Bottle comprising a neck connected to a body

A bottle made of a plastic material, including a body surmounted by a neck including a dispensing opening. The neck and the body are made in two separate parts which are assembled together in order to connect the interior of the body to the dispensing opening, the neck includes an axial sealing skirt which is mounted on an axial bearing surface formed on the upper portion of the body. The bottle further includes a shrunk-on collar, the lower portion of which is arranged to axially cover at least the connection area between the neck and the body. The connection of the neck to the body is produced by combining a tight fitting of the exterior surface of the sealing skirt over the interior surface of the bearing surface, and radial clamping of the lower portion of the shrunk-on ring onto the exterior surface of the bearing surface.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application claims priority of French patent application No. 07 00639 filed on Jan. 30, 2007, the content of which is incorporated herein by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to a bottle made of a plastic material consisting of a body surmounted by a neck comprising a dispensing opening through which a fluid contained in said body can be dispensed, e.g., by means of a pump.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

In particular applications, the fluid may be a liquid or a cream, e.g., a perfume, a cosmetic product or a pharmaceutical product.

In particular, when the bottle is produced by injection moulding, it is known to make it in two separate pieces, forming the neck and the body, respectively, which are assembled together in order to connect the interior of the body to the dispensing opening.

According to the prior art, the connection can be made by snapping the neck onto the end of the body. However, in this embodiment, problems occur with respect to the seal and mechanical strength in the area of the snap-connection.

In order to attempt to meet these requirements, it has been proposed to attach the neck onto the body via welding or glueing. However, these embodiments complicate the manufacture of the bottle, and therefore increase the cost thereof.

Furthermore, according to known embodiments, the connection area does not have an appearance in conformity with the requirements of anticipated uses, in particular as concerns the absence of drips, material spill-overs or local deformations. In particular, in the case of a snap-connection, improving the mechanical strength and seal of the connection area results in more significant deformations of said area.

In order to solve this problem of appearance, the prior art proposes to conceal the connection area by means of a shrunk-on ring, the lower portion of which is arranged to cover said connection area axially.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention aims to improve on the prior art by proposing a bottle in which the added-on neck is connected to the body while, on the one hand, optimally ensuring the seal and, on the other hand, via clamping of the connection area, and does so while making it possible to give the bottle an advantageous appearance.

To that end, the invention proposes a bottle made of plastic material, consisting of a body surmounted by a neck comprising a dispensing opening, said neck and said body being made in two separate parts which are assembled together in order to connect the interior of the body to the dispensing opening, wherein said neck includes an axial sealing skirt which is mounted on an axial bearing surface formed on the upper portion of the body, said bottle further comprising a shrunk-on collar, the lower portion of which is arranged to axially cover at least the connection area between the neck and the body, wherein the connection of the neck to the body is produced by combininga tight fitting of the exterior surface of the sealing skirt over the interior surface of the bearing surface; andradial clamping of the lower portion of the shrunk-on ring onto the exterior surface of the bearing surface.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

In the description, the spatial positioning terms are taken with reference to the position of the bottle shown in the FIGURE.

An embodiment of a bottle intended to contain a fluid for the dispensing thereof, is described in relation to the FIGURE. In particular examples, the fluid may be a liquid or a cream, e.g., a perfume, a cosmetic product or a pharmaceutical product.

The bottle is made of a plastic material, in particular polypropylene, in order to comprise a body1surmounted by a neck2provided with a dispensing opening3. In particular, the bottle can be produced by ordinary injection moulding of said material so as to produce two separate parts, forming the neck2and the body1, respectively, which are assembled together in order to connect the interior of the body1with the dispensing opening3. As a matter of fact, in the case where the neck2has a smaller cross-sectional area than that of the body1, producing the bottle in a single piece via ordinary injection moulding proves to be impossible.

In the embodiment described, the body1consists of a hollow tube of constant cross section, the lower portion of which is closed by a radial wall (not shown) and the upper portion of which includes a connecting bearing surface4of the neck2. In order to enable the connection, the neck2includes an axial sealing skirt5at the lower portion thereof, which is mounted on said bearing surface.

More particularly, the exterior surface of the sealing skirt5is fitted tightly onto the interior surface of the bearing surface4, said fit being produced substantially without any radial clamping. In this way, the fit does not cause any radial deformation of the connection area, in particular as concerns the exterior surface of the bearing surface4.

In the embodiment described, the tight, radial clamping-free fit is produced by providing for the exterior surface of the sealing skirt5and the interior surface of the bearing surface4to have a cylindrical geometry. More precisely, these two surfaces have an identical geometry with a cross section of substantially identical value. In this way, the seal is produced along the entire length of the interface area, without any localized radial deformation of said interface.

In two exemplary embodiments, the cylindrical geometry of the exterior surface of the sealing skirt5and the interior surface of the bearing surface4is rotational or an oval directional curve.

However, the smooth fit thus obtained does not have sufficient mechanical strength, in particular for withstanding impacts and other mechanical stresses that the bottle must undergo during the use thereof.

The bottle further includes a shrunk-on collar6, made, in particular, of a plastic material, e.g., a material identical to that of the body1and the neck2. The shrunk-on collar6includes a lower portion7which is arranged to axially cover at least the connection area between the body1and the neck2.

In addition to its aesthetic function, the shrunk-on collar6, in combination with the smooth fit, facilitates attachment of the neck2onto the body1. To accomplish this, the lower portion7of the shrunk-on collar6is arranged to ensure radial clamping over the exterior surface of the bearing surface4, which indirectly ensures the mechanical strength of the smooth fit, since the latter is disposed radially opposite the clamping area.

The means for carrying out the sealing and mechanical strength functions are therefore separate, thereby making it possible to optimize the combined results obtained with respect to these two functions. Furthermore, the radial clamping over the bearing surface4is performed inwardly, which, besides preserving the outward appearance of the bottle, stresses the material under compression so as to induce a clamping force that is greater than that produced by the expansion of said material. Finally, radial clamping of the exterior surface of the bearing surface4likewise tends to increase the reliability of the seal opposite this surface, i.e., between the neck2and the body1.

According to one embodiment, the radial clamping is produced by providing for the exterior surface of the bearing surface4and/or the interior surface of the lower portion7of the shrunk-on collar6to include at least one annular bead8. In this way, clamping is produced via material deformation, when the bead is inserted into the surface disposed opposite thereto. In addition, clamping may be produced via a snap connection, by providing for at least one annular bead8to be inserted into at least one annular groove9provided on the surface disposed opposite thereto.

In the embodiment shown, the exterior surface of the bearing surface4includes an outwardly protruding annular bead8, and an annular groove9for receiving the bead is formed on the interior surface of the lower portion7of the shrunk-on collar6.

Furthermore, in order to improve the seal between the neck2and the body1, the upper end of the exterior surface of the sealing skirt5is delimited by an external radial shoulder10, said shoulder bearing tightly against the upper end of the bearing surface4. Furthermore, in the embodiment shown, the lower portion7of the shrunk-on collar6is surmounted by an internal radial shoulder11, said shoulder bearing tightly against the external radial shoulder10of the sealing skirt5.

As shown in the FIGURE, it is likewise anticipated for the exterior surface of the bearing surface4to be formed inside an annular seat12for receiving the lower portion7of the shrunk-on collar6. The seat12is arranged so that the exterior surface of the lower portion7is positioned within the axial extension of the exterior surface of the body1. In order to accomplish this, the seat12has a cross-sectional area smaller than that of the body1with a difference substantially equal to the thickness of the lower portion7, and the axial dimension of said seat is substantially equal to that of said lower portion7, so that the lower end of said shrunk-on collar6comes into contact with the lower edge13of said seat.

In the embodiment described, in order to improve the seal in the area of the dispensing opening3, the shrunk-on collar6further includes an axial bearing surface14which is tightly mounted, in particular by fitting onto the periphery of the dispensing opening3. Furthermore, in the vicinity of its lower end, the interior surface of the axial bearing surface14includes an annular bead15enabling the shrunk-on collar6to be snapped on around the dispensing opening3.

More precisely, the added-on neck2has an annular geometry with an internal radial bearing surface16which surmounts the sealing skirt5, and an upper axial wall17inside of which the dispensing opening3is formed.

The shrunk-on collar (6) also has an annular geometry, the lower clamping portion7having a cross-sectional area larger than that of the axial bearing surface14, said portion and said bearing surface being interconnected via an axi-radial wall18, which extends beyond the dispensing opening3. Additionally, the bottle includes a characteristic cap19, which is mounted onto the shrunk-on collar6in the vicinity of the connection area between the lower clamping portion7and an axial portion of the axi-radial wall18.

In addition, and again in order to improve the seal between the shrunk-on collar6and the dispensing opening3, the axial bearing surface14is surmounted by an internal radial shoulder20, which bears against the end of said opening. The shrunk-on collar6includes another axial bearing surface21, which is in tight contact with the interior of the upper axial wall17.

In this way, the bottle can integrate a dispensing pump22, said pump being mounted over the opening3so as to enable dispensing of the fluid contained inside the body1. In order to accomplish this, the pump22is mounted over the opening3by means of the shrunk-on collar6, in particular by providing for the body of the pump to be disposed inside the dispensing opening3. In particular, the pump22includes a push-button23, which is mounted in translation inside an upper axial portion24of the axi-radial wall18.

In the embodiment shown, the pump22includes a purge ring25disposed inside the body1, said ring being suitable for a non-air-recycling type of dispensing bottle. Alternatively, a plunger tube can be mounted at the lower portion of the pump22in order to be submerged in the fluid, so as to supply the pump22with the fluid to be dispensed.