HEAD FOR DISPENSING A FLUID PRODUCT AND ASSOCIATED FLUID PRODUCT BOTTLE

Abstract

Dispensing head (2) of a fluid product comprising: a manually actuable pusher (5) in relation to an insert, an elastic dispensing nozzle (10).

When the pusher (5) is moved, the nozzle (10) switches from a closed position to an open position by deformation of the nozzle (10) under the effect of a release of a stress exerted by the pusher (5). The pusher (5) comprises a stop (54) and the insert (6) is provided with two deformable lugs (60) which cause a force on the pusher (5) such that the insert (6) exerts on the nozzle (10) a stress in the opposite direction to a stress exerted by the stop (54) on the nozzle (10), each lug (60) extending from a body (6a) of the insert (6) and having a distal end (60a) of the body, the said ends being surmounted and connected to each other by a connecting element 70.

Claims

1. A dispensing head comprising: a manually actuable pusher configured to move between a high position (HP) and a low position (LP) relative to an insert, a product dispensing nozzle comprising an elastic material, wherein, when moving the pusher from the high position (HP) to the low position (LP), the product dispensing nozzle switches from a closed position in which said product dispensing nozzle is sealed to an open position allowing the dispensing of a product by deformation of said product dispensing nozzle because of a release of a stress exerted by the pusher, said insert configured to exert a stress in an opposite direction of the stress exerted by the pusher on the product dispensing nozzle to keep the product dispensing nozzle closed at rest, said pusher comprising a stop and said insert comprising at least two deformable lugs, wherein said at least two lugs exert a force on the pusher such that the insert exerts a stress on the product dispensing nozzle in an opposite direction to a stress exerted by the stop on the product dispensing nozzle, each of said at least two lugs extending from a body of the insert and each having a distal end surmounted and connected to each other by a connecting element.

2-19. (canceled)

20. The dispensing head of claim 1, wherein the lugs deform when pressure is exerted on said pusher.

21. The dispensing head of claim 1, wherein said at least two deformable lugs comprise: at least one rear lug; and at least one front lug, wherein the at least one front lug is closer to the nozzle than the at least one rear lug.

22. The dispensing head of claim 21, wherein the at least one front lug has a length at rest that is greater than a length at rest of the at least one rear lug.

23. The dispensing head of claim 21, wherein the at least one front lug has a stiffness constant that is greater than a stiffness constant of the at least one rear lug.

24. The dispensing head of claim 1, wherein the connecting element is integral with said at least two lugs.

25. The dispensing head of claim 1, wherein the connecting element rests on the pusher.

26. The dispensing head of claim 1, wherein the connecting element comprises a portion of a ring extending about an axis (X) over an angular range greater than 30.

27. The dispensing head of claim 1, wherein the connecting element is a disk.

28. The dispensing head of claim 1, wherein the at least two lugs and the connecting element form an assembly having a plane of symmetry (P).

29. The dispensing head of claim 28, wherein the at least two lugs are included in a cylinder.

30. The dispensing head of claim 1, wherein the at least two lugs are connected a a peripheral shoulder of said insert.

31. The dispensing head of claim 1, wherein the insert includes at least one groove and the pusher includes at least one rib, wherein the at least one rib is positioned in the at least one groove to guide the displacement of the pusher with respect to the insert.

32. The dispensing head of claim 1, wherein the pusher includes a secondary rib extending along an inner face of the pusher and which cooperates with an axially oriented secondary groove in an external face of the insert.

33. The dispensing head of claim 1, wherein the pusher further comprises an angular stop preventing a tilting of the insert.

34. The dispensing head of claim 1, wherein said nozzle comprises a slot configured to deform between an open position and a closed position.

35. The dispensing head of claim 34, wherein the slot extends in a direction substantially transverse to a direction of travel of the pusher.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[0070] Other subject-matter and features of the invention will be more clearly shown in the following description, made with reference to the annexed figures, in which:

[0071] FIG. 1a illustrates a diametrical cross-sectional view of the dispensing head according to the invention, the pusher being in the high position;

[0072] FIG. 1b illustrates a diametrical cross-sectional view of the dispensing head according to the invention, the pusher being in the low position;

[0073] FIG. 2a illustrates an enlargement of FIG. 1a at the nozzle;

[0074] FIG. 2b illustrates an enlargement of FIG. 2a at the contact of the nozzle with the pusher;

[0075] FIG. 3a shows a front view of the nozzle;

[0076] FIG. 3b shows a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the nozzle;

[0077] FIG. 4a shows a perspective view of the insert;

[0078] FIG. 4b illustrates schematically the connecting element seen from above;

[0079] FIG. 4c shows a rear view of the insert;

[0080] FIG. 5a shows a front view of the pusher;

[0081] FIG. 5b illustrates a cross-sectional view of the pusher; and

[0082] FIG. 5c shows a perspective view of the pusher.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0083] With reference to FIGS. 1a and 1b, the invention relates to a dispensing head 2 of fluid product. The fluid distributed is in particular a liquid, in particular a lotion.

[0084] Said dispensing head is intended to equip a bottle, not shown, configured to contain the product to be dispensed. The bottle can be oriented either upside down or upside down. Thus, the terms superior or inferior should not be considered limiting. The figures correspond to a configuration upside down.

[0085] The fluid product can be any cosmetic, pharmaceutical or any other product that can be usefully preserved in the bottle. The fluid can be in direct contact with a reservoir in the vial. That said, the fluid may be contained in a flexible pocket located within the said tank so that it is not in contact with the tank but with the said flexible pocket.

[0086] The tank can be either rigid or deformable. That being said, the tank comprises, at the level of an upper part, a neck and an opening formed in the said neck. The collar is preferably rigid.

[0087] Dispensing head 2 is preferably equipped with a dispensing pump 3.

[0088] Dispensing pump 3 comprises, in the example shown, a dosing chamber and a nozzle capable of moving inside the dosing chamber.

[0089] With reference to FIGS. 1a and 1b, a dispensing head 2 is configured so that, when moving pusher 5 between a high HP position and a low position LP, an elastic nozzle 10 switches from a closed position in which said nozzle is sealed to an open position allowing the said product to be dispensed by deformation of said nozzle 10 under the effect of a release of a stress exerted by the pusher 5. The opening of nozzle 10 is therefore mechanically controlled. Pusher 5 exerts stress on nozzle 10 when the device is at rest and it is the release of stress that allows the nozzle to switch from the closed to the open position. In this way, it promotes tightness in the closed position. The following sections describe in more detail how the stress exerted by the pusher 5 on nozzle 10 is released.

[0090] As shown in FIGS. 1a and 1b, in this embodiment, the pusher 5 comprises an outer lateral surface 50 and a stop 54 projecting from the outer lateral surface 50. Nozzle 10 is radially protruding from pusher 5. At rest, i.e. when no pressure is exerted on the pusher 5, the nozzle 10 rests at least partially on the stop 54, especially on an upper surface 54a of the stop (FIGS. 1a and 2a). In other words, at rest, nozzle 10 rests on the upper surface 54a. At the same time, this also means that stop 54 is exerting stress on nozzle 10.

[0091] In addition, the dispensing head 2 advantageously includes an insert 6. Insert 6 is made of a material that is stiffer than the material of the nozzle 10. Insert 6 exerts, at rest, on nozzle 10, a stress in the opposite direction to the stress exerted by pusher 5. This is due on the one hand to the positioning of the insert 6 in relation to the pusher 5 and the nozzle 10 and on the other hand to the configuration of the insert 6 itself.

[0092] In this connection, with reference to FIGS. 4a and 4c, insert 6 is equipped with at least two elastically deformable lugs 60. At rest, said at least two lugs 60 exert on nozzle 10 a stress in the opposite direction to the stress exerted by stop 54 of the pusher. These two opposing stresses allow nozzle 10 to be closed in a sealed manner. Indeed, as best illustrated in FIGS. 3a and 3b, nozzle 10 comprises a soft veil 15 with a slot 17 extending in a direction substantially transverse to the direction of travel of the pusher 5. In this case, slot 17 extends in a substantially horizontal manner. Thus, at rest, the stresses simultaneously exerted by the stop 54 of the pusher and by the deformable lugs 60 of the insert are balanced in order to keep the lips of the slot 17 pressed against each other. This ensures an excellent sealing of the slot. As shown in FIGS. 4a and 4c, insert 6 comprises a body 6a and at least two lugs 60, elastically deformable, each lug extending from a body 6a of the insert and having a distal end 60a of body 6a, said distal ends being surmounted and connected together by a connecting element 70.

[0093] More specifically, in the embodiment shown in FIGS. 4a and 4c, insert 6 is equipped with four elastically deformable 60 lugs. In particular, it has two front lugs 602 and two rear lugs 601, the front lugs 602 being closer to nozzle 10 than the rear lugs 601. These four lugs exert on nozzle 10 a stress in the opposite direction to the stress exerted by stop 54 of the pusher. It would be quite conceivable that the insert would only have two of the four lugs, for example, the two front lugs 602 or the two rear lugs 601. The rear lugs 601 and the front lugs 602 extend from the body 6a of the insert to distal ends 601a and 602a respectively, said distal ends being surmounted and connected to each other by the connecting element 70. As the lugs are destined to deform, the connecting element 70, by linking their distal ends, makes it possible to stiffen all the lugs by keeping the distance between the distal ends constant and thus to ensure a controlled deformation of each front lug 602 and rear lug 601. This results in a more controlled movement of the pusher 5 relative to insert 6 when it moves from the high position HP to the low position LP, a decrease in the friction of the workpieces and finally a decrease in the actuation force by the user.

[0094] In another embodiment not shown, insert 6 consists of only two lugs connected by the connecting element. According to another embodiment not shown, insert 6 comprises four deformable lugs 60, only two of which are connected by the connecting element. According to another embodiment not shown, insert 6 comprises four deformable lugs connected two by two by a first and a second connecting element.

[0095] As shown in FIG. 1b, the lugs 60 are capable of deforming when pressure is exerted on said pusher 5, said stop 54 then ceasing to exert on nozzle 10 the stress in the opposite direction to the stress exerted by insert 6, when actuating pusher 5. When the user applies pressure to the pusher, i.e. presses on an external surface of an upper wall 56 of the pusher 5, the pusher 5 moves to the low position LP. The lugs 60 deform elastically so that the top wall 56 of the pusher 5 comes closer to the insert 6. Nozzle 10 thus detaches from stop 54, in particular from its upper surface 54a, and slot 17 opens, without the stresses that have now disappeared. Her lips are no longer pressed against each other.

[0096] As shown in FIGS. 1a and 1b, the connecting element 70 rests on the pusher 5, in particular on the inner face of the upper wall 56 of said pusher 5, the lugs exerting stress on said pusher. This is because the lugs 60 transmit the stress to the connecting element 70, which in turn transmits the stress to the pusher 5. Thus, the contact between insert 6 and pusher 5 is made by the connecting element 70, which extends at least the distance between two lugs. The contact between the insert and the pusher is therefore more stable than if it consisted only of a plurality of contact points, in this case between the distal ends 60a of the lugs 60 and the pusher 5 in the absence of a connecting element. In particular, according to the embodiment of insert 6 shown in FIGS. 4a and 4c, during the deformation of the front lugs 602 and the rear lugs 601, when the pusher 5 moves in the direction of the insert 6 from the high position HP to the low position LP, the contact points of the lugs on the pusher 5 would move on the inner face of the upper wall 56 in the absence of the connecting element 70. These dynamic contacts would generate friction and consequently an increase in the force required to operate the pusher 5. On the contrary, the connecting element 70 remains stationary in relation to the inner face of the upper wall 56 of the pusher 5. The contact between the connecting element 70 and the inner face of the wall 56 of the pusher 5 is a static contact that does not generate any friction.

[0097] Advantageously, the connecting element 70 has a flat surface at its upper end. The contact between the connecting element 70 and the inner face of the upper wall 56 is therefore a plane-to-plane contact, which is more stable and generates less friction than a contact of an edge on a plane. Finally, since the stress is transmitted from lugs 60 to connecting element 70, which in turn transmits said stress to pusher 5, in particular to the inner face of the upper wall 56, connecting element 70, by virtue of its extent, transmits a homogeneous stress to pusher 5. This allows for a balanced distribution of the stresses exerted on the pusher 5.

[0098] The connecting element 70 is integral with the at least 60 deformable lugs. In particular, as shown in FIGS. 4a and 4c, the connecting element 70 is integral with the two front lugs 602 and the two rear lugs 601. The production of the part is thus facilitated and the cost of manufacturing per injection is thus minimized.

[0099] The connecting element 70 forms a portion of a ring extending around an axis (X) over an angular range preferentially greater than 30. In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 4a to 4c, the ring portion extends over a range of 270 and connects the two front lugs 602 and the two rear lugs 601. In an embodiment not shown, the connecting element 70 connects only the two rear lugs 601 by forming a portion of a ring over an angular range of more than 30. Preferably, the ring extends over an angular range of more than 180. In an embodiment not shown, the connecting element 70 forms a complete ring, i.e. 360.

[0100] In an alternative embodiment not shown, the connecting element 70 is a disc, which allows for stable and low-friction contact with the part with which the disc cooperates, in particular with the inner face of the upper wall 56 of pusher 5.

[0101] The user is likely to press off-center on the top wall 56 of the pusher 5 when it is operated. Therefore, in order to ensure that the pusher moves without friction or malfunction from the high position HP to the low position LP of the pusher, it is desirable that the assembly consisting of at least two lugs 60 and the connecting element 70 be symmetrical according to the plane of symmetry (P), as shown in FIGS. 4b and 4c. The insert as a whole can also be symmetrical according to the plane (P). Thus, as shown in FIGS. 4a and 4c, the two rear lugs 601 are symmetrical with respect to the plane of symmetry (P), as well as the two front lugs 602 and have a curvature C601 and C602 respectively. The C602 bends of the 602 front lugs are oriented substantially towards the front of insert 6, i.e. in the direction of nozzle 10. These two C602 curvatures are symmetrical to each other. The two rear lugs 601 located at the rear of insert 6, i.e. opposite nozzle 10, are also symmetrically arranged and their curvatures C601 are oriented substantially towards each other and are substantially orthogonal to the plane of symmetry (P).

[0102] Said at least two lugs 60 shall be connected to a peripheral shoulder 6b of said insert 6. They are included in a cylinder 71 and each has a curvature tangent to said cylinder 71 (FIG. 4b). Connecting element 70 is also included in said cylinder 71. This geometry facilitates the definition and fine-tuning of the injection tool. In particular, as shown in FIGS. 4a and 4c, the shoulder 6b of insert 6 has a substantially horizontal surface orthogonal to the X-axis and is located on the periphery of the insert. It is bordered by an outer skirt 6c of the insert. The lugs 60 are connected to the shoulder 6b by the connection points 60b. Specifically, with reference to FIGS. 4a and 4c, the front lugs 602 and the rear lugs 601 are connected to the peripheral shoulder 6b at the connection points 602b and 601b respectively. Thus, the lugs 60, both the front lugs 602 and the rear lugs 601, are themselves located on the periphery of the insert. Since the lugs 60 are not radially located between the body 6a of the insert and any structure of the insert on the periphery, the lugs and therefore the entire insert are easy to unmold with a drawer mold and it is not necessary to use a mold with spindle crossovers, which is more expensive and complicated to develop.

[0103] The distal ends 60a of the lugs 60 are connected, as described above, to the connecting element 70. The connection point 601b to the body 6b of the insert 6 and the distal end 601a of each rear lug 601 are vertical to each other. In other words, the line joining these two points is parallel to the axis (X) (FIGS. 4b and 4c). However, the connection point 602b and the distal end 602a of each front lug 602 are not vertical to each other. The distal end 602b is offset by 30 from the connection point 602a, with the angle measured relative to the axis (X). An angle between 5 and 50, preferably between 20 and 40, is also possible.

[0104] The front lugs 602 are closer to nozzle 10 than the rear lugs 601 and therefore contribute more to the closure of nozzle 10. It is therefore important that the front lugs 602 have a reliable, repeatable operation that does not deteriorate with repeated actuation and that suffers little from ageing. For this reason, it is advantageous that the front lugs 602, when moving the pusher 5 from the high position HP to the low position LP, operate in a range of elastic deformation far from their yield strength, beyond which they would deform irreversibly. Thus, it is advantageous to angularly offset the distal parts 602a and the connection points 602b of each front lug 602, in order to increase its length at rest and therefore the yield strength of the said front lug 602.

[0105] As an alternative, it is possible to have a single front lug 602 and a single rear lug 601. Thus, insert 6 is provided with at least one rear lug 601 and at least one front lug 602, closer to nozzle 10 than said at least one rear lug 601, said at least one front lug 602 having a length at rest greater than said at least one rear lug 601.

[0106] The front lugs 602 have a higher stiffness constant than that of the rear lugs 601. This characteristic can be achieved, for example, with a thickness of the front lugs 602 that is greater than that of the rear lugs 601. Thus, the stress exerted by the front lugs 602 on the pusher 5 is greater than that exerted by the rear lugs 601. The resulting force torque causes the insert to tilt relative to the pusher in the direction indicated by an arrow in FIG. 1a, favoring the nozzle to make contact with pusher 5, i.e., stop 54.

[0107] As an alternative, it is possible to have a single front lug 602 and a single rear lug 601. Thus, insert 6 is provided with at least one rear lug 601 and at least one front lug 602, closer to nozzle 10 than said at least one rear lug 601, said at least one front lug 602 having a stiffness constant greater than said at least one rear lug 601.

[0108] In FIG. 2a, we can still see that insert 6 includes an opening 64 receiving nozzle 10, here radially. Opening 64 more precisely receives a portion 19 of nozzle connection (visible in FIG. 3b). It includes fixing means 19A cooperating with fixing means 64a of the insert, which ensures a correct positioning of the nozzle 10. Insert 6 also includes a chimney 63 with a substantially cylindrical shape, the internal dimensions of which are adapted to those of an upper portion of the distribution pump 3 in order to accommodate the said upper portion of the pump. Chimney 63 is oriented along the actuation axis of the dispensing head.

[0109] Pusher 5 has an opening 51 for the passage of nozzle 10. A diameter of the opening 51 is such that in the high position HP of the pusher, a clearance J between the nozzle 10 and an upper edge 51a of the opening 51 (FIGS. 1a and 2a) is greater than the axial displacement length of the pusher 5 between the high position HP and the low position LP. Thus, there is a clearance J between nozzle 10 and the upper edge 51a of the opening 51 when the pusher 5 is in the down position LP. Thus, in the low position LP, the nozzle tip 10 is not subjected to any stress and in particular the pusher 5 does not interfere with the opening of the slot 17 for the dispensing of the product.

[0110] As shown in FIGS. 2a and 2b, the upper surface 54a of stop 54 extends radially projecting from the body 50 of pusher 5 and axially towards nozzle 10. The upper surface 54a of stop 54, in the vicinity of its peripheral radial end, is oriented towards the nozzle, i.e. upwards, so that the stress exerted by the upper surface 54a of stop 54 is exerted in the vicinity of said slot 17 of nozzle 10. In order for the contact between nozzle 10 and stop 54 to effectively close slot 17 of the nozzle, it is preferable that the stress be precisely located at a point 55 on the side of nozzle 10 where slot 17 is located. The angle thus formed by the upper surface 54a of the stop 54 with an outer surface of the nozzle opposite the stop is between 2 and 6, preferably 4, in the high position HP of the pusher.

[0111] Also preferably, insert 6 and pusher 5 include guiding means 57,58 of the displacement of pusher 5 compared to insert 6. As shown in FIGS. 4c and 5c, the pusher 5 includes ribs 57 for angular positioning of insert 6. Said ribs extend from the inner side flanks of pusher 5 and cooperate with axially oriented grooves 58 at the level of an external face of the peripheral wall of said insert 6. Said ribs 57 and grooves 58 allow the guiding of insert 6 in relation to pusher 5 during their relative axial movement.

[0112] Also preferably, insert 6 and pusher 5 include lugs deformation guiding means 52,62,72. The insert body 6a, the connecting element 70 and the pusher 5 include lug deformation guiding means 52,62,72. Pusher 5 comprises a secondary rib 52 which extends along an inner face of pusher 5 and cooperates with an axially oriented secondary groove 72 provided at an external face of connecting element 70 of said insert 6. Insert body 6a includes an additional groove 62 in the axial extension of the secondary groove 72 of the connecting element. Thus, the secondary rib 52 of the pusher 5 cooperates with the additional groove 62, which allows a guide of the pusher 5 with respect to insert 6 and the cooperation between said secondary rib 52 and said secondary groove 72 of the connecting element 7 allows a guide of the connecting element 70 with respect to the pusher 5, that is to say, a guide to the deformation of the lugs 60. Thus, that connecting element 70 includes guidance means 72. The said secondary rib 52 and the said secondary groove 72 are located at the rear of the dispensing head 2, opposite nozzle 10. In an embodiment not shown, the means of guiding the deformation of the lugs 60 do not include the additional groove 62 carried by the body 6a of the insert 6 and only the secondary groove 72 and the secondary rib 72.

[0113] Also preferably, the pusher 5 includes an angular stop 53 preventing the insert 6 from tilting. Thanks to this angular stop 53, a tilting of the insert when in the high position HP of the pusher removing the nozzle 10 away from the pusher 5, in this case away from the upper surface 54a of the stop 54, is prevented. Such a tilting of insert 4 relative to pusher 5 would result in pusher 5 not exerting sufficient stress on nozzle 10 to ensure a tight closure of nozzle slot 17, or even in nozzle 10 losing contact with surface 54a of stop 54 when pusher 5 is in the high position HP. To remedy this disadvantage, the inner face of the upper wall 56 of the pusher is provided with a pin 53, as shown in FIGS. 1a, 1b and 5a to 5c. Insert 6 is provided on an upper face 65 with a slide 63, in which the pawn 53 is guided, the cooperation of the slider 63 and the pawn 53 guiding the pusher 5 as it moves relative to the insert 6 when moving the pusher. The slider 63 includes a wall 64 along which the pawn 53 slides when the pusher 5 is moved. Thus, the sliding contact between an edge 53a of the pin 53 of the pusher 5 and the wall 64 of the slider 63 of the insert 6 guides the movement of the pusher while ensuring in the high position HP of the pusher that insert 6 is angularly oriented relative to pusher 5 so that nozzle 10 is pressed against the upper surface 54a of the stop 54 of the pusher 5. The pin 53 thus acts as an angular stop for the insert.

[0114] It should be noted that the deformation of the lugs 60 and the deactivation of the stress(es) exerted by the said lugs is also due to the fact that their stiffness constant is appropriately selected in relation to a spring 35 of the pump 3. This is because the pump spring 35 has a stiffness constant chosen so that, when the pusher 5 is actuated, the force exerted by the lugs 60 is less than the force exerted by the pump spring 35. At rest, as no stress is exerted on the pusher 5 and the pump is stopped, the insert 6, via lugs 60, exerts a downward stress on the nozzle 10 while the stop 54 exerts an upward stress, in the manner of a pinch. On the other hand, when actuating the pusher 5, the force exerted by said pump spring 35 is greater than that exerted by the lugs 60 and the insert 6 approaches the inner face of the upper wall 56 of the pusher 5. At the same time, the pump spring 35 has an appropriate stiffness to maintain its ability to compress and to allow the pump 3 to be operated in order to distribute the product, once slot 17 is opened.

[0115] In any case, by ceasing to press the pusher 5, the insert 6 returns to its original configuration, which allows the nozzle 10 to be closed mechanically. The opening and closing of nozzle 10, in particular slot 17, does not depend on the pressure exerted by the fluid but on the mechanical stresses exerted or not on nozzle 10.

[0116] When the nozzle 10 is detached from the stop 54, the detachment remaining light, the tightness is favoured by the shape of the nozzle 10, which is intended to extend on the surface at the front of the stop 54, under slot 17.

[0117] The configurations shown in the figures cited are only possible examples, by no means limiting, of the invention which, on the contrary, encompasses the variants of forms and conceptions within the reach of the man of art.