WO2000059334A1

WO2000059334A1 - Advanced device distributing one or several doses of a liquid product

Info

Publication number: WO2000059334A1
Application number: PCT/FR1999/000789
Authority: WO
Inventors: Stéphane Christopher MARTEL; François Henri CATHALA; Valérie Frédérique BOCHENEK; Valérie Christine LACOMBE-GERVAZ
Original assignee: Martel Stephane Christopher; Cathala Francois Henri; Bochenek Valerie Frederique; Lacombe Gervaz Valerie Christi
Priority date: 1999-04-06
Filing date: 1999-04-06
Publication date: 2000-10-12
Also published as: AU3041099A; EP1168941A1

Abstract

A device delivering one or several doses of a liquid, whereby each dose is contained in a tight store that is defined between two films that are hermetically joined to each other in a peripheral linking zone (20), the first film (1) being designed to undergo a collapsing pressure exerted by the user and the second film (2) being thin and frangible in order to enable the liquid product to be distributed outside the store when the second film is broken under the effect of said collapsing pressure, characterized in that the first film is made from a flexible deformable material enabling hollow deformation thereof as a result of the collapsing pressure exerted by the user, and in that a means of concentrating the strain (21) separate from the first film is associated locally with the store so that the second film can be broken under the effect of the above-mentioned collapsing pressure.

Description

IMPROVED DEVICE FOR BROADCASTING ONE OR MORE DOSES OF FLUID PRODUCT

The present invention relates to an improvement for a device for diffusing one or more doses of fluid product, such as a liquid, creamy, gelatinous or gaseous product, and in particular such a device for applying an adhesive temporary tattoo. . The diffusion device of the invention applies in particular to the distribution of pharmaceutical, cosmetic, food, hygienic, perfumery and maintenance products.

Such a device is already known from document WO 98/45127 filed by the present applicants.

Document US-A-3 998 559 describes an applicator device the reservoir of which comprises, in its center, rigid internal walls which converge towards a cutting apex located near a thin and frangible base sheet, said base sheet being hermetically linked to the rigid walls of the tank. A sponge is fixed to the external face of said base sheet, so that a pressure on the rigid walls of the tank causes the rupture of the base sheet by the cutting top, to allow the diffusion of the liquid from the tank in the sponge.

However, in such a device, the tank is separated in two by the internal walls which converge downwards, and the walls of the tank must be made of rigid material, which makes it difficult to compress the tank, in order to deform it.

The invention aims to eliminate the aforementioned drawbacks and to propose a new improved device which is easy to use, while ensuring good sealing, and reliable operation for the diffusion of the fluid product. To this end, the subject of the invention is a device for diffusing one or more doses of fluid product, each dose being contained in a sealed reserve which is defined between two films of plastic, metallic, composite or other material, integrally and hermetically linked , through example by gluing or heat sealing, to each other in a peripheral bonding zone, the first film being intended to undergo a crushing pressure on the part of the user, and the second film being thin and frangible to allow to the fluid product to diffuse outside the reserve when said second film is pierced, torn or fractured, under the effect of said crushing pressure exerted by the user on the first film, characterized in that said first film is made of flexible deformable material to allow its hollow deformation under the crushing pressure exerted by the user, and that a stress concentration means, separate from said first film, is locally associated with said reserve, to cause rupture of said second film, under the effect of the aforementioned crushing pressure.

Advantageously, the aforementioned first film comprises a central region that is curved outwards, obtained for example by molding of plastic material, and a substantially planar peripheral region defining a peripheral surface for supporting and gripping the device, while the second film, for preferably made of metal, has an essentially planar shape covering the entire central region and at least partially the inner peripheral region of the first film, the two films being permanently heat-sealed to each other in the plane peripheral zone of overlap two films.

In a first embodiment, the first film is heat-sealed to the second film on a peripheral bonding zone, the internal contour of which has at least one profile suitable for generating a rupture initiation of said second film in line with said profile, when a overpressure is generated in the reserve, under the effect of the aforementioned crushing pressure, said profile of the internal contour of the final heat seal, constituting the aforementioned stress concentration means. In this case, said profile can be in the form of a point facing the interior of the reserve. In another example, said profile has at least one point of inflection on a plane curve defining the internal contour of said peripheral connection zone. In another embodiment, the stress concentration means comprises at least one part provided with at least one point for piercing said second film. In this case, said part can be housed mobile inside the reserve, between the two aforementioned films, with the points facing the second film. In another case, said part is housed outside the reserve, with the points facing the second film.

According to another characteristic of the invention, the device comprises a layer of material forming an applicator pad, capable of being impregnated with the fluid product, when the reserve is opened, by means of the stress concentration means.

In this case, provision may be made for the device to include a free space between the interior surface of the applicator pad and the second facing film to allow the product released by the reserve to be distributed evenly over the entire surface. buffer.

In the case of an adhesive temporary tattoo application device, an absorbent backing paper carrying an adhesive temporary tattoo ink is positioned on the external face of the pad, so that moistening the pad and then the backing paper causes the instant transfer of the tattoo on all chosen surfaces. Advantageously, the support paper is hermetically bonded, for example by gluing, over its entire periphery, to a peripheral region of the first film.

According to another characteristic, the device comprises a peelable protective film capable of covering the external face of the aforementioned pad, or of support paper carrying the adhesive temporary tattoo ink.

According to yet another characteristic, the device comprises an additional film linked to the periphery of the first film, on the side opposite to the second film, to define a volume of air between the additional film and the reserve. The invention will be better understood, and other objects, details, characteristics and advantages thereof will appear more clearly during the detailed explanatory description which will follow of several particular presently preferred embodiments of the invention, given for illustration only and not limiting, with reference to the appended schematic drawings, in which:

- Figure 1 is a schematic exploded perspective view of a first embodiment of the adhesive temporary tattoo application device according to the invention;

- Figure 2 is a schematic exploded perspective view of a second embodiment of the diffusion device according to the invention;

- Figure 3 is an axial sectional view of the device of Figure 1, in the assembled position; - Figure 4 is a top view along the arrow IN of Figure 3, the two films constituting the reserve of the device of the invention;

- Figure 5 is an axial sectional view of the device of Figure 2, in the assembled position, for an adhesive temporary tattoo application device; - Figure 6 is a top view, along arrow VI of Figure 5, of the reserve only; and

- Figure 7 is a view similar to Figure 5 but according to an alternative embodiment of the invention.

We will now describe a first embodiment of the invention, with reference to FIGS. 1, 3 and 4.

The adhesive temporary tattoo application device comprises a first film 1, for example made of transparent plastic, and a second film 2, consisting for example of a thin aluminum film, defining between them a reserve 3 intended to contain a product. fluid.

The first film 1 is of substantially square shape and has a planar peripheral region 4 intended to serve as a support and gripping surface of the device. This planar peripheral region 4 is extended, at its center, by a cylindrical recess which is connected by a planar annular surface 5, to a cylindrical wall 6, the bottom of which is closed by a spherical cap 7. The spherical cap 7 is suitable for deform hollow, under the action of an external crushing pressure, to generate an overpressure in the reserve 3.

As best seen in FIG. 3, the second film 2 is in the form of a circular disc which is housed in the cylindrical recess of the first film 1 and bears on the flat annular surface 5.

A sheet of support paper 8, for example of the blotting type, is glued, by a bead of glue 9, indicated diagrammatically in broken lines in FIG. 1, to the underside of the flat peripheral region 4 of the first film 1. A sponge applicator pad 10 is interposed between the absorbent support paper 8 and the second film 2 inside the cylindrical recess of the first film. As visible in FIG. 3, an intermediate space is provided between the lower face of the second film 2 and the upper face of the applicator pad 10. The absorbent support paper 8 carries on its lower face a layer of ink 12 for temporary tattooing adhesive. A transparent protective plastic film 13 is glued, along an edge 14 on the underside of the backing paper 8, to isolate the adhesive decal ink 12 from any external element which may damage it. This protective film 13 can also be provided slightly self-adhesive and peelable, to facilitate its removal, before using the device.

The device further comprises a third plastic film 15 which has a planar peripheral region 16 capable of being superimposed on the planar peripheral region 4 of the first film 1. This planar peripheral region 16 is extended at its center by a cylindrical wall 17, the bottom of which is closed by a spherical cap 18. As best seen in FIG. 3, the spherical cap 18 of the additional film 15 extends above the planar annular surface 5 of the first film and bears on the central spherical cap 7 of the latter. Alternatively, an intermediate space can be provided between the two caps 7 and 18. An annular air volume 19 is thus provided between the first film 1 and the additional film 15, as visible in FIG. 3. The two films 1 and 15 are bonded to each other by their respective planar peripheral region 4, 16. The second film 2 is heat sealed, by its upper face, to the lower face of the planar annular surface 5 of the first film 1, in a peripheral connection zone 20 which extends between the periphery of the second film 2 and a contour. internal indicated in broken lines. This internal contour 20 here comprises five pointed profiles 21, facing inward and the center of the reserve, to substantially define a pattern with five petals. There is shown by hatching in Figure 4, the final heat seal area between the second film 2 and the first film 1. Thus, when an overpressure is generated in the reserve 3, following a depression of the walls 7 and 18, by user support, the second film 2 will tend to swell in the spaces 22 between the point profiles 21, so that the film 2 is pierced or torn, in the first place, at the points 21, at which the constraints are concentrated. The initiation of rupture of the second film at the points 21, allows the opening of the reserve and the diffusion of the liquid to the applicator pad 10, then to the absorbent paper 8, to allow the transfer of the temporary adhesive tattoo 12 on all chosen surfaces.

In the variant illustrated in FIGS. 2, 5 and 6, the second film 2 is heat-sealed to the first film 1, by a peripheral connection zone 30 which has a substantially annular shape, at the level of the planar annular surface 5. This zone connecting device 30 may extend over the entire width of surface 5, or only over a part, as illustrated in FIG. 6. This peripheral connecting area 30 does not have the aforementioned points 21, so that it is necessary to use a separate part 31 provided with points 32 to allow the second film 2 to be torn or pierced. The points 32 of part 31 locally concentrate the stresses on the second film 2, when pressure is exerted by the user on reserve. Indeed, by deforming hollow the reserve 3, by pressing on the caps 7, 18, the user comes to press the part 31 against the second film 2. This part 31 is freely housed in the reserve 3, as visible in the figure 5, with the tips 32 facing the second film 2. In the variant illustrated in FIG. 7, the part 41 is in the form of a disk provided with points 42 facing the second film 2, said part 41 being housed in the intermediate space between the applicator pad 10 and the second film 2. The points 32, 42 of the parts 31, 41 constitute cutting elements for piercing the second film 2. The disc 41 can be glued to the upper face of the applicator pad 10.

Although not shown, it is possible to offset laterally the assembly constituted by the applicator pad 10 and the absorbent support paper 8 carrying the ink for decal 12, instead of providing this assembly vertically from the reserve 3 .

Although the invention has been described in connection with particular embodiments, it is obvious that it is in no way limited thereto and that it includes all the technical equivalents of the means described as well as their combinations if these are within the scope of the invention.

Claims

1. Device for diffusing one or more doses of fluid product, each dose being contained in a sealed reserve (3) which is defined between two films (1,

2) made of plastic, metallic, composite or other material, integrally and hermetically bonded, for example by gluing or heat-sealing, one to the other in a peripheral bonding zone (20, 30), the first film (1) being intended to undergo a crushing pressure on the part of the user, and the second film (2) being o thin and frangible to allow the fluid product to diffuse outside the reserve when said second film is punctured, torn or fractured, under the effect of said crushing pressure exerted by the user on the first film, characterized in that said first film (1) is made of flexible deformable material to allow its hollow deformation under the pressure of crushing exerted by the user, and that a means of stress concentration (21, 31, 41), separated from said first film, is locally associated with said reserve (3), to cause the rupture of the lad ite second film (2), under the effect of the aforementioned crushing pressure. 0 2. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the aforementioned first film (1) comprises a central region (7) curved outwards, obtained for example by molding of plastic material, and a peripheral region (4, 5 ) substantially planar defining a peripheral support and gripping surface of the device, while the second film (2), preferably made of metal, has an essentially planar shape covering the entire central region and at least partially the interior peripheral region of the first film, the two films being heat-sealed to each other definitively in the peripheral plane zone (20, 30) of overlap of the two films.

3. Device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the first film (1) is heat-sealed to the second film (2) on a peripheral connection zone (20) whose internal contour has at least one profile (21) adapted to generate a rupture initiation of said second film in line with said profile, when an overpressure is generated in the reserve (3), under the effect of the aforementioned crushing pressure, said profile of the internal contour of the final heat seal, constituting the aforementioned stress concentration means

4. Device according to claim 3, characterized in that said profile is in the form of a point (21) facing the interior of the reserve (3).

5. Device according to claim 3 or 4, characterized in that said profile has at least one inflection point (21) on a planar curve defining the internal contour of said peripheral connection zone (20).

6. Device according to one of claims 3 to 5, characterized in that the second film (2) will tend to swell in the spaces (22) between the point profiles (21) facing the interior of the reserve , so that the second film is pierced or torn, in the first place, at said points.

7. Device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the stress concentration means comprises at least one part (31, 41) provided with at least one point (32, 42) for piercing said second film (2) .

8. Device according to claim 7, characterized in that said part (41) is housed movable inside the reserve (3), between the two aforementioned films (1, 2), with the tips (32) facing the second film (2).

9. Device according to claim 7, characterized in that said part (41) is housed outside the reserve (3), with the tips (42) facing the second film (2).

10. - Device according to one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that it comprises a layer of material forming an applicator pad (10), capable of being impregnated with the fluid product, during the opening of the reserve. (3), via the stress concentration means (21, 31, 41).

11. Device according to claim 10, characterized in that it comprises an intermediate space between the inner surface of the applicator pad (10) and the second film (2) opposite to allow the product released by the reserve (3) to distribute evenly over the entire surface of the tampon.

12. Device according to one of claims 10 or 11, characterized in that in the case of an adhesive temporary tattoo application device, an absorbent support paper (8) carrying an adhesive temporary tattoo ink (12) is positioned on the external face of the tampon (10), so that the moistening of the tampon then of the support paper causes the instantaneous transfer of the tattoo on all selected surfaces

13. Device according to claim 12, characterized in that the support paper (8) is hermetically bonded, for example by gluing, over its entire periphery, to a peripheral region of the first film (1).

14. Device according to one of claims 10 to 13, characterized in that it comprises a peelable protective film (13) capable of covering the outer face of the aforementioned pad (10), or of support paper (8) carrying the adhesive temporary tattoo ink (12).

15. Device according to one of claims 1 to 14, characterized in that it comprises an additional film (15) linked to the periphery of the first film (1), on the side opposite to the second film (2), for define an air volume (19) between the additional film and the reserve (3).