The present invention relates to a fluid dispenser device, and more particularly to such a device including means for preventing it from being actuated in accidental or undesired manner before it has been used for the first time.
Systems for preventing a fluid dispenser device from being accidentally actuated, e.g. while it is being transported or stored, are well known in the prior art. Their purpose is to guarantee that when the user decides to actuate the device for the first time, all the fluid is contained inside the device, and to guarantee that no fluid has been dispensed, and that no loss of sealing occurred while the device was being stored or transported. Such systems can be of various types. Thus, pull-off-strip systems are known in which a strip of pull-off material is disposed on or around the device, said device not being actuatable so long as said strip has not been pulled off. Such systems are relatively complex to manufacture and to assemble, and therefore increase the cost of manufacturing and assembling the device correspondingly. This is particularly disadvantageous when the device is disposable. Another type of system includes elements such as tabs that the user must displace before being able to use the device. Once again, an additional blocking part is required, thereby implying an increase in the cost of manufacturing and assembling the device.
An object of the present invention is to provide a fluid dispenser device that does not have the above-mentioned drawbacks. In particular, an object of the present invention is to provide a fluid dispenser device that cannot be actuated in accidental or undesired manner before it has been actuated by the user for the first time, and that does not require the use of an additional part designed for this purpose. The present invention is also childproof, preventing the device from being actuated by a child.
Another object of the present invention is to provide such a device that is simple and inexpensive to manufacture and to assemble, while being particularly safe and reliable in use.
The present invention therefore provides a fluid dispenser device, comprising: a dispenser orifice; a reservoir containing at least one dose of fluid; at least one piston axially slidable in said reservoir so as to dispense said fluid; a dispenser member co-operating with said piston; and an actuator element co-operating with said dispenser member; said dispenser member being displaceable between a blocking position, preventing said actuator element from being actuated, and a release position in which the actuation of said actuator element displaces said dispenser member so as to dispense a dose of fluid, said dispenser member being displaced manually from its blocking position to its release position before said device is actuated.
Preferably, said dispenser member is axially displaceable, and said actuator element is a lateral actuator element that is displaced in a direction that is approximately perpendicular to the axial displacement direction of said dispenser member.
Advantageously, said dispenser member slides axially between said blocking position in which it is disposed remote from said piston, and said release position in which it is disposed in contact with said piston.
Advantageously, said device includes a body including said dispenser orifice at one end, and a bottom wall at the other end, said dispenser member projecting from said bottom wall when in the blocking position.
Advantageously, said dispenser member includes at least one engagement means co-operating with said actuator element while it is being actuated.
Advantageously, said dispenser member includes two axially offset engagement means, the first engagement means co-operating with the actuator element so as to dispense a first dose of fluid, and the second engagement means co-operating with the actuator element so as to dispense a second dose of fluid.
Advantageously, one engagement means includes a projection co-operating with a cam surface of said actuator element.
Advantageously, when the dispenser member is in the blocking position, said at least one engagement means co-operates with the actuator element so as to prevent it from being actuated.
Other characteristics and advantages of the present invention appear more clearly from the following detailed description of a particular embodiment thereof, given by way of non-limiting example and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
With reference to the figures, a fluid dispenser device of the invention generally comprises a body 1 incorporating a dispenser orifice 5. A fluid reservoir 10 is disposed in said body and is connected to said dispenser orifice 5. The term “fluid” refers to any type of liquid, gas, paste, or powder, depending on the desired use of the device. The invention applies more particularly to “single-dose” or “double-dose” devices in which the reservoir contains one dose or two half doses of fluid. In this type of device, a piston 15 slides axially in said reservoir 10, so as to dispense said dose(s) of fluid in one or two actuations of the device. In order to displace the piston 15 inside the reservoir 10, a dispenser member 20 is provided that co-operates with said piston 15, said dispenser member 20 itself being displaced by means of an actuator element 30 that the user actuates. Thus, in order to dispense a dose of fluid, the user displaces the actuator element 30, thereby displacing the dispenser member 20 which, by co-operating with the piston 15, displaces said piston inside the reservoir 10, thereby causing a dose of fluid to be expelled through the dispenser orifice 5.
In the example shown, the reservoir 10 is formed by a hollow tube closed at one end by the piston 15, and at the other end by a leaktight plug 11, an opening system being provided for opening said plug, said opening system possibly comprising a needle 19 that comes to pierce the plug while the device is being actuated for the first time. In the example shown, the needle 19 is secured relative to the body 1 and to the dispenser orifice 5, and, under the effect of the pressure created inside the reservoir 10 by the displacement of the piston 15, it is the plug 11 that is displaced towards the needle so as to be pierced by said needle. Naturally, the present invention is not limited to a device such as that shown in the drawings, which device represents only one advantageous embodiment to which the present invention applies.
In the invention, in order to avoid any risk of actuation that is accidental or undesired, e.g. during transport, the dispenser member 20 is displaceable between a blocking position, shown in
As shown in the drawings, the dispenser member 20 is preferably axially displaceable, i.e. displaceable in the same direction as the displacement of the piston 15 inside the reservoir 10, whereas the actuator element 30 is a lateral actuator element which is displaced in a direction that is approximately perpendicular to the axial displacement direction of said dispenser member 20. The present invention therefore makes it possible to provide an astute and low-cost blocking system for a device that is suitable for including a lateral actuator element.
Advantageously, the dispenser member 20 is mounted to slide axially between its blocking position and its release position, said dispenser member 20 being disposed remote from the piston 15 in the blocking position, as can be seen in
In advantageous manner, the body 1 can include a bottom wall 2 at its end remote from the dispenser orifice 5, said bottom wall having an opening through which one end of said dispenser member 20 projects when in the blocking position. This can be seen more particularly in
In the embodiment shown in
Thus, the present invention advantageously uses the dispenser means of the device to block the actuator element before the device is used for the first time. No additional parts are required, and the various component elements of the actuator system do not need to be modified or made in more complicated manner in order to achieve said blocking. Naturally, the embodiment shown in the figures is not limiting and other engagement means could be envisaged. For example, instead of projections, the dispenser member 20 could include openings into which the cam surface 31 of the lateral actuator element 30 penetrate, so as to cause said dispenser member to be displaced. Naturally, other variants can also be envisaged.
The present invention therefore enables a system to be provided in simple and low-cost manner, with said system being reliable and effective in preventing the device from being actuated in undesired or accidental manner.
The present invention is described above with reference to an advantageous embodiment thereof, but naturally it is not limited to the embodiment described and shown in the drawings, but, on the contrary, the person skilled in the art may apply any modification thereto without going beyond the ambit of the present invention as defined by the accompanying claims.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
02 15047 | Nov 2002 | FR | national |
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind | 371c Date |
---|---|---|---|---|
PCT/FR03/03466 | 11/24/2003 | WO | 00 | 5/26/2005 |
Publishing Document | Publishing Date | Country | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
WO2004/050508 | 6/17/2004 | WO | A |
Number | Name | Date | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
5046642 | Cathcart et al. | Sep 1991 | A |
5108011 | Kobayashi et al. | Apr 1992 | A |
5169039 | Kay et al. | Dec 1992 | A |
6401987 | Oechsel et al. | Jun 2002 | B1 |
6772915 | Helmlinger | Aug 2004 | B2 |
Number | Date | Country |
---|---|---|
35 12 6650 | Oct 1986 | DE |
295 07 296 | Jun 1995 | DE |
199 63 218 | Jul 2001 | DE |
Number | Date | Country | |
---|---|---|---|
20050284890 A1 | Dec 2005 | US |