Mixing device for the packaging and dispensing of a mixture of two products isolated from each other before the dispensing operation

Device for mixing at least two products (11, 21) each contained in a container (10, 20), one of the containers (10), or first container, having a volume suitable to receive the product (21) contained in the other container (20), or second container, in order to obtain the mixture (41) of the two products (11, 21), the first container (10) comprising, in its upper part, a push-button (15) equipped with a nozzle (16) and the actuation of which allows the mixture (41) to leave the first container (10) via the nozzle (16); the two containers (10, 20) are carried by a common casing (30) into which they are fitted so as to slide between two positions, a position called far-apart position for which the two containers (10, 20) are not in communication, and a position called close-together position for which the two containers (10, 20) are in communication, the casing (30) preventing, in the far-apart position, any action on the push-button (15) of the first container (10) and allowing action on the said push-button (15) in the close-together position, communication means (17, 18, 22) which can be closed off being provided between the two containers (10, 20).

The present invention relates to a mixing device for the packaging and 
dispensing of a mixture of two products isolated from each other before 
the dispensing operation. 
Numerous devices have already been proposed enabling two products, which it 
is desired to mix just before using, to be packaged separately within the 
same package. 
This is the case, especially, of the mixing bottle described in 
EP-A2-0,243,730 which includes two compartments arranged axially one after 
the other, a closure member closing, during storage, the connecting area 
of the two compartments; the closure member is carried by a plug seal 
fitted at the end of the bottle so as to rotate by means of a ramp 
linkage, so that, when the plug seal is rotated with respect to the 
bottle, the closure member clears the communication between the two 
compartments and the two products can be mixed; the plug seal carries a 
pouring lip closed off by a closure element connected to the lip by a 
divisible area. Such a mixing bottle, in addition to the fact that it is 
complicated to construct, has the drawback of not having safety of use in 
that it is possible for the bottle to be used without the two products 
having been mixed. 
The subject of the present invention is a mixing device of simple 
construction and not having the afore-mentioned drawback. 
Thus, according to the invention, a device for mixing at least two products 
each contained in a container, one of the containers, or first container, 
having a volume suitable to receive the product contained in the other 
container, or second container, in order to obtain the mixture of the two 
products, the first container comprising, in its upper part, a push-button 
equipped with a nozzle and the actuation of which allows the mixture to 
leave the first container via the nozzle, is characterized in that the two 
containers are carried by a common casing in which they are fitted so as 
to slide between two positions, a position called far-apart position in 
which the two containers are not in communication, and a position called 
close-together position in which the two containers are in communication, 
the casing preventing, in the far-apart position, any action on the 
push-button of the first container and allowing action on the said 
push-button in the close-together position, communication means which can 
be closed off being provided between the two containers. 
Advantageously, the casing has a length such that, in the far-apart 
position of the two containers, the first container is entirely contained 
in the casing, including its push-button, whereas the second container 
extends beyond the casing, while, in the close-together position of the 
two containers, the push-button of the first container extends beyond the 
casing and is thereafter accessible from outside the casing. 
Preferably, the casing consists of a cylindrical wall closed in its upper 
part by a cap in which an orifice is made, the cross-section of which is 
equal, to within a clearance, to the cross-section of the push-button of 
the first container, the lower part of the casing being provided with a 
passage at most equal to the cross-section of the second container. 
Likewise preferably, a compressible means temporarily keeps the first 
container away from the cap of the casing during storage, the push-button 
of the first container being inside the casing. 
Advantageously, catch means are provided for immobilizing the assembly in 
the close-together position of the two containers, the push-button of the 
first container emerging from the casing, thereby being accessible from 
outside the casings according to one embodiment, the catch means include a 
step provided on the second container and in which the rim of the lower 
part of the casing defining the passage comes to be lodged. 
As a variant, the casing has a length such that, irrespective of the 
position of the two containers, the two containers are contained in the 
casing which retains, in its lower part, a pusher projecting outside the 
casing and interacting with the second container. 
According to another variant, the casing is made from two elements, an 
upper element and a lower element, fitted into each other, with the 
possibility of relative axial displacement of one of the elements in 
relation to the other, the casing comprising a bottom constituted by the 
bottom of the lower element, and each of the two elements being located 
inside one of the elements. 
Advantageously, irrespective of the variant, a compressible means is 
provided in the casing between the two containers. 
The means of communication between the two containers are of the 
manual-pump type; as a variant, the communication means are of the valve 
type, a pressurized propellent fluid being provided in the second 
container. 
The push-button of the first container actuates a manual pump; as a 
variant, the push-button operates a valve, the first container being 
filled with a propellent fluid under a pressure less than the pressure of 
the propellent fluid present in the second container. 
When the assembly is designed for use head up, at least one of the two 
containers is endowed with a plunger tube. 
In order to make the subject of the invention easier to understand, an 
embodiment represented by the appended drawings will now be described by 
way of purely illustrative and non-limiting example.

Referring to FIG. 1, it may be seen that a mixing device, according to the 
invention, includes two containers: a first container 10, containing a 
first product 11, and a second container 20, containing a second product 
21; the two products 11 and 21 are intended to be mixed just before use: 
they may be of any kind, such a mixture being able to have as many 
applications in hair- or body-cosmetics (dyeing, permanent waving, 
lacquers, sun-screen products, etc) as industrial or technical 
applications (paints, adhesives, mastics, foams, etc), or medical 
applications, dermatological applications, household applications, food 
applications, etc; the mixing may, indeed, give rise to any chemical 
reaction, whether total, partial or in equilibrium: neutralization, 
acidification, alkalinization, oxidation, reduction, catalysis, 
dissolving, fluidizing, putting into suspension, perfuming, colouring, 
etc. 
The first container 10, in the example represented, is a conventional 
aerosol can, the upper wall 19 of which carries a valve 12 which can be 
actuated by a push-button 15 fitted with a dispensing nozzle 16; the valve 
12 is connected to a plunger tube 13; the volume 14 of the container 10, 
above the level of the product 11, is occupied by a propellent fluid under 
pressure. 
The second container 20, such as represented, is of the same kind as the 
container 10: its upper wall 29 carries a valve 22 connected to a plunger 
tube 23; the volume 24 of the container 20, above the level of the product 
21, is occupied by a propellent fluid under a pressure greater than the 
pressure of the propellent fluid in the volume 14 of the first container 
10. 
The two containers 10 and 20 are arranged one above the other in a common 
casing 30; communication means which can be closed off are provided 
between the two containers 10 and 20: they consist of a control rod 18 of 
the valve 22 of the second container 20, the said control rod 18, which is 
tubular as known per se, being carried by a pusher 17, integral with the 
bottom of the first container 10 and fitted with a channel, not 
represented, in communication, on the one hand, with the rod 18 and, on 
the other hand, with the inside of the first container 10; in the relative 
position of the containers 10 and 20, called the far-apart position, 
represented in FIG. 1, the valve 22 is closed; when the two containers 10 
and 20 are moved closer together, under the conditions described 
hereinbelow, towards a position called close-together position, such as 
represented in FIG. 2, the control rod 18 penetrates the valve 22 which it 
opens, and the product 21 of the second container 20, under the action of 
the propellent fluid present in this second container 20, rejoins the 
contents of the first container 10 via the plunger tube 23, the open valve 
22, the rod 18 and the channel of the pusher 17, the pressure of the 
propellent fluid present in the second container 20 being greater than 
that of the fluid in the first container 10. 
The common casing 30 consists of a cylindrical wall closed, in its upper 
part, by a cap 35; an orifice 31 is provided in the cap 35; the orifice 31 
is located, when the assembly is fitted, in line with the push-button 15 
of the first container 10, the cross-section of the orifice 31 being 
equal, to within a fitting clearance, to the cross-section of the 
push-button 15. 
On the opposite side from the cap 35, the casing 30 is provided with a 
passage 33 for the second container 20; the passage 33 is defined by the 
rim of the lower part 32 of the casing 33, in the form of a collar, into 
which the second container 20 is fitted tightly. 
A compressible means 34, in the form of a foam ring, is arranged between 
the cap 35 of the casing 30 and the upper wall 19 of the first container 
10, the said compressible means 34 defining the position of the first 
container 10 in the casing 30 during storage of the assembly; in this 
position, as may be seen in FIG. 1, the push-button 15 is flush with the 
cap 35 of the casing 30, so that it is not accessible from outside; in 
this storage position, the second container 20 is away from the first 
container 10, the valve 22 being closed, and the second container 20 
extends beyond the lower part of the casing 30 which keeps it in this 
position by the clamping of its collar 32 against the outer wall of the 
container 20. 
In order to use the mixing device according to the present invention, it 
suffices, while holding the casing 30, to push the second container 20 
into the casing 30: this single manoeuvre causes, on the one hand, the two 
containers 10 and 20 to move closer together, and therefore the valve 22 
to open, allowing the second product 21 to enter the first container 10 
and causes, on the other hand, the push-button 15 to leave via the orifice 
31 of the casing 30, by the sliding of the two containers 10 and 20 in the 
casing 30; during these operations, the foam ring 34 is compressed; at the 
end of travel, the rim of the lower part 32 of the casing 30 is 
elastically retained in a narrowed part of the container 20 defining a 
step 36 allowing gripping of the casing 30 on the container 20 and the 
retention of the assembly in the use position, as represented in FIG. 2; 
thus, the mixture 41 of the two products is formed, and pressing, 
thereafter possible, on the push-button 15 allows this mixture 41 to be 
dispensed via the nozzle 16 of the push-button 15. 
Thus, safety of use is ensured: it is impossible to actuate the push-button 
15 without forming the mixture 41. 
In the example represented, the first container 10 is pressurized, and the 
push-button 15 actuates a valve 12; as a variant, the first container 10 
is equipped with a manual pump. 
Likewise, the second container 20 may also be equipped with a pump, the 
means of communication between the two containers being, in this case, 
able to be actuated by several successive displacements of the two 
containers 10 and 20, one in relation to the other, after which the means 
for gripping the second container 20 by the casing 30 are rendered 
operational. 
A foam ring has been used as compressible means 34; this could also be a 
spring or an irreversibly deformable element. 
According to the variant represented in FIG. 3, when the two containers 10 
and 20 are in the far-apart position, the container 20 is contained 
entirely in the casing 30, the lower part 32 of which retains a pusher 40 
projecting outside the casing and interacting with the container 20; in 
this variant, it is the pusher 40 which carries the latching means 36, 
here in the form of a groove, in which means the rim of the lower part 32 
of the casing 30 comes to be lodged. 
According to the variants represented in FIGS. 4 to 6, the casing 30 is 
made from two elements 30A, 30B, an upper element 30A and a lower element 
30B, fitted into each other with the possibility of relative axial 
displacement of one of the elements in relation to the other element; 
according to these variants, the casing comprises a bottom 37 constituted 
by the bottom of the lower element 30B and each of the two containers 10, 
20 is located inside each of the elements 30A, 30B; the relative axial 
displacement of the two elements may be obtained by relative axial sliding 
and/or by relative rotation. 
When the displacement is obtained by sliding, the two elements 30A, 30B, as 
shown in FIG. 4, are configured so as to ensure the two special relative 
positions of one in relation to the other, corresponding to the positions 
called far-apart and close-together positions of the two containers 10, 
20; these special positions are, for example, ensured by a groove 45 
provided on one of the elements, the upper element 30A, which interacts 
with two axially spaced-apart grooves 46, 47 provided on the other 
element, the lower element 30B. 
When the displacement is obtained by rotation, one of the elements, the 
element 30A as shown in FIG. 5, has a helical thread 38 which interacts 
with a likewise helical thread 39 exhibited by the other element 30B; it 
is also possible to obtain such a displacement by endowing one of the 
elements, the element 30B as shown in FIG. 6, with at least one pin or 
index 41 interacting with an opening in the form of a ramp 42 made in the 
wall of the other element 30A, the same ramp 42 essentially extending by 
making a certain angle with the axis of the casing 30A-30B but 
terminating, at each of its ends, in a small portion 43, 48 located in a 
plane perpendicular to the axis of the casing, this arrangement enabling 
the two relative extreme positions of one of the elements of the casing to 
be locked in relation to the other; according to this variant, the angle 
of the ramp 42 with the axis of the casing 30A-30B may be provided such 
that, when the pin or index 41 interacts with this inclined part of the 
ramp 42, axial stressing of an element 30B in relation to the other 
element 30A automatically leads to a relative rotation of the two elements 
30A, 30B, which facilitates the manoeuvre for bringing the two containers 
10 and 20 into communication; thereafter, it suffices to give the two 
elements 30A, 30B a slight relative rotational movement in order to lock 
the position of the two communicating containers 10 and 20. 
Whatever the variant, advantageously a compressible means, such as, for 
example a foam ring 44 similar to the ring 34, is provided in the casing 
30 between the two containers 10, 20.