Patent Publication Number: US-6905049-B1

Title: Device and assembly for dispensing a fluid

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   The invention relates to a device which is intended to be fixed to a neck of a bottle in order to dispense a fluid, in particular a cosmetic fluid, such as perfume. 
   The invention is intended to provide a simple device which comprises a smaller number of parts, which is robust and which has a refined appearance. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   To this end, according to the invention, the device comprises:
         a push-button which is intended to activate a pump,   a base element which is intended to be fixed to the neck of the bottle,   a cap comprising:   a sleeve of rigid plastics material, which sleeve is fixed to the base element and which has a tubular portion which extends in an extension direction between a lower end and an upper end, the tubular portion of the sleeve having, perpendicularly to the extension direction, an opening which is intended to allow the fluid which originates from the push-button to pass through, and   a membrane of elastomer material, which membrane is substantially in the form of a disc and which extends substantially perpendicularly to the extension direction in the immediate vicinity of the push-button, said membrane having a peripheral edge which is fixed to the sleeve in a sealing manner in the vicinity of the upper end of said tubular portion, in such a manner that the cap defines a cavity, said cavity enclosing the base element and the push-button.       

   In this manner, the cap constitutes a unitary housing which is substantially sealed, which allows the usual interstices in which dirt accumulates to be prevented. 
   In order to facilitate the production of the device, according to the invention, the device has the following features:
         the push-button comprises:   a substantially cylindrical base which extends in an extension direction between a lower end and an upper end, and   a nozzle which extends substantially perpendicularly to the extension direction into the opening,   said base element has a passage which receives the base of the push-button,   the membrane has an outer face which is intended to receive the finger of a user and an inner face which is opposite the base of the push-button and the membrane is provided with guiding elements which protrude on the inner face and which extend around the base of the push-button.       

   In this manner, the push-button is held completely by the base element and the cap, in such a manner that the device can be produced and assembled on the premises of a first manufacturer and can then be transported to the premises of a second manufacturer in order to be mounted on a bottle and a pump, all the elements which constitute the device remaining held together completely. 
   According to another advantageous feature according to the invention, the membrane is overmolded on the sleeve. 
   In this manner, at the same time as the membrane is produced, it is fixed to the sleeve in a sealing and durable manner. 
   In order to further improve the appearance of the device, according to the invention, the sleeve is substantially transparent and the base element has a substantially cylindrical covering surface which extends opposite the sleeve. 
   In this manner, the covering surface can be covered with a decoration which is visible through the sleeve but which is protected by said sleeve. 
   Furthermore, the device advantageously has a tubular space between the sleeve and the covering surface, in which tubular space a decorative strip is arranged. 
   In this manner, the decoration which covers the covering surface can be readily modified at low cost. 
   According to another feature according to the invention, the sleeve has an annular beading and the base element is held between the rim of the sleeve and the annular beading. 
   In this manner, the sleeve can readily be fixed to the base element. 
   The invention also relates to an assembly which comprises, in addition to the aforementioned device, a bottle which comprises a neck and a cylindrical container which extends between a lower end and an upper end, and a pump which is held on the neck of the bottle and which has an activation rod. 
   According to the invention, the push-button is mounted on the activation rod, the base element is fixed to the neck and the tubular portion of the sleeve extends in the extension of the container, the tubular portion of the sleeve extending flush with the cylindrical container, the lower end of the tubular portion of the sleeve extending in the immediate vicinity of the upper end of the container. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The invention will be appreciated even more clearly from the following description given with reference to the appended drawings, in which: 
       FIG. 1  is a central sectioned view of an assembly according to the invention which comprises a device according to the invention, 
       FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the assembly, 
       FIG. 3  is an exploded perspective view of the device only, 
       FIG. 4  is a view sectioned along line IV—IV in  FIG. 1 . 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
   The illustrated assembly  2  comprises a capsule  1  which is fixed to a bottle  4  and a pump  6  in order to dispense a fluid which is contained in the bottle by means of the capsule  1 . 
   The bottle  4  substantially comprises a container  50  which contains the fluid to be sprayed and a neck  20 . The container  50  is substantially cylindrical and has a circular cross-section. 
   It extends in an extension direction  30  between a lower end  50   a  and an upper end  50   b.    
   The pump  6  is crimped on the neck  20  of the bottle  4 . It comprises an activation rod  52  which slides in the extension direction  30  in order to expel the fluid from the container  50 . 
   The capsule  1  substantially comprises a push-button  8  which is mounted on the activation rod  52 , a base element  16  which is fixed to the neck  20  of the bottle and a cap  10  which is fixed to the base element  16 . 
   The push-button  8  substantially comprises a base  34  and a nozzle  36 . The base  34  has a substantially cylindrical portion  33  and an upper portion in the form of a disc which forms a support surface  35 . The cylindrical portion  33  extends in the extension direction  30  between a lower end  34   a  and an upper end  34   b . The support surface  35  extends perpendicularly to the extension direction  30 , at the upper end  34   b . The nozzle  36  extends substantially perpendicularly to the extension direction  30  between an end  36   a  which communicates with the pump  6  and a free end  36   b.    
   The base element  16  has flexible lugs  54  which are hooked right around the neck  20  of the bottle  4 . It further has a substantially cylindrical passage  38  which extends in the extension direction  30  and in which at least the lower end  34   a  of the base  34  slides. The base element  16  further comprises a substantially cylindrical covering surface  42  which extends in the extension direction  30  between a lower end  42   a  and an upper end  42   b . Finally, the base element  16  has an annular rim  56  which protrudes at the lower end  42   a  of the covering surface  42 . This rim  56  holds a decorative strip  46  which surrounds and covers the covering surface  42 . The decorative strip  46  is substantially tubular and is constituted by a strip of paper which is printed and wound about itself. 
   The cap  10  comprises a sleeve  12  and a flexible membrane  14 . The sleeve  12  is produced from a substantially rigid transparent plastics material, advantageously of polypropylene. It comprises a tubular portion  22  which extends in the extension direction  30  between a lower end  22   a  and an upper end  22   b  and an inner rim  24  which extends substantially perpendicularly to the extension direction  30  from the upper end  22   b  of the tubular portion  22 . 
   The tubular portion  22  extends in the extension of the container  50  and the lower end  22   a  of the tubular portion  22  extends in the immediate vicinity of the upper end  50   b  of the container, in such a manner that there is almost no opening or set-back between the capsule  1  and the container  50 . 
   Furthermore, the tubular portion  22  is substantially opposite the covering surface  42  of the base element  16 . The tubular portion  22  has, on the inner side, in the vicinity of the lower end  22   a  thereof, an annular beading  48  which is held by the annular rim  56 . This annular beading  48  is fitted to the annular rim  56  by means of resilient deformation. The covering surface  42  further comes into abutment, at the upper end  42   b  thereof, against the inner rim  24 . The covering surface  42  is consequently held between the inner rim  24  and the annular beading  48  in such a manner that the cap  10  is completely fixed to the base element  16 . 
   Furthermore, owing to the presence of the rim  56 , a tubular space  44 , which encloses the decorative strip  46 , extends between the tubular portion  22  and the covering surface  42  of the base element  16 . 
   The tubular portion  22  comprises an opening  26  having an oblong shape which extends in the extension direction  30  and which receives the free end  36   b  of the nozzle  36 . 
   The membrane  14  is in the form of a disc which has a peripheral edge  28  which is held in a sealing manner on the inner rim  24 . It is advantageously produced from opaque thermoplastic elastomer material. It is moulded on the sleeve  16 . 
   The membrane  14  has an outer face  14   a  and an inner face  14   b . The inner face  14   b  is substantially in contact with the support surface  35  of the push-button  8 . In this manner, by the outer face  14   b  of the membrane  14  being pressed and by the membrane  14  being slightly deformed, the support surface is pressed, the push-button  8  is made to slide in the passage  38  of the base element  16  and the pump  6  is activated. 
   Three positioning pins  40  protrude on the inner face  14   b  of the membrane  14  and surround the cylindrical portion  33  of the base  34  at the upper end  34   b  thereof. In this manner, even when the capsule  1  is mounted neither on a bottle, nor on a pump, the push-button  8  is completely held, at the lower end  34   a  of the base thereof, by the passage  38 , at the upper end  34   b  of the base thereof, by the pins  40  and, at the free end  36   b  of the nozzle thereof, by the opening  26 . 
   Finally, it will be appreciated that the base element  16  ends in the extension direction  30  between the lower end and the upper end  22   b  of the tubular portion  22  whilst push-button  8  is held substantially between the membrane and the base element  16 . Consequently, the cap  10 , which constituted by the membrane  14  and the inner rim  24  which extend perpendicularly to the extension direction  30  and tubular portion  22  which extends in the extension ection  30 , defines a cavity  32  which completely encloses base element  16  and the push-button  8  in such a manner that the outer contour of the assembly  2  is defined only by container  50  and the cap  10 .