Self sealing closure for a flexible container

Abstract: A device for the automatic opening and closing of a container for pastes, such as toothpaste and the like, including a compressable tubular body (1) closed at one end and provided with a dispenser head (3) at the other end. The dispenser head (3) includes a dispensing duct (4) including two portions (11, 12) at an angle forming an intersection aperture (13). A piston (17) is positioned to slide sealingly inside the first portion (11) of the dispensing duct so that it closes the intersection aperture (13) when at rest but opens it when the user squeezes the tubular body (1) forcing the paste into the first portion (11) of the dispensing duct. The piston (17) is connected by its rod (18), through an aperture in the first portion (11) of the dispensing duct, to a resilient arm (8, 9) supporting a plate-like element (7) which covers the outlet orifice (6) through which the product is dispensed. The movement of the piston (17) also opens the outlet orifice (6) and accumulates elastic energy in the arm (8, 9) which automatically returns the device to its closed position.

Description: The present invention relates to a device for automatically opening and closing a container for pastes having a tubular body, deformable by compression, closed at one end and provided with a head for dispensing the product at the other, in which the said dispenser head includes a dispensing duct with an inlet orifice inside the tubular body in communication with the paste contained within it and an outlet orifice communicating with the outside, a plate-like element for opening and closing the said outlet orifice and which moves tangentially to it, a support arm for the said plate-like element which is connected to the dispenser head and resilient means for biasing the plate-like element to its closure position closing the outlet orifice. Devices of the type described above are used in the packaging of products such as toothpaste, shaving cream, ointments and the like. Examples of embodiments of such devices are illustrated in DE-A-2 030 525 and in US-A-4 032 051. However such prior art devices are not without their respective disadvantages which compromise their operation during repeated compression and release of the tubular container to dispense the product. The device known from DE-A-2 030 525 has the disadvantage of imperfect tangential wiping of the output orifice of the dispensing duct owing to the presence, inside this duct, of a lifting tab extending in proximity to the output orifice where it connects with the plate element at an angle that diminishes the wiping effect of the edge of the latter. The device known from US-A-4 032 051, while having the advantage of tangential wiping of the output orifice, does have the disadvantage of leaving a quantity of material exposed to the external environment after the orifice is closed, with the consequent risk of blocking the orifice itself. The object of the invention is to eliminate the disadvantages associated with prior art devices while providing a device of simple structure and high reliability in use. This object is achieved by the device according to Claim 1 which follows. The invention will now be described and illustrated with reference to several embodiments, given purely as non-limitative examples in the appended drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a lateral view, in partial cross-section, of a first embodiment of the device according to the invention in its closed position; Figure 2 is a view from above of the device of Figure 1; Figure 3 shows a cross-section of the device of Figure 1 in a partly open position; Figure 4 shows a cross-section of the device of Figure 1 in an open position ready to dispense the product; Figure 5 is a lateral view, in partial cross-section, of a second embodiment of the device according to the invention in its closed position; Figure 6 shows a cross-section of the device of Figure 5 in a partly open position; Figure 7 is a cross-section of the device of Figure 5 in an open position ready to dispense the product; and Figure 8 shows in enlarged scale a cross-section taken on the line VIII-VIII of Figure 7. With reference to the above drawings, the tubular body of the container, indicated 1, is in itself conventional, generally made of a non-rigid compressable material, adapted to contain a paste, for example toothpaste, shaving cream, medicated ointments and the like. The tubular body 1, closed at one end 2 after being filled, is joined to a dispenser head generally indicated 3. This head includes a dispensing duct 4 with an inlet orifice 5 inside the tubular body 1 and an outlet orifice 6 communicating with the outside. In front of the outlet orifice 6 is positioned a plate-like element 7 for the opening and closing of the orifice 6 in a way which is described later. With reference in particular to Figures 1 to 4, it will be noted that the plate-like element 7 is connected to a support arm 8 whose bent end 9 is held in a fixing 10 to the head 3. The arm 8 and in particular its bent end 9 are made of flexible elastic material so they can bend at least at the fixing 10 as shown in Figures 3 and 4. The dispensing duct 4 includes a first portion 11 extending parallel to the longitudinal axis X-X of the tubular body 1 and a second portion 12 at an angle to the first portion 11 thus forming an intersection aperture 13 whose opening is reduced by a wall 14 coaxial of the first portion 11 and coplanar with its inner surface 15. The first portion 11 is provided with an axial aperture 16 facing the inlet orifice 5. Inside the first portion 11 of the dispensing duct there is a piston 17 sealingly slidable axially along the inner surface 15 between a first position in which it completely covers the intersection aperture 13 and a second position in which the aperture 13 is at least partially open and in communication with the first portion 11, as illustrated in Figure 4. The piston 17 is provided with an axial rod 18 which passes through the axial aperture 16 to engage at its end against the arm 8. The device operates in the following way. By squeezing the tubular body 1 paste 1a contained within it is caused to flow into the first portion 11 of the dispensing duct 4. The compression of the product moves the piston 17 axially from the position shown in Figure 1 to that shown in Figure 4 passing through the position shown in Figure 3. The uncovering of the intersection aperture 13 allows the product to enter the second portion 12 of the dispensing duct 4 and reach the outlet orifice 6 which has opened in the meantime. By means of the rod 18 the piston 17 also lifts the arm 8 and with it the plate-like element 7 which, at the start of the operation, covered the outlet orifice 6. This movement occurs against a resilient deformation of the arm 8 and its end 9 engaged in the head 3. The accumulated energy is returned when compression of the tubular body 1 ends, with the result that the plate-like element 7 returns to cover the outlet orifice 6 in a tangential movement that wipes this orifice. The wiping action is carried out in particular by the edge 7a which is formed like a blade. As well as returning the plate-like element 7 to the closed position, the arm 8 also causes the piston 17 to slide back down the first portion 11 of the duct 4 thereby closing the intersection aperture 13. Referring in particular to Figures 5 to 8, it will be observed that structural elements in common with the embodiment illustrated in the previous drawings are indicated with the same reference numbers. It will also be observed that in the particular embodiment illustrated in Figures 5 to 8, the end portion 9 of the arm 8 is connected to the head 3 by a pivot 19 around which it can rotate freely while the end 20 of the rod 18 is slidably connected to the arm 8 in a way which ensures the two are coupled. As will be seen in greater detail in Figure 8, the arm 8 is provided with a longitudinal rib 21 towards the end 20 of the rod 18. This rib ends in two lateral projections 22 and 23 which snap engage two opposite tabs 24, 25 fixed to the end 20 of the rod 18. During rotation of the arm 8 round the pivot 19, the opposite tabs 24, 25 slide longitudinally against the projections 22, 23 allowing the rod 18 to remain in its vertical position. At the same time, a positive connection between the rod 18 and the arm 8 is ensured because the extremities 26 and 27 of the tabs 24, 25 are in contact with the lower surface 8a of the arm 8. In the embodiment illustrated in Figures 5 to 8, the resilient biasing means for returning the arm 8 to the closed position after dispensing the product consist of a coil spring concentric with the rod 18 which at one end presses axially against the piston 17 and at the other against a radial edge (29) formed in the first portion 11 of the dispensing duct near its axial aperture 16. During delivery of a dose of the product, the spring 28 is compressed as illustrated in Figure 7 and when compression of the tubular body 1 ends, the accumulated elastic energy is returned so that the piston 17 returns to its closed position and its rod 18 also returns the arm 8 and the plate-like element 7 to their closed positions. The embodiments described above are particularly suitable for containers whose body 1 is made of deformable non-rigid material. In the case of a body 1 made of elastically deformable material, the return to their normal positions of the walls of the container after delivering a dose of product may be suffient to suck the piston 17 back to its position closing the intersection aperture 13. In this case, in the embodiment illustrated in Figures 5 to 8, the spring 28 may be omitted as its function is fulfilled by the walls of the container body 1. A device according to the invention overcomes the disadvantages found in known devices and in particular efficiently cuts off the product level with the outlet orifice so that no traces of the product are left in contact with the external environment.

Claims: A device for automatically opening and closing a container for pastes having a tubular body (1), deformable by compression, closed at one end and provided with a head (3) for dispensing the product at the other, in which the said dispenser head (3) includes a dispensing duct (4) with an inlet orifice (5) inside the tubular body (1) in communication with the paste contained within it and an outlet orifice (6) communicating with the outside, a plate-like element (7) for opening and closing the said outlet orifice (6) and which moves tangentially to it, a support arm (8) for the said plate-like element (7) which is connected to the dispenser head (3) and resilient means (9, 28) for biasing the plate-like element (7) to its closure position closing the outlet orifice (6), characterised in that the said dispensing duct (4) includes first and second portions (11, 12) with respective internal tubular surfaces, the said portions (11, 12) intersecting at an angle to form an intersection aperture (13), and a piston (17) positioned in the said first portion (11) sealingly slidable axially along the inner surface (15) of this portion (11) between a first position in which it completely covers the said intersection aperture (13) and a second position in which it leaves it at least partly open and in communication with the said first portion (11), the said piston (17) being in engagement with the said resilient biasing means (9, 28) for the plate-like element (7) which opens and closes the said outlet orifice (6). A device according to Claim 1, characterised in that the said first portion (11) of the dispensing duct (4) extends parallel to the longitudinal axis (X-X) of the said tubular body (1). A device according to Claims 1 and 2, characterised in that the said intersection aperture (13) between the first and second portions of the dispensing duct includes a wall (14) coaxial to the said first portion (11) and coplanar with its internal surface (15) which reduces the opening of the intersection aperture. A device according to Claims 1 to 3, characterised in that the said first portion (11) of the dispensing duct is provided with an axial aperture (16) opposite the said inlet orifice (5). A device according to claims 1 to 4, characterised in that the said piston (17) is provided with a rod (18) which passes through the axial aperture (16) of the first portion (11) of the dispensing duct and engages the said support arm 8. A device according to Claim 1, characterised in that the said means for biasing the said plate-like element (7) include an end portion (9) of the said support arm (8) for the plate-like element (7) connected by a slot to the said dispenser head (3), the said end portion (9) being resiliently deformable. A device according to Claim 4, characterised in that the said resilient biasing means for the said plate-like element (7) include a radial edge (29) located at the axial aperture (16) of the first portion (11) of the dispensing duct (4), a coil spring (28) coaxial to the rod (18) of the piston (17), this spring (28) reacting between the said piston (17) and the said radial edge (29), and positive means (21, 24, 25) connecting the rod (18) and the arm (8) of the plate-like element (7). A device according to Claims 1 to 7, characterised in that the said body (1) of the container is made of non-rigid material. A device according to Claims 1 to 7, characterised in that the said body (1) of the container is made of elastically deformable material.

Inventors: BATTEGAZZORE PIERO, BATTEGAZZORE, PIERO
Applicants: GUALA SPA, GUALA S.P.A.
Application year: 1992
Main classification: B65D35
IPC codes: B65D35, B65D47