Fluid product dispenser with rigid shell and a soft bag

A fluid dispenser having a substantially rigid shell (1) provided with an opening (14), a flexible pouch (23) fixed to a pouch support (2) forming a fixing bushing (22) defining an outlet passageway (24) for the fluid, and a dispensing member (3) such as a pump for extracting the fluid from the flexible pouch through the outlet passageway of the pouch support; and wherein the fixing bushing (22) of the flexible support (2) is fixed in the opening (14) of the shell (1).

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a fluid dispenser comprising a substantially rigid shell and a flexible pouch serving to contain the fluid to be dispensed. A dispensing member such as a pump is used to extract the fluid from the flexible pouch. It is known that an intermediate part can be used to fix the dispensing member to the flexible pouch, such an intermediate part serving firstly as a support for the pouch and secondly as a fixing bushing for the pump. Such a dispenser is disclosed, in particular, in Document U.S. Pat. No. 5,873,491. In that prior art dispenser, the intermediate part, which may be referred to as a “pouch support”, comprises a peripheral plate having an outer periphery that is snap-fastened inside the shell. The shell is closed at its bottom, and it has an opening that is large enough to enable the flexible pouch and its pouch support to be inserted through it to complete the dispenser. Since the pouch and its support are inserted into the shell from above, it is possible for the pump to be mounted on the pouch support prior to insertion.

It has been observed that, with that type of prior art dispenser, it is possible for the pouch support to be dislodged if the dispensing member is manipulated improperly or clumsily. As a result, the pouch support is not fixed reliably to the shell.

In the prior art, Document EP-0 638 367 describes a dispenser comprising a rigid shell with a neck, a reservoir with a neck, and a pump. The bottom of the shell is open, and the reservoir is inserted into the shell via its open bottom. The neck of the shell forms an internal annular set of teeth which co-operates with a complementary set of teeth formed on the outside of the neck of the reservoir. Those sets of teeth are engaged in one another and serve as means for preventing rotation. The reservoir is fixed in the shell by screwing a pump fixing ring onto a thread formed by the neck of the reservoir. That dispenser is a refillable dispenser in which the reservoir is easy to replace. That is why the reservoir is not fixed permanently to the shell or to the pump. Properly speaking, it is not even fixed to the shell, let alone fixed permanently thereto, since the reservoir is not constrained to move with the shell if said shell is raised. In actual fact, the rotation-preventing means are unnecessary to achieve fixing, which is obtained entirely by screwing on the pump. In addition, the reservoir1is not a flexible pouch sealed to a support.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An object of the present invention is to overcome the drawbacks of the prior art by defining a dispenser whose pouch support is fixed securely and permanently to the rigid shell, independently of the fixing of the pump.

To this end, the present invention provides a fluid dispenser comprising a substantially rigid shell provided with an opening, a flexible pouch fixed to a pouch support forming a fixing bushing defining an outlet passageway for the fluid, and a dispensing member such as a pump, mounted in the outlet passageway of the pouch support to extract the fluid from the flexible pouch, the fixing bushing of the flexible support being fixed in the opening of the shell from the inside. Naturally, the bottom of the rigid shell is open and can be closed off by means of a separate bottom piece. The pouch support is thus inserted into the rigid shell via its open bottom, and is fixed in position in the opening in the shell. Once the pump is mounted, it is impossible to separate the pouch support from the rigid shell, since the pump is situated outside the shell, and most of the pouch support is situated inside the shell.

Another advantage of this type of fixing for fixing the pouch in the shell is that it does not involve the dispensing member (pump). Therefore, the pouch is secured to the shell in the absence of the pump. It is thus possible to fill the pouch while said pouch is already fixed in the shell. In addition, the shell serves as a support for the pouch, thereby holding it for filling, and also while the pump is being fixed. This is not achieved with the dispenser of Document EP-0 638 367.

For fixing the pouch support, the fixing bushing is provided with a snap-fastening profile serving to co-operate by snap-fastening with the opening in the shell. In which case, it is necessary merely to engage the pouch support in the shell and to force it into the opening in the shell until snap-fastening takes place.

In a first embodiment, the dispensing member is fixed to the fixing bushing. The fixing bushing then serves both as a snap-fastening member for snap-fastening to the shell, and also as a fixing member for fixing to the pump. Advantageously, the dispensing member comes into abutting contact against the rigid shell. Thus, the shell is “wedged” between the pump and the pouch support on which it is snap-fastened. Clearly, it is impossible to separate the pouch support from the shell merely by acting on the pump.

In a second embodiment, the opening in the shell is formed by a neck which projects outwards from the shell, said fixing bushing being fixed in the neck. In which case, the dispensing member is fixed to the neck of the shell. The pouch support is thus fixed, e.g. by snap-fastening, in the neck of the shell, and the pump is fixed, e.g. by snap-fastening, on the neck of the shell. The neck thus serves as fixing means both for the pouch support and for the pump. Once again, clearly it is impossible to separate the pouch support merely by acting on the pump, in particular since there is no direct mechanical link between the pouch support and the pump.

When the fixing bushing of the pouch support is snap-fastened in the neck of the shell, it is advantageous for the neck of the shell to be elastically deformable so that it can be deformed radially outwards to enable the fixing bushing to pass through the neck. The fact that the neck is elastically deformable makes it possible to facilitate snap-fastening of the fixing bushing of the pouch support. In a practical embodiment, the neck of the shell is provided with at least one vertical slot making it possible for the neck to expand radially while the fixing bushing is being put in place. By subsequently fixing the pump, e.g. by snap-fastening, onto the neck of the shell, it is possible to lock the snap-fastening of the bushing in the neck. Once the pump is mounted on the deformable neck, said neck can no longer undergo radial outward deformation.

In a practical embodiment, the neck is provided with an internal snap-fastening groove for snap-fastening the fixing bushing, and with an external snap-fastening groove for snap-fastening the dispensing member.

DETAILED DESCIPTION OF THE EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS

In the two embodiments used to illustrate the present invention, the fluid dispenser comprises a substantially rigid shell1, a pouch support2to which a flexible pouch is fixed, and a dispensing member such as a pump.

The shell may mask the entire pouch as in the example described below. However, the shell may also be in the form of a casing covering only the top portion of the pouch while leaving its bottom portion apparent.

In the figures, the substantially rigid shell1comprises a body10, which is substantially cylindrical in this example, but that may also be of some other pleasing or functional shape. At its top end, the body forms a shoulder12which preferably centrally defines an opening14of relatively small size. At its bottom end, the body10is wide open and may optionally be closed off by a bottom piece. Therefore, the inside of the shell is easily accessible via its open bottom11. When looking into the shell via its wide-open bottom11, it is possible to see the opening14of small size in the shoulder12.

The pouch support2includes a sealing appendage21provided with ribs210. The flexible pouch23is sealed via the sealing appendage21so that the appendage21penetrates into the opening in the flexible pouch. Above the sealing appendage21, the pouch support2defines a plate20from which a fixing bushing projects22. The sealing appendage21and the fixing bushing22define a through hole24via which the inside of the pouch23can communicate with the outside.

In the invention, the fixing bushing22of the pouch support2is fixed into the opening14of the rigid shell1from the inside, i.e. by inserting the pouch support2into the shell1via its open bottom11so as to bring the fixing bushing into the opening14in the shell1. The pouch support may be fixed in the opening14by any technique, e.g. by screw-fastening or by snap-fastening. In an embodiment of the invention shown inFIG. 5, the opening14in the shell1is formed merely by a perforation in the shoulder12. In addition, the fixing bushing22of the pouch support2is formed by a snap-fastening bead221serving to come into snap-fastening engagement with the edge of the opening14. For this purpose, the pouch support2is brought into the shell1and the fixing bushing22is engaged in the opening14, and, by exerting appropriate pressure, the flange221is caused to pass through to the other side of the opening14as shown inFIG. 5. Once in place, the pouch support2is in a state in which it is secured permanently to the rigid shell1. It is then necessary merely to mount a pump on the fixing bushing22of the pouch support2to complete the dispenser.

In the embodiment shown inFIGS. 1 to 4, the opening14in the rigid shell1is formed by a neck13which projects outwards from the shell1. The neck13has internal and external profiles that serve to co-operate with the pouch support2and the pump. In a practical embodiment, the neck13internally forms a snap-fastening groove131, and the bushing22of the pouch support2forms a snap-fastening bead221serving to come into snap-fastening engagement in the groove131. In addition, the neck13externally forms a snap-fastening groove serving to co-operate by snap-fastening with a snap-fastening bead30formed by a fixing ring31for fixing the pump3. To facilitate putting the pouch support2in place inside the neck13, it is possible to provide the neck13with vertical slots132, e.g. with four such slots, as shown inFIG. 3, thereby imparting elasticity to the neck, so that the four neck segments defined in this way can be deformed radially outwards as the bead221passes through the neck13so as finally to reach the snap-fastening groove131formed by the neck13. The pouch support is locked permanently in the neck13by putting the dispensing member3in place on the neck13, thereby permanently locking the snap-fastening of the pouch support2. It should be noted that, in this embodiment, the pump3is not in mechanical contact with the pouch support2since they are both snap-fastened to the same member, i.e. the neck13of the shell1. It is thus strictly impossible to dislodge the pouch support by acting on the pump. The same applies in the version shown inFIG. 5, although the pump is fixed directly to the fixing bushing. If the pump is removed from the bushing, the pouch support remains snap-fastened in the opening14in the rigid shell.