Device For Packaging And Delivering A Liquid Product

Abstract

The invention concerns a device for packaging and delivering a liquid product, comprising a container deformable by pressure applied on its side walls, wherein said liquid to be delivered is stored, said container being closed by a head for dispensing the liquid product which is traversed by an outlet for the liquid product. The device also comprises a liquid drawing tube whereof one end is fixed proximate the outlet for the liquid, the tube being of such length that its other end is proximate the base of the container. The wall of the container comprises cavities partly delimiting the outline of the dispensing head. The invention is characterized in that at least one passage is provided proximate the dispensing head to ensure an air intake into the container after the liquid is dispensed, so as to allow the container to recover its initial shape by replacing by volume the dose of liquid delivered.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] The present application is a continuation of pending International patent application PCT/FR2005/003302 filed on Dec. 29, 2005 which designates the United States and claims priority from French patent application 0502998 filed on Mar. 25, 2005, the content of which is incorporated herein by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0002] The present invention relates to a device for packaging and dispensing a liquid contained in a container.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0003] It more particularly, but not exclusively, concerns a bottle intended to contain a cosmetic or pharmaceutical product, having such a viscosity that the product can be delivered by pressing the bottle walls, and more particularly by compressing the bottle walls.

[0004] Such liquid product dispensers are known, which comprise a bottle made of a material resilient enough to be able to recover its original shape after a deformation.

[0005] The bottle has an opening through which the product is introduced, as well as a liquid product feeder tube, which is introduced into the bottle and held at one of its ends close to the bottle opening.

[0006] The bottle also has a closure for sealingly closing the opening, so that the liquid will not flow when the bottle is horizontal for example.

[0007] But such devices have the following disadvantages:

[0008] When the bottle loses its shape because of a manual pressure on its side wall, the upper part of the bottle (which is located close to its opening) also loses its shape and the bottle hardly recovers its original shape;

[0009] The bottle slowly recovers its shape, which implies some waiting time for the user between two successive utilisations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0010] The aim of the present invention is to overcome such problems.

[0011] It relates to the packaging and the delivery of a liquid product, comprising a container deformable by compression, or manual pressure, on its side walls, wherein said liquid to be dispensed is stored. The container is closed by a liquid product dispensing head through which a product outlet is provided. The device also comprises a liquid feeder tube one end of which is attached close to the product outlet, the tube length being such that its other end is close to the container bottom to draw the liquid. According to the invention, the container wall is provided with cavities which partially mark the contour of the dispensing head so as to absorb the deformation stresses when the bottle wall is compressed, in order to prevent the dispensing head from being deformed. Besides, at least one air circulation passage is arranged close to the dispensing head so as to provide air inlet into the container after the liquid has been dispensed, so that the container can recover its original shape by replacing or making up the quantity of delivered liquid in volume.

[0012] To preserve the dispensing head as best as possible when the bottle is deformed, said cavities are preferably provided so that they radially extend at least partially on the periphery, under the dispensing head level.

[0013] When it is built so, the container can recover its initial shape more rapidly than the known bottles, and the dispensing head is not deformed.

[0014] According to one embodiment, the container includes at least two communicating chambers, connected by two deformable zones which make it possible to press the chambers close to one another by pressing on their outer walls. A channel is advantageously provided between the two chambers, forming a passage for the liquid contained in the container.

[0015] The deformable zones advantageously have grooves which are arranged in an axial direction between two chambers so as to facilitate the deformation of the chambers side walls.

[0016] According to a second embodiment, several air inlet passages provided in the container are arranged in the dispensing head.

[0017] This makes it possible to increase the rate of the air coming into the container and thus to accelerate the recovery of its initial shape by the container.

[0018] Passages are preferably distributed uniformly around the feeder tube end, in order to facilitate a uniform distribution of the air coming into the container and thus make it possible for the container to recover its initial shape.

[0019] According to an alternative embodiment, the container includes an opening for filling the liquid to be dispensed and in the dispensing head has a closure for closing the filling opening.

[0020] According to an advantageous embodiment of the device according to this invention, the closure includes a collar to be fixed on the container opening, said collar having said liquid outlet and a hinged top closure for closing said hole and hinged to the collar.

[0021] The collar preferably includes a seating for accommodating the end of the feeder tube, at least one air passage going through the seating.

[0022] According to an alternative embodiment of the device according to this invention, the head may be made integral with the container.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0023] Further characteristics and advantages of the invention will appear upon reading the following detailed description, reference being particularly made to the appended figures in which:

[0024] FIG. 1 shows a side view of a device according to a first embodiment according to the invention;

[0025] FIG. 2 illustrates a front view the device of FIG. 1;

[0026] FIG. 3 shows a lateral view of the device of FIGS. 1 and 2;

[0027] FIG. 4 shows the device of FIG. 3 fitted with a top closure in open position;

[0028] FIG. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view of the device shown in FIG. 1;

[0029] FIG. 6 shows a side view (upper view) and a cross sectional view (lower view) of the shape taken by the device of the preceding figures when its side wall is pressed;

[0030] FIG. 7 is a partial sectional view of the device shown in FIG. 8;

[0031] FIG. 8 illustrates a longitudinal sectional view of the dispensing head of the device according to the invention, when the liquid is expelled from the container comprised by the device according to the invention, as well as the displacements of air and the liquid contained in the container (motions represented by arrows);

[0032] FIG. 9 illustrates a longitudinal sectional view of the dispensing head shown in FIG. 8, when the container recovers its shape after having been deformed by a user, as well as the displacements of the air coming into the container (motions represented by arrows).

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0033] Within the scope of the exemplary embodiment of the device according to the invention shown in FIGS. 1 to 9, the device is intended for the packaging of liquid cosmetic or pharmaceutical products.

[0034] As can be seen in FIGS. 1 and 2, more particularly, the device includes a container 1 made of a shape memory elastically deformable material.

[0035] The container can thus be deformed when its side wall is compressed and it can elastically return to its initial shape.

[0036] Said liquid to be delivered is stored in container 1. The liquid is introduced into the container through an opening 10 (FIG. 5).

[0037] The container 1 includes at least two communicating chambers 11 and 12, connected together by two deformable zones 13 and 14 (FIG. 6) which allow to press the chambers close to one another by pressing on their outer wall, a channel 15 being provided between the two chambers 11 and 12 and forming a passage for the liquid contained in the container 1.

[0038] Both deformable zones 13 and 14 have grooves which are, each, arranged between two chambers 11 and 12 so as to facilitate the deformation of the chambers side walls.

[0039] The grooves are formed during moulding, using the mould shape.

[0040] The container 1 is closed by a liquid product dispensing head 2.

[0041] The dispensing head 2 more particularly has the shape of a closure 7 for closing the filling opening 10.

[0042] However it should be noted that the invention is not limited to an embodiment in which the container and the closure are two distinct parts. According to an alternative embodiment of the device according to the invention, the dispensing head 2 may be made integral with the container.

[0043] According to the embodiment presently described and illustrated, the closure 7 includes a collar 71 to be fixed on the container opening and a hinged top closure 72 for closing said hole and hinged to the collar between an open position and a closed position on the collar 71.

[0044] Therefore the top closure 72 is hinged to the collar 71.

[0045] The collar 71 has two inner cylindrical skirts 73 and 74 (FIGS. 7 and 8) having different diameters and being centered around the collar axis.

[0046] Both skirts 73 and 74 hold the collar on the container by being positioned on either side of the container neck, said neck marking the opening 10 of the container 1.

[0047] To hold the collar 71 in position, the end of the inner skirt 73 has the shape of a hook 75 engaging under a curl 116 protruding from the neck 10 of the container (FIG. 9).

[0048] A liquid product outlet 3 is provided through the collar 71 (FIGS. 4, 5, 8 and 9).

[0049] Incidentally, the collar 71 has axial grooves 17 positioned opposite the grooves 13 and 14 of the container when the closure 7 is attached on the container 1. This gives the device a more aesthetic appearance (FIG. 2).

[0050] Besides, the collar has a depression 18 radially arranged opposite the hinge which connects it to the top closure and close to the junction between the collar and the top closure, so that a user can easily open the top closure by positioning its thumb, for example, onto the depression 18, and by pushing the top closure to make it swing open.

[0051] The device also includes a tube 4 for feeding the liquid contained in the container 1.

[0052] One end 41 of the feeder tube 4 is attached close to the product outlet 3 of the dispensing head 2. For this purpose, the dispensing head 2 includes an inner annular skirt 21, the axis of which is the same as that of the outlet 3, so that the outlet faces the tube 4 end, to facilitate the discharge of the liquid drawn from the container 1 (FIGS. 5, 8 and 9).

[0053] The tube 4 length is such that its other end 42, opposite end 41, is close to the container bottom to draw the liquid (FIG. 5).

[0054] According to the invention and as illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 6, the container wall is provided with cavities 5 which partially mark the contour of the dispensing head 2 so as to avoid the deformation of the latter when the bottle wall is compressed, in order to prevent the risks of malfunction.

[0055] As can be seen more particularly in FIGS. 1, 2 and 6, the cavities 5 radially extend at least partially on the periphery, under the feeder tube 2 level.

[0056] As a matter of fact, as more particularly shown in FIG. 6, when the container side wall is pressed (the pressure is shown by arrows P), the base of the dispensing head 2 is not deformed.

[0057] It shall be understood that the base of the dispensing head is the part of the device which defines the limit between the dispensing head and the container. According to the embodiment presently described and illustrated, the base of the dispensing head corresponds to the plane crossing the container and the cavities 5.

[0058] As a matter of fact, the cavities 5 separate the dispensing head from the rest of the container 1 body, so that when the container 1 is deformed because its side wall is compressed, the cavities 5 absorb the deformation stresses.

[0059] Thus the dispensing 2 is not deformed.

[0060] The base 71 includes a seating for accommodating the end of said feeder tube 4, at least one air passage going through the seating.

[0061] As shown in FIG. 7, three passages 60,61 and 62 are arranged in the dispensing head 2. Passages 60,61 and 62 allow air circulation between the container inside and outside.

[0062] The passages 60,61 and 62 provide air inlet into the container after the liquid has been dispensed, so that the container can recover its original shape by replacing or making up the quantity of delivered liquid in volume (the air circulation is shown by arrows on FIG. 9).

[0063] The passages 60,61 and 62 also provide the outlet for the air contained in the container (FIG. 8), which facilitates the deformation of the container.

[0064] The passages 60,61 and 62 are uniformly distributed around the feeder tube 4 end.

[0065] The air coming into the container is thus uniformly distributed, which makes it possible for the container 1 to recover its initial shape.

[0066] With this embodiment, the device according to the invention has the following advantages:

[0067] It can easily be deformed without an important force being necessary to compress the container side wall;

[0068] It can easily and quickly recover its original shape apres having been deformed, so that a user can spray two doses of liquid without having to wait too long between the two sprays for the container to recover its original shape.

[0069] It is of simple and low price design since no delivery pump is required, as pumps are currently the most expensive elements in delivery devices.

Claims

1. A device for packaging and dispensing a liquid product comprising a container deformable by compression on its side walls, wherein said liquid to be dispensed is stored, said container being closed by a dispensing head through which a product outlet is provided, said device also comprising a feeder tube one end of which is attached close to the product outlet, the tube length being such that its other end is close to the container bottom to draw the liquid, said device being such that container wall includes cavities which partially mark the contour of the dispensing head and that at least one passage is provided close to the dispensing head to provide an air inlet into the container when the liquid is dispensed, characterized in that several air inlet passages are arranged in the dispensing head and uniformly distributed around the end of the feeder tube, in order to increase the rate of the air coming into the container and thus to accelerate the recovery of its initial shape by the container.

2. A device according to claim 1 characterized in that said cavities radially extend at least partially on the periphery, under the dispensing head level.

3. A device according to claim 1 characterized in that the container includes at least two communicating chambers connected by two deformable zones such that they make it possible to press the chambers close to one another by pressing on their outer wall, a channel being provided between the two chambers and forming a passage for the liquid contained in the container.

4. A device according to claim 3 characterized in that said deformable zones have grooves arranged in an axial direction between two chambers so as to facilitate the deformation of the chambers side walls.

5. A device according to claim 1 characterized in that the container includes an opening for filling the liquid to be dispensed and in that said dispensing head has a closure for closing the filling opening.

6. A device according to claim 7 characterized in that said closure includes a collar to be fixed on the container opening, said collar having said liquid outlet and a hinged top closure for closing said hole and hinged to the collar.

7. A device according to claim 8 characterized in that the collar includes a seating for accommodating the end of said feeder tube, at least one air passage going through said seating.

8. A device according to claim 1 characterized in that said head is built integral with said containers.

9. A device according to claim 2 characterized in that the container includes at least two communicating chambers connected by two deformable zones such that they make it possible to press the chambers close to one another by pressing on their outer wall, a channel being provided between the two chambers and forming a passage for the liquid contained in the container.