US20050133541A1

US20050133541A1 - Fluid dispenser member and a dispenser including such a member

Info

Publication number: US20050133541A1
Application number: US10/902,774
Authority: US
Inventors: Firmin Garcia; Jean-Paul LeCoutre
Original assignee: Valois SAS
Current assignee: Aptar France SAS
Priority date: 2003-12-22
Filing date: 2004-08-02
Publication date: 2005-06-23
Also published as: JP2007515353A; EP1701799B1; EP1701800A1; DE602004028962D1; EP1701799A1; WO2005070560A1; US20050133535A1; BRPI0417924A; BRPI0417961A; US7287672B2; JP2007515281A; WO2005070559A1

Abstract

A fluid dispenser member designed to be mounted on a reservoir neck, said member comprising fixing means for fixing the member onto the reservoir neck, said fixing means including a peripheral skirt designed to extend around the reservoir neck, said skirt including at least one fastening profile designed to be engaged on the neck, wherein the skirt further includes a guide section designed to be engaged around the neck, while said at least one fastening profile is not yet engaged on the neck.

Description

The present invention relates to a fluid dispenser member, such as a pump or a valve, designed to be mounted on or associated with a reservoir neck. The present invention also relates to a dispenser including such a dispenser member.
The invention applies particularly, but not exclusively, to the fields of cosmetics, perfumery, and pharmacy.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

In the prior art, the dispenser member can be fixed onto a reservoir neck in various ways. For example, fixing can be achieved by screwing, by clamping, or even by snap-fastening. Fixing is usually achieved by means of a fixing skirt that is suitable for securing the dispenser member to the reservoir. However, fixing can also be achieved by fixing means that are formed directly by the dispenser member. The fastening means generally include one or more fastening profiles which make it possible to snap-fasten or to screw the skirt onto or into the neck of the reservoir.
A problem associated with such a fixing method resides in assembling the dispenser member to the neck of the reservoir. While performing such assembly, the dispenser member must be properly prepositioned on the axis of the neck of the reservoir so as to ensure that said dispenser member is correctly positioned once it has been fitted or screwed to said neck. Tilted prepositioning of the dispenser member can cause leakage problems, and can sometimes even cause the dispenser member and/or the reservoir to break. Unfortunately, as a result of the presence of the fastening profile, it is often difficult to ensure that a dispenser member is prepositioned straight on the neck so as to enable it to be driven or screwed axially in adequate manner, and so as to enable it to be put properly into its final position.
In general, the dispenser member includes a body defining a fluid chamber therein. The body extends into the fixing skirt by projecting downwards a considerable distance. At its bottom end, the body forms a fluid inlet for admitting fluid into the chamber. The inlet may be provided with a dip-tube. At the skirt, the body presents a relatively large diameter. Unfortunately, at this point, the body is inserted into the neck of the reservoir after the skirt has been fixed on the neck.
Given that the body extends below the skirt, the body serves to guide the skirt while it is being mounted on the neck. Thus, inserting the body into the neck enables the skirt to be prepositioned on the neck. As a result of it presenting a relatively large diameter compared with the inside diameter of the neck, it is the body alone that keeps itself on the axis of the skirt relative to the neck.
The body therefore fulfils a centering or guiding role for prepositioning the skirt on the neck, prior to being finally mounted thereon.

OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The object of the present invention is to dispense with the function of guiding or of prepositioning the body in the neck, while nevertheless guaranteeing that the skirt is prepositioned in centered axial manner on the neck. This is particularly useful when the body of the dispenser member does not extend into the skirt or the neck.
To achieve this object, the present invention proposes a fluid dispenser member which does not reproduce the above-mentioned drawbacks.
More particularly, an object of the present invention is to provide a dispenser member that is easy to preposition and to position on a reservoir.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a dispenser member and a dispenser that are simple and inexpensive to manufacture and to assemble.
To achieve these objects, the present invention provides a fluid dispenser member designed to be mounted on a reservoir neck, said member comprising fixing means for fixing the member onto the reservoir neck, said fixing means including a peripheral skirt designed to extend around the reservoir neck, said skirt including at least one fastening profile designed to be engaged on the neck, wherein the skirt further includes a guide section designed to be engaged around the neck, while said at least one fastening profile is not yet engaged on the neck. The guide section, which may be in the form of a downward extension of the skirt below the fixing means of the dispenser member, thus provides straight and stable axial prepositioning of the dispenser member on the neck of the reservoir. The guide section thus ensures that the axis of the dispenser member coincides with the axis of the reservoir substantially or exactly. Therefore, the dispenser member is brought into position more easily on the neck, avoiding any risk of breaking the reservoir or the skirt, due to poor prepositioning of the dispenser member. The guide section enables the body of the dispenser member to be omitted.
The skirt advantageously extends downwards from a thrust wall designed to thrust against the neck, the skirt thus defining a free end, said guide section extending from said free end to the fastening profile.
The fixing means advantageously include a sealing bushing designed to come into sealed contact with an inside wall of the neck. The bushing thus guarantees perfect sealing of the reservoir, and therefore prevents any possibility of fluid leaking from the neck of the reservoir. The bushing therefore makes it possible to eliminate the need for a neck gasket interposed between the neck and the fixing means.
The bushing advantageously extends downwards from a thrust wall designed to come to bear on the neck, the bushing thus defining a free end which extends substantially to the same level as the free end of the skirt.
The dispenser member advantageously includes a fluid-chamber body provided with a fluid inlet through which fluid stored in the reservoir can be extracted, said inlet being disposed axially at a level situated along the height of the skirt.
The dispenser member advantageously includes a fluid-chamber body provided with a fluid inlet through which the fluid is brought into the chamber body, said inlet being disposed axially at a level situated above the thrust wall. This positioning of the chamber-body inlet thus ensures that the chamber-body inlet, and indeed the chamber body itself, are not disposed in the opening of the neck of the reservoir, but above it. Thus, since the reservoir is often made of transparent material, such as glass or plastics material, this characteristic has the advantage that the chamber-body inlet and the chamber body cannot be seen from the outside, through the reservoir. These elements are advantageously housed in a volume defined by the dispenser head, and are therefore not visible from the outside since the dispenser head is often made of material that is opaque or that is coated in an opaque color.
Advantageously, the chamber body is made integrally as a single piece with the fixing means.
The inlet is advantageously provided with a dip-tube designed to extend into the reservoir.
The present invention also proposes a fluid dispenser comprising a fluid reservoir having a neck, and a dispenser member.
The dispenser advantageously includes a dip-tube which extends into the reservoir, and a sealing bushing in sealed contact in the neck, only the dip-tube and the bushing extending into the neck.
The fixing means advantageously include a sealing bushing designed to come into sealed contact with an inside wall of the neck, said bushing having a free end which penetrates into the neck when the guide section of the skirt is engaged around the neck, with said at least one fastening profile in abutment on the neck.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention is described more fully below with reference to the accompanying drawings which show an embodiment of the invention by way of non-limiting example.
In the figures:
FIG. 1 is a vertical section view through a dispenser including a dispenser member of the invention prepositioned on a fluid reservoir;
FIG. 2 is a larger-scale view of a portion of the reservoir and of the dispenser member of FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is a view similar to the FIG. 1 view of the dispenser, with a dispenser member of the invention finally mounted on the fluid reservoir; and
FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 2 of a portion of the reservoir and of the dispenser member of FIG. 3.

MORE DETAILED DESCRIPTION

With reference to the figures, a dispenser of the invention comprises a dispenser member and a reservoir 1.
The reservoir 1 is designed to contain fluid to be dispensed. It can be made of glass, of metal, or of plastics material. Its capacity can be of about two to three milliliters in the case of samples, or can be much greater in the case of conventional reservoirs. The reservoir can be of any appropriate shape.
The reservoir 1, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, includes a bottom end closed by an end wall 11, and a top end defining a neck 13. A shoulder 12 advantageously forms the connection between the body 10 and the neck 13.
The neck 13 defines an opening suitable for enabling the inside of the reservoir to be put into communication with the outside environment. The neck comprises a top edge 130, an inside wall 133, and an outside wall 131. The outside wall 131 is thicker than the rest of the reservoir. A recessed portion forming a housing 132 is advantageously formed between the thicker portion and the shoulder 12.
The dispenser member can be a pump or a valve. The member comprises a member body 2, a piston 3, a spring 5, and a dispenser head 6.
The member body 2 advantageously comprises fixing means, a chamber body, and a dip-tube 24.
The fixing means comprise a peripheral skirt 20, and a sealing bushing 21.
The peripheral skirt 20 can comprise firstly a bottom portion, and secondly a top portion.
The bottom portion comprises an outside surface 200, an inside surface 201, and a free end 202. The inside surface 201 includes a fastening profile 2010. By way of example, the fastening profile can correspond to an internal projection as shown in the figures, or it can correspond to a plurality of internal projections. In the invention, a guide section 2011 is provided between the fastening profile 2010 and the free end 202.
The top portion comprises an outside face 203, advantageously provided with an abutment rim 2030, an inside face 204, and a top end 205.
As shown in the various figures, both the bottom and the top portions can be made a single piece and can be connected together by a transverse setback 206. The setback 206 comprises an abutment wall 2060 and a thrust wall 2061.
The sealing bushing 21 is concentric with the peripheral skirt 20. The bushing comprises an outside flank 210, an inside flank 211, and a free end 212. The free end 212 advantageously extends downwards to the same level as the free end 202 of the skirt 20, or to a lower level.
The chamber body 2 includes a piston-receiving cylinder 22 and a sleeve 23, both of which are connected to a radial partition 232. As shown, the chamber body is advantageously made integrally as a single piece with the fixing means.
The sleeve 23 advantageously includes a fluid inlet 230. The inlet 230 is advantageously provided with a dip-tube 24. The dip-tube 24 thus extends the sleeve 23, and extends substantially below the respective free ends 202 and 212 of the skirt 20 and the bushing 21. The dip-tube 24 can be made integrally as a single piece with the sleeve 23, or it can fixed inside the sleeve 23. In a particularly advantageous embodiment, the fluid inlet 230 is disposed axially at a level situated along the height of the skirt 20, between its free end 202 and its top end 205. The inlet 230 can even be situated axially at a level situated above the top end 205. In general manner, the inlet 230 is advantageously disposed axially at a level situated above the thrust wall 2061.
A piston 3 is also provided. The structure of the piston does not form part of the invention and it is therefore not explained in detailed manner. In the example shown, the piston 3 forms a main piston 32, and a differential piston 31. The piston 3 and the chamber body together define a space forming a pump chamber 4.
Advantageously, the piston 3 is slidably mounted in the chamber body and enables the main piston 32 to slide in sealed manner in a cylinder 22. By sliding the piston, the volume of said chamber 4 can thus be reduced or increased selectively.
The piston also defines a valve rod 30 which serves as a movable inlet-valve member by co-operating with a valve seat of the sleeve 26, thus enabling fluid to be admitted selectively.
The differential piston 31 forms a movable outlet-valve member co-operating with a differential cylinder 612 formed by the dispenser head 6.
The piston 3 is urged into the rest position by return means 5, such as a spring.
The spring 5 is advantageously placed between the piston 3 and the member body 2. At the member body 2, the spring can be housed between the inside face 204 of the top portion of the skirt 20 and the cylinder 22 of the chamber body. At the piston 3, the spring can be disposed under the piston arm 31.
In the embodiment shown, the dispenser head 6 covers the member body 2 and the piston 3. The dispenser head includes an actuator surface 60 on which the user can press, and a lateral ring 61.
The lateral ring 61 advantageously includes a lateral fluid-outlet orifice 610, and a bottom end 611 forming a retaining element 6110. The lateral outlet orifice can be a simple through hole or a fluid-outlet duct, or can even belong to a channel and swirl-chamber system. The retaining element 6110 can co-operate with the abutment rim 2030 in order to define the rest position of the dispenser head. The inside wall of the ring forms a differential cylinder 612 in which the differential piston 31 slides. While the surface 60 of the dispenser head is being driven in, the bottom end 611 advantageously comes into abutment against the abutment wall 2060 at the end of its stroke. This abutment thus defines a position in which said head is compressed to a maximum. In an advantageous embodiment, the lateral ring 61 presents an outside diameter that is similar to the outside diameter of the bottom portion of the skirt 20. Thus, when the dispenser head 6 is mounted on the member body 2, the ring 61 can come into continuation with the outside surface 200 of the bottom portion of the skirt 20 when said dispenser head is fully depressed. This improves appearance.
The dispenser member described above is a pump: a valve could also be envisaged within the ambit of the invention.
The dispenser member is then mounted on the reservoir 1 by means of the fixing means co-operating with the neck 13 of the reservoir. The mounting can be broken down into two steps: a step of prepositioning the dispenser member, shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, and a step of finally positioning the dispenser member, shown in FIGS. 3 and 4.
During prepositioning of the dispenser member, the guide section 2011 of the skirt 20 firstly becomes engaged around the neck 13. Co-operation between the guide section 2011 and the outside surface 131 of the neck thus occurs before the fastening profile 2010 engages the neck 13. During this step, the fastening profile 2010 is positioned above the top edge 130. This prepositioning thus provides co-operation between two advantageously cylindrical surfaces, thereby guaranteeing stable and straight prepositioning of the dispenser member relative to the reservoir 1. Furthermore, during this step, the outside flank 210 of the sealing bushing 21 comes almost into sealed contact against the inside wall 133 of the neck 13. This sealed contact therefore guarantees sealing at the neck of the reservoir during the prepositioning step.
Thereafter, the dispenser member is moved from prepositioning to final positioning by exerting axial thrust. The axial thrust exerted on the dispenser head 6 causes the inside surface 201 of the skirt to slide along the outside wall 131 of the neck 13. The fastening profile 2010 thus comes into abutment against the outside wall 131 so as to become snap-fastened finally in the housing 132 of the neck. The housing advantageously prevents any possibility of the dispenser member being removed by axial traction. The fastening profile 2010 is advantageously held captive in the housing 132. The member 2 can thus be secured permanently to the neck 13.
In an advantageous embodiment, the thrust wall 2061 of the skirt 20 comes to rest on the top edge 130 of the neck during final positioning. In addition, the free end 202 can come into abutment against the shoulder 12 of the reservoir, such that the skirt 20 is situated in direct line with the body 10 of the reservoir. The sealing bushing 21 itself penetrates progressively deeper into the neck 13, while remaining in leaktight contact with the neck 13 throughout the displacement.
The dispenser member is thus finally positioned when the thrust wall 2061 comes into abutment with the top edge 130, and/or when the free end 202 comes into abutment against the shoulder 12 of the reservoir.
In a particularly advantageous embodiment, once the dispenser member is finally mounted, the inlet 230 of the chamber body, indeed the chamber body itself, can be situated axially at a level situated along the height of the skirt, and preferably at a level situated above the thrust wall 2061 of the skirt. It should be noted that the inlet 230 can even be located at an axial height situated beyond the top end 205 of the skirt 20. Thus, the embodiments can be such that only the dip-tube 24 and the sealing bushing 21 extend into the neck 13. The inlet 230, and indeed the chamber body, are therefore advantageously masked by the dispenser head 6, and in particular by the lateral ring 61.
While a dispenser member is being assembled on the neck of a reservoir, the present invention therefore makes it possible to obtain straight and stable prepositioning of said dispenser member. Final positioning of the dispenser member is thus made easier, and takes place without any risk of said dispenser member being broken, and without and risk of leakage problems appearing.
Although the invention is described above with reference to a particular embodiment thereof, naturally, it is not limited to that embodiment. On the contrary, any useful modifications could be applied thereto by the person skilled in the art, without going beyond the ambit of the present invention as defined by the accompanying claims.

Claims

1. A fluid dispenser member designed to be mounted on a reservoir neck, said member comprising fixing means for fixing the member onto the reservoir neck, said fixing means including a peripheral skirt designed to extend around the reservoir neck, said skirt including at least one fastening profile designed to be engaged on the neck, wherein the skirt further includes a guide section designed to be engaged around the neck, while said at least one fastening profile is not yet engaged on the neck.

2. A dispenser member according to claim 1, in which the skirt extends downwards from a thrust wall designed to thrust against the neck, the skirt thus defining a free end, said guide section extending from said free end to the fastening profile.

3. A dispenser member according to claim 1, in which the fixing means include a sealing bushing designed to come into sealed contact with an inside wall of the neck.

4. A dispenser member according to claim 2, in which the fixing means include a sealing bushing designed to come into sealed contact with an inside wall of the neck, and in which the bushing extends downwards from a thrust wall designed to come to bear on the neck, the bushing thus defining a free end which extends substantially to the same level as the free end of the skirt.

5. A dispenser member according to claim 1, including a fluid-chamber body provided with a fluid inlet through which fluid stored in the reservoir can be extracted, said inlet being disposed axially at a level situated along the height of the skirt.

6. A dispenser member according to claim 1, including a fluid-chamber body provided with a fluid inlet through which the fluid is brought into the chamber body, said inlet being disposed axially at a level situated above the thrust wall.

7. A dispenser member according to claim 5, in which the chamber body is made integrally as a single piece with the fixing means.

8. A dispenser member according to claim 5, in which the inlet is provided with a dip-tube designed to extend into the reservoir.

9. A fluid dispenser comprising a fluid reservoir having a neck, and a dispenser member according to claim 1.

10. A dispenser according to claim 9, including a dip-tube which extends into the reservoir, and a sealing bushing in sealed contact in the neck, only the dip-tube and the bushing extending into the neck.

11. A dispenser according to claim 9, in which the fixing means include a sealing bushing designed to come into sealed contact with an inside wall of the neck, said bushing having a free end which penetrates into the neck when the guide section of the skirt is engaged around the neck, with said at least one fastening profile in abutment on the neck.