Spout for a refill container

Abstract

A spout for a refill container having an outlet opening for communicating with an interior volume, a lid for sealing the outlet opening against a fluid located therein, wherein the lid is removable relative to the base part for unsealing the outlet opening, a nozzle for being inserted into an inlet opening of a bottle, wherein the nozzle is relative moveable to the base part between a closing position, and a pouring position, where the nozzle is positioned close to the base part, a flexible element, connected to the base part and the nozzle for providing a fluid connection of the nozzle with the outlet opening of the base part and a pusher removable relative to the base part by means of the nozzle, wherein the pusher pushes the lid away from the outlet opening in the pouring position of the nozzle for unsealing the outlet opening.

Claims

1. A spout configured for a refill container comprising: a base part configured for being connected to the refill container, wherein the base part comprises an outlet opening configured for communicating with an interior volume of the refill container; a lid configured for sealing the outlet opening against a fluid located inside the interior volume of the refill container, wherein the lid is moveable with respect to the base part for unsealing the outlet opening; a nozzle insertable into an inlet opening of a bottle, wherein the nozzle is moveable with respect to the base part between a closing position, where the nozzle is positioned away from the base part, and a pouring position, where the nozzle is positioned adjacent to the base part, wherein the nozzle comprises a shoulder and a discharge channel defined by an inner circumferential wall of the nozzle; a flexible element connected to the base part and the nozzle and configured for providing a fluid connection of the nozzle with the outlet opening of the base part; a locking device which is configured to abut the shoulder of the nozzle and the base part to prevent movement of the nozzle relative to the base part, wherein the locking device includes clamp elements which fit around the flexible element and two arms configured to be pressed together to open the clamp elements; a pusher moveable with respect the base part by means of the nozzle, wherein the pusher pushes the lid away from the outlet opening in the pouring position of the nozzle for unsealing the outlet opening; and bridges connecting the pusher to the nozzle, wherein the bridges, in their entireties, are arranged inside the discharge channel of the nozzle.

2. The spout according to claim 1, wherein the pusher is arranged mainly coaxial to at least one selected from the nozzle and the outlet opening, the bridges cover an Area A of a hydraulic cross section area A.sub.h of the nozzle without bridges, and wherein 0.01≤A/A.sub.h≤0.25 applies.

3. The spout according to claim 1, wherein the pusher is connected to the lid via a stem press-fitted into an inner collar of the lid.

4. The spout according to claim 1, wherein the nozzle comprises an outlet orifice at a front face of the nozzle pointing away from the base part, wherein the pusher, at the bridges connecting the pusher to the nozzle, is arranged between the level of the front face and the lid.

5. The spout according to claim 1, wherein the lid comprises a sealing ring pressed into a corresponding shape of the outlet opening of the base part in the closing position of the nozzle.

6. The spout according to claim 1, wherein the lid overhangs the outlet opening of the base part at an axial inner face of the base part pointing away from the nozzle.

7. The spout according to claim 1, wherein the hydraulic diameter of the outlet opening is larger than the minimum hydraulic diameter of the flexible element and the minimum hydraulic diameter of the nozzle.

8. The spout according to claim 1, wherein the nozzle comprises a shoulder plate protruding radially outwards from the nozzle for resting on an axial front face of the inlet opening of the bottle, wherein the shoulder plate provides at least one degassing vent for degassing air from an interior of the bottle.

9. The spout according to claim 1, wherein the nozzle comprises fins protruding radially outwards from the nozzle for resting on an inner surface of the inlet opening of the bottle and/or on an axial front face of the inlet opening of the bottle, wherein between the fins degassing channels for degassing air from an interior of the bottle are provided.

10. The spout according to claim 1, wherein the locking device is releasably clipped to the flexible element.

11. A packaging configured for refilling a bottle with a fluid, the packaging comprising: a flexible bag filled with a fluid; and the spout, according to claim 1, connected with the bag for pouring out the fluid.

12. The packaging according to claim 11, wherein a spring force of the flexible element provided in the closing position of the nozzle is higher than a maximum weight of the fluid applied to a part of the base plate outside the lid.

13. The packaging according to claim 11, wherein the fluid is at least one selected from a surfactant, a softener and a hair tinting means.

14. The packaging according to claim 11, wherein the fluid comprises a chemical component harmful to at least one selected from a human skin, fabric and furniture.

15. A refill system comprising: a bottle to be filled with a fluid, wherein the bottle comprises an inlet opening; and the packaging according to claim 11, wherein the nozzle of the spout is at least partially inserted into the inlet opening.

16. The spout according to claim 1, wherein the flexible element is a collapsible and unfoldable bellow consisting of a spring bellow.

17. The spout according to claim 1, wherein the bridges extend outwardly away from the pusher in a radial direction within the discharge channel of the nozzle.

18. The spout according to claim 2, wherein 0.04≤A/A.sub.h≤0.05 applies.

19. The spout according to claim 5, wherein the sealing ring of the lid is an outer collar pressable into the corresponding shape of the outlet opening of the base part.

Description

(1) These and other aspects of the invention will be apparent from and elucidated with reference to the embodiments described hereinafter, wherein the described features can constitute each solely or in combination an independent aspect of the invention. In the drawings:

(2) FIG. 1: is a schematic sectional side view of a first embodiment of a refill system in closed position,

(3) FIG. 2: is a schematic sectional side view of the refill system of FIG. 1 in opened position,

(4) FIG. 3 is a schematic side view of a spout of the refill system of FIG. 1,

(5) FIG. 4: is a top view of the spout of FIG. 3,

(6) FIG. 5: is a bottom view of the spout of FIG. 3,

(7) FIG. 6: is a schematic sectional side view of a second embodiment of a refill system in closed position,

(8) FIG. 7: is a schematic perspective view of a locking device of the refill system of FIG. 6 and

(9) FIG. 8: is a schematic side view of a spout of the refill system of FIG. 6.

(10) The refill system 10 as illustrated in FIG. 1 comprises a bottle 12 which can be refilled with a fluid by means of a packaging 14 inserted into an inlet opening 16 of the bottle 12 via a spout 18. The packaging 14 comprises a refill container designed as a flexible refill bag 20 providing a pouch which can be filled with a fluid which may be harmful and/or irritating for a human skin like H.sub.2O.sub.2. The refill bag 20 may collapse by atmosphere pressure and may be pressed together for squeezing the fluid out of the flexible bag 20.

(11) The flexible bag 20 is closed by a base plate 22 of the spout 18. The base plate 22 comprises an outlet opening 24 for communicating with an interior volume 26 of the refill bag 20. In the illustrated closing position of the spout 18 the outlet opening 24 is closed and sealed by means of a lid 28. The lid 28 is positioned inside the interior volume 26 of the refill bag 20 and overhangs an axial inner front face 30 of the base part 22 pointing towards the interior volume 26. The lid 28 comprises a sealing ring 32 which is press-fitted inserted into the outlet opening 24 for providing a sufficient fluid tight sealing.

(12) The base plate 22 is connected via a flexible element 34 designed as spring bellow to a nozzle 36. The base plate 22, the flexible element 34 and the nozzle 36 may be separate parts or one-piece. In the illustrated embodiment the nozzle 36 is fixed to a pusher 38 via bridges 40 arranged inside a discharge channel 42 of the nozzle. One end of the discharge channel 42 pointing away from the flexible element 34 defines an outlet orifice 44 in a front face 46 of the nozzle 18 pointing away from the flexible element 34. In the alternate the pusher 38 may be also fixed to the lid 28, fixed only to the lid 28, fixed to both the nozzle 36 and the lid 28 or to none of the nozzle 36 and the lid 28. Particularly the pusher 38 is one-piece with the part to which the pusher 38 is fixed. In the illustrated embodiment the pusher 38 is, if so releasably, connected to the lid 28. The pusher 38 is designed as a stem comprising a head part 48 press-fitted inserted into a corresponding collar 50 of the lid 28.

(13) The nozzle 36 comprises a shoulder plate 52 protruding from the nozzle 36 in radial direction overhanging the inlet opening 16 of the bottle 12. The shoulder plate 52 rests on an axial front face 54 of the inlet opening 16 via first fins 56 arranged in radial direction. The first fins 56 are connected to second fins 58 arranged in axial direction of the nozzle 36 so that between subsequent fins 56, 58 in circumferential direction a degassing channel is provided. The second fins 58 comprises an insertion chamfer 60 each for facilitating the insertion of the nozzle 36 of the spout 18 into the inlet opening 16 of the bottle 12 providing the refill system 10.

(14) For refilling the bottle 12 the nozzle 36 may be moved from the closing position as illustrated in FIG. 1 to a pouring position as illustrated in FIG. 2. For that purpose the base plate 22 may be pressed downwards towards the bottle 12 particularly by squeezing the flexible refill bag 20. Due to the squeezed refill bag 20 the pressure of the fluid inside the interior volume 26 of the refill bag 20 may increase until the spring force provided by the flexible element 34 may be overcome so that the base plate 22 moves towards the nozzle 36. The lid 28 clamped inside the outlet opening 24 of the base plate 22 is pressed out of the outlet opening 24 by means of the pusher 38 pressing against the lid 28 and supported via the bridges 40 by the nozzle 36. The fluid located inside the interior volume 26 of the refill bag 20 may pass the lid 28 and may flow through the outlet opening 24 of the base plate 22 and a channel provided by the flexible element 34 and the nozzle 36 to the outlet orifice 44 where the fluid flows into the bottle 12.

(15) The spout 18 is illustrated in further details in FIG. 3 to FIG. 5. As can be derived particularly from FIG. 4 and FIG. 5 the hydraulic diameter of the channel provided by the base part 22, the flexible element 34 and the nozzle 36 is only slightly reduced by the bridges 40 and the pusher 38.

(16) As illustrated in FIG. 6 the spout 18 may be provided with a locking device 62. The locking device 62 may block a movement from the nozzle 36 relative to the base part 22 so that the nozzle 36 is kept in the closing position and may not reach the pouring position. As illustrated in FIG. 7 the locking device 62 may designed like a clip connector which may be releasably clipped to the flexible element 34. The locking device 62 may comprises two arms 64 which may be pressed together by the hand of a user for opening clamp elements 66 of the locking device 62 so that the user may release the locking device 62 from the spout 18 with ease. After the locking device 62 is released from the spout 18 the nozzle 36 may be moved from the closing position to the pouring position.

(17) As illustrated in FIG. 8 the nozzle 36 of the spout 18 may lack the second fins 58. Sufficient degassing channels are provided by the first fins 56 only.