EP3131682B1 - Fluid product dispenser - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a fluid dispenser comprising a fluid product reservoir and a dispensing member, such as a pump or a valve, mounted on the reservoir, the dispensing member comprising a pusher for actuating it, the reservoir forming a sealed sliding drum and comprising a piston which slides in the barrel, in response to an actuation of the dispensing member by pressing on the pusher, to reduce the useful volume of the reservoir and keep the fluid product out of contact with the outside air. The piston may be a follower piston which has the characteristic of moving in the sliding shaft of the reservoir when the fluid product contained in this reservoir is subjected to a depression. This is the case when the pump draws fluid in its pump chamber from the reservoir. This type of fluid dispenser is frequently used in the field of cosmetics or the pharmacy to dispense fluid products generally viscous, such as creams, gels, ointments, etc.. However, such a dispenser can also be used to dispense lower viscosity fluids, such as, for example, lotions, perfumes, etc.

In the prior art, numerous distributors of fluid products are already known that are able to dispense several fluid products, in mixed, simultaneous or parallel form. Mixing of the fluid products can be performed at the pump, or at a dispensing head. It is also possible to mix the fluid products upstream of the pump. When the fluid products are mixed directly inside a tank, it is generally referred to as "extemporaneous mixtures". The fluid products are stored separately in tanks with separate compartments, and initial or prior manipulation of the dispenser allows the two tanks to communicate to allow mixing of the fluid products.

EP 0 112 574 A shows a syringe-shaped dispenser with two separately stored fluids that are communicated by prior manipulation of the syringe.

It is also known in the prior art to use two totally separate reservoirs, each provided with a follower piston, for dispensing two fluid products that are mixed at the pump or at the dispensing head.

The present invention aims to provide a new type of fluid dispenser for an original mixture of fluid products stored in the tank. An object of the present invention is to achieve the mixing of fluid products in a single tank with a follower piston. Another object of the present invention is to be able to control with greater precision the mixing phase of the fluid products. Yet another object of the present invention is to be able to practice the present invention in a standard or conventional follower piston distributor. Yet another object of the present invention is to achieve a gradual mixing of the fluid products, and not an instant mix.

To do this, the present invention proposes that the sealed sliding shaft also contains a separator element which divides the reservoir between two compartments, namely a lower compartment defined between the piston and the separating element and an upper compartment defined between the separating element and the dispensing member, the separating element comprising at least one through hole which communicates the two compartments, the element moving in the sealed sliding shaft in response to the actuation of the dispenser member by pressing on the pusher.

It should be noted that the through hole is a structural feature inherent in the separator element that does not arise from prior handling of the dispenser. In other words, the passage hole may be already present even though the dispenser has never been used. The separator element separates the two compartments of the reservoir while forming a communication passage through the hole. With fluid products having a certain viscosity, the mixture of fluid products will take place only when a fluid product is forced through the through hole. This occurs when the distributor is actuated, which has the effect of moving the follower piston, thereby creating a differential of pressure between the two compartments of the tank. The fluid product of one compartment will then be pushed through the passage hole in the other compartment where it will mix with the fluid product.

According to one aspect of the present invention, the separator element can slide sealingly into the sliding barrel. Thus, the separator element is similar to a piston, as well as the follower piston. Alternatively, the separator element may simply be in the form of a disk whose peripheral edge comes into contact with the barrel, without achieving a perfect seal. It can even be envisaged that the passage hole is formed by an annular formed between the peripheral edge of the separating element and the sliding shaft. The number and shape of through holes can be extremely varied.

According to another characteristic of the present invention, each compartment contains a different fluid product. Fluid products may be different in viscosity, composition, property, color, transparency / opacity, etc. Advantageously, the fluid product of the lower compartment has a viscosity lower than that of the upper compartment. Thus, as the piston moves, the fluid of lower viscosity stored in the lower compartment is pushed through the hole (s) through which the separator element passes, and they can thus mix with the fluid product. a higher viscosity stored in the upper compartment. This is only a non-limiting but advantageous example.

According to another aspect of the invention, the separator element moves simultaneously with the piston. In other words, the displacement of the separator element is directly dependent on the displacement of the piston.

According to a particularly advantageous embodiment, the separator element comprises a filter. Thus, the separating element could pass only part of the fluid product stored in one of the compartments, the other part of the fluid remaining in the compartment. In this case, it can be envisaged that the separating element is fixedly mounted inside the sliding shaft.

According to another embodiment of the invention, the lower compartment may contain microcapsules which are broken at the passage of the passage hole. It is also conceivable that the microcapsules are broken by the separator element before passing through the through hole.

According to yet another embodiment of the invention, the lower compartment may contain at least one capsule containing a substance and the separating element and / or the follower piston comprising piercing means capable of piercing the capsule to diffuse the substance into the fluid product. The piercing means may for example be in the form of tips or teeth.

It may also be envisaged in the context of the present invention to implement several superimposed separating elements including the sliding shaft so as to divide the reservoir into three or more compartments. One can then store in the same tank several different fluid products that can mix in a sequence and a specific amplitude.

According to a practical embodiment, the dispenser comprises a plurality of separator elements superimposed in the barrel so as to divide the reservoir into three or more compartments.

According to a practical embodiment, the separating element is in the form of a disc with at least one sealing lip on its outer periphery. Advantageously, the separating element may comprise a conical and / or cylindrical portion.

The piston may be a follower piston that moves when the reservoir is subjected to a depression or a pusher piston resiliently biased by a spring or a propellant.

The invention lies in the fact of disposing a permeable separator element to the fluid inside a sliding shaft of a reservoir. The invention is particularly applicable to a distributor comprising a piston follower reservoir, but it can also be applied to another type of reservoir comprising a piston urged elastically, for example by a spring or gas. Instead of the pump, it can then implement a dispensing valve.

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

• La figure 1 est une vue en coupe transversale verticale à travers un distributeur de produit fluide selon un premier mode de réalisation de l'invention, et
• Les figures 2a, 2b, 2c, 3, 4, 5, 6 et 7 représentent d'autres modes de réalisation de l'invention.

In the figures:

• The figure 1 is a vertical cross-sectional view through a fluid dispenser according to a first embodiment of the invention, and
• The FIGS. 2a, 2b, 2c, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 represent other embodiments of the invention.

We will first refer to the figure 1 to describe a fluid dispenser incorporating the invention according to a first embodiment. The dispenser comprises a reservoir R comprising an opening 13 in which is fixedly mounted and sealed a dispensing member D, which may be a pump or a valve.

The fluid reservoir R comprises a shell 1 made of a relatively rigid material. This shell 1 comprises at its lower end a bottom 12, which is optionally pierced by a vent orifice. At its opposite end, the shell 1 forms the opening 13 in which is engaged the dispensing member D. Between the bottom 12 and the opening 13, the shell forms a sealed sliding shaft 11 which is cylindrical in shape, advantageously circular. In the embodiment shown in the figure 1 , the opening 13 extends in alignment in the extension of the sliding shaft 11. However, without departing from the scope of the invention, it is conceivable that the opening 13 forms a narrowing in the form of a neck of diameter reduced compared to that of the drum 11.

The tank R also comprises a follower piston 2 which is engaged inside the barrel 11 so as to slide in a sealed manner. This follower piston 2, quite conventionally, may comprise one or two sealing lips 21 which are in sealing engagement with the barrel 11. The follower piston 2 also comprises a plate 22 which extends into the interior of the lip or lips 21. In the initial position, the follower piston 2 is disposed near or in contact with the bottom 12, so that the bulk of the useful volume of the reservoir R is disposed above The follower piston 2. This is a quite conventional design for a fluid reservoir incorporating a follower piston.

The dispensing member D, which is here a pump, may have a quite conventional design. It may for example comprise a body 4 surmounted by a pusher 5 defining a dispensing orifice. The body 4 is fixedly mounted and sealed in the opening 13 of the shell 1. By pressing the pusher 5, the fluid is pressurized in a pump chamber, so as to repress its contents through the pusher and the dispensing orifice. When releasing the pusher, a return spring tends to return it to its rest position, thereby causing an increase in volume of the pump chamber in which a depression is created which has the effect of sucking up the product. fluid from the reservoir R. Again, it is a configuration and a mode of operation quite conventional for a pump in the field of cosmetics, pharmacy or perfumery. Due to the depression created in the reservoir, the follower piston 2 moves inside the sliding drum 11 by a distance corresponding to the fluid volume sucked by the dispensing member D.

According to the invention, a separating element 3a is disposed inside the tank R, and more precisely inside the sliding drum 11, so as to divide it into two compartments, namely a lower compartment Ri defined between the follower piston 2 and the separator element 3a and an upper compartment Rs defined between the separator element 3a and the lower face of the dispensing member D. This separator element 3a however defines a communication passage between the two compartments Ri and Rs In the first embodiment of the Figures 1 and 2a this communication passage is formed by a through hole 33 formed directly in the separating element, for example at its center. This single passage hole 33 can have any shape, for example annular as shown in the figures. In more detail, the separating element 3a may be in the form of a disk pierced at its center by a through hole 33 and advantageously forming on its periphery one or two sealing lips 31 in sealing engagement with the Sliding barrel 11. It is also conceivable that the separating element 3a has no peripheral sealing lip 31 and that its contact with the sliding barrel 11 is not perfectly sealed.

In the initial position, when the reservoir R is filled with fluid, the separating element 3a may for example be placed halfway between the follower piston 2 and the lower face of the dispensing member D. The lower compartment Ri may filled with a first fluid, and the upper compartment Rs can be filled with another fluid. The two fluids come into contact with each other, for example at the through hole 33. However, in the absence of actuation of the dispenser member D or the displacement of the follower piston 2, the two Fluid products generally remain static and their interface remains at the through hole 33. The two fluid products stored respectively in the two compartments Ri and Rs may be identical, but preferably they are different. The difference between these two fluid products can be of any kind, such as a difference in viscosity, color, transparency / opacity, composition, physico-chemical property, etc. Advantageously, the fluid product of the lower compartment Ri has a viscosity lower than that of the product stored in the upper compartment Rs. The two compartments are completely filled with fluid, so that there is no air at the bottom. inside.

When actuating the dispensing member D by pressing on the pusher 5, a vacuum is generated in the reservoir R consisting of two compartments Ri and Rs. In response, the follower piston 2 will move, thereby generating also a displacement of the interface between the two fluid products. In other words, the fluid product of the compartment Ri can be forced back into the fluid product of the upper compartment Rs through the hole of passage. Thus, a portion of the first fluid product of the compartment Ri mixes with the fluid product of the compartment Rs in the compartment Rs. This implies that the separating element 3a does not move in the same stroke as the follower piston 2. It is possible, for example imagine that the separator element remains static with respect to the sliding shaft 11, when the follower piston 2 moves. It can also be envisaged that the separating element 3a moves, but at a distance less than that of the follower piston 2. The first fluid product of the compartment Ri will thus be progressively pushed back into the compartment Rs, where it will mix with the second fluid product, creating a more or less homogeneous mixture. Depending on the viscosity and / or the relative density of the two fluid products, it may for example be envisaged that the first fluid product of the compartment Ri will go up in the compartment Rs through the second fluid product to reach the distribution member D. Many configurations of passage, mixing, interpenetration are possible depending on the nature of the two fluid products, as well as the disposition of the separator element and the configuration of the passage hole or holes 33 .

For example, we can refer to Figures 2b and 2c which show alternative embodiments for the separator element: the separator element 3b of the figure 2b comprises two through holes 33, while the separator element 3c of the Figure 2c includes three through holes 33. The arrangement of the through holes and their size is given for illustrative purposes only.

On the figure 3 we can see another separator element 3d which is in the form of a sieve in the manner of a spider's web. This separator element 3d thus defines many through holes whose cumulative area may be greater than half of the total area of the separator element.

On the figure 4a it is possible to see another separating element 3e comprising a through hole equipped with a filter 33 "This filter 33" may for example be used to filter the fluid product stored in the lower compartment Ri, so as to separate these components. In other words, the separator element can have a filtering function.

Referring to the figure 5 another type of separator element 3f equipped with several through-holes 33 can be seen, but which also comprises piercing means in the form of tips or teeth 34, for example formed on its underside. These piercing means can for example be used to pierce a capsule C, as visible on the figure 6 . Indeed, on this figure 6 it can be seen another embodiment in which the separator element 3g comprises through holes 33 and have a slightly convex shape for accommodating a capsule C enclosing a substance. Since the separating element 3g does not include piercing means, such as those of the separator element 3f, it was necessary to equip the follower piston 2 'with piercing means 24 in the form of pins or teeth. or 24. Thus, when the follower piston 2 "will approach the separator element 3g, the piercing means 24 will come into contact with the capsule C, and will pierce it. mix with the first fluid product of the reservoir Ri before mixing with the second fluid product of the compartment Rs after passing the through holes 33. Thus, in the embodiments of the Figures 5 and 6 the separator element may be used to pierce a capsule C at a given or desired instant.

On the figure 7 we see another embodiment for a separator element 3h which is no longer in the form of a disk, but rather with a frustoconical portion 32 'which is extended by a cylindrical portion 32 "forming the through hole 33. This embodiment is intended to make it clear that the separator element may have very diverse geometrical shapes, provided that it delimits two superimposed compartments inside the reservoir R.

Although not shown, one can imagine embodiments and applications in which the sliding shaft 11 contains not a only separator element, but several so as to define three or more compartments.

On the figure 1 , the reservoir R is provided with a follower piston 2 which moves when the reservoir is subjected to a depression. In addition, the dispensing member D is preferably a pump. However, without departing from the scope of the invention, it is possible to make a dispenser incorporating the present invention and comprising a piston in a sliding shaft, which is not a follower piston, but a pusher piston, for example resiliently biased by a spring or a propellant. In this case, it is preferable to use a dispensing valve as dispensing member D. The separating element will fulfill exactly the same role of separation and communication between two compartments formed inside the tank.

With the present invention, there is obtained a dispenser of fluid products with a single reservoir but divided into several compartments separated by a separator element defining a communication passage. The mixing of the fluid products takes place during the actuation of the dispenser which results in a distribution of fluid product.

Claims (12)

1. A fluid dispenser comprising a fluid reservoir (R) and a dispenser member (D), such as a pump, that is mounted on the reservoir (R), the dispenser member (D) including a pusher (5) for actuating it, the reservoir (R) forming a leaktight slide cylinder (11) and including a piston (2; 2') that slides in the cylinder (11) in response to the dispenser member (D) being actuated by pressing on the pusher (5), so as to decrease the working volume of the reservoir (R) and keep the fluid out of contact with the outside air;
   the leaktight slide cylinder (11) further containing a separator element (3a; 3b; 3c; 3d; 3e; 3f; 3g) that divides the reservoir into two compartments (Ri, Rs), namely a lower compartment (Ri) that is defined between the piston (2; 2') and the separator element (3a; 3b; 3c; 3d; 3e; 3f; 3g), and an upper compartment (Rs) that is defined between the separator element (3a; 3b; 3c; 3d; 3e; 3f; 3g) and the dispenser member (D), the separator element (3a; 3b; 3c; 3d; 3e; 3f; 3g) including at least one through hole (33; 33'; 33") that puts the two compartments (Ri, Rs) into communication with each other, the fluid dispenser being characterized in that the two compartments being filled entirely with fluid, such that there is no air therein and that, the separator element (3a; 3b; 3c; 3d; 3e; 3f; 3g) moves in the leaktight slide cylinder (11) in response to the dispenser member (D) being actuated by pressing on the pusher (5) that results in fluid being dispensed.
2. A dispenser according to claim 1, wherein the separator element (3a; 3b; 3c; 3d; 3e; 3f; 3g) slides in leaktight manner in the slide cylinder (11).
3. A dispenser according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein each compartment (Ri, Rs) contains a different fluid.
4. A dispenser according to claim 3, wherein the fluid of the lower compartment (Ri) presents viscosity that is lower than the viscosity of the fluid of the upper compartment (Rs).
5. A dispenser according to any preceding claim, wherein the separator element (3a; 3g) moves simultaneously with the piston (2; 2').
6. A dispenser according to any preceding claim, wherein the separator element (3d) includes a filter (33").
7. A dispenser according to any preceding claim, wherein the lower compartment (Ri) contains microcapsules that are broken on passing through the through hole (33).
8. A dispenser according to any preceding claim, wherein the lower compartment (Ri) contains at least one capsule (C) containing a substance, and the separator element (3e) and/or the piston (2') includes perforator means (34; 24) that are suitable for perforating the capsule (C) so as to diffuse the substance into the fluid.
9. A dispenser according to any preceding claim, including a plurality of separator elements that are superposed in the cylinder (11) in such a manner as to divide the reservoir into three or more compartments.
10. A dispenser according to any preceding claim, wherein the separator element (3a; 3b; 3c; 3d; 3e; 3f; 3g) is in the form of a disk with at least one leaktight-sliding lip (31) on its outer periphery.
11. A dispenser according to any preceding claim, wherein the separator element (39) includes a portion that is conical (32') and/or cylindrical (32").
12. A dispenser according to any preceding claim, wherein the piston (2; 2') is a follower piston that moves when the reservoir (R) is subjected to suction, or a pusher piston that is resiliently biased by a spring or by a propellant gas.

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