EP3474997B1 - Fluid product dispensing and application assembly - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a fluid dispenser comprising a dispensing member, such as a pump, a dispensing head, such as a fluid product applicator, and a fluid reservoir connected in leaktight and removable manner to the distributing body. Thus, the reservoir, once empty, can be removed from the dispensing member, to be replaced by a full reservoir of the same type or of a different type. The preferred fields of application of the present invention are those of cosmetics, perfumery or even pharmacy.

Conventionally, the fluid reservoir of a conventional dispenser is connected to the dispensing member by mechanical means (screwing, snap-fastening, etc.) which make it possible to compress a neck gasket between them. Sealing by axial compression is thus achieved. Therefore, the precise positioning of the reservoir relative to the dispensing member is determined by the thickness of the neck gasket, once compressed. This mutual positioning is also influenced by the manufacturing tolerances of the reservoir and of the dispensing member. Be that as it may, sealing is only obtained when the neck gasket is sufficiently compressed. It is therefore impossible to guarantee the precise relative positioning of the reservoir, and in particular of its bottom, with respect to the dispensing member.

In the document US5306125A , the reservoir comprises an inwardly facing sealing sleeve which comes into sealing contact with a frustoconical surface of a mounting tip.

In the document US2014371690A1 , a cartridge includes a tip that is first inserted into an opening before being twist-locked. The cartridge also includes a covering element which comes into contiguous contact with a case in the locked position. This document describes the preamble of the main claim.

The object of the invention is to remedy the aforementioned drawback of the prior art by defining a fluid dispenser whose positioning of the fluid reservoir relative to the dispensing member is not dependent on the compression of a neck seal.

To do this, the present invention proposes a distributor according to claim 1. Thus, the distributor of the invention is freed from the axial crushing of a neck gasket by providing radial sealing which is achieved, not only in a precise axial position, but over a wide range of axial height, because the sealing is a dynamic sealing obtained by coaxial sliding. In this way, sealing is guaranteed over the entire range of axial height, regardless of the particular positioning of the reservoir relative to the dispensing member. In other words, the mechanical attachment of the reservoir to the dispensing member is now completely independent of the seal between the reservoir and the dispensing member. It is for example possible to provide a screwed connection with the radial seal which is produced over the entire axial screwing height.

The dispensing member thus comprises an outer casing element open at its lower end for inserting the fluid reservoir which is provided with a plug element which comes into contiguous contact with the lower end of the casing external so as to form a continuous external covering. Thus, the final position of the reservoir relative to the dispensing member is determined by the contiguous contact between the outer casing and the cap element without worrying about the seal between the reservoir and the dispensing member, which is in any case ensured by the sealed radial coaxial sliding contact.

The dispensing member also comprises an inlet pipe forming an inlet duct on the inside and an annular surface on the outside which is in leaktight sliding contact in a sliding barrel integral with the fluid reservoir, so as to define between them said coaxial sliding sealed radial contact. This sealed contact is achieved as long as the annular surface is in contact with the sliding barrel on the range of coaxial height determined. According to an additional advantageous characteristic, the sliding shaft is initially closed off by a cap which is pierced by the inlet pipe.

The dispensing member also comprises a connection ring forming the inlet pipe and an external thread, the fluid reservoir comprising a connection ferrule which forms the sliding barrel and an internal thread intended to come into engagement with the thread external of the connecting ring. Advantageously, the end of screwing abutment is defined by the contiguous contact between the external trim element and the plug element, while the coaxial sliding sealed contact is established. According to a practical aspect, the dispensing member can be held in place in the outer trim element by the connection ring, which is advantageously glued into the outer trim element.

According to another advantageous characteristic of the invention, the dispensing member protrudes from the external trim element and comprises a pusher, a removable protective cover being advantageously provided to cover the dispensing head and the pusher.

According to another advantageous practical aspect, the fluid reservoir comprises a reservoir body, advantageously provided with a follower piston, the connection ferrule and the plug element being mounted on the reservoir body.

The spirit of the invention resides in the fact of creating an axial sliding leaktight radial contact between the reservoir and the dispensing member in order to decouple the leaktightness from the relative position between the reservoir and the dispensing member. It is thus possible to determine the precise positioning of the tank with respect to the contiguous contact between two external trim parts. This coaxial sliding radial seal can be achieved by means of a connection ring secured to the dispensing member and a connection ferrule secured to the fluid reservoir. In other words, this radial sealing can be obtained by adding only two additional parts to a conventional distributor.

The invention will now be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, giving by way of non-limiting example, one embodiment of the invention.

• La figure 1 est une vue en coupe transversale verticale à travers un distributeur de produit fluide selon l'invention,
• La figure 2 est une vue en perspective éclatée du distributeur de la figure 1,
• La figure 3 est une vue en perspective du distributeur des figures 1 et 2, à l'état monté,
• La figure 4 est une vue similaire à celle de la figure 1 avec le réservoir retiré,
• La figure 5 est une vue fortement agrandie du détail A de la figure 4,
• La figure 6a est une vue similaire à celle de la figure 1 avec le réservoir en cours de raccordement,
• La figure 6b est une vue fortement agrandie du détail B de la figure 6a,
• La figure 6c est une vue fortement agrandie du détail C de la figure 6a,
• La figure 7a est une vue similaire à celle de la figure 6a, avec le réservoir en position finale,
• La figure 7b est une vue fortement agrandie du détail D de la figure 7a, et
• La figure 7c est une vue fortement agrandie du détail E de la figure 7a.

In the figures:

• The figure 1 is a vertical cross-sectional view through a fluid dispenser according to the invention,
• The figure 2 is an exploded perspective view of the distributor of the figure 1 ,
• The picture 3 is a perspective view of the distributor of figures 1 and 2 , in the mounted state,
• The figure 4 is a view similar to that of the figure 1 with the tank removed,
• The figure 5 is a greatly enlarged view of detail A of the figure 4 ,
• The figure 6a is a view similar to that of the figure 1 with the tank being connected,
• The figure 6b is a highly magnified view of detail B of the figure 6a ,
• The figure 6c is a highly magnified view of detail C of the figure 6a ,
• The figure 7a is a view similar to that of the figure 6a , with the tank in the final position,
• The figure 7b is a highly magnified view of detail D of the figure 7a , and
• The figure 7c is a highly magnified view of detail E of the figure 7a .

Quite generally, the fluid product dispenser of the present invention comprises a dispenser member 1 which is associated in a leaktight and removable manner with a fluid reservoir 2. The dispenser member can be of any kind, it can for example integrate a pump, a valve, an application head, etc. The main function of the dispensing member is to convey the fluid product coming from the fluid product reservoir 2 to a dispensing orifice at the level of which the user can recover the fluid product. The fluid product dispensed to the level of the dispensing orifice can have the shape of a spray, a hazelnut, a drop, etc. As will be seen below, the dispensing member may comprise an applicator intended to apply and spread the fluid product on an application surface, such as the skin, the nails, the hair, etc.

We will now refer to figures 1, 2 and 3 to describe quite generally the structure of a fluid dispenser according to the invention. The dispensing member 1 here incorporates a pump with a pump chamber 10 provided at its inlet with an inlet valve 11 and at its outlet with an outlet valve 12. The pump chamber 10 is provided with a pusher 13 in the form of a side actuation wall on which the user can press so as to reduce the volume of the chamber 10. Thus, the fluid product contained in the chamber 10 is pressurized, so as to close the inlet valve 11 and to open the outlet valve 12. The fluid product is thus pushed back towards an application head 14, advantageously provided with an application pad 15 through which passes a dispensing orifice 16. At its end opposite, the dispensing member 1 comprises a skirt 18 inside which is received an insert 17 supporting the inlet valve 11. This is more particularly visible on the figure 5 .

According to the invention, this dispenser member 1 is provided with a connection ring 3 comprising a crown 31 engaged around the insert 17 inside the skirt 18. This ring 3 also forms one or more rib(s) ) of attachment 32, the function of which will be given below. The ring 3 also forms an external thread 33 inside which extends an inlet pipe 34. More specifically, this inlet pipe 34 internally forms an inlet duct 35 which communicates directly with the inlet valve 11 through the insert 17. Externally, the pipe 34 forms an annular bearing surface 36, which is advantageously cylindrical, or even slightly tapered. At its lower end, the pipe 34 forms one or more perforation profile(s) 37.

The dispensing member 1 is also provided with an outer covering element 51 which is substantially tubular in shape. This covering element 51 forms a reentrant shoulder 511 at its upper end and a lower end 512 which is wide open to allow passage of the dispensing member 11 during assembly. As you can see on the figure 5 , the reentrant shoulder 511 will come into abutment on the upper edge of the skirt 18. On the other hand, the connection ring 3 can be sealed inside the covering element 51, for example by means of an adhesive deposited on the fixing ribs 32. In this way, the dispensing member 1 is fixed in a stable and definitive manner inside the trim element 51. As can be seen in the figure 4 , the major part of the dispensing member 1 protrudes upwards out of the covering element 51, which is only partially filled by the dispensing member, and in particular the connecting ring 3. Indeed , the pusher 13 and the application head 14 are arranged above the reentrant shoulder 511. As can be seen in the figure 1 , a protective cap 53 removably covers the part of the dispensing member 1 which protrudes from the covering element 51. Advantageously, this protective cap 53 forms a stopper needle 56 which penetrates and closes the dispensing orifice 16 in a leaktight manner. 53 is strictly equal to the diameter of the covering element 51, so that they are visually delimited only by a discrete line, as represented on the picture 3 .

The fluid reservoir 2 comprises a reservoir body 21, advantageously provided with a bottom 22, and forming a neck 23 provided with one or more fixing profile(s). Reservoir body 21 can house a follower piston 24 on the inside, which is arranged close to bottom 22 in the initial position, when the reservoir is filled with fluid product.

According to the invention, the reservoir 2 is provided with a connection ferrule 4 which is fixedly mounted on the neck 23. Referring to the figure 6b , it can be seen that this connecting ring 4 comprises a fixing flange 41 which engages with the neck 23, for example by snap-fastening. The ferrule 4 forms a self-sealing lip 42 which comes into sealed contact with the internal wall of the neck 23. On the other hand, the ferrule 4 comprises an internal thread 43 intended to cooperate with the external thread 33 of the connection ring 3. The connecting shell 4 also forms a sliding barrel 46 inside which the pipe 34 is engaged. More specifically, the annular bearing surface 36 is intended to come into sealed sliding contact inside the sliding barrel 46 of the shell 4, as can be clearly seen in the figure 6b . Advantageously, the ferrule 4 also forms a lid 47 formed inside the sliding barrel 46.

The fluid reservoir is also provided with a plug element 52 located at the level of the lower end of the reservoir. More precisely, the lower end of the tank body 21 can simply be frictionally engaged inside the plug element 52 which forms an upper edge 522. This edge 522 is intended to come into contiguous and continuous contact with the lower end 512 of the covering element 51 of the dispensing member 1, so as to form together a continuous covering. Preferably, the cap element 52 has a diameter identical to that of the trim element 51 so that they are only separated by a discrete line, as shown in the picture 3 .

The cap element 52 also serves as a gripping member for the fluid reservoir 2, so as to be able to insert it inside the trim element 51 through its open lower end 512. A user will thus grasp the tank 2 by the plug element 52 and engage it inside the covering element 51 until the ferrule 4 comes into contact with the ring 3. The tubing 34 will immediately engage inside the slide barrel 46 and the internal 43 and external 33 threads will come into engagement. The user can then impart a rotational movement to the cap element 52 to screw the ferrule 4 onto the ring 3. During this screwing operation, the ferrule 4 moves axially towards the ring 3. According to the invention, during this screwing operation, the pipe 34 slides in a sealed manner inside the sliding barrel 46, thus creating a sliding and coaxial sealed radial contact. The user can continue screwing the reservoir inside the trim element 51 until he encounters a slight hardness or resistance, due to the fact that the tubing comes into abutment on the lid 47. This configuration is represented on the figures 6a, 6b and 6c . We can see in particular on the figures 6a and 6c that the covering element 51 is further separated from the cap element 52 by a small gap d. The user can then impart an additional torque on the cap element 52 so as to continue screwing, allowing the perforation profile 37 to break the seal 47. This final configuration is represented on the figures 7a, 7b and 7c . We can in particular see that the lid 47 is pushed into the open position by the perforation profiles 37 and that the thread 33 is screwed fully into the thread 43. On the other hand, we can see on the figure 7c that the lower end 512 is in contiguous, intimate and continuous contact with the upper edge 522 of the plug element 52.

It should be noted that this contiguous contact between the covering 51 and cap 52 elements is made possible because the seal between the ferrule 4 and the ring 3 is made by means of a coaxial sliding sealed radial contact, and not by the axial crushing of a neck seal. According to another point of view, it can be considered that the sliding radial contact over a given axial height range makes it possible to position the reservoir axially with respect to the dispensing member 1 with a large axial latitude, which makes it possible in particular to be able to determine the position of the reservoir relative to the dispensing member according to other criteria, such as for example the covering, formed by the covering 51 and cap 52 elements. However, in the context of the present invention, it must be considered that this radial sliding contact can be implemented in other applications requiring the reservoir to be positioned relative to the dispensing member.

Thanks to the present invention, the conventional neck seal with axial crushing is dispensed with by producing a sliding radial contact which thus allows to position the reservoir relative to the dispensing member over a relatively wide range of axial height, compared to the axial crushing of a neck gasket.

Claims (7)

1. A fluid dispenser comprising a dispenser member (1), such as a pump, a dispenser head (14), such as a fluid applicator, and a fluid reservoir (2) that is connected in leaktight and removable manner to the dispenser member (1), the sealing between the dispenser member (1) and the fluid reservoir (2) being obtained by coaxially sliding leaktight radial contact that is interrupted when the fluid reservoir (2) is disconnected from the dispenser member (1), such that the fluid reservoir (2) is connected in leaktight manner to the dispenser member (1) over a determined axial height range,

   the dispenser member (1) further comprising an outer covering element (51) that is open at its bottom end (512) for inserting the fluid reservoir (2) that is provided with a stopper element (52) that comes into abutting contact with the bottom end (512) of the outer cover (51) so as to form a continuous outer cover,

   the dispenser member (1) including an inlet tube (34) the inside of which forms an inlet duct (35) and the outside of which forms an annular bearing surface (36) that is in leaktight sliding contact in a slide cylinder (46) that is secured to the fluid reservoir (2), so as to define between them said coaxially sliding leaktight radial contact,

   characterized in that the dispenser member (1) includes a connection ring (3) that forms the inlet tube (34) and an external thread (33), the fluid reservoir (2) including a connection ferrule (4) that forms the slide cylinder (46) and an internal thread (43) for coming into engagement with the external thread (33) of the connection ring (3).
2. A dispenser according to claim 1, wherein the slide cylinder (46) is initially closed by a closure membrane (47) that is pierced by the inlet tube (34).
3. A dispenser according to any preceding claim, wherein the fluid reservoir (2) is connected to the dispenser member (1) by screw-fastening.
4. A dispenser according to any preceding claim, wherein the end-of-screw-fastening abutment is defined by the abutting contact between the outer covering element (51) and the stopper element (52), while the coaxially sliding leaktight contact is already established.
5. A dispenser according to any preceding claim, wherein the dispenser member (1) is held in place in the outer covering element (51) by the connection ring (3) that is advantageously adhesively-bonded in the outer covering element (51).
6. A dispenser according to any preceding claim, wherein the dispenser member (1) projects out from the outer covering element (51) and includes a pusher (13), a removable protective cap (53) advantageously being provided so as to cover the dispenser head (1) and the pusher (13).
7. A dispenser according to any preceding claim, wherein the fluid reservoir (2) comprises a reservoir body (21), advantageously provided with a follower piston (24), the connection ferrule (4) and the stopper element (52) being mounted on the reservoir body (21).

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