Patent Publication Number: US-6334556-B1

Title: Cap for sealing a liquid product container

Description:
The present invention relates to a capsule for closing a receptacle for a liquid and for dispensing said liquid. More precisely, the invention relates to closing flexible and elastically deformable receptacles. 
     Closing receptacles for liquids and, in particular, for cosmetics (milks, gels, creams . . . ) is conventionally ensured by means of a removable cap screwed or snap-fastened on the neck of a receptacle that can be flexible or rigid. However, that method of closure requires the cap to be put back on systematically after each occasion on which liquid is removed. 
     Unfortunately, in some circumstances, the user does not carry out that operation and/or loses the cap, thus leaving the receptacle permanently open, and thereby leading to a serious risk of the quality of the liquid deteriorating. 
     Furthermore, it is sometimes difficult to close the receptacle when too much liquid is deposited around the neck of the receptacle and can interfere with the cap being screwed-on or snap-fastened. It is thus necessary to clean the neck before closing the receptacle. 
     In addition, conventional closure methods require the neck of the receptacle to be provided with capretaining members such as threads or fastening lugs, thereby complicating the manufacturing process. 
     In a variant, the cap is constituted by a fixed portion provided with an outlet duct, and a moving portion connected to the fixed portion by means of a hinge and forming means for closing said duct. 
     However, that variant is very bulky since the two portions are disposed outside the receptacle and, in the open position, the moving portion projects from the neck. 
     Furthermore, dispensing of the liquid can be hindered by the moving portion which remains fixed to the fixed portion. 
     In embodiments having threads, the cap is sometimes constituted by a portion that is moved axially by being screwed onto a fixed portion. 
     The cap is thus closed by co-operation between the ejection orifice of the outlet duct and a pin. 
     However, during axial displacement of the moving portion to the closed position, an additional and unwanted quantity of liquid is ejected. 
     A variant also exists to the embodiment described in EP 0 452 196, the variant comprising: 
     an inner support element designed to be fixed on the neck of the receptacle and including a central bushing having a side wall provided with an ejection orifice; and 
     an outer closure element that is fastened onto said inner element so that it cannot be displaced axially and which includes a central ring provided with an outlet duct, said central ring being designed to surround said bushing in coaxial and rotary manner so as to establish at least one closed position in which the ejection orifice is sealed and at least one dispensing position in which said orifice is in communication with the outlet duct. 
     However, that variant does not make it possible to ensure that the outer closure element is locked in a position in which the outlet duct is closed and sealed. 
     An object of the present invention is to resolve the technical problems posed by previous closure methods. 
     This object of the invention is achieved by means of a capsule of the above-mentioned type, said capsule being characterized in that the inside wall of said ring is provided, over an angular sector, with a recess having both side edges that respectively form two abutments designed to co-operate with a bulge carried by the outside wall of said bushing and also a ridge suitable for co-operating resiliently with said bulge to produce a snap action corresponding to the outer element passing into the closed position in which the outlet duct defined by said recess is sealed. 
     According to an advantageous characteristic, on either side of the dispensing position, the inside wall of said ring is in sealed sliding contact with the outside wall of the bushing. 
     In these conditions, the angular distance on the bushing between the bulge and the ejection orifice is not greater than the angular length of the sector forming the outlet duct of the ring. 
     According to yet another characteristic, said ring is extended axially by an annular lip defining a substantially tapering conial tip. 
     According to other characteristics, the inner element includes a peripheral collar of U-shaped section that is fitted over and that locks onto the neck of the receptacle. 
     In a particularly advantageous variant, the central bushing is fully received inside the neck of the receptacle by being fastened by a spacer to the inner branch of said collar. 
     In another variant, the inside wall of said collar is provided with splines ensuring locking of the inner element against rotation. 
     In addition, the central ring is fastened laterally, via a shoulder, to a peripheral skirt provided with a fastening member for fastening onto the inner element. 
     In an advantageous variant, said ejection orifice is formed by a loophole made in the side wall of the central bushing. 
     The capsule of the invention is ergonomic by offering compactness, and it adapts very easily to standard receptacle necks. 
     In the closed position it ensures perfect sealing and in the open position it ensures even and accurate dispensing. 
     The sealed closed position is achieved by rotating the outer element on the inner element and is accompanied by a snap action which ensures that the closure is locked and sealed. 
     In addition, operations of assembling together the inner and outer elements and of mounting the assembly on the neck of the receptacle are quick and very easy and they can easily be automated. 
    
    
     The invention will be better understood on reading the following description accompanied by the drawing, in which: 
     FIG. 1 is an axial section view of an embodiment of the capsule of the invention; and 
     FIG. 2 is a view partially in section on II—II of the embodiment of FIG. 1, in the open position. 
    
    
     The capsule shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 is designed to ensure the closure of a receptacle R for liquid and, more particularly, for cosmetics of the milk, gel, or cream type, and, in the open position, it also enables the liquid to be dispensed. 
     The capsule comprises a support element  1  designed to be fixed on the neck C of the receptacle R and including a central bushing  11  having a side wall provided with an ejection orifice  10  for ejecting the liquid. The capsule also comprises a closure element  2  which is designed to be mounted by fastening onto the outside of the support element. However, the element  2  cannot be displaced axially relative to the support  1 . To this end, the outer closure element  2  includes a central ring  21  surrounding the bushing  11  in coaxial and rotary manner in a single transverse plane. The ring  21  includes an outlet duct  20  that is capable of being put into communication with the ejection orifice  10  in at least one “dispensing” position. On either side of this position, the inside wall of the ring is in sealed sliding contact with the outside wall of the bushing and closes the orifice  10  is sealed manner. 
     The inner element  1  also includes a peripheral collar  12  of U-shaped section that is fitted over and that locks onto the rim of the neck C of the receptacle R. 
     To this end, the collar  12  is fitted with fastening members  12   a  designed to co-operate with the lip B of the neck C. 
     The central bushing  11  is fully received inside the neck C by being fastened by a spacer  14  to the inner branch of the collar  12 , thereby preserving the appearance of the receptacle and offering compactness. 
     In the embodiment shown, the outside wall of the ring  21  is in contact with the wall of the inner branch of the collar  12 . 
     In addition, the inside edge of the ring  21  is chamfered to enable it to be inserted in the annular housing situated between the bushing  11  and the collar  12 . 
     To prevent the bushing  11  from rotating relative to the neck C, the inside wall of the collar  12  is provided with splines  16  which clamp radially against the inside wall of said neck thereby ensuring rotary locking of the inner element  1 . Consequently, only the outer element  2  with its ring  21  can move. 
     The ring  21  can be turned through 360° or, as in the embodiment shown, through at least a portion θ of the circumference. 
     In FIG. 2, the outer element  2  is shown in the open position after having been turned in the direction of arrow O. From this position, it is possible to close the ejection orifice  10  of the bushing  11  by turning the ring  21  in the direction of arrow F. 
     In this case, an angular sector α is defined by the side edges forming abutments with a recess  21   a  defining the duct  20 . The abutments are designed to co-operate with a bulge  13  carried by the outside wall of said bushing  11  so as to establish respectively a sealed closed position of the capsule, and a fully open position of the ejection orifice  10  for dispensing the liquid. 
     The width of the bulge  13  defines the size of the portion θ over which the ring  21  can turn freely within the sector α. 
     The angular distance on the bushing  11  between the bulge  13  and the ejection orifice  10  is thus not greater than the angular length of the sector a forming the duct  20 . 
     The recess  21   a  is provided with a ridge  23  extending parallel to the generator lines of the bushing  21 . The ridge  23  is suitable for co-operating by resilient deformation with the bulge  13  to produce a snap action corresponding to the ejection orifice  10  passing into the sealed closed position. 
     The central ring  21  is fastened laterally, via a shoulder  22 , to a peripheral skirt  24 . 
     The skirt  24  is provided with a fastening member  25  co-operating with a radial projection  15  carried by the outer branch of the collar  12  of the inner element  1  in order to secure the outer element  2  thereon. 
     The skirt  24  is preferably provided with fluting  27  to improve manual grip while turning the outer element  2 . 
     The outlet duct  20  opens out longitudinally to the outside (i.e. downwards in FIGS. 1 and 2) and is suitable for being fed transversely with liquid via the ejection orifice  10  which is formed in the side wall of the bushing  11  in the form of a loophole. The ring  21  is extended axially, beyond the shoulder  22 , by an annular lip  26 . The lip  26  defines a tapering conial tip  30  enabling the liquid to be made to flow one way in funneled manner, and thus enabling accurate dispensing to be achieved.