to the above embodiment, containing a moisturising cream with a viscosity of 6000cP. There was no spilling of cream on the outside of the outlet orifice (14), in contrast to what was observed with the prior art dispensers.

Claims

1. A creamy or pasty product dispenser comprising a head (1) fixed on a body (100) or skirt (100) and a cap(2), the said head (1) and the said cap (2) comprising complementary means (9, 19) of raising and lowering the cap (2) by rotation of the said cap (2), said cap (2) comprising a central aperture (14), the head (1) comprising a top end (5) in which there is an orifice through which product can pass, and also a stopper (3) carried by sloping lugs (4), the bottom end of which are fixed to the inside of the said passage, the said stopper (3) occluding the said central aperture (14) in the cap (2) when this latter is in the low position, the cap (2) comprising an inner skirt (15) which is inserted with a sealing-tight clamping effect into the interior of the said top end (5) of the head (1) characterised in that : a) the top end (5) of the head (1) consists of a neck (5), the said inner skirt (15) which is less rigid than the neck (5) fitting directly against the inner surface of the said neck (5); b) the said bottom ends of the sloping lugs (4) are fixed directly to the said inner surface of the neck (5) below the bottom level of the said inner skirt (15) in the said low position of the cap (2), and the top ends of these lugs (4) fixed to the under side of the stopper (3) and supporting the said stopper (3) and situated above the neck (5), the said sloping lugs (4) thus defining with the neck (5) and the stopper (3) wide passages through which the said creamy or pasty product escapes or falls back when the dispenser is in use.

2. A dispenser according to claim 1, in which the ratio of the inside diameter of the neck at the level of the bottom ends of the sloping lugs (4) and the outlet diameter of the said central aperture (14) of the cap (2) is comprised between 2 and

3.5. - 10 3. A dispenser according to either of claims 1 or 2, in which the head (1) of plastics material is moulded in one single piece on the said body or the said skirt (100), said body or said skirt being of plastics or metalloplastics material.

4. A dispenser according to either of claims 1 or 2, in which the said complementary means of raising and lowering the cap consist of a screwthread having three threads (9) offset circumferentially by 120° carried on the outside of the head (1) and a female screwthread (19) matching the said three threads (9) through the inside of the intermediate skirt (16) of the cap (2), the stability of the cap during its raising and lowering movements thus being ensured at all times.

5. A dispenser according to any one of claims 1 to 4 in which the head (1) comprises at its end an outer rebate (7), the intermediate skirt (16) carrying on the inside an arresting rib (20) which abuts under the said rebate (7) when the cap (2) is in the high position.

6. A dispenser according to claim 5 in which the said outer rebate (7) on the head (1) comprises a sloping lateral surface and in which the said arresting rib (20) on the cap (2) comprises a rounded lateral surface, the said two lateral surfaces ensuring forcible engagement of the cap (2) on the head (1) followed by a click engagement of the said rib (20) under the said outer rebate (7) on the head (1) at the commencement of screwing of the cap (2).

7. A dispenser according to claim 6, in which the said outer rebate (7) on the head (1) and the said arresting rib (20) on the intermediate skirt (16) of the cap (2) create between them a clamping effect of 0.05 to 0.25 mm at the radius preferably 0.08 to 0.15 mm at the radius. - 11

8. A dispenser according to claim 1, in which the cap (2) has an 5 outer skirt (17) the bottom of which engages around a substantially cylindrical portion (10) of the head (1) in the position of closure, the said portion (10), which carries a decoration to show that the cap has been opened, being exposed by unscrewing of the cap (2).

9. A dispenser according to any one of claims 1 to 8 substantially as described herein with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawings.