Patent Grant
6905049
The invention relates to a device which is intended to be fixed to a neck of a bottle in order to dispense a fluid, in particular a cosmetic fluid, such as perfume.
The invention is intended to provide a simple device which comprises a smaller number of parts, which is robust and which has a refined appearance.
To this end, according to the invention, the device comprises:
In this manner, the cap constitutes a unitary housing which is substantially sealed, which allows the usual interstices in which dirt accumulates to be prevented.
In order to facilitate the production of the device, according to the invention, the device has the following features:
In this manner, the push-button is held completely by the base element and the cap, in such a manner that the device can be produced and assembled on the premises of a first manufacturer and can then be transported to the premises of a second manufacturer in order to be mounted on a bottle and a pump, all the elements which constitute the device remaining held together completely.
According to another advantageous feature according to the invention, the membrane is overmolded on the sleeve.
In this manner, at the same time as the membrane is produced, it is fixed to the sleeve in a sealing and durable manner.
In order to further improve the appearance of the device, according to the invention, the sleeve is substantially transparent and the base element has a substantially cylindrical covering surface which extends opposite the sleeve.
In this manner, the covering surface can be covered with a decoration which is visible through the sleeve but which is protected by said sleeve.
Furthermore, the device advantageously has a tubular space between the sleeve and the covering surface, in which tubular space a decorative strip is arranged.
In this manner, the decoration which covers the covering surface can be readily modified at low cost.
According to another feature according to the invention, the sleeve has an annular beading and the base element is held between the rim of the sleeve and the annular beading.
In this manner, the sleeve can readily be fixed to the base element.
The invention also relates to an assembly which comprises, in addition to the aforementioned device, a bottle which comprises a neck and a cylindrical container which extends between a lower end and an upper end, and a pump which is held on the neck of the bottle and which has an activation rod.
According to the invention, the push-button is mounted on the activation rod, the base element is fixed to the neck and the tubular portion of the sleeve extends in the extension of the container, the tubular portion of the sleeve extending flush with the cylindrical container, the lower end of the tubular portion of the sleeve extending in the immediate vicinity of the upper end of the container.
The invention will be appreciated even more clearly from the following description given with reference to the appended drawings, in which:
The illustrated assembly 2 comprises a capsule 1 which is fixed to a bottle 4 and a pump 6 in order to dispense a fluid which is contained in the bottle by means of the capsule 1.
The bottle 4 substantially comprises a container 50 which contains the fluid to be sprayed and a neck 20. The container 50 is substantially cylindrical and has a circular cross-section.
It extends in an extension direction 30 between a lower end 50a and an upper end 50b.
The pump 6 is crimped on the neck 20 of the bottle 4. It comprises an activation rod 52 which slides in the extension direction 30 in order to expel the fluid from the container 50.
The capsule 1 substantially comprises a push-button 8 which is mounted on the activation rod 52, a base element 16 which is fixed to the neck 20 of the bottle and a cap 10 which is fixed to the base element 16.
The push-button 8 substantially comprises a base 34 and a nozzle 36. The base 34 has a substantially cylindrical portion 33 and an upper portion in the form of a disc which forms a support surface 35. The cylindrical portion 33 extends in the extension direction 30 between a lower end 34a and an upper end 34b. The support surface 35 extends perpendicularly to the extension direction 30, at the upper end 34b. The nozzle 36 extends substantially perpendicularly to the extension direction 30 between an end 36a which communicates with the pump 6 and a free end 36b.
The base element 16 has flexible lugs 54 which are hooked right around the neck 20 of the bottle 4. It further has a substantially cylindrical passage 38 which extends in the extension direction 30 and in which at least the lower end 34a of the base 34 slides. The base element 16 further comprises a substantially cylindrical covering surface 42 which extends in the extension direction 30 between a lower end 42a and an upper end 42b. Finally, the base element 16 has an annular rim 56 which protrudes at the lower end 42a of the covering surface 42. This rim 56 holds a decorative strip 46 which surrounds and covers the covering surface 42. The decorative strip 46 is substantially tubular and is constituted by a strip of paper which is printed and wound about itself.
The cap 10 comprises a sleeve 12 and a flexible membrane 14. The sleeve 12 is produced from a substantially rigid transparent plastics material, advantageously of polypropylene. It comprises a tubular portion 22 which extends in the extension direction 30 between a lower end 22a and an upper end 22b and an inner rim 24 which extends substantially perpendicularly to the extension direction 30 from the upper end 22b of the tubular portion 22.
The tubular portion 22 extends in the extension of the container 50 and the lower end 22a of the tubular portion 22 extends in the immediate vicinity of the upper end 50b of the container, in such a manner that there is almost no opening or set-back between the capsule 1 and the container 50.
Furthermore, the tubular portion 22 is substantially opposite the covering surface 42 of the base element 16. The tubular portion 22 has, on the inner side, in the vicinity of the lower end 22a thereof, an annular beading 48 which is held by the annular rim 56. This annular beading 48 is fitted to the annular rim 56 by means of resilient deformation. The covering surface 42 further comes into abutment, at the upper end 42b thereof, against the inner rim 24. The covering surface 42 is consequently held between the inner rim 24 and the annular beading 48 in such a manner that the cap 10 is completely fixed to the base element 16.
Furthermore, owing to the presence of the rim 56, a tubular space 44, which encloses the decorative strip 46, extends between the tubular portion 22 and the covering surface 42 of the base element 16.
The tubular portion 22 comprises an opening 26 having an oblong shape which extends in the extension direction 30 and which receives the free end 36b of the nozzle 36.
The membrane 14 is in the form of a disc which has a peripheral edge 28 which is held in a sealing manner on the inner rim 24. It is advantageously produced from opaque thermoplastic elastomer material. It is moulded on the sleeve 16.
The membrane 14 has an outer face 14a and an inner face 14b. The inner face 14b is substantially in contact with the support surface 35 of the push-button 8. In this manner, by the outer face 14b of the membrane 14 being pressed and by the membrane 14 being slightly deformed, the support surface is pressed, the push-button 8 is made to slide in the passage 38 of the base element 16 and the pump 6 is activated.
Three positioning pins 40 protrude on the inner face 14b of the membrane 14 and surround the cylindrical portion 33 of the base 34 at the upper end 34b thereof. In this manner, even when the capsule 1 is mounted neither on a bottle, nor on a pump, the push-button 8 is completely held, at the lower end 34a of the base thereof, by the passage 38, at the upper end 34b of the base thereof, by the pins 40 and, at the free end 36b of the nozzle thereof, by the opening 26.
Finally, it will be appreciated that the base element 16 ends in the extension direction 30 between the lower end and the upper end 22b of the tubular portion 22 whilst push-button 8 is held substantially between the membrane and the base element 16. Consequently, the cap 10, which constituted by the membrane 14 and the inner rim 24 which extend perpendicularly to the extension direction 30 and tubular portion 22 which extends in the extension ection 30, defines a cavity 32 which completely encloses base element 16 and the push-button 8 in such a manner that the outer contour of the assembly 2 is defined only by container 50 and the cap 10.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 04 04905 | May 2004 | FR | national |
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|---|---|---|---|
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| 6338424 | Nakamura et al. | Jan 2002 | B2 |
| Number | Date | Country |
|---|---|---|
| 1 469 729 | Apr 1977 | GB |
| 2002-200372 | Jul 2002 | JP |
