EP1722896B1 - Liquid product dispensing device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a fluid dispenser member generally intended to be associated with a fluid reservoir to form together a fluid dispenser. It is a dispensing member whose actuation is usually performed manually using a finger of the user. The fluid product is distributed in the form of a jet of fine sprayed droplets, a continuous net or a dab of fluid, particularly in the case of viscous product, such as cosmetic creams. Such a fluid dispenser member may in particular be used in the fields of perfumery, cosmetics or even pharmacy to dispense more or less viscous products.

The present invention is more particularly, but not exclusively, concerned with a type of dispensing member which is commonly referred to as a "push-pump". Such a designation is explained by the fact that the dispensing member comprises a pusher forming not only a dispensing orifice but also defining a portion of a fluid product chamber in which fluid is selectively pressurized. In the case of a pump, it is a pump chamber. A peculiarity of this pusher pump lies in the fact that an inner surface of the pusher, of generally cylindrical general shape, serves as a sealed sliding shaft for a piston which moves in sealed contact in this barrel to thus selectively unmask the orifice of distribution. This piston is generally a piston of the differential type that moves in response to a pressure variation of the fluid within the chamber. This differential piston is to be differentiated from the main piston whose displacement is generated by the actuation of the pusher. Thus, in such a pusher pump, there is a differential piston and a main piston, movable in sealing contact in respective drums. The main drum for the main piston can also be formed by the pusher.

This is particularly the case in the pump described in the document WO 97/23304 . The pusher comprises a bearing wall on which is exerted a pressure with a finger to actuate the pusher. In addition, the pusher comprises a skirt that extends downwardly from the support wall. This skirt forms a first sealed sliding shaft for a differential piston and a second main shaft for the main piston of the pump. The differential piston is dissociated from the main piston. The differential piston is biased away from the support wall by a spring which acts as both a return spring and a precompression spring. The sliding piston of the differential piston is formed with an outlet conduit which leads to a nozzle attached in a housing formed in the skirt of the pusher. This nozzle forms a dispensing orifice at which the fluid product exits the dispensing member. In addition, the housing formed by the skirt is made with a swirl system that cooperates with the nozzle to drive the fluid in a swirling motion before exiting through the dispensing orifice. This vortex system is conventionally formed by one or more tangential swirl channels opening into a vortex chamber centered precisely on the dispensing orifice. The swirl system is in the form of a recess network within the skirt housing. This recess network is then supplemented by the attached nozzle which isolates the swirl channels and the chamber. Thus, the sliding shaft of the differential piston is in the form of a cylindrical surface only interrupted at the outlet channel. When pressing the pusher, the main piston back in the main shaft of the pusher which has the effect of moving the differential piston by sealingly sliding inside the differential drum. This has the effect of compressing the spring: the differential piston then moves upwards towards the bearing wall of the pusher. The active sealing lip of the differential piston, which is directly in contact with the fluid product, slides in the lower part of the barrel located under the outlet channel. As soon as the differential piston reaches the level of the outlet duct, the fluid product pressurized in the The chamber is forced out of the chamber through this conduit and reaches the nozzle where it is swirled and ejected through the dispensing orifice.

Of the document US 4,271,990 , there is known a fluid dispenser member according to the preamble of claim 1.

The pump of the document WO 97/23304 consists of five essential components, namely a body intended to be associated with a fluid reservoir, the pusher, a ball forming an inlet valve, the differential piston and the nozzle. The body forms the main piston.

The purpose of the present is to simplify a distribution member of the type described in the aforementioned prior art document so as to reduce the number of component parts. A particular goal is to do without a reported nozzle. Another aim is to preserve the swirl system which contributes to the quality of the distribution of the fluid product. Another object of the invention is to improve the cooperation between the differential piston and the pusher, in particular the sealed sliding contact and the creation of the outlet passage for the fluid product.

To achieve some of these objects, the present invention provides a fluid dispenser member according to claim 1.

This type of dispensing member may be a pump-type push-button, but it may also be other types of dispensing members in which the pusher is dissociated from the distribution wall. One can imagine that the distribution wall is fixed relative to the reservoir, or mobile relative to the pusher. Advantageously, the sliding shaft, the dispensing orifice and the swirling system are integrally formed by the distribution wall.

Advantageously, the internal surface, at the level of the upper section, forms a fluid swirling system immediately upstream of the dispensing orifice. Sliding the lip on a section offset from the section where the dispensing orifice is formed is particularly advantageous with respect to the molding of the dispensing wall. Indeed, the distribution wall is very generally made from molded injected plastic material. For this purpose, a mold consisting of several elements is used. One of these elements forms in particular a pin intended to form the internal surface of the distribution wall. In the case of the present invention, this pin must form the swirl system. Since the swirl system extends into a recessed portion in the slide shaft, the pin must form a corresponding recess protruding outwardly. Thus, during removal of the pin during demolding, the protruding footprint must be removed in force. The protruding imprint must therefore leave the recessed portion that it has formed and move over an axial extent of the sliding shaft. Since the plastic is flowable, the passage of force of the protruding imprint marks very little sliding shaft. Also, by providing a guide wall with an inner surface having a diameter greater than that of the slide shaft, the projecting indentation of the pin can be removed at this level without biting into the inner surface of the guide wall. As a result, the projecting indentation of the spindle is only forcibly withdrawn over a small axial extent of the sliding barrel: this limits the risk of deterioration of the sliding barrel during demolding of the spindle.

However, the present invention is not limited to the case where the distribution wall forms a swirl system.

According to another embodiment, the piston comprises a second lip in sealing contact with the upper section.

Alternatively, the piston is out of contact with the upper section. In this case, there is no upper lip.

According to another characteristic that can be implemented independently of the characteristics related to the lip of the piston, the piston comprises a sealing abutment edge in sealing abutment contact against an abutment surface, the piston being resiliently biased against this sealing abutment surface in the rest position, the sealing contact between the abutment edge and the abutment surface hermetically isolating the chamber from the dispensing orifice.

Advantageously, the abutment surface is frustoconical and urges the abutment edge radially outwards. Advantageously, the distribution wall is formed by a pusher further comprising a bearing wall which extends on its outer periphery by the distribution wall, the abutment surface being formed by the support wall.

In another aspect, the transition section is frustoconical.

According to another feature which can also be implemented independently, the distribution wall is formed by a substantially cylindrical skirt further comprising a guide wall defining an inner surface which advantageously extends substantially in the extension of the lower section, the guide wall comprising internal hooking means in abutment with external holding means. Thus, the guide wall of the pusher surrounds the portion of the body forming the holding means.

In another aspect, the sealing lip in contact with the lower section is urged elastically towards the upper section in the rest position.

The abutment edge can be implemented without the lower lip sliding on a lower section of larger diameter.

An interesting aspect of the invention lies in the fact that the same wall through which a dispensing orifice passes internally forms a fluid swirling system.

The invention will now be further described with reference to the drawings giving by way of non-limiting example an embodiment of the invention.

• la figure 1 est une vue en coupe transversale verticale à travers un distributeur équipé d'un organe de distribution selon un mode de réalisation de l'invention à l'état de repos,
• la figure 2 est une vue partielle agrandie de la figure 1, et
• la figure 3 est une vue encore plus agrandie d'un détail de l'organe de distribution de l'invention.

In the figures:

• the figure 1 is a vertical cross-sectional view through a dispenser equipped with a dispensing member according to an embodiment of the invention in the rest state,
• the figure 2 is an enlarged partial view of the figure 1 , and
• the figure 3 is an even larger view of a detail of the dispensing member of the invention.

The distribution member 600, on the figures 1 and 2 , is shown associated with a container 650 comprising a body 651 internally defining a fluid reservoir 5. The body 651 is provided at its upper end with an opening in the form of a neck 653, which serves to fix the dispensing member of the invention.

The dispensing member 600 comprises three constituent elements, namely a body 610, a pusher 620 and a piston member 630. The dispensing member further comprises spring means 640, here in the form of a spring. black pudding. The body, the pusher and the piston member are preferably made by molding plastics material. The dispensing member has the design of a pump comprising a pump chamber 1.

The body 610 comprises a fixing ring 611 which cooperates with the neck 653 for fixing the member on the container 650. The ring 611 is engaged with the outside of the neck 653. The body 611 also forms a guide sleeve and holding 614. The upper end of the guide sleeve 614 is formed with an outer shoulder 6141, which serves as external holding means. The body also forms a main shaft 617 which internally defines a sealed sliding surface, the function of which will be given below. The body also forms a dip tube 615 which extends inside the container 650. The dip tube 615 is extended at its upper end by an inlet sleeve 616 which forms an inlet valve profile or seat. The plunger tube 615 and the sleeve 616 are traversed by an inlet duct 618. The inlet sleeve 616 concentrically extends inside the main barrel 617, so that an annular space is formed between them.

The body 610 has an axial symmetry of revolution about an axis X which extends longitudinally at the axial center of the inlet duct 618.

This is a particular design for a particular body of a dispensing member according to a non-limiting embodiment of the invention. Of course, the body may have other characteristics than those just described, as far as they are not outside the scope of the invention, as defined by the claims.

The pusher 620 forms a dispensing head of the dispenser member. The pusher 620 comprises a bearing wall 621 and a peripheral skirt 622 which extends downwardly from the outer periphery of the support wall. Thus, the pusher 620 has the general shape of an upside-down cup whose bearing wall forms the bottom and the skirt the cylindrical lateral wall. However, the skirt is not necessarily cylindrical. It may have frustoconical or rounded sections.

The bearing wall 621 comprises an outer bearing surface 6211 on which can be pressed with one or more finger (s). On the other hand, the bearing wall 621 comprises an inner surface 6212 which advantageously forms one or more stop studs 6213.

The skirt 622 comprises an upper distribution wall 623 and a lower guide wall 624. The distribution wall 623 is connected at its upper end to the outer periphery of the support wall 621. The distribution wall 623 comprises an outer surface. and an inner surface. This inner surface is cylindrical circular and defines a sliding shaft as will be seen below. The inner surface defines two cylindrical inner surface sections 6232 and 6242 connected by a transition section 6243, which can be stepped or frustoconical. One of the two sections being an upper section 6232 and the other a lower section 6242. The upper section has an internal diameter smaller than that of the lower section. The upper section is connected to the support wall, and more particularly to the inner surface 6212 of the support wall. At the junction between the upper section 6232 and the inner surface 6212 is formed a peripheral annular groove 6214 which comprises an abutment surface 6213, advantageously frustoconical.

The upper section is formed with a through dispensing orifice 625 extending from the inner surface to the outer surface. The dispensing orifice 625 may open at the outer surface in a diffusion cup.

According to an advantageous characteristic of the invention, the upper section 6232 of the distribution wall 623 is formed with a swirling system 626 which makes it possible to drive the fluid product in rotation in the form of a swirling of which the eye is centered. on the dispensing orifice. Thus, the distribution wall 623, which is advantageously made in one piece with the support wall 621 and the guide wall 624, is traversed by a dispensing orifice and comprises an internal surface formed with a swirl system, at the level of the upper section.

The guide wall 624 extends in the extension of the distribution wall 621, and more precisely of the lower section 6242. The boundary between the guide wall and the distribution wall is not clearly defined, so that the lower section can be considered as part of the distribution wall and / or the guide wall. The guide wall comprises a stopper bead 6241 on its inner surface intended to cooperate with the shoulder 6141 of the guide sleeve 614. The guide wall 624 surrounds the guide bushing 614 concentrically. The abutment bead 6241 makes it possible to secure the pusher to the body, which can thus only move axially over a maximum travel determined by the distance separating the lower end of the guide wall from the fixing ring 611.

The piston member 630 comprises, in this embodiment, a main piston 636 slidably engaged in the main shaft 617 and a differential piston formed by two lips 632 and 633 in leaktight sliding contact in the shaft formed by the surface internal wall of the distribution wall 623. The two lips 632 and 633 are formed on the outer periphery of the plate 631. The piston member 630 is advantageously made in one piece. The lips 632 and 633 extend one above the other with a spacing greater than the axial extent of the swirl system 626. In the rest position shown in FIG. figure 1 the upper lip 632 is in contact with the upper section 6232 above the swirl system 626, while the lower lip 633 contacts the lower section 6242 below the swirl system 626. Thus, the swirl system can not communicate with the inside of the pusher except at the space formed between the two lips 632 and 633. This is the rest position in which the piston member 630 is biased against the wall of support 621 by the spring 640. It can be considered that the differential piston is formed by the plate 631 forming the two lips 632 and 633. The piston member advantageously also comprises a stop edge 6321 located near the lip 632. This The ridge extends concentrically inside the lip 632, since the lip is formed by an outer edge and the ridge by an inner edge of an annular flange. The abutment edge 6321 is intended to come into sealing abutment contact against the abutment surface 6213 formed by the bearing wall. The edge is urged by the spring 640 towards the surface, and the sealing contact is established in the rest position, represented on the Figures 1 to 3 . The truncation of the surface 6213 tends to push the edge 6321 radially outward, which has the effect of pressing the lip 632 further against the upper surface section 6232. A better seal is thus obtained in the rest position.

The piston member 630 also forms an axial central rod 637 which extends from the plate 631 away from the bearing wall 621. This axial rod 637 is partially engaged inside the inlet sleeve 616 formed by the body 610. The rod 637 forms a valve profile intended to cooperate with the corresponding profile formed by the sleeve 616. In other words, the rod 637 in cooperation with the sleeve forms an inlet valve for a chamber of pump 1, as will be seen below. On the other hand, the piston member 630 forms a piston ring 635 at the lower end of which is formed the main piston 636. The piston ring 635 concentrically extends around the axial rod 637, in such a way as to define between them an annular duct which extends through the plate 631 through fluidic fluid passage holes 634.

The body 610, the pusher 620 and the piston member 630 together form a pump chamber 1 which extends continuously between the main shaft 617 and the sleeve 616, between the piston ring 635 and the axial shaft 637, in the through holes 634, and between the plate 631 and the inner surface of the bearing wall 621. Thus, the upper surface of the plate 631 and the inner surface form wall elements of the pump chamber 1. In the rest position shown on the figure 1 the spring 640 pushes the piston member 630 into abutment against the bearing wall 621. The inlet valve formed in cooperation between the axial rod 637 and the sleeve 616 is open. The two lips of the differential piston are in contact with the barrel formed by the inner surface of the distribution wall 623.

In addition, the abutment edge 6321 is in sealing contact with the abutment surface 6213. The pump chamber is thus perfectly isolated from the dispensing orifice in the rest position.

By exerting a force on the outer bearing surface 6211 of the bearing wall, the pusher moves axially relative to the body. Since the piston member abuts against the bearing wall, the piston member is pushed by the pusher. Initially, the movement of the pusher has the effect of closing the inlet valve: the axial rod 637 engages more deeply in the sleeve 616 until a sliding sealing contact is created between the sleeve or the rod. Thus, the pump chamber 1 is isolated from the tank 5. From this moment, the product in the pump chamber 1 is to be put under pressure. Since the fluid product is incompressible, the total useful volume of the pump chamber must remain constant. But as the main piston 636 sinks into the shaft 617 thus decreasing the volume of the lower part of the chamber, a new volume must be created. This is possible because the differential piston moves away from the support wall 621. This has the effect of sliding the lips 632 and 633 inside the distribution wall 623 and to undo the watertight contact. 6321. The lips move in this way until the upper lip 632 reaches the swirl system 626. At this time, the fluid under pressure in the pump chamber finds a passage of exit through the swirl system and the dispensing orifice. The passage remains open as long as the pressure inside the chamber can overcome the force of the spring. As soon as the pressure decreases below a certain threshold inside the chamber, the spring pushes the differential piston towards the rest position shown in the figures. The swirl system and the dispensing orifice are then again isolated from the pump chamber.

It may be noted that the upper lip 632 is directly in contact with the fluid product, while the lower lip is not directly in contact with the fluid product. Thus, the upper lip slides in the upper part of the barrel defined by the upper section above the swirl system. However, this portion of the barrel has a better surface quality than the lower portion of the upper section which extends just below the swirl system, which can be damaged by removal of the molding pin. On the other hand, the lower lip 633 slides against the lower surface section, which can not have been damaged by the removal of the molding pin which served to form the swirl system, because its inner diameter is greater than to that of the spit.

An interesting feature of the invention lies in the fact that the piston member 630 is urged against the bearing wall 621 and moves under the effect of the pressure increase inside the pump chamber. away from this support wall. This is made possible thanks to the fluid product passage holes 634 which pass through the plate 631 forming the differential piston. It can also be said that the support wall 621 defines a wall element of the pump chamber.

Such displacement of the differential piston away from the bearing wall 621, in combination with a swirl system 626 formed in the distribution wall 623, is advantageous in terms of demolding since the upper lip 632 slides in a sealed manner. on the upper part of the sliding shaft which has not been damaged by the removal of the molding pin forming the negative imprint used to mold the swirl system.

It can also be noted that the rest position is reached when the abutment bead 6241 formed by the guide wall 624 abuts under the outer shoulder 6141.

It is quite possible to eliminate the upper lip 632 of the differential piston, so that the latter is then provided only with a lower lip 633 and an abutment edge 6321. Indeed, the edge guarantees a static sealing at rest, which is enough. As for the lower lip, it guarantees dynamic sealing during actuation. Thus, the front wall 6323 of the differential piston which faces the dispensing orifice 625 and the swirl system 626 can remain detached from the distribution wall 623, except at the level of the lower lip 633.

As soon as the abutment edge 6321 comes off the abutment surface 6213, the passage between the chamber and the dispensing orifice 625 is established. It is not necessary to have a sealing lip which scrapes the upper section at which the dispensing orifice 625 is formed, and advantageously the swirl system 626.

Thanks to the invention, a lip of the differential piston slides in a cylinder which can not be damaged by the withdrawal of the molding pin, and particularly in the case where the distribution wall forms a swirl system. The difference in diameter between the upper section and the lower section makes it possible to obtain this result.

On the other hand, the sliding of the pusher around the bushing of the body makes it possible to produce a dispenser whose pusher diameter is identical to or greater than that of the body and the reservoir. The pusher can extend in the extension of the reservoir, which gives a more tubular appearance to the dispenser. This characteristic can be implemented independently of the characteristics related to the differential piston.

Claims (10)

1. A fluid dispenser member (600) having a dispensing wall (623) defining an outside surface and inside surface, said dispensing wall (623) being provided with a through dispensing orifice (625) connecting the inside surface to the outside surface, the inside surface forming a leaktight slide cylinder for a piston (630) suitable for moving in leaktight contact inside said cylinder for selectively unmasking the dispensing orifice (625), said piston (630) forming a wall element of a fluid chamber (1) inside which fluid is selectively put under pressure, the inside surface extending over two surface segments which are cylindrical, namely a cylindrical inside top surface segment (6232) and a cylindrical inside bottom surface segment (6242), the cylindrical top segment (6232) having an inside diameter that is smaller than the inside diameter of the cylindrical bottom segment (6242), both cylindrical inside surface segment (6232, 6242) being connected by a transition segment (6243) and the piston (630) being provided with a sealing lip (633) in leaktight sliding contact with the cylindrical inside bottom surface segment (6242), characterized in that the dispensing orifice (625) is formed in the cylindrical inside top surface segment (6232).
2. A fluid dispenser member (600) according to claim 1, in which the piston (630) is provided with a second lip (632) in leaktight sliding contact with the cylindrical inside top surface segment (6232).
3. 3. A fluid dispenser member (600) according to claim 1, in which the piston (630) is out of contact with the cylindrical inside top surface segment (6232).
4. A fluid dispenser member (600) according to any preceding claim, in which the piston (630) is provided with a leaktight abutment edge (6321) in leaktight abutting contact against an abutment surface (6213), the piston (630) being urged resiliently against said leaktight abutment surface in the rest position, the leaktight contact between the abutment edge (6321) and the abutment surface (6213) hermetically isolating the chamber (1) from the dispensing orifice (625).
5. A fluid dispenser member (600) according to claim 4, in which the abutment surface (6213) is frustoconical and urges the abutment edge (6321) radially outwards.
6. A fluid dispenser member (600) according to any preceding claim, in which the transition segment (6243) is frustoconical.
7. A fluid dispenser member (600) according to any preceding claim, in which the dispensing wall (623) is formed by a substantially cylindrical skirt (622) further provided with a guide wall (624) defining an inside surface which advantageously extends substantially in alignment with said cylindrical inside bottom surface segment (6242), the guide wall (624) being provided with internal fastening means (6241) in abutment with external holding means (6141).
8. A fluid dispenser member (600) according to claim 4 or claim 5, in which the dispensing wall (623) is formed by a pusher (620) comprising a push wall (621) which is extended at its outer periphery by the dispensing wall (623), the abutment surface (6213) being formed by the push wall (621).
9. A fluid dispenser member (600) according to any preceding claim, in which, at the cylindrical inside top surface segment (6232), the cylindrical inside surface forms a fluid swirl system (626) immediately upstream from the dispensing orifice (625).
10. A fluid dispenser member according to any preceding claim, in which the sealing lip (633) in contact with the cylindrical inside bottom surface segment (6242) is resiliently urged towards the cylindrical inside top surface segment (6232) in the rest position.

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