Patent Application
20240399401
This application claims priority to Italian Patent Application for Invention No. 102023000011124 filed on May 31, 2023, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference.
The present invention relates to a fluid substance dispensing device.
In particular, the said invention refers to a dispensing device equipped with an atmospheric pump.
There are commonly known fluid substance dispensing devices which can be refilled once the substance is used up.
However, refilling operations are often difficult for the end user, who does not have sophisticated control tools available to couple the various parts of the device in a stable, sealed manner.
This often results in an assembly that while appearing optimal, can cause malfunctions in the dispensing device or product leakage over time.
CN114206748-A, describes a dispensing device known in the art.
The object of the present invention is to provide a fluid substance dispensing device which is improved compared with the prior art.
A further object of the invention is to provide a device which is easily refillable by the end user even without special tools, is configured so as to guarantee correct operation, and does not leak even if it is refilled without precision tools.
This and other objects are achieved by means of a dispensing device according to the technical teachings of the claims appended hereto.
Further features and advantages of the innovation will become clearer in the description of a preferred but not exclusive embodiment of the device, illustrated—by way of a non-limiting example—in the drawings appended hereto, in which:
With reference to the figures stated, reference number 1 is used to denote, as a whole, a fluid substance dispensing device.
In this document, the term ‘fluid substance’ can mean a variably dense liquid, such as a cream, which is preferably used in the cosmetic or medical fields.
The device 1 for dispensing a fluid substance S comprises an outer container 3 equipped with a neck 4 which determines a first opening 5.
The outer container 3 is preferably made of glass, aluminium, or in any case of a premium material, which may also be decorated or screen-printed.
An inner container 6 is also featured, which can be made of a lower quality material than that of the outer container, preferably plastic.
The inner container 6 features a first flange 6A, which rests on a free surface of the said neck 4 and features a second opening (for pouring in the fluid substance) determined in proximity to the said flange 6A.
The said container is essentially inserted via the opening 5 in the outer container 3.
An intermediate element 7 is also featured, which supports an atmospheric pump 9 fastened to the intermediate element 7 by means of a ring nut 10 and is equipped with removable means for connection with the neck 4 of the outer container 3.
In practice, the intermediate element 7 can be coupled with the outer container 3 by means of a thread 16 which cooperates with a counter-thread 18 featured on the said neck 4.
For this purpose, the intermediate element 7 can be screwed onto and unscrewed from the outer container 3, or more precisely, to a neck 4 thereof. This operation is particularly useful during refilling operation by an end user, which will be described in detail later.
As clearly visible in the detail in
The intermediate element 7 also has a skirt 8 inserted tightly into the said second opening in the inner container 6.
In practice, the skirt 8 determines a conical outer contact surface with the inner container 6, which creates a perfect seal regardless of the tightening torque applied (by hand) when fastening the intermediate element 7 onto the neck of the container.
This is particularly useful during refilling, where the end user tightens the element 7 by hand after replacing the inner container 6 with a: full one (after removing a removable protection film 20 where present on the new inner container 6).
During this closing operation, the user does not know the exact tightening torque required to secure the element 7 to the neck and essentially acts by hand-tightening the said element until they feel a tightness which they deem sufficient.
With the skirt 8 configured in this way, simple hand tightening is sufficient to prevent leakage and to ensure a perfect seal between the intermediate element 7 and the inner container 6.
Advantageously, the skirt 8 cooperates with a cylindrical portion 6B of the inner container 6, featured at the second opening.
The taper a of the peripheral surface of the skirt (
As also visible in
The ring nut 10 can determine a second flange 10A (
Optionally, a gasket 12 can be featured between the said wall with a hole and the third flange 9A of the pump 9.
It should be underlined that, since the pump is an atmospheric model, the pump body can feature a passageway, for example positioned between the two piston lips.
The upward and downward movement of the pumping unit determines the exchange of air between the inside of the bottle and the areas located above the pump piston sealing area. This guarantees the suction, inside the inner container, of a quantity of air sufficient to compensate for the volume of substance dispensed by the pump.
Obviously, between the ring nut 10 and the intermediate element 7, snap or screw fastening means 13 can be featured, as well anti-rotation coupling means 15.
In this way, for operations to unscrew and screw the intermediate element 7 on the outer element 3, the user can act directly on the ring nut 10 externally.
For this purpose, the ring nut 10 can have a skirt 10B which surrounds the intermediate element 7 perimeterally, thereby concealing the said element. This configuration also has aesthetic purposes.
The said skirt 10B will be handled by the user during unscrewing and re-screwing operations.
Advantageously therefore, the aforesaid anti-rotation means 15 (or torsional coupling means) are featured, at least, on the said skirt 10B in proximity to a free end thereof. The said means are preferably positioned on the inner side of the skirt 10B.
Said means 15 may comprise, for example, a first grooved profile provided on the internal side of the skirt 10B that matches with a correspondent second grooved profile provided on the outer perimeter of the intermediate element 7.
This positioning of the anti-rotation means maximises the torque transmitted to the intermediate element 7 (acting on the skirt 10B).
It should be noted that the configuration of the anti-rotation means may depend on the type of coupling provided between the inner element 7 and the ring nut 10. If the coupling provides snap-fastening means, the anti-rotation means may block the rotation of the ring nut 10 (with respect to the inner element) both in clockwise and anti-clockwise direction.
If the coupling provides screw fastening means 13, the anti-rotation means 15 may allow the rotation of the ring nut 10 over the inner element up to a complete coupling of the screw fastening, and then block the rotation of the ring nut 10 over the inner element both clockwise and anti-clockwise.
To end the description, it must be underlined that the wall 11 can extend coplanarly to the said first flange 7A (as is visible in
Various embodiments of the innovation have been disclosed herein, but further embodiments may also be conceived using the same innovative concept.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 102023000011124 | May 2023 | IT | national |
