U.S. patent application number 10/603938 was filed with the patent office on 2004-01-01 for fluid dispenser.
This patent application is currently assigned to VALOIS SAS. Invention is credited to Lallemant, Isabelle, Milian, Alex.
Application Number | 20040000561 10/603938 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 29783021 |
Filed Date | 2004-01-01 |
United States Patent
Application |
20040000561 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Lallemant, Isabelle ; et
al. |
January 1, 2004 |
Fluid dispenser
Abstract
A fluid dispenser comprising two sheets (1, 2) co-operating to
define a fluid reservoir (15), at least one of the two sheets
defining a deformable actuating wall (13, 23) on which it is
possible to press to put the fluid under pressure in the reservoir,
said fluid dispenser being characterized in that it further
comprises a dispensing piece (3) to which at least one of the
sheets is fixed, said piece defining a dispensing orifice (344)
that is closed off by a removable closure member (4).
Inventors: |
Lallemant, Isabelle;
(Versailles, FR) ; Milian, Alex; (Breteuil Sur
Iton, FR) |
Correspondence
Address: |
SUGHRUE MION, PLLC
2100 PENNSYLVANIA AVENUE, N.W.
WASHINGTON
DC
20037
US
|
Assignee: |
VALOIS SAS
|
Family ID: |
29783021 |
Appl. No.: |
10/603938 |
Filed: |
June 26, 2003 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
60398102 |
Jul 25, 2002 |
|
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
222/92 ;
222/546 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65D 2221/00 20130101;
B65D 31/147 20130101; B65D 2231/002 20130101; B65D 75/5872
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
222/92 ;
222/546 |
International
Class: |
B65D 035/00 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Jun 28, 2002 |
FR |
FR-02.08136 |
Claims
1/ A fluid dispenser comprising two sheets (1, 2) cooperating to
define a fluid reservoir (15), at least one of the two sheets
defining a deformable actuating wall (13, 23) on which it is
possible to press to put the fluid under pressure in the reservoir,
said fluid dispenser being characterized in that it further
comprises a dispensing piece (3) to which at least one of the
sheets is fixed, said piece defining a dispensing orifice (344)
that is closed off by a removable closure member (4).
2/ A dispenser according to claim 1, in which the dispensing piece
(3) comprises two side bars (36) which extend on either side of the
dispensing orifice (31).
3/ A dispenser according to claim 1, in which the sheets (1, 2) are
fixed together over a peripheral-margin of the reservoir along a
sealing line that extends at least in part adjacently to the bars,
with the bars being situated inside the reservoir.
4/ A dispenser according to claim 2, in which the bars (36) form a
rigid inner side peripheral margin for the reservoir.
5/ A dispenser according to claim 1, in which the sheets (1, 2) are
fixed to the bars to define a rigid outer peripheral margin for the
reservoir.
6/ A dispenser according to claim 2, in which the bars (36) meet to
form a closed frame.
7/ A dispenser according to claim 1, in which the dispensing
orifice (344) opens out at an opening (25) provided in one of the
sheets (2).
8/ A dispenser according to claim 7, in which the dispensing piece
(3) is fixed to the sheet (2) around the periphery of the opening
(25).
9/ A dispenser according to claim 7, in which the dispensing piece
defines an outlet chamber (340) forming the outlet orifice and fed
with fluid from the reservoir through radial channels (342).
10/ A dispenser according to claim 7, claim 8, or claim 9, in which
the dispensing orifice is formed at the bottom of a concave
recovery dish (345) from which the fluid can be recovered by the
user.
11/ A dispenser according to claim 1, in which the dispensing piece
with its bars is received entirely within the reservoir, the sheets
being fixed to each other around the dispensing piece.
12/ A dispenser according to claim 9, in which the radial channels
(342) are separated by radial ribs (341) having an upper face in
contact with the sheet (2).
13/ A dispenser according to claim 1, in which the dispensing piece
(3) comprises a side facing the sheet (1) and an opposite side
facing the sheet (2), the side facing the sheet (1) forming an
outlet chamber (340), radial channels (342) connecting the chamber
to the reservoir and radial ribs (341) separating the channels, the
opposite side facing the sheet (2) forming a concave recovery dish
(345) communicating with the chamber through the outlet orifice
(344), the sheet (2) being tightly fixed to the plate around the
dish (345).
Description
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This application claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C.
.sctn.119(e) of pending U.S. provisional patent application Serial
No. 60/398,102, filed Jul. 25, 2002, and priority under 35 U.S.C.
.sctn.119(a)-(d) of French patent application No. FR-02.08136,
filed Jun. 28, 2002.
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0002] The present invention relates to a fluid dispenser
comprising two sheets co-operating to define a fluid reservoir, at
least one of the two sheets defining a deformable actuating wall on
which it is possible to press to put the fluid under pressure in
the reservoir. That type of reservoir is in wide use as a fluid
sample in the fields of cosmetics, of perfumes, or indeed of
pharmaceuticals.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] To use such a dispenser, it is necessary merely to separate
the two sheets from each other or else to tear off a portion of
them to define a dispensing orifice. Then it is necessary merely to
press on the deformable actuating wall of the dispenser to deliver
fluid through the resulting dispensing orifice. Naturally, it is
thus possible to package fluids that are very liquid or indeed very
viscous, and it is also possible for powders to be dispensed.
[0004] The drawback with that type of reservoir lies in the fact
that the dispensing orifice does not initially exist, and that it
is therefore incumbent on the user to create or form the dispensing
orifice either by separating the two sheets or by tearing off a
portion of them. The resulting dispensing orifice is firstly not
very easy to form, and secondly is often of very random shape,
which makes it rather awkward to dispense fluid. In addition, the
dispensing orifice being formed purely manually in this way can
give rise to users spilling the fluid over themselves at places
where they do not want to put the fluid.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0005] An object of the present invention is to remedy that
drawback of the prior art by defining a fluid dispenser in which
dispensing takes place via a pre-formed and precise dispensing
orifice which requires the user merely to perform an operation that
is very simple to open the dispensing orifice.
[0006] To this end, the invention provides that the dispenser
further comprises a dispensing piece to which at least one of the
sheets is fixed, said piece defining a dispensing orifice that is
initially closed off by a removable closure member. This dispensing
piece, which may advantageously be made of a molded plastics
material, makes it possible to form a precise dispensing orifice
that the user can easily open by removing the removable closure
member. In addition, this dispensing piece serves as a rigid
support for the sheets making up the reservoir, at least one of the
sheets being made of a deformable material. The dispensing piece
thus makes it possible to impart some stiffness to the dispenser.
In addition, the dispensing piece may serve as a support for other
internal elements of the dispenser such as an element made of a
porous material suitable for being imbibed or impregnated with
fluid in liquid or powder form.
[0007] In a first embodiment of the invention, the dispensing piece
comprises two side bars which extend on either side of the
dispensing orifice. The bars may be rectilinear and may, for
example, extend parallel to each other. In this way, the bars
constitute vertical side edges of the dispenser. In a variant, it
is naturally possible to imagine that the side bars may be curved.
In another variant embodiment, the bars may meet to form a closed
frame to which the sheets are fixed. Advantageously, the sheets are
fixed together over a peripheral margin of the reservoir along a
sealing line that extends at least in part adjacently to the bars,
with the bars being situated inside the reservoir. In which case,
the bars form a rigid inner side peripheral margin for the
reservoir. In a variant, the sheets are fixed to the bars to define
a rigid outer peripheral margin for the reservoir. The dispensing
piece genuinely serves as a support piece for the sheets, which are
advantageously fixed or sealed to the bars of the dispensing piece
at their outer peripheries.
[0008] The bars, which may be of a wide variety of shapes (rod,
hoop, U, V, W, or O shaped yoke), also make it possible, in certain
cases, to impart flatness to the dispenser, which thus does not
tend to fold up or bunch up on itself. This also contributes to
improving the general appearance of the dispenser. It is also
possible to imagine bars that are not plane, but rather that are
arcuate or undulating, for example.
[0009] In addition, when the dispenser is inserted into a magazine,
e.g. by way of a sample, the bars makes it possible to define an
"uncrushable" reservoir volume, which corresponds to the area of
the zone lying between the bars multiplied by the thickness of the
bars. To prevent the reservoir from bursting under the weight of
the magazines as stored in stacks, it is necessary merely for the
volume of fluid to be smaller than the minimum volume of the
reservoir lying between the bars.
[0010] In short, the bars serve: to impart better stiffness or
better suitability for being held in the hand to the dispenser; to
guarantee a certain constant flatness; to enable the reservoir to
withstand crushing by defining a minimum uncrushable volume; and to
act as a support for fixing to the sheets.
[0011] In another feature of the invention, the dispensing orifice
opens out at an opening provided in one of the sheets.
Advantageously, the dispensing piece is fixed to the sheet around
the periphery of the opening. In a practical embodiment, the
dispensing piece defines an outlet chamber forming the outlet
orifice and fed with fluid from the reservoir through radial
channels. In addition, the dispensing orifice is formed at the
bottom of a recovery dish from which the fluid can be recovered by
the user.
[0012] According to another characteristic, one of the sheets forms
an extension supporting the repositionable removable closure
member.
[0013] In addition, the dispensing piece with its bars is received
entirely within the reservoir, the sheets being fixed to each other
around the periphery of the dispensing piece.
[0014] It should be noted that a dispenser of the invention may
implement bars without being provided with a side outlet, and vice
versa. These two characteristics are independent and therefore
separately protectable.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0015] The invention is described more fully below with reference
to the accompanying drawings giving embodiments of the invention by
way of non-limiting example.
[0016] In the figures:
[0017] FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of an embodiment of a
fluid dispenser of the invention;
[0018] FIG. 2 is another exploded perspective view of the fluid
dispenser of FIG. 1;
[0019] FIG. 3 is a plan view of the dispenser of FIGS. 1 and 2;
[0020] FIG. 4 is a vertical section view of the dispenser of FIG.
1; and
[0021] FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of the encircled detail A in FIG.
4.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0022] In the accompanying figures, the fluid dispenser of the
invention comprises two sheets 1 and 2, a dispensing piece 3 and a
removable closure member 4. The sheets 1 and 2 co-operate with the
dispensing piece 3 to form a fluid reservoir 15, while the
removable closure member 4 co-operates with the dispensing piece 3
to close off a dispensing orifice 344 formed by the dispensing
piece 3.
[0023] The sheets 1 and 2 may be of identical type or of different
types. The two sheets 1, 2 may be made of a deformable flexible
material, e.g. of the composite film type, so that each of them
forms a respective deformable actuating wall 13, 23 on which it is
possible to press with one or more fingers so as to reduce the
internal volume of the reservoir 15. Conversely, it is quite
possible to imagine that one of the sheets may be made of a
substantially rigid material and may then serve as substantially
non-deformable backing, while the other sheet has a flexible
deformation characteristic that enables it to define an actuating
wall that can be pressed to reduce the internal volume of the
reservoir 15. It is also possible to imagine that the sheet
defining the deformable actuating wall may be in the form of a
shell that has a shaped profile and that is substantially rigid
while nevertheless enabling a portion of its wall to be pushed in
in elastically deformable manner.
[0024] The purpose of the two sheets 1 and 2 is to form a fluid
reservoir 15 which has at least a portion of its wall suitable for
being displaced or deformed to reduce its internal working
volume.
[0025] When the two sheets 1 and 2 are of identical type, it is
quite possible to make provision for them to be made in one piece,
i.e. in the form of single sheet folded over on itself, e.g. along
the bottom of the reservoir. However, the embodiment shown in the
figures implements two separate sheets that may have shaped
profiles, i.e. that may be non-plane.
[0026] The fluid contained in the reservoir 15 may be a fluid
having viscosity ranging from very liquid to very viscous. It is
also possible to imagine that the reservoir may be filled with a
fluid in powder form.
[0027] The two sheets 1 and 2 may be interconnected at least in
part over at least a portion of their common periphery (10, 11, 12,
20, 21, 22). In the embodiment shown in the figures, the dispenser
is substantially rectangular in shape, defining a bottom, vertical
side edges, and a top portion. The sheets 1 and 2 thus form
respectively a bottom peripheral zone 12, 22, a top peripheral zone
10, 20, and two side peripheral zones 11, 21 that interconnect the
bottom peripheral zone 12, 22 to the top peripheral zone 10, 20.
The sheets 1 and 2 are interconnected, advantageously by
heat-sealing, at their peripheral zones 10, 20, 11, 21, 12, 22.
[0028] The sheets 1, 2 are thus connected together in leaktight
manner over their entire peripheries so that they thus define a
volume containing the dispensing piece and the fluid. Mention is
made below of a variant in which the sheets are connected together
over only a portion of their peripheries, or even not connected
together at all. However, in the embodiment shown in the figures,
the sheets are connected together directly.
[0029] In addition, the sheet 1 is formed with an extension 16 that
extends from the peripheral zone 10. This extension 16 is in the
form of a flap serving to receive the removable closure member 4.
The closure member 4 may, for example, be fixed to the extension 16
by means of a suitable adhesive or by heat-sealing. It is easy to
understand that the extension 16 is also flexible so that it can be
folded over onto the sheet 2. In addition, the sheet 2 is provided
with an opening 25 which is provided at or immediately above the
actuating wall 23. The removable closure member 4 fixed to the
extension 16 is disposed such that the extension can be folded over
onto the sheet 2 with the closure member 4 coming into position at
the opening 25, advantageously at its center.
[0030] The dispensing piece 3 lies or is contained entirely within
the internal volume defined by the two sheets 1 and 2. In other
words, the sheets 1 and 2 are not fixed to the dispensing piece at
their peripheries 10, 20, 11, 21, 12, 22. However, in a variant,
they could be. The dispensing piece is, however, fixed in leaktight
manner to the sheet 2, at least over the periphery of the opening
25. The dispensing piece 3 is provided with a dispensing plate 34
which defines the dispensing orifice 344. The dispensing plate 34
is connected integrally to a cross-member 33 which is extended at
its two ends by respective bars 36. Advantageously, the dispensing
piece is made in one piece of a molded plastics material. In this
example, the dispensing plate 34 is in the form of a tab connected
at its top portion to the cross-member 33. The tab 34 has one side
facing the sheet 1 and an opposite side facing the sheet 2. The
side facing the sheet 1 is provided with radial channels 342 which
are separated by radial ribs 341. In this example, the radial
channels 342 are substantially triangular in shape, the tip of the
triangle of each channel communicates with a dispensing chamber 340
at which the dispensing orifice 344 is formed. The chamber 340 may
be edged at its top portion by edging 343 which extends in the same
plane as the top faces of the ribs 341. Therefore, the fluid stored
in the reservoir 15 can reach the dispensing orifice 344 by flowing
through the radial channels 342 that open out into the chamber 340
where the dispensing orifice 344 is formed. The sheet 1 serves to
come into contact with the dispensing plate 34 at the edging 343
but also at the top faces of the ribs 341. Naturally, the ribs 341
serve to define the radial channels 342, but, as a result, they
also prevent the chamber 340 of the reservoir 15 from being
isolated in the event that the sheet 1 is pressed against the plate
34 all the way around the chamber 340. It is thus guaranteed that
the dispensing orifice is fed continuously and permanently with
fluid from the reservoir 15. It may even be imagined that the sheet
1 may be fixed to the plate 34 at the edging 343 and at the top
faces of the ribs 341. On the opposite face of the plate 34 that
faces towards the sheet 2, the plate forms a recovery dish 345,
with the dispensing orifice 344 opening out into the bottom of the
dish. The recovery dish is concave in shape, so that the fluid
dispensed by the orifice 344 remains in the dish 345, and the user
can thus recover the fluid from the dish 345, e.g. by using one or
more fingers. The dish 345 is edged around its periphery by a plane
peripheral margin 346 to which the peripheral edge of the opening
25 is fixed in leaktight manner, e.g. by heat-sealing. It should be
noted that the fixing of the sheet 2 to the peripheral margin 246
may be the only coupling between the sheets 1 and 2 and the
dispensing piece 3. The cross-member 33 to which the plate 34 is
connected is disposed between the two sheets 1 and 2 adjacently to
the top peripheral zones 10 and 20. Since the sheets 1 and 2 have
shaped profiles, the cross-member 33 can easily be received between
the two sheets at the edges that connect the peripheries of the
sheets to the actuating wall. Naturally, the sheets 1 and 2 may
also be fixed to the cross-member 33, e.g. by heat-sealing. The
sheets 1 and 2 may be fixed to the cross-member 33 only, but they
may also be fixed together at their zones 10 and 20. In this
example, the bars 36 extend on either side of the dispensing plate
34, and they extend substantially parallel to each other. It is
possible to imagine some other geometrical shape for the bars 36
which may be curved, undulating, and even join up to form a loop.
However, it is advantageous for the bars to have the outside shape
of the reservoir 15, at least in part. In the present case, the
bars 36 are disposed inside the reservoir 15 so as to extend
adjacently to the peripheral edge zones 11 and 21 of the sheets 1
and 2. The edge zones 11 and 21 may be fixed to the bars 36, but
they may also be fixed together. In the embodiment shown in the
figures, the bars 36 do not extend over the peripheral bottom zones
12 and 22. However, they could do. The cross-member 33, which may
be considered as being part of the bars 36, co-operates with the
bars 36 to define a substantially rigid structure disposed inside
the reservoir 15 so as to impart stiffness to it when the dispenser
is held by the user. The bars 36 (integrating the cross-member 33)
may form a peripheral inner rigid margin for the reservoir when the
dispensing piece is merely inserted into the reservoir without
being fixed with the sheets 1 and 2, or else a peripheral outer
rigid margin when the sheets 1 and 2 are fixed directly to the
dispensing piece without being connected together, except where the
dispensing piece is not present, as at the zones 12 and 22 in this
embodiment. Naturally, the bars are of some thickness so that a
volume is defined between them. When the dispenser is wedged
between two plane objects such as magazines, this volume is
"uncrushable". The dispenser can thus be inserted in magazines
without any risk of its reservoir bursting.
[0031] It is quite possible to imagine that the dispenser may be
manufactured as follows: the dispensing piece 3 is firstly inserted
into the recess formed by the shaped-profile sheet 1 in a manner
such that the bars 36 extend along the edge zones 11 and the
cross-member 33 extends along the top zone 10. Naturally, the fluid
may be fed in before or after the dispensing piece 3 is put in
place in the shaped-profile sheet 1. Then, the shaped-profile sheet
2 is mounted on the sheet 1 so that their peripheral edge zones
come into mutual contact. The two sheets are fixed to each other by
heat-sealing along their peripheral zones 10, 20, 11, 21, and 12,
22 so that the dispensing piece 3 is merely held captive inside the
sheets 1 and 2 that form a sort of envelope. The sheet 2 is fixed
to the dispensing plate 34 at the peripheral margin 346, i.e.
around the opening 25. Finally, the removable closure member 4 is
fixed to the extension 16. The final step consists in folding over
the extension 16 provided with its closure member 4 so as to close
off the dispensing orifice 344 with the closure member 4. To this
end, it can be noted that the closure member 4 may, for example be
in the form of a convex washer 43 at the top of which a closure
stud 44 is formed that serves to be inserted in the dispensing
orifice 344. In a variant embodiment, the sheets 1 and 2 may also
be sealed to the dispensing piece at the cross-member 33 and at the
bars 36. The sheet 1 may even be sealed to the dispensing plate
34.
[0032] The dispenser in this invention is in the form of a pouch,
the extension 16 being triangular in shape resembling an envelope
flap. When a user wishes to use the dispenser, the user merely
takes hold of the extension 16 at its tip to pull it away, thereby
disengaging the closure stud 44 from the dispensing orifice 344.
Then, it is necessary merely to press on the dispenser at the
actuating wall(s) 13, 23 to dispense fluid into the recovery dish
345.
[0033] By means of the invention, a dispenser is obtained that has
a side outlet (situated in one of the two sheets) whose dispensing
orifice can be closed off and opened several times, advantageously
by means of a closure member secured to or integral with the
dispenser. The dispensing piece may be in the form of an insert
disposed freely inside the reservoir, or else in the form of an
insert fixed (e.g. by sealing) to one or both of the sheets.
* * * * *