EP0874767A1 - Device with a dual safety mechanism for dispensing a fluid material - Google Patents

Abstract

A fluid material dispenser including a container (1), a dispensing member (2) and an actuating member (10) for dispensing the fluid material, said actuating member (10) being movable between an inoperative position and an actuating position, and comprising a body portion (11) and a material discharge portion (12) that is movable relative to said body portion between a locking position in which it prevents movement of the actuating member, and an operative position in which it enables the actuating member (10) to be moved. Said material discharge portion comprises a tab (14) that is engageable, in the locking position, with an element secured to the container via a slot (15) in said body portion. The slot (15) includes at least one bridge of material (16) designed to be broken when said material discharge portion (12) is moved for the first time from the locking position to the operative position.

Description

DEVICE FOR DISPENSING A FLUID PRODUCT PROVIDED WITH DOUBLE SECURITY

The present invention relates to a fluid dispenser device provided with a double safety device, and in particular, a fluid dispenser device comprising a transport safety device and a first-use safety device.

Transport security means a device which prevents inadvertent or accidental actuation of the fluid dispenser, particularly during transport. By first-use safety means a device which indicates to the user if the fluid dispenser has already been used for the first time.

Transport safety devices for fluid dispensers are well known in the state of the art. In particular, in patents US-3,148,806 and US-3,402,862 disclose transport safety devices where the actuation of the product dispenser is prevented by pivoting a part of the pusher in a locked position, 1 actuation of the dispenser involving pivoting of said pusher in its unlocked position. In the blocking position, part of the pusher rests on a fixed element of the dispenser, thus preventing any actuation of said pusher. When this pusher is moved to its unlocking position, it no longer cooperates with said fixed element of the dispenser and the pusher can be actuated to dispense product.

First-use security devices, thus called guarantee devices, are also known in the state of the art. For example, document FR-2 697 505 discloses the use of an external ring disposed around the actuating member of the dispenser, said ring comprising a tear-off tab before the first use of the dispenser, the tab once torn allowing removal of the outer ring and therefore 1 actuation of the device. These two separate devices, however, involve a complication in the manufacture, in the mounting of the devices, and therefore an increase in costs.

The present invention aims to provide a fluid product device, comprising a transport security and a first use security. With the known devices, a combination of the two safety devices involves the use of two separate safety devices, one ensuring transport security and the other first-use security. The manufacture and assembly of such a device would therefore be more complicated which would involve a higher cost.

The present invention aims to overcome and disadvantage and provide a fluid dispenser which advantageously combines the two types of security in a single device, so as to simplify manufacture and assembly and therefore reduce costs.

The present invention therefore relates to a device for dispensing a fluid product comprising a container, a dispensing member and an actuating member of the dispensing member for selectively dispensing said fluid, said actuating member being movable between a rest position and an actuation position of the dispensing member, and comprising a body part and a product expulsion part provided with an outlet orifice, said product expulsion part being movable relative to said body part between a blocking position, where it prevents the displacement of the actuating member towards its actuating position, and a position of use, where it allows the displacement of the actuating member towards its actuation position, said product expulsion part comprising a tongue, which, in the blocking position, cooperates with a fixed element relative to the container through a slot men aged in said body part, said slot incorporating, before the first use of the device, minus a bridge of material acting as safety for first use and adapted to break when said expulsion part of the product is moved for the first time from its blocking position to its position of use. Preferably, said product expulsion part is movable relative to said part of the body, in rotation about an axis perpendicular to the direction of movement of said actuating member, said product expulsion part being, in its locking position, substantially parallel to said direction of movement of the actuating member, and, in its position of use, substantially perpendicular to said direction of movement of the actuating member.

According to a first embodiment of the invention, said slot extends on both sides of the tongue when the product expulsion part is in its locked position, so that said product expulsion part is movable in both directions to a position of use. Advantageously, said slot incorporates, before the first use of the device, a bridge of breakable material on each side of said tongue.

According to a second embodiment of the invention, said slot extends on one side of the tongue when the product expulsion part is in its locked position, said slot incorporating on this side, before the first use of the device, a bridge of breakable material.

Preferably, the dispensing member is fixedly mounted on said container by means of a fixing element, said tongue, in the blocking position of said product expulsion part, cooperating with said fixing element to prevent the displacement of the actuator towards its actuation position. Advantageously, said body part comprises a stop member which cooperates with the product expulsion part when the latter is in its position of use. In particular, the product expulsion part comprises a rib which, in its position of use, cooperates with a plate integral with said body part, to block said product expulsion part in the position of use.

According to an advantageous embodiment, said dispensing member is a pump, said fixing element is a fixing ring and said actuating member is a pusher movable axially on said pump and around said ring.

According to another advantageous embodiment, said dispensing member is a valve, said fixing element is a fixing ring and said actuating member is a pusher.

Advantageously, said pusher is angularly movable and has two internal ribs bearing on the ring, which together with the tongue prevent actuation of the pusher in the blocking position of the product expulsion part.

Advantageously, said product expulsion part from the actuating member comprises a nozzle.

Other characteristics and advantages of the present invention will appear during the following detailed description, given by way of nonlimiting example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: - Figure 1 shows a schematic sectional view of a dispenser of a fluid product according to the invention, FIG. 2 represents a schematic view in partial section of a variant embodiment of a fluid product distributor according to the invention, - Figure 3 shows a partial schematic front view, representing more particularly the safety of first use, according to the present invention, - Figure 4 is a view similar to that of Figure 2 and shows another alternative embodiment of the invention,

FIG. 4a is a view similar to that of FIG. 1 showing yet another alternative embodiment of the invention,

FIG. 5 represents an overall schematic view showing the dispenser device according to the present invention, in its locking position,

FIG. 6 represents a view similar to that of FIG. 4, in the position of use of the dispenser, and

- Figure 7 shows a schematic perspective view of the dispenser of the invention in its position of use.

Referring to Figure 1, a fluid dispenser device according to the invention comprises a container 1 in the opening of which is mounted a dispenser member 2, advantageously by means of a fixing element 3. The member distribution 2 can be arbitrary and can in particular be a pump or a valve. Likewise, the fixing element 3 can be a screwable or snap-on ring, a cup, or any other fixing element suitable for fixing a dispensing member to a container. The fluid dispenser is actuated by means of an actuating member 10, advantageously a pusher.

According to the invention, this actuating member (or pusher) 10 comprises a body part 11 and a product expulsion part 12. It is movable, for example in translation in the case of a pump, between a position of rest and an actuating position of the dispensing member 2. The expulsion part 12, provided with an outlet orifice 13 and advantageously with a nozzle 19, is movable relative to said body part 11, between a locking position, where it prevents movement of the pusher 10 in its actuating position, and a position of use, where it allows the movement of the pusher 10 in its actuating position. FIG. 1 shows more particularly the blocking position of the product expulsion part 12 of the pusher 10. This product expulsion part 12 has a projecting part, such as a tongue 14 which cooperates, in the blocking position , with an element fixed relative to the container 1, to prevent movement of the pusher 10. Advantageously, said tongue 14 is supported on a part of said fixing element 3 as visible in FIGS. 1 and 2 in the case where the member distribution 2 is mounted directly in the container without the use of a fixing element 3, the tongue can cooperate either with the container 1, or with a part of the pump body. To cooperate with the fixed element relative to the container 3, the tongue 14 of the product expulsion part 12 extends through a slot 15 formed in said body part 11 of the pusher 10. Preferably, the movement of said product expulsion part 12 relative to said body part 11 of the pusher 10 is made by rotation about an axis perpendicular to the direction of movement of the pusher. In the example shown in the figures, the pusher 10 moves vertically in translation and the product expulsion part 12 rotates about a horizontal axis. Thus, in its blocking position, the expulsion part 12 is substantially parallel to said direction of movement of the actuating member 10 and, in its position of use, said expulsion part 12 is substantially perpendicular to said movement direction of the actuating member 10. Advantageously, one can provide a stop member 18, 21 on the body part 11 of the pusher 10 as shown in FIG. 4. This stop member can for example be a flange 18 which extends above the product expulsion part 12 and which cooperates with it when it is in its position of use. Thus, the maximum angle of rotation of the product expulsion part 12, preferably ± 90 ° relative to the blocking position, can be determined by said stop member 18. Another example of stop member is shown in Figure 4a. In this example, the product expulsion part 12 comprises a rib 20 which cooperates with a plate 21, integral with the body part 11, to block said product expulsion part in the position of use.

Due to this displacement by rotation of the expulsion part of the product 12 relative to the body part 11, said slot 15 preferably has a slightly curved shape as visible in FIG. 3, to allow the displacement in rotation of the tongue 14 in the slot 15 between the locking position and the position of use.

As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the tongue 14 is supported in its locking position on the fixing element 3 of the dispensing member 2, so that the actuation of the pusher 10 is prevented. When the expulsion part 12 is moved to its position of use, the tongue 14 slides in the slot 15 until it no longer cooperates with the fixing element 3 and finds itself in the position shown in the Figure 7, outside the body part 11. In this position of use, the pusher 10 can be actuated to dispense product.

According to the invention, the slot 15 formed in the body part 11 of the pusher 10 incorporates a first-use safety device, also called a first-use guarantee or witness device. This device is preferably consisting of at least one material bridge 16 adapted to break when said product expulsion part 12 is moved for the first time from its blocking position to its position of use. Thus, if this material bridge 16 is intact, the user knows that the dispenser has never been actuated. This bridge of breakable material can be of any suitable material such as plastic, and can advantageously be formed in one piece with the body part 11 of the pusher 10. As shown more particularly in FIG. 3, the slot 15 can, in the blocking position, extend on both sides of the expulsion part 12, so that it is movable in both directions from its blocking position to a position of use. In this embodiment, the slot 15 therefore preferably comprises two bridges of material 16, one on each side of the tongue 14, so that the first-use safety device is effective in both directions. Of course, the slot 15 can also extend only on one side from the blocking position of the product expulsion part 12, in which case only one bridge of material will be incorporated on this side.

As mentioned above, the dispensing member 2 can be a valve (see fig. 4a). In certain cases, the triggering of the valve can be obtained even if the pusher 10 is not moved axially, but only angularly stressed. In this case, one or more internal ribs 31, 32, preferably two, are advantageously provided in the pusher 10, which bear on the fixing ring 3. Thus in the blocking position of the product expulsion part 12 , the two ribs 31 and 32, together with the tongue 14, form a support at three points which prevents any axial and / or angular stress on the pusher 10. When the product expulsion part 12 is moved to its position of use angular stress on the pusher becomes possible, the support of the pusher 10 on the ring 3 no longer being produced at two points. Advantageously, the ribs 31 and 32 are arranged so as to form with the tongue 14 an approximately equilateral triangle. The device according to the invention therefore makes it possible to achieve the two desired safety features, that is to say the transportation safety, preventing the actuation of the device in the blocking position of the pusher, and the safety of first use, indicating to the user if the dispenser has already been used before. These two safety devices are in the device of the invention produced by the same means, namely the slot 15 which cooperates with the tongue 14. The invention therefore provides the advantage of being able to produce a dispenser incorporating these two safety devices with a minimum of complication in manufacturing and assembly, and therefore with a minimum cost. In addition, as explained above, the device of the invention can easily be applied to any type of container, any type of dispensing member, and any type of fixing element.

Claims

claims 1.- Fluid product dispensing device comprising a container (1), a dispensing member (2) and an actuating member (10) of the dispensing member (2) for selectively dispensing said fluid, said member actuator (10) being movable between a rest position and an actuation position of the dispensing member (2), and comprising a body part (11) and a product expulsion part (12) provided an outlet orifice (13), said product expulsion part (12) being movable relative to said body part (11) between a blocking position, where it prevents movement of the actuating member (10) towards its actuation position, and a position of use, where it allows the displacement of the actuation member (10) towards its actuation position, characterized in that said part for expelling the product (12) has a tongue (14), which, in the locking position, cooperates with an element fi fixed relative to the container (1) through a slot (15) formed in said body part (11), said slot (15) incorporating, before the first use of the device, at least one bridge of material (16) acting as safety of first use and adapted to break when said expulsion part of the product (12) is moved for the first time from its blocking position to its position of use. 2.- Device according to claim 1, wherein said product expulsion part (12) is movable relative to said body part (11), in rotation about an axis perpendicular to the direction of movement of said member d actuation (10), said product expulsion part (12) being, in its blocking position, substantially parallel to said direction of movement of the actuating member (10), and, in its position of use, substantially perpendicular to said direction of movement of the actuating member (10). 3.- Device according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein said slot (15) extends on both sides of the tongue (14) when the product expulsion part (12) is in its locked position, so that said product expulsion part (12) is movable in both directions towards a position of use. 4.- Device according to claim 3, wherein said slot (15) incorporates, before the first use of the device, a bridge of material (16) breakable on each side of said tongue (14). 5.- Device according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein said slot (15) extends on one side of the tongue (14) when the product expulsion part (12) is in its position blocking, said slot (15) incorporating on this side, before the first use of the device, a bridge of material (16) breakable. 6.- Device according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the dispensing member (2) is fixedly mounted on said container (1) by means of a fixing element (3), said tongue (14) , in the blocking position of said product expulsion part (12), cooperating with said element. fixing (3) to prevent movement of the actuating member (10) to its actuating position. 7.- Device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said body part (11) comprises a stop member (18) which cooperates with the product expulsion part (12) when the latter is in its position of use. 8.- Device according to claim 7, wherein the product expulsion part (12) comprises a rib (20) which, in its position of use, cooperates with a plate (21) integral with said body part ( 11), to block said product expulsion part in the position of use. 9.- Device according to claim 6, wherein said dispensing member (2) is a pump, said fixing member (3) is a fixing ring and said actuating member (10) is a pusher axially movable on said pump (2) and around said ring (3). 10.- Device according to claim 6, wherein said dispensing member (2) is a valve, said fixing member (3) is a fixing ring and said actuating member (10) is a pusher. 11.- Device according to claim 10, wherein said pusher (10) is angularly movable and comprises two internal ribs (30, 31) bearing on the ring (3), which together with the tongue (14), prevent 1 ' actuation of the pusher (10) in the blocking position of the product expulsion part (12). 12.- Device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said product expulsion part (12) of the actuating member (10) comprises a nozzle (19).