Abstract:
A fluid dispenser head comprising a body ( 1 ) forming a dispensing duct ( 14 ) having an outlet ( 143 ) defining an outlet axis X, and a shutter ( 2 ) fitted to the body ( 1 ) for the purpose of selectively closing off the dispensing duct ( 14 ) at its outlet ( 143 ), the shutter forming a dispensing orifice ( 22 ) that is closed in the absence of fluid under pressure in the dispensing duct, said shutter being provided with sealing means ( 24 ) and with fixing means ( 25   a ) co-operating respectively with complementary seal-receiving means ( 15 ) and with complementary holding means formed by the body ( 1 ), the fixing means comprising at least one fixing profile ( 253 ) facing radially outwards relative to the outlet axis X, and the holding means comprising at least one holding profile ( 193 ) facing radially inwards towards the outlet axis X.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
   This application claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. §119(e) of U.S. provisional patent application Ser. No. 60/518,318, filed Nov. 10, 2003, now abandoned and priority under 35 U.S.C. §119(a)–(d) of French patent application No. FR-03.08492, filed Jul. 10, 2003. 

   TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention relates to a fluid dispenser head designed to be fitted to a fluid dispenser member such as a pump or a valve. The dispenser head may form a pusher on which the user can exert pressure for the purpose of actuating the dispenser member. However, this pusher function may be dissociated from the dispenser head. Such a dispenser head may, in particular, be used in association with a dispenser member for being fitted to a fluid reservoir in the fields of perfumes, cosmetics, or indeed pharmaceuticals. 
   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   The type of fluid dispenser head of the present invention comprises, in general, a body forming a dispensing duct having an inlet designed to be connected to the dispenser head, and an outlet having an outlet axis X. The head further comprises a shutter fitted to the body for the purpose of selectively closing off the dispensing duct at its outlet, the shutter forming a dispensing orifice that is closed in the absence of fluid under pressure in the dispensing duct, and that is opened in the presence of fluid in the dispensing duct at a pressure greater than an opening threshold pressure, said shutter being provided with sealing means and with fixing means co-operating respectively with complementary seal-receiving means and with complementary holding means formed by the body for the purpose of fixing the shutter to the body in leaktight manner. The dispensing orifice is often formed merely by a single self-closing slit which remains leaktight and in the closed state in the rest position, i.e. in the absence of fluid at a pressure higher than the opening threshold pressure. A dispenser head of that type is already known from Document FR 2 654 078. The shutter in that document is snap-fastened to the body with a snap-fastening profile that faces inwards. In addition, the snap-fastening function and the sealing function almost coincide, or are at least very intimately associated with each other. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   An object of the present invention is to define a dispenser head of that type that has improved sealing and fixing functions. In addition, the shutter and/or the body must be easy to mold and to remove from their molds. Permanent fixing is also another object. To achieve these objects, the present invention proposes, in one embodiment, for the fixing means to comprise at least one fixing profile facing radially outwards relative to the outlet axis X, and for the holding means to comprise at least one holding profile facing radially inwards towards the outlet axis X. This means that the shutter is fixed to the body over an outside periphery of the shutter and over an inside periphery of the body, unlike the fixing in the above-mentioned prior art dispenser head. According to another advantageous characteristic which may be implemented additionally or alternatively, the seal-receiving means are situated radially closer to the outlet axis X than the holding means. Advantageously, the seal-receiving means and the holding means extend substantially concentrically. This means that the fixing means are separated in space from the sealing means. In other words, the fixing means do not normally participate in sealing between the shutter and the body. Likewise, the sealing between the shutter and the body does not participate in fixing the shutter to the body. Thus, the sealing function and the fixing function are dissociated. It is thus possible to optimize each function (sealing and fixing) independently from each other. This does not apply to the prior art dispenser head in which the fixing participates in the sealing. Configuring the fixing profiles on the outside periphery of the shutter and separating the sealing function from the fixing function are two characteristics that can be implemented independently from each other. 
   According to another characteristic of the invention, the seal-receiving means comprise a peripheral groove which extends around the outlet, and the sealing means comprise a sealing lip in leaktight engagement in the groove. Advantageously, the groove forms two side walls interconnected by an end wall, the lip being in leaktight contact at least with the two side walls and advantageously also with the end wall. Preferably, the lip flanks an outlet chamber situated in alignment with the outlet of the duct and having a convergence wall which extends towards the dispensing orifice for the purpose of directing the pressurized fluid coming from the outlet towards the dispensing orifice. The sealing lip makes it possible to achieve a sealing quality that is particularly high, since the lip comes into leaktight contact with three distinct zones, namely the two side walls and the end wall. The sealing contact on the side walls is particularly effective since the two side walls face each other and the lip is thus compressed or wedged between said two side walls. Resistance of the lip to deformation is thus no longer a constraint. It is possible to form a lip that is very fine and that is inserted into a groove of very narrow width. 
   In another advantageous aspect of the invention, the fixing means comprise at least one fixing catch forming an outside fixing profile, and the holding means comprise at least one holding recess forming a holding profile designed to come into fixing engagement with the fixing profile. Advantageously, the holding means further comprise locking means designed to cooperate with the fixing means (catches) to lock the fixing profile in engagement with the holding profile. Preferably, the holding recess forms a locking surface designed to urge the fixing catch so as to push the fixing profile against the holding profile. In a practical embodiment, the locking surface faces radially outwards relative to the outlet axis X, the fixing catch forming a cam surface radially facing towards the outlet axis, said cam surface being in engagement with the locking surface. Also for practical reasons, the dispenser head has three fixing catches disposed on either side of and below the outlet axis X, when the inlet faces downwards. 
   Advantageously, said at least one holding recess comprises an insertion window defining an inner edge and an outer edge relative to the outlet axis, said outer edge defining a snap-fastening inside shoulder forming said holding profile, said outside fixing profile coming into snap-fastened engagement with said snap-fastening inside shoulder. The fixing catches with their outside fixing profiles thus extend around the sealing lip, and forming the fixing profiles on the outsides or on the outside peripheries of the catches also makes it possible for the shutter to be removed naturally from the mold by moving the mold portions apart. This does not apply when the fixing profiles are provided on an inside wall or face towards the outlet axis. In which case, the shutter is removed from the mold by applying force, which often damages the fixing profiles. The resulting fixing quality is lower. As for the locking means, they guarantee that the locking profiles are fixed irreversibly or in tamper-proof manner to the holding profiles. 
   According to another characteristic of the invention, the dispensing orifice is a self-closing slit urged at rest into a leaktight closed position. This slit may be formed merely by making a single incision in the shutter by means of a cutting blade. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The invention is described more fully below with reference to the accompanying drawings which show an embodiment of the invention by way of non-limiting example. 
     In the figures: 
       FIG. 1  is a vertical section view through a dispenser head of the invention; 
       FIG. 2  is a horizontal section view on the outlet axis X of  FIG. 1 ; 
       FIG. 3  is a vertical section view through the body of the dispenser head; 
       FIG. 4  is a perspective view of the shutter of the dispenser head of the invention; 
       FIG. 5  is another view of the shutter seen from another angle; 
       FIG. 6  is a perspective view of the body of the dispenser head of the invention. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
   The dispenser head used to illustrate the present invention and shown in the figures is a dispenser head of the pusher type that can be pressed using one or more fingers in order to actuate a dispenser member, such as a pump or a valve, to which the head is fitted. However, a dispenser head of the present invention may be dissociated from the pusher function and have merely a discharging and dispensing function for discharging and dispensing the fluid. In which case, the pusher is separate from the head. 
   In the embodiment shown in the figures, the dispenser head is made up of two component elements, namely a body  1  and a shutter  2 . The two elements may be made by injecting plastics materials into appropriate molds. The body is preferably made of a plastics material that is harder or stiffer than the shutter. For example, the shutter may be made of elastomer. 
   The body  1 , which is preferably integrally molded in one piece, comprises a push top wall  13  which serves a pusher surface against which one or more fingers of one hand can be applied and can exert a pressing force. In this example, the top wall  13  has a complex shape that is both rounded and inclined. This is an ergonomic shape for the position of a finger with the tip phalanx of the finger placed on the highest portion of the top wall  13 . In addition, the body  1  forms a peripheral side skirt  11  which extends from the top wall  13  downwards; The skirt  11  has a configuration that is also complex, but that is substantially cylindrical. Where the top wall  13  is at its highest, the skirt  11  forms a join surface  17  that is exactly plane in this example. The join surface  17  is provided with plurality of openings or slots, as is described below. The shutter  2  is described below and is designed to be mounted on the body  1  at the join surface  17 . 
   The body  1  internally defines a connection sleeve  12  serving to receive the top end of an actuating rod of a dispenser head such as a pump or a valve. The socket formed by the connection sleeve  12  may be of the force-fitting type or of the snap-fastening type. The rod-receiving socket is extended by a dispensing duct  14  which defines an axial inlet  141 . This inlet is disposed on a vertical longitudinal axis Y which coincides with the axis of the dispenser member and of its actuating rod. Naturally, the inlet  141  is open facing downwards so as to communicate with the socket formed by the connection sleeve  12  in which the top end of the actuating rod is to be engaged. In many cases, the body  1 , and more generally the dispenser head, is mounted to rotate about said vertical axis Y. The dispensing duct  14  also forms a radial passageway  142  which opens out at the join surface  17  via an outlet  143 . The outlet  143  and the passageway  142  that connects the inlet  141  to the outlet  143  extend along a dispensing or outlet axis X. The outlet axis X extends substantially perpendicularly to the vertical longitudinal axis Y. However, the axis X may extend slightly or significantly upwards or downwards relative to the axis Y. The outlet  143  is thus flanked by a plane annular surface  16  which may be disposed in the same plane as the join surface  17 , or advantageously be set back slightly inwards relative to said plane of the surface  17 , as can be seen very clearly in  FIG. 3 . The annular wall  16  is surrounded externally by a groove  15  which extends from the join surface  17  into the body  1  in substantially the same direction as the outlet axis X. The groove  15  thus forms a sort of annular trench whose depth extends horizontally. The groove is made up of two concentric annular side walls  151  and  152  interconnected by an end wall  153 . 
   The groove  15  is surrounded by the join surface  17 . With reference to  FIG. 6 , it can be seen that the groove  15  is surrounded on at least three of its sides, namely its two lateral sides and its bottom side, by respective insertion windows, namely a bottom window  19   a  below the groove, and two side insertion windows  19   b . The section view of  FIG. 3  shows the insertion window  19   a , whereas  FIG. 2  shows the side windows  19   b . The insertion windows  19   a  and  19   b  pass through the thickness of the wall of the skirt  11  so as to give access to the inside of the body  1 . The insertion windows constitute openings giving access to holding recesses  18   a  and  18   b . The window  19   a  gives access to the bottom recess  18   a  while the windows  19   b  give access to the side holding recesses  18   b . Each window defines an inner edge  191  and an outer edge  192 . The inner edge  192  is closer to the axis X than is the outer edge  192 . The inner edges  191  are placed immediately outside the groove  15  while the outer edges  192  face the inner edges  192  with the access passageway extending between them. In the invention, the inside shoulder  193  formed by the outer edge  192  serves as a holding profile for co-operating with the shutter  2  as explained below. There are therefore three holding shoulders  193  that extend towards the axis X. Said shoulders constitute holding means that face inwards towards the axis X. Each of the inner edges  191  extends inside a respective one of the holding recesses while forming a respective locking surface  181  that faces outwards relative to the axis X and that forms an angle relative to the horizontal. Thus, by engaging a piece horizontally through one of the windows, said piece is caused rapidly to come into contact with said locking surface  181 . The real function of said locking surface is described below. 
   It can thus be said that the outlet  143  is surrounded concentrically by a groove  15 . As explained below, the function of said groove is to provide sealing with the shutter  2 . It can also be noted that the holding recesses extend concentrically around the outlet  143  and around the groove  15 . The groove  15  is separated from the insertion windows of the recesses by the join surface  17 . This can be seen in  FIG. 6 . The join surface also advantageously extends around the insertion windows  19   a  and  19   b.    
   The shutter  2  forms a dispensing spout  21  internally forming an outlet or dispensing chamber  23  having a wide opening flanked by a sealing lip  24 . The chamber  23  extends from said sealing lip by forming a top surface  211  and a bottom surface  212 . The two walls  211  and  212  converge towards each other until they meet at a self-closing slit  22  that forms a dispensing orifice. The self-closing slit has edges that are in touching leaktight contact in the rest position, i.e. whenever the chamber  23  does not contain any fluid subjected to a pressure higher than a threshold pressure making it possible to separate the edges of the slit and thus to open the dispensing orifice  22 . In the embodiment shown in the figures, the bottom surface  212  is inclined upwards and thus constitutes a convergence wall suitable for directing the fluid under pressure towards the dispensing orifice. The sealing lip  24  is surrounded by a contact surface  213 . Fixing catches  25   a  and  25   b  extend from said contact surface  213 . In the non-limiting embodiment, there are a bottom catch  25   a  and two side catches  25   b . The three catches extend from the contact surface  213  around the sealing lip  24 . The catches and the lip  24  project from the contact surface  213 , so that it can be said that the catches extend concentrically around the sealing lip  24 . Each catch has an inside face facing the lip  24  and an outside face. In the invention, the outside faces of the catches form fixing means in the form of snap-fastening fixing profiles  253 . More precisely, the fixing profiles  253  are formed by projecting ridges that face outwards. In addition, the inside faces of the catches form cam surfaces  251 . 
   The shutter  2  is fitted to the body  1  by causing the catches  25 A and  25   b  to penetrate into respective ones of the holding recesses  18   a  and  18   b  through the insertion windows  19   a  and  19   b . More precisely, the catch  25   a  penetrates into the recess  18   a  through the window  19   a , while the two side catches  25   b  penetrate into respective ones of the recesses  18   b  through the windows  19   b . By continuing in this way to insert the catches into the respective recesses, the cam surfaces  251  are caused to come into sliding contact with the locking surfaces  181  formed by the body. Fitting the shutter  2  is continued, and the sealing lip  24  starts to penetrate into the groove  15 . By continuing to fit the shutter  2  to the body  1 , the sealing lip  24  is caused to be pressed into the groove  15  so as to come into leaktight contact with the two side walls  151  and  152  of said groove, and advantageously also with the end-wall  153  thereof. Leaktight contact is thus obtained at three points that have very good sealing quality, since the lip is in tight-fitting engagement between the two facing side walls  151  and  152 . At the same time as the lip  24  is coming into its final sealing position in the groove  15 , the fixing profiles  253  formed on the outside faces of the catches come into engagement behind the holding shoulders  193  formed in the respective insertion windows. The cam surfaces  253  are then urged strongly by the locking surfaces  181 . The catches are thus deformed slightly outwards, which increases the quality of fixing between the fixing ridges and the holding shoulders. In addition, the locking surfaces  181  permanently and irreversibly fixing the shutter  2  to the body  1 . 
   It can also be noted that the visible outside surface of the shutter  2  extends the push top wall  13  and the skirt  11  without forming any step in the outline, so that the shutter  2  is smoothly incorporated into the body  1 . The shutter  2  is very difficult to grasp for the purpose of extracting it. In any event, it is impossible to extract because of the snap-fastening between the fixing ridges and the holding shoulders, which snap-fastening is locked by the cam surfaces in engagement with the locking surfaces. 
   By means of the invention, the means making it possible to provide sealing between the shutter and the body are separate or dissociated from the means making it possible to fix the shutter to the body. In addition, the fixing profiles on the shutter facing outwards relative to the sealing lip enables said shutter to be removed naturally from the mold merely by moving the component elements of the mold apart. Better quality is thus guaranteed for the fixing profiles. 
   The duct, the outlet, the lip and the groove may be circular, oblong, elliptical ovoids, or more generally of any annular shape.