WO2022254150A1

WO2022254150A1 - Fluid product dispenser

Info

Publication number: WO2022254150A1
Application number: PCT/FR2022/051041
Authority: WO
Inventors: Florent Pouliaude
Original assignee: Aptar France Sas
Priority date: 2021-06-02
Filing date: 2022-06-02
Publication date: 2022-12-08
Also published as: FR3123635A1; CN117425529A; FR3123635B1; EP4347139A1

Abstract

Dispenser comprising: a reservoir (R) forming a threaded neck (R3) and a main face (Rf), a dispensing member (P), such as a pump or a valve, a fastening ring (B) forming a threaded skirt (B1) engaging around the threaded neck (R3) with an optimum clamping torque, and a trim sleeve (F) mounted on the fastening ring (B) and comprising a complementary face (Fc) intended to be oriented angularly in a precise manner with respect to the main face (Rf) of the reservoir (R), characterized in that the trim sleeve (F) can be rotated with friction on the fastening ring (B) from the moment when the optimum clamping torque is achieved, with the result that the trim sleeve (F) can rotate about the fastening ring (B) until its complementary face (Fc) is precisely oriented with respect to the main face (Rf).

Description

Fluid product dispenser

The present invention relates to a fluid dispenser comprising a reservoir forming a threaded neck and a main face. The dispenser also comprises a dispensing member (pump or a valve for example) and a fixing ring forming a threaded skirt capable of coming into engagement around the threaded neck of the reservoir with an optimum tightening torque. A neck seal is optionally compressed between the neck and the fixing ring. The distributor also includes a trim ring mounted on the fixing ring. This hoop comprises a complementary face intended to be angularly oriented in a precise manner with respect to the main face of the reservoir.

The preferred field of application of the present invention is that of perfumery, without forgetting cosmetics or even pharmacy.

In the prior art, this type of oriented hoop distributor has been known for a long time. In general, the hoop completes the tank, whether in its shape and/or its decoration. Due to tolerances in the tank neck, fixing ring and neck gasket, the desired angular orientation of the hoop is not always achieved when the optimum tightening torque is achieved. Very often, we settle for a compromise between these two requirements that are difficult to reconcile: either the crushing of the joint is too weak or too strong, or the alignment of the faces is not perfect.

The object of the present invention is to remedy this well-known drawback of oriented hoop distributors.

To do this, the present invention proposes a dispenser comprising:

- a reservoir forming a threaded neck and at least one main face,

- a dispensing device, such as a pump or a valve,

- a fixing ring forming a threaded skirt capable of coming into engagement around the threaded neck of the reservoir with an optimal tightening torque,

- a covering hoop mounted on the fixing ring and comprising at least one complementary face intended to be angularly oriented precisely with respect to the main face of the tank, the covering hoop being rotatable with friction on the fixing ring from the moment when said optimum tightening torque is reached, so that the covering hoop can turn around the fixing ring which remains fixed until its complementary face is precisely oriented with respect to the main face.

Advantageously, the rotational friction forces between the fixing ring and the covering hoop are substantially equal to or slightly greater than the optimum tightening torque. The hoop therefore begins to turn around the ring when the maximum tightening torque is reached. During the assembly operation of the ring (with its pump or valve) on the threaded neck of the tank, there is no longer to worry about the end of the screwing, but just the alignment or the correspondence of the two sides.

Advantageously, a neck gasket can be arranged between the neck and the fixing ring, the gasket being sufficiently compressed with the optimum tightening torque. The optimal crushing of the neck joint is automatically achieved by fixing the friction forces between the ring and the hoop at the value of the optimal tightening torque. Instead of the neck seal, a self-sealing lip can be used.

According to an advantageous embodiment, the fixing ring can form external notches and the covering hoop forms internal notches, the internal and external notches being in fixed engagement until said determined tightening torque is reached, the internal notches then sliding on the external notches to allow the complementary face to orient itself correctly with respect to the main face. The first clicking of the notches indicates that the final tightening torque has been reached and the last clicking marks the alignment of the faces.

Advantageously, the internal and/or external notches may comprise gently sloping sides allowing shifting in the screwing direction when said determined tightening torque is reached or exceeded.

On the other hand, the internal and/or external notches can comprise steeply sloping sides resulting in the interlocking of the notches in the direction of the unscrewing. The notches therefore remain interlocked during screwing as long as the final tightening torque has not been reached and during unscrewing.

Preferably, the covering hoop may comprise an internal sleeve engaged around the threaded skirt of the fixing ring and an external shell which forms the complementary face, the internal notches being formed by the internal sleeve.

As a variant or in addition to the notches, the tank can form an abutment profile and the covering hoop can form an abutment lug which cooperates with the abutment profile in a relative angular position corresponding to the desired mutual orientation of the main faces. and complementary.

Preferably, the covering hoop may comprise an internal sleeve engaged around the threaded skirt of the fixing ring and an external shell which forms the complementary face, the abutment lug being formed by the internal sleeve.

The invention naturally finds a preferred application when the main and complementary faces are flat and/or provided with a common decoration.

The present invention also defines a method for mounting the distributor defined above, comprising the following steps: a) Determining the optimum tightening torque for screwing the fixing ring onto the threaded neck, so as to obtain optimum crushing of the neck gasket, b) Fix the friction forces in rotation between the cover hoop and the fixing ring substantially at the value of the optimum tightening torque, c) Mount the cover hoop around the fixing ring, d ) Place the fixing ring on the threaded neck, and e) Rotate the covering hoop to first screw the fixing ring onto the threaded neck then position the main and complementary faces correctly with respect to each other. 'other. The spirit of the invention is based on the fact of determining the optimum tightening torque by using the rotation resistance of the covering hoop on the fixing ring. The hoop and the ring remain integral in rotation as long as the tightening torque has not reached the friction forces between the two parts. Beyond that, the hoop rotates around the ring which is screwed onto the neck with the required torque. The notches with differentiated slopes make it possible on the one hand to ensure shifting when the optimum tightening torque is reached and on the other to ensure unscrewing. The stopper at the end of the stroke makes it possible to guarantee the alignment or the correspondence of the faces.

The invention will now be more fully described with reference to the attached drawings giving, by way of non-limiting examples, several embodiments of the invention.

In the figures:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a dispenser according to a first embodiment of the invention in the assembled state,

Figure 2 is an exploded perspective view of the dispenser of Figure

1 ,

Figure 3 is a vertical cross-sectional view through the dispenser member, the fixing ring and the covering hoop,

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the fixing ring of the invention receiving a dispensing member,

Figure 5 is a bottom perspective view of the covering hoop of the invention,

Figure 6 is a horizontal cross-sectional view illustrating the interlocking of the covering hoop and the fixing ring according to one embodiment of the invention,

Figures 7a, 7b and 7c are perspective views illustrating different stages of assembly of the dispenser of Figures 1 and 2,

Figure 8 is a cutaway perspective view of a dispenser according to a second embodiment of the invention in the assembled state,

Figure 9 is a greatly enlarged view of a detail of Figure 8, and FIG. 10 is a view similar to FIG. 6 for the covering hoop of the second embodiment.

Reference will first be made to FIGS. 1 to 6 to describe the dispenser according to this first embodiment of the invention. The dispenser comprises a fluid product reservoir R, which forms a body R1 intended to contain the fluid product, which can be of any kind, such as for example perfume, a cosmetic product or even a pharmaceutical product. The body R1 defines an upper shoulder R2, which here is substantially flat. Other shapes are possible for shoulder R2. The R tank also includes an R3 neck that protrudes upward from the R2 shoulder. This R3 neck is externally threaded. In other words, it forms one or more external threads. The threaded neck R3 also defines an upper annular edge R4, which can be planar or profiled.

It can be seen that the body R1 is of substantially parallelepipedal shape, thus defining a main face Rf. The body R1 can define a second main face, which can be opposed to the face Rf. The main RF face(s) can be provided with a decoration, in the form of an ink, a lacquer, a screen printing, a label, an engraving , profile molding, etc. This decor can be indoors or outdoors.

The dispenser also includes a dispenser member P, which can be a pump or else a valve. It is provided with a pusher P3 to actuate it and thus distribute the fluid product. The dispenser member P is not critical for the invention and will therefore not be described in detail. In the case of a pump, the latter conventionally comprises a pump body P1 with a fluid product inlet. A piston slides in a sealed manner in the pump body P1 to put a dose of fluid product under pressure. The piston is mounted on an actuating rod P2 which moves back and forth against a return spring. The dose of pressurized fluid product escapes through an outlet valve to the pusher P3 which includes a fluid product outlet. This design is quite conventional for a pump in the fields of cosmetics, perfumery or pharmacy. For the leaktight mounting of the dispenser member P on the fluid reservoir R, the dispenser provides a fixing ring B which comprises a threaded skirt B1 intended to come into engagement with the threaded neck R3 of the reservoir. The final screwing of the threaded skirt B1 on the threaded collar R3 is achieved with an optimal tightening torque. Generally, sealing is achieved by means of a neck gasket J which may be an annular flat gasket. This seal J is arranged on the upper annular edge R4 of the neck R3 and is compressed either directly by the fixing ring B or by means of the dispenser member P, as is the case here. Instead of the neck seal J, it is also possible to use a self-sealing lip which comes into tight contact with the internal wall of the threaded neck R3. Be that as it may, whether there is a neck joint or not, the final screwing of the threaded ring B1 on the threaded neck R3 is determined by an optimum tightening torque.

In Figure 4, it can be seen that the outer wall of the threaded skirt B1 is provided with vertical outer notches B2, which will be described in more detail with reference to Figure 6.

The distributor also comprises a trim ring F which comprises an internal sleeve F1 intended to come into engagement around the threaded ring B1 of the fixing ring B, as can be seen in FIG. 3. The trim ring F also comprises an outer shell F3 which surrounds the inner sleeve F1 and which here has a substantially parallelepipedic shape, similar to that of the body R1 of the tank R. This outer shell F3 defines a complementary face Fc, which is intended to be oriented with precision by relative to the main face Rf of the reservoir R.

The covering hoop F defines inside the internal sleeve F1 several internal vertical notches F2 intended to cooperate with the external notches D2 of the threaded skirt B1.

The drive of the fixing ring B in rotation by the cover hoop F is ensured by the nesting of the internal notches F2 of the hoop F in the external notches B2 of the threaded skirt B1.

Referring to Figure 6, one can see an advantageous embodiment for the notches F2 and B2. B2 external notches can extend side by side over the entire periphery of the outer wall of the threaded skirt B1. As for the external notches B2, they can be distant from each other. It is for example possible to provide only two to five internal notches inside the internal sleeve F1. Each outer notch B2 comprises a gently sloping flank B21, a steeply sloping flank B22 and a flat top B23. As for the internal notches F2, they can have a similar configuration, with a gently sloping side F21, a steep sloping side F22 and a flat top F23. It is then easy to understand that the gently sloping sides B21 and F21 can slide one over the other so as to cause the internal notch F2 to pass from one internal notch B2 to the other. The gently sloping sides F21 and B21 will then slide over each other until the flat tops B23 and F23 engage. The flat tops will then slide over each other until the internal notch F2 falls between the two following notches B2 of the threaded skirt B1. The shifting of the internal notches F2 on the external notches B2 is possible in the clockwise direction corresponding to the direction of screwing, but not in the anticlockwise direction corresponding to the direction of unscrewing, given that the steep clefts B22 and F22 would come into insurmountable frank contact.

During assembly, the covering hoop F is engaged around the fixing ring B, the internal notches F2 of the hoop F engaging with the external notches B2 of the threaded skirt B1. There is no particular orientation between the cover band F and the fixing ring B. Once the band F is mounted on the ring B, the assembly can be attached to the tank R, as shown in figure Figure 7a. The dispensing member P is introduced inside the neck R3 until the end of the threaded ring B1 comes into contact with the threaded neck R3. Then, it is necessary to drive the cover hoop F in rotation to screw the threaded ring B1 onto the threaded neck R3. However, when the optimum tightening torque is reached, corresponding for example to an optimum crushing of the neck gasket J, the cover band F is not necessarily oriented in the correct manner with respect to the body of the reservoir R1. In other words, the complementary face Fc of the fret F is not oriented as it should with respect to the main face Rf of the reservoir R. This situation is represented in FIG. 7b.

According to the invention, the covering hoop F can still be driven in rotation on the fixing ring B, which is now integral in rotation with the tank R. This rotation of the covering hoop F is made possible by the fact that the internal notches F2 can rip on the external notches B2 of the ring B1. In other words, the F2 notches can slip, overcome, skid or even scrape on the external B2 notches. Of course, the shifting of the notches F2 on the notches B2 only occurs when the optimum tightening torque between the threaded skirt B1 and the threaded neck R3 has been reached. In the final position as represented in FIG. 7c, the two faces Rf and Fc are correctly oriented.

To carry out the present invention, it is therefore necessary first of all to determine the optimum tightening torque for screwing the fixing ring B onto the threaded neck R3. Then, it is necessary to set the rotational shift threshold between the cover hoop and the fixing ring substantially at the value of the optimum tightening torque. This is done by playing on various factors, such as the height of the notches, the inclination of the gently sloping blanks, the materials used, the number of internal notches F2.

More generally, this shift threshold is a friction force threshold between two surfaces, which are here structured in this first embodiment. It can thus be said that the friction forces which unite the hoop F to the ring B are equal to or greater than the optimum tightening torque between the ring B and the neck R3.

Figures 8, 9 and 10 illustrate another interesting feature of the invention, which can be implemented in the embodiment of Figure 1 or in another embodiment without external notches B2. We can see on the fluid reservoir R 'forms at its shoulder R2 an abutment profile R21, which can simply be in the form of a small stud which projects upwards from the shoulder R2. This abutment profile R21 is arranged axially below the internal sleeve F2' of the covering hoop F'. To cooperate with the abutment profile R21, the internal sleeve F1' forms a tongue F2' at its lower edge, which will come into abutment against the profile R21, when the complementary face Fc of the hoop F' is oriented with precision with respect to the main face Rf of the reservoir R'. This is shown more clearly in Figure 9. To reach this final stop position which marks the alignment of the two faces Rc and Rf, the procedure is the same as in Figures 3a to 3c. The upper assembly is attached to the tank, then the fixing ring is screwed onto the threaded neck using the trim ring F'. As soon as the optimum tightening torque is reached, the hoop F' begins to rotate around the ring B until the stall F2' comes into abutment against the abutment profile R21. The threaded skirt B1 of the ring B can be provided with external notches B2 or not. The inner wall of the inner sleeve F 1 'can be provided with internal notches F2, as shown in Figure 10 or not. It suffices that the friction forces between the internal sleeve F 1 'and the threaded skirt B1 be equal to or slightly greater than the optimum tightening torque between the fixing ring B and the threaded neck R3.

Thanks to the invention, it is possible to orient a covering hoop with precision relative to the tank without worrying about the optimum tightening torque, since this has been previously considered to determine the friction forces necessary for the hoop to be able to rotate. around the ring, as soon as the optimum tightening torque is reached. The final angular position of the hoop F can be adjusted by means of a final stop, as explained with reference to figures 8 to 10.

Claims

1. Distributor including:

- a fluid reservoir (R; R') forming a threaded neck (R3) and at least one main face (Rf),

- a distribution device (P), such as a pump or a valve,

- a fixing ring (B) forming a threaded skirt (B1) capable of engaging around the threaded neck (R3) of the fluid reservoir (R; R') with an optimum tightening torque,

- a cover hoop (F; F') mounted on the fixing ring (B) and comprising at least one complementary face (Fc) intended to be angularly oriented in a precise manner with respect to the main face (Rf) of the tank of fluid product (R; R'), characterized in that the cover hoop (F; F') is rotatable with friction on the fixing ring (B) from the moment when said optimum tightening torque is reached, so that the cover hoop (F; F') can rotate around the fixing ring (B) which remains fixed until its complementary face (Fc) is precisely oriented with respect to the main face (Rf ).

2. Dispenser according to claim 1, wherein the rotational friction forces between the fixing ring (B) and the covering hoop (F; F') are equal to or slightly greater than the optimum tightening torque.

3. Dispenser according to claim 1, or 2 wherein a neck gasket (J) is disposed between the neck (R3) and the fixing ring (B), the neck gasket (J) being sufficiently compressed with the torque of optimum tightening.

4. Distributor according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the fixing ring (B) forms external notches (B2) and the covering hoop (F; F') forms internal notches (F2), the notches internal (F2) and external (B2) being in fixed engagement until said torque of It determined tightening is reached, the internal notches (F2) then slipping on the external notches (B2) to allow the complementary face (Fc) to orient itself with respect to the main face (Rf).

5. Distributor according to claim 4, in which the internal notches (F2) and/or external (B2) comprise gently sloping sides (F21; B21) allowing shifting in the screwing direction when said determined tightening torque is outmoded.

6. Dispenser according to claim 4 or 5, wherein the internal (F2) and/or external (B2) notches comprise steeply sloping flanks (F22; B22) causing the interlocking of the notches in the direction of unscrewing.

7. Dispenser according to claim 4, 5 or 6, wherein the covering hoop (F; F') comprises an internal sleeve (F1) engaged around the threaded skirt (B1) of the fixing ring (B) and an outer shell (F3) which forms the complementary face (Fc), the internal notches (F2) being formed by the internal sleeve (F1).

8. Dispenser according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the fluid reservoir (R') forms an abutment profile (R21) and the covering hoop (F') forms an abutment lug (F2') which cooperates with the abutment profile (R21) in a relative angular position corresponding to the desired mutual orientation of the main (Rf) and complementary (Fc) faces.

9. Dispenser according to claim 8, wherein the covering hoop (F') comprises an internal sleeve (F 1 ') engaged around the threaded skirt (B1) of the fixing ring (B) and an external shell ( F3) which forms the complementary face (Fc), the abutment lug (F2') being formed by the internal sleeve (F1').

10. Dispenser according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the main (Rf) and complementary (Fc) faces are flat and/or provided with a common decoration.

11. A method of mounting a distributor according to any one of the preceding claims, comprising the following steps: a) determining the optimum tightening torque for screwing the fixing ring (B) onto the threaded neck (R3), b) Fix the rotational friction forces between the cover hoop (F; F') and the fixing ring (B) substantially at the value of the optimum tightening torque, c) Mount the cover hoop (F; F') around the fixing ring (B), d) Arrange the fixing ring (B) on the threaded neck (R3), and e) Drive the cover hoop (F; F') in rotation for d first screw the fixing ring (B) onto the threaded neck (R3), then position the main (Rf) and complementary (Fc) faces correctly with respect to each other.