FR2998770A1 - DEVICE FOR CONDITIONING AND APPLICATION USING A PIPETTE - Google Patents

Abstract

A device (1) for packaging and dispensing comprising a container (2) for containing a fluid, and a closure member (3) of the container, the closure member comprising on the one hand an applicator pipette (6) ) configured to be inserted into the container to allow the collection of at least one dose of fluid contained in the container, and secondly at least one piston pump connected to a push button (5) for sucking or expel a dose of product contained in the pipette. According to the invention the piston pump configured to automatically aspirate the product into the pipette during the passage of this closure member from an unobstructed position of the container to a closed position.

Description

The present invention relates to a device for packaging and dispensing by means of a pipette of a fluid composition. The invention is more particularly applicable in the field of packaging devices for cosmetic products, the product of which must be delivered in the form of doses. "Cosmetic product" means any product as defined in Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 30 November 2009 on cosmetic products. In the state of the art, it is known from the teaching of EP0248345 a packaging and application device comprising a container and a closure member, the closure member being equipped with a pipette provided at its level. dispensing end of an applicator member such as a brush. This device teaches drawing a piston disposed in the pipette to load a dose of product, and in a second time to unscrew the closure member to allow the application of this dose. The user of such a device is faced with the problem of having two successive manipulations to be performed, one of traction on the piston and then unscrewing. Equivalently, the user who applies a product using a device as taught by US2005070853 is faced with the same problem of double handling. Indeed, this device comprises a first cover to be removed and then pull on a piston of the pipette to load it, before finally unscrew the pipette for the application of a dose. From the teaching of document FR2924696, a packaging and application device is known that makes it possible in the same gesture to obtain both the detachment of the closure member relative to the container and the loading of a tubular portion integral with the closure member. The product retention in this tubular portion is by capillarity. This type of device also poses a problem insofar as it only allows the loading of minute amounts of product, and it is necessary to bring the closure member back to its fully closed position to allow reloading. the tubular portion. Moreover, this device also allows the distribution of minute doses by capillarity with the support on which they will be deposited.

The document FR2549015 describes a packaging and application device comprising a container and a closure member equipped with a pipette and a pumping mechanism via a push button. This device teaches pressing the push button and then releasing it to suck a dose of product when the push button returns to position under the effect of an elastic member, and in a second time to unscrew the closure member to allow the application of this dose. The user of such a device is faced with the problem of having two successive manipulations to be performed, one of traction on the piston and then unscrewing. In addition a large number of parts is necessary to achieve this device making it expensive. Finally the document FR2964953 describes a packaging and application device comprising a container and a closure member equipped with a pipette and a pumping mechanism via a push button. The mechanism is complex and involves many elements so that the action of screwing and unscrewing of the closure member generates respectively the expulsion and the suction of a dose of product in the pipette. There is therefore a need for packaging and application devices allowing the collection of at least one dose, without specific gestures of the user when opening the container. On the other hand, there is a need for such devices to be simple in design and therefore inexpensive. The present invention therefore aims to provide an improved device for packaging a cosmetic product to overcome the aforementioned drawbacks.

For this purpose the invention proposes a packaging and dispensing device comprising a container intended to contain a fluid product, and a closure member of the container, the closure member comprising on the one hand an application pipette configured to be inserted into the container in order to allow the collection of at least one dose of fluid contained in the container, and secondly at least one piston pump connected to a push button for sucking or expelling a dose of product contained in the pipette. According to the invention, the piston pump configured to automatically aspirate the product into the pipette during the passage of this closure member from an unobstructed position of the container to a closed position.

According to other features of the invention, the push button may comprise an element bearing on an outer portion of the container during the passage of the closure member from an unobstructed position of the container to a closed position.

Thus the container may include a neck defining the opening of the container and the push button element can bear on the upper edge of the neck. Thus the suction of the product can be done with a displacement of the piston substantially equal to the screwing height. The portion of the push button coming into contact with the container may be formed by at least one tab extending from a push button support wall towards the container. The closure member may comprise a cladding element in which the push button is slidably mounted, the cladding element comprising a complementary thread cooperating with a thread of the container, so that the rotation of the cladding element of the closure member relative to the container causes the axial translation of the push button relative to the cladding element. Each position of the push button relative to the trim element can be stable without any effort on the push button when the closure member is dissociated from the container. The device may comprise at least two piston pumps each comprising a push button and each being connected to the pipette. The push button and the inserted piston inserted in the pump body can be made of material.

The piston may be formed by a tubular portion of flexible end and flaring towards the pump body. The pipette, the pump body and the dressing element can be made of material. The invention advantageously makes it possible to obtain a simple packaging device comprising a closing mechanism composed of a limited number of parts. In addition the user does not have to perform excessive manipulations: the simple opening of the packaging device gives it access to a pipette already loaded product.

It also avoids any accidental actuation and excessive loading of the pipette when the device is in the closed position. The invention can be better understood on reading the following description of non-limiting examples of implementation thereof, in particular. Referring to the accompanying drawings, in which: - Figure 1 shows an example of a packaging device according to the invention; - Figure 2 shows a burst of the device of Figure 1; - Figure 3 shows a longitudinal sectional view of the closing element of the burst of Figure 2; FIG. 4 represents a sectional view of the closure element of the burst of FIG. 2 along a sectional plane perpendicular to the section plane of FIG. 3; - Figures 5 to 7 show partial longitudinal quarter sectional views of the device of Figure 1 in different positions of the closure member; - Figure 8 shows a variant of the conditioning device of Figure 1.

With reference to FIGS. 1 to 4, a device 1 for packaging and dispensing a product. The contained product (not shown) is preferably a cosmetic product such as a care cream, a day cream, a wrinkle cream. The product is in fluid form, preferably liquid. The device 1 comprises a container 2 for containing and storing the product before it is put on the market and then during its service life with a user, and a closure member 3 for sealing the container in order to preserve the stored product. The container 2 is a hollow body, closed at one end by a bottom, and open at the other end. The opening of the container 2 is defined by a neck 21 of circular section extending from a shoulder of the container 2. The axis of the opening is a longitudinal axis XX which is also, in this example, the axis according to which extends mainly the hollow body forming the container 2. In the remainder of the description, the terms "upper" and "lower" mean with respect to the main longitudinal axis XX when the container rests on its bottom and that the closure member is in closed position on the container. The neck 21 has a means of fixing the closure member 3, for example a thread 22 projecting radially from the outer wall of the neck 21. The container 2 is for example made of glass, or from a thermoplastic material. It can for example be obtained by an extrusion blow molding technique. It can also be obtained from the assembly of several components. It is for example of circular or ovoid cross section. The container 2 can be surmounted by a trim band 23 to ensure the aesthetics and overall design of the device 1. The closure member 3 comprises a covering element 4, a push button 5, a pumping mechanism , and an application pipette 6. The covering element 4 comprises a sleeve 41 forming a tubular outer casing serving as a gripping member of the closure member 3 in particular to separate it from the container 2. An inner annular skirt 42 is connected to the lower end of the sleeve 41. The annular skirt 42 has a tubular shape, and is locally provided on its inner wall with a complementary thread 43 intended to cooperate with the thread 22 provided on the neck of the container 2. The pumping mechanism comprises a pump body 45 formed by a tubular liner 46 open at its upper end and closed at its lower end by a closing wall 47 comprising an orifice 48 n his center. The outer diameter of the liner 46 forming the pump body 45 is smaller than the outside diameter of the neck 21 of the container 2. The pump body 45 is connected to the upper portion of the inner annular skirt 42 by at least two bridges of material 44. The material bridges 44 here take the form of two beams transverse to the axis XX. These two beams are radially opposite around the tubular liner 46 of the pump body 45 thus forming openings 49 on either side of the material bridges 44 and between the tubular liner 46 of the pump body 45 and the upper portion of the internal ring skirt 42. These openings 49 are positioned facing the upper edge 24 of the neck 21 of the container 2 when the closure member 3 is in the closed position.

A sealing skirt 40 of external diameter substantially equal to the inside diameter of the neck 21 of the container 2, extends from the closing wall 47 of the pump body 45 so as to fit into the neck 21 of the container 2 to form a sealed contact with the inner face of the neck 21 when the closure member 3 is in the closed position. The application pipette 6 is a tubular hollow body extending along the axis XX, opening at an upper end 61 through the orifice 48 of the wall 47 closing the lower part of the pump body 45. On the other hand the pipette 6 opens at its free end 62 into the container 2 when the closure member 3 is in the closed position. The inner diameter of the pipette 6 is smaller than the inner diameter of the pump body 45, for example the inner diameter of the pipette 6 is two times smaller than the inner diameter of the pump body 45. The free end 62 of the pipette 6 may form a restriction with respect to the inner section of the pipette 6, in order to limit the gravitational flow of the fluid that has been pumped. The restriction makes it possible to retain the product by capillarity. This restriction also allows a more precise application of the product. The upper end 61 is connected to the wall 47. The pipette 6 is for example held snap-fitting to the wall 47 closing the lower part of the pump body 45. It may for example be made of glass or a thermoplastic material. Alternatively, as shown in this example, the pipette 6 is integral with the pump body 45 and the trim member 4 to form a one-piece assembly. This assembly can be made for example of thermoplastic material such as polypropylene (PP), polyoxymethylene (POM) or acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS). Thus this assembly can be achieved by injection of a thermoplastic material in a single injection step. The push button 5 comprises an upper plate forming a bearing surface 51 enabling the user to press the push button 5 by pressing. The push button 5 is slidably mounted in the covering element 4. For this purpose , the push button 5 comprises an outer skirt 52 extending from the periphery of the bearing surface 51 in the covering element 4. The outer skirt 52 of the push button 5 has an outer bead 53 which snaps into place under an outgrowth 39 of the sleeve inner face 41 of the covering element 4. The bead 53 is a discontinuous annular net. It can also be continuous. It is located at an axial end of the skirt 52. The contact between the bead 53 and the protrusion 39 makes it possible to limit the axial mobility of the push button 5 inside the covering element 4. In this position of contact in which the push button 5 is in its highest position relative to the covering element 4, the push button 5 emerges very slightly axially, along the longitudinal axis XX, relative to the upper end of the sleeve 41. Alternatively, it could, in this position, emerge several millimeters. If a user exerts a push on the push button 5 so as to push it inside the covering element 4, the push button 5 will slide inside the sleeve 41. The push button 5 also comprises a piston 54 formed by an internal tubular erected inside the outer skirt 52, from the bearing surface 51 to the inside of the tubular liner 46 of the pump body 45. For this purpose the diameter of the tubing internal is substantially equal to the inner diameter of the tubular liner 46 of the pump body 45 so as to form a piston 54 sliding in this sleeve 46. In order to form a sufficiently tight contact and slidable in the pump body 45, the end the inner tubing refines and widens in its lower part to form a flexible lip 55 providing a sealed annular contact with the inner periphery of the liner 46 of the pump body 45. The tubular liner 46 of the horn The pump 45 closed by the piston 54 thus forms a chamber of variable volume with sliding of the piston 54.

Thus the displacement of the push button 5 relative to the covering element 4 allows suction pumping of the product into the pipette 6 when the free end 62 of the pipette 6 is immersed in the product and that the displacement of the piston 54 in the pump body 45 generates an increase in the volume of the chamber. Conversely, a sliding of the piston 54 in the opposite direction causes a decrease in the volume of the chamber and allows an expulsion of the product located in the pipette 6. The push button 5 also comprises at least one tongue 56, for example two tabs 56 , raised axially from the bearing surface 51 between the outer skirt 52 and the internal tubing forming the piston 54, to the level of the complementary thread 43 of the inner annular skirt 42 and passing through the openings 49 located between the material bridges 44, the tubular liner 46 of the pump body 45 and the upper portion of the inner annular skirt 42. Thus the free ends of the tongues 56 are positioned between the annular skirt 42 and the pipette 6, and can come into contact with the upper edge 24 of the neck 21 of the container 2 when the closure member 3 is engaged in the thread 22 of the neck 21 of the container 2. The length of the tongues 56 is adapted so that the piston 54 is in the high position when the closure member 3 is in the fully screwed position on the container 2. In this position the free end of each tongue 56 is substantially positioned at the upper end of the complementary thread 43 of the In addition, when the piston 54 is in the low position when the closure member 3 is detached from the container 2 and the user has pressed the push button 5, the free end of each tongue 56 is for example substantially positioned at a median level of the complementary thread 43. The push button 5 is made of a relatively rigid plastic material such as polyethylene (PE). However, the lower end of the tubing forming the lip 55 is thin enough to present radial flexibility to obtain a sealed contact between the piston 54 of the push button 5 and the sleeve 46. The contact remains sealed when the piston 54 is in motion in the sleeve 46. In a variant, the lip 55 is replaced by an annular gadroon. Advantageously, the piston 54 is integral with the pushbutton 5 to form a one-piece assembly. Thus this assembly can be achieved by injection of a thermoplastic material in a single injection step. Alternatively a seal forming the piston 54 can be attached to the push button to replace the lip 55, this assembly then being made in at least two parts. The operation of the invention will now be described with reference to Figures 5 to 7. In Figure 5, the closure member 3 is disassociated from the container and the push button 5 is in the depressed position corresponding to the position in which is the push button after expulsion of a dose of product.

The free end of the lip forming the piston is then substantially in contact with the bottom of the pump body, the volume of the chamber is then minimal. In this position the free end of each tongue is substantially positioned at a median level of the complementary thread of the inner annular skirt. To facilitate the actuation of the push button in order to reach this depressed position, the upper edge of the trim element may comprise a notch flush with, for example, the bearing surface when the push button is in the depressed position. When the push button is in the depressed position it remains in this stable position because no elastic means allows the return of the push button in its high position. To reload the pipette, the user must close the container with the closing member. Thus in Figure 6, the closure member 3 is in the closed position. The covering element is completely screwed on the neck. The pipette 6 is inserted into the neck and its free end is positioned near the bottom of the container in the product contained in the container. A wiper not shown can be retained in the neck to wring the pipette during removal of the closure member 3 of the container 2. When screwing the dressing element on the neck, the free end of each tongue of the push button, comes into abutment with the upper edge of the neck so as to block the relative movement of translation between the container and the push button. As the screwing of the covering element on the container generates in particular the translation along the axis XX of the covering element relative to the container until the closure element is completely screwed, a movement of translation of the push button relative to the cladding element and thus relative to the pump body is created. The displacement of the piston of the push button in the pump body causes an increase in the volume of the chamber of the pump body and allows the suction of a dose of product in the pipette. When unscrewing the closure member 3 to dissociate the closure member of the container, the push button remains stable in the upper position relative to the cladding element. Maintaining in this stable position is due to the frictional forces between the lip of the piston and the casing of the pump body, preventing the translation of the push button relative to the trim member under the effect of its own weight. Thus when the closure element is dissociated from the container as in Figure 7, the user can expel the product by pressing the push button to its depressed position of Figure 4. According to an alternative embodiment of the invention shown in Figure 8, the closure member comprises two push buttons. The references of similar elements previously described have been incremented by one hundred. In this variant, the closure member 103 comprises a covering element 104, two push buttons 105, two pumping mechanisms, and an application pipette 106. The covering element 104 comprises a sleeve 141 forming an envelope tubular outer section of elliptical section serving as a gripping member of the closure member 103 in particular to separate it from the container 102. The section of the sleeve 141 could be of any other shape, for example circular. The two pumping mechanisms each comprise a pump body 145 formed by a tubular liner 146 open at its upper end and closed at its lower end by a closure wall 147 comprising an orifice 148. The pump bodies 145 are connected to the internal face of the sleeve 141 by at least two material bridges 144. The pump bodies 145 are also interconnected by a plate 144 '. The plate 144 'extends in the extension of the walls 147 of the pump body 145. The plate 144' has openings 149 opening on either side of the plate 144 '. These openings 149 are positioned facing the upper edge 124 of the neck 121 of the container 102 when the closure member 103 is in the closed position. An inner annular skirt 142 is connected to the lower face of the plate 144 'and the walls 147 and thus extending on the opposite side to the pump bodies 145. The annular skirt 142 has a cylindrical tubular shape, and is provided on its wall a complementary thread 143 for cooperating with the thread 122 provided on the neck 121 of the container 102. A conduit 161 'into which the openings 148 extend also extends from the underside of the plate 144' and walls 147 inside the inner annular skirt 142. The upper end 61 of the application pipette 6 is fitted into the conduit 161 '. Alternatively the pipette could be integral with the pump body.

Each push button 105 comprises an upper plate forming a bearing surface 151 enabling the user to press said push button 105 by pressure. Each push button 105 is slidably mounted in the covering element 104 independently of the sliding of the push button. other push button. The sliding is continuous, however alternatively the push button could cooperate with notches located on the trim element to present several levels of depression felt by the user. Each push button 105 comprises a piston 154 formed by an internal tubing erected from the underside of the plate forming the bearing surface 151 to the inside of one of the tubular jackets 146 of the pump bodies 145 so as to form a piston 154 sliding in said liner 146. In order to form a sufficiently leak-tight contact and slidable in the pump body 145, the end of the inner tube is refined and flares in its lower part to form a flexible lip 155 ensuring an annular sealing contact with the inner periphery of the liner 146 of the pump body 145. Each push button 105 also comprises at least one tongue, for example two tabs 156 raised from the lower face of the plate forming the bearing surface 51 to at the level of the complementary threading 143 of the inner annular skirt 142 and passing through the openings 149. Thus the free ends of the tongues 156 pe can come into contact with the upper edge 124 of the neck 121 of the container 102 when the closure member 103 is engaged in the thread 122 of the neck 21 of the container 102. The operation of this variant is similar to the operation of the first device described above. , except that the user can independently press each push button 105 for example to dispense two successive doses of product by the same pipette 106. When the closure member 103 is screwed onto the container 102, each push button 105 which has pressed is returned to a high position by aspirating a dose of product.

The invention advantageously makes it possible to have a simple pipette mechanism that can be produced at a lower cost. Throughout the description, the phrase "having one" should be considered synonymous with "having at least one", unless the opposite is specified.

Claims (4)

CLAIMS1 - Device (1) for packaging and dispensing comprising a container (2) for containing a fluid, and a closure member (3) of the container, the closure member comprising on the one hand a pipette of application (6) configured to be inserted into the container to allow the collection of at least one dose of fluid contained in the container, and secondly at least one piston pump connected to a push button (5) allowing To aspirate or expel a dose of product contained in the pipette, the device is characterized in that the piston pump configured to automatically aspirate the product into the pipette during the passage of this closure member from an unobstructed position. from the container to a closed position. 2 - Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the push button 15 comprises a member (56) bearing on an outer portion (24) of the container during the passage of the closure member from an unobstructed position of the container. a closed position. 3 - Device according to claim 2, characterized in that the container comprises a neck (21) defining the opening of the container and in that the element of the push button bears on the upper edge (24) of this neck. 4 - Device according to one of claims 2 or 3, characterized in that the portion of the push button coming into contact with the container is formed by at least one tongue (56) extending from a support wall (51) from the push button towards the container. - Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the closure member comprises a cladding element (4) in which the push button is slidably mounted, the cladding element comprising a complementary thread (43) cooperating with a thread (22) of the container, so that the rotation of the cladding member of the closure member relative to the container causes the axial translation of the push button relative to the cladding element. one of the preceding claims, characterized in that, when the closure member is disassociated from the container, each position of the push button relative to the dressing element is stable without action of a force on the push button. 7 - Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises at least two piston pumps each comprising a push button and each being connected to the pipette. 8 - Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the push button and the inserted piston sliding in the pump body are made of material. 9 - Device according to claim 8, characterized in that the piston is formed by a flexible end tubular portion and flaring towards the pump body. 10 - Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the pipette, the pump body and the covering element are made of material.