U.S. patent application number 10/469135 was filed with the patent office on 2004-06-17 for fluid product dispenser with flexible pouch and method for producing one such flexible pouch.
Invention is credited to Decottignies, Laurent, Herve, Yannick.
Application Number | 20040112918 10/469135 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 8860561 |
Filed Date | 2004-06-17 |
United States Patent
Application |
20040112918 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Decottignies, Laurent ; et
al. |
June 17, 2004 |
Fluid product dispenser with flexible pouch and method for
producing one such flexible pouch
Abstract
A fluid dispenser comprising: a variable-capacity deformable
flexible pouch (1) provided with an opening (121); a flexible pouch
support (2) to which the opening (121) in the flexible pouch (1) is
fixed, said support having a fixing surface (212) at which the
flexible pouch is fixed to the support; and a dispensing member (3)
such as a pump or a valve, mounted on the pouch support (2) for
drawing fluid from the pouch; said dispenser being characterized in
that the fixing surface (212) is substantially plane, so that it
extends in one plane.
Inventors: |
Decottignies, Laurent; (Jean
Bart, FR) ; Herve, Yannick; (rue de Plaisance,
FR) |
Correspondence
Address: |
SUGHRUE MION, PLLC
2100 PENNSYLVANIA AVENUE, N.W.
SUITE 800
WASHINGTON
DC
20037
US
|
Family ID: |
8860561 |
Appl. No.: |
10/469135 |
Filed: |
February 3, 2004 |
PCT Filed: |
February 13, 2002 |
PCT NO: |
PCT/FR02/00551 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
222/105 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B05B 11/00412 20180801;
B65D 83/0061 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
222/105 |
International
Class: |
B65D 035/56 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Feb 28, 2001 |
FR |
0102743 |
Claims
1/ A fluid dispenser comprising: a variable-capacity deformable
flexible pouch (1) provided with an opening (121); a flexible pouch
support (2) to which the opening (121) in the flexible pouch (1) is
fixed, said support having a fixing surface (212) at which the
flexible pouch is fixed to the support; and a dispensing member (3)
such as a pump or a valve, mounted on the pouch support (2) for
drawing fluid from the pouch; said dispenser being characterized in
that the fixing surface (212) is substantially plane, so that it
extends in one plane.
2/ A dispenser according to claim 1, in which the fixing surface
(212) is annular.
3/ A dispenser according to claim 1 or 2, in which the support (2)
comprises a substantially tubular sleeve (22) having a longitudinal
axis (A), the dispensing member (3) extending in said sleeve (22),
the plane of the fixing surface (212) being perpendicular to said
longitudinal axis (A).
4/ A dispenser according to any preceding claim, in which the
fixing surface (212) is formed by one face of an annular, plane,
thin flange (21) disposed inside the pouch (1) around the opening
(121) therein.
5/ A dispenser according to any preceding claim, in which the
flexible pouch (1) is made up of two flexible pouches (11, 12) that
are sealed together over their peripheries, along a sealing line
(112), the opening (121) in the flexible pouch being situated in
one of the sheets (12).
6/ A dispenser according to claim 5, in which the opening (121) is
situated substantially at the center of one of the sheets (12).
7/ A dispenser according to claim 5, in which the sealing line
(112) along which the two sheets (11, 12) are sealed together
extends in a plane substantially parallel to the plane of the
fixing surface (212) of the pouch support (2).
8/ A dispenser according to claim 3, in which the empty flexible
pouch (1) has a thickness that is almost zero along the
longitudinal axis (A).
9/ A dispenser according to claim 1, in which the flexible pouch
(1) is wedged in leaktight manner between the pouch support (2) and
a bearing element (41).
10/ A method of manufacturing a flexible pouch (1) provided with a
flexible pouch support (2), said method comprising the following
steps: cutting out two substantially identical sheets (11, 12),
each of which has a periphery; cutting an opening (121) through one
of the two sheets (12) advantageously at its center; fixing the
pouch support (2) to the sheet (12) provided with the opening (121)
so that it extends through the opening; and fixing the other
flexible sheet (11) to the sheet (12) provided with the opening
around their peripheries.
11/ A method according to claim 10, in which the support (2) serves
to cut the opening (121) through the sheet (12), advantageously by
punching out.
Description
[0001] The present invention relates to a fluid dispenser
comprising a variable-capacity deformable flexible pouch provided
with an opening, a pouch support having a fixing surface at which
the opening in the flexible pouch is fixed to it, and a dispensing
member such as a pump or a valve, mounted on the pouch support for
drawing off fluid through the opening in the flexible pouch. This
an entirely conventional design for a fluid dispenser such as can
be encountered in the field of cosmetics, perfumes, or indeed
pharmaceuticals. Flexible pouches are, in general, used to protect
the fluid from the ambient air, and thus to avoid any degradation
of the fluid by oxidation or by drying out. In order to use the
dispenser, the user presses on the pusher of the dispensing member,
thereby delivering a dose of fluid which is drawn from the flexible
pouch by the pump or the valve. In order to prevent the fluid from
coming into contact with air in the flexible pouch, said pouch
collapses, thereby reducing its volume, as the fluid is extracted
from it by the pump or the valve.
[0002] In general, the flexible pouch is fixed, often by
heat-sealing, to the pouch support to which the pump or the valve
is fitted. For this purpose, the pouch forms a fixing appendage
which is often diamond-shaped or eye-shaped. More precisely, the
heat-sealing fixing surfaces of the fixing appendage are
constituted by the outside walls of a cylinder that is not
circular, but rather that is diamond-shaped or eye-shaped.
[0003] In addition, the pouch is in general made up of two flexible
sheets sealed together around their peripheries, except at the
opening, so that the opening is formed by a zone in which the two
sheets are not sealed together. In the initial state, when the
support is not yet fixed to the pouch, the two sheets making up the
pouch are in contact with each other, and the opening is closed in
non-leaktight manner. When the support is to be fitted to the
pouch, it is necessary to cause the opening to open up or gape in
order to insert the eye-shaped or diamond-shaped fixing appendage.
Then, the opening of the pouch is sealed to the appendage.
[0004] That type of flexible pouch is advantageous for dispensers
having a vertical elongate shape. In order to have a certain amount
of capacity, the flexible pouch must be sufficiently long, given
that its height does not vary very much between its full state and
its empty state.
[0005] It is therefore not advantageous to use that type of pouch
for a dispenser that is tub-shaped, i.e. that has a diameter that
is relatively large compared with its height.
[0006] An object of the present invention is to remedy that
drawback of the prior art by defining a fluid dispenser whose
flexible pouch is particularly well suited to being used in a
tub-shaped dispenser.
[0007] The present invention solves this problem by proposing a
fluid dispenser comprising:
[0008] a variable-capacity deformable flexible pouch provided with
an opening;
[0009] a flexible pouch support to which the opening in the
flexible pouch is fixed, said support having a fixing surface at
which the flexible pouch is fixed to the support; and
[0010] a dispensing member such as a pump or a valve, mounted on
the pouch support for drawing fluid from the pouch;
[0011] said dispenser being characterized in that the fixing
surface is substantially plane, so that it extends in one plane. By
providing a fixing surface that is plane rather than cylindrical,
the height of the pouch is reduced considerably. In an advantageous
embodiment, the fixing surface is annular. Preferably, the support
comprises a substantially tubular sleeve having a longitudinal
axis, the dispensing member extending in said sleeve, the plane of
the fixing surface being perpendicular to said longitudinal axis.
In a practical embodiment, the fixing surface is formed by one face
of an annular, plane, thin flange disposed inside the pouch around
the opening therein.
[0012] According to another advantageous characteristic of the
invention, the flexible pouch is made up of two flexible pouches
that are sealed together over their peripheries, along a sealing
line, the opening in the flexible pouch being situated in one of
the sheets. Advantageously, the opening is situated substantially
at the center of one of the sheets. Preferably, the sealing line
along which the two sheets are sealed together extends in a plane
substantially parallel to the plane of the fixing surface of the
pouch support. Thus, the empty flexible pouch has a thickness that
is almost zero along the longitudinal axis. By disposing the two
sealing lines in two parallel planes which are perpendicular to the
axis of the support and of the dispensing member, the height of the
pouch is reduced considerably, the variations in the volume of the
pouch generating a difference in the height of the pouch, as
measured along the longitudinal axis of the support of the
dispensing member.
[0013] The present invention also defines a method of manufacturing
a flexible pouch provided with a flexible pouch support, said
method comprising the following steps:
[0014] cutting out two substantially identical sheets, each of
which has a periphery;
[0015] cutting an opening through one of the two sheets
advantageously at its center;
[0016] fixing the pouch support to the sheet provided with the
opening so that it extends through the opening; and
[0017] fixing the other flexible sheet to the sheet provided with
the opening around their peripheries.
[0018] Advantageously, the support serves to cut the opening
through the sheet, advantageously by punching out.
[0019] The invention is described more fully below with reference
to the accompanying drawings which give non-limiting examples of an
embodiment of the invention.
[0020] In the figures:
[0021] FIG. 1 is a vertical section view through a fluid dispenser
of the invention; and
[0022] FIGS. 2 to 4 are diagrammatic views of the various stages in
manufacturing a fluid pouch equipped with a pouch support of the
invention.
[0023] The fluid dispenser shown in FIG. 1 comprises a flexible
pouch 1, a flexible pouch support 2, a dispensing member 3 and a
shell 4.
[0024] The dispensing member 3 shown is a pump, but it may also be
a valve. The pump 3 comprises a pump body 30 defining a bottom end
33 forming the inlet and a top end forming a projecting collar 34.
The pump 3 further comprises an actuating rod 31 which is mounted
to move inside the pump body 30 along a longitudinal axis A. The
end of the actuating rod 31 underlies a pusher 32 which defines a
dispensing orifice 35. In this example, the pusher 32 is in the
form of a dished cap with a dispensing orifice 35 placed at its
center so as to receive the fluid dispensed by the pump. Once the
fluid has been dispensed onto the pusher 32, the user merely scoops
it up with one or more fingers. It can be understood that such a
pump 3 is particularly suitable for dispensing creams or
semi-liquid cosmetics in general.
[0025] The pump 3 is advantageously an airless pump, i.e. it does
not allow air to be taken into the pump from the outside as the
fluid is being dispensed.
[0026] The pump 3 is received in a pouch support 2 which comprises
a substantially tubular sleeve 22 and an annular flange 21 which
extends radially outwards from the bottom end of the sleeve 22. The
inside of the sleeve 22 is hollow and thus forms a through
passageway 23. At its top end 222, the sleeve 22 forms a recess for
receiving the projecting collar 34 of the pump body 30
advantageously by snap-fastening. The pump 3 is thus fixed in the
sleeve 22 with the pump body 30 extending in the passageway 23. The
bottom end 33 of the pump body 30 that forms the inlet of the pump
is advantageously situated at the bottom end of the sleeve 22, as
can be seen in FIG. 1. The sleeve 22 and the pump 3 have the same
longitudinal axis A. Below the recess 222, the sleeve 22 forms one
or more anchoring profiles 221 whose functions are given below. The
flange 21 that extends radially outwards from the bottom end of the
sleeve 22 has an annular fixing surface that is substantially plane
and that extends over one of the faces of the flange 21.
Advantageously, said plane fixing surface is situated on the top
face 212 of the flange 21, i.e. on the face facing towards the
sleeve 22. Although it lies in a single plane, said annular fixing
surface may be provided with pieces in relief that do not affect
the generally plane configuration of the surface. Such pieces in
relief may, for example, be heat-sealing ribs serving to melt at
least in part when the flexible pouch is sealed to the pouch
support. The bottom face 211 of the flange 21 may also serve as a
fixing surface in place of the top face 212. However, when said
bottom face 211 does not serve as a fixing surface, it is not
necessarily plane, and can thus have a non-negligible amount of
relief. However, the bottom face 211 is preferably also plane, and
the thickness of the flange 21 is preferably relatively small, so
that the flange is in the form of a flat annular disk of small
thickness provided with a through passageway 23 in its center.
[0027] The pouch 1 is fixed to the pouch support 2 at the fixing
surface which, in this example, is the top face 212. Since the
fixing surface 212 is annular, plane, and perpendicular to the
longitudinal axis A, the flexible pouch 1 at its opening 121 is
disposed in a manner such that it is plane and perpendicular to the
longitudinal axis A. That portion of the flexible pouch 1 which
flanks its opening 121 thus extends in plane manner over the flange
21 around the sleeve 22 which projects through the opening 121. The
flange 21 is thus disposed inside the flexible pouch 1 while the
sleeve 22 extends outwards. Therefore, the passageway 23 through
the sleeve 22 puts the pump 3 into communication with the inside of
the flexible pouch via the opening 121 therein. More precisely, as
can be seen in FIG. 1, the inlet 33 of the pump 3 is situated at
the opening 121 in the pouch 1.
[0028] Advantageously, the opening 121 in the pouch 1 is formed in
a flexible sheet 12 and advantageously at the center thereof. Said
sheet 12 is connected to another sheet 11 along a peripheral
bonding line 112. It should be noted that the opening 121 is formed
by the sheet 12 only, and that the sheet 11 therefore does not
participate in forming said opening 121. In the invention, the
peripheral bonding line 112 common to the two sheets 11 and 12
extends in a plane parallel to the plane of the fixing surface 212
of the pouch support 2 and perpendicular to the longitudinal axis
A. Therefore, increasing the volume of the pouch 1 is achieved to a
large extent by increasing its height along the axis A. Conversely,
when the flexible pouch 1 is empty, the flexible sheet 11 can come
into contact with the bottom face 211 of the flange 21 so that the
thickness of the pouch corresponds to the combined thicknesses of
the two flexible sheets 11 and 12 and of the flange 21 which is
extremely thin. This applies particularly when the flexible sheets
are plane. Therefore, the thickness of the pouch 1 in the empty
state along the axis A may be approximately in the range 1 mm to 3
mm. By means of this characteristic, said flexible pouch 1 is
particularly suitable for use in fluid dispensers which are in the
form of tubs rather than bottles. It is possible to have a
relatively large capacity for the flexible pouch 1 with a pouch
height that is relatively small along the axis A.
[0029] The dispenser also includes a shell 4 which comprises an
outer casing 40 which is cylindrical in FIG. 1. Naturally, the
outside shape of the shell 40 can vary considerably as a function
of the appearance that is to be given to the dispenser. In the
example shown in FIG. 1, the dispenser is tub-shaped, so that the
outer casing 40 is not very high relative to its diameter, so as to
impart the appearance of a tub to it. The outer casing 40 extends
to the level of the pusher 32 of the pump 3, which pusher can
advantageously move inside the casing 40. At its bottom end, the
casing 40 may be provided with a bottom (not shown). Inside the
casing 40, an annular plate 41 extends that is substantially plane
in this example. The plate 41 could also be shaped differently,
e.g. it could be frustoconical. Said plate 41 extends inwards and,
at its center, defines a hole 43 through which the sleeve 22 of the
pouch support 2 extends. In order to fix the pouch support 2 to the
plate 41, said plate is provided with retaining means 42 which
co-operate with the anchoring profiles 221 formed in the vicinity
of the top end of the sleeve 22. For example, the retaining means
42 may be in the form of a frustoconical split bushing which can be
elastically deformed outwards to a certain extent to allow the
anchoring profiles 221 to pass at the top end of the bushing 42.
The anchoring profiles 221 coming into engagement at the top end of
the bushing 42 corresponds to the flange 21 coming into abutment
under the plate 41, at the edge of the hole 43. However, since the
pouch 1 is fixed to the top face of the flange 21, it is the pouch
1 that comes into bearing contact against the bottom face of the
plate 41. The edge of the opening 121 in the flexible pouch 1 is
thus wedged between the flange 21 and the plate 41. Although
heat-sealing is the preferred mode of fixing to the flange 21, it
is also possible to envisage fixing the pouch 1 to the pouch
support 2 in leaktight manner merely by wedging the pouch 1 between
the flange 21 and the plate 41. In any event, even with fixing by
heat-sealing, wedging the pouch between the flange 21 and the plate
41 can but improve the fixing of the pouch and the leaktightness of
the fixing. Naturally, it is possible to imagine other modes of
anchoring the pouch support 2 in the shell 4, which modes
nevertheless enable the pouch to be wedged between the flange and
the plate 41. In other words, the frustoconical retaining bushing
42 does not constitute a is limiting embodiment.
[0030] In the prior art, flexible pouches fixed to pouch supports
are generally made up of two sheets sealed together around their
peripheries except at the opening into which the pouch support is
inserted before final sealing is performed. In the present
invention, the pouch is manufactured differently in that the pouch
support is fixed prior to sealing together the two sheets. More
precisely, firstly an opening 121 is provided in a flexible sheet
12. The sleeve 22 of a pouch support 2 is then inserted through the
opening 121 until said sheet 12 comes into contact with the fixing
top face 212 of the flange 21. Then the sheet 12 is fixed to the
flange 21, preferably by heat-sealing, along a sealing line 122.
The flexible sheet 12 is thus fixed to a pouch support whose sleeve
22 projects through the opening 121 and whose flange 21 is situated
on the bottom face of the sheet 12. The final step consists in
fixing another flexible sheet 11 (advantageously of the same size
as the sheet 12) to the sheet 12, e.g. by heat-sealing, along a
peripheral bonding line 112. The sheet 11 is sealed to the sheet 12
on that side on which the flange 21 extends, so that the flange 21
is situated inside the flexible pouch with its sleeve 22 projecting
outwards through the opening 121. All of the manufacturing steps
are shown in FIGS. 2, 3, and 4. According to another characteristic
of the invention, it is possible to use the pouch support 2, and
more particularly its sleeve 22, to form the opening 121 in the
sheet 12. Thus, the opening 121 may be punched out by the pouch
support 2 which is then immediately inserted through the opening
121.
[0031] The flexible sheets 11 and 12 may be plane, but they may
also be domed, as shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, e.g. by thermoforming.
* * * * *