Abstract:
The invention relates to a pump for a liquid product dispenser, which includes a reservoir and interacts with a manually actuatable element provided with an injection orifice. The pump includes a body embodied in the form of a single piece and including a seat which covers the reservoir and is provided with an intake orifice and a flap, which is mounted on the seat by a joint associated with an elastic bellows which enables the flap to be reversibly tilted towards the seat, by pressing on the actuating element, in such way that the injection orifice is opened and the intake orifice is simultaneously closed.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     The present application is a continuation of pending International patent application PCT/FR2006/002477 filed on Nov. 7, 2006 which designates the United States and claims priority from French patent application 0553432 filed on Nov. 10, 2005, the content of which is incorporated herein by reference. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a two-component pump liable to equip a dispenser mainly intended for liquid or pasty cosmetics or pharmaceutical products and specifically applies to samples of such products. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Conventional dispensers are generally equipped with a reservoir and a pump which interacts with a manually actuatable element of the pushbutton type provided with an ejection orifice. 
     However, the production cost of such dispensers is very high, because of the complexity of their structure and in particular, of the pump. 
     Such disadvantage is particularly penalising for applications in the field of samples because the manufacturing costs of a miniature pump are often out of proportion to the marketing requirements of such type of product. 
     Besides, as regards the packaging of products in an air-intake free (so-called “airless”) dispenser, the mechanisms of the conventional atmospheric pumps are inappropriate and do not make it possible to obtain a satisfactory sealing level. 
     In addition, the end of the ejection orifice is difficult to close in a satisfactory way and the product remains partially in contact with the air, which causes risks of drying and/or deterioration. 
     In addition, such pumps have a defect in that they include a metallic spring, the contact with the product of which is detrimental or even prohibited. 
     One object of the present invention is to solve the technical problems resulting from the prior art. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     This aim is reached, according to the invention, with a dispenser characterized in that the pump consists of a body embodied in the form of a single piece comprising on the one hand, a seat which covers said reservoir and is provided with an intake orifice and on the other hand, a flap which is mounted on said seat by means of a joint associated with an elastic return means which enables said flap to be reversibly titled towards the seat by pressing on the actuating element in such a way that the ejection orifice is opened and the intake orifice is simultaneously closed. 
     According to an advantageous characteristic, said flap carries two sealing plugs for the intake orifice and the ejection orifice, respectively. 
     According to a first alternative embodiment of the invention, said plugs are made of bosses, the dimensions of which allow a sealing cooperation with the ejection and intake orifices, respectively, 
     Preferably, said plugs are mounted on either side of a triangular link. 
     Advantageously, said joint is made of a hinge connected to the angle of said link. 
     According to a specific alternative solution, said hinge is made of a connection nip having a spring effect. 
     According to another advantageous characteristic, said flap includes a control lever, which the actuating element is liable to come in bearing contact with for causing the tilting thereof. 
     Preferably, the actuating element is provided with elastic bellows, which form elastic return means for the flap. 
     According to an advantageous characteristic, such actuating element is made in a single piece with the upper part of the reservoir. 
     According to another alternative solution, the inner wall of the actuating element carries at least one draw lug for said flap. 
     In addition, said body includes two side bearings surrounding and/or supporting said flap. 
     According to still another alternative solution, at least one of said bearings has a longitudinal groove arranged in its inner wall for the passage of said draw lug. 
     According to another advantageous characteristic still, said seat includes a side sealing skirt, which is radially tightened against the inner wall of the actuating element or of the reservoir. 
     Preferably, the upper part of the flap has an inclined face facilitating the bearing contact of the actuating element. 
     The pump of the invention is a reliable and economic technical solutions to the problems met with the packagings of the prior art. 
     As a matter of fact, such pump can include only two simple structured parts likely to be moulded and assembled in a very easy and quick way which can thus be automated. 
     In addition, such pump includes only plastic material parts, the compatibility with cosmetic and pharmaceutical products of which is guaranteed. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear upon reading the following description, which is made while referring to the appended drawings, in which: 
         FIG. 1  shows an outside perspective view of a dispenser equipped with an embodied pump according to the invention; 
         FIGS. 2A and 2B  show partial views respectively in perspective and front views of an alternative embodiment of the body of the pump of the invention prior to the mounting thereof; 
         FIGS. 3A and 3B  show partial perspective and front views respectively of the alternative solution of the body of the pump of  FIGS. 2A and 2B  in assembling position; 
         FIGS. 4A to 4D  show sectional views of the embodiment of  FIG. 1  and various rest and utilisation positions. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     The pump, according to the invention, is intended for packaging and delivering liquid or gel cosmetic or pharmaceutical products and more particularly, samples or small doses of such products. 
     Generally speaking, dispensers for liquid cosmetic or pharmaceutical products include a reservoir R and a pump, at least partially mounted inside the reservoir and cooperating with a manually actuatable element  2  provided with an ejection orifice  20 , as shown in the outside view of  FIG. 1 . 
     The embodiment of the dispenser according to the invention, such as shown in the Figures, is intended for an airless utilisation. 
     Consequently, the reservoir R is tightly closed in its lower part by a bottom F which forms a piston, which goes up inside the reservoir when and as the product is delivered while remaining in contact with the product, as shown in  FIGS. 4A to 4D . 
     The pump, according to the invention, consists of a body  1  which is formed in a single piece and which is made for example, by means of an injection moulding method. 
     As shown in  FIGS. 2A and 2B , when leaving the mould, the body  1  has on the one hand, a seat  11  which covers said reservoir R and provided with an intake orifice  10  and, on the other hand, a single flap  12  connected to said seat by means of a joint, here in the form of a hinge  13 . 
     The body  1  is configured, in a subsequent step, in operational position by closing the flap  12  over the seat  11  while maintaining the hinge  13  slightly under a stress, as shown in  FIGS. 3A and 3B . 
     The body  1  is then captured in this configuration under the actuating element  2 , in the upper part of the reservoir R. 
     The seat  11  includes a side sealing skirt  17 , which is radially tightened against the inner wall of the actuating element  2  or the reservoir R. 
     The upper part of the flap  12  includes a control lever  14  which the actuating element  2  is liable to come in contact with for causing its forced tilting downwards, from a sealing closure position of the ejection orifice  20 . 
     Such tilting, which is reversible, causes the opening of the ejection orifice  20  and the simultaneously closing of the intake orifice  10 . 
     The lever  14  has an inclined face  14   a  which facilitates the bearing contact of the actuating element  2 . The face  14   a  is possibly provided with a central cavity  14   b , as shown, more particularly in  FIGS. 3A and 3B , with a view to limiting the effects resulting from the shrinkage of the plastic material while it cools after the moulding operation. 
     The hinge  13  is made of a transversal nip or a thin web. 
     The single flap  12  carries two sealing plugs of the intake orifice  10  and the ejection orifice  20 , respectively. 
     Such plugs are made of bosses  12   a ,  12   b , here in the form of spherical caps, the dimensions of which and more particularly, the diameters of which enable a sealing cooperation with the ejection orifice and intake orifice, respectively and which are mounted on either side of a triangular link  15 . 
     The link  15  is connected at its angle (here an angle of approximately 90°) to the connection nip forming said hinge  13 . 
     The body  1  includes two bearings  16  surrounding said flap  12  and providing the side wedging thereof. 
     According to an alternative solution not shown, the joint of the flap is provided in the form of pivots supported by the side bearings. 
     As shown in  FIGS. 1 and 4A  to  4 B, the actuating element  2  has an upper face  22  for the manual pressing, and is provided with an elastic return means for the flap, here in the form of elastic bellows  21  having a spring effect, which is made on the side wall and provides the connection to the reservoir R. 
     In the embodiment shown, the actuating element  2  is made in a single piece with the upper part of the reservoir R. 
       FIGS. 4A to 4D  show a section view of a dispenser provided with a pump according to the invention during the various phases of operation. 
     In the rest position in  FIG. 4A , the draw lugs  24  connected to the inner wall of the upper face  22  of the actuating element  2  are resting under the control lever  14  and pull it upwards by means of the action of the bellows  21 , having a spring effect, and the link  15  of the flap  12  is returned towards the hinge  13  on the right, in the direction of the arrow. 
     According to an optional alternative embodiment, the hinge  13  can facilitate or provide the elastic return of the flap  12  in the position of a sealing closure of the ejection orifice  20  like a spring having a shape memory or in addition to or instead of the bellows  21 . 
     The plug  12   b  is then sealingly engaged into the ejection orifice  20  like a plug on a bottle, whereas the intake orifice  10  is opened. 
     In this position, when the priming is completed (for example in the factory), the compartment C located between the seat  11  and the inner face of the actuating element is filled with a liquid product and becomes a dosing chamber. 
     The actuating element  2  has, in this example, at least one and preferably, two symmetrical draw lugs  24  for pulling the control lever  14  of the flap  12  upwards through the action of the bellows  21  and thus make it possible to provide the sealing closure of the ejection orifice  20  in the rest position of the dispenser (the arrow in  FIG. 4A ) and then to facilitate the return of the flap  12  in this same rest position, when the manual pressing stops (arrow in  FIG. 4C ). 
     For this purpose, at least one and, here, both bearings  16  of the seat  11  has/have a longitudinal groove  16   a  provided on the inner wall for the passage of the draw lugs  24 . 
     In the position shown in  FIG. 4B , the user manually presses in the direction of the arrow on the upper part of the actuating element  2 . 
     Upon completion of an ineffective stroke resulting from the discrepancy between the pressing face of the draw lugs  24  and the inner wall of the upper face  22 , such pressing brings the wall of the element  2  in contact with the control lever  14  of the flap  12  which causes the forced tilting of the link  15  downwards towards the seat  11  in the direction of the arrow. 
     Such movement releases the ejection orifice  20  whereas the plug  12   a  closes the intake orifice  10 . 
     At the same time, such pressing also causes the compression of the bellows  21  and the reduction in the volume of chamber C, which leads to the release of a dose of a pressurised product towards the outside through the ejection orifice  20  (grey arrow). 
     Such dose substantially corresponds to the volume of the product delivered during the tilting stroke of the flap  12  until the plug  12   a  abuts against the orifice  10 . 
     In the position shown in  FIG. 4C , the user releases the pressing which causes the release of the bellows  21  and the return of the link  15  rightwards in the direction of the arrow because of the shape memory of the bellows  21 . 
     The reverse tilting of the flap  12  is carried out by the lugs  24 , which are also pulled upwards by the bellows  21 . 
     Such motion of the flap  12  leads to the closing of the ejection orifice  20 , the simultaneous opening of the intake orifice  10  and because of the absence of air intake, the simultaneous up motion of the piston bottom F in the reservoir R when in contact with the product. 
     The intake orifice  10  being opened, the chamber C is refilled by means of a suction effect until an equilibrium is obtained in the new rest position as shown in  FIG. 4D .