FR2820128A1 - Container/dispenser for fluid e.g. pharmaceutical product has flexible conical filling sleeve that folds inside container after use - Google Patents

Abstract

Container (10), fitted with a dispenser (20) such as a pump or valve, incorporates a filler (30) with one or more holes (31), made from a flexible material so it can be folded between a filling position in which it projects at least partially from the container, and an assembled position in which it is located inside the container once the dispenser has been fitted. Container (10), fitted with a dispenser (20) such as a pump or valve, incorporates a filler (30) with one or more holes (31), made from a flexible material so it can be folded between a filling position in which it projects at least partially from the container, and an assembled position in which it is located inside the container once the dispenser has been fitted. The filler is in the form of a truncated cone of a deformable material, such as aluminum, its larger end being attached to the container and its smaller end to the dispenser.

Description

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 The present invention relates to a fluid dispenser device, and more particularly such a fluid dispenser device which facilitates filling in the controlled atmosphere of said device.

 Fluid product dispensing devices are well known in the art. In particular in the pharmaceutical field, it may be desirable to guarantee the absolute sterility of the product contained in the device, both during its distribution, but also during the manufacture of the device and its filling with said product. Different filling systems are known today, consisting in filling the device either directly through the pump or any other suitable dispensing member, or through a filling orifice provided in the reservoir and which is subsequently subsequently blocked, or before the fixing the pump to the tank.

 The present invention aims to provide a fluid dispensing device which facilitates the sterile filling of the device, and which also facilitates the complete assembly of the device, including its filling, without interruption of the controlled atmosphere, which allows guarantee the absolute sterility of the product at the time of distribution.

 The present invention also aims to provide a fluid dispenser device which can be filled before the final assembly of the dispenser member on the reservoir, then assembled by fixing said dispenser member to the reservoir in a single machine. , without interrupting the controlled atmosphere, or moving the device between these two stages.

 The present invention therefore relates to a fluid dispenser device comprising a reservoir and a dispenser member, such as a pump or a valve, mounted on said reservoir, characterized in that said device comprises a filling element integral with on the one hand of the reservoir and on the other of the dispensing member, said filling element comprising at least one filling opening and being deformable between a filling position in which it extends at least partially outside the tank, and an assembled position in which it extends inside the tank, said filling element being in said position

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 filling before mounting the dispensing member on the tank and being in said assembled position after mounting the dispensing member on said tank.

 Advantageously, said filling element is a conical sleeve made of deformable material, the part with the largest diameter of the cone being fixed to the reservoir and the part with the smallest diameter of the cone being fixed to the dispensing member.

 Advantageously, the filling element is tightly fixed to the reservoir and to the dispensing member.

 Advantageously, the dispensing member is pre-assembled on the filling element in the filling position to allow filling of said tank, and fixed to said tank after said filling.

 Advantageously, the filling element folds back inside the reservoir when the dispensing member is fixed to said reservoir.

 Advantageously, the filling element is made from a folded aluminum sheet, cut and / or welded.

 Advantageously, the filling element comprises at least one filling orifice for the product and at least one air discharge orifice for the air initially contained in the tank.

 Other characteristics and advantages of the present invention will appear more clearly during the following detailed description of a particular embodiment thereof, given with reference to the accompanying drawings, given by way of nonlimiting examples, and on which: - Figure 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a fluid dispenser device according to an advantageous embodiment of the present invention, in the filling position, - Figure 2 is a schematic view of the device of the FIG. 1 during the filling of the reservoir, FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2 during the fixing of the pump to the reservoir, and

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 - Figure 4 is a view similar to Figures 2 and 3 showing the assembled device and fills, ready for use.

 With reference to the figures which represent a particular embodiment of the invention, the reservoir 10 is advantageously formed of a rigid shell or the like, on which a dispensing member 20 is fixed, such as a pump or a valve.

 According to the invention, the device further comprises a filling element 30 which is provided between the reservoir 10 and the dispensing member 20. More particularly, this filling member 30 is fixed on the one hand to the reservoir 10, preferably sealingly, and secondly to the dispensing member 20, preferably sealingly. This filling element 30 is movable and! or deformable between a filling position, shown in Figures 1 and 2, in which it extends at least partially outside the reservoir 10, and an assembled position, shown in Figures 3 and 4 in which it extends completely inside the reservoir 10. More particularly, in the filling position of the member of the filling element 30, the dispensing member 20 can be pre-assembled on said filling element 30, fixed to said reservoir 10, which allows filling of said reservoir in an appropriate filling unit, as shown in FIG. 2.

 The filling element 30 can advantageously be produced from a sheet, in particular an aluminum sheet. A suitable manufacturing unit first folds said aluminum sheet and then welds the contact points to form a deformable conical sleeve, incorporating at least one filling opening 31. The sleeve 30 is then assembled on the reservoir. 10.

 Advantageously, the dispensing member 20, which is in this case a pump, is then pre-assembled on said filling element 30. FIG. 1 represents the pre-assembled position in which the filling element 30 connects the reservoir 10 to said distribution member 20. As previously mentioned, the fixing of the filling element, in this case the

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 conical sleeve 30, on the reservoir 10 is preferably made in leaktight manner, and likewise, the pre-assembly of the dispensing member, in this case the pump 20, on said conical sleeve 30, is also preferably carried out tightly.

 Referring to Figure 2, a filling unit can be applied to said pre-assembled device. This filling unit comprises, in the example shown in FIG. 2, an external sleeve 51 which is applied in a sealed manner to the reservoir 10, as well as an internal sleeve 52 which is applied in a sealed manner to the dispensing member 20, which is held in the pre-assembled position by means of a support element 53 advantageously provided between the pump 20 and the reservoir 10. The filling unit then ensures the filling of the reservoir 10 by injecting the product P between the two sleeves 51 and 52, said product then being able to enter the reservoir through a filling orifice 31 provided in the conical sleeve 30.

Simultaneously, the air A initially contained in the reservoir 10 can escape, also leaving through an orifice 31 of the sleeve 30, then by evacuating towards the atmosphere between the two sleeves of the filling unit. The flexible conical filling element 30 can thus comprise one or more filling orifices 31.

 When the device has been filled, a unit for fixing the dispensing member 20 to the tank 10 then applies an axial force F to the dispensing member 20 to fix it on the tank 10. For this purpose, the support element 53 of the filling unit is removed, and the force F can for example be applied to the pump 20 by the internal sleeve 52 of said filling unit, as visible in FIG. 3. The pump 20 is then moved in the direction of the reservoir 10 in order to catch on in a sealed manner at the level of the neck by any appropriate means, for example a snap-fastening, a crimping, a welding, etc. The conical sleeve 30 is deformed by folding back towards the inside of the reservoir 10 during this process of fixing the pump 20, as clearly visible in FIGS. 3 and 4.

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 Figure 4 shows the device filled, assembled and ready for use, and which can advantageously be packaged in a sterile bag so that the user, when he wishes to use the device, is certain that there is had no interruption of the controlled atmosphere during the whole process of manufacturing, filling and assembling the device.

 The invention has been written above only with reference to an advantageous embodiment of it and it is clear that a person skilled in the art can make any necessary modification without departing from the scope of the present invention as as defined by the appended claims.

Claims (1)

Claims 1.-Fluid product dispensing device comprising a reservoir (10) and a dispensing member (20), such as a pump or a valve, mounted on said reservoir (10), characterized in that said device comprises a filling element (30) integral on the one hand with the reservoir (10) and on the other hand with the dispensing member (20), said filling element comprising at least one filling opening (31) and being deformable between a filling position, in which it extends at least partially outside the tank (10), and an assembled position in which it extends inside the tank (10), said filling element (30) being in said filling position before mounting of the dispensing member (20) on the tank (10) and being in said assembled position after mounting of the dispensing member (20) on said tank (10).  2. -A device according to claim 1, in which said filling element is a conical sleeve (30) made of deformable material, the part of larger diameter of the cone being fixed to the reservoir (10) and the part of smaller diameter of the cone being fixed to the distribution member (20).  3. -Dispositif according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the filling member (30) is sealingly attached to the reservoir (10) and the dispensing member (20).  4. -A device according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the dispensing member (20) is pre-assembled on the filling element (30) in the filling position to allow filling of said reservoir (10), and attached to said reservoir (10) after said filling.  5. -A device according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the filling element (30) folds back inside the tank (10) when the dispensing member (20) is fixed on said tank (10 ). <Desc / Clms Page number 7>  6. -Device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the filling element (30) is made from a folded aluminum sheet, cut and / or welded.  7. -A device according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the filling element (30) comprises at least one filling orifice (31) for the product and at least one air discharge orifice (32) for the air initially contained in the tank (10).