Patent Publication Number: US-8118195-B2

Title: Fluid product dispensing member and dispenser comprising same

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a fluid dispenser member, e.g. of the pump or valve type, for associating with a fluid reservoir, thereby forming a fluid dispenser. In addition, the present invention also relates to such a fluid dispenser. This type of dispenser member and dispenser finds an advantageous, but not exclusive, application in the fields of perfumery, cosmetics, or even pharmacy. 
     BACKGROUND 
     There exist numerous types of fluid dispenser member that enable fluid to be dispensed from a fluid reservoir. Amongst such dispenser members, mention can be made, in particular, of pumps and valves that are active members, as opposed to passive dispenser members in the form of simple dispenser orifices that are closable by means of an outlet valve or a stopper. Usually, the dispenser member includes a body via which the dispenser member is mounted in stationary manner on a mounting part of the dispenser, which can be the reservoir proper, or it can be an intermediate element that is mounted on the reservoir and receives the dispenser member. It is also possible to imagine a plurality of intermediate elements connecting the dispenser member to the reservoir. In any event, the body must always be mounted on some form of mounting part. In general, the body serves to support other component elements of the dispenser member. For a pump, the body also serves to support the inlet valve, and, in co-operation with a piston, also defines a pump chamber of variable volume. The pump or dispenser chamber communicates with the reservoir by means of the inlet valve, and advantageously communicates with the outside through an outlet valve. 
     In entirely conventional manner, mounting the dispenser member on the mounting part merely has the function of holding the dispenser member in firm and leaktight manner, so as to constitute a dispenser that is strong and leaktight. 
     In other words, mounting the dispenser member on the mounting part does not influence the assembly of the various component elements of the dispenser member. For example, when the body defines a housing for receiving another component element of the dispenser member, fastening or sealing the component element in the housing of the body is not in any way dependent on mounting the dispenser member on the mounting part. 
     SUMMARY OF CERTAIN OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION 
     An object of the present invention is to use the operation of mounting the dispenser member on the mounting part to influence the assembly or the co-operation of the various component elements of the dispenser member. Mounting the dispenser member on the mounting part should be capable of improving the fastening and/or the sealing of a component element of the dispenser member on its body. 
     To achieve this object, the present invention proposes a fluid dispenser member for associating with a fluid reservoir so as to form a fluid dispenser, said member including a body via which the dispenser member is mounted in stationary manner on a mounting part, the body defining a housing for receiving another component element of the dispenser member, the member being characterized in that the housing includes a movable portion that is displaceable from an initial configuration in which the housing is open, to a final configuration in which the housing is closed on the component element while the dispenser member is being mounted in the mounting part. Consequently, before being mounted on the mounting part, the dispenser member is not in its final assembled configuration, which is reached only when said dispenser member is mounted in permanent manner on the mounting part. In other words, the mounting part is used to terminate or complete the assembly of the dispenser member. The mounting part thus serves as constraining or urging means that make it possible to bring the dispenser member into is final assembled configuration. Instead of closing a housing, it is quite possible to imagine that the mounting part urges a portion of the body or a portion of a component element to come into engagement with another component element of the dispenser member. The mounting part thus makes it possible to bring the dispenser member into a final assembled configuration from a non-definitive pre-mounted or pre-assembled configuration. 
     In an advantageous embodiment, the movable portion of the housing may comprise an outer peripheral collar that is deformable radially inwards against said component element so as to block it firmly in the housing. The collar is advantageously continuous over its periphery. In a variant, the collar is slotted over its periphery. The collar is thus inserted, engaged, or interfitted into the mounting part that surrounds the collar closely and deforms or moves it radially inwards. The mounting part thus acts as a hoop that surrounds the collar closely and urges it inwards. 
     In an advantageous embodiment, said component element co-operates with the body to form a fluid dispenser chamber. Advantageously, said component element forms an elastically-deformable membrane that is provided with an anchor heel that is engaged in leaktight manner in the housing, the movement of the movable portion compressing the heel in its housing. Before mounting the dispenser member on its mounting part, the heel of the deformable membrane is pre-mounted in the housing, and is held inside said housing in manner that is sufficient to enable the dispenser member to be manipulated, stored, and fitted on its mounting part. Closing the housing by moving the movable portion not only finishes off fastening the heel in the housing, but also guarantees good sealing of the dispenser chamber where the heel meets the body. Any risk of fluid leaking from the pump chamber at this point is thus avoided. 
     The present invention also provides a fluid dispenser comprising a fluid dispenser member as defined above, and a fluid reservoir. In one possible embodiment the mounting part is the reservoir. In a preferred variant, the mounting part is an adapter dish that is received on the reservoir, the dish including a ring in which the body of the dispenser member is mounted, the movable portion being moved into its final configuration while it is being engaged in the ring. The adapter dish serves as a connection part between the dispenser member and the reservoir. It advantageously makes it possible to mount a standard dispenser member on several versions of reservoir by modifying only the adapter dish. The ring of the dish remains identical, given that the dispenser member is standard. However, the shape, the size, and the configuration of the dish can be modified as a function of the type of reservoir on which the standard dispenser member is to be mounted. 
     In a preferred embodiment, the reservoir comprises a cylinder and a follower piston that is engaged to slide in the cylinder in sealed manner, and the dispenser member is a so-called airless pump. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The invention is described more fully below with reference to the accompanying drawing which shows an embodiment of the invention by way of non-limiting example. 
       In the figures: 
         FIG. 1  is a vertical section view through a fluid dispenser constituting an embodiment of the invention; and 
         FIG. 2  is a fragmentary section view of the  FIG. 1  dispenser member just before it is mounted on the adapter dish. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION 
     In the figures, the dispenser member selected to illustrate the present invention is an airless pump. However, it is possible to use any other type of pump, or any other type of dispenser member, e.g. a valve, without thereby going beyond the ambit of the present invention. 
     In  FIG. 1 , the pump  1  is associated with an adapter dish  3 , a reservoir  2 , a pusher  4 , and a cap  5  in order to form a fluid dispenser. The cap  5  is optional. 
     In the non-limiting embodiment in  FIG. 1 , the reservoir  2  is a variable-volume reservoir. More particularly, the reservoir  2  comprises a substantially-cylindrical cylinder  22  inside which a follower piston  23  is slidably mounted in leaktight manner. Initially, the follower piston  23  is situated in the proximity of the open bottom of the cylinder  22 . In this configuration, the reservoir defines a maximum working volume  20  that decreases as the follower piston  23  rises inside the cylinder  22 . The reservoir also defines a neck  21  that, in this embodiment, extends upwards in register with the cylinder  22 . The neck  21  presents means that enable the dish  3  to be fastened in stable and leaktight manner on the reservoir. In this embodiment, the neck  21  internally defines one or more fastener profiles in the form of grooves and/or ribs. 
     The adapter dish  3  is a mounting part that enables the pump  1  to be mounted in stationary manner on the reservoir  2 . The pump  1  is not mounted directly onto the reservoir  2 , although this is entirely possible. In that event, the dispenser would not include an adapter dish, since the reservoir itself would constitute the mounting part on which the pump is mounted. However, in the  FIG. 1  embodiment, the pump  1  is mounted on the adapter dish  3  that is itself mounted on the reservoir  2 . More precisely, the dish  3  includes a fastener section that is engaged inside the neck  21 . The fastener section  31  can be formed with one or more fastener profiles that are complementary to those of the neck  21 . Above the section  31 , the dish  3  forms a peripheral flange  32  that projects radially outwards and that is for coming to bear against the top edge of the neck  21 . Beyond the flange  32 , the dish forms a rim  33  for removably snap-fastening the cap  5  that can come to bear against the flange  32 . The dish  3  extends downwards from the fastener section  31  so as to form a substantially-radial section  34  that is extended inwards by a mounting ring  35  that is substantially cylindrical. The ring  35  is upwardly open and is closed a little towards the bottom by a peripheral shoulder  36  that projects substantially radially inwards. The shoulder  36  can extend in register with the flange  34 . Thus, the ring and the shoulder  36  co-operate with each other to form a mounting housing  37  that is axially accessible from above. When the dish  3  is mounted on the reservoir  2 , the major fraction of the dish is situated inside the reservoir  2 , with only the peripheral flange  32  and the rim  33  projecting out from the reservoir. 
     In this embodiment, the pump  1  comprises four main component elements, namely: a body  11 ; an inlet valve member  12 ; a flexible part  13 ; and an outlet-valve movable member  14 . Naturally, the pump could comprise fewer parts, or, on the contrary, could comprise more parts, without thereby going beyond the ambit of the invention. 
     The body  11  of the pump is the part that serves to support other component elements of the pump, such as the flexible part  13  and the valve member  12 . The body  11  is also the part that is mounted directly on the adapter dish  3  in its mounting housing  37 . More precisely, the body  11  is inserted into the ring  35  until it comes into abutment against the shoulder  36 . 
     The body  11  defines a fluid inlet  110  that, in this embodiment, is in the form of a plurality of inlet holes. Over the periphery of the holes, the body defines an inlet-valve seat  112 . The seat  112  is for co-operating with a movable inlet-valve member  122  that is formed by the inlet-valve element  12 . The movable member  122  can be in the form of a disk or a washer that is axially movable or deformable. In order to hold the valve element  12  in place, the body  11  forms a central chimney  111  in which the inlet valve element  12  is held captive. However, it can move over a small stroke enabling the movable member  122  to move relative to its seat  112 . Over its outer periphery, the body  11  forms a housing  113  for holding and fastening an anchor heel  131 , as described below. The housing  113  comprises a stationary inside wall  114  and a movable outside wall or portion  115 . Moving the movable portion  115  radially inwards enables the housing  113  to close in on itself. In this embodiment, the movable portion  115  is formed by an outer peripheral collar that surrounds the stationary inside wall  114  in coaxial manner. The housing  113  is thus defined by an annular gap that is defined between the inside wall  114  and the deformable outer peripheral collar  115 . 
     In the invention, it is the engagement of the body  11  in the mounting housing  37  that enables the collar  115  to be deformed inwards so as to close the housing  113 . With reference to  FIG. 2 , it can be seen that, before being mounted inside the ring  35 , the collar  115  flares outwards and upwards. Its maximum outside diameter is greater than the inside diameter of the ring  35 . As a result, by engaging the collar  115  in the ring  35 , the collar  115  is constrained to deform radially inwards, closing the housing  113  in on itself, thereby holding the anchor heel  131  permanently captive. The collar  115  can be continuous over its periphery, or in a variant, as shown in  FIG. 2 , the collar can be interrupted by slots  117  that thus divide the collar into a plurality of tabs or tongues. Regardless of whether the collar is continuous or slotted, it can be provided internally with a projecting bead  116  that enables the housing  113  to be closed more firmly. The bead  16  becomes engaged just above the top edge of the anchor heel  131 . From  FIG. 2 , it can easily be understood that the collar  115  progressively deforms radially inwards against the anchor heel  131  as the pump  1  is inserted into the ring  35 . Finally, the bottom end of the collar  115  comes into abutment against the shoulder  36 , as shown in  FIG. 1 . It can thus be said that the pump  1 , as shown in part in  FIG. 2 , is in an initial pre-mounted or pre-assembled configuration in which, although the anchor heel  131  is indeed inserted in the housing  113 , the housing  113  is not yet in its final mounted configuration. It is only after mounting the pump in the adapter dish  3  that the housing reaches its final mounted configuration. 
     In this embodiment, the ring  35  is cylindrical, but it is possible to imagine other configurations for the ring, e.g. frustoconical or profiled. 
     The flexible part  13  is preferably made as a single part from a plastics material that is relatively flexible, when it presents wall thicknesses that are small. The flexible part  13  thus comprises: an anchor heel  131  that is engaged in the housing  113 ; an elastically-deformable membrane  132 ; a rigid plate  133  that internally defines a closure seat  134 ; and a rigid bushing  135  that, at its top end, defines an outlet-valve seat  136 . The elastically-deformable membrane  132  co-operates with the body  1  to define a pump chamber  10  of volume that varies by deforming the membrane. The membrane  132  thus serves both as a piston and as a return spring. It is its shape memory that enable it to return elastically to its initial rest configuration. In the rest configuration as shown in  FIG. 1 , the seat  134  of the plate  133  is engaged with a closure element  124  that is formed integrally with the inlet-valve member  12 . It should also be observed that the closure element  124 , engaged on its seat  134 , lifts the movable member  122  of the inlet valve off its seat  112 . Thus, in the rest position, the inlet valve is open and communicates with the reservoir  2 . In contrast, the chamber  10  is closed at the closure element  124  that bears against its seat  134 . This position exists only while the flexible membrane  132  is at rest. In contrast, once the flexible membrane is deformed, the movable member  122  comes to press against its seat  112  and the closure element  124  lifts off its seat  134 . The chamber  10  is thus isolated from the reservoir  2  by the closed inlet valve, but can communicate upwards with the inside of the rigid bushing  134 . The fluid that is forced out of the chamber  10  thus comes into contact with the movable member  14  of the outlet valve that is adapted to come into leaktight contact against its seat  136  formed at the top end of the rigid bushing  135 . As a result of its pressure, the fluid lifts the movable member  14 , thereby creating a flow passage. 
     In conventional manner, the pusher  4  comprises: a connection sleeve  41 ; an outlet channel  43 ; a dispenser orifice  44 ; and a thrust surface  45 . The connection sleeve  41  is engaged in stationary manner around the rigid bushing  134 . The sleeve  41  internally defines a duct  42  that communicates with the outlet channel  43  that opens out to the outside at the dispenser orifice  44 . The bearing surface  45  enables the user to press one or more fingers axially on the pusher, so as to deform the elastically-deformable membrane  132 . Fluid is thus dispensed at the dispenser orifice  44 . The pusher  4  can also define an outer peripheral skirt  46  that can move inside the adapter dish  3 . 
     Mounting the pump in the adapter dish  3  thus makes it possible to hold the anchor heel  131  in the housing  113  in stationary and leaktight manner. However, in the context of the present invention, it is possible to imagine that mounting the pump in the dish has an influence on some other element of the pump so as to generate or improve any technical effect. 
     In  FIG. 2 , it can be seen that the pump is engaged in the housing  37  of the adapter dish from above. Without going beyond the ambit of the present invention, it is also possible to engage the pump in the housing of the dish from below. This would require a small modification to the housing, namely replacing the shoulder  36  with an insertion cone so as to enable the collar to be engaged in the housing. A final snap-fastening could be provided. 
     Although the present invention is described with reference to a pump including an elastically-deformable membrane, the teaching of the present invention can be applied to any type of pump, or more generally to any type of fluid dispenser member. In addition, the adapter dish  3  that constitutes a mounting part can very well be omitted, such that the pump  1  is mounted directly in the reservoir  2 .