Patent Publication Number: US-9896249-B2

Title: Fluid-product dispenser

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is a National Stage of International Application No. PCT/FR2015/050991 filed Apr. 14, 2015, claiming priority based on French Patent Application No. 1453403, filed Apr. 16, 2014, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. 
     The present invention relates to a fluid dispenser comprising a fluid reservoir in which the fluid is stored under pressure, and a fluid outlet valve that is actuatable from a closed position to an open position so as to define a dispenser orifice in a dispenser wall. The outlet valve includes a movable member that bears in sealed manner against a seat in the closed position and that is not in contact with the seat in the open position. The outlet valve also includes an actuator member for moving the movable member between the closed and open positions. This type of dispenser is widely used in the fields of cosmetics, perfumery, pharmacy, and food, so as to dispense fluids that are viscous to a greater or lesser extent. 
     In the prior art, numerous dispensers are already known that are fitted with an actuator member that is pressed so as to open an outlet valve allowing a fluid stored under pressure in a reservoir to be dispensed. In particular, aerosols exist that contain a propellant gas. In general, they are fitted with a dispenser valve that is fitted with a valve rod that is pressed axially or laterally. Dispensers are also known having a reservoir that is fitted with a pusher piston that is biased by a spring, for example. That type of dispenser is also fitted with an outlet valve or with a dispenser valve. In entirely general manner, most outlet valves or valve members are fitted with a return spring, and actuation of the actuator member requires the stiffness of the return spring to be overcome. 
     The present invention wishes to break radically with traditional techniques in order to propose an outlet valve for which the force necessary to move the actuator member is smaller, while guaranteeing complete sealing. The present invention also wishes to break with the usual hand movement that consists in axially depressing or laterally tilting a valve rod. The present invention also seeks to depart from any unitary dosage, so as to offer dispensing for as long as the actuator member is actuated. Finally, the present invention seeks to improve significantly the dispensing of creams that are packaged in pots. 
     To do this the present invention proposes that the movable member and the actuator member should both be arranged on a pivot lever. Thus, the lever length that separates the movable member from the actuator member serves to increase the force, such that it is not necessary to press hard on the actuator member in order to open the outlet orifice. With this design, it is no longer necessary to overcome the stiffness of any return spring. 
     Advantageously, the pivot lever includes a pin that is situated at a stationary end of the lever, the lever also including a movable end that is remote from the stationary end, the movable member being situated closer to the stationary end than to the movable end, and the actuator member being situated closer to the movable end than to the stationary end. Naturally, the closer the movable member is to the stationary end, and the closer the actuator member is to the movable end, the greater the force-increasing effect. 
     According to another advantageous characteristic, the dispenser wall is substantially plane, the actuator member being actuatable from the dispenser wall. More particularly, this design is adapted to a pot that is closed by a lid that forms the plane dispenser wall. In this configuration, the lever advantageously extends parallel to and under the dispenser wall. 
     In another advantageous aspect of the invention, the actuator member includes two opposite faces, namely an inside face that is subjected to the fluid under pressure, and an outside face that is free of any pressure exerted by the fluid, such that the pressure exerted by the fluid on the inside face of the actuator member is transmitted via the lever to the movable member that is thus pushed against the seat in sealed manner. Thus, the actuator member participates in returning the movable member rapidly into its seat. As a result, there is no need to provide a return spring: the mere pressure of the fluid stored in the reservoir sufficing to return the outlet valve into its the closed position. 
     In a practical embodiment, the dispenser includes a pusher on which the user may press so as to dispense the fluid through the dispenser orifice, the outside face of the actuator member being intimately coupled to the pusher, so that the fluid under pressure cannot pass between them. It is thus guaranteed that the outside face is not subjected to the pressure exerted by the fluid. Advantageously, the pusher is made out of an elastically-deformable material, the outside face of the actuator member being sealed, advantageously adhesively-bonded, to the pusher. In a variant, it is possible to make the pusher with an elastic-deformation characteristic, without the outside face of the actuator member being intimately connected thereto. In this configuration, the resilient return force that makes it possible to return the outlet valve into its closed position is mainly provided by the elastic characteristic of the pusher. 
     In an embodiment that is particularly adapted to a pot, the pusher and the dispenser orifice are formed by the dispenser wall. Thus, the dispenser wall of the lid includes two elements that are clearly visible and that are spaced apart from each other, namely firstly the pusher and secondly the dispenser orifice that may be arranged in diametrically-opposite manner. 
     In a practical aspect, the dispenser wall may include guide elements for guiding the lever while it is pivoting. The guide elements may also limit the degree to which the lever pivots. 
     As already mentioned, the dispenser of the invention is particularly suitable when it forms a pot and a lid that is mounted on the pot, the lid forming the dispenser wall with its dispenser orifice and its pusher. 
     In another technical aspect, the reservoir includes a pusher piston that slides in leaktight manner in a slide cylinder, the pusher piston being biased by resilient means selected from springs, foams, and gases. More generally, any technical arrangement making it possible to put the contents of a reservoir under pressure may be used in the context of the present invention. 
     The spirit of the invention resides in the element that closes the dispenser orifice and the element that makes it possible to release the dispenser orifice being arranged on a single pivot lever with a certain distance between them so as to create a force-increasing effect that makes it possible to decrease the force necessary to actuate the dispenser. This results in actuation that is gentle, which is in total contrast to the degree of sealing at the dispenser orifice in the closed position. When the dispenser wall is plane, it is advantageous for the lever to extend parallel to and immediately under the wall. 
    
    
     
       The invention is described below more fully 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 substantially life-size perspective view of a fluid dispenser of the invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a larger-scale vertical section view through the  FIG. 1  dispenser; 
         FIG. 3  is a plan view of the inside of the  FIG. 1  dispenser; and 
         FIGS. 4 and 5  are exploded perspective views of a portion of the dispenser in  FIGS. 1 to 3 . 
     
    
    
     Since it is a pot, the dispenser shown in the figures in order to illustrate the present invention is of a particular type that is characterized by its short and stocky shape. It can also be said that the pot is characterized by a top face that is substantially plane with a diameter that corresponds substantially to the diameter of the reservoir. 
     In the embodiment shown, the fluid reservoir R is associated with a lid  5  that is mounted on a neck  41  in stationary and leaktight manner, e.g. by interposing a neck gasket  8 . In this embodiment, the reservoir R presents a configuration that is somewhat particular, since it comprises an inner container  1  that is arranged inside an outer pot  4 . The inner container  1  internally includes a slide cylinder  11  and a bottom wall  12 . The container  1  also contains a pusher piston  2 , e.g. provided with two sealing lips  21 . In this embodiment, the pusher piston  2  is biased by resilient means that are in the form of a spring  3  that may be a coil spring, and that bear firstly against the bottom wall  12  and secondly beneath the pusher piston  2 . It can easily be understood that the force of the spring  3  pushes the pusher piston  2  in such a manner as to exert pressure on the fluid that is present above the follower piston  2 . By way of example, the inner container  1  may form a collar against which the neck gasket  8  bears and under which the neck  41  is formed that comes into engagement with the lid  5  so as to close the reservoir R. 
     Without going beyond the ambit of the invention, another type of reservoir could naturally be used, e.g. that does not include an outer pot  4 . However, the outer pot makes it easy to give the reservoir a conventional pot shape, independently of the capacity and the shape of the inner container  1 . 
     The lid  5  includes an annular fastener ring  50  that becomes securely engaged with the neck  41  so as to flatten the neck gasket  8 . Thus, the lid  5  and the reservoir R and fastened together in stable and leaktight manner. The lid  5  also includes a dispenser wall  51  that is advantageously formed in substantially plane manner. This also participates in giving the dispenser a pot configuration. The dispenser wall  51  serves as a fluid recovery surface from which the user recovers the fluid that has been dispensed. 
     Initially, the dispenser wall  51  is perforated with a dispenser orifice  53  having an edge that forms a valve seat  52 . Advantageously, it is possible to make the valve seat  52  out of a material that is different from the remainder of the lid  51 , in particular a material that is more flexible, e.g. using an over-molding or bi-injection method. This gives the valve seat  52  greater sealing qualities. Advantageously, the valve seat  52  presents a shape that is frustoconical, having a vertex that constitutes the dispenser orifice  53 . 
     The dispenser wall  51  is also provided with a pusher  55  on which the user may press vertically so as to move it over a certain stroke. Advantageously, the pusher is made from a flexible material that may be identical to the material of the valve seat  52 . The pusher  55  may form an annular skirt  57  and an anchor ring  56  that extends under the dispenser wall  51 , as can be seen in  FIG. 2 . When the pusher  55  is pressed, it is essentially the skirt  57  that is subjected to deformation stresses. As with the valve seat  52 , the pusher  55  may be made using a bi-injection or over-molding technique. It is essential that sealing is achieved between the pusher  55  and the remainder of the dispenser wall  51 , so as to avoid any fluid leaking out. 
     On its inside face, the dispenser wall  51  is further provided with pin-receiving bearings  54 , more visible in  FIG. 4 , that also bear against the fastener ring  50 . In addition, the inside face of the dispenser wall  51  may also be provided with guide elements  58  that may be in the form of two parallel tabs that are separated by a certain distance. Advantageously, each tab is provided with a projecting bar  59  that projects from the inside face, such that the bars  59  face each other and locally reduce the gap between the two tabs  58 . It should be observed that the pin-receiving bearings  54 , the dispenser orifice  53 , the pusher  55 , and the two optional tabs  58  are arranged in alignment along a diameter of the dispenser wall  51 . As can be seen in  FIG. 1 , on the outside face of the dispenser wall  51 , it is possible to see only the valve seat  52  and the pusher  55  that are arranged in substantially diametrically-opposite manner. 
     In the invention, the dispenser also includes an outlet valve  6  that comprises a lever  61 , a movable outlet valve member  62 , a pivot pin  64 , and an actuator member  65 . The pivot pin  64  is formed at an end of the lever  61 , which end is held stationary, given that the pivot pin  64  is for engaging in the bearing  54  of the lid  5 . The actuator member  65  is formed at a distance at the other end that forms a movable end. The movable outlet valve member  62  is formed on the lever  61 , in the proximity of the pivot pin  64 . More generally, it can be said that the movable member  62  is closer to the pin  64  than to the more remote other end where the actuator member  65  is formed. 
     With reference once again to  FIG. 2 , the outlet valve  6  can be seen in place under the dispenser wall  51 . It should immediately be observed that the lever  61  extends under the dispenser wall  51 , substantially parallel thereto. The pivot pin  64  is engaged in the bearings  54 , the movable member  62  is engaged in the dispenser orifice  53  and comes into sealed contact with the valve seat  52 , the lever  61  is engaged between the two tabs  58  and cannot be removed therefrom as a result of the presence of the two bars  59 , and the actuator member  65  is engaged with the pusher  55 . In  FIG. 2 , the outlet valve  6  is in its closed or rest position. From this position, the user may press axially downwards on the pusher  55  so as to deform it and move the actuator member  65  towards the inside of the reservoir. As a result of the rigidity of the lever  61 , the movable member  62  also moves, but over a shorter distance as a result of the lever or force-increasing effect. Nevertheless, the movable member  62  lifts off the seat  52  such that the dispenser orifice is open. The fluid stored under pressure in the reservoir may thus exit through the dispenser orifice  53  and spread over the dispenser wall  51  while the actuator member  65  is depressed by the pusher  55 . Dispensing ends when the user releases pressure on the pusher  55 , which then returns into its closed or rest position. The resilient return of the pusher  55  as a result of its shape memory may make it possible for it alone to return the actuator member  65  towards its rest position. To do this, it is necessary for the actuator member  65  to be connected to the pusher  55  in such a manner that they move together. The actuator member  65  and the pusher  55  may be connected by any technical means, e.g. by adhesive-bonding, by heat-sealing, by snap-fastening, etc. 
     In an advantageous aspect of the invention, the actuator member  65  includes two opposite faces, namely an inside face  66  that faces towards the reservoir and that is subjected to the pressure exerted by the fluid, and an outside face  67  that faces towards the pusher  55 . According to a characteristic of the invention, the outside face  67  is intimately connected to the pusher  55 , such that the pressure exerted by the fluid is not exerted on the outside face  67 . In other words, the intimate contact should prevent any fluid from passing between the actuator member  65  and the pusher  55 . Thus, the pressure exerted by the fluid is exerted only on the inside face  66 , such that it tends to return the outlet valve into its closed, rest position. It is thus no longer necessary to use the resilient return force associated with the shape memory of the material constituting the pusher  55 . The thrust exerted by the fluid on the actuator member  65  increases with increasing area of the inside face  66 . This is why the actuator member  65  may, for example, be made in the shape of a disk presenting a diameter that is significant, e.g. of about 1 centimeter (cm). The disk is connected to the lever  61  via a reinforcing cross  68 , as can be seen in  FIG. 4 . 
     It should be observed that the outlet valve  6  may be made easily by injection-molding a substantially rigid plastics material, e.g. polyethylene or polypropylene. The valve  6  is mounted in the lid  5  in relatively easy manner, since it suffices to insert the pin  64  in the bearings  54 , then to guide the lever  61  between the tabs  58 . The intimate contact between the outside face  67  of the actuator member  65  and the pusher  55  may be achieved very simply by adhesive-bonding, for example. However, the intimate connection could be achieved by heat-sealing, by snap-fastening, or by force fitting. 
     As a result of the outlet valve of the invention, it is very easy to space the dispenser orifice  53  apart from the pusher  55  merely by acting on the length of the lever  61 . The greater the distance that separates the orifice from the pusher, the smaller the force necessary to depress the pusher  55 . 
     An advantage of the present invention resides in the fact that the pressure of the fluid does not degrade the sealing of the dispenser orifice: on the contrary, it contributes thereto, and in enhanced manner, as a result of the pressure of the fluid being exerted on the actuator member. 
     The present invention thus provides a dispenser, preferably in the form of a pot that is closed by a lid, that includes an outlet valve that is practically imperceptible and incomprehensible to the user, in particular as a result of the pusher  55  being situated at a distance from the dispenser orifice  53 .