Device for protecting and dispensing pasty or creamy products

Abstract

A sealed device (1) for protecting and dispensing pasty or creamy products (7), includes a reservoir (2) containing the product (7) and suitable for receiving, at the bottom end thereof, a longitudinally movable sealing plug (3). The reservoir (2) is longitudinally movable like a piston in a pump body (4) and it is forced into the closed position by a spring element (5) that cooperates in compression with a lateral outer projection (2e) of the reservoir (2) and with the top of the side wall (6b) of the base (6) attached to the pump body (4). The pump body (4) includes an elastically deformable upper membrane (4a) providing a pump function and also includes, on an upper lateral wall thereof (4c), a lateral opening (4e) for dispensing the product (7). The assembled reservoir (2) and pump body (4) form a system suitable for circulating the product (7) via a compression chamber (C) supplied from the reservoir (2) by at least one upper inlet orifice (2b). The device is particularly suitable for the hygiene, pharmacy and cosmetics fields.

Claims

1. A device (1) for protecting and distributing pasty or creamy products (7), said device comprising a reservoir (2) adapted for containing the product (7) and adapted to receive at a lower end a sealing plug (3) movable longitudinally, said reservoir (2) movable longitudinally as a piston along a path (Y) in a pump body (4), wherein the reservoir is constrained in a closed position by a spring which cooperates between the reservoir (2) and the pump body (4), and wherein the reservoir (2) comprises an outer projection (2d) formed on a lateral wall (2c) of the reservoir (2) and complementary to a lateral opening (4e) in the pump body (4) from which the pasty or creamy product is dispensed, wherein the outer projection provides a closure of the lateral opening (4e) that lacks any external cavity.

2. The device (1) for protecting and distributing pasty or creamy products (7) according to claim 1, wherein the reservoir (2) is open at its lower end and is secured to a sealed and flexible pouch containing the pasty or creamy product, the volume of the bag adapts by depression to the remaining volume of the pasty or creamy product which is discharged through the upper orifice (2b).

3. The device for protecting and distributing pasty or creamy products (7) according to claim 1, wherein said spring comprises at least one elastic tab (6d) formed on a wall (6a) of a bottom secured to the pump body (4) and wherein said at least one elastic tab (6d) engages a lower face (2j) of said reservoir (2).

4. The device for protecting and distributing pasty or creamy products (7) according to claim 1, wherein said spring comprises at least one elastic tab (2g) formed on the lateral wall (2c) of the reservoir (2) and secured to a lower ring (20 of the reservoir (2) that includes an outer lateral projection (2h) which collaborates with a groove (4g) in the pump body (4) so as to secure the ring (20 to the pump body (4).

5. The device (1) for protecting and distributing pasty or creamy products (7) according to claim 1, wherein the reservoir (2) is closed on an upper wall (2a) and wherein the pump body (4) comprises an upper membrane (4a) that is manipulated to depress the upper wall (2a) of the reservoir (2) to move the reservoir (2) relative to the pump body (4).

6. The device (1) for protecting and distributing pasty or creamy products (7) according to claim 1 wherein an upper wall (2a) of the reservoir (2) is accessible through an upper orifice (4h) of the pump body (4) so that when the upper wall (2a) is directly subjected to a pressure (P), the reservoir (2) moves longitudinally in the pump body (4).

7. A device for distributing an associated creamy product, said device comprising: a reservoir adapted for containing the associated creamy product; a sealing plug received in a lower end of the reservoir; a pump body in which said reservoir is movable longitudinally as a piston; a spring operably engaged between the pump body and the reservoir that urges said reservoir toward a closed position; said pump body comprising an elastically deformable upper membrane and said reservoir comprising an upper closure wall, wherein a chamber is defined between the upper closure wall and the elastically deformable membrane; said upper closure wall of the reservoir comprising an orifice in communication between the reservoir and the chamber for supplying the associated creamy product from the reservoir into the chamber; said pump body further including a lateral opening in communication with the chamber, wherein the associated creamy product is dispensed from the chamber through the lateral opening when pressure is exerted on the elastically deformable membrane in a direction toward the upper closure wall of the reservoir.

8. A device (1) for protecting and distributing pasty or creamy products (7), said device comprising a reservoir (2) adapted for containing the product (7) and adapted to receive at a lower end a sealing plug (3) movable longitudinally, said reservoir (2) movable longitudinally as a piston along a path (Y) in a pump body (4), wherein the reservoir is constrained in a closed position by a spring which cooperates between the reservoir (2) and the pump body (4), wherein the spring is operably located between and cooperates in compression between a lateral external projection (2e) of the reservoir (2) and a top of a side wall (6b) of a bottom (6) secured to the pump body (4), wherein the bottom (6) comprises at least one outer projection (6c) that is complementary to and received in an inner groove (4g) of the pump body (4) whereby the bottom (6) is secured to the pump body (4).

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) Other features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the description which follows with reference to the accompanying drawings which are given by way of non-limiting examples.

(2) FIG. 1 shows an overall view of the device.

(3) FIGS. 2 and 3 show a front view and a DD section of the device in operation under the effect of a pressure (P).

(4) FIGS. 4 and 5 show a front view and a CC section of the device in the closed position to the suppression of the pressure (P).

(5) FIGS. 6 and 7 show a top view and an AA section of the device according to a variant of the reservoir incorporating the spring function.

(6) FIGS. 8 and 9 show a top view and an AA section of the device in operation according to the variant of FIGS. 6 and 7.

(7) FIG. 10 represents the reservoir in perspective according to FIG. 7.

(8) FIG. 11 shows a detail A of FIG. 10.

(9) FIG. 12 represents an overall view of the device with the bottom integrating the spring element, in the rest position and in the compression position.

(10) FIG. 13 shows a detail A of FIG. 12.

(11) FIG. 14 shows a detail A of FIG. 12.

(12) FIGS. 15 and 16 show a front view and a BB section of the device in operation under the effect of a pressure (P) according to FIG. 12.

(13) FIGS. 17 and 18 show a front view as well as a section AA of the device in the closed position at the suppression of the pressure (P) according to FIG. 12.

(14) FIG. 19 shows a detail A of FIG. 18.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(15) The device (1) for protecting and dispensing pasty or creamy products (7) is characterized in that it consists mainly of a reservoir (2) containing the product (7) and adapted to receive at its lower end a sealing plug (3) movable longitudinally, said reservoir (2) is longitudinally displaceable such as a piston and in or along the path (Y) in a pump body (4) and in which it is constrained in the closed position by a spring element (5) which cooperates in compression with a lateral external projection (2e) of the reservoir (2) and with the top of the side wall (6b) of the bottom (6) secured to the pump body (4) by at least one outer projection (6c) complementary to an inner and lower groove (4g) of the pump body (4).

(16) The pump body (4) is formed of an elastically deformable upper membrane (4a) providing a pump function and, on its upper side wall (4c), a lateral opening (4e) for dispensing the product (7).

(17) The reservoir (2) and the pump body assembled (4) form means suitable for the circulation of the product (7) by a compression chamber (C) supplied by at least one upper inlet orifice (2b) situated on the upper closure wall (2a) of the reservoir (2) which collaborates with the inner closure face (4f).

(18) For use of the device (1), the distribution of the product (7) through the opening (4e) is ensured when a pressure (P) pumping is exerted on the upper membrane (4a), said pressure transmitted on the product (7) contained in the compression chamber (C) forces the reservoir (2) to move longitudinally in the pump body (4) in or along a path (Y), thus partially releasing the opening (4e) through which the product (7) is dispensed. When the pressure (P) disappears and the reservoir (2) constrained by the spring element (5) closes tightly on the pump body (4) with the upper closure wall (2a) which collaborates with the face inside closure (4f), the product (7) is again sucked through the orifice (2b) to fill the compression chamber (C) under the effect of the depression created by the upper membrane (4a) which returns to its original shape.

(19) In an advantageous version of protection, the device (1) ensures a lack of external cavities between the pump body (4) and the reservoir (2) in which residues of the products (7) to be distributed could be housed, for this purpose the reservoir (2) is formed on its upper lateral wall (2c) with an external projection (2d) complementary to the lateral opening (4e) of distribution of the pump body (4) which ensures a closure which is absent from any outer cavity.

(20) In a variant that makes it possible to adapt to the demand of suppliers for dispensing products, the reservoir (2) open at its lower end is adapted to receive integrally a sealed and flexible pouch containing the product (7), the volume of the bag adapts by depression to the remaining volume of the product (7) which is evacuated through the upper orifice (2b).

(21) In a first variant of the spring function of the device (1) for protecting and dispensing pasty or creamy products (7), the bottom (6) integrates a spring function by at least one elastic tab (6d) formed on the wall (6a) and which collaborates with the lower face (2j) of the reservoir (2).

(22) In a second variant of the spring function of the device (1), the reservoir incorporates a spring function by at least one resilient tab formed on the side wall and secured to a lower ring formed of an external lateral projection which collaborates with the lower and inner groove of the pump body so as to secure the ring of the reservoir with the pump body.

(23) In a variant reserved more to low-capacity devices (1), the reservoir (2) is closed on its upper wall (2a) which can be manipulated by the elastically deformable upper membrane (4a) of the pump body (4). The reservoir (2) has a lateral product-side flow-through orifice (2i), located above the outer projection (2d), the lateral circulation port (2i) being tightly protected by the upper side wall (4c) of the pump body (4) in the closed position. The bottom (6) has on its horizontal bottom wall (6a) a longitudinal notched projection (6e) which collaborates with a longitudinal notched projection (3a) of the movable cap (3) by at least one flat face (3b) complementary to a flat face (6f) belonging to the notched projection (6e) of the bottom (6), so that when the elastically deformable upper membrane (4a) of the pump body (4) is subjected to a pumping pressure (P), the reservoir (2) moves longitudinally in the pump body (4) while the movable cap (3), constrained by the flat faces (3b,6f) of said movable cap (3) and the bottom (6) which immobilize it relative to the bottom (6), moves in the reservoir (2). By compression, the pasty or creamy product (7) is dispensed through the lateral orifice (2i) of the reservoir when the latter, at least partially cleared from the upper side wall (4c) of the pump body (4) due to the necessary operating clearance between the planar faces (3b,6f) of the notched projections (3a,6e) of the movable cap (3) and the bottom (6), is in front of the lateral distribution opening (4e) of the pump body (4).

(24) When the pumping pressure (P) disappears, the reservoir (2) constrained by the elastic tab (6d) of the bottom (6) closes tightly on the pump body (4) with the lateral orifice (2i) of the reservoir (2) which is protected by the upper side wall (4c) of the pump body (4) and the movable cap (3) of the reservoir (2) is driven by the pump body (4) by the sufficient clamping between the reservoir (2) and the movable cap (3) necessary for sealing.

(25) According to a more basic variant of realization, the upper wall (2a) of the reservoir (2) is accessible through an upper orifice (4h) of the pump body (4) so that when the upper wall (2a) of the reservoir (2) is directly subjected to a pumping pressure (P), the reservoir (2) moves longitudinally in the pump body (4).

(26) The product (7) to be dispensed is packaged in the reservoir (2) through the upper orifice (2b) of the reservoir after the assembly of the mobile cap (3) in the reservoir (2), said movable cap (3) moved longitudinally by depression inside the reservoir (2) ensuring the air and water tightness of the product (7) to be dispensed.

(27) In a variant, the packaging is performed by the open bottom end of the reservoir (2) before the assembly of the movable cap (3).