Abstract
A discharge head for a fluid container, including a discharge opening and a switching valve which closes and opens a fluid path between the fluid container and the discharge opening. The discharge head has an inner component fixedly connected to a fluid store and an outer component movable relative to the inner component and non-separably connected thereto. The outer component is moved relative to the inner component between a first relative closure position and a second relative open position. The switching valve is opened and closed by movement of the inner component relative to the outer component, is closed in the first position and open in the second position. The inner and outer components are locked in the first position by a child-resistant mechanism, and displacement of the outer component from the first position into the second position is prevented in a locking position of the mechanism.
Claims
1. Discharge head for a fluid dispenser having the following features: a. the discharge head is provided to be fitted to a fluid container and b. the discharge head has a discharge opening and a switching valve which, in a closed state, closes a fluid path from the fluid container to the discharge opening and, in an open state, opens that fluid path, and c. the discharge head has an inner component which is fixedly connected to the fluid store, d. the discharge head has an outer component which is movably provided with respect to the inner component and which is connected to the inner component in a non-separable manner, wherein the outer component can be moved relative to the inner component between a first relative position and a second relative position, e. the switching valve can be opened and closed by a relative movement of the inner component with respect to the outer component, wherein it is closed in the first relative position and is open in the second relative position, and f. the inner component and the outer component can be locked in the first relative position by a child-resistance mechanism which acts in a positive-locking manner and which can be switched over repeatedly between a locking position and a release position, wherein a relative displacement of the outer component from the first relative position into the second relative position is prevented in the locking position.
2. Discharge head according to claim 1, having at least one of the following features: a. the outer component is rotatable relative to the inner component between the first relative position and the second relative position about a rotation axis and/or b. the outer component is displaceable relative to the inner component in a translational manner between the first relative position and the second relative position.
3. Discharge head according to claim 1, having the following feature: a. the discharge head has an outlet valve which opens in a pressure-dependent manner in the case of inner pressure which is higher than the ambient pressure at the other side of the switching valve.
4. Discharge head according to claim 3, having the following features: a. the outlet valve is formed by a resiliently redirectable valve component, in which the discharge opening is provided and is opened by the valve component being deformed in the case of fluid pressure being applied, and b. the valve component has at the outer side a peripheral fixing portion which is fixed to the inner component or the outer component, or which is fixed between the inner component and the outer component.
5. Discharge head according to claim 1, having the features: a. the child-resistance mechanism has on the inner component and the outer component stop faces which prevent a rotational and/or a translational movement starting from the first relative position and which can be uncoupled from each other by radial displacement of one of the stop faces.
6. Discharge head according to claim 5, having the feature: a. the outer component is deformable in the first relative position with respect to the inner component by manual application of force so that the stop face on the outer component moves out of engagement with the stop face on the inner component.
7. Discharge head according to claim 1, having the features: a. the outer component and the inner component are fitted to each other in a rotationally and axially non-movable manner, and b. the switching valve has a radially orientated fluid outlet in the inner component and a radially orientated fluid outlet in the outer component, wherein in the first relative position the fluid outlets are offset relative to each other in a peripheral direction so that the switching valve is closed, and wherein in the second relative position the fluid outlets are aligned with each other so that the switching valve is open.
8. Discharge head according to claim 1, having the features: a. the outer component and the inner component are fitted to each other in a translationally movable manner in a relative movement direction, and b. the switching valve has in the inner component a fluid outlet which can be opened or closed with respect to the outer component by a closure face on the outer component following the relative translational movement of the inner component, or the switching valve has in the outer component a fluid outlet which can be opened or closed with respect to the outer component by a closure face on the inner component following the relative translational movement of the inner component.
9. Discharge head according to claim 1, having the features: a. the discharge head has an extraction valve at the other side of the switching valve, and b. the discharge head has a separate piston type syringe which is adapted to the outer component and the extraction valve so that it opens the extraction valve by being placed against the outer component with a syringe opening.
10. Discharge head according to claim 1, having the following feature: a. the discharge head has a diaphragm between an inlet side of the discharge head and the switching valve.
11. Discharge head according to claim 1, having at least one of the following features: a. the inner component and the outer component have designation means which indicate whether the inner component and the outer component are in the first relative position, wherein there is provided in particular in the outer component a recess, through which a locking marking on the inner component can be seen in the first relative position, and/or b. in order to apply force to the outer component for the purpose of releasing the child-resistance mechanism, actuation faces are provided on the outer component so as to be offset in a peripheral direction relative to the stop face, and/or c. the outer component has an opening which is aligned with the rotation axis and inside which the discharge opening is provided, and/or d. the discharge head has a cap or a measuring cup which can be positioned on the outer component in a blocking position and which is retained at that location in a non-positive or positive-locking manner, and/or e. the cap or measuring cup has a recess, which extends through a recess of the outer housing and causes a peripheral seal at that location, and/or f. the inner component and the outer component are provided integrally and the discharge head comprises only those two components.
12. Fluid dispenser having the following features: a. the fluid dispenser has a fluid container, b. the fluid dispenser has a discharge head, and c. the discharge head is constructed according to claim 1.
13. Fluid dispenser according to claim 12, having at least one of the features: a. the fluid container is connected to the inner component integrally or the fluid container and the inner component have connection means, via which the inner component can be fixed on the fluid container, and/or b. the fluid container is filled with a pharmaceutical fluid, in particular with a cough syrup.
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0042] Additional advantages and aspects of the invention will be appreciated from the claims and the following description of preferred embodiments of the invention which are explained below with reference to the Figures.
[0043] FIGS. 1 and 2 generally show a first embodiment of a fluid dispenser according to the invention in the closed and child-resistant state.
[0044] FIGS. 3 and 4 are two cross-sections through that first embodiment in the closed state and child-resistant state.
[0045] FIGS. 5 and 6 generally show the first embodiment in the open state.
[0046] FIGS. 7 and 8 show corresponding cross-sections in accordance with FIGS. 3 and 4 in the open state of the dispenser.
[0047] FIG. 9 is a general sectioned view of a second embodiment of a dispenser according to the invention.
[0048] FIG. 10 is a general sectioned view of a third embodiment of a dispenser according to the invention.
[0049] FIGS. 11 and 12 are a general sectioned view and a non-sectioned view of a fourth embodiment of a dispenser according to the invention.
[0050] FIG. 13 is a plan view of the fourth embodiment.
[0051] FIG. 14 is a lateral cross-section of the discharge head of a fifth embodiment of a fluid dispenser according to the invention in the closed state.
[0052] FIG. 15 is a cross-section with respect to the state of FIG. 14 in order to illustrate the child-resistance mechanism.
[0053] FIGS. 16 and 17 are a lateral cross-section and a cross-section of the fifth embodiment in the open state.
[0054] FIG. 18 shows the discharge head of a sixth embodiment of a fluid dispenser according to the invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS
[0055] FIGS. 1 to 8 show a first embodiment of a dispenser 100 according to the invention having a discharge head 101 according to the invention. FIGS. 1 to 4 show the state of the dispenser in the locked state and FIGS. 5 to 8 show the state of the dispenser ready for discharge.
[0056] With reference to FIGS. 1 to 4, there can be seen the fluid dispenser 100 which has a bottle-like fluid store 12 which is in the form of a squeezable bottle and which is consequently compressed in accordance with provisions to discharge fluid. In the state of FIGS. 1 to 4, a cap 80 which has in the region of a discharge opening 16 a recess 82, which will be explained in greater detail below, is positioned on the discharge head 101 of the fluid dispenser 100. That cap can also be used as a measuring cup in which the fluid is discharged in accordance with provisions and which preferably has a measurement scale. The cap can further effectively prevent the crystallisation of fluid residues at the other side of the discharge opening by means of an air-tight sealing location with respect to the outer component and provide a discharge prevention means.
[0057] The discharge head 101 which is covered by that cap 80 in the state of FIGS. 1 to 4 has two components which can be moved in relative terms with respect to each other and which in this instance are constructed integrally, but which could also comprise a plurality of partial components. An inner component 20 is engaged on the fluid store 12 by means of a snap-fit connection. To this end, the inner component 20 has two sleeve-like portions 22, 24 which are connected to each other via an end face 26 and which produce a fluid-tight connection to the bottle neck. An outer component 50 which is connected in a non-releasable manner to the inner component 20 is positioned on that inner component 20. The outer component 50 has a casing 51 which surrounds the inner component in a sleeve-like manner. The casing 51 merges into an upper covering face 60 which is provided centrally with a recess. There are provided at the inner side of the outer component 50 continuations 52, 54 which prevent together with retention portions 28 of the inner component 20 the outer component 50 from being pulled off the inner component 20, and which consequently produce the non-releasable action.
[0058] Starting from the end face 26, the inner component has an annular wall 30 which extends cylindrically upwards and the inner region of which is separated from the fluid container 12 by a partition wall 32 which is provided with a protrusion. Openings 34 are provided in the cylindrical wall 30. A cylindrical wall 56 of the outer component adjoins that cylindrical wall 30 of the inner component 20 at the outer side, which wall 56 extends downwards from the covering face 60 and which also has openings 58. The two walls 30, 56 with the openings 33, 58 thereof, respectively, form a switching valve 18 which can be switched by relative movement of the inner component 20 and the outer component 50.
[0059] In the closed state of FIG. 1, those openings 34, 58 are not arranged in alignment with each other, as can be seen in particular in FIG. 4. Fluid from the fluid store 12 therefore cannot reach the region above the partition wall 32. The switching valve 18 is closed.
[0060] The state of the fluid dispenser 100 in FIGS. 1 to 4 is the closed and locked state in which fluid cannot be discharged as a result of the arrangement of the openings 34, 58. As can be seen with reference to the non-sectioned FIG. 2, this state is illustrated on the dispenser in that a corresponding pictograph 42 can be seen through a recess 66 of the outer component.
[0061] The inner component 20 and the outer component 50 control, as a result of the relative arrangement thereof via the switching valve 18, the possibility of the flow of fluid into the region above the partition wall 32. For this purpose, they are in principle rotatable relative to each other about a rotation axis 1. However, there is provided a child-resistance mechanism which makes this rotational movement more difficult so that it is barely possible for a child to do. With reference to FIG. 3 which shows the plane of section indicated III in FIG. 1, that child-resistance mechanism is formed by the cams 62 which are arranged in recesses of the inner component 20 delimited at both sides in a peripheral direction. A rotational movement of the outer component 50 with respect to the inner component 20 is not initially possible in the state illustrated in FIG. 3. The correct rotational movement of the outer component 50 in the clockwise direction is prevented by a stop face 40 of a cam 38 which is associated with the inner component 20. In the opposite direction, a cam 36 prevents the rotational movement.
[0062] In order to make the dispenser usable, first the cap 80, which has kept the outlet opening 16 securely closed until now together with the protrusion of the partition wall 32, has to be removed. Subsequently, a rotational movement of the outer component 50 with respect to the inner component 20 has to be carried out. However, this is not possible until, with reference to FIG. 3, two actuation faces 64 on the outer component 50 are pressed towards each other in the direction of the arrows 2. The outer component 50 is thereby deformed in the region of the outer casing 51 thereof and takes up a substantially elliptical form with respect to the cross-section. The cams 62 of the outer component 50 are thereby pressed away from each other in the direction of the arrows 4 and thus move out of engagement with respect to the cams 38 which are associated with the inner component. The outer component 50 can now be rotated relative to the inner component 20, in this instance through approximately 150 in the clockwise direction.
[0063] The state of FIGS. 5 to 8 is thereby produced. As can be seen with reference to FIG. 5, the openings 34 and 58 in the inner component 20 and in the outer component 50 are now arranged in alignment with each other. Consequently, fluid moves along the fluid path 6 from the fluid store 12 as far as the chamber above the partition wall 32. The dispenser is used in an inverted position in accordance with provisions so that the fluid automatically flows as far as this chamber. There is further needed an excess pressure which is brought about by compressing the fluid store 12. That excess pressure deforms a valve member 72, which closes the chamber mentioned and which is clamped by means of a fixing edge 70 between the inner component 20 and the outer component 50, and indirectly produces by means of that deformation a lifting of the outlet opening 16 from the partition wall 32 and opening of that outlet opening 16. Fluid is discharged.
[0064] As can be seen with reference to FIG. 6, that unlocked state which indirectly allows a discharge of fluid can also be readily identified by a pictograph 43. This also reminds the adult user to produce the locked state of the child-resistance mechanism again after use by rotating the outer component 50 back relative to the inner component 20. That production of the child-resistant state is made easier by a ramp-like side 41 on the cams 38.
[0065] FIG. 9 shows a second embodiment of a dispenser 200 according to the invention with a discharge head 201 according to the invention. Unlike the first fluid dispenser 100, an outlet valve 72 which opens in the event of excess pressure is not provided here. Consequently, a discharge is possible immediately in the inverted position. The chamber above the partition wall 32 consequently itself directly forms the outlet opening 16.
[0066] In the configuration according to FIG. 10, a practically structurally identical fluid dispenser 300 having a practically structurally identical discharge head 301 is again provided. The characteristic feature here is that, instead of the outlet valve 72 opening in the dispenser in the event of excess pressure, there is provided an extraction valve 76. That extraction valve 76 has inherent stability which does not allow any discharge of fluid at all under conventional actuation pressures of the fluid store 12. Instead, it requires an extraction syringe 90 having a tip 92, which is indicated in FIG. 10 and which allows the extraction valve 76 to be mechanically opened by introduction into the discharge head 301.
[0067] FIGS. 11 to 13 show another embodiment of a fluid dispenser 400 according to the invention with a discharge head 401 according to the invention. The fluid dispenser 400 has a narrow construction. Unlike the construction of FIGS. 1 to 8, the outer component 50 is formed in this instance from two partial components 50a, 50b which are connected to each other in a rotationally secure manner with respect to each other and between which the fixing portion 70 of the outlet valve 72 which opens in a pressure-dependent manner is clamped. Unlike the construction of FIGS. 1 to 8, consequently, no friction is produced on the valve member 72 if the dispenser is moved into the state ready for discharge after the child-resistance has been released by compressing the actuation faces 64 and subsequent rotation of the outer component 50 relative to the inner component 20. Another difference with regard to the switching valve 18 is that in this construction of FIGS. 11 to 13 the cylindrical wall 56 of the outer component with the opening 58 provided therein is arranged at the inner side of the cylindrical wall 30 of the inner component 20 with openings 34.
[0068] Furthermore, the dispenser of FIGS. 11 to 13 can be compared functionally with the dispenser of FIGS. 1 to 8. In this instance, there is also a purely rotational movement between the outer component 50 and the inner component 20, by means of which movement the fluid path 6 is opened so that subsequently fluid can be discharged. That rotational movement is possible after compression of the actuation faces 64, by which a rotation prevention means acting as a child-resistance member is released in the region 19.
[0069] FIGS. 14 to 17 show another embodiment of a fluid dispenser 500 according to the invention having a discharge head 501 according to the invention. This discharge head 501 has a substantial functional difference with respect to the preceding embodiments because, although here an outer component 50 and an inner component 20 are also provided, there is required to move the fluid dispenser 500 from a first relative position of FIG. 14 (closure position) into a second relative position of FIG. 16 (open position) a translational movement in place of a rotational movement. The inner component 20 is in this instance formed by a specially adapted bottle neck 20b and an insert 20a which is fixed therein in a non-positive-locking manner. That insert 20a has an end face 26 having openings 27. The outer component 50, also comprising two partial components, that is to say, an outer element 50a and an insert 50b, is in principle movable in a translational manner with respect to that inner component 20. In this instance, the outer component 50 is also the carrier of an outlet valve 72 which opens in a pressure-dependent manner. A switching valve 18 which is formed by means of an annular edge on the end face 26 and a cylindrical channel inlet on the insert 50b, is connected upstream of that outlet valve. In the state of FIG. 14, that switching valve 18 is closed. At first, it is not possible to open the switching valve 18 by displacing the outer component 50 relative to the inner component 20 because stops 63 adjoin the inner side of the outer component 50 under a stop ring 44 of the inner component 20. Only by applying force to the actuation faces 64 in the direction of the arrows 2 indicated in FIG. 15 are the stops 63 redirected in the direction of the arrows 4 so that the outer component 50 can then be lifted. However, this movement is limited by stops 46, 53 so that the outer component 50 is again fitted to the inner component 20 in a non-releasable manner. As soon as the outer component 50 has been lifted, there is again open a fluid path 6, through which the fluid can travel as far as the outlet valve 72 which opens in a pressure-dependent manner. If the outer component 50 is pressed down again after a discharge, the stops 63 automatically snap-fit again under the stop ring 44 so that there is again produced a child-resistant state which can be overcome again only by applying force to the actuation faces 64.
[0070] The embodiment of FIG. 18 shows a discharge head 601 of a dispenser 600 which is substantially identical to the discharge head 501 of the preceding embodiment. The characteristic feature is in this instance that there is used a diaphragm 96 which partially blocks the flow of fluid from the fluid store in the direction of the outlet valve 72. However, through-channels 98, through which the fluid can pass, are provided at the outer side of the bowl-like diaphragm 96. The purpose of that diaphragm 96 is, in the event of the dispenser being inadvertently left open, still to make the discharge of fluid more difficult. The diaphragm 96 makes it possible for the outlet valve 72 to release fluid only by shaking the dispenser 600. The dynamic pressure in the fluid achieved by shaking does not reach the outlet valve 72. Only the application of force to the fluid store 12 in an inverted position is sufficient to open the outlet valve 72.
