Device for dispensing a product comprising a reservoir housed in a casing

Information

  • Patent Grant
  • 6543653
  • Patent Number
    6,543,653
  • Date Filed
    Monday, August 13, 2001
    23 years ago
  • Date Issued
    Tuesday, April 8, 2003
    21 years ago
Abstract
A fluid product dispensing device comprising a reservoir (B), a pump (P) including two pump elements adapted to slide relative to each other in a longitudinal direction and an outer casing (R) provided with a nozzle (10) dispensing the product and an actuator for expelling a dose of product through the nozzle each time an action is exerted by the user of the actuator which comprises a pressing element (7, 8) accessible from outside the casing (R) and a force returning member, the pressing member being mobile substantially transversely to press on the force returning member between two longitudinal end parts, the transformation by the force returning member of the thrust force (F) exerted by the user into a longitudinal sliding force (F2) increasing while the thrust is being exerted.
Description




BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION




The present invention relates to a device for dispensing a fluid, gaseous, liquid or pasty product, of the type comprising a reservoir containing several doses of product, to the neck of which is mounted fixedly a pump equipped with a hollow control stem sliding in a pump body in a direction called longitudinal, and a casing in which said reservoir is housed, said casing being equipped with a nozzle for dispensing the product, connected by a connecting means to said hollow control stem, and with a means for actuating the pump in order to expel a dose of product via the dispensing nozzle on each action exerted by a user on said actuating means.




In spraying product devices, for example atomizers, a precompression stroke or a precompression effect is generally provided, on actuating the pump, in order to liberate the product with enough ejection force to provide a spray of the product at the spray nozzle. The purpose of this precompression stroke of the pump is to force the user to exert, with his finger or his hand, a large force on the actuating button during this precompression stroke. Thus the finger or the hand of the user is carried by its impetus until the button is depressed to the bottom, since, beyond the precompression stroke, the product can be ejected by the pump and therefore the button is less resistive to its depression. It is possible to expel the whole dose of product at high speed, when the force exerted by the user exceeds the precompression value, which may be, for example, about 25 N.




When it is desired, for size, ergonomic or other reasons, that the actuating member is moved in a direction other than that of the stroke of the control stem of the pump, it is possible to provide between them an inclined double-ramp system, a first ramp interacting with the actuating means, a second ramp being connected to the control stem of the pump, so that the gliding of the two ramps one against the other causes the control stem to slide in the pump body. However, in such a system, the friction between the two ramps is great enough so that after the precompression stroke, the user's finger is not driven enough by its impetus to press to the bottom on the actuating means, but is impeded by the resistive force of friction between the ramps. There is therefore no tilting effect after the precompression stroke, which leads to expelling the complete dose of product at a speed which is high enough to ensure that it is sprayed. In order to reduce this friction, it is possible to provide ramps with a shallow slope, but in this case the actuating stroke is too large. If ramps with a shallower slope are chosen, the actuating stroke is smaller, but in this case friction is very great.




Document U.S. Pat. No. 4,315,582 describes a pump system, in a variant of which the pump is actuated by a trigger assembly comprising a pivotally-mounted trigger and a Y-shaped element. This system has a complex outer shape with projecting moveable parts which are accessible from the outside, which increases the risk of inadvertent dismantling and is detrimental to its ergonomics. Furthermore, it does not relate to dispensing devices comprising a casing in which a reservoir equipped with a pump is housed.




SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION




The aim of the invention is to remove the aforementioned drawbacks and to provide a device for dispensing product comprising a reservoir equipped with a pump and a casing in which said reservoir is housed, which makes it possible to eject the product at a high enough speed, and in which the position of the dispensing nozzle is independent of the position of the means for actuating the pump.




To this end, the subject of the invention is a device for dispensing a fluid, gaseous, liquid or pasty product, comprising a reservoir containing several doses of product, a pump comprising two pump elements, that is a hollow stem and a pump body fitted onto said reservoir, said two elements being capable of sliding one with respect to the other in a direction called longitudinal in order to pump said product, and an outer casing equipped with a nozzle for dispensing the product, which nozzle is connected by a connecting means to said hollow stem, and with a pump actuating means to expel a dose of product via the dispensing nozzle on each action exerted by the user on said actuating means, said actuating means comprising a bearing member which is accessible from the outside of the casing and a member for transmitting force, said member for transmitting force having two longitudinal end parts, one, called moveable, of which is capable of bearing on one of said two pump elements in order to make it slide longitudinally and the other, called stationary, of which is locked in translation with respect to said outer casing in the aforementioned longitudinal direction, it being possible for said bearing member to move essentially transversely in order to bear on said member for transmitting force between said two longitudinal end parts, so as to be able to deform said member for transmitting force between a rest position, in which at least one intermediate portion of said transmission member has a nonzero curvature, and an active position, in which the curvature of said intermediate portion is small, in order to increase the longitudinal extension of said member for transmitting force by causing a sliding of said hollow stem toward the inside of said pump body, characterized in that said reservoir is housed at least partially in said casing, said member for transmitting force being arranged such that the transformation, by said member for transmitting force, from the pushing force exerted by the user on said bearing member into a longitudinal sliding force exerted on said first pump element increases throughout the push, which makes it possible to ensure that said longitudinal sliding force ejects the dose of product at a velocity which is high enough to provide a spray via said nozzle.




In addition, in the aforementioned previous system, the forces to which the Y-shaped element is subjected are large because of the acute angle between its two members at the start of the stroke, such that the stabilization of the Y-shaped element and the fatigue at the junction of the members are problematical.




According to a particular characteristic of the invention, said member for transmitting force comprises two toggle joint lever arms hinged directly or indirectly one with respect to the other at said intermediate portion, the free ends of the two arms opposed to said hinge forming respectively said longitudinal end parts of said member for transmitting force, said two arms forming together an obtuse angle in said rest position and remaining unaligned in said active position, without going through an aligned position of the two arms.




Advantageously, the two toggle joint lever arms are hinged via a central piece guided transversely in translation in said casing.




Advantageously, the bearing member is integral with the hinge between the two aforementioned arms.




Advantageously, the bearing member is able to bear on said member for transmitting force on either side of said toggle joint hinge, on reinforcing ribs carried by the two toggle joint lever arms.




Preferably, the free end of the toggle joint lever arm which forms said stationary end of the member for transmitting force is hinged about a fixed point of the casing.




As a variant, the free toggle joint lever arm end which forms said stationary end of the member for transmitting force is able to be displaced in translation in a substantially transverse direction of the casing, the corresponding toggle joint lever arm being able to act as bearing member.




Advantageously, said member for transmitting force comprises two additional arms hinged respectively to each of said toggle joint lever arms at the free ends thereof, said additional arms being hinged together at their respective ends opposite said toggle joint lever arms in order to form a hinged quadrilateral.




Preferably, the hinge of said additional arms of the quadrilateral is kept transversely in gliding contact with a substantially longitudinal guiding rib of said device in order to be able to slide against said guiding rib during the actuation of said pump.




Advantageously, that one of said additional arms which is hinged to said stationary end of the member for transmitting force is stopped against an oblique stop rib of said device in said rest position.




Preferably, said guiding rib and said stop rib are formed contiguously on an inner face of said casing.




According to another characteristic of the invention, said member for transmitting force comprises an elastically deformable cylindrical sleeve arranged with its axis in a direction which is substantially transverse and substantially perpendicular to the direction of the bearing force of said bearing member, said sleeve exhibiting in said rest position a substantially elliptical section, the major axis of which coincides with the direction of said bearing force and the minor axis of which coincides with said longitudinal direction, the ends of said minor axis forming respectively said longitudinal end parts of said member for transmitting force, said sleeve being deformed during the thrust exerted by the user on said bearing member such that its major axis is shortened whilst its minor axis is elongated.




Preferably, the parts of said sleeve at the ends of said major axis are respectively in gliding contact with a longitudinal wall of said bearing member and with a substantially longitudinal guiding rib of said casing.




Advantageously, said stationary end part of the member for transmitting force is offset with respect to the axis of said hollow stem.




Advantageously, said first pump element is said hollow stem, said movable end part of the member for transmitting force is hinged on an end piece mounted fixedly to the free end of the hollow stem in order to bear on said hollow stem, said end piece carrying the aforementioned connecting means.




Preferably, the aforementioned connecting means is a flexible tube or a deformable bellows or one or more pieces which can be moved with respect to the casing.




According to yet another characteristic of the invention, said first pump element is said pump body and said movable end part of the member for transmitting force bears on a substantially transverse wall carried by said pump body, said pump body and said reservoir being moveable in said direction which is longitudinal with respect to said casing.




Preferably, said hollow stem lies on the other side of said transverse wall with respect to said member for transmitting force, the free end of said hollow stem being mounted fixedly in a wall of the casing carrying said nozzle, said connecting means being a duct formed through said casing wall.




Advantageously, the dispensing nozzle is carried fixedly by the casing.




Preferably, the aforementioned bearing member comprises a flexible membrane mounted fixedly in the wall of the casing.




Advantageously, said casing forms an outer packaging completely containing said reservoir. The whole device can then be designed with a simple shape and quite small size, for example a flat parallelepipedal shape, in order to be easily put away in the pocket of an item of clothing. Said reservoir may advantageously be formed from a pocket made of a flexible plastic film.




Preferably, said member for transmitting force is contained in said outer casing. The toggle joint hinge or hinges may be formed by film hinges.




The invention will be better understood, and other aims, details, characteristics and advantages thereof will appear more clearly, during the detailed explanatory description which follows of several embodiments of the invention, given solely by way of nonlimiting illustration, with reference to the appended schematic drawings.











BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS




In these drawings:





FIG. 1

is a partial view in longitudinal section of a first embodiment of the device according to the invention, in the rest position;





FIG. 2

is a view similar to

FIG. 1

, but in the active position, at the end of the actuating stroke of the pump;





FIG. 3

is a perspective view of a mounting piece designed to be inserted into the container of

FIG. 1

, said mounting piece being in its position as molded;





FIG. 4

is a perspective view similar to

FIG. 3

, but showing said mounting piece in a folded service position;





FIG. 5

is a schematic view in longitudinal section of a second embodiment of the device according to the invention, in its rest position;





FIG. 6

is a view similar to

FIG. 5

, but in the active position, at the end of the actuating stroke of the pump;





FIG. 7

is a partial view in longitudinal section of a third embodiment of the device according to the invention, in the rest position;





FIG. 8

is a partial view in longitudinal section of a fourth embodiment of the device of the invention, in the rest position;





FIG. 9

is a view similar to

FIG. 8

, but in the active position, at the end of the actuating stroke of the pump, the spray nozzle being secured in translation with the control stem of the pump;





FIG. 10

is a vector diagram showing the actuating forces on sliding the control stem of the pump with a device according to the invention;





FIG. 11

is a partial view in longitudinal section of a fifth embodiment of the device of the invention, in the rest position;





FIG. 12

is a view similar to

FIG. 11

, but in the active position, at the end of the actuating stroke of the pump;





FIG. 13

is a partial view in longitudinal section of a sixth embodiment of the device of the invention, in the rest position;





FIG. 14

is a view similar to

FIG. 13

, but in the active position, at the end of the actuating stroke of the pump;





FIG. 15

is a view in longitudinal section, along the line XV—XV of

FIG. 16

, of a sixth embodiment of the device of the invention, in the rest position;





FIG. 16

is a view in longitudinal section, along the line XVI—XVI of

FIG. 15

, of the device of

FIG. 15

in the rest position;





FIG. 17

is a view in longitudinal section along the line XVII—XVII of

FIG. 18

of a sixth embodiment of the device of the invention, in the active position, at the end of the actuating stroke of the pump;





FIG. 18

is a view in longitudinal section, along the line XVIII—XVIII of

FIG. 17

, of the device of

FIG. 17

in the active position, at the end of the actuating stroke of the pump;





FIG. 19

is a partial view in perspective of the mounting piece of

FIG. 3

in another variant embodiment;





FIG. 20

is a partial view in perspective of a variant embodiment of the toggle joint of

FIG. 4

corresponding to the mounting piece of FIG.


19


.











DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS




With reference to

FIGS. 1

to


4


, a bottle B is seen which is designed to contain several doses of product, the neck


1


of which is equipped with a pump P. The pump P comprises a pump body


2


secured to a collar


3


which is crimped onto the neck


1


of the bottle B and a hollow control stem


4


which is capable of sliding in the pump body


2


, in order to eject a dose of product. The pump P is connected to a dip tube


5


which extends down to the bottom of the bottle B (see FIGS.


5


and


6


).




The bottle B is housed (at least partially) in a larger container or casing R, for example made of plastic, which forms an outer packaging for the bottle. By way of example, the container R may be made of transparent plastic, with a coat of metalized varnish on the inner surface of the container in order to conceal the inside of the container R. Advantageously, the container R consists of two half-shells made of plastic which are welded one to the other.




In the variant of

FIGS. 1 and 2

, the side wall of the container R comprises an opening


6


through which a rubber membrane


7


is forcedly snap-fitted. The rubber membrane


7


comprises a relatively thick cylindrical wall


7




a,


which is designed to be fitted to a shoulder of the aforementioned opening


6


of the wall of the container R, and a portion substantially in the shape of a flexible disk


7




b


of small thickness lying inside said thick cylindrical wall


7




a,


said membrane


7


comprising, in its center, a thicker portion


7




c


making a housing to receive and retain the head of a substantially mushroom-shaped plastic pushing device


8


.




At its top, the container R comprises a housing in which an end piece


9


, capable of receiving a spray nozzle


10


, known per se, is mounted. A locking ring


11


is mounted around the end piece


9


in the thickness of the top wall of the container R in order to lock the end piece


9


in place on the wall of the container. The upper end piece


9


extends inside the container R via an offset cylindrical end piece


9




a


which is capable of receiving the upper end of a flexible tube


12


, the lower end thereof being fitted in a lower end piece


13


, which is extended by another coaxial end piece


13




a


which is mounted on the smaller-diameter upper end


4




a


of the aforementioned control stem


4


.




As is visible in

FIGS. 1 and 2

, foam


14


is inserted between the bottle B and the inner wall of the container R in order to hold the bottle in place.




As is more visible in

FIGS. 3 and 4

, the upper end pieces


9


and


9




a


are borne by a substantially horizontal lug


15




a,


which is an integral part of a support member


15


. The support member


15


consists of a flat vertical plate


16


with raised side edges


17


, the flat plate


16


being designed to bear against an inner side wall of the container R. The aforementioned upper lug


15




a


is connected, on either side of the aforementioned end pieces


9


and


9




a,


to a first U- or fork-shaped arm


18


, via two film-hinges


18




a.


The opposite end of the first arm


18


is connected via a hinge


19


to a second arm


20


, also substantially U-shaped. The two arms


18


and


20


and the hinge


19


together form a means of transmitting force through an angle using a toggle joint. The overall shape of the toggle joint is an H, hinged on the horizontal bar of the H. The two branches of the second fork-shaped arm


20


are connected via a film hinge


20




a


to a small plate


21


which bears on either side of its plane the aforementioned lower end pieces


13


and


13




a.


The small plate


21


also comprises two side lugs


21




a


which are designed to engage in a groove


17




a


made in the aforementioned raised edges


17


of the support member


15


. The grooves


17




a


serve to guide the sliding of the control stem


4


.




Each arm


18


,


20


comprises side reinforcement ribs


18




b,




20




b


and a transverse reinforcement rib


18




c,




20




c,


in the vicinity of the hinge


19


.




The second arm


20


may also comprise a flexible tongue


22


which is capable of bearing against the bottom of the plate


16


, in the mounted position, as shown in broken line in

FIG. 1

, in order to provide the elastic return movement of the toggle joint to its rest position.




Advantageously, the support member


15


is in one piece with the end pieces


9


,


9




a,


the toggle joint


18


to


20


, the small plate


21


and the end pieces


13


and


13




a


and, where necessary, the elastic tongue or tongues


22


. In the position illustrated in

FIG. 3

, the whole of the aforementioned support member


15


is shown in its position as obtained on being taken from the mold. The entire support member is therefore molded. Note, in

FIG. 3

, that the demolding direction is substantially vertical, and that the arms


18


and


20


forming the toggle joint are in a position aligned both with the small plate


21


and the lug


15




a.






In a variant shown in

FIGS. 19 and 20

, on the one hand the support member


15


with the plate


16


, the raised edges


17


and the end pieces


9


and


9




a


and, on the other hand, the toggle joint


18


to


20


, the small plate


21


and the end pieces


13


and


13




a,


together with, if required, the elastic tongue or tongues


22


, form two distinct assemblies obtained separately by molding. In this case, the first arm


18


comprises at each fork end


18




a


a cylinder


59


arranged transversely in order to form a pivot pin for the arm


18


instead of the film hinges. The lug


15




a


of the support member


15


is, in this case, replaced by an upper wall


31


which completely closes the support member


15


from one edge


17


to the other, this upper wall still bearing the aligned end pieces


9


and


9




a


and, on its lower face, on each side of the end piece


9




a,


there are two longitudinal lugs


33


between which the wall


31


has a transverse recess


60


, the lugs


33


and the recess


60


forming a substantially semicylindrical bearing in which each pivot pin


59


of the arm


18


is engaged in order to form a pivot connection.




The operation of the device according to the invention will now be briefly described with reference to

FIGS. 1

,


2


and


10


.




In the rest position illustrated in

FIG. 1

, the control stem


4


of the pump P is in an upward-projecting position and the toggle joint has an opening angle θ


1


between the arms


18


and


20


, for example of the order of 115° in FIG.


10


. In this position, the pushing device


8


bears against the transverse ribs


18




c


and


20




c


of the two arms


18


and


20


, on either side of the hinge


19


, without however coming into contact with said hinge. If a leaf spring


22


has been provided, the latter is slightly folded with its free end bearing against the bottom of the plate


16


, as shown in FIG.


1


. The flexible tube


12


has a shape substantially bent into a V inside the container R.




When a user exerts a bearing force F on the central portion


7




c


of the membrane


7


, to the right of the pushing device


8


, the membrane


7


is deformed toward the inside of the container, to take a substantially concave shape, with the concavity turned outward by virtue of its curved shape in its rest state, as is visible in FIG.


2


. The pushing device


8


then bears on the aforementioned ribs


18




c


and


20




c


in order to push back the arms


18


and


20


. However, as the upper end


18




a


of the first arm


18


is fixed with respect to the container R, it is the lower end


20




a


of the second arm


20


which is moved downward, depressing the control stem


4


inside the pump body in order to expel a dose of product toward the spray nozzle


10


, the jet of sprayed product being shown by J. The flexible tube


12


is deformed to take a more elongated position. As is visible in

FIG. 2

, the two arms


18


and


20


take a relative position which is more aligned than is the case in

FIG. 1

, without however being completely aligned, so as to prevent the two arms


18


and


20


from tilting to the other side of their unstable alignment position. It will also be noted that the upper end


18




a


of the first arm


18


is not aligned with the axis of the control stem


4


, although that can be envisioned. In the end-of-stroke position where the product is ejected, shown in

FIG. 2

, the two arms


18


and


20


together form an angle θ


2


of about 145° in FIG.


10


. By way of example, the pushing device


8


is displaced by a distance d


1


of about 4 mm in a transverse direction in order to move the hinge


19


between its two positions illustrated in

FIG. 10

, and the lower end


20




a


of the second arm


20


is displaced over a height d


2


of about 4 mm. We therefore have a system for transmitting force in which a transverse bearing force F is transformed into a longitudinal or vertical displacement force F


2


.




In

FIG. 10

, the balance of forces on the actuating member is shown in a vector diagram. F denotes the transverse bearing force exerted by the user and transmitted by the pushing device substantially at the hinge


19


. The force F


3


is the reaction of the support member


15


on the free end


18




a


of the first arm


18


, at the pivot connection. The force F


2


exerted on the control stem


4


by the free end


20




a


of the second arm


20


is the longitudinal resultant which causes the control stem


4


to slide in the pump body


2


, against pressure and other forces which resist it. F may, for example, have a value of about 35.7 N, F


3


a value of about 21.6 N and F


2


a value of about 25 N. The point


18




a


may be offset by about 4 mm with respect to the longitudinal axis A of the control stem.




Given that the toggle joint opens during the transverse stroke of the pushing device, the transformation of the pushing force F exerted by the user into a longitudinal sliding force F


2


exerted on the control stem increases throughout the push. This is because the leverage from the pushing force F with respect to the pivot pin of the second arm


20


at its end


20




a


increases during the stroke of the hinge


19


, represented by an arc of a circle C, while the leverage with respect to the hinge


19


from the forces which resist sliding of the stem


4


decrease. Thus, for resistive forces of constant value, the thrust F needed to overcome said resistive forces, and therefore to actuate the pump P, decreases. This increasing transmission effect combines with the precompression effect of the pump to result in a resistive force opposing the thrust by the user which decreases during the pushing stroke.




Once the initial resistive force is overcome, the movement of the user therefore tends to continue by entrainment, causing acceleration of the pushing device, which makes it possible to provide a pressure for ejecting the dose of product which is enough to cause satisfactory spraying or atomization of the jet J by the spray nozzle


10


.




When the user releases the pressure exerted on the pushing device


8


, the spring integral to the pump may automatically push back the toggle joint to its rest position; however, it is also possible to provide one or more flexible leaves


22


in order to contribute to returning the toggle joint to its rest position.




The vertical sliding of the small plate


21


is guided by the lugs


21




a


which slide in the grooves


17




a


of the edges


17


of the support member


15


.




In the variant illustrated in

FIGS. 5 and 6

, the same reference numbers are used to denote identical pieces, while similar elements are represented by reference numbers increased by 100.




In this variant, the aforementioned support member is removed, the upper end pieces


109


,


109




a


being borne by a small plate


115


fixed directly to the upper wall of the container R, and the lower end pieces


113


and


113




a


being borne directly by the control stem


4


of the pump P. Here, the toggle joint consists of an upper arm


118


hinged at


118




a


to an upper washer


115




a


mounted fixedly under the aforementioned small plate


115


, of a lower arm


120


hinged at


120




a


to a lower small plate


121


, the two arms


118


and


120


being hinged to a central piece


119


which then acts as a pushbutton. The end pieces


113


and


113




a


project on either side of the small plate


121


. This central piece


119


is in contact with a membrane


107


having a substantially spherical-cap shape which is inserted through the opening


6


in the wall of the container R. This membrane


107


comprises a flange which projects peripherally at its base


107


a while its central spherical portion projects outward from the container. Advantageously, the central piece


119


is guided in a transverse direction (by means not shown) in order to prevent said piece


119


from tilting about one of its hinges connecting it with the arms


118


and


120


. So, if the user exerts a force F, as indicated in

FIG. 6

, on the membrane


107


, which leads to giving it a substantially concave depressed shape, the piece


119


is moved transversely so as to open the angle formed by the toggle joint, but not so far that said piece tilts upward or downward, which otherwise would not allow the vertical sliding movement to be transmitted to the control stem


4


.




Otherwise, the operation of the variant illustrated in

FIGS. 5 and 6

is similar to that of the first variant.




A third variant is illustrated in

FIG. 7

, in which the elements identical to those of the first variant bear the same reference numbers, while similar elements bear the reference numbers increased by 200.




In

FIG. 7

, the aforementioned flexible tube is replaced by an elongated bellows


212


, the upper end of which is fitted in an upper end piece


209




a


and the lower end of which is directly fitted on the free end


4




a


of the control tube


4


of the pump P. The upper end piece


209




a


is borne by a small plate


215


, from the other side of which the end piece


209


, intended to receive the spray nozzle


10


, is made to project. Under this small plate


215


, a washer


215




a


is mounted, which washer is extended by a film hinge


218




a


of the first arm


218


of the toggle joint. The other end of the first arm


218


is connected via the hinge


219


to the second arm


220


, the lower end of which is connected via a film hinge


220




a


to a small plate


221


which is mounted around the lower end of the bellows


212


. The aforementioned hinge


219


is extended by a pushing device


208


which can be directly accessible from the outside of the container (not shown in FIG.


7


).




The operation of this variant remains similar to that of the two aforementioned variants.





FIGS. 8 and 9

show a fourth variant, in which the spray nozzle


10


is borne by a moveable hollow connecting piece


312


of elongated shape which is borne directly at its lower end by the control stem


4


of the pump P. This moveable piece


312


comprises an axial passage


313


which opens out at its lower end onto the hollow control stem


4


and at its upper end onto the spray nozzle


10


which here is positioned perpendicularly to the axis of the container R. This piece


312


is capable of sliding vertically with respect to a guide sleeve


309


which extends into the container R from its top. Consequently, in this variant, the outlet nozzle


10


for the product can be moved with respect to the container R, while in the other variants it was stationary with respect to the container.




In addition, in this variant, an elastomeric sleeve is provided over the whole perimeter of the side wall of the container R, so as to be able to be compressed by tightening said sleeve in one hand. In fact, in this variant, the elastomeric sleeve is directly connected at its lower end, in a recess


1




a


, to the top of the bottle B and at its upper end to the upper wall of the container R using a semi-toric retaining ring


306


. Inside the container R, that is to say in the space defined between the top of the bottle B and the upper wall of the container R, a plurality of substantially vertical segments


308


are provided, which are regularly distributed over the entire perimeter of the container and are in contact with the inner face of the elastomeric sleeve


307


. The segments


308


are capable of being moved radially toward the axis of the device. These segments act as bearing member. Each segment


308


is extended by an upper arm


318


which slides in a transverse and radial direction with respect to the axis of the device. This first arm


318


is connected via a hinge


319


to a second lower arm


320


which is connected by a film hinge


320




a


to the aforementioned piece


312


. The arm


318


, the hinge


319


and the second arm


320


together form a toggle joint, in the sense of the invention.




In this variant, the piece


312


, the toggle joint and the pushing device


308


form a single molded piece.




A fifth embodiment of the invention will now be described with reference to

FIGS. 11 and 12

. The elements similar or identical to those of the first embodiment bear the same reference number increased by 400.




In this variant, the casing R is formed by a container


448


in which the bottle B is housed and by a lid


440


fitted on the container


448


in order to close its longitudinal end face in the extension of the pump stem


404


. The lid


440


has a substantially flat upper wall


458


and an annular sleeve


454


engaged longitudinally in the container


448


in order to hold the lid


440


in place transversely. To the right of the nozzle


410


, the sleeve


454


has a longitudinal notch


457


to enable the lid


440


to pass around said nozzle


410


during assembly. A lug for attaching the nozzle


410


is engaged in a transverse groove


455


at the bottom of the notch


457


in order to immobilize the nozzle


410


transversely with respect to the casing R.




The pushbutton


408


is guided in translation transversely into an opening


423


of the side wall of the container


448


and an opening


456


of the sleeve


454


aligned therewith. It has a bearing surface


424


substantially aligned with said side wall in the rest position and depressed in said casing R in the active position. The button


408


comprises an elastic tongue


425


which can be deformed between a substantially straight state in the rest position and a state in which it is bent against a pin


453


of the lid


440


in the active position of the pushing device


408


, in order to exert a return force on the latter toward its rest position. In the rest position, a pin


426


of the button


408


comes up against the sleeve


454


of the lid


440


.




The longitudinal face


408




a


opposite the bearing face


424


is in gliding contact against the hinge


419


of at least one, and preferably two, toggle joint(s), each one formed by a hinged quadrilateral composed of four arms


418


,


420


,


427


and


428


. While the two arms


418


and


420


correspond to those of the first embodiment, the two arms


427


and


428


are arranged substantially symmetrically to the latter with respect to the longitudinal sliding axis A of the pump stem


404


. The hinge


429


opposite the hinge


419


is in gliding contact against a longitudinal rib


430


of the lid


440


. The hinge


418




a


between the arms


418


and


428


is in gliding contact with a transverse rib


432


. In the rest position, the arm


428


comes up along an oblique rib


437


. The ribs


430


,


437


and


432


are formed contiguously on the inside of the sleeve


454


.




The end piece


413


fitted on the pump stem


404


has a shoulder on which rests a washer


434


on the transverse surface of which rests the hinge


420




a


opposite the hinge


418




a.


The upper end of the end piece


413


opens transversely into the deformable bellows


412


connecting the end piece


413


to the nozzle


410


. During a transverse push on the pushbutton


408


, the hinge


429


being locked transversely against the rib


430


, the transverse extension of the hinged quadrilateral decreases while its longitudinal extension increases. Since the hinge


418




a


is locked by the rib


432


, it is the hinge


420




a


which is displaced longitudinally thereby causing, via the washer


434


and the end piece


413


, actuation of the pump stem


404


. During this movement, the hinge


429


glides against the rib


430


, the hinge


418




a


against the rib


432


, the hinge


420




a


against the washer


434


and the hinge


419


against the surface


408




a


of the pushing device


408


.




At the end of the stroke of the pushing device, the hinge


419


comes up against a step


435


of the surface


408




a


and the hinge


420




a


against a step


436


on the washer


434


. The mechanical advantages of the hinged quadrilateral are identical to those of the toggle joint of the first embodiment. This hinged quadrilateral in addition has a greater resistance to fatigue because of the better distribution of forces.




The sixth embodiment illustrated in

FIGS. 13 and 14

differs from the previous one solely in the use of a deformable sleeve in place of each hinged quadrilateral. The elements similar or identical to those of the first embodiment now bear the same reference number increased by 500.




The substantially cylindrical sleeve


538


is placed with its axis in a transverse direction substantially perpendicular to the direction of pushing of the button


508


. It has a substantially elliptical section, the major axis of which coincides with the direction of displacement of the pushing device


508


and the minor axis of which coincides with the longitudinal sliding direction of the pump stem


504


. When the button


508


is pushed from its rest position to its active position, the parts of the sleeve


538


located at the ends


519


and


529


of said major axis are brought together transversely between the surface


508




a


and the rib


530


, respectively. The sleeve


538


of substantially constant perimeter is then deformed by moving the ends


518




a


and


520




a


of said minor axis apart, which causes the washer


534


to move away from the rib


532


and the pump stem


504


to slide in the course [sic]


502


. Here, the washer


534


exhibits a central depression


539


designed to stabilize transversely the sleeve


538


. The mechanical advantages of the actuating member formed by the sleeve


538


are similar, in terms of transfer of forces, to those of the toggle joint of the first embodiment. Preferably, a similar sleeve is arranged on each side of the pump stem


504


.




A seventh embodiment of the invention will now be described with reference to

FIGS. 15 and 16

. The elements similar or identical to those of the first embodiment bear the same reference number increased by 600.




In this variant, the casing R has a shape which is substantially that of a block of square section, two diagonally opposite corners


647


of which are cut substantially perpendicularly to said diagonal and the thickness of which is substantially equal to a quarter of the length. The casing R has a container


648


having at mid-thickness a substantially semicircular outer peripheral groove


641


, and is closed on its upper face by a lid


640


. The deformable membrane


607


is formed by a substantially central thinned part of the lid


640


and has in its rest position, visible in

FIG. 16

, a convexity directed outward from the casing R. On its inner face, the membrane bears the thicker portion


607




c


in gliding contact with the hinge


619


of at least one, preferably two, toggle joint(s), each one formed by the two arms


618


and


620


.




The nozzle


610


is mounted substantially at mid-thickness in a side wall


649


of the container


648


on the inner face of which the pump control stem


604


is directly engaged. A duct


612


through the wall


649


connects the stem


604


to the nozzle


610


. At the level of the duct


612


, the wall


649


has a part


646


projecting toward the inside of the casing R. In this embodiment, the bottle is replaced by a reservoir B with rigid wall


644


completely enclosed in the casing R and able to move longitudinally therein under the action of the toggle joint


618


to


620


. The reservoir B has a shape substantially in the form of a capital E with a base


650


from which extend longitudinally two side wings


651


and a central throat


601


forming the neck of the reservoir in which the pump body


602


is mounted fixedly.




The throat


601


is closed at its end by a transverse plate


643


through which the pump body


602


passes and which has two end parts projecting transversely from each side of the throat


601


toward the side wings


651


. The plate


643


attached to the reservoir B acts as a bearing surface for each arm


620


of the toggle joint whose free end


620




a


is engaged in a notch


645


of the plate


643


in order to form a pivot connection therewith. The other arm


618


of each toggle joint has its free end


618




a


longitudinally locked in translation by a pin


642


formed at the bottom of the container


648


. When the toggle joint is opened by a transverse push exerted on the membrane


607


, the entire reservoir B and pump body


602


slide longitudinally toward the nozzle


610


around the pump stem


604


, thus causing a dose of product to be expelled. In order to slide around the pins


642


, the base


650


of the reservoir B has two longitudinal grooves


652


. During this sliding, the hinge


619


glides longitudinally over the thick portion


607




c


of the membrane


607


. The mechanical advantages of the two toggle joints for this embodiment are similar to those of the first embodiment.




The seventh embodiment illustrated in

FIGS. 17 and 18

has, compared to the sixth embodiment, a different design of the reservoir B. The elements similar or identical to those of the first embodiment bear the same reference number increased by 700.




In this variant, the reservoir B is formed by a pocket, the wall


744


of which is made of a flexible plastic film. The reservoir B is substantially U-shaped with a base


750


and two side wings


751


. The pump body


702


is attached directly to the middle of the base


750


between the two wings


751


and bears the plate


743


. Two grooves


752


under the base


750


allow it to slide longitudinally around the pins


742


of the casing R. As is visible in

FIG. 18

, the membrane


707


has, in the active position, a convexity directed inward from the casing R.




Although the invention has been described in connection with several particular exemplary embodiments, it is quite obvious that it is in no way limited thereto and that it comprises all the technical equivalents of the means described together with their combinations if these fall within the scope of the invention.



Claims
  • 1. Device for dispensing a fluid, gaseous, liquid or pasty product, comprising a reservoir containing several doses of product, a pump comprising two pump elements, that is a hollow stem and a pump body fitted onto said reservoir, said two elements being slidable one with respect to the other in a longitudinal direction in order to pump said product, and an outer casing interacting with a nozzle for dispensing the product,said nozzle is connected by a connecting means to said hollow stem, and with a pump actuating means to expel a dose of product via the dispensing nozzle on each action exerted by the user on said actuating means, said actuating means comprising a bearing member that is accessible from the outside of the casing and a member for transmitting force, said member for transmitting force having two longitudinal end parts, a first one of said end parts being movable, and bearing on a first of said two pump elements in order so that said first one of said two pump elements slides longitudinally and a second one of said end parts being locked in translation with respect to said outer casing in said longitudinal direction, said bearing member moving essentially transversely in order to bear on said member for transmitting force between said two longitudinal end parts, so as to be able to deform said member for transmitting force between a rest position, in which at least one intermediate portion of said transmission member has a nonzero curvature, and an active position, in which the curvature of said intermediate portion is smaller, in order to increase the longitudinal extension of said member for transmitting force by causing a mutual sliding of said pump elements, wherein said reservoir is housed at least partially in said casing, said member for transmitting force being arranged such that the transformation, by said member for transmitting force, from the pushing force exerted by the user on said bearing member into a longitudinal sliding force exerted on said first pump element increases throughout the push, so that said longitudinal sliding force ejects the dose of product at a velocity which is high enough to provide a spray via said nozzle, wherein said member for transmitting force comprises two toggle joint lever arms hinged directly or indirectly one with respect to the other at said intermediate portion, the free ends of the two arms opposing to said hinge forming respectively said longitudinal end parts of said member for transmitting force, said two arms forming together an obtuse angle in said rest position and remaining unaligned in said active position, without going through an aligned position of the two arms, and wherein the bearing member is able to bear on said member for transmitting force on either side of said toggle joint hinge, on reinforcing ribs carried by the two toggle joint lever arms.
  • 2. Device for dispensing a fluid, gaseous, liquid or pasty product, comprising a reservoir containing several doses of product, a pump comprising two pump elements, that is a hollow stem and a pump body fitted onto said reservoir, said two elements being slidable one with respect to the other in a longitudinal direction in order to pump said product, and an outer casing interacting with a nozzle for dispensing the product,said nozzle is connected by a connecting means to said hollow stem, and with a pump actuating means to expel a dose of product via the dispensing nozzle on each action exerted by the user on said actuating means, said actuating means comprising a bearing member that is accessible from the outside of the casing and a member for transmitting force, said member for transmitting force having two longitudinal end parts, a first one of said end parts being movable, and bearing on a first of said two pump elements in order so that said first one of said two pump elements slides longitudinally and a second one of said end parts being locked in translation with respect to said outer casing in said longitudinal direction, said bearing member moving essentially transversely in order to bear on said member for transmitting force between said two longitudinal end parts, so as to be able to deform said member for transmitting force between a rest position, in which at least one intermediate portion of said transmission member has a nonzero curvature, and an active position, in which the curvature of said intermediate portion is smaller, in order to increase the longitudinal extension of said member for transmitting force by causing a mutual sliding of said pump elements, wherein said reservoir is housed at least partially in said casing, said member for transmitting force being arranged such that the transformation, by said member for transmitting force, from the pushing force exerted by the user on said bearing member into a longitudinal sliding force exerted on said first pump element increases throughout the push, so that said longitudinal sliding force ejects the dose of product at a velocity which is high enough to provide a spray via said nozzle, wherein said member for transmitting force comprises two toggle joint lever arms hinged directly or indirectly one with respect to the other at said intermediate portion, the free ends of the two arms opposing to said hinge forming respectively said longitudinal end parts of said member for transmitting force, said two arms forming together an obtuse angle in said rest position and remaining unaligned in said active position, without going through an aligned position of the two arms, and wherein said member for transmitting force comprises two additional arms hinged respectively to each of said toggle joint lever arms at the free ends thereof, said additional arms being hinged together at their respective ends opposite said toggle joint lever arms in order to form a hinged quadrilateral.
  • 3. Device according to claim 2, characterized in that the hinge (429) of said additional arms (427, 428) of the quadrilateral is kept transversely in gliding contact with a substantially longitudinal guiding rib (430) of said device in order to be able to slide against said guiding rib (430) during the actuation of said pump (P).
  • 4. Device according to claim 3, characterized in that that one of said additional arms (428) which is hinged to said stationary end (418a) of the member for transmitting force is stopped against an oblique stop rib (437) of said device in said rest position.
  • 5. Device according to claim 4, characterized in that said guiding rib (430) and said stop rib (437) are formed contiguously on an inner face of said casing (R).
  • 6. The device according to claim 2, wherein said casing comprises a lid having a longitudinal notch to enable the lid to pass around said nozzle.
  • 7. The device according to claim 2, wherein said bearing member comprises a pushbutton guided in transverse translation into an opening of a side wall of the casing.
  • 8. Device for dispensing a fluid, gaseous, liquid or pasty product, comprising a reservoir containing several doses of product, a pump comprising two pump elements, that is a hollow stem and a pump body fitted onto said reservoir, said two elements being slidable one with respect to the other in a longitudinal direction in order to pump said product, and an outer casing interacting with a nozzle for dispensing the product,said nozzle is connected by a connecting means to said hollow stem, and with a pump actuating means to expel a dose of product via the dispensing nozzle on each action exerted by the user on said actuating means, said actuating means comprising a bearing member that is accessible from the outside of the casing and a member for transmitting force, said member for transmitting force having two longitudinal end parts, a first one of said end parts being movable, and bearing on a first of said two pump elements in order so that said first one of said two pump elements slides longitudinally and a second one of said end parts being locked in translation with respect to said outer casing in said longitudinal direction, said bearing member moving essentially transversely in order to bear on said member for transmitting force between said two longitudinal end parts, so as to be able to deform said member for transmitting force between a rest position, in which at least one intermediate portion of said transmission member has a nonzero curvature, and an active position, in which the curvature of said intermediate portion is smaller, in order to increase the longitudinal extension of said member for transmitting force by causing a mutual sliding of said pump elements, wherein said reservoir is housed at least partially in said casing, said member for transmitting force being arranged such that the transformation, by said member for transmitting force, from the pushing force exerted by the user on said bearing member into a longitudinal sliding force exerted on said first pump element increases throughout the push, so that said longitudinal sliding force ejects the dose of product at a velocity which is high enough to provide a spray via said nozzle, wherein said member for transmitting force comprises an elastically deformable cylindrical sleeve arranged with its axis in a direction which is substantially transverse and substantially perpendicular to the direction of the bearing force of said bearing member, said sleeve exhibiting in said rest position a substantially elliptical section, the major axis of which coincides with the direction of said bearing force and the minor axis of which coincides with said longitudinal direction, the ends of said minor axis forming respectively said longitudinal end parts of said member for transmitting force, said sleeve being deformed during the push exerted by the user on said bearing member such that its major axis is shortened whilst its minor axis is elongated.
  • 9. Device according to claim 8, characterized in that the parts (519, 529) of said sleeve (538) at the ends of said major axis are respectively in gliding contact with a longitudinal wall (508a) of said bearing member (508) and with a substantially longitudinal guiding rib (530) of said casing (R).
  • 10. Device for dispensing a fluid, gaseous, liquid or pasty product, comprising a reservoir containing several doses of product, a pump comprising two pump elements, that is a hollow stem and a pump body fitted onto said reservoir, said two elements being slidable one with respect to the other in a longitudinal direction in order to pump said product, and an outer casing interacting with a nozzle for dispensing the product,said nozzle is connected by a connecting means to said hollow stem, and with a pump actuating means to expel a dose of product via the dispensing nozzle on each action exerted by the user on said actuating means, said actuating means comprising a bearing member that is accessible from the outside of the casing and a member for transmitting force, said member for transmitting force having two longitudinal end parts, a first one of said end parts being movable, and bearing on a first of said two pump elements in order so that said first one of said two pump elements slides longitudinally and a second one of said end parts being locked in translation with respect to said outer casing in said longitudinal direction, said bearing member moving essentially transversely in order to bear on said member for transmitting force between said two longitudinal end parts, so as to be able to deform said member for transmitting force between a rest position, in which at least one intermediate portion of said transmission member has a nonzero curvature, and an active position, in which the curvature of said intermediate portion is smaller, in order to increase the longitudinal extension of said member for transmitting force by causing a mutual sliding of said pump elements, wherein paid reservoir is housed at least partially in said casing, said member for transmitting force being arranged such that the transformation, by said member for transmitting force, from the pushing force exerted by the user on said bearing member into a longitudinal sliding force exerted on said first pump element increases throughout the push, so that said longitudinal sliding force ejects the dose of product at a velocity which is high enough to provide a spray via said nozzle, wherein the aforementioned connecting means is a flexible tube or a deformable bellows or one or more pieces which can be moved with respect to the casing.
  • 11. Device according to claim 10, wherein said stationary end part of the member for transmitting force is offset with respect to the axis of said hollow stem.
  • 12. Device according to claim 10, wherein said first pump element is said hollow stem, said movable end part of the member for transmitting force is hinged on an end piece mounted fixedly on the free end of the hollow stem in order to bear on said hollow stem, said end piece carrying the aforementioned connecting means.
  • 13. Device according to claim 10, wherein the dispensing nozzle is carried fixedly by the casing.
  • 14. Device for dispensing a fluid, gaseous, liquid or pasty product, comprising a reservoir containing several doses of product, a pump comprising two pump elements, that is a hollow stem and a pump body fitted onto said reservoir, said two elements being slidable one with respect to the other in a longitudinal direction in order to pump said product, and an outer casing interacting with a nozzle for dispensing the product,said nozzle is connected by a connecting means to said hollow stem, and with a pump actuating means to expel a dose of product via the dispensing nozzle on each action exerted by the user on said actuating means, said actuating means comprising a bearing member that is accessible from the outside of the casing and a member for transmitting force, said member for transmitting force having two longitudinal end parts, a first one of said end parts being movable, and bearing on a first of said two pump elements in order so that said first one of said two pump elements slides longitudinally and a second one of said end parts being locked in translation with respect to said outer casing in said longitudinal direction, said bearing member moving essentially transversely in order to bear on said member for transmitting force between said two longitudinal end parts, so as to be able to deform said member for transmitting force between a rest position, in which at least one intermediate portion of said transmission member has a nonzero curvature, and an active position, in which the curvature of said intermediate portion is small, in order to increase the longitudinal extension of said member for transmitting force by causing a mutual sliding of said pump elements, wherein said reservoir is housed at least partially in said casing, said member for transmitting force being arranged such that the transformation, by said member for transmitting force, from the pushing force exerted by the user on said bearing member into a longitudinal sliding force exerted on said first pump element increases throughout the push, so that said longitudinal sliding force ejects the dose of product at a velocity which is high enough to provide a spray via said nozzle, wherein said first pump element is said pump body, said movable end part of the member for transmitting force bearing on a substantially transverse wall carried by said pump body, said pump body and said reservoir being moveable in said direction which is longitudinal with respect to said casing.
  • 15. Device according to claim 14, characterized in that said hollow stem (604) lies on the other side of said transverse wall (643) with respect to said member for transmitting force (618-620), the free end of said hollow stem being mounted fixedly in a wall (649) of the casing (R) carrying said nozzle (610), said connection means being a duct (612) formed through said casing wall.
  • 16. Device for dispensing a fluid, gaseous, liquid or pasty product, comprising a reservoir containing several doses of product, a pump comprising two pump elements, that is a hollow stem and a pump body fitted onto said reservoir, said two elements being slidable one with respect to the other in a longitudinal direction in order to pump said product, and an outer casing interacting with a nozzle for dispensing the product,said nozzle is connected by a connecting means to said hollow stem, and with a pump actuating means to expel a dose of product via the dispensing nozzle on each action exerted by the user on said actuating means, said actuating means comprising a bearing member that is accessible from the outside of the casing and a member for transmitting force, said member for transmitting force having two longitudinal end parts, a first one of said end parts being movable, and bearing on a first of said two pump elements in order so that said first one of said two pump elements slides longitudinally and a second one of said end parts being locked in translation with respect to said outer casing in said longitudinal direction, said bearing member moving essentially transversely in order to bear on said member for transmitting force between said two longitudinal end parts, so as to be able to deform said member for transmitting force between a rest position, in which at least one intermediate portion of said transmission member has a nonzero curvature, and an active position, in which the curvature of said intermediate portion is smaller, in order to increase the longitudinal extension of said member for transmitting force by causing a mutual sliding of said pump elements, wherein said reservoir is housed at least partially in said casing, said member for transmitting force being arranged such that the transformation, by said member for transmitting force, from the pushing force exerted by the user on said bearing member into a longitudinal sliding force exerted on said first pump element increases throughout the push, so that said longitudinal sliding force ejects the dose of product at a velocity which is high enough to provide a spray via said nozzle, wherein the aforementioned bearing member comprises a flexible membrane mounted fixedly in the wall of the casing.
  • 17. Device according to claim 16, wherein said member for transmitting force comprises two toggle joint lever arms hinged directly or indirectly one with respect to the other at said intermediate portion, the free ends of the two arms opposing to said hinge forming respectively said longitudinal end parts of said member for transmitting force, said two arms forming together an obtuse angle in said rest position and remaining unaligned in said active position, without going through an aligned position of the two arms.
  • 18. Device according to claim 17, characterized in that the two toggle joint lever arms (118, 120) are hinged via a central piece, (119) guided transversely in translation in said casing (R).
  • 19. Device according to claim 17, characterized in that the bearing member (208) is integral with the hinge (219) between the two aforementioned arms (218, 220).
  • 20. Device for dispensing a fluid, gaseous, liquid or pasty product, comprising a reservoir containing several doses of product, a pump comprising two pump elements, that is a hollow stem and a pump body fitted onto said reservoir, said two elements being slidable one with respect to the other in a longitudinal direction in order to pump said product, and an outer casing interacting with a nozzle for dispensing the product,said nozzle is connected by a connecting means to said hollow stem, and with a pump actuating means to expel a dose of product via the dispensing nozzle on each action exerted by the user on said actuating means, said actuating means comprising a bearing member that is accessible from the outside of the casing and a member for transmitting force, said member for transmitting force having two longitudinal end parts, a first one of said end parts being movable, and bearing on a first of said two pump elements in order so that said first one of said two pump elements slides longitudinally and a second one of said end parts being locked in translation with respect to said outer casing in said longitudinal direction, said bearing member moving essentially transversely in order to bear on said member for transmitting force between said two longitudinal end parts, so as to be able to deform said member for transmitting force between a rest position, in which at least one intermediate portion of said transmission member has a nonzero curvature, and an active position, in which the curvature of said intermediate portion is smaller, in order to increase the longitudinal extension of said member for transmitting force by causing a mutual sliding of said pump elements, wherein said reservoir is housed at least partially in said casing, said member for transmitting force being arranged such that the transformation, by said member for transmitting force, from the pushing force exerted by the user on said bearing member into a longitudinal sliding force exerted on said first pump element increases throughout the push, so that said longitudinal sliding force ejects the dose of product at a velocity which is high enough to provide a spray via said nozzle, wherein said casing forms an outer packaging completely containing said reservoir.
  • 21. Device according to claim 20, wherein the member for transmitting force comprises two toggle joint lever arms hinged directly or indirectly one with respect to the other at said intermediate portion, the free ends of the two arms opposing to said hinge forming respectively said longitudinal end parts of said member for transmitting force, said two arms forming together an obtuse angle in said rest position and remaining unaligned in said active position, without going through an aligned position of the two arms, andwherein the free end of the toggle joint lever arm which forms said stationary end of the member for transmitting force is hinged about a fixed point of the casing.
  • 22. Device according to claim 20, wherein the member for transmitting force comprises two toggle joint lever arms hinged directly or indirectly one with respect to the other at said intermediate portion, the free ends of the two arms opposing to said hinge forming respectively said longitudinal end parts of said member for transmitting force, said two arms forming together an obtuse angle in said rest position and remaining unaligned in said active position, without going through an aligned position of the two arms, andwherein the free toggle joint lever arm end which forms said stationary end of the member for transmitting force is able to be displaced in translation in a substantially transverse direction of the casing, the corresponding toggle joint lever arm being able to act as bearing member.
  • 23. Device according to claim 20, wherein said reservoir is formed from a pocket made of a flexible plastic film.
  • 24. Device according to claim 20, wherein said member for transmitting force is contained in said outer casing.
  • 25. Device for dispensing a fluid, gaseous, liquid or pasty product, comprising a reservoir containing several doses of product, a pump comprising two pump elements, that is a hollow stem and a pump body fitted onto said reservoir, said two elements being slidable one with respect to the other in a longitudinal direction in order to pump said product, and an outer casing interacting with a nozzle for dispensing the product,said nozzle is connected by a connecting means to said hollow stem, and with a pump actuating means to expel a dose of product via the dispensing nozzle on each action exerted by the user on said actuating means, said actuating means comprising a bearing member that is accessible from the outside of the casing and a member for transmitting force, said member for transmitting force having two longitudinal end parts, a first one of said end parts being movable, and bearing on a first of said two pump elements in order so that said first one of said two pump elements slides longitudinally and a second one of said end parts being locked in translation with respect to said outer casing in said longitudinal direction, said bearing member moving essentially transversely in order to bear on said member for transmitting force between said two longitudinal end parts, so as to be able to deform said member for transmitting force between a rest position, in which at least one intermediate portion of said transmission member has a nonzero curvature, and an active position, in which the curvature of said intermediate portion is smaller, in order to increase the longitudinal extension of said member for transmitting force by causing a mutual sliding of said pump elements, wherein said reservoir is housed at least partially in said casing, said member for transmitting force being arranged such that the transformation, by said member for transmitting force, from the pushing force exerted by the user on said bearing member into a longitudinal sliding force exerted on said first pump element increases throughout the push, so that said longitudinal sliding force ejects the dose of product at a velocity which is high enough to provide a spray via said nozzle, wherein the dispensing nozzle can be moved with respect to the casing.
  • 26. The device according to claim 25, wherein the connecting means is a connecting piece which is borne directly at a lower end thereof by said hollow stem of the pump and is moveable with respect to the casing, said connecting piece comprising an axial passage which opens out at an end thereof onto said hollow stem and at another end thereof onto the dispensing nozzle, wherein said dispensing nozzle is borne by said connecting piece.
  • 27. The device according to claims 26, wherein said member for transmitting force comprises two toggle joint lever arms (18, 20; 118, 120; 213, 220; 318, 320;l[sic] 418, 420; 618, 620) hinged directly or indirectly one with respect to the other at said intermediate portion, the free ends of the two arms opposing to said hinge forming respectively said longitudinal end parts of said member for transmitting force, said two arms forming together an obtuse angle (θ1) in said rest position and remaining unaligned in said active position, without going through an aligned position of the two arms, wherein said connecting piece and said toggle joint lever arms form a single molded piece.
  • 28. The device according to claim 26, wherein said casing comprises a guide means for guiding said connecting piece, said connecting piece being capable of sliding vertically with respect to the guide means.
  • 29. The device according to claims 26, wherein said member for transmitting force comprises two toggle joint lever arms (18, 20; 118, 120; 218, 220; 318, 320; 418, 420; 618, 620) hinged directly or indirectly one with respect to the other at said intermediate portion, the free ends of the two arms opposing to said hinge forming respectively said longitudinal end parts of said member for transmitting force, said two arms forming together an obtuse angle (θ1) in said rest position and remaining unaligned in said active position, without going through an aligned position of the two arms, wherein said pushbutton has a bearing face and a face opposite said bearing face which is in gliding contact against the hinge between said toggle joint lever arms.
  • 30. The device according to claim 25, wherein said dispensing nozzle is positioned perpendicularly to an axis of the outer casing.
Priority Claims (1)
Number Date Country Kind
99 15649 Dec 1999 FR
PCT Information
Filing Document Filing Date Country Kind
PCT/FR00/03464 WO 00
Publishing Document Publishing Date Country Kind
WO01/44076 6/21/2001 WO A
US Referenced Citations (5)
Number Name Date Kind
4315582 Micallef Feb 1982 A
5147075 Regan Sep 1992 A
5516006 Meshberg May 1996 A
6089410 Ponton Jul 2000 A
6186369 Rosenthal Feb 2001 B1
Foreign Referenced Citations (5)
Number Date Country
0 557 714 Sep 1993 EP
0 899 213 Mar 1999 EP
0 899 213 Mar 1999 EP
2 649 955 Jan 1991 FR
1 247 947 Sep 1971 GB