Patent Application
20170120276
This application claims priority to European application serial No. 15192641.7 filed Nov. 2, 2015 which application is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.
The present invention relates to a dispensing device for dispensing a viscous or liquid product from a reservoir. It also relates to a receptacle comprising such a dispensing device.
In the prior art, dispensing devices are provided with an actuator and a pump mechanism, the actuator being configured to actuate the pump mechanism by moving down the actuator along an longitudinal axis of said dispensing device. To avoid an unintentional actuation of the pump mechanism, dispensing devices are also known to be provided with a mechanism which allows two different configurations: a first configuration in which the pump mechanism can be activated and a second configuration in which the actuation of the actuator is blocked.
Among such kind of dispensing devices it is particularly known dispensing devices configured to be switched from said first configuration to said second configuration by rotation around the longitudinal axis of the dispensing device. In said second configuration lugs provided on said actuator abut shoulders provided on a collar linked to the reservoir. In order to avoid to switch to easily from one configuration to the other, the shoulders are provided with angular retaining means cooperating with the lugs. Thanks to these retaining means, a user needs to exert a specific strength to have the dispensing device reaching and/or leaving its blocked configuration.
Nevertheless, if the user tries to actuate the dispensing device while it is in its blocked configuration, the part of the actuator provided with the lugs may bend and the lugs may escape from the retaining means. As a consequence the actuator may unintentionally switches for its blocked configuration to the other.
The invention aims at avoiding such drawback and propose in that view a dispensing device for dispensing a viscous or liquid product from a fluid reservoir, said dispensing device comprising an actuator, a dispensing member configured to be actuated by said actuator, a collar configured to be linked to the reservoir and to support said dispensing member, said dispensing device being configured so that the actuator can shift from a first position in which an actuation of said dispensing member by said actuator is allowed along an longitudinal axis of said dispensing device to a second position in which an actuation of said dispensing member by said actuator is blocked by abutting surfaces of said actuator and said collar, wherein one or some of said abutting surfaces and at least one reinforcement zone are provided on two opposite sides of a locking sleeve of said dispensing device.
Thanks to said reinforcement zone or zones, the sleeve is prevented from bending and the blocked configuration of the dispensing device is more securely defined.
According to different embodiments of the invention, which can be taken together or separately:
The invention also provides a receptacle comprising a reservoir and a dispensing device as described above.
The invention is more fully described below with reference to the accompanying drawings which show an embodiment of the invention by way of non limiting example.
In the following description, the terms for spatial positioning are taken with reference to the position of the dispensing device as shown in the above mentioned
As illustrated in
The dispensing member 12 can be a pump mechanism or a valve mechanism. Here, the dispensing member 12 is a pump mechanism. Said pump mechanism 12 advantageously comprises an actuator rod 20, a pump body 22 and a feed tube 24. The actuator 10 and the activator rod 20 are coupled in translation along a longitudinal axis of the dispensing device, here a vertical axis, meaning that they move simultaneously in translation along such longitudinal axis, which causes an actuation of the pump mechanism and a distribution of product.
The actuator 10 has a cylindrical general shape and substantially extends along said longitudinal axis. The actuator 10 comprises a internal sleeve 30 defining a housing in which the actuator rod 20 abuts. Said internal sleeve 30 comprises a lateral wall defining a bottom opening passed through by said actuator rod 20 and an upper opening defining an thrust shoulder 32 for said actuator rod 20.
The actuator 10 may be a push button. It comprises an external sleeve 34 and a thrust side 36. Said external sleeve 34 defines an external lateral wall of said actuator 10. Said thrust side 36 is located at the upper end of the actuator 10 and configured to be actuated by a user. Said internal sleeve 30 and said external sleeve 34 both extend longitudinally and coaxially from said thrust side 36. Said thrust side 36 may be slightly incurved for reasons of ergonomics but could also be planar, as designed here, or convex.
Said thrust side 36 comprises an exit channel 38 for the product to be distributed. Said exit channel 38 is here oriented transversally to said longitudinal axis. Said exit channel 38 communicates at one end with said upper opening of said internal sleeve 30 and is provided at the other end with an orifice 40 for dispensing said product.
Said thrust side 36 can be pressed by the user in a pushing direction, said pushing direction being parallel to said longitudinal axis. By doing so the actuator rod 20 is actuated downwardly and the pump is activated. The product exits the actuator rod 20, passes through the upper opening of said internal sleeve 30, flows in said exit channel 38 and is distributed externally through said orifice 40.
The collar 14 is configured to allow the actuator 10 to slide along said longitudinal axis when presses. It comprises an upper side defining a ring 42 surrounding the external sleeve 34 of said actuator 10. The collar 14 further comprises an external sleeve 44 and an intermediate sleeve 46.
Said external and intermediates sleeves 44, 46 both extend longitudinally and concentrically from said ring 42. Said external sleeve 44 defines a lateral external wall of said collar 14. Said intermediate sleeve 46 defines in a lower part 47 a thread to engage with the thread provided on the receptacle neck 4. More generally, said collar 14 is configured to be reversibly fastened to the reservoir 2. The collar 14 further comprises an internal sleeve 48. Said internal sleeve 48 comprises an upper edge engaging with a shoulder 50 in the form of a ring provided on said pump body 22 so that the dispensing member 12 downwardly abuts on said collar 14. The pump body 22 may be fastened to the collar 4.
The collar 14 further comprises a flange 52 oriented perpendicularly to said longitudinal axis of said dispensing device. It radially extends from the intermediate sleeve 46 to a lower edge of said internal sleeve 48. A sealing gasket 54 is here provided between said flange 52 and an upper edge of said neck 4. The thread defined by said intermediate flange 46 is located between said flange 52 and a free end of said intermediate sleeve 46.
As illustrated in the
Said dispensing device is advantageously configured so that said actuator 10 can be shifted from said first to said second positions by rotation around said longitudinal axis.
In that view, said device comprises a locking sleeve 60 which is provided with one or more external ribs 62 extending from said locking sleeve 60, each of said external rib 62 being provided with one 56 of said abutting surfaces. The device is here provided with two external ribs 62 located at 180° from each other. Said external ribs 62 extend radially from said locking sleeve 60. They are integral with said locking sleeve 60.
According to the invention, said abutting surfaces 56 and at least one reinforcement zone 64 are respectively provided on two opposite sides 60a, 60b of said locking sleeve 60. The locking sleeve 60 is hence prevented to bend when the actuator 10 is pressed while it is in its second position. The actuator 10 can then remain locked even in case of misuse.
Said locking sleeve 60 is provided here on said actuator 10. It extends longitudinally and coaxially with the internal and external sleeves 30, 34 provided on said actuator 10. Said locking sleeve 60 extends from the thrust side 36 between said internal and external sleeves 30, 34.
Several said reinforcement zone 64, here six, may be provided. They are advantageously regularly distributed around said longitudinal axis. Said reinforcement zone 64 are here defined by internal ribs 68. They may extend radially from said locking sleeve 62. They are integral with said locking sleeve 60.
The actuator 10 may obtained by molding, especially injection molding. In order to have a simplified molding process, said internal ribs 68 are oriented longitudinally. They advantageously have a cross section gradually decreasing in direction of a distal end of said actuator 10.
Said internal ribs 68 are located on an internal side 60b of said locking sleeve 60 and said abutting surface 56 provided on said actuator 10 are located on an external side 60a of said locking sleeve 60.
Said collar 14 comprises here a further sleeve 72, called counter locking sleeve in the following. Said counter locking sleeve 72 is located coaxially between said intermediate sleeve 46 and said internal sleeve 48 of said collar 14. A external circular groove 74 and internal circular groove 76 are hence respectively defined between said intermediate sleeve 46 and said counter locking sleeve 72 of said collar 14 and between said counter locking sleeve 72 and said internal sleeve 48 of said collar 14. Said external sleeve 34 and said locking sleeve 60 of said actuator 10 longitudinally slides respectively in said external and internal grooves 74, 76 when said actuator 10 is pressed.
As can be better seen on
Said collar 14 is provided with at least one shoulder 70, for instance two shoulders 70, provided with the other abutting surfaces 58. Said shoulders 70 are here defined on an upper edge of said pad. Said shoulders 70 extend angularly between said recess 78 and a stop surface 82. In said second position said external ribs 62 of said actuator 10 engage angularly with said stop surface 82.
Advantageously, said dispensing device is provided with angular retaining means 84 configured to block an unintentional displacement of the actuator 10 between the two positions of said actuator 10. Said retaining means 84 comprises a lug 86 provided angularly along the shoulders 70. Said lug 86 extend internally in a radial direction. It is integral with said collar 14. Said lug 86 is located angularly at a distance from said stop surface 82 to define a housing for said external ribs 62 there between when said actuator is in said second position.
On an angular opposite side of the pads 80, an edge thereof may define another stop surface 90 engaging angularly with said external ribs when said actuator 10 is in said first position. As it will have been understood, in said second position, said external ribs 62 are blocked between said lugs 86 and said stop surface 82 (see especially
It should also be noted that the dispensing device according to the invention is advantageously configured so that the whole assembly of its components can be done by simple axial translations.
Moreover, preferentially, the dispensing device is configured so that a disconnection of the collar 14 from the reservoir causes a disconnection of the dispensing device as a whole from said reservoir.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15192641.7 | Nov 2015 | EM | regional |
