WO2013156729A1

WO2013156729A1 - Container for a fluid product, and dispenser using such a container

Info

Publication number: WO2013156729A1
Application number: PCT/FR2013/050832
Authority: WO
Inventors: Patrick Muller; Florent Pouliaude
Original assignee: Aptar France Sas
Priority date: 2012-04-20
Filing date: 2013-04-16
Publication date: 2013-10-24
Also published as: FR2989671A1; BR112014026015B1; FR2989671B1; BR112014026015A2; EP2838667A1; ES2578006T3; EP2838667B1; US20150083757A1

Abstract

The invention relates to a container (R; R') for a fluid product, including a bottom (12) and a pipe (21) defining an opening (20), a sealing ball (3) being inserted into the pipe (21) so as to hermetically seal the opening (20), the ball (3) being movable via an external push member (45; 46) so as to drop the ball (3) via gravity to the bottom (12) of the container such that the opening (20) is thus unblocked, characterized in that the pipe (21) is connected to a dip tube (25), which extends up to the bottom (12) of the container, the diameter of the pipe (21) being smaller than that of the dip tube (25), the ball (3) being sealingly engaged in the pipe (21) prior to being pushed into the dip tube (25) in which the ball freely falls to the bottom (12) of the container.

Description

Fluid product tank and dispenser using such a reservoir

The present invention relates to a fluid reservoir comprising a bottom and an opening. This reservoir is intended to be associated with a dispensing member, such as a pump or a valve, to form a fluid dispenser. Moreover, the present invention also relates to a fluid dispenser comprising a reservoir according to the invention. The preferred fields of application of the present invention are those of perfumery, cosmetics or even pharmacy.

In the prior art, there already exist fluid containers whose opening is closed or sealed by means of a lid which is sealingly mounted on the opening of the tank. When this reservoir is then associated with a dispensing member, the seal is pierced so as to create a fluid communication between the reservoir and the dispenser member. This type of tank can be in the form of a cartridge or refill that can be replaced by another once empty. One can speak of replaceable or interchangeable tank.

In the prior art, document US2006 / 0054633 is also known which describes a reservoir whose opening is provided with an inlet valve formed by a ball biased against a seat by a spring. The ball is pushed out of contact with its seat by a needle formed by a specific pump to be associated with the reservoir. The seal between the reservoir and the pump is formed by a tubing which engages the outside of the valve seat which forms a sealing sleeve. When the pump is removed from the tank, the ball is urged against its seat by the spring, so that the tank is sealed again. The reservoir of this document has a complex structure, due to the implementation of a ball valve and a sealing sleeve for collaborating with the tubing of the pump. On the other hand, the pump also has a complex structure, since it must be provided with a needle to push the ball valve and a particular tubing that can cooperate with the tank sleeve.

The documents FR358354 and FR358564 describe bottles with a neck in which a ball is hermetically engaged. Using a pusher in the form of a tube, the ball can be pushed to make it fall by gravity to the bottom of the bottle. These bottles are not suitable for mounting a pump or a valve and thus constitute a fluid dispenser.

The present invention aims to overcome the aforementioned drawbacks of the prior art by defining a removable tank of simple structure which is initially sealed by a sealing ball and whose opening can be released simply by the establishment of a dispensing member, such as a pump, of standard design. Another object of the present invention is to use a single push member to both release the sealing ball from the opening of the tank and seal between the reservoir and the dispenser member.

To do this, the present invention provides a fluid reservoir comprising a bottom and a conduit defining an opening, a sealing ball being engaged in the conduit so as to seal the opening, the ball being movable by a thrust member external so as to drop the ball by gravity to the bottom of the tank so that the opening is thus released,

characterized in that the conduit is connected to a dip tube which extends to near the bottom of the reservoir, the conduit having a diameter which is smaller than that of the dip tube, the ball being in sealed engagement with the conduit prior to to be pushed into the dip tube in which it falls freely to the bottom of the tank.

The dip tube is thus integrated in the tank, so that the pump or valve that is mounted on it does not need to have a dip tube. It is also easier to dislodge the ball from the conduit with the inlet of the pump or valve, which is hard, rather than with a dip tube, which is very often flexible. The sealing ball is not a ball valve, and serves only to seal or initially seal the opening of the tank. Once it has been pushed by the external thrust member, it falls freely into the tank and no longer fulfills any function, except to inform the user that the connection of the dispensing member to the tank has been correctly performed. . For this, it must of course that the tank is transparent or at least translucent.

According to a first advantageous embodiment, the ball is trapped in the plunger tube. Advantageously, the conduit and the plunger tube are integrally formed by an insert. The conduit may be considered as a local constriction or constriction of the dip tube located at the reservoir opening. Once the ball has been released from this narrowing or throttling, it falls freely inside the dip tube, since the inner diameter of the dip tube is greater than the diameter of the ball. By holding the ball captive of the dip tube, it is prevented that it moves freely inside the tank. This can improve the aesthetics of the tank.

According to an advantageous characteristic of the invention, the opening is formed by a conduit comprising a protruding internal sealing bead, the sealing ball being in sealed engagement in the conduit below the bead. Not only the ball can not be extracted from the conduit because the cord prevents it, but still the position of the ball inside the conduit is fixed. The sealing bead is intended to come into pressed contact with an element of the dispensing member, such as for example the external thrust element. In a non-preferential variant, the ball may be placed above the bead.

According to another advantageous characteristic of the invention, the opening is formed by a conduit comprising a protruding internal sealing bead, the ball being in sealing engagement with the protruding internal sealing bead. The ball may be disposed below or above the cord, or at the cord. The contact between the ball and the cord forms a sealed annular contact which can be added to the contact between the ball and the conduit. According to a practical embodiment, the reservoir comprises a reservoir body forming the bottom and an insert forming the conduit and the opening, the insert also forming a collar which extends radially outwardly from the conduit, the flange engaging the tank body. The ball can thus be pre-assembled in the conduit of the insert before returning and fixing the insert on the tank body. The fixing of the insert on the tank body can be carried out by any means, such as, for example, the snap-in seal, the waterproof-sealing plug, the welding, the gluing, etc. Of course, the tank can also be made in one piece.

The present invention also defines a fluid dispenser comprising a pusher and a dispensing member, such as a pump, removably mounted on a reservoir as defined above, the dispensing member comprising a thrust member adapted to to be introduced into the opening of the tank to push the ball and make it fall to the bottom of the tank. Thus, the combination of the dispensing member and the reservoir makes it possible to disengage the ball from the opening of the reservoir, thus establishing a communication between the reservoir and the dispenser member.

According to one embodiment of the invention, the thrust member is formed by an inlet tube which communicates upstream with a chamber of the dispensing member, the inlet tube sealingly engaging in the opening tank to establish a communication between the tank and the chamber. Thus, the inlet tube serves a dual function, namely that of pushing the ball out of the conduit and that of sealing between the reservoir and the dispenser member. This seal can be improved by the presence of a sealing bead inside the conduit.

According to another embodiment, the thrust member is formed by a dip tube which communicates upstream with a chamber of the dispensing member, the dip tube being connected to an inlet tube sealingly engaged in the opening the tank, thus establishing a communication between the tank and the chamber. Thus, the dip tube pushes the ball out of the conduit, and the inlet tube seals with the conduit. It can even be provided that the plunger tube is made integrally with the inlet tube, so that the inlet tube can be considered as an integral part of the plunger tube. In this case, it can be considered that the plunger tube also performs a dual function, namely that of pushing the ball and that of sealing between the reservoir and the dispenser member.

According to an advantageous embodiment, the dispenser comprises a holster which envelops the pusher, the dispenser member and a portion of the reservoir so that the holster is movable relative to the reservoir by displacement of the pusher with respect to the hinge member. distribution.

The spirit of the invention lies in the fact of very simply sealing a reservoir, preferably removable, with the aid of a ball which is disengaged from the opening of the reservoir by a pushing member of a dispenser member (pump for example) and falls by gravity into the tank.

An advantageous characteristic is that the thrust element also fulfills a sealing function between the reservoir and the dispenser member. The presence of a dip tube integrated in the tank allows to use a dispensing member without a dip tube and to keep the ball captive of the dip tube once clear of the opening. The reservoir of the invention can be used with any standard or conventional pump since they all include an inlet tube that connects a pump or valve chamber through an inlet valve.

The invention will now be further described with reference to the accompanying drawings, giving by way of non-limiting examples, two embodiments of the invention.

In the figures:

FIG. 1 is a view in vertical cross-section through a fluid dispenser comprising a reservoir according to a first embodiment of the invention,

FIG. 2 is a view of the reservoir of FIG. 1 in the initial state before being associated with the dispensing member of FIG. 1, FIG. 3 is a view similar to that of FIG. 1 showing a reservoir according to a second embodiment of the invention, and

FIG. 4 is a view similar to that of FIG. 2 for the reservoir in the initial state of FIG. 3.

Reference will firstly be made to FIGS. 1 and 2 to describe in a general manner the different constituent elements of a fluid dispenser according to the invention. The distributor comprises three essential components, namely a fluid reservoir R, a dispensing member 4 which is here a pump, mounted on the fluid reservoir R, and a pusher 5 mounted on the dispenser member 4. Optionally, the dispenser also comprises a case 6 which envelops or surrounds the pusher 5, the dispensing member 4 and at least a portion of the tank R, as can be seen in FIG.

The dispensing member 4 is a pump comprising a pump chamber 40 defined between an inlet valve 41 and an outlet valve 43. To reduce the volume of the pump chamber 40, there is provided a piston 43 which slides from waterproof way in a drum. The dispensing member 4 also comprises an actuating rod 44 through which the fluid product pressurized in the pump chamber 40 is discharged. At its lower end, below the inlet valve 41, the dispensing member 4 forms an inlet tube 45 into which a plunger tube 46 is fitted. In a variant, the plunger tube 46 can be made in one piece with the inlet tube 45, so that the inlet tube 45 forms a portion of the dip tube. It can be seen in FIG. 1 that the diameter of the plunger tube 46 is smaller than the diameter of the inlet tube 45, since the plunger tube 46 is fitted inside the inlet tube 45. Even in the case of embodiment monobloc, it is preferable that the plunger tube 46 has a diameter smaller than that of the inlet tube 45. This is a quite conventional design for a conventional pump in the field of perfumery, cosmetics or even the pharmacy. The pusher 5 is fitted on the free end of the actuating rod 44 of the dispensing member 4. The pusher comprises a dispensing orifice 51 which advantageously allows the fluid to be dispensed in spray form or spray form. By pressing on the pusher 5, the actuating rod 44 is moved, driving with it the piston 42, so as to reduce the useful volume of the pump chamber 40. The inlet valve 41 is then closed, and the Opening of the outlet valve 43 takes place when the pressure inside the pump chamber 40 reaches a predetermined threshold. From this moment, the fluid under pressure in the chamber 40 can flow through the actuating rod 44 to reach the dispensing orifice 51. As soon as the pressure on the pusher 5 is released, the actuating rod 44 returns to its rest position under the action of a return spring. The pump chamber 40 then increases in volume, the outlet valve 42 closes and the inlet valve opens to suck fluid from the reservoir through the plunger tube 46 and the open inlet valve 41. This is a quite conventional operation for a pump associated with a pusher in the fields of cosmetics, pharmacy or perfume.

The holster 6, which is an optional element, surrounds the pusher 5, with the exception of the dispensing orifice 51, the dispensing member 4 and a portion of the tank R, as can be seen in FIG. figure 1 . Thus, to actuate this dispenser, it is necessary to move the reservoir R relative to the case 6. In doing so, the pusher 5 is moved relative to the dispensing member 4, or more precisely the pusher 5 pushes the rod of actuation 44 and the piston 42 so as to dispense a dose of fluid product through the orifice 51. The case 6 may extend around the tank R to near the bottom 12, if desired. Conversely, the case 6 may extend only to near the upper end of the tank R, if desired.

The fluid reservoir R may be made in one piece, but preferably, it is made in two separate pieces reported one on the other, namely a tank body 1 and an insert 2. The body 1 comprises a side wall 1 1 of any shape which is closed at its lower end by a bottom 1 1 and defines at its upper end a neck 13 The body 1 may be made of any suitable material, such as glass, plastic, metal, etc. The insert

2 comprises a conduit 21 which defines an opening 20 communicating the interior of the body 1 with the outside. The duct 21 is substantially cylindrical, but may define internally one or more protruding bead (s) 24 which locally reduce the passage section of the duct 21. At its upper end, the duct 21 forms an inlet chamfer 23 which facilitates access to the duct 21. The insert 2 also comprises a flange 22 which extends radially outwardly from the duct 21. In the example of FIGS. 1 and 2, the duct 21 extends downwards from the internal periphery of the flange 22. In a variant, the duct 21 can extend upwards from the internal periphery of the flange. the collar 22.

The primary function of the flange 22 is to assemble the insert 2 on the tank body 1. This assembly can be achieved by any technique, such as gluing, welding, snapping or wrapping. In FIGS. 1 and 2, the flange 22 is welded or glued to the upper edge of the neck 13 of the tank body 1.

According to the invention, a sealing ball 3 is housed in a sealed manner inside the conduit 21, so as to seal or seal the opening 20 of the reservoir. This implies that the internal diameter of the duct 21 is, at least locally, less than the diameter of the ball 3. The ball is preferably made of a denser material than the fluid product: it is possible, for example, to use a metal, glass or plastic material denser than the fluid, so that the ball does not float, but on the contrary flows. When the conduit 21 is provided with an internal sealing bead 24, it is preferable that the ball 3 is received below the cord 24. Preferably, the ball 3 can come into contact with the cord 24 so as to create a additional sealing area. The cord 24 also makes it possible to fix the position of the ball 3 inside the duct 21. Indeed, it is enough to engage the ball 3 in the conduit 21 from its lower end and push it until it abuts against the cord 24. It is known that the ball 3 is correctly positioned inside the conduit 21. This initial sealing position is shown in FIG. 2. Of course, the reservoir R is already filled with fluid, such as, for example, perfume, lotion, serum, cream, etc. Alternatively, it is conceivable to position the ball 3 above the cord 24, in contact with the latter or not. It is also possible to position the ball 3 at the level of the cord 24, without the ball coming into contact with the cylindrical portion of the duct 21.

The tank R can then be handled without any risk of fluid loss or leakage. It may be in the form of a cartridge or a refill that can be associated with the assembly consisting of the dispensing member 4, the pusher 5 and optionally the case 6. For this, the The user first introduces the free end of the plunger tube 46 into the opening 20 until it comes into contact with the ball 3.

Then, the user presses more strongly so as to push the ball 3 out of the conduit 21 with the aid of the plunger tube 46. Once a ball clear of the conduit 21, it falls by gravity into the reservoir to the bottom 12. The user can then effortlessly introduce the plunger tube 46 through the opening 20 of the duct 21 until the inlet tube 45 engages inside the duct 21. Again, it is sufficient for the user to press harder to forcibly engage the inlet tube 45 within the conduit 21, to the final mounting position shown in Figure 1. When the conduit 21 is provided with one or more projecting sealing bead (s), the inlet tube 45 is engaged with its free end beyond the cord (s) 24, so that the bead 24 locally deforms the tube 45 over its entire periphery to create an improved seal. Of course, this implies that the outer diameter of the inlet tube 45 is slightly less than the internal diameter of the conduit 21 or the sealing cord or seals 24. The plunger tube 46 then extends to near the bottom 12, and the ball 3 is free to move inside the tank R. By making the tank body 1 with an opaque material, the Ball 3 is not visible. In addition, by making the ball 3 with a dense plastic material, it will generate no noise inside the tank body 1.

Reference will now be made to FIGS. 3 and 4 to describe a second advantageous embodiment of the invention. In Figure 3, the dispenser has only been partially shown, the upper part of the dispenser not being shown. However, the dispensing member 4, the pusher 5 and the optional case 6 may be strictly identical to those of the first embodiment of FIG. Even the inlet tube 45 of the dispensing member 4 may be identical. It is the same for the overall structure of the fluid reservoir R 'which also comprises a tank body 1' and an insert 2 '. The reservoir body 1 'comprises a bottom 12 and a neck 13. However, the neck 13 differs somewhat from that of the first embodiment, in that it comprises an enlarged inlet section 14 as well as a throat. The insert 2 'also includes a conduit 21 which may be internally provided with a sealing bead 24. The insert 2' also comprises a flange 22 which differs from that of the first embodiment in that it comprises an annular reinforcement 26 intended to engage the enlarged section 14 and an annular sealing rib 27 intended to be housed in the groove 15 of the neck 13. The duct 21 also forms an inlet chamfer 23 allowing to facilitate access to the conduit 21. The duct 21 extends downwards to form a dip tube 25 which extends to near the bottom 12. It may be noted that the internal diameter of the duct 21 is smaller than that of the dip tube 25.

In the sealed initial position shown in FIG. 4, a sealing ball 3 is received inside the conduit 21 below the cord 24, as in the first embodiment. The ball 3 may come into contact with the cord 24. The reservoir R is then perfectly sealed and filled with fluid. It can be manipulated by the user to associate it with the assembly consisting of the dispensing member 4, the pusher 5 and the optional case 6. Thus, the user can introduce the reservoir R 'into the case 6 so as to engage the inlet tube 45 of the dispensing member 4 in the chamfer of the leads 21. The user will encounter a first difficulty when the conduit 21 will engage with the cord 24. By increasing the pressure, it will penetrate the inlet tube 45 beyond the cord 24, so as to push the ball 3 which will fall freely in the dip tube 25 to the bottom 12, as shown in FIG. 3. Of course, it is necessary for the diameter of the ball 3 to be slightly greater than the internal diameter of the pipe 21 and less than the internal diameter of the 25. As the plunger tube 25 extends to near the bottom 12, the ball 3 remains trapped in the plunger tube 25, and can not move freely inside the tank R '.

In this second embodiment, it may be noted that the inlet tube 45, which acts as an external thrust member, not only makes it possible to disengage the ball 3 from the duct 21, but also to seal the reservoir R 'and the dispensing member 4. It may be noted for this purpose in Figure 3 that the outer diameter of the inlet tube 45 may be smaller than the internal diameter of the duct 21 but greater than the internal diameter of the sealing bead 24 , in order to achieve a localized sealing only at the cord 24. In the first embodiment of Figures 1 and 2, the ball 3 is pushed with the aid of the plunger tube 46, and the seal is made to the using the inlet tube 45. However, it can be considered that the inlet tube 45 is integral with the plunger tube 46, or vice versa, so that the same thrust member fills both the push function on the ball and sealing.

In both embodiments, the ball 3 serves only to seal or seal initially the opening 20 of the tank, and no longer performs any sealing or sealing function once the tank is connected to the body of the tank. distribution. The fact of integrating the dip tube 25 to the tank as in the second embodiment allows the use of a dispensing member 4 without a dip tube. A tank according to the invention can be used as a replaceable or interchangeable cartridge or replaceable refill.

Claims

claims

1. - fluid reservoir (R; R ') comprising a bottom (12) and a conduit (21) defining an opening (20), a sealing ball (3) being engaged in the conduit (21) so as to seal tightly the opening (20), the ball (3) being displaceable by an external thrust member (45; 46) so as to cause the ball (3) to drop by gravity to the bottom (12) of the reservoir so that the opening (20) is thus released,

characterized in that the conduit (21) is connected to a dip tube (25) which extends to near the bottom (12) of the reservoir, the conduit (21) having a diameter which is smaller than that of the dip tube (25), the ball (3) being in sealed engagement in the conduit (21) before being pushed into the dip tube (25) in which it falls freely to the bottom (12) of the tank.

2. - Tank according to claim 1, wherein the ball (3) is trapped in the dip tube (25).

3. - Tank according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the conduit (21) and the plunger tube (25) are integrally formed by an insert (2 ').

4. - Tank according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the opening (20) is formed by a conduit (21) comprising a protruding internal sealing bead (24), the sealing ball (3) being in sealed plug in the conduit below the cord (24).

5. Tank according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the opening (20) is formed by a conduit (21). comprising a protruding internal sealing bead (24), the ball (3) being in sealing engagement with the protruding internal sealing bead (24).

6. - tank according to any one of the preceding claims, comprising a reservoir body (1) forming the bottom (12) and an insert (2; 2 ') forming the conduit (21) and the opening (20), the insert (2; 2 ') also forming a flange (22) extending radially outwardly from the conduit (21), the flange (22) engaging the reservoir body (1).

7. - fluid dispenser comprising a pusher (5) and a dispensing member (4), such as a pump, removably mounted on a reservoir (R; R ') according to any one of the preceding claims, the dispensing member (4) comprising a thrust member (45; 46) adapted to be introduced into the opening (20) of the tank (R; R ') to push the ball (3) and to drop it at the bottom (12) of the tank.

8. - A dispenser according to claim 7, wherein the thrust member is formed by an inlet tube (45) which communicates upstream with a chamber (40) of the dispensing member (4), the tube of 'Entrance

(45) sealingly engaging the opening (20) of the tank (R ') to establish communication between the tank (R') and the chamber (40).

9. - Dispenser according to claim 7, wherein the thrust member is formed by a dip tube (46) which communicates upstream with a chamber (40) of the dispensing member (4), the dip tube

(46) being connected to an inlet tube (45) sealingly engaging the opening (20) of the tank (R '), thereby establishing communication between the tank (R) and the chamber (40).

10. A dispenser according to claim 7, 8 or 9, comprising a case (6) which surrounds the pusher (5), the dispensing member (4) and a portion of the reservoir (R; R ') so that the holster (6) is movable relative to the tank (R; R ') by displacement of the pusher (5) with respect to the dispensing member (4).