The present invention relates to a fluid dispenser comprising a dispensing member (pump or valve) connected to a main reservoir containing a first fluid product. The dispensing member communicates with a main axial outlet orifice which moves along an actuation axis. The dispenser also comprises a plurality of secondary reservoirs containing a second fluid product and each having a mobile wall, as well as a push button which can be moved along the actuation axis carrying the main outlet orifice with it. Such dispensers are used in the fields of cosmetics, perfumery, or indeed pharmacy.
In the prior art, document WO 2012/113749 A1 is already known and describes several dispensers of this type. In accordance with one embodiment of that document, the dispenser comprises a rotary annular barrel which forms a plurality of reservoirs. The outer periphery of that barrel is accessible so that it can be driven in rotation. The rotary barrel is removably mounted under a push button which moves axially, but is prevented from rotating. This is explained by the fact that the push button comprises a central orifice for the valve and an offset orifice that is common to all the reservoirs of the rotary barrel. Each reservoir must be brought above a fixed stud by rotating the barrel in order to crush the reservoir on this stud and deliver its contents through the offset orifice, which must therefore also be positioned above the stud. This implies that the push button must be angularly oriented so that its offset orifice is axially aligned with the fixed stud. That document does not describe how the push button and the barrel are oriented with respect to the fixed stud. The objective of the present invention is to improve this dispenser, both in terms of its design and its use. The risk of fluid product leakage or residue at the offset orifice must be eliminated. The rotation of the barrel should be easier. The stability of the barrel must be ensured. Replacing the barrel should be simpler.
To this end, the present invention proposes a fluid product dispenser comprising:
Thus, each secondary reservoir supplies its own secondary outlet orifice, in a manner such that there is no relative movement, in particular in rotation, between the secondary reservoirs and the push button.
In a particularly advantageous aspect of the invention, the push button and the secondary reservoirs form a removable cartridge unit that is rotatably mounted about the main axial outlet orifice and the actuation axis. While the push button and the barrel of document WO 2012/113749 A1 are two separate parts that can be separated and rotated with respect to one another, the push button and the secondary reservoirs of the invention are integral and thus form a unit.
In accordance with an advantageous feature, the removable cartridge unit is elastically ejected from the dispensing member after a rotational movement over a predetermined angle, advantageously of the order of 360°. In practice, the user presses the cartridge unit axially against the dispensing member against elastic means and then rotates it through a small angle, for example of the order of 10°. The cartridge unit is then connected, but can rotate upon itself. The user can then rotate it until it reaches a retracted position at the end of its path where it is released and ejected by the elastic means.
In accordance with another feature of the invention, the mobile wall of each secondary reservoir comes into successive engagement with a fixed stud for pressing under the action of the push button. Advantageously, the dispenser may comprise angular positioning means for fixing the angular position of each secondary reservoir in turn by rotation to above the fixed pressing stud. Thus, the user does not have to search for the precise angular position of the cartridge unit by trial and error. When the user turns it, stable positions will be perceived that correspond to the successive axial alignments of the secondary reservoirs above the fixed pressing stud.
In accordance with one embodiment of the invention, the main outlet orifice is surrounded by a main collection area that is integral with the dispensing member, the secondary outlet orifices are surrounded by a secondary collection area formed by the push button, the two main and secondary areas being connected in alignment. Preferably, the main area is central and the secondary area surrounds the main area. Thus, the secondary area may be part of a removable cartridge unit, while the primary area remains in place on the dispensing member. The secondary area is therefore applied around the main area without generating a major discontinuity between them. The cartridge unit may have an overall configuration that is similar to a doughnut (doughnut-shaped).
In accordance with another embodiment of the invention, the push button defines both the main axial outlet orifice and the secondary outlet orifices, surrounded by a single common collection area. The cartridge unit may have an overall configuration similar to a puck.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, the push button may form internal housings in which the secondary reservoirs in the form of crushable capsules filled with second fluid product are received, each internal housing advantageously being provided with a puncturing needle that leads to the secondary outlet orifice. In a variation, the push button may form internal compartments sealed by deformable membranes acting as mobile walls. Advantageously, the deformable membrane may be selected from a fold-back membrane and a stretchable membrane.
In accordance with one auspicious embodiment, the dispensing member comprises an actuating pin that is movable along the actuation axis, this actuating pin being capped by a plate that is axially movable, but prevented from rotating, the plate forming a central head that is engaged with the actuating pin and an off-axis through aperture for a fixed pressing stud that locks the plate against rotation, the push button being removably mounted on the plate and rotatable about the central head so as to be able to position a secondary reservoir one at a time above the fixed pressing stud which will crush the secondary reservoir and therefore deliver the second fluid product through the secondary outlet orifice each time the push button is actuated, which simultaneously causes the dispensing member to be actuated to deliver the first fluid product through the main axial outlet orifice. The central head may form the main axial outlet orifice and a main collection area that surrounds the main axial outlet orifice. In a variation, the central head may be covered by the push button which forms both the main axial outlet orifice and the secondary outlet orifices, surrounded by a single common collection area.
The concept of the present invention resides in assigning an outlet orifice to each secondary reservoir. The combination of the push button that forms the secondary outlet orifices and the secondary reservoirs in the form of a replaceable removable cartridge or refill is a particularly advantageous feature of the invention. The ejection and angular positioning means of the cartridge are very practical and provide for comfortable use. The cartridge forms the secondary outlet orifices and may further form the main axial outlet orifice. The plate makes it possible to receive the cartridge with greater stability, especially when the plate is guided axially.
The invention will now be described in more detail below, with reference to the accompanying drawings which show two embodiments of the invention by way of non-limiting examples.
In the figures:
Reference will firstly be made to
The dispensing member P may be a pump or a valve, comprising a body P1 defining a fixing collar P2 that engages in the neck R1. The dispensing member P also comprises an actuating pin P3 which is axially movable back and forth inside the body P1 in order to deliver fluid product in a metered or otherwise manner. This design is entirely conventional for a pump or a valve in the fields of cosmetics, perfumery, or indeed pharmacy. The dispensing member P is not critical for the present invention; it will not be described in any further detail.
The dispenser also includes a plate 3, which is mounted on the free end of the actuating pin P3 of the dispensing member P. The plate 3 is therefore axially movable with the actuating pin P3. The plate 3 comprises a head 31 that covers the actuating pin P3. To this end, the head 31 comprises a sleeve 33 which is force-fitted and/or snap-fitted onto the free end of the actuating pin P3. Downstream of the actuating pin P3, the head 31 forms a through hole 32, via which the fluid product delivered by the dispensing member P passes. The head 31 surrounds the actuating pin P3 and even extends around the neck R1 with a skirt 34, which will participate in guiding the plate 3 on the reservoir R. The plate 3 also comprises an annular flange 35 that extends radially outwards from the head 31. This annular flange 35 forms an axial through aperture 36, in which the pressing stud R3 of the reservoir R is engaged. The flange 35 also forms an elastic tab 37 the function of which is to generate the sensation of the passage over hard radial points when indexing the push button. It removes the radial rotational play and makes it possible to generate a certain axial retention in order to prevent loss of the removable cartridge while allowing it to be positioned. Finally, on its outer periphery, the plate 3 forms a guide ring 38 that is engaged inside the guide bush R2 of the reservoir R so as to guide the plate axially in a stable manner.
Thus, axial pressure on the head 31 causes the actuating pin P3 to be pushed into the body P1 of the dispensing member P, causes the skirt 34 to slide about the neck R1, causes the pressing stud R3 to slide in the axial through aperture 36, and causes the ring 38 to slide inside the bush R2 of the reservoir R. The fluid product delivered by the dispensing member P passes through the through hole 32 of the head 31.
The dispenser of the invention also comprises a push button 1 that is mounted on the plate 3, so that it will also move axially back and forth with the plate 3 and the actuating pin P3. This push button 1 includes a collection area 10, which preferably has a slightly curved shape. This collection area 10 is initially perforated through by an axial or central main outlet orifice 11, which is aligned with the through hole 32 of the head 31 of the plate 3. Thus, the fluid product coming from the dispensing member P is delivered through the actuating pin P3, the through hole 32 and the main orifice 11 to enter the collection area 10. In addition to the main orifice 11, the collection area 10 is also perforated by a plurality of secondary outlet orifices 12, which extend around the main orifice 11. Upstream of the secondary orifices 12, the push button 1 forms puncturing needles 13 the function of which will be explained below. These puncturing needles 13 protrude into internal housings 15, which are defined by tubes 14 extending downwards from the collection area 10. The tubes 14 may be separated from one another or, in contrast, they may be contiguous, so as to form a ring. In accordance with the invention, secondary reservoirs, in the form of crushable capsules 2, are respectively received in the internal housings 15. These crushable capsules 2 may be in the form of small eggs comprising a flexible outer shell filled with a fluid product, which may be identical to, but preferably different from, that of the reservoir R. The crushable capsule 2 comprises a lower wall 21 that is situated at the bottom opening of the compartment 15 so as to be accessible. On the other hand, its upper wall comes into unforced contact with the puncturing needle 13. In order to hold the crushable capsules 2 in their respective housings 15, it is possible to provide sufficient friction or indeed a reduced opening, as is the case in
The housings 15 are formed above the annular flange 35 in a manner such that it is possible to position a housing 15 axially in alignment with the pressing stud R3, as can be seen in
The push button 1, with its secondary reservoirs 2 in the form of crushable capsules, may be permanently mounted on the plate 3, but preferably, the push button 1 and its crushable capsules 2 are mounted on the plate 3 in a removable manner so as to constitute a removable cartridge unit, which can also be described as a refill. This removable cartridge unit can be seen more clearly in
Since the dispenser comprises only one pressing stud R3, only one secondary reservoir 2 is stressed and emptied each time the push button 1 is actuated. In order to dispense fluid products anew, the push button 1 must be rotated on the plate 3 so as to position another secondary reservoir 2 in axial alignment with the pressing stud R3. The actuation operation can then be repeated. By providing eight secondary reservoirs 2 distributed equally around the main orifice 11, for example, the user has to rotate the push button 1 about the axis X by an angle of 45° in order to pass from one secondary reservoir 2 to the next. As will be seen below, the dispenser may be provided with angular positioning means, making it possible to fix the angular position of the push button 1 with respect to the pressing stud R3, so that each secondary reservoir 2 in turn is positioned in an aligned manner above the pressing stud R3.
It should be noted that in this first embodiment of the invention, the push button 1 forms both the main orifice 11 as well as the secondary outlet orifices 12, on a single common collection area 10, on which mixing of the fluid products can be carried out. The cartridge unit C1, constituted by the push button and its secondary reservoirs 2, is then in the form of a disk or a puck, as can be seen in
Reference will now be made to
The plate 3′ comprises a head 31′ that is also mounted on the free end of the actuating pin P3. The head 31′ here defines an axial or central main outlet orifice 32′, as well as a main collection area 30′ that extends around the main orifice 32′. The plate 3′ also comprises an annular flange 35 ‘ that is pierced through by an axial through aperture 36’ in which the pressing stud F3 is engaged, just as in the first embodiment of the invention. The plate 3′ comprises a guide ring 38′ that is engaged inside the guide bush F2 of the securing ring F, just as in the first embodiment of the invention.
The push button 1′ is mounted on the plate 3′ around the head 31′. In this regard, the push button 1′ defines a central through opening 11′, in which the head 31′ is engaged. The push button 1′ forms a secondary collection area 10′ which extends all around the main collection area 30′, preferably in a contiguous and flush manner, so as to avoid any deposits or residues of fluid at the junction of the two areas.
The secondary collection area 10′ is formed with secondary outlet orifices 12′ that communicate with secondary reservoirs 2′ located below the secondary collection area 10′. With reference to
The push button 1′ is axially mounted on the plate 3′ by passing the head 31′ through the central through opening 11′. The push button 1′ can be permanently mounted on the plate 3′, but preferably, the push button 1′ and its membrane ring 22′ constitute a removable cartridge unit C2, which the user can remove from the plate 3′ once the secondary reservoirs 2′ have been emptied.
As in the first embodiment of the invention, it is possible to provide angular positioning means in order to axially align each reservoir 2′ above the pressing stud F3. The operation of this second dispenser of the invention is strictly identical to that of the first embodiment in
In this second embodiment of the invention, it should be noted that the removable cartridge unit C2 is in the form of a disk or, more precisely, it is doughnut-shaped, also known as a “donut”.
In accordance with a variational embodiment, the fold-back membrane 21′ may simply be replaced by a stretchable membrane 21″, which closes the compartments 15′ so as to form the secondary reservoirs 2′.
This stretchable membrane 21′ may be in the form of a flat film, as can be seen in
In
Still in
Removable connection means therefore make it possible to connect the cartridge unit to the plate 3″ over a complete revolution, at the end of which the cartridge unit C3 is ejected by the teeth 312 elastically biased by the tabs 313.
Angular positioning means make it possible to position each secondary reservoir accurately above the pressing stud F3.
In all of the embodiments, the secondary reservoirs 2, 2′ each comprise a mobile wall (lower wall 21—fold-back membrane 21′—stretchable membrane 21″) which serves to reduce its volume so as to deliver its contents from the secondary reservoir.
The invention thus provides a dispenser having a rotary push button, and advantageously a removable push button, which comprises as many secondary outlet orifices as there are secondary reservoirs. The plate mounted on the actuating pin of the dispensing member allows for stable reception and guided axial movement.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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FR2105043 | May 2021 | FR | national |
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
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PCT/FR2022/050890 | 5/10/2021 | WO |