MEMBER FOR DISPENSING A FLUID PRODUCT

Abstract

A fluid dispenser member, such as a pump, comprising a body (11) for mounting in the opening of a fluid reservoir so as to take fluid therefrom, the body (11) comprising a fluid chamber (15) that defines a fluid inlet in the form of a socket (12), the dispenser member including a dip tube (2) for extending into the fluid reservoir so as to take fluid therefrom, the dispenser member further comprising a reducer sleeve (3) that internally receives an end (21) of the dip tube (2), and that is engaged axially in the socket (12) of the body (11), such that fluid communication is established between the dip tube (2) and the chamber (15) of the body (11);

the dispenser member being characterized in that the dip tube (2) presents an outside diameter that is less than 1 mm, and in that the dip tube (2) is made of a material that is transparent or translucent.

Claims

1.-14. (canceled)

15. A fluid dispenser member, comprising a body for mounting in the opening of a fluid reservoir so as to take fluid therefrom, the body comprising a fluid chamber that defines a fluid inlet in the form of a socket that presents an inside diameter of about 1.2 mm, the dispenser member including a dip tube for extending into the fluid reservoir so as to take fluid therefrom, the dispenser member further comprising a reducer sleeve that internally receives an end of the dip tube, and that is engaged axially in the socket of the body, such that fluid communication is established between the dip tube and the chamber of the body; wherein the dip tube presents an outside diameter that is less than 1 mm, in that the dip tube is made of a material that is transparent or translucent, and in that the reducer sleeve is radially deformable, such that engaging it in the socket increases the clamping of the reducer sleeve around the dip tube.

16. The dispenser member according to claim 15, wherein the dip tube presents an outside diameter lying in the range about 0.8 mm to 0.6 mm.

17. The dispenser member according to claim 15, wherein the end of the dip tube is inserted substantially without friction into the reducer sleeve, before the reducer sleeve is engaged in the socket.

18. The dispenser member according to claim 15, wherein the reducer sleeve is slotted axially.

19. The dispenser member according to claim 15, wherein the reducer sleeve defines an outer bearing surface that is engaged with an inner bearing surface of the socket, the outer bearing surface being stepped, thereby defining at least two sections having diameters that are different.

20. The dispenser member according to claim 15, wherein the reducer sleeve forms a transverse edge against which the dip tube is deformed and thus held.

21. The dispenser member according to claim 15, wherein the reducer sleeve comprises: a hollow sheath in which the end of the dip tube is received, the hollow sheath coming into radial engagement in the socket; an insertion cone for making it easier to insert the dip tube into the hollow sheath; and a bearing collar that comes into axial abutment against the socket.

22. The dispenser member according to claim 21, wherein only the reducer sleeve is slotted axially.

23. The dispenser member according to claim 21, wherein the bearing collar, the insertion cone, and the hollow sheath are slotted axially.

24. The dispenser member according to claim 15, wherein the reducer sleeve includes an engagement cone, and the socket includes an insertion bevel for making it easier to interfit the reducer sleeve in the socket.

25. The dispenser member according to claim 15, wherein the dip tube is bonded in the reducer sleeve.

26. The dispenser member according to claim 15, wherein the reducer sleeve is overmolded on the dip tube.

27. A method of assembling the dispenser member according to claim 15, the reducer sleeve being radially deformable, such that engaging it in the socket increases the clamping of the reducer sleeve around the dip tube, the method comprising firstly inserting the dip tube substantially without friction into the reducer sleeve, then secondly engaging the reducer sleeve with its dip tube in the socket.

28. The dispenser member according to claim 15, wherein the dispenser member is a pump.

Description

IN THE FIGURES

[0015] FIG. 1 is a partially transparent exploded view of a dispenser member of the invention;

[0016] FIG. 2 is a very greatly enlarged perspective view of the FIG. 1 reducer sleeve in a first embodiment;

[0017] FIG. 3a is an exploded section view of the FIG. 1 dispenser member with the dip tube engaged in the reducer sleeve;

[0018] FIG. 3b is a very greatly enlarged view of the

[0019] FIG. 3a reducer sleeve with the dip tube engaged;

[0020] FIG. 4a is a view similar to the view in FIG. 3a with the reducer sleeve engaged in the socket of the dispenser member;

[0021] FIG. 4b is a greatly enlarged view of the FIG. 4a sleeve, engaged in the socket of the dispenser member;

[0022] FIG. 5a is a greatly enlarged perspective view of a reducer sleeve in a second embodiment of the invention;

[0023] FIG. 5b is a vertical section view through the FIG. 5 reducer sleeve, engaged in an intake socket and receiving a dip tube;

[0024] FIG. 6 is a greatly enlarged perspective view of a reducer sleeve in a third embodiment of the invention;

[0025] FIG. 7 is a greatly enlarged perspective view of a reducer sleeve in a fourth embodiment of the invention;

[0026] FIG. 8a is a greatly enlarged perspective view of a reducer sleeve in a fifth embodiment of the invention; and

[0027] FIG. 8b is a vertical section view through a portion of the FIG. 8a reducer sleeve, engaged in a socket and receiving an end of a dip tube.

[0028] Reference is made firstly to FIGS. 1 and 2 which show a dispenser member 1 that is shown in entirely diagrammatic manner. The dispenser member is a pump, but it could equally well be a valve. The pump includes a pump body 11 that defines a fluid inlet in the form of an intake socket 12 having an inside diameter that is 1.2 mm, since this is practically the standard for pumps used in the field of perfumery. Inside the body 11, the pump defines a chamber 15 that, upstream, communicates selectively with the intake socket 12 through an inlet valve member 13 that may be in the form of a ball. Downstream, the chamber 15 communicates with a valve rod or an actuator rod 17 on which there is mounted a piston 14 that slides in leaktight manner inside a cylinder formed by the body 11. A return spring 17 urges the actuator rod 18 into its rest position, while a pre-compression spring 16 may urge the piston 14 into a position in which it closes a side opening of the actuator rod. This is only one particular type of pump, but it is possible to use any type of pump or valve in the context of the present invention, in so far as it includes an intake socket 12 for receiving a conventional dip tube. Although not shown, the free end of the actuator rod is generally fitted with a pusher on which the user presses so as to move the actuator rod inside the body 11, so as to put the fluid stored in the chamber 15 under pressure. The piston 14 thus moves both in the body 11 and on the rod 18, so that the fluid under pressure may be forced through the actuator rod and be dispensed via the pusher. Once the pressure on the pusher is relaxed, the actuator rod is returned into its rest position by the return spring 17, which creates suction inside the chamber, causing fluid to be sucked up through the intake socket 12. This mode of operation is entirely conventional for a manual pump in the fields of perfumery, cosmetics, and pharmacy. The dispenser member 1 is for receiving a conventional dip tube having an outside diameter that corresponds to the inside diameter of the intake socket 12, namely 1.2 mm in almost-standard manner. Conventional dip tubes are made of polyethylene or of polypropylene, or even of fluoropolymer when it is desired for the dip tube to be invisible in the reservoir.

[0029] In the invention, the dispenser member 1 is fitted with a dip tube 2 having an outside diameter that is less than 1 mm, advantageously less than 0.6 mm, and preferably equal to about 0.4 mm. Naturally, in the context of the invention, it is possible to make a dip tube having an outside diameter lying in the range 0.6 mm to 1 mm. Below 0.4 mm, manufacture becomes more complicated, but is nevertheless possible down to 0.2 mm. The dip tube 2 can be made of any material, such as polyethylene or polypropylene, for example. It is also possible to make it out of fluoropolymer, as described in Document U.S. Pat. No. 7,718,132. Specifically, despite the high cost of fluoropolymers, it is possible to make the dip tube of the present invention at low cost, as a result of the considerable reduction in the quantity of material constituting the dip tube.

[0030] As a function of the inside and outside diameters of a dip tube having a height of 100 mm, the table below shows the internal volume of the dip tube and the quantity of material constituting the dip tube.

TABLE-US-00001 Internal volume Quantity Inside (mm.sup.3) Outside of  Height  material (mm) 100 mm (mm) (mm.sup.3) 0.9 63.6 1.2 49.5 0.8 50.3 1.0 28.3 0.7 38.5 0.9 25.1 0.6 28.3 0.8 22.0 0.5 19.6 0.7 18.8 0.4 12.6 0.6 15.7 0.3 7.1 0.5 12.6 0.2 3.1 0.4 9.42

[0031] The use of a dip tube of small diameter offers a first advantage, namely that of quicker priming. Specifically, given that the dip tube defines an internal volume that is smaller, it fills with fluid more quickly than does a conventional dip tube. For example, for a conventional pump that dispenses doses of 70 microliters (μL) and that presents a dead volume of 90 μL, it is necessary to actuate six to seven times in order to prime the pump. With a dip tube of the invention that presents an outside diameter of 0.6 mm and an inside diameter of 0.4 mm, the number of priming strokes that are necessary is reduced to four, i.e. a reduction of two to three priming strokes.

[0032] It should also be observed that for a conventional dip tube having an inside diameter of 0.9 mm and an outside diameter of 1.2 mm, the quantity of material used is 49.5 cubic millimeters (mm.sup.3) for a height of 10 centimeters (cm). With a dip tube having an inside diameter of 0.4 mm and an outside diameter of 0.6 mm, the quantity of diameter used is only 15.7 mm.sup.3. Thus, for an inside diameter ratio of almost 2, the ratio for the quantity of material used is more than 3. Consequently, by means of the invention, it is possible to make a dip tube for which the cost of its constituent material is reduced by a factor of 3.

[0033] The dip tube of the invention may even be made of polyethylene or polypropylene, e.g. with an outside diameter of 0.6 mm, and still be fairly invisible when inserted into a fluid reservoir. Specifically, the naked human eye has difficulty perceiving or discerning items having a size of less than 1 mm. As a result, the dip tube of the invention, although visible, cannot be perceived or discerned. This is also explained by the fact that the dip tube is arranged in a fluid reservoir that is filled with liquid, and by the fact that polyethylene or polypropylene nevertheless is translucent even though not totally transparent. Consequently, instead of using expensive fluoropolymer, it is possible, in the context of the invention, to use a conventional polyethylene or polypropylene with an invisibility effect that is satisfactory.

[0034] As explained above, the dip tube 2 of the present invention presents an outside diameter that is relatively or considerably smaller than the inside diameter of the intake socket 12, which is conventionally 1.2 mm. In order to fasten the dip tube 2 of the invention in a conventional intake socket 12, the present invention provides a reducer sleeve 3 in which one end 21 of the dip tube 2 is engaged, the reducer sleeve 3 also being engaged axially in the intake socket 12 of the body 11, so that fluid communication is established between the dip tube 2 and the chamber 15 of the body 11. As its name indicates, the function of the reducer sleeve is to make it possible to fasten the dip tube in the socket 12 despite the difference in diameter between the two elements.

[0035] In FIG. 2, it can be seen that the reducer sleeve 3 comprises a sheath 31 that defines an outer bearing surface 31b, and a collar 33 of greater diameter. At its opposite end, the reducer sleeve forms an engagement cone 34 with a hole 35 opening out in its apex, which hole extends in line with the hollow inside of the sleeve. In FIGS. 3a and 3b, it can be seen that the reducer sleeve 31 also includes an inner bearing surface 31a to which the hole 35 is connected so as to form an inner shoulder 35a. The hole 35 defines a diameter that is less than the diameter of the inner bearing surface 31a. At its bottom end, the bearing surface 31a flares outwards so as to form an insertion cone 32 that extends into the inside of the bearing collar 33. In this embodiment, the inner and outer bearing surfaces 31a, 31b are completely cylindrical and circular.

[0036] The first step consists in engaging the end 21 of the dip tube 2 inside the reducer sleeve 31 by inserting it through the insertion cone 32, the purpose of which is to make it easier to insert the tube into the sleeve. The dip tube 2 is engaged in this way inside the sheath 31 that forms the inner bearing surface 31a. Advantageously, the dip tube is inserted inside the bearing surface 31a without friction, or in any event without excessive friction. Specifically, given that the dip tube 2 presents a small diameter, it also presents greater flexibility, and consequently a certain degree of fragility. In order to avoid damaging it while inserting it into the reducer sleeve 3, it is thus preferable to avoid inserting it by force, and on the contrary to insert it gently. It is even possible to envisage that the dip tube 2 is inserted inside the inner bearing surface 31a without any friction. In other words, the dip tube 2 may be engaged by merely sliding inside the bearing surface 31a, without any radial clamping. This is represented in FIG. 3b by a small space or gap between the dip tube 2 and the bearing surface 31a. However, the dip tube 2 could be inserted inside the reducer sleeve 3 with a certain amount of force. When the dip tube 2 is engaged fully in the inner bearing surface 31a, it comes into abutment against the shoulder 35a. Once the operation of inserting the dip tube has been performed, the assembly is inserted into the intake socket 12. More precisely, the reducer sleeve 3 is engaged in the socket 12, such that the outer bearing surface 31b of its sheath 31 comes into radial clamping contact with the inner bearing surface 12a of the socket 12. This is shown in FIGS. 4a and 4b. To this end, it should be observed that the inner bearing surface 12a of the socket 12 may be made with annular ribs 12b that have the function of increasing the grip on the reducer sleeve 3 inside the socket 12. The radial clamping provided by the socket 12 on the reducer sleeve 3 is such that said reducer sleeve is deformed radially at its inner bearing surface 31a that is in contact with the dip tube 2. This is represented in somewhat exaggerated manner in FIG. 4b, in which it can be seen that the dip tube is deformed radially and even presents a reduced diameter. The radial deformation of the reducer sleeve 3 is naturally induced by being held in the socket 12, but also by the material constituting the sleeve 3 presenting a certain amount of flexibility or capacity to deform. To this end, the sleeve 3 may be made of polyethylene or of polypropylene, for example. In order to make it easier to insert the reducer sleeve 3 in the socket 12, said socket may form an insertion bevel 12c at its inlet, which insertion bevel co-operates with the engagement cone 34 that is situated at the top end of the sleeve.

[0037] Reference is made below to FIGS. 5a and 5b in order to describe a second embodiment for the reducer sleeve. The reducer sleeve 3′ differs from the reducer sleeve 3 in that its inner bearing surface 31b of the sheath 31 is stepped in such a manner as to define two bearing surface sections having diameters that are different. More precisely, the outer bearing surface 31b defines a bottom section 31e of greater diameter and a top section 31d of smaller diameter, the two sections being interconnected via a transition section 31c that may be frustoconical, for example. When the reducer sleeve 3′ is force-fitted in the intake socket 12, radial deformation is greater in the bottom section 31e than in the top section 31d. As a result, the radial clamping of the dip tube 2 is greater in the bottom section 31e than in the top section 31d. This can be seen clearly in FIG. 5b. Thus, the dip tube 2 is strangled, so to speak, in the bottom section 31e, while it remains in its normal state at either end, and in particular in the top section 31d, thus reinforcing the grip of the dip tube 2 inside the reducer sleeve 3′. It can thus be said that the bottom section 31e of greater diameter performs a function of radially clamping the dip tube 2 locally in order to anchor it more securely in the reducer sleeve 3′.

[0038] FIG. 6 shows another embodiment for a reducer sleeve 3″. In order to improve its capacity to deform radially, an axial slot is provided that extends from the bearing collar 33 and through the insertion cone 32 until it enters into the sheath 31. It can be seen that the slot 36 stops substantially half-way up the height of the sheath 31, and does not extend as far as the engagement cone 34. While the reducer sleeve 3″ is being forced into an intake socket 12, the width of the slot 36 decreases, thus generating greater and localized radial clamping of the dip tube 2.

[0039] FIG. 7 shows yet another embodiment for a reducer sleeve 3″′ that is also formed with a slot 37 that extends from the hole 35 and through the engagement cone 34 until it enters into the sheath 31. The slot 37 does not extend as far as the insertion cone 32 or the bearing collar 33. As in the preceding embodiment, the width of the slot 37 decreases when the reducer sleeve 3″′ is force-fitted in an intake socket 12, in such a manner as to create greater local radial clamping on a dip tube.

[0040] FIGS. 8a and 8b show a reducer sleeve 3″″ in a fourth embodiment of the invention. It can be seen that the sheath 31 and a portion of the engagement cone 34 have been notched, truncated, or cut away at the inner bearing surface 31a, in such a manner as to define an edge 38 that borders and terminates the inner bearing surface 31a. With reference to FIG. 8b, it can be seen that the end 21 of the dip tube 2 extends until it is in abutment with the shoulder 35a, such that it extends beyond the edge 38 formed at the notch of the sheath 31. Given that the dip tube is subjected to radial deformation by the bearing surface 31a, and is subjected to practically no stress at the notch, i.e. beyond the edge 38a, the dip tube deforms a little around the edge 38, and thus forms a solid anchor or stop line. As a result, in this embodiment, the radial clamping of the dip tube generates axial anchoring at the edge 38.

[0041] In all of the embodiments described above, the dip tube 2 is held in the reducer sleeve by radial clamping, advantageously while engaging the reducer sleeve in the intake socket. In a variant or in addition, it can also be envisaged to perform bonding, e.g. by ultrasound or by laser, between the dip tube and the reducer sleeve. Provision could also be made to overmold the reducer sleeve on the dip tube.

[0042] The invention thus provides a dip tube of small diameter that is barely visible, if at all, as a result of its fineness, and that, as a result, uses very little constituent material. It is fastened in a conventional intake socket by means of a reducer sleeve that is force-fitted in the intake socket 12, and that holds the dip tube by radial clamping, by heat-sealing, and/or by overmolding.