Fluid dispenser

A fluid dispenser comprising:

The present invention relates to a fluid dispenser comprising: a fluid reservoir defining a substantially rigid neck; a substantially rigid casing in which the reservoir is placed; and a dispenser member, e.g. a pump, engaged in the neck of the reservoir in order to withdraw the fluid. In general, in such a dispenser implementing a reservoir and a substantially rigid casing, the reservoir is often presented in the form of a flexible pouch which defines one or more deformable walls. In order to secure the flexible pouch to the substantially rigid neck, several techniques exist. For example, it is possible to heat seal the opening of the flexible pouch onto a pouch support made from a substantially rigid material. Another technique consists in making the pouch and the neck integrally as a single piece by extrusion blow-molding or by injection blow-molding. In order to make the neck rigid, it is made with a wall thickness that is much thicker than the thickness of the flexible pouch.

Document FR 2 791 643 discloses a reservoir made integrally as a single piece by injection blow-molding or by extrusion blow-molding, for example. The reservoir comprises a deformable body designed to contain the fluid, and a substantially rigid top portion which defines a neck. Below the neck, the substantially rigid portion extends in the form of a bell having an outside diameter that is substantially equal to the diameter of the flexible body. In order to fix the reservoir in a rigid outer casing, a plurality of snap-fastening rings and a projecting collar designed to co-operate with the rigid casing at its top opening are provided on the outer periphery of the rigid bell. Consequently, it can be said that the reservoir integrates holding means enabling the reservoir to be fixed in place inside the rigid outer casing. Given that the holding means are integrated in the reservoir, they can co-operate only with a rigid outer casing of a type specially adapted to receive that particular reservoir. In other words, it is practically impossible to use a particular reservoir with any rigid casing that is not specially adapted to receive it.

The object of the present invention is to remedy the drawback of the above-mentioned prior art by defining a fluid dispenser having a reservoir and a rigid casing, in which the reservoir is held in place in the rigid casing easily and rapidly whatever the rigid casing used. The object of the present invention is therefore to provide adaptability in holding the reservoir in place in any rigid casing.

In the invention, this object is achieved by a fluid dispenser comprising: at least one fluid reservoir defining a substantially rigid neck; a substantially rigid casing containing the reservoir; and a dispenser member engaged in the neck of said at least one reservoir in order to withdraw the fluid; the fluid dispenser being characterized in that it further comprises a holding element engaged both with the neck of the reservoir and with the rigid casing in such a manner as to hold the reservoir in place in the rigid casing. The holding element is a separate piece fitted to the neck of the reservoir and also co-operating with the rigid casing. Given that most rigid casings are circularly cylindrical, it is very easy to make a holding element that is specially adapted to the diameter of the rigid casing. Thus, with any reservoir and with any casing, it is nevertheless possible to hold the reservoir in place in the rigid casing. That is where the capacity to adapt lies in the dispenser of the invention.

In order to fix the holding element on the neck of the reservoir, the holding element may include a substantially central fixing housing designed to receive the neck of the reservoir. The holding element advantageously defines an access passage opening out on the substantially central housing in such a manner that the neck of the reservoir can be engaged in the central housing via the access passage. Thus, in order to adapt the holding element to the neck of the reservoir, it suffices to provide a housing presenting a diameter that is equal to or slightly greater than a portion of the neck, and to engage the neck in the housing via the specially provided access passage. In this way, it is possible to mount a holding element on a neck of any shape. The shape of the holding element may be particularly simple, e.g. it may be in the shape of a plate presenting a contour adapted to the rigid casing, and surrounding, at least in part, the neck of the reservoir.

In an advantageous embodiment, the neck may form a narrowing via which the holding element becomes engaged with the neck.

The reservoir advantageously includes a deformable wall. The holding element therefore makes it possible to suspend the reservoir inside the casing.

Advantageously, the reservoir may be of the above-mentioned type, i.e. with a flexible pouch defining at least one deformable wall. However, in the present invention, any type of reservoir, e.g. a rigid glass reservoir, may be used. Naturally, however, the present invention finds a more advantageous application with flexible-pouch reservoirs, given that they are not held inside the rigid casing. It is precisely by using the holding element that the flexible-pouch reservoir is held inside the rigid casing.

According to another characteristic of the invention, the dispenser further includes a fixing member provided with reception means for receiving the dispenser member, and fixing means co-operating with the neck of the reservoir, said fixing means including an inner sleeve in sealed engagement with the neck of the reservoir. The fixing member advantageously includes a peripheral skirt in engagement with the casing. The fixing member preferably blocks the holding element in the casing. Thus, the positioning of the inner sleeve, advantageously inside the neck of the reservoir, is precise as a result of the outer skirt blocking the holding element which is itself fixed in position on the neck. The skirt may even come to bear on the holding element. In addition, the inner sleeve does not need to integrate special abutment means for limiting its engagement inside the neck. Putting the fixing member in place is simple once the reservoir is held in place in the rigid casing by means of the holding element. It suffices to engage the sleeve in the rigid neck until the bottom end of its peripheral skirt becomes snap-fastened in the casing. The holding element may even act as a reference for putting the fixing member in place, where the skirt comes into abutment on the holding element. In addition, the holding element is blocked permanently in the rigid casing, thereby holding it even more securely. The fixing member and the holding element therefore co-operate with each other to improve the stability of the reservoir and of the dispenser member.

According to another aspect, the inside of the casing forms a bearing zone onto which the holding element comes to bear.

In addition, the holding element may be constituted by a plane cut-out plate.

In advantageous manner, the holding element forms a piece that is separate from the dispenser member and from the casing, said at least one dispenser member being received in and fixed on the holding element, said holding element being positioned, and advantageously fixed in place, in the casing.

In an embodiment, the holding element may include two fixing housings each designed to receive a reservoir neck.

The invention is described in more detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings showing, by way of non-limiting example, one embodiment of the invention.

A fluid dispenser of the invention comprises four essential component elements, namely a reservoir1, an outer casing2, a holding element3, and a dispenser member5which can be a pump. Furthermore, in order to fix the pump5in the receptacle1, it is preferable to use an additional component element, namely a fixing member4. Optionally, the dispenser can be provided with a cap6enabling the dispenser member5to be protected.

The reservoir1which is shown in the figures is a special reservoir made by extrusion blow-molding or by injection blow-molding. Consequently, it is a reservoir of the flexible-pouch type defining at least one deformable wall. More precisely, the reservoir1comprises a body10closed at its bottom end by a reservoir bottom11, and defining at its top end a shoulder12which is extended by a neck14. In this case, the reservoir1is made integrally as a single piece. Its body10and its bottom11are made with a wall thickness that is less than the thickness of the shoulder12, and especially less than the thickness of the neck14. Consequently, the body10and the bottom11define flexible deformable walls, whereas the shoulder12presents a certain amount of rigidity, and the neck14is the most rigid.FIGS. 1 and 3show clearly that the wall thickness increases progressively in the shoulder12so as to reach its maximum at the neck14.FIG. 3shows a variant of theFIG. 1reservoir, with a somewhat different neck design. However, the function of the two necks is exactly the same.

The use of a flexible-pouch reservoir made integrally as a single piece by extrusion blow-molding or by injection blow-molding in order to illustrate the present invention must not be considered as limiting: on the contrary, some other type of reservoir could very well be used, e.g. a flexible-pouch reservoir having a pouch that is heat sealed onto a separate pouch support. A conventional reservoir having a rigid wall made of plastics or even of glass could also be used. However, the use of a flexible-pouch reservoir is preferable for illustrating the present invention given that this type of reservoir is floppy without the casing.

In the invention, the neck14of the reservoir is formed with a narrowing13which defines a portion of small diameter. The narrowing13inFIGS. 1 and 3is formed just above the shoulder12and just below a reinforced portion15formed by the neck14. The narrowing13can be formed at another place on the neck14, e.g. in the vicinity of its top end. However, the positioning of the narrowing13inFIGS. 1 and 3corresponds to a conventional shape for a reservoir neck which generally presents a narrowing where the neck14joins the shoulder12.

The outer casing2is made with an appropriate material (plastics, glass, metal, etc.) enabling a certain rigidity to be imparted thereto. The outer casing2comprises a body20, in this case a cylinder, closed at its bottom end by a casing bottom21. At its top end, the body20is open and defines a top portion22defining on its inside wall one or more snap-fastening rings or beads23. The top portion22is also provided with bearing or abutment means25which, in this case, are provided in the form of ends of ribs24which extend over the height of the body20. In the embodiment shown inFIGS. 1 and 4, the inside wall of the body is formed with eight ribs24defining eight abutment or bearing ends25situated a little below the snap-fastening rings or beads23. It will easily be understood that a disk presenting a diameter that is substantially equal to the inside diameter of the casing20can rest in stable manner on the eight ends25. The ribs24extend over the height of the body20so as to improve the stability of the reservoir1inside the casing2. Naturally, the function fulfilled by the ends25of the ribs24can be fulfilled by other means, e.g. by an inwardly-projecting peripheral radial flange. It is also possible to envisage merely forming studs on the inside wall of the body20.

In the invention, a holding element3is used for holding the reservoir1in place inside the casing2. In this case, the holding element3is in the form of a simple washer having a portion that has been removed. With reference toFIG. 2, the holding element is in the shape of an uppercase “c”. Naturally, it is possible to envisage other shapes for the holding element, having functions that are described below. The holding element3becomes engaged both with the neck14of the reservoir1and with the casing2at its top portion22. More precisely, the holding element co-operates with the narrowing13of the neck14and with the abutment ends25of the casing2. To do this, the holding element includes a central housing31having an edge34that presents a shape enabling it to be fitted around the narrowing13of the neck14. To enable the neck14to be inserted in the housing31, the holding element3advantageously forms an access passage32which opens out in the housing31. Thus, the holding element3can be engaged around the neck14at the narrowing13by passing the narrowing of the neck via the access passage32. The access passage32opens wide onto the housing31, but entry is nevertheless limited in such a manner that the edge34of the housing31can surround the narrowing13over more that half of its periphery. Thus, good stable fixing of the holding element3around the narrowing13is achieved.

The holding element3also presents an outside edge33which enables the holding element to be engaged inside the body20in such a manner as to be able to rest on the abutment ends25. In the embodiment shown in the figures, the casing2, and the narrowing13of the neck14are circularly cylindrical: thus, it is easy to make the holding element3in the form of a simple washer with a circular inside edge34and also a circular outside edge33. However, it is possible to envisage other shapes for the edges34and33, but without modifying their functions at the neck14and at the casing2.

As can be seen inFIG. 1, the holding element3is firstly engaged around the neck14at its narrowing13, and secondly comes to bear on the abutment ends25formed inside the casing2. In this way, the reservoir1is held in perfectly stable manner inside the casing2. It should even be observed that the bottom11of the reservoir1is situated away from the bottom21of the casing2. It can be said that the reservoir1is suspended inside the casing2by means of the holding element3.

The holding element can be made in particularly simple manner as described above, i.e. from a perfectly flat simple washer which can be cut out or punched out from a plate. The holding element3is preferably made of plastics material, but it can also be made of metal or of any other appropriate material. Naturally, it is possible to envisage more complicated shapes for the holding element3.

The dispenser member5, which in this case is a pump, presents a body50which is terminated at its top end by a snap-fastening collar51. The pump also presents a pusher52which is pressed to actuate its mechanism.

The pump5can be engaged directly on the neck14of the reservoir1like a stopper, with sealing by claming being provided between the body50and a portion of the neck14, e.g. at its narrowing13. However, in the invention, a fixing member4is used to fix the pump in the neck14of the receptacle. The fixing member4includes reception means41in which the snap-fastening collar51of the pump5is received. In this way, the pump5is held in stable manner in the fixing member4. Below the reception means41, the fixing member4defines an inner sleeve42designed to be engaged in sealed manner in the neck14. The sleeve42extends around the body50of the pump5, advantageously with a space between the sleeve and the body. The fixing member4also includes a peripheral skirt43which extends around the reception means41and the sleeve42. In the embodiment inFIG. 1, the peripheral skirt43is generally bullet-shaped. In the vicinity of its bottom end, the skirt43forms a snap-fastening bushing44which has rings formed on its outside that are adapted to co-operate with the snap-fastening rings43formed in the portion22of the rigid casing2. Above the bushing44, the skirt forms a peripheral flange45which extends radially outwards. The flange45is designed to come to bear on the top end of the portion22of the rigid casing2. It should be noted that the bottom end of the bushing44formed by the skirt43comes to bear on the holding element3, itself in abutment on the ends25. In this way, the holding element3is blocked in position inside the casing2, trapped between the abutment ends25and the free end of the bushing44. It should be noted that the contact between the bushing44and the holding element3serves as a reference for positioning the inner sleeve42inside the neck14. Given that the holding element3is mounted in fixed manner in position in the narrowing13of the neck14, the sleeve43is also positioned in precise manner in the neck14as a result of the bottom end of the bushing44bearing on the holding element3. It is therefore not necessary to provide a special abutment to limit the engagement of the bushing42in the neck14. The peripheral skirt43can optionally serve as a support for a cap6which comes to cover the skirt43and the pusher52.

FIGS. 5,6, and7show a second embodiment of a dispenser of the invention which implements a holding element3′ designed to receive two reservoirs1′. Each reservoir1′ comprises a flexible pouch10′ fixed on a pouch support14′ which forms a neck defining an opening causing the inside of the flexible pouch10′ to communicate with the outside. Although not shown, the pouch support14′ includes a fixing member, advantageously fixed by heat sealing, and on which the opening of the flexible pouch10′ can be fixed, advantageously by heat sealing. The pouch support14′ also comprises a top plate12′ which extends just below a groove13′ and which serves to fix the pouch support14′ on the holding element3′, as described below.

In this case, the holding element3′ comprises a base plate30′ in which two housings31′ are cut out, being open towards the edge of the plate30′ via access passages32′. The access passages32′ extend in substantially opposite directions. The holding element3′ also forms a ring36′ which extends upwards from the periphery of the plate30′. The ring36′ is also formed with lateral access slots35′ which are situated just above the access passages32′. This can be seen inFIG. 5. Furthermore, the holding element3′ includes a partition37′ which extends below the plate30′ substantially between the two housings31′.

The reservoirs1′ can be received in and mounted on the holding element3′ in a manner that is substantially similar to that of the first embodiment described above. The narrowing13′ formed by the neck of the pouch support14′ is designed to be inserted and advantageously held by snap-fastening inside a housing31′ formed by the base plate30′ of the holding element3′. The edge34′ of the housing31′ thus becomes engaged in the narrowing or groove13′, advantageously surrounding it over more than half of its perimeter. Fixing is achieved in this way. In addition, as can be seen inFIG. 6, the top plate35′ becomes engaged under the plate30′. Thus, fixing is ensured by engaging the narrowing13′ in the housing31′, and stability is ensured by positioning the top plate12′ under the plate30′. It will easily be understood fromFIGS. 5 and 6that the reservoirs can be put in place on the holding element3′ by engaging their pouch supports14′ via the slots35′ and the access passages32′. Once the reservoirs are mounted on the holding element3′, as shown inFIG. 6, the resulting sub-assembly can be engaged as a single piece inside a casing2′, as shown inFIG. 7. The casing2′ comprises a barrel20′ which can advantageously be of elongate, oval, or ellipsoidal shape. As in the first embodiment, although not shown, the inside of the casing2′ can be provided with bearing surfaces for receiving the plate30′. It should also be noted that the ring36′ can be omitted, but it nevertheless provides better stability for the holding element3′ in the casing2′. Once the holding element3′ with its reservoirs is inserted in the casing2′, as shown inFIG. 7, the reservoirs1′ are held captive in the holding element3′, given that the barrel20′ of the casing2′ blocks the slots35′ via which the reservoirs were engaged in the housings31′.

In order to obtain a finished fluid dispenser, it then suffices to fill the two reservoirs, and to mount dispenser members by means of a fixing member, as in the first embodiment.

By means of the invention, practically any reservoir can be held in position inside a rigid casing of any shape by using a holding element of the invention which makes the connection between the neck14of the reservoir and the casing with remarkable adaptability.