U.S. patent application number 13/443637 was filed with the patent office on 2012-10-11 for bottle for dispensing a fluid product equipped with a filling valve.
Invention is credited to Pierre Dumont, Jacky Lasnier, Jean-Luc Marcel Octau.
Application Number | 20120255647 13/443637 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 44544140 |
Filed Date | 2012-10-11 |
United States Patent
Application |
20120255647 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Dumont; Pierre ; et
al. |
October 11, 2012 |
BOTTLE FOR DISPENSING A FLUID PRODUCT EQUIPPED WITH A FILLING
VALVE
Abstract
A bottle for dispensing a fluid product including a body with a
filling valve having a jet with an internal channel extending
between an upstream orifice emerging on an external wall of the jet
and a downstream orifice, the jet mounted in translation in a ring
having an internal length delimiting an opening for introduction of
the outlet tube, the external wall in the closure position being in
abutment on the internal length while disposing in the opening a
central length in which the upstream orifice emerges, the valve
also including an external seal interposed between the external
wall and the internal length, the seal having a hole opposite the
upstream orifice and an actuation area in the opening opposite the
central length, the actuation area being arranged to allow filling
by putting the outlet tube in sealed abutment on it to move the jet
into the communication position.
Inventors: |
Dumont; Pierre; (Incheville,
FR) ; Lasnier; Jacky; (Sainte Marguerite sur Duclair,
FR) ; Octau; Jean-Luc Marcel; (Intraville,
FR) |
Family ID: |
44544140 |
Appl. No.: |
13/443637 |
Filed: |
April 10, 2012 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
141/311R |
Current CPC
Class: |
B05B 11/3001 20130101;
B29C 65/069 20130101; B29C 66/71 20130101; B29C 66/71 20130101;
B29C 65/0672 20130101; A45D 34/02 20130101; B29K 2023/12 20130101;
B05B 11/00412 20180801; B05B 11/0056 20130101; B05B 11/3049
20130101; B29L 2031/712 20130101; B29C 66/542 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
141/311.R |
International
Class: |
B65B 1/04 20060101
B65B001/04 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Apr 11, 2011 |
FR |
11 53144 |
Claims
1. A bottle for dispensing a fluid product comprising a body in
which a reservoir intended for packaging said product is formed,
said bottle also comprising a device for taking of said packaged
product that is mounted sealingly on said body, said body also
being equipped with a valve for filling said reservoir that is
arranged to enable an outlet tube of a source product to be put in
communication with said reservoir, said bottle being characterised
in that the valve has a jet provided with an internal channel that
extends between an upstream orifice emerging on an external wall of
said jet and a downstream orifice, said jet being mounted in
translation in a ring secured to the body between a stable position
of closing the downstream orifice and a stressed position of
putting the internal channel in sealed communication with the
packaging reservoir, the ring having an internal length delimiting
an opening for introduction of the outlet tube, the external wall
of the jet in the closure position being in abutment on said
internal length while disposing in said opening a central length in
which the upstream orifice emerges, said valve also comprising an
external seal that is interposed between said external wall and
said internal length, said seal having a hole disposed opposite the
upstream orifice and an actuation area disposed in the opening
opposite the central length, said actuation area being arranged so
as to allow filling by putting the outlet tube in sealed abutment
on it in order to move the jet into the communication position.
2. The bottle according to claim 1, characterised in that the
opening has an outside diameter that is greater than the diameter
of the hole of the external seal.
3. The bottle according to claim 2, characterised in that the
difference between the outside diameter of the opening and the
diameter of the hole is between 2.4 mm and 2.8 mm.
4. The bottle according to claim 2, characterised in that the
opening has an outside diameter that is between 3.8 mm and 4.2
mm.
5. The bottle according to claim 2, characterised in that the
opening is delimited by an edge, said edge forming a chamfer having
an outside diameter that is less than the inside diameter
thereof.
6. The bottle according to claim 1, characterised in that the hole
of the external seal has a diameter that is between 1.3 mm and 1.5
mm.
7. The bottle according to claim 1, characterised in that the
external seal has an annular geometry with flat surfaces.
8. The bottle according to claim 1, characterised in that the jet
has a shoulder on which the external wall is formed, said shoulder
being mounted in the ring while forming a peripheral clearance with
a wall of said ring, the external seal having an external edge that
is disposed in rubbing sealed contact on said wall, said clearance
being arranged so as to allow movement of said edge with respect to
said wall in order to break the seal of the rubbing contact.
9. The bottle according to claim 1, characterised in that the body
has an opening in which the downstream end of the jet is slidably
mounted, said end being provided with at least one downstream
orifice that is movable between a closed-off stable position and a
stressed position in communication with the opening.
10. The bottle according to claim 9, characterised in that the
valve has an internal seal affording sealed closure of the
downstream orifice in the closed-off position.
11. The bottle according to claim 1, characterised in that the body
has a bottom cage in which the ring is sealingly fixed.
12. The bottle according to claim 1, characterised in that the body
has a tubular base with which a cover is associated, the taking of
device being fixed to said cover.
13. The bottle according to claim 12, characterised in that the
tubular base and the cover each have an annular wall, said walls
being associated by welding.
14. The bottle according to claim 1, characterised in that the
taking of device is of the type without takeup of air in the
packaging reservoir in compensation for the volume of product
dispensed.
15. The dispensing bottle according to claim 1, characterised in
that the reservoir has a maximum capacity C.sub.0, the volume
C.sub.1 of product packaged in said reservoir being such that the
ratio C.sub.0/C.sub.1 is between 100/40 and 100/80.
16. The bottle according to claim 13, wherein said walls are
associated by rotary friction welding.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] The present application claims priority of French patent
application No. 11 53144 filed on Apr. 11, 2011, the content of
which is incorporated herein by reference.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The invention concerns a bottle for dispensing a fluid
product, in particular liquid, for example a cosmetic care, makeup
or perfume product, or a pharmaceutical product.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] The dispensing bottle comprises a body in which a reservoir
for packaging the product is formed, as well as a device for taking
of the packaged product that is mounted sealingly on said body. In
particular, the taking of device may comprise a manually actuated
pump that is supplied with packaged product, said pump being
arranged to dispense the product under pressure, for example in the
form of an aerosol.
[0004] In an example application, the bottles according to the
invention make it possible to dispense product samples, in
particular with a volume of product packaged in the reservoir that
is between 1 and 10 ml. In particular, the samples thus dispensed
may enable a customer to test the product, the bottles then being
referred to as sample-test bottles. In a variant, the bottles may
be so-called "handbag" bottles in that they make it possible to
transport easily a small volume of product, unlike bottles with a
greater capacity that are in general heavy and bulky since they are
lavish.
[0005] In these applications, for example for logistic,
practicality or environmental recycling reasons, it may be
desirable to be able to recharge the reservoir with product from a
source of said product. Indeed, it is not very practical for a user
to fill the reservoir by means of a small funnel and not very
ecological to throw away an empty bottle in order to replace it
with a full one constituting a recharge.
[0006] Dispensing bottles are already offered for sale, in which
the body is equipped with a valve for filling the reservoir that is
arranged so as to enable a source of product to be put in
communication with said reservoir. In particular, the valve can be
opened by pressing on the outlet tube of the pump of a source
bottle, which it is necessary to actuate several times to fill the
reservoir by injecting the source product.
[0007] The emptying of a reservoir by means of a dispensing pump
without taking in air so as to create a negative pressure in said
reservoir, said negative pressure allowing the filling of said
reservoir by sucking in the source product, is also known, in
particular from the document FR-2 854 131.
[0008] However, the valves according to the prior art do not
guarantee satisfactory filling of the reservoir, in particular in
relation to the seal between the outlet tube of the source bottle
and the valve, this problem being even more detrimental when the
filling must be carried out by aspiration of the source
product.
[0009] In addition, the valves according to the prior art are not
compatible with the various configurations of commercially
available outlet tubes, which limits the possibilities of filling
for a dispensing bottle equipped with such a valve.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0010] The invention aims to improve the prior art by proposing in
particular a dispensing bottle equipped with a filling valve the
reliability of which is improved, in particular in relation to the
sealing thereof with the outlet tube during filling, and this with
an extended range of configuration of source bottle outlet
tubes.
[0011] To this end, the invention proposes a bottle for dispensing
a fluid product comprising a body in which a reservoir intended for
packaging said product is formed, said bottle also comprising a
device for taking of said packaged product that is mounted
sealingly on said body, said body also being equipped with a valve
for filling said reservoir that is arranged to enable an outlet
tube of a source product to be put in communication with said
reservoir, the valve having a jet provided with an internal channel
that extends between an upstream orifice emerging on an external
wall of said jet and a downstream orifice, said jet being mounted
in translation in a ring secured to the body between a stable
position of closing the downstream orifice and a stressed position
of putting the internal channel in sealed communication with the
packaging reservoir, the ring having an internal length delimiting
an opening for introduction of the outlet tube, the external wall
of the jet in the closure position being in abutment on said
internal length while disposing in said opening a central length in
which the upstream orifice emerges, said valve also comprising an
external seal that is interposed between said external wall and
said internal length, said seal having a hole disposed opposite the
upstream orifice and an actuation area disposed in the opening
opposite the central length, said actuation area being arranged so
as to allow filling by putting the outlet tube in sealed abutment
on it in order to move the jet into the communication position.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0012] Other subjects and advantages of the invention will emerge
in the following description given with reference to the
accompanying figures, in which:
[0013] FIG. 1 is a view in longitudinal section of a dispensing
bottle according to one embodiment of the invention, the filling
valve being in the stable closure position;
[0014] FIG. 2 is a partial view in longitudinal section showing the
filling valve of FIG. 1 in the stressed position of putting in
communication by abutment of a jet of a pump of a source product
bottle;
[0015] FIG. 3 shows a an enlargement of the area III of FIG. 1;
and
[0016] FIG. 4 shows partially in perspective the lid of the
dispensing bottle body according to FIG. 1.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0017] In the description, the terms relating to positioning in
space are taken with reference to the position of the bottle shown
in FIG. 1.
[0018] In relation to the figures, a description is given below of
a bottle intended to contain a fluid product with a view to
dispensing thereof. In particular examples, the product may be
liquid, in particular a care, makeup or perfume cosmetic product,
or a pharmaceutical product.
[0019] The bottle comprises a body 1 in which a reservoir 2
intended for packaging the product is formed. According to a
particular application, the reservoir 2 may have a capacity of
between 1 and 10 ml so as to enable product samples to be
dispensed.
[0020] In the embodiment shown, the body 1 is rigid, in particular
having sufficient rigidity for the volume of the reservoir 2 to
remain substantially constant, said body being intended to be
inserted in a covering (not shown). In a variant that is not shown,
the body 1 may be flexible, in particular deformable when the
product is dispensed.
[0021] The bottle also comprises a device 3 for taking of the
packaged product that is mounted sealingly on the body 1, in
particular in the top opening of said body. In the embodiment
shown, the taking of device comprises a dispensing pump 3 (not
shown in cross section in FIGS. 1 and 2), said pump being actuated
manually by means of a push button 4 that is supplied with the
product under pressure with a view to dispensing thereof.
[0022] The pump 3 comprises a body having a bottom part that is
provided with a supply orifice in which a plunger tube 5 is fixed
for supplying said pump with packaged product. According to a known
embodiment, the button 4 is mounted on the top end of a jet 6 in
order to actuate it in reversible translation over a dispensing
travel, a piston being mounted on the bottom part of said jet
between a closure state and a state of supplying the orifices of
said jet.
[0023] The push button 4 is equipped with an atomisation nozzle 7
that is arranged so as to dispense radially an aerosol of the
product. However, the invention is not limited to a particular
method of dispensing the product. In particular, especially for a
nasal atomisation nozzle, the push button 4 may allow axial
dispensing of the product and another type of taking of device 3
can be envisaged.
[0024] In the embodiment shown, the body 1 has a tubular base 1a
with which a cover 1b is associated, the taking of device 3 being
fixed to said cover. More precisely, the cover 1b comprises a neck
8 around which a sleeve 9 is fixed by means of a hoop 10, the pump
3 being fixed in said sleeve. The tubular base 1a and the cover 1b
can be produced by pressure injection of rigid material, for
example a translucent or transparent polypropylene material such as
metallocene.
[0025] Moreover, the tubular base 1a and the cover 1b each have an
annular wall 11, 12, said walls being associated by welding, in
particular by rotary friction, the industrial cost of which is low,
the implementation of which is easy and the reliability of sealing
of which is good. In relation to FIG. 3, the weld profiles comprise
centring diameters 13 as well as areas 14 of interference by
fusion. Moreover, FIG. 4 shows the notch 15 for driving in rotation
that is formed on the neck 8 of the cover 1b.
[0026] In a variant that is not shown, the body 1 may be in a
single piece, for example produced by injection blow moulding or
extrusion blow moulding. It may also be produced from another
plastics material, metal, for example aluminium, or glass.
[0027] The body 1 of the bottle is equipped with a valve 16 for
filling the reservoir 2 that is arranged so as to enable an outlet
tube of a product source 17 to be put in communication with said
reservoir. The product source 17 may comprise a source reservoir on
which an outlet tube is disposed, the filling of the reservoir 2
with product being achieved by mounting said tube in sealed
abutment on the valve 16, which is arranged so as to open
reversibly.
[0028] In particular, it is possible to use as a product source 17
a service bottle with a larger capacity, said bottle being equipped
with a pump the push button of which is withdrawn to enable the jet
to be placed in sealed abutment on the valve 16. This is because,
apart from the opening of the valve 16, the sealed abutment causes
the pump to open to enable filling product to pass through it. In
FIG. 2, the service bottle 17 has the same pump 3 as that equipping
the dispensing bottle.
[0029] According to another embodiment, the source reservoir is
formed inside a flexible pouch equipped with an outlet tube, said
pouch being able to be filled with product without air or gas so
that said product is well preserved. The transfer of the product
into the reservoir 2 is then possible in all positions and the
flexible pouch cannot be diverted from its source role since it is
without a propellant gas or internal pressure or push button for
actuating any pump associated with the outlet tube.
[0030] The taking of device 3 may be of the type without takeup of
air in the reservoir 2 in compensation for the volume of product
dispensed. In particular, the pump 3 may be devoid of any vent hole
or comprise a vent hole that is closed off or disposed so as not to
fulfil the air-takeup function.
[0031] The product taken of without takeup of air in the reservoir
2 makes it possible to create a negative pressure in said reservoir
that increases along with dispensing, said negative pressure making
it possible to achieve the filling of said reservoir by aspiration
of the source product.
[0032] In particular, in order to ensure total emptying of the
reservoir 2, the air space above the product during the initial
filling must be such that the negative pressure reached at the end
of emptying is at a maximum equal to the negative pressure that can
be achieved by the pump 3. Advantageously, provision can be made
for the ratio C.sub.0/C.sub.1 to be between 100/40 and 100/80,
C.sub.0 being the maximum capacity of the reservoir 2 and C.sub.1
the volume of product packaged in said reservoir, in particular a
ratio of around 0.5 is advantageous, for example with C.sub.0=15 ml
and C.sub.1=7.5 ml.
[0033] In a variant, the taking of without takeup of air can be
achieved in an elastically deformable reservoir 2, the filling then
being achieved by aspiration of the source product under the effect
of the elastic return of said reservoir to its initial shape.
[0034] According to another embodiment, the reservoir 2 can have an
initial negative air pressure that is used for achieving the first
filling of said reservoir with product, the taking of device 3 then
being able to be of the type without takeup of air to allow
subsequent fillings or with takeup of air to limit the use of the
bottle to a single filling.
[0035] According to another embodiment, the taking of device 3 may
be of the type with takeup of air, the filling then being achieved
by injection of the source product into the reservoir 2, in
particular by actuating a pump or valve of a source product 17 by
putting the outlet tube thereof in abutment on the filling valve
16.
[0036] The valve 16 has a jet 18 provided with an internal channel
19 that extends between an upstream orifice 19a emerging on an
external wall 20 of said jet and a downstream orifice 19b. The jet
18 can be produced from rigid material such as a polyoxymethylene
(POM) or a polypropylene in the range of thermoplastic
materials.
[0037] The jet 18 is mounted in translation in a ring 21 secured to
the body 1 between a stable position of closing the downstream
orifice 19b and a stressed position of putting the internal channel
19 in sealed communication with the packaging reservoir 2. In the
embodiment shown, the filling valve 16 is disposed on the bottom of
the body 1 so as in particular to fill the reservoir 2 through said
bottom, which corresponds to an intuitive action.
[0038] The body 1 has a bottom cage 22 in which the ring 21 is
fixed sealingly, in particular by force-fitting. The bottom of the
body 1 has an opening 23 for communication with the reservoir 2
that is formed so as to emerge in the cage 22. The jet 18 has a
downstream end 18a provided with at least one downstream orifice
19b, said end being mounted slidably in the opening 23 so that the
downstream orifice 19b can be moved between a closed-off stable
position and a stressed position in communication with said
opening.
[0039] In the embodiment shown, the internal channel 19 is blind on
the downstream end 18a, which comprises two downstream channels 19b
that extend radially on either side of said internal channel, the
valve 16 comprising an internal seal 24 affording sealed closure of
the downstream orifices 19b in the closed-off position.
[0040] The internal seal 24 is disposed in the cage 22 against the
bottom of the body 1, said seal having a hole 24a disposed
coaxially with the opening 23 and the internal channel 19, the
downstream end 18a being mounted slidably in said hole. Thus, in
the stable position (FIG. 1), the downstream orifices 19b are
disposed in the hole 24a so as to be closed off sealingly by the
internal seal 24 and, in the stressed position (FIG. 2), said
orifices are disposed above said hole so as to be in communication
with the opening 23.
[0041] The ring 21 has an annular external wall 25 that is fitted
in the cage 22, said wall having an internal edge that is in sealed
abutment on the internal seal 24 and an external edge having an
internal length 26 that delimits an opening 27 for introduction of
the outlet tube. In particular, the length 26 extends radially
inwards with respect to the axis of the internal channel 19.
[0042] In the embodiment shown, the jet 18 has an annular shoulder
28 on which the external wall 20 is formed, a spring 29 for return
of the jet 18 to the stable position being interposed between an
internal length of said shoulder and the internal seal 24.
Moreover, the shoulder 28 is mounted in the ring 21 by forming a
peripheral clearance 30 with the annular wall 25 of said ring.
[0043] In particular, the spring 29 enables the external length 20
to be put in abutment on the internal length 26 in order to define
the closure position. In this position, a central length 31 of the
external wall 20 is disposed in the opening 27, the upstream
orifice 19a emerging in said central length.
[0044] To make the sealed abutment of the outlet tube of the
product source 17 on the jet 18 more reliable during filling and
therefore prevent leakages during said filling, the valve 16 also
comprises an external seal 32 that is interposed between the
external wall 20 and the internal length 26. The internal 24 and
external 32 seals can be produced from a flexible resilient
material, for example of the elastomer type.
[0045] The external seal 32 has a hole 33 disposed opposite the
upstream orifice 19a and an actuation area 34 disposed in the
opening 27 opposite the central length 31, said actuation area
being arranged to allow filling by sealed abutment of the outlet
tube on it in order to move the jet 18 into the communication
position.
[0046] According to the embodiment shown, the opening 27 is
delimited by an edge, said edge forming a chamfer having an outside
diameter that is less than the inside diameter thereof. The chamfer
facilitates the introduction of the outlet tube in the opening 27
as well as the withdrawal thereof, in particular when the end of
said tube has a hook 35 for holding the push button 4.
[0047] Moreover, the opening 27 has an outside diameter that is
greater than the diameter of the hole 33 of the external seal 32 so
that the actuation area 34 is disposed around said hole. In
particular, the external seal 32 has an annular geometry with flat
surfaces to promote the sealed abutment with respectively the
outlet tube and the external wall 20, said geometry having the hole
33 at the centre thereof.
[0048] According to an advantageous embodiment, the opening 27 has
an outside diameter that is between 3.8 mm and 4.2 mm, in
particular around 4.05 mm with an inside diameter of around 4.5 mm,
so that the majority of the commercially available output tubes can
be introduced into the opening 27. In addition, the thickness of
the internal length 26 can be around 0.6 mm. Moreover, the outside
diameter of the cage 22 can be around 10.5 mm to allow filling with
source bottles equipped with a trim that clads the taking of device
thereof.
[0049] The difference between the outside diameter of the opening
27 and the diameter of the hole 33 can be between 2.4 mm and 2.8 mm
in order to ensure that, even in the case of misalignment between
the outlet tube and jet 18, said tube is in communication with the
internal channel 19, and this for a majority of dimensions of
commercially available outlet tubes.
[0050] According to an advantageous embodiment, the hole 33 of the
external seal 32 has a diameter that is between 1.3 mm and 1.5 mm,
in particular around 1.4 mm, the upstream orifice 19a having a
diameter that may be slightly greater than that of the hole 33 in
order to achieve a seal by radial clamping.
[0051] Moreover, the external seal 32 has an external edge 36 that
is disposed in rubbing sealed contact on the annular wall 25 of the
ring 21, the peripheral clearance 30 between the shoulder 28 and
said wall being arranged so as to allow a movement of said edge
with respect to said wall in order to break the seal of the rubbing
contact.
[0052] In the embodiment shown, the outside diameter of the edge 36
is substantially equal to the inside diameter of the annular wall
25 so that the external seal 32 is centred in the ring 21. In
addition, the outside diameter of the edge 36 is greater than that
of the shoulder 28 so that said edge is placed in the clearance 30,
said edge then not being in abutment on the external wall 20 so as
to allow movement. In particular, the breaking of the seal allows,
during the filling operation, to discharge any overpressure between
the jet 18 and the ring 21.
* * * * *