Patent Grant
7611032
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a head for dispensing a product intended for actuating a dispensing element mounted on a container, particularly a valve mounted on a pressurized container, and for dispensing a product contained in the container. In particular, the invention relates to a dispensing head that can be displaced between a dispensing position and a storage position.
2. Discussion of Background
Generally, dispensing heads are protected by caps in order to prevent any unintentional dispensing of product. However, the caps can easily be removed accidentally and this is not desirable, in particular when the dispensing head is provided on an aerosol-type dispenser and when the risks of leakage of the product, particularly of the aerosol propellant gas, should be prevented.
To prevent unintentional dispensing of product, it is known to produce dispensing heads that can move from a dispensing position to a storage position in which the product cannot be dispensed. U.S. Pat. No. 2,887,273 describes an example of a dispensing head of this type that has a diffuser fastened to a container and to a valve stem associated with the container, and also a push-button provided for actuating the valve stem. To move from a dispensing position to a storage position, the push-button can be rotated with respect to the diffuser. The diffuser has a hollow tube fastened to the valve stem, the tube comprising two diametrically opposed lateral spray orifices. The push-button has a skirt fitted over the tube, the skirt delimiting an opening intended to be brought opposite one or the other of the spray orifices in the dispensing position. In the storage position, the opening formed in the skirt of the push-button is positioned opposite the tube wall situated between the two orifices. No product can thus be dispensed. However, in this position, there is nothing to prevent the push-button from being depressed, with the result that product may accumulate inside the tube and the spray orifices of the diffuser. There is therefore a risk that over time the product might dry and clog up the orifices.
Accordingly, it is one of the objects of the invention to produce a dispensing head that alleviates the disadvantages of the prior art.
It is another object of the invention to produce a novel dispensing head which can prevent accidental dispensing of product.
It is a particular object of the invention to produce a head such as this that is relatively simple to produce and inexpensive.
According to the invention, these objects can be achieved by producing a dispensing head intended for actuating a dispensing element mounted on a container and for dispensing a product contained in the container. The head can include a) means for fastening the head to the container; b) a dispensing duct that is able to communicate with the product inside the container. The duct can be obtained by molding from a single piece with the fastening means with which it is secured via deformable connection means. The head can further include: c) means for actuating the dispensing element, the actuating means being provided with a dispensing orifice and being able to move with respect to the duct between a first position in which the product can be dispensed and a second position in which the product cannot be dispensed and in which the dispensing element cannot be actuated. The actuating means is able, in the second position, to butt against an integral portion of the fastening means that prevents displacement of the actuating means from the first to the second position.
A dispensing head such as this can be brought into a safety position in which the product cannot be dispensed. It is difficult to change this safety position accidentally by contrast with heads protected solely by caps that can easily be removed accidentally. The risks of bacteriological pollution outside the head are also reduced or prevented since, in the storage position, the head is not covered with a cap and thus remains exposed to air.
In addition, since the dispensing element is unable to be actuated when the aperture in the duct is blocked off, the product cannot leave the container in this position and accumulate in the duct. The risks of the duct clogging up are thus reduced or prevented.
Furthermore, the presence of the elastically deformable connection means can make it possible to produce a duct by a process of molding from a single piece with fastening means, which is able to be displaced with respect to the fastening means. Such a piece is simple to produce and is inexpensive.
Advantageously, the dispensing head can be configured so as to allow actuation of the dispensing element only when the actuating means are in the first position. The dispensing element cannot thus be actuated in an intermediate position situated between the first and the second position in order to prevent product from being able to reach the duct while the aperture in the duct is blocked off.
The dispensing head may comprise an axial stop against which the actuating means are able to bear axially, at least when they are not in the first position, so as to prevent actuation of the dispensing element. The axial stop may additionally be configured in such a way that the actuating means are able to butt axially against it between the first and the second position, namely in all the positions other than the first position.
The dispensing orifice can be formed at the end of a channel and the duct opens into at least one aperture that is able to be brought opposite the channel in the first position and able to be blocked off in the second position. Since the aperture in the duct is blocked off when the head is not in the dispensing position, the duct is closed in a sealed manner in the storage position.
The duct can open into a single aperture that is able to be brought opposite the channel.
The aperture can be a slot extending parallel to a longitudinal axis X of the head. Other form of aperture may be used.
The channel at the end of which is formed the dispensing orifice can have a length that is greater than the diameter of the dispensing orifice. By diameter of the dispensing orifice is meant the diameter of the circle when the orifice is circular, or the diameter of the circle circumscribed to the cross section of the orifice when the latter has a form other than a circle.
Advantageously, the fastening means are mounted in an axially fixed manner on the container in such a way that the head is correctly maintained on the container.
Advantageously, the connection means are elastically deformable so that they assume their initial position when the stress deforming them is removed.
The connection means allow the duct to be displaced in response to the actuation of the actuating means.
According to a preferred embodiment, the connection means include a wall transverse to a longitudinal axis X of the head, which may be wavy. This configuration of the wall allows it to be deformed easily and to return easily to its initial position.
The duct is formed along a longitudinal axis X of the head and has a first end that is able to interact with the dispensing element and a second end over which the actuating means are fitted. Thus, the duct directly transmits the pressure exerted on the actuating means to the dispensing element.
A point can be arranged inside the duct so as to define an annular passage for the product over at least part of the duct.
The actuating means may be able to be rotated about the axis X between the first and second positions.
Advantageously, the dispensing head may include at least two radial stops limiting the rotational movement of the actuating means.
Advantageously still, the dispensing head may include audible identification means for signaling positioning into one or other of the first and second positions. The audible identification means may include the interaction of a first relief formed on the actuating means and of a second relief, the first relief being able, during displacement of the actuating means with respect to the duct, to come into contact with the second relief and to overcome it by deforming it elastically so as to produce an audible signal. The user can thus be assured that the head is correctly placed in one or other of the positions, and in particular in the storage position.
The dispensing head may also include visual identification means for identifying the first and second positions.
The dispensing orifice may be defined by an attached nozzle or an attached grid for dispensing a product in mousse form.
The invention also relates to a unit for packaging and dispensing a product including: a container containing the product and equipped with a dispensing element; a dispensing head as just described and provided for activating the dispensing element in order to dispense the product.
The container may be pressurized and the dispensing element may be a male valve including a valve stem over which the duct is fitted, or else a female valve, that is to say without a valve stem, into which the duct is fitted. Alternatively, the container can be under atmospheric pressure and can be equipped with a pump.
The invention is particularly useful for packaging and dispensing a cosmetic or care product, particularly a deodorant product.
An additional subject of the invention, independently of or in combination with the foregoing, is a unit for packaging and dispensing a deodorant product including: a) a container; b) a deodorant product contained inside the container; and c) a dispensing head intended for actuating a dispensing element mounted on the container and for dispensing the product. The head can include:
Within the meaning of the present invention, the term “deodorant product” denotes any product containing a composition capable of reducing the flow of sweat and of masking, absorbing, improving and/or reducing the unpleasant odor resulting from the decomposition of human sweat by bacteria.
The invention will become further apparent from the following detailed description, particularly when considered in conjunction with the drawings in which:
The packaging and dispensing unit illustrated in
The container 30 is formed by a pressurized can of axis X, formed by an axisymmetric cylindrical body 31, the upper end of which is closed by a cup 32 crimped onto a rolled edge 33 of the container. The cup 32 is provided with a valve 34 that has a hollow valve stem 35 and can be actuated for example by depressing the valve stem. Alternatively, the valve can be actuated by tilting the valve stem.
The container 30 may contain a product to be sprayed, for example a cosmetic product, and a propellant gas, which may or may not be stored in a liquefied form in the container 30 and may or may not be delivered with the product. The product then leaves in the form of spray, that is to say in the form of fine particles suspended either in the gas or in the air.
The dispensing head 1 is also of axis X and is formed by two parts that can move relative to one another between two positions, a first position allowing the product to be dispensed and a second, storage position in which the product cannot be dispensed. The first part of the head includes a collar 10 that makes it possible to protect the valve stem and is intended to be fastened to the container. The second part includes a push-button 20 allowing the valve to be actuated and being able to be rotated with respect to the collar. Each of the two pieces can be obtained by molding a thermoplastic from a single piece.
The collar 10 includes a fastening skirt 11 for fastening the head to the container. The fastening skirt 11 is provided with an annular flange 110 on its inner wall for fastening it to the container by snap-fitting under the rolled edge 33 of the container and the cup 32. The fastening skirt 11 has a radial offset 111 towards the inside of the skirt and is extended axially above the offset as far as an upper end, from which end is formed a transverse wall 12. Radial fins 13, which are angularly spaced over the periphery of the internal surface of the fastening skirt, extend parallel to the axis X from the offset 111 as far as a lower free edge 130. The free edge 130 is designed to butt against the container when the collar is in a position in which it is mounted on the container, as can be seen in
The transverse wall 12 is a thin wall that has a wavy structure such that it is elastically deformable, which allows it to be deformed when it is stressed axially. The wall 12 is traversed at its centre by a duct 14 formed in the axis X.
The duct 14 extends on either side of the transverse wall 12 from an open lower end 14a, which is fitted over the valve stem 35, as far as an upper end 14b, likewise open, over which is fitted an axial skirt 23 of the push-button. An annular groove 14c is provided on the external surface of the duct 14 in order to accommodate an annular bead 23a provided on the internal surface of the axial skirt 23 of the push-button so as to axially maintain the push-button on the collar. Furthermore, the interaction of the annular bead 23a with the annular groove 14c provides sealing between the duct and the inside of the push-button.
The duct 14 has an axisymmetric cylindrical shape and defines, in its lower part, a shouldered housing in which the upper part of the valve stem 35 may engage in a substantially sealed manner, the upper end 35a of which valve stem butts against the shoulder of the housing. The lower end 14a of the duct is flared slightly so as to make it easier to place the duct on the valve stem. The upper end 14b has an axial slot 15a that defines a passage allowing the product to leave.
The fastening skirt 11 is connected at the level of the offset 111, via an annular transverse wall 16, to an outer skirt 17 that is concentric to the fastening skirt 11. The outer skirt 17 is intended to form the continuation of the wall of the container when the dispensing head is mounted on the container. Two marks M are provided on the external surface of this skirt 17 and these visually indicate the angular positions of the slot 15a and of the blocking position. A first mark M is, for example, the word “ON”, which corresponds to the position of the slot 15a and which therefore allows the product to be dispensed, and a second mark M is, for example, the word “OFF”, which corresponds to the storage position.
As can be seen in more detail in
The second circularly arcuate opening 19 is terminated, in the vicinity of one of its ends, by an opening portion 19a that radially extends the opening 19 inwardly. The opening portion 19a is formed along the diameter passing through the axial slot 15a. In other words, the opening 19 is relatively large at location 19a relative to other locations of the opening 19. The portion 160 of the annular transverse wall 16 that is situated in the vicinity of the second opening 19, inside the circular arc, acts as an axial stop for the push-button, as will be seen in detail subsequently.
Two vertical stops 190a and 190b respectively border each end of the second circularly arcuate opening 19. The stops 190a and 190b extend axially from the annular transverse wall 16 as far as an upper free edge, and extend radially from the external surface of the fastening skirt 11 as far as the slot 19. The stops 190a and 190b are relatively rigid owing to the fact that they are secured both to the transverse annular wall 16 and to the fastening skirt 11 and thus make it possible to limit the rotational movement of the push-button.
Two radial tongues 191a and 191b extend axially from the annular transverse wall 16 as far as an upper free edge 191a′ and 191b′. One is formed towards the inner edge of the opening portion 19a and the other is formed at a distance from the stop 190b. The tongues 191a and 191b extend over an axial height below that of the stops 190a and 190b and are also less wide than the stops 190a and 190b. The tongues 191a and 191b do not extend as far as the circularly arcuate opening 19 and are formed at a distance from the fastening skirt 11 such that they are elastically deformable. The tongues 191a and 191b interact with the push-button in such a way as to constitute an audible identification means for indicating movement into the use position and into the storage position.
Preferably, the dispensing position is quite distant angularly from the storage position so as to completely separate these two positions. The user is thus prevented from moving the push-button into the dispensing position without wishing to do so. Since the two positions are relatively distant, the push-button can thus assume various intermediate positions in which it is not desirable for the dispensing element to be able to be actuated. That is why it is preferable for the portion 160 to act as an axial stop for the push-button between these two positions. However, as an alternative, provision can be made for the portion 160 of the annular transverse wall 16 that is situated in the vicinity of the second opening 19, inside the circular arc, to be able to act as an axial stop for the push-button only in the storage position. The portion 160 situated between the two radial tongues 191a and 191b then extends radially at the same level as the portion 160 of the wall that is situated between the tongue 191a and the vertical stop 190a.
To actuate the valve, the dispensing head comprises a push-button 20 that has an upper wall 21 intended to act as a bearing point for a finger of the user. The upper wall 21 is connected at its periphery to a first skirt 22 whose diameter is smaller than the diameter of the outer skirt 17 of the collar.
The push-button 20 has, inside the first skirt 22, a second skirt 23 of axisymmetrical cylindrical shape. The skirt 23 is of axis X and fits over the upper end 14b of the duct 14 about which it can rotate. Opening into the upper part of the skirt 23, by way of a first end 24a, is a substantially radial channel 24, the second end 24b of which opens into a nozzle support. The nozzle support includes a stud 25, or centre post, to which can be fastened a conventional nozzle 50 with swirl-inducing channels. The nozzle 50 defines a dispensing orifice 51.
An arrow F is provided on the upper wall 21 to indicate the angular position of the end 24a of the channel 24, so that, when it is brought opposite one or other mark M provided on the collar, that visually indicates to the user the position in which he can actuate the push-button for dispensing the product and the storage position.
A point 26 of axis X is formed inside the second skirt 23 and is inserted inside the duct 14 when the push-button is mounted on the collar. The point 26 has a diameter that is slightly smaller than the diameter of the duct so as to form an annular passage for the product inside the duct. The point 26 makes it possible to limit the dead volume inside the duct and thus limit the pressure drops inside the duct so as to optimize the flow rate at which the product leaves. In addition, by reducing the dead volume, the volume of product that the dispensing head can contain between the valve 34 and the dispensing orifice 51 is reduced. Thus, spraying of the product through the dispensing orifice stops more or less at the moment when the user releases the push-button, that is to say as soon as the valve is no longer open, since the amount of product remaining inside the head is relatively small.
The peripheral skirt 22 of the push-button is continued axially, in its lower part, over two diametrically opposed angular portions, by way of two tabs 27 and 28 each intended to be displaced respectively in the circularly arcuate openings 18 and 19 provided in the collar. Each tab 27 and 28 is provided at its lower end with a hook 270 and 280 that butts under the annular transverse wall 16 when the tabs pass through the openings 18 and 19. The hooks 270 and 280 serve to axially maintain the push-button on the collar. The tab 27, situated towards the dispensing orifice 51, is intended to be displaced in the circularly arcuate opening 18. The tab 28 is intended to be displaced in the circularly arcuate opening 19. The tab 28 comprises a rib 281 whose axial length and radial length are sufficient to butt against each stop 190a and 190b during the rotational movement of the push-button on the collar. The rib 281 has a shoulder 281a in its lower part that allows it to pass by at a distance from the vertical edge of the tongues 191a and 191b. However, the shoulder 281a comes into contact with the upper free edges 191a′ and 191b′ of each tongue 191a and 191b and overcomes them by deforming them elastically, as can be seen in
In the storage position represented in
In order to dispense the product, the user turns the push-button 20 about the axis X so as to position the arrow F to face the mark “ON”. During the rotational movement of the push-button, the tab 27 is displaced in the circularly arcuate opening 18 and the tab 28 is displaced in the circularly arcuate opening 19 until the shoulder 281a of the rib 281 comes up against the tongue 191a and, by virtue of its elasticity, overcomes it in order to butt against the stop 190a, at the same time emitting an audible signal allowing the user to know that the push-button is placed in the dispensing position. In this position, represented in
The user can then actuate the valve by pressing on the push-button, as has been represented in
When the user does not wish to dispense the product, he turns the push-button 20 about the axis X so as to position the arrow F to face the mark “OFF”. Here again, the tab 27 is displaced in the circularly arcuate opening 18 and the tab 28 is displaced in the circularly arcuate opening 19 until the shoulder 281a of the rib 281 overcomes the tongue 191b, emitting an audible signal, and until the rib 281 comes up against the stop 190b, assuring the user that the push-button is placed in the storage position and no longer risks of being depressed.
In the foregoing detailed description, reference has been made to preferred embodiments of the invention. It is obvious that alternatives may be introduced thereto without departing from the spirit of the invention as claimed hereinafter. Provision may be made in particular to add a cap to cover the dispensing head, even if it is not indispensable.
Obviously, numerous modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in light of the above teachings. It is therefore to be understood that, within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described herein.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 04 50147 | Jan 2004 | FR | national |
This document claims priority to French Application Number 04 50147, filed Jan. 27, 2004 and U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/542,846, filed Feb. 10, 2004, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference.
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| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20050184093 A1 | Aug 2005 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 60542846 | Feb 2004 | US |
