WO1992004195A1

WO1992004195A1 - Filler container for filling a writing, painting or drawing device

Info

Publication number: WO1992004195A1
Application number: PCT/DE1991/000663
Authority: WO
Inventors: Gerhard Möck; Peter Krückel
Original assignee: Schwan-Stabilo Schwanhäusser Gmbh & Co.
Priority date: 1990-09-01
Filing date: 1991-08-20
Publication date: 1992-03-19
Also published as: ES2054504T3; DE59101689D1; EP0545963B1; JPH05509046A; ATE105786T1; DK0545963T3; JPH0751394B2; EP0545963A1

Abstract

The description relates to a filler container for filling a writing, painting or drawing device, a cosmetic application device or the like, where the device (44) has a capillary-action applicator (48) for a relatively low-viscosity fluid projecting from a housing, a reservoir for the fluid in fluid connection with the applicator (48) and an air-bleed channel (78) near the applicator (48). The filler container (10) has a neck section (58). The device (44) to be filled can be inserted with its applicator (48) and a housing section (46) continuing from the applicator (48) in the neck section (58) of the filler container in such a way that the neck section is sealed by said housing section (46) and a fluid connection is established by the air bleed channel (78) between the filler container (10) and the reservoir in the device (44).

Description

Refill container for refilling a writing, painting or drawing device

The invention relates to a refill for refilling a writing, painting, drawing device, a cosmetic application device or the like, the device being a capillary-promoting application member protruding from a housing for a relatively low-viscosity liquid, a reservoir for the fluidly connected to the application member Liquid and in the vicinity of the application member has a ventilation channel.

In such devices, the capillary-promoting application member or the like from a fibrous wick material. exist, which is suitable for pumping the liquid stored in the reservoir of the device capillary. The one envisaged in the neighborhood of the order body

It is known that the ventilation channel serves to avoid a negative pressure which prevents or prevents the liquid from escaping from the application member. So far, the devices of the type mentioned at the outset were so-called disposable devices which were thrown away after the liquid stored in the device's reservoir had been consumed. However, this results in a not negligible environmental impact.

The invention is therefore based on the object of providing a refill container of the type mentioned which is suitable for simple, time-saving refilling of a device of the type mentioned at the outset, so that such a device does not need to be thrown away when the liquid stored in its reservoir has been used up.

This object is achieved in that the refill container is formed with a neck section, the device to be refilled with the applicator and with a housing section adjoining the applicator member being insertable into the neck section such that the neck section through said

Sealed housing section and a fluidic connection is made through the ventilation channel between the refill container and the reservoir in the device. The refill container can be designed like a tube, so that it is easy to manufacture and easy to fill with a corresponding low-viscosity liquid. This results in an inexpensive refill container for refilling a device of the type mentioned at the outset. is only handled comparatively little, the refill can be made of a thin-walled material compared to the device. This reduces the material consumption, resulting in protection of the Resources result. This also results in a reduction in waste disposal problems.

In the refill container according to the invention, the neck section and the closure element can be designed with matched thread cutouts. It has proven to be expedient here if the neck section has an external thread section and the closure element has an internal thread section adapted to it.

Of course, the refill container can also be designed differently, i.e. the neck portion and the closure element of the refill container can e.g. be designed with matched bayonet locking elements.

Another simple design of the refill container is achieved if the closure element is designed as a stopper which can be fixed in a sealing manner at the neck portion. In this case, the neck section can be designed in a simple manner in comparison to an embodiment with a threaded section or a bayonet-locking element.

It is also possible to use a neck section

Closing sealing film, which can be welded to the neck section.

In order to be able to fill different devices with the liquid stored in the refill container with the refill container according to the invention, it is advantageous if the neck section o * ^a s

Refill container is tapered on the inside from its open end towards the refill container. In this case, the inside of the neck section can be simply conical, but it is also possible for the inside of the neck section to have partial spaces axially in succession which are gradually expanded from the refill container to the open end of the neck section. Each subspace can be formed with a circumferential sealing lip in order to ensure a secure seal between the neck section of the refill container and the housing section of the device to be refilled accordingly, from which the application member of the application device protrudes. The filling of a device inserted into the neck section of the refill container takes place either by the wall of the device being designed to be correspondingly flexible, so that the wall of the device can be repeatedly compressed in order to achieve a corresponding pumping action, or the refill container is repeatedly pressed together in order to achieve a corresponding pumping effect, as a result of which liquid from the refill container provided in the vicinity of the application device

Vent channel flows into the liquid reservoir of the device.

In the refill container according to the invention, the neck section can be integrally molded onto the refill container and the refill container can be sealed at its end remote from the neck section. Another embodiment of the refill container according to the invention is characterized in that the neck section is provided on a first section of the refill container which is tightly connected to a second section of the refill container. Regardless of this, overall there is a simple and inexpensive tube-like refill container with which it is possible to refill a corresponding device of the type mentioned at the outset with the liquid in the refill container after the liquid stored in its reservoir has been used up. It is therefore no longer necessary after the consumption of the liquid originally stored in the reservoir of the device to throw the device away, so that the environment is relieved.

According to the invention, it is possible that a cap-shaped sealing plug oriented into the refilling container is provided in the neck portion of the refilling container, which is slidably movable in the axial direction between a rest position sealing the refilling container and a refilling position fluidically connecting the interior of the refilling container with a receiving space of the sealing plug that is open on one side , wherein the one-sided open receiving space of the sealing plug is provided for accommodating the application member and at the same time for sealingly receiving a portion of the housing of the device to be filled which is adjacent to the application member and has the ventilation duct.

In this case, the refill container can consist of a transparent material in order to be able to easily recognize the liquid supply contained therein or the color of the liquid stored in it. The refill container can have a storage volume that is at most the same size as the volume of the reservoir of the device to be filled. However, the volume of the refill container is preferably considerably smaller than that

Volume of the reservoir of the device to be filled. This refill container also has the significant advantage that it is composed of only two parts that are easy to manufacture and easy to assemble. With this refill container it is easily possible in a clean manner to refill an emptied device with a corresponding relatively low-viscosity liquid within a short time. For this purpose, the device to be filled is inserted with its application element in advance into the receiving space of the sealing plug, which is open on one side, until the collar-shaped section of the housing of the device to be filled which is adjacent to the application element and has the ventilation channel lies sealingly against the inner surface of the receiving space. If the device to be filled is then forced even further into the refill container, the closure plug is pushed into the refill container with the device to be filled, whereby the closure plug is moved from the sealing rest position to the refill position, in which between the interior of the refill container and the through the device sealed portion of the receiving space of the sealing plug, the fluidic connection is made. The liquid in the refill container can then flow into the section of the receiving space of the sealing plug sealed by the device and from there through the ventilation channel of the device located in the vicinity of the application member into the liquid reservoir of the device. This refill flow can be supported or accelerated by repeatedly pressing against the wall of the housing. An even simpler filling of the device is achieved in that the device is repeatedly moved axially back and forth relative to the refill container, as a result of which a pumping effect is achieved between the refill container and the device to be filled.

The cap-shaped sealing plug preferably has a bottom and a sleeve section which are connected to one another are integrally connected and through which the one-sided open receiving space is defined. For the cap-shaped plug, for example, a relatively hard polypropylene or polyethylene material is used. The refill container can consist, for example, of a transparent polypropylene or polyethylene material.

In order to be able to repeatedly refill not only a specific design of a device but devices of different dimensions with the refill container according to the invention, it is advantageous if the receiving space is designed to be widened towards its opening. This can be a truncated cone-shaped extension of the receiving space, so that virtually all devices dimensioned within the dimensions of the receiving space can be refilled; however, the receiving space of the sealing plug can also be formed with axially successive subspaces which are designed to be expanded in a stepped manner starting from the bottom of the sealing plug. In the case of a configuration of the last-mentioned type, the / each sub-area of the receiving space, which has a graduated, expanded design, can be formed with a circumferential sealing lip in the vicinity of the corresponding gradation. The / each sealing lip results in a secure sealing of the corresponding device to be refilled, which is adapted to the refill container, or of its section of the housing which has the ventilation channel and from which the application member protrudes. This seal has the advantage that a clean refilling of the corresponding device is guaranteed. It serves the same purpose if the partial space defining the opening of the sealing plug is formed in the vicinity of the opening of the sealing plug or of the refill container with a circumferential sealing lip. As has already been mentioned above, the cap-shaped sealing plug is adjusted from the sealing rest position into the open refill position by inserting a device to be refilled with its application element in the receiving space of the sealing plug, which is open on one side, until the collar-shaped section of the element adjacent to the application element Housing rests on the inner surface of the receiving space. In order to achieve a safe movement of the sealing plug from the rest position into the refilling position with the device to be refilled inserted in the sealing plug, it is advantageous if the stepped transition section between adjacent sub-spaces serves as a contact or pressure surface for a collar-shaped section adjacent to the application element of the device to be refilled its housing is provided. This contact or pressure surface between adjacent sub-spaces of the stepped receiving space of the sealing plug can be a ring surface perpendicular to the central longitudinal axis of the sealing plug or refill container, a rounded ring surface, a frustoconical ring surface or the like. be dimensioned.

A secure sealing of the refill container in its rest position is ensured if the neck portion of the refill container is formed on its inside with a circumferential sealing bead on which the sealing plug rests in a sliding and sealing manner.

In this case, the sealing plug is cylindrical on the outside, ie on the outside of its sleeve section, in order to ensure a defined sliding movement. This sliding movement will still be improves that the sealing plug is formed on its outside with at least one circumferential sealing section which slidably and tightly abuts the inside of the neck portion of the refill container. However, this means that the inside of the neck section of the refill container must also be cylindrical. The sealing bead on the inside of the neck section of the refill container and the sealing section running around the outside of the sealing plug result in a secure one

Multiple sealing of the refill container in its rest position, so that an unwanted leakage of the low-viscosity liquid stored in the refill container is prevented and the refill container is easy to store. The sealing plug is preferably arranged in the refill container or in its open neck section in such a way that it does not protrude from the neck section, so that an unwanted opening of the refill container is excluded even more reliably.

The sealing plug can be formed on its outer side with a stop which bears against the sealing lip of the neck section in the rest position of the sealing plug and which extends from the sealing section of the

Sealing plug is axially spaced. As a result, the rest position of the sealing plug is fixed axially and the pumping movement mentioned above when filling a device is also limited. The same purpose, ie the axial fixing of the rest position of the closure plug, is useful if the neck portion of the refill container is formed on the inside with a stop which, in the rest position of the closure plug, on its circumferential periphery Sealing section is present. If a device to be refilled is inserted into the refill container or into the receiving space of the sealing plug with its application element in advance until the peripheral housing section of the device adjacent to the application element lies against the inner surface of the receiving space, the application element naturally remaining spaced at all times from the inner surface of the receiving space, In order to reliably avoid damage to the application element, the stop formed on the inside of the neck portion of the refill container is overcome when the applicator is pressed further into the refill container, after which the sealing plug can be moved into the refill position or moved back and forth.

It has proven to be advantageous if the sealing plug is formed with at least one passage opening which is formed in the axial section of the sealing plug between its stop and its sealing section, and which in the rest position of the sealing plug through the inside sealing bead of the neck section of the refill container from the inside thereof - or storage space is separated and in the refill position between the storage space of the refill container and the receiving space of the sealing plug establishes the fluidic connection. It is also possible to provide more than one passage opening along the circumference of the sealing plug or its sleeve section protruding from the floor, and this e.g. to be arranged equidistant.

A preferred embodiment of the refill is characterized in that the sealing plug with a axially aligned mandrel is formed, which extends from the bottom of the cap into the storage space of the refill container, and that the refill container is provided at its end remote from its opening with a closure film, the mandrel in the rest position of the refill container at a distance in front of the closure film ends and in the refill position penetrates the film. Such a design of the refill container has the advantage that, in particular, one directed downwards

Refill position of the refill container can flow into the storage space of the refill container through the hole formed by means of the mandrel in the top sealing or sealing film. In this way, a negative pressure in the storage space of the refill container is avoided during the refilling process and, at the same time, a relatively quick refill of the device to be refilled, which is oriented downward, is effected.

To ensure a safe flow of air through the

To ensure mandrel-generated opening in the film, it is useful if the mandrel has a profile with at least one air supply channel. For this purpose the mandrel can e.g. have a U-shaped, a V-shaped, a cross-shaped or any other suitable cross-sectional profile.

Of course, the at least one air supply channel does not have to extend over the entire length of the mandrel, rather it is sufficient if the at least one air supply channel is formed at least on the front end section of the mandrel penetrating the film in the refill position. The mandrel can be provided with at least one bevel to form a cutting edge or tip. The / each bevel or the tip or cutting edge can be designed with a corrugation that makes it easier to pierce the film.

Another embodiment of the refill container according to the invention is characterized in that the closure plug is formed with a mandrel axially projecting from the bottom and the refill container at its end distant from the opening is provided with a closure which has a hole through which the mandrel is in the rest position of the Sealing plug with an end portion extends sealingly, and that the mandrel has a recess which is in the rest position of the refill container in the storage space of the refill container and which is in the refill position of the refill container or the closure plug for air intake into the storage space of the refill container through the hole in the Closure of the

Refill container extends through. Here, the mandrel at its front end does not need to be designed with a tip or cutting edge that represents a certain risk of injury in order to be able to pierce a sealing or sealing film, but the front end of the mandrel projecting beyond the closure can be flat or rounded, so that a risk of injury is safely excluded. In the case of the last-mentioned refill container in the refill position, the intake of liquid into the storage space of the refill container takes place through the recess formed in the mandrel and through the hole in the closure. In the refill container of the last described type with a mandrel running through the closure, it has proven to be advantageous if the mandrel protrudes centrally from the bottom of the closure plug and if the hole is provided in the center of the closure. In this way, it is easily possible to assemble the parts of the refill container, which has a favorable effect on its production costs.

According to the invention, the refill container can be designed like a tube. Such a tube-like refill container is simple and inexpensive to produce, which is of great advantage in refill containers of this type, which are mass-produced items. Another very significant advantage of such a tube-like

Refill container is that it can achieve a good pumping effect in order to refill a device connected to the refill container with the liquid in the refill container.

In the case of a refill container of the last-mentioned type, the neck section can be formed in one piece with the rest of the refill container and the refill container can be sealed at its end section remote from the neck section. The refill container can consist of a sheet metal or plastic material.

Instead of a one-piece design of the refill container, it is also possible that the neck section on a first section of the

Refill container provided and the first section is tightly connected to a second section. Further details, features and advantages result from the following description of exemplary embodiments of the refill container according to the invention shown in the drawing. Show it:

Fig. 1 shows a first embodiment of the

Refill container, which is partly cut open on one side,

Fig. 2 shows the front end portion of the

Refill container acc. 1 shows a longitudinal section with a device to be refilled which is inserted into the neck section of the refill container and which, like the refill container, is only drawn in sections,

Fig. 3 shows a second embodiment of the

Refill container, which is drawn in sections cut lengthways on one side,

Fig. 4 shows a third embodiment of the

Refill container, which is only drawn in sections and cut lengthways on one side,

Fig. 5 shows a fourth embodiment of the

Refill container on a greatly enlarged scale, which is also only drawn in sections and half-lengthways,

6 is a side view of a refill container, which is cut open and is formed from two partial sections, 7 shows a longitudinal section through an embodiment of the refill container drawn in sections with a device to be refilled indicated in sections with thin dash-dotted lines,

8 shows a section along the section line II-II in FIG. 7 through the mandrel projecting from the bottom of the sealing plug,

Fig. 9 corresponding to Fig. 8

Sectional view through another embodiment of the mandrel protruding from the bottom of the sealing plug,

10 shows a longitudinally sectioned front section of a further embodiment of the mandrel projecting from the sealing plug,

Fig. 11 is a view of the cathedral. 10 in the direction of arrow V,

Fig. 12 shows a section of another embodiment of the refill container with a through

Closure of the refill container extending thorn, which protrudes from the plug,

Fig. 13 in a greatly enlarged scale

Longitudinal section through a refill container shown cut off, which is formed in one piece tube-like, and 14 is a partially cut-away side view of a refill container drawn in sections, which has a first and a second section having two parts.

1 shows an embodiment of the refill container 10 in the form of a tube. The first end section 12 of the refill container 10 is sealed in a manner known per se. This can be done, for example, by multiple folding or by welding. The second end section 16 of the tube-like refill container 10 is formed with a neck section 88. In Fig. 1, a refill 10 is shown, in which the

Neck section 58 has a smaller diameter than the tube-like refill container 10. Of course, the neck section 58 can also be shoulderless in alignment with the rest of the refill container 10, e.g. is indicated in Fig. 4.

The neck section 58 of the tube-like refill container 10 has an externally threaded section 90 in the embodiment shown in FIG. 1. The refill container 10 is closed and sealed by a closure element 92 which is formed with an internal thread portion 94 corresponding to the external thread portion 90. The cap-shaped closure element 92 is screwed onto the neck portion 58 of the tube-like refill container 10 to seal it until the inner one

Base surface 96 of the cap-shaped closure element 92 lies sealingly against the annular end face 60 of the neck portion 58 of the refill container 10. The neck portion 58 of the refill container 10 is formed on the inside with a circumferential sealing lip 98, the function of which is described below in connection with FIG. 2.

The interior 18 of the refill container 10 is filled with a liquid provided for refilling a device.

To a writing, painting, drawing device, a cosmetic application device or the like. To be able to fill with the liquid located in the interior or storage space 18 of the tube-like refill container 10, the closure element 92 is removed from the refill container 10. Of course, this happens in such a position of the refill 10 that its neck portion 58 does not stand down as in Fig. 1, but up. If the closure element 92 is removed from the tube-like refill container 10, it is possible to insert a device 44 to be refilled with its application element 48 into the neck section 58 of the tube-like refill container 10 until the housing section 46 of the device 44 from which the application element 48 protrudes the circumferential sealing lip 98 on the inside of the neck section 58 results in a seal of the interior 18 of the refill container 10 - as can be seen from FIG. 2. In the refill position shown in FIG. 2, it is then possible to achieve a pumping effect either with the refill container 10 or with the device 44 by repeatedly pressing the refill container 10 or the device 44, by means of which the pressure in the interior or storage space 18 of the refill container 10 through the air supply channel 52 indicated by the broken line in FIG. 2 from the refill container 10 to the (not shown) reservoir of the device 44 is conveyed.

The refill container 10 can have a storage volume corresponding to the reservoir of the device 44 or a multiple of the reservoir volume.

FIG. 3 shows sections of a refill container 10 with a very simply designed neck section 58, which is simply sleeve-shaped with an inside sealing lip 98 and the outside with a circumferential channel 100. In this embodiment of the refill container 10, the closure cap 92 is likewise comparatively simple with a bead 102 encircling the inside or with projections provided on the inside, the bead 102 or the tabs corresponding to the bead in the circumferential channel 100 when the closure element 92 is plugged onto the refill container 10 click into place. So there is a so-called snap-snap connection between the neck portion 58 of the

Refill container 10 and the cap-shaped closure element 92, here also the sealing of the interior or storage space 18 of the refill container 10 is achieved in that, when the closure element 92 is plugged on, its inner base surface 98 is close to the annular end face 60 of the neck portion 58 of the tube-like refill container 10 is present.

While a tube-like refill container 10 is shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the neck portion 58 of which is drawn in against the rest of the refill container 10 via a shoulder portion 104, that is to say is of a smaller diameter, a refill container 10 is drawn in the form of a tube in FIG. 4. at which is the neck portion 58 with the rest of the tube-like refill 10 simply ampoule-shaped. The neck portion 58 is also formed with a circumferential sealing lip 98 on the inside in this embodiment of the refill container 10. The

In the embodiment of the refill container 10 shown in FIG. 4, the closure element 92 is designed as a simple plug, the sealing of the interior or storage space 18 of the tube-like refill container 10 between the circumferential one

Sealing lip 98 and the nub portion 106 protruding into the refill container 10 of the sealing element 92 designed as a sealing plug is provided. An additional seal can be ensured by the tight abutment of the ring-like end face 60 of the neck section 58 on the closure element 92.

5, the front end section 16 of a tube-like refill container 10 is drawn on an enlarged scale, in which the neck section 58 is formed on the inside from its open end 36 in the direction of the interior or storage space 18 of the refill container 10, axially in succession Subspaces 108, 110, 112 are formed, which extend from the interior 18 of the refill container 10 to the open end 36 of the

Neck section 58 are gradually expanded. Each sub-space 108, 110, 112 is formed with a circumferential sealing lip 98, which acts like the sealing lip 98 shown in FIG. 2 and is used for sealing with a corresponding housing section 46 of a device 44 (see FIG. 2).

FIG. 6 illustrates a tube-like refill container 10, which has a first section 114 and a second Has section 116 which are sealingly connected together. The first section 114 has the neck section 58, which is sealed by a closure element 92. The first end section 12 of the tube-like refill container 10 is sealed as was explained above in connection with FIG. 1.

As has already been mentioned, in contrast to the design shown in FIG. 6, the tube-like refill container 10 can also be made in one piece.

Fig. 7 shows an embodiment of the refill container 10 shown in broken lines, which is tubular and is sealed at one end portion 12 by means of a sealing and sealing film 14. The other end section 16 of the refill container 10 is open, in which a sealing plug 20 is arranged in the axial direction so as to seal the interior or storage space 18. The sealing plug 20 has a base 22 and a sleeve section 24 which is integrally connected to the base 22. Through the bottom 22 and the sleeve portion 24, a receiving space 26 of the closure plug 20 is defined, which is open to the end portion 16 of the refill 10. In the embodiment of the refill container 10 shown in FIG. 1, the receiving space 16 is subdivided into subspaces 28, 30, 32 and 34, each of which has an increasing diameter from the bottom 22 to the end section 16 or to the opening 36 of the sealing plug 20, so that there is a stepped expanded receiving space 26. In the immediate vicinity of the step 38 between adjacent subspaces 28, 30, 32 and 34, the inner surface 40 of the sleeve section 24 is Sealing plug 20 each formed with a circumferential sealing lip 42, with which there is a secure seal between a device 44, indicated in sections with thin dash-dotted lines in FIG. 1, and the sealing plug 20 when the device 44 passes through the opening 36 into the receiving space 26 of the sealing plug 20 is inserted so far that the housing section 46 of the device 44, from which the application member 48 of the device 44 protrudes, rests on the corresponding step 38. The receiving space 26 is designed in such a way that the application member 48 of any device 44 that can be inserted into the sealing plug 20 is sufficiently spaced from the inner surface 40 of the sealing plug 20 so that damage to the application member 48 when refilling the device 44 is reliably prevented.

A mandrel 50 protrudes axially from the bottom 22 of the sealing plug 20 and, as can be seen in FIG. 8, has a U-shaped or V-shaped cross section, so that an air supply duct 52 results. 9 shows a cross-sectional profile of a mandrel 50 which is star-shaped or cross-shaped, so that there are four air supply channels 52 in the circumferential direction of the dome 50.

The mandrel 50 has such an axial longitudinal extent that its cutting edge or tip 54 in the rest position of the refill container 10, as shown in FIG. 7, at a small distance in front of the film 14 in

Storage space 18 of the refill container 10 ends. In order to form the mandrel 50 with the cutting edge or tip 54, it is formed with at least one bevel 56. Starting from the opening 36, the refill container 10 has a neck section 58, the axial longitudinal extent of which is defined on the one hand by the annular end face 60 defining the opening 36 and on the other hand by a sealing bead 62. The sealing bead 62 protrudes from the inside 64 of the refill container 10 or its neck section 58 to the inside; it has an inside diameter that corresponds to the outside diameter of a section 66 of the sleeve section 24 of the sealing plug 20 such that there is between the sealing bead 62 and the section 66 a seal results, wherein at the same time the sealing plug 20 is axially adjustable with respect to the neck portion 58 or with respect to the refill container 10 between the rest position shown in FIG. 6 and a refill position.

The sealing plug 20 is formed on its outside with a circumferential sealing section 68, which rests sealingly on the inside 64 of the neck section 58 of the refill container 10. By the

Sealing section 68, the linear guidance of the sealing plug 20 is simultaneously improved relative to the refill container 10.

In the sleeve section 24, a passage opening 72 is provided in the section 66 of the closure plug 20, which is axially fixed by the circumferential sealing section 68 and on the other hand by a stop 70 provided on the outside of the sealing plug. The stop 70 is in the rest position of the refill 10 - as can be seen from FIG. 7 - on the circumferential sealing bead 62, it thus limits the axial movement of the refill 10 out. A device 44 to be refilled is inserted with its application member 48 ahead into the receiving space 26 of the sealing plug 20 until the collar-shaped housing section 46 from which the application member 48 protrudes closely against a corresponding step 38. At the same time, the associated sealing lip 42, which laterally fits tightly against the collar-shaped housing section 46, seals the receiving space 26 of the sealing plug 20. Thereafter, the sealing plug 20 can be moved axially in the direction of arrow 76 with the aid of the device 44 until the circumferential sealing section 68 of the sealing plug 20 comes to rest on the sealing bead 62. In this refill position, the passage opening 72 is located on the side of the sealing bead 62 facing away from the opening 36, ie the fluidic connection between the storage space 18 and the receiving space 26 is made through the passage opening 72, so that the low-viscosity liquid located in the storage space 18 through the passage opening 72 into the receiving space 26 and from there through the ventilation duct 78 present in addition to the application member 48 in the device 44, which is only schematically indicated in sections in FIG. 7, into the device 44 or into the liquid reservoir present in the device 44 can flow in. So that there is no negative pressure which hinders or, in extreme cases, interrupts the refilling process in the storage space 18 during the refilling process, the mandrel 50 protruding from the bottom 22 of the closure cap 20 is provided which pierces the film 14 with its cutting edge or tip 54 in the refilling position mentioned above, so that air can flow into the storage space 18 of the refill container 10 through the air supply channel 52 when the film 14 penetrates. Refilling a device 44 is also possible with a refill container 10 of the design shown in FIG. 7 if the sealing plug 20 is designed without a dome 50. Then, for example, by repeated pressure against the resilient housing wall of the device 44, a corresponding pumping effect can be achieved, so that a refill of the device 44 is possible even with a closed system given by the device 44 and the refill container 10. A particularly simple filling of a device 44 with the liquid in the refill container 10 is possible in a refill container 10, the sealing plug 20 of which is designed without a mandrel 50, in that the device 44 with the sealing plug 20 repeatedly axially with respect to the refill container 10 is moved here.

FIGS. 10 and 11 show an embodiment of the mandrel 50 in a longitudinal section and in a side view, the mandrel 50 being tubular in order to achieve good dimensional stability with a relatively small weight. In this embodiment, an air supply duct 52 is formed on the front end portion of the dome. The reference bevel 56 in FIGS. 4 and 5 also denotes the front bevel with which a cutting edge 54 is formed on the mandrel 50. In order to further facilitate the piercing of the film 14 (see FIG. 6), the cutting edge 54 is provided with a corrugation 78 in the last described configuration of the Do es 50.

FIG. 12 indicates an embodiment of the refill container 10, which differs from the embodiment shown in FIG. 7 in particular in that the end section 12 of the refill container 10 does not have a film, but instead is sealed by a closure 80 which has a central hole 82. In the embodiment of the refill container 10 indicated in FIG. 12, a mandrel 50 protrudes centrally from the stopper 20 (see FIG. 7), which already has an end section 84 in the rest position of the refill container 10 or the stopper indicated in FIG. 12 sealingly extends through the central hole 82 of the closure 80. Following the end section 84 of the dome 50 is formed with a recess 86 which is in the rest position of the

Refill container 10 is located inside the refill container 10 or in its storage space 18.

When the plug 20 (see FIG. 7) is displaced in the direction of the arrow 76, the mandrel 50 is correspondingly axially displaced, so that the recess 86 extends through the closure 80, so that air passes through the central hole 82 and the recess 86 can flow into the storage space 18.

13 shows a tube-like refill container 10, the first end section 12 of which is sealed off. This can be achieved by folding over and / or by welding. The second end section 16 of the tube-like refill container is open, that is to say it is designed with an opening 36. The opening 36 of the refill 10 is closed by a plug 20 and sealed in the normal rest position. An inner or storage space 18 is defined in the refill container 10 by the sealing plug 20, in which there is a relatively low-viscosity liquid which is used to refill a device 44 indicated by thin dash-dotted lines in FIG. 13. The device 44, which is, for example, a writing, painting or drawing device a cosmetic application device or the like. acts, has an application member 48 protruding from a housing section 46. In the vicinity of the capillary-promoting application member 48, a ventilation channel 78 extends through the housing section 46 into the device 44 or into a liquid reservoir (not shown) in the device, through which a device 44 to be refilled replenishes the liquid in the refill container 10 can be.

The sealing plug 20 is cap-shaped with a base 22 and a sleeve portion 24 projecting from the base 22, which provides a receiving space 26 for the front portion of the device 44 or its application member 48 and the housing portion 46 adjacent to the application member 48.

In order to be able to refill devices 44 of different design with the tube-like refill container 10, the receiving space 26 is formed with subspaces 28, 30, 32 and 34, which are expanded in the direction from the bottom 22 to the opening 36 in a stepped manner, ie are designed with a larger diameter. Sealing lips 42 are formed all around on the gradations 38 of the subspaces 28, 30, 32 and 34, which protrude inwards from the respective inner surface 40. If a device 44 to be refilled is inserted into the receiving space 26 of the sealing plug 20, the housing section 46 from which the application member 48 protrudes comes into contact with a step 38, at the same time at least one sealing lip 42 sealing the receiving space 26 from the surroundings of the refill container 10 and the device 44 results. If the device 44 inserted into the receiving space 26 in such a sealing manner then continues in the direction of the arrow 76 in the inserted tube-like refill container 10, the sealing plug 20 is pushed into the refill container 10 until a circumferential sealing bead 62 on the inside 64 of the tube-like refill container 10 or its neck portion 58 protrudes a further displacement movement of the sealing plug 20 or a circumferential sealing portion 68 of the plug 20 prevented. In the refill position of the sealing plug 20 which is then reached, between the interior or storage space 18 and the receiving space 26 of the

Sealing plug 20 is given a fluidic connection through a passage opening 72 in the sealing plug 20, so that it is possible to achieve a pumping effect by compressing the wall of the device 44 and / or in particular by compressing the tube-like refill container 10, by means of which the inside or Liquid 18 in the storage space is pumped through the ventilation channel 78 into the reservoir (not shown) of the device 44 and the device 44 is refilled with the liquid.

13 shows a refill container 10 in the form of a flexible tube, which is formed in one piece, ie in which the neck section 58 forms a unit with the rest of the refill container 10. In contrast, a refill container 10 is indicated in FIG. 14, which has a first section 88 and a second section 90, which are tightly connected to one another along a circumferential connecting section 92. The first section 88 has the neck section 58, in which the cap-shaped closure plug 20 is adjustable between the rest position shown in the figure and a refill position. The sealing plug 20 is designed similarly to the sealing plug shown in FIG. 13, so there is no need to describe it again in detail.

In order to prevent the plug 20 from coming out of the tube-like after a refilling process has been completed

Refill container 10 is pulled out, the neck portion 58 is formed with a flanged edge 94.

The refill position of the closure plug 20 is also determined in the embodiment of the tube-like refill container 10 shown in FIG. 14 by the circumferential sealing bead 62 of the first section 88 and by the circumferential sealing section 68 of the closure plug 20. The reference number 72 in FIG. 14 also designates the at least one passage opening which is formed in the sealing plug 20 in order to provide a fluidic connection in the refill position between the interior or storage space 18 of the tube-like refill container 10 and the receiving space 26 of the cap-shaped sealing plug 20 to manufacture.

The first end section 12 of the tube-like refill container 10 is either folded over several times or compressed and welded in a manner known per se in order to seal the refill container 10 at the first end section 12.

Claims

Expectations ;

1. Refill container for refilling a writing, painting, drawing device, cosmetic

Application device or the like, the device (44) comprising a capillary-promoting application member (48) protruding from a housing for a relatively low-viscosity liquid, a reservoir for the liquid fluidly connected to the application member (48) and in the vicinity of the application member (48 ) has a ventilation channel (78), characterized in that the refill container (10) with a

Neck portion (58) is formed, the device to be refilled with the application member (48) and with a connecting to the application member (48) housing portion (46) in the neck portion (58) can be inserted such that the neck portion (58) by said Sealed housing section (46) and a fluidic connection is made through the ventilation channel (78) between the refill container (10) and the reservoir in the device (44). 2. Refill container according to claim 1, characterized in that the neck portion (58) on the inside from its open end (36) towards the refill container

(10) is tapered.

3. Refill container according to claim 2, characterized in that the neck portion (58) on the inside axially consecutively has partial spaces (108, 110, 112) which are gradually expanded from the refill container (10) to the open end (36) of the neck portion (58) .

4. Refill container according to one of the preceding claims, that the neck section (58) is integrally formed on the refill container (10) and the refill container is sealed at its end (12) remote from the neck section (58).

5. Refill container according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the neck portion (58) on a first section (114) of the refill container (10) is provided, which is tightly connected to a second section (116) of the refill container (10) .

6. Refill container according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that that the neck portion (58) can be sealed or closed by a closure element (92).

7. refill container according to claim 1, characterized in that in the neck portion (58) in the refill container (10) oriented, kappenföπrtten stopper (20) is provided which slidably between a refill container (10) sealing rest position and an interior (18) of the refill container (10) is adjustable with a fluid-connecting refill position with a receiving space (26) of the sealing plug (20) which is open on one side, the receiving space (26) of the sealing plug (20) being open on one side for accommodating the application member (48) and at the same time for sealingly receiving one the portion (46) of the housing of the device (44) to be filled, which is adjacent to the application member (48) and has the ventilation channel (78).

8. Refill container according to claim 7, so that the receiving space (26) is designed to be widened toward its opening (36).

9. refill container according to claim 8, characterized in that the receiving space (26) axially consecutively has subspaces (28, 30, 32, 34) which are designed to be expanded from the bottom (22) of the sealing plug (20). 10. Refill container according to claim 9, characterized in that each stepped transition section (38) between adjacent sub-spaces (28, 30, 32, 34) as an abutment or pressure surface for an adjacent to the applicator (48) of the device (44) to be refilled Section (46) of the housing of the device (44) is provided.

11. Refill container according to one of claims 7 to 10, characterized in that the neck portion (58) of the refill container (10) on its inside (64) is formed with a circumferential sealing bead (62) on which the sealing plug (20) slidably and sealingly is present.

12. Refill container according to one of claims 7 to 11, d a d u r c h g e k e n n z e i c h n e t that the sealing plug (20) on its outside with at least one circumferential sealing section

(68) is formed, which rests on the inside (64) of the neck section (58) of the refill container (10) so that it can slide and close.

13. Refill container according to claim 11 or 12, d a d u r c h g e k e n n z e i c h n e t that the sealing plug (20) is formed with at least one passage opening (72) in the axial section (66) of the sealing plug (20) between the stop (70) and the latter

Sealing section (68) is formed, and which in the rest position of the sealing plug (20) by the inside sealing bead (62) of the neck section (58) of the refill container (10) thereof Storage space (18) is separated and in the refill position between the storage space (18) of the refill container (10) and the receiving space (26) of the sealing plug (20) establishes the fluidic connection.

14. Refill container according to one of claims 7 to 13, characterized in that the sealing plug (20) is formed with an axially aligned mandrel (50) which extends from the bottom (22) into the storage space (18) of the refill container (10), and that the refill container (10) is provided with a film (14) at its end section (12) remote from its opening (36), the mandrel (50) in the

The rest position of the refill container (10) or the sealing plug (20) ends at a distance in front of the film (14) and penetrates the film (14) in the refill position.

15. Refill container according to one of claims 7 to 13, characterized in that the sealing plug (20) with a mandrel (50) projecting axially from the bottom (22) and the refill container (10) at its end section (12) remote from the opening (36) ) is formed with a closure (80) which has a hole (82) through which the mandrel (50) extends sealingly with an end section (84) in the rest position of the closure plug (20), and that the mandrel (50) has a recess (86) which is in the rest position of the sealing plug (20) in the storage space (18) of the refill container (10), and which is in the refill position of the Refill container (10) for air intake into the storage space (18) through the hole (82) in the closure (80) of the refill container (10) extends.

16. Refill container according to one of the preceding claims, that the refill container (10) is designed like a tube.