Patent Publication Number: US-6983865-B2

Title: Fluid dispenser device

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
   This application claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. §119(e) of pending U.S. provisional patent application Ser. No. 60/382,045, filed May 22, 2002, and priority under 35 U.S.C. §119(a)–(d) of French patent application No. FR-02.04810, filed Apr. 17, 2002. 

   TECHNICAL FIELD 
   The present invention relates to a manually-actuated device for dispensing fluids in liquid or powder form. 
   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   A liquid or powder dispenser device, in particular for dispensing fluids in the fields of pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, perfumes or the like, generally comprises a fluid reservoir, a dispensing member, such as a pump, for dispensing the fluid contained in the reservoir, and a dispensing head incorporating a dispensing orifice. An actuating system is generally also provided for actuating said pump. A problem that can arise with liquid or powder dispenser devices of this type relates to the period of time that elapses between the end of the device being assembled, and the occasion on which the user actually uses it. During that time lapse, it is necessary to prevent the dispensing orifice from becoming clogged or soiled, and to prevent the device from being actuated accidentally. Those problems are generally solved by providing a removable cap on the dispensing head, and a system for locking the device, which system prevents any accidental actuation of the device. For example, that may be achieved by means of a break-off strip or by means of a latch element to be moved out of the way prior to use. Although such systems are effective, they suffer from some drawbacks. The removable cap might be lost when it is removed from the dispensing head, so that the problem of the dispensing orifice becoming clogged can then arise after the first occasion on which the device is used, e.g. when the dispenser device is to be carried about in a handbag or the like. Similarly, safety systems for preventing the device from being actuated accidentally while it is being stored or carried can be complex and therefore costly to make, and they are not always entirely reliable. 
   BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   An object of the present invention is to provide a liquid or powder dispenser that does not suffer from the above-mentioned drawbacks. 
   An object of the present invention is thus to provide a liquid or powder dispenser that protects the dispensing orifice and that simultaneously prevents the device from being actuated at any time in the periods during which the device is not in use. 
   Another object of the present invention is to provide a liquid or powder dispenser device that is simple and inexpensive to manufacture and to assemble, and that is easy to use. 
   The present invention thus provides a manually-actuated device for dispensing a fluid in liquid or powder form and that comprises a fluid reservoir, dispensing means for selectively dispensing the fluid contained in the reservoir, a dispensing head provided with a dispensing orifice, and an actuating system for manually actuating said dispensing means, said device being provided with a cap mounted to move between a rest position, in which it covers the dispensing orifice and prevents the dispensing means from being actuated, and an in-use position, in which it uncovers the dispensing orifice and enables the dispensing means to be actuated, said cap being a captive cap and being independent from the actuating system. 
   In a first variant embodiment, said device is provided with locking means for locking the dispensing means, which locking means prevent said dispensing means from being actuated, said cap moving and/or deforming said locking means when it is moved into its in-use position to enable the dispensing means to be actuated. 
   Advantageously, said locking means are resilient tabs which, when the cap is in the rest position, prevent the dispensing head and the reservoir from moving relative to each other, said tabs being deformed by the cap when it is in the in-use position. 
   Advantageously, said cap comprises a substantially cylindrical body that surrounds the dispensing head when the cap is in the rest position, and a cover mounted to move relative to said body, said cover being opened by the user firstly to uncover the dispensing orifice, and secondly to move said cover into its in-use position. 
   Advantageously, said cap is moved axially in translation and/or in rotation relative to said dispensing head. 
   In a second variant embodiment, when the cap is in the rest position, it covers the actuating system, thereby preventing access to said actuating system. 
   Advantageously, said cap comprises a substantially cylindrical body which, when the cap is in the rest position, surrounds the dispensing head and the actuating system, and a cover mounted to move relative to said body, said cover opening automatically to uncover the dispensing orifice when the user moves said cap towards its in-use position. 
   Advantageously, said cap is moved in rotation about said dispensing head and about said actuating system, this movement in rotation causing said cap to be moved axially relative to said dispensing head. 
   Advantageously, said actuating system comprises a side actuating element, said cap having a side wall covering said side actuating element when said cap is in the rest position. 
   Advantageously, said dispensing means are implemented in the form of a pump that is actuated manually. 
   In another embodiment, said dispensing means comprise piezoelectric or electrostatic spray means, the device including electronic means for enabling and/or for disabling actuation of said dispensing means, said electronic means being activated and/or deactivated by said cap. 
   Advantageously, locking elements co-operate with the actuating system, said locking elements being mounted to move between an locking position and a release position, and being moved between these positions by said electronic means. 
   Advantageously, said locking elements are tabs for locking the actuating button of the device, said electronic means comprising a contactor that comes into contact with the captive cap when said cap is in the in-use position, said contactor causing said tabs to move into their release position when it is contact with said captive cap. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     Other characteristics and advantages of the invention will appear more clearly on reading the following detailed description of various embodiments of the invention, given with reference to the accompanying drawings which are given by way of non-limiting example, and in which: 
       FIG. 1  is a partially cut-away diagrammatic perspective view of a liquid or powder dispenser device in a first embodiment of the present invention, with the cap in the rest position; 
       FIG. 2  is a detail view of the cap of the device of  FIG. 1 , in an intermediate position; 
       FIG. 3  is a diagrammatic view of said first embodiment, with the cap in the in-use position; 
       FIG. 4  is a partially cut-away diagrammatic perspective view of a dispenser device in a second embodiment of the present invention, with the cap in the rest position; 
       FIG. 5  is a view similar to the  FIG. 4  view, with the cap in the intermediate position; 
       FIG. 6  is a view similar to the views of  FIGS. 4 and 5 , with the cap in the in-use position; 
       FIG. 7  is a diagrammatic view of another embodiment of the invention, with the cap in the rest position; 
       FIG. 8  is a view on section D—D of  FIG. 7 ; 
       FIG. 9  is a view similar to the  FIG. 7  view, with the cap in the in-use position; and 
       FIG. 10  is a view on section D—D of  FIG. 9 . 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
   With reference to  FIGS. 1 to 6 , the device of the invention for dispensing a fluid in liquid or powder form comprises a fluid reservoir  10  on which a dispensing pump  20  is assembled, the dispensing pump itself being connected to a dispensing head  30  provided with a dispensing orifice  31 . An actuating system  40  is provided for actuating said pump  20 . In the invention, the device includes a captive cover  50  which is mounted to move between a rest position (shown in  FIGS. 1 and 4 ) in which it covers the dispensing orifice  31  and prevents the pump  20  from being actuated, and an in-use position (shown in  FIGS. 3 and 6 ) in which it uncovers the dispensing orifice  31  and enables the pump  20  to be actuated. By captive cap, we mean a cap which is fixed or linked to the dispensing device at any moment and in any position. 
     FIGS. 1 to 6  show two embodiments of the invention. According to the invention, the cap  50  is independent from the actuating system  40 . In other words, it is not on the cap  50  that the user exerts a force to actuate the pump. 
     FIGS. 1 to 3  show a first variant embodiment of such a system, in which the dispensing device is provided with locking means  60  for locking the pump  20 . The locking means prevent the pump from being actuated when the cap  50  is in the rest position. By being moved into its in-use position, the cap  50  moves and/or deforms said locking means  60  to enable the pump to be actuated by means of the actuating system  40 . The locking means  60  may be implemented in the form of resilient tabs, as shown in  FIGS. 1 and 3 . When the cap  50  is in its rests position, said tabs  60  prevent the dispensing head  30  and the reservoir  10  from moving relative to each other, and thereby prevent the pump  20  from being actuated. Advantageously, said tabs  60  may be secured to or integral with the head  30 . In the embodiment shown in  FIGS. 1 to 3 , the cap  50  includes a body  51  that is substantially cylindrical and that surrounds the dispensing head  30  when the cap is in the rest position. The cap  50  further includes a cover  52  which is mounted to move relative to said body  51  of the cap, said cover  52  being opened by the user firstly to uncover the dispensing orifice  31 , as shown in  FIG. 2 , and secondly to make it possible to move said cap  50  into its in-use position, shown in  FIG. 3 . The cap  50  may be moved into its in-use position by causing the body  51  of the cap to turn about the head  30 , or, in a variant, by pressing on said cover  52 . Advantageously, said cap  50  may be provided with one or more grooves in its side wall that forms the body  51 , said grooves being suitable for guiding the cap as it moves towards its in-use position. With reference to  FIG. 2 , the cap- 50  is provided with two slanting grooves that co-operate with corresponding ribs that are integral with the dispenser device, and that are such that, when the user wishes to move the cap  50  towards its in-use position, the cap turns about the dispensing head  30  while moving axially in translation relative thereto to reach the position shown in  FIG. 6 . It should be noted that the cap can be turned in either direction, and that either the cap  50  or the body  1  of the dispenser may be turned, or indeed both of them may be turned. In the in-use position shown in  FIG. 3 , the body  51  of the cap  50  has moved and/or deformed the resilient tabs  60  that were preventing the pump from being actuated, so that, by actuating the actuating system  40 , the user can dispense a dose of fluid. In the example shown, the actuating system  40  is formed by a pivotally-mounted side actuating lever  41 , but any other equivalent actuating system could be devised. 
     FIGS. 4 to 6  show another variant embodiment of the invention, in which, when the cap  50  is in the rest position, it covers the actuating system  40 , thereby preventing the user from accessing said actuating system  40 . Thus, when the cap  50  is in the rest position, it is impossible to actuate the actuating system  40 , and thus to actuate the pump  20 . Simultaneously, the dispensing orifice  31  is protected by said cap  50 . In the example shown in  FIGS. 4 to 6 , the cap  50  includes a substantially cylindrical body  51  that, when the cap is in its rest position, surrounds the dispensing head  30  and the actuating system  40  which, in this example, is a side actuating system comprising a side actuating element or button  41  on which the user must press to actuate the pump. Advantageously, said cap  50  includes a side wall  53  which receives said side actuating element  41  when the cap  50  is in the rest position, as shown in  FIG. 4 . The cap  50  also advantageously includes a cover  52  which is mounted to move relative to said body  51 , preferably such that it opens automatically to uncover the dispensing orifice  31  when the user moves the cap  50  towards its in-use position. Thus, with reference to  FIGS. 4 and 5 , it can be seen that, when the user moves the cap  50  out of its rest position shown in  FIG. 4 , the moving cover  52  co-operates with the dispensing head  30  by being opened progressively thereby as it moves towards its in-use position. This is obtained in particular because, in this embodiment, the cap  50  moves in rotation about the dispensing head  30  and about said actuating system  40 , this movement in rotation causing said cap  50  to be moved axially relative to said dispensing head  30 . This may advantageously be achieved by means of ribs and/or grooves provided on or in the inside wall of the body  51  of the cap  50 , and co-operating with corresponding ribs and/or grooves provided on or in the body  1  of the fluid dispenser device, as can be seen in  FIGS. 4 to 6 . Thus, the user moves the cap  50  in rotation, thereby causing said cap to be moved axially downwards relative to said head, so that said head  30  comes to push the cover  52  into the open position shown in  FIG. 6 . Once again, the cap may be turned in either direction, and either the cap, or the body of the dispenser, or indeed both of them may be turned to move said cap in rotation. In the in-use position shown in  FIG. 6 , the actuating element  41  is accessible to the user, and the dispensing head  30  is uncovered, so that the user can actuate the pump  20  and dispense a dose of fluid. 
     FIGS. 7 to 10  show another embodiment of the invention, in which the dispensing means  20  are electrostatic or piezoelectric spray means that are controlled electronically. The actuating system  40  comprises an actuating button  41 , advantageously disposed on one side of the body  1 . Locking elements  80 , such as tabs lock said actuating button  41 . These tabs  80  can be moved electronically from the locking position shown in  FIG. 8  to the release position shown in  FIG. 10 . This movement and optionally the reverse movement is controlled by electronic means  70  advantageously connected to a contactor  71 . This contactor  71  comes into contact with the captive cap  50  when said cap reaches its in-use position, thereby deactivating said locking tabs  80 , and moving them into their release position. The user can then actuate the actuating button  41  to dispense a dose of fluid. When the cap  50  is returned to its rest position, there is no longer any contact between the cap  50  and the contactor  71 , and the tabs  80  return to their locking position. Naturally, variant embodiments may be imagined, it being possible to implement the locking of the device in any manner, provided that the cap  50  deactivates the locking when it is in the in-use position. 
   In all of the embodiments described above, the cap  50  may include resilient return means that return it to its rest position after the device has been used. In a variant, it is possible to imagine that the user manually returns said cap to its rest position. Moreover, the invention is described above with reference to liquid or powder dispenser devices in which the dispensing direction is axial relative to the central axis of the pump and of the reservoir, but it is equally applicable to all types of dispenser device, and in particular to those that include a dispensing head having a radial dispensing direction. Furthermore, although the present invention is particularly well suited to liquid or powder dispenser devices having side actuating systems, it is not limited to this type of system, and indeed it is applicable to all suitable types of actuating system. 
   Although the invention is described above with reference to various particular embodiments of it, it is to be understood that it is not limited to these embodiments, and that the person skilled in the art may make any appropriate modifications without going beyond the ambit of the present invention as defined in the accompanying claims.