WO2007048930A2

WO2007048930A2 - Device for packaging and dispensing a product with a bottle provided with a flexible pouch and with a nozzle

Info

Publication number: WO2007048930A2
Application number: PCT/FR2006/002403
Authority: WO
Inventors: Jacques Pozzi
Original assignee: Sivel
Priority date: 2005-10-26
Filing date: 2006-10-24
Publication date: 2007-05-03
Also published as: FR2892397B1; FR2892397A1

Abstract

The device for packaging and dispensing a liquid, semi-fluid or viscous product comprises a rigid container (1) and a flexible pouch (2) containing the product (15) to be dispensed via a nozzle (6), the nozzle (6) of the container (1) is provided with at least one flexible part (10) from which the force exerted thereupon causes the product to exit, and a first check valve (9) assigned to the nozzle (6) for permitting the product to exit when the flexible part (10) is acted upon without letting outside air in when the flexible part (10) is released, the first check valve (9) being assigned to a second check valve (12) that permits the product (15) to enter the nozzle (6) when the flexible part (10) is released without letting the product (15) contained in the nozzle (6) to enter the flexible pouch (2) when the flexible part (10) is acted upon. The invention is for use in the packaging and dispensing of sterile products, in particular, ophthalmological drops.

Description

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DEVICE FOR PACKAGING AND DISPENSING A BOTTLE PRODUCT WITH A FLEXIBLE POUCH AND A TIP.

The present invention relates to the technical field of packaging, and more particularly to that of packaging and dispensing a liquid, semi-fluid or viscous product intended to be sterilely preserved, without the addition of preservatives, and distributed in portions or in doses.

The invention more particularly relates to a device for packaging and dispensing a product, and which comprises a rigid container provided with a flexible bag for containing the product to be dispensed with a nozzle, such as without air intake, the container is provided, the nozzle being mounted in a sealed manner on an open neck of said container.

Conventional structure-conditioning devices are known which make it possible to preserve and distribute a product in the form of doses or drops or in any other form, while maintaining its sterility throughout the duration of its use.

These devices are used in particular in the pharmaceutical, cosmetic and food fields.

Some of these devices, such as that described in US Pat. No. 2,710,036, comprise a rigid container provided with a flexible bag which contains the product to be dispensed by means of a hand pump. Each action on the pusher of the pump a dose of product is distributed thus creating a depression inside the pocket. To compensate for this depression the pocket retracts to reduce its volume.

Such a pump described in patent FR 2 710 036 comprises numerous elements, including a metering chamber and two valves that isolate said chamber and dispense precise doses of product, a pusher,

COPY Dl a spring: as well as many other elements. This construction is very expensive, it considerably increases the cost price of the device, and the cost of such a pump can be practically equivalent to that of the bottle itself. The cost of such a device renders it unfit for use in certain fields such as, for example, the ophthalmological field.

Another disadvantage of such a device lies in the fact that the pump used comprises a pusher itself provided with a nozzle through which the product is dispensed. By the construction of the pump, the pusher is movable and the product is dispensed when the pusher is released and returns to its initial position under the effect of a return spring. This mobility of the pusher, and therefore the tip through which the product is dispensed, makes the entire device unsuitable, even dangerous, to the distribution of ophthalmic drops.

Another disadvantage of a device comprising a pump lies in the impossibility of sterilizing it by heat. Indeed, the pump comprises plastic elements, some of which, by their nature, do not withstand the high temperatures necessary for the prior sterilization of the entire device before putting it into use.

Another disadvantage of this type of device lies in the fact that the pump most often comprises metal elements, such as the spring or the valves when they consist of steel balls, incompatible with certain fragile or aggressive products or which may cause an electrolytic effect.

A first object of the invention is to allow the use of rigid containers containing a flexible pouch permanently deforming under the effect of the depression created by an expulsion of the product.

Another object of the invention is to enable the use of a product dispensing device simple and economical without having to use a pump to obtain the distribution of the product.

More generally, the object of the invention is to overcome the disadvantages of similar devices of the state of the art and to propose such a device which is more suitable for the various requirements of the practice than the known devices.

In order to achieve the aims sought by the invention, the latter proposes a device for packaging and dispensing a product, generally liquid, semi-fluid or viscous, comprising a rigid container containing a deformable flexible pouch for contain the product to be packaged and distributed using an accessory, and characterized in that the dispensing accessory is a nozzle whose container is provided, the nozzle comprising at least one flexible portion whose solicitation allows to cause the expulsion of the product, and a first valve associated with the tip allowing the product to leave the assembly composed by the container and the nozzle when said flexible portion of the nozzle is requested, without allowing the outside air to enter said nozzle when said flexible portion is released, and a second valve allowing the passage of the product from the interior of the container to the inside of the mouthpiece when said portion ie flexible is released, without allowing the passage of the product from the inside of said tip towards the interior of the container when said flexible portion is requested.

Thus the device makes it possible to dispense portions or doses of product by simple pressure on at least one flexible part of the nozzle, and to compensate for the depression thus created in the container by a contraction of the flexible bag.

Advantageously, the container consists of two separately molded and tightly assembled parts, one of which comprises the rigid container and the other the flexible deformable bag.

Advantageously, the tip which is molded separately comprises an elastic valve constituted by the tip itself or of a different nature, but always of a nature to ensure the same function, namely to allow the exit of the product by the effect of a overpressure when the flexible deformable portion of the nozzle is biased, and prevent any entry of air by the effect of suction when said flexible portion is released.

In a variant, when the tip is made of an elastic material, it is the lips-like ends of the tip itself that can open and close on a central seat to form a valve. In this case, the first valve, associated with the nozzle, is constituted by at least a portion of the nozzle itself.

Advantageously, the device comprises a second opposing valve of the first valve associated with the nozzle, and disposed between the interior volume of the nozzle and the interior volume of the container, and intended to prevent leakage of the product from the inside of the nozzle. towards the interior of the container.

Advantageously, this valve is elastically deformable and cooperates with a seat located on the lower part of a central seat. Such an elastic valve can effectively prevent any product coming out of the interior of the nozzle towards the interior of the container when the flexible part of the nozzle is urged, while permitting the entry of the product from the inside of the container. towards the inside of the mouthpiece when the flexible part of the mouthpiece is relaxed by flexing elastically towards the inside of the mouthpiece, under the effect of the suction which is created in the mouthpiece after the expulsion of the mouthpiece. a portion of product through the dispensing tip. Thus, in a simple manner, an advantageously sterile product dispensing assembly composed of a deformable chamber delimited by the mouthpiece and two valves, one exclusively allowing the product to exit through the mouthpiece when the the flexible part of the nozzle is compressed and the other allowing exclusively the entry of the product towards the inside of one end by a passage located in a central seat when the endpiece is no longer stressed.

In certain uses, for which the distribution of the product requires a precise dosage, it may be useful to limit the deformation of the tip, so as to obtain the distribution of a reproduable portion. For this purpose the endpiece comprises at least one part located inside or outside and facing said flexible part, said part of which will limit the deformation, or said flexible part is made in such a way, as accordion for example, that it deforms, always in much the same way.

Other features and advantages of the invention appear from the description given below, with reference to the accompanying drawings, which represent, by way of non-limiting examples, embodiments and implementation of the object of the invention. On these drawings:

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic view in axial section of a first example of a device according to the invention, showing a container made in two parts assembled to one another, one being rigid and the other flexible. ;

- Figure 2 is an axial sectional view of a variant of the invention, showing a tip molded separately from the rest of the container and attached thereto; FIG. 3 is an axial sectional view of the tip which comprises a flexible part, a rigid central seat and a flexible valve;

- Figure 4 is an axial sectional view of a similar device to that of Figure 2, in the use position when the flexible portion of the container is requested for the distribution of the product;

- Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 4 when the flexible part of the container is no longer solicited and resiliently returns to its original shape; In the various figures, the same reference numerals designate analogous elements of the various exemplary embodiments shown and described.

As represented in FIG. 1, the packaging and dispensing device comprises a rigid container 1 in which a flexible deformable bag 2 is placed. The container 1 comprises a recessed projection 5 in which a relief conformation 4 of the pocket 2 thus making the container 1 and the flexible pouch integral. The assembly between these two elements as shown in Figure 1 is not exclusive and it could be achieved by any other means such as ultrasonic welding or thermal welding or other. The rigid container 1 has an orifice 3 allowing the passage of the outside air,

2 shows the assembly consisting of the rigid container 1 and the flexible bag 2 which comprises the product to be dispensed 15 and on which is assembled 1 the tip 6; FIG. 3 shows the end piece 6 which comprises a deformable flexible part 10, a central seat 7 comprising a passage 13, a projecting part 14, elastic lips 9 placed at the end of the flexible part 6 and coming to close again. a sealed manner on one end 8 of the central seat 7 forming a valve, a recess forming a metering chamber 11 and a second resilient valve 12 integral with the central seat 7 and for opening or closing the passage 13.

The device as shown in Figure 2 operates as follows, with reference to Figures 4 and 5, on which the container is shown upside down, ie the tip 6 facing downwards.

Manual pressure exerted by a user according to the arrow A (FIG. 4) on the flexible part 10 of the nozzle 6 creates an overpressure inside said nozzle 6 by compressing the metering chamber 11. This overpressure maintains, of a on the other hand, the valve 12 closed, preventing any passage of the product 15 from the inside of the metering chamber 11 towards the inside of the flexible bag 2 through the passage 13, and secondly, deforms the elastic part 9 of the tip 6 which deviates from the central portion 8 of the seat 7, thus letting the product 15 escape the arrow C.

This gives the distribution of a dose or drop of the product.

This dispensing of the product stops when the user stops pressing on the flexible part 10 of the mouthpiece 6.

At this time, no overpressure no longer acting inside the metering chamber 11, the valve 9 resiliently returns to the rest position in contact with the central portion 8 of the seat 7 and thus closes the end of the endpiece 6.

By releasing completely the pressure on the flexible part 10 of the tip 6, the natural elasticity of this flexible part 10 tends to make it resume its initial position along the arrow B (Figure 5) and creates a depression inside of the metering chamber 11. This depression has the effect of lifting the elastic valve 12 which is detached from the seat 7 and releasing the passage 13 and allowing the product 15 to fill the metering chamber 10 from the flexible pouch 2 next: the arrow D. The flexible bag 2 retracts to compensate for the decrease in the volume of product, a portion was expelled in the previous phase of distribution.

This depression tends to keep closed the valve 9, which is thus in firm and sealed contact with the seat 8 preventing any entry of outside air to the inside of the metering chamber 10. When the metering chamber 10 is filled 15 the depression ceases and the natural resilience of the valve 12 returns the latter to its initial position in contact with the seat 7. The entire device is then at equilibrium, and the product 15 is isolated from the outside atmosphere and protected from any pollution.

It should be noted that the decrease in the volume of the bag 2 causes the entry of an equivalent volume of air inside the rigid container 1 through the orifice 3 along the arrow E.

Other embodiments of the container 1, the flexible bag 2 of the nozzle 6, the respective valves 9 and 12 or the central seat are possible without departing from the scope of the invention. Thus one can achieve an endpiece with lips closing on themselves and forming alone a valve without the help of the central seat 1, which can dispense calibrated drops, or a nozzle or other nozzle for dispensing intended for any application whatsoever, since this tip is associated with a valve that allows only the output of the product.

Claims

1. A device for packaging and dispensing a product, generally liquid, semi-fluid or viscous, comprising a rigid container (1) enclosing a flexible deformable bag (2) for containing the product (15) to be packaged and dispensed to the container. using an accessory, and characterized in that the dispensing accessory is a tip (6) of which all of the containers (1 and 2) is provided, the tip (6) having at least one flexible portion (10) whose solicitation makes it possible to cause the expulsion of the product (15), and a first valve (8,9) associated with the end piece (6) allowing the product (15) to leave the assembly composed by the containers (1 and 2) and the mouthpiece (6) when said flexible portion

(10) of the nozzle (6) is urged, without allowing the outside air to enter said nozzle (6) when said flexible portion (10) is released, and a second valve (12) allowing the passage of the product (15) of the interior of the container (1,2) towards the inside of the mouthpiece (6) when said flexible part (10) is released, without allowing the product (15) to pass from the interior of said nozzle (6) towards the inside of the container (1, 2) when said flexible part (10) is stressed.

2. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the tip (6) comprises a metering chamber

(11) •

3. Device according to any one of claims 1 to 2 characterized in that the first valve (9) associated with the nozzle (6) is constituted by at least a portion of the tip (6) itself.