DE20013272U1 - Two-component dispenser - Google Patents

Abstract

The two component hair dye dispenser has two fluid chambers (2,4) with dispensers (2,3) to feed the fluids. There is a fluid passage between the chambers. The chambers contain a pumping envelope which can move from an axially short, expanded condition to an elongated smaller diameter condition. The envelope has a cap (29) to move it between retracted and operational positions.

Description

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Two-component dispenser

The invention relates to a two-component dispenser for a mixture of two fluids, which are stored separately from one another in a first operating position of the two-component dispenser, according to the preamble of claim 1.

Such two-component dispensers are used to prepare hair dyes, for example, which comprise two components, namely a liquid or pasty color component and a pasty or liquid oxidizing agent, such as hydrogen peroxide. However, the use of two-component dispensers is not limited to this area of application. These dispensers are always advantageous when a mixture of different substances cannot be provided ready for use by the manufacturer, for example when the substances react with each other in an undesirable way during long storage periods, so that the ready-to-use mixture should only be provided shortly before use. In such two-component dispensers, one of the fluids is filled into a first fluid chamber and the other into another fluid chamber of the dispenser, with the fluid chambers being sealed against each other until use by the consumer by a sealing element that sits in a connecting passage between the fluid chambers. In EP-A-0 882 147 it is proposed to move the sealing element out of the sealing relationship with the connecting passage by means of a tappet by means of an axial force exerted by a closure cap part. In a similar way, the axial movement of a cap part when screwing onto a dispenser neck is used in DE-A-198 46 836 to exert an axial force on the sealing element. In a generic two-component dispenser according to DE-A-44 09 696, an actuating element is provided in one of the fluid chambers, which, in the event of a radial contraction,

undergoes axial extension in order to cause an axial movement of a tool with which a barrier film between the fluid chambers can be severed. The radial contraction is triggered by an external force exerted on an elastic wall of the dispenser, which leads to a deformation of the wall, which is transferred to the actuating element. A common feature of the known two-component dispensers is that there is a risk of premature mixing of the fluids as a result of improper use during transport or storage, as the triggering elements for releasing the connecting passage between the fluid chambers are permanently held in an activatable position. In addition, the consumer is often unable to determine whether the means for mutually sealing the fluid chambers are in a proper condition before use or whether an undesirable premature mixing of the fluids has already taken place.

The invention is therefore based on the object of improving a two-component dispenser of the generic type with regard to its reliability in use until it is used as intended, by avoiding premature, unwanted mixing of the fluids.

To solve this problem, reference is made to the features in the characterizing part of claim 1. Accordingly, in the two-component dispenser according to the invention, the actuating element with which a sealing element can be moved out of a sealing relationship to a connecting passage between the two fluid chambers is not held in a fixed position in one of the fluid chambers, but can be rotated about an axis. Depending on the rotational position, the actuating element is in an active position in which a force can be exerted on the sealing element, or in an ineffective position in which the sealing element remains in its sealing relationship to the connecting passage, even if an external force acts on the dispenser during transport, storage or unauthorized use, which in the active position of the actuating element would lead to the sealing element coming out of the sealing relationship to the connecting passage. The rotational movement of the

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The switching of the actuating element between the active and inactive position is triggered by a cap part placed on a pouring opening of the dispenser, in that this is coupled to the actuating element in a rotationally fixed manner. In a particularly advantageous manner, the cap part can be secured against accidental rotation relative to the dispenser part by a tamper-evident rotation lock. In this way, the user has the opportunity to easily get an idea of the correct condition of the dispenser when purchasing it. The rotation lock also ensures that the actuating element remains in the inactive position as long as the tamper-evident lock is in working order. This makes handling the dispenser much easier from filling to use by the consumer. Furthermore, reference is made to the claims with regard to advantageous further developments of the invention.

The invention is explained in more detail below using embodiments and the drawing. They show:

Fig. 1 shows a longitudinal section of a two-component dispenser according to a

first embodiment of the invention in a first operating position with an actuating element in the operative position,

Fig. 2 in a view similar to Fig. 1 the two-component dispenser in a second

Operating position after actuation of the actuating element,

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view of a deformable wall of a

the dispenser part of the two-component dispenser according to Fig. 1 or 2 containing the actuating element,

Fig. 4 shows a longitudinal section of a two-component dispenser according to a

second embodiment of the invention in a first operating position with the actuating element in the operative position, and

Fig. 5 in a view similar to Fig. 4 the two-component dispenser in a second

Operating position after actuation of the actuating element.

The two-component dispenser according to the first embodiment of the invention shown in Fig. 1-3 comprises a first dispenser part 1, which in this case is designed in the form of a relatively large-volume container that defines a fluid chamber 2 into which a first fluid can be filled and stored. The two-component dispenser further comprises a second dispenser part 3, which in this case is designed in the form of a container with a smaller volume that defines a second fluid chamber 4 for receiving and storing a second fluid. The first and second dispenser parts 1, 3 can both be molded parts made of the same or different plastic materials. The second dispenser part 3 can, however, also consist of a suitable other material, such as glass, metal or the like, since, unlike the first dispenser part 1, it does not need to have a peripheral wall that can be deformed under the action of an external force, which will be discussed in more detail below.

The first and second dispenser parts 1, 3 each have tubular neck sections 6, 8 which have screw threads on their outer circumferences and are axially aligned with each other. A tubular sleeve 10 has a screw thread on its inner circumference which is complementary to the screw threads of the neck sections 6, 8 so that the tubular neck sections 6, 8 can be screwed into the sleeve 10 from opposite axial ends of the sleeve in order to position the dispenser parts 1, 3 in axial alignment with each other.

A sealing element 16 is frictionally inserted into a central opening in a partition wall 14 formed on the sleeve 10, which radially penetrates the cross section of the sleeve 10, on the side of the partition wall 14 facing the second dispenser part 3 in order to close the opening in the partition wall 14. A tubular receptacle 17 projects axially from an opposite side of the sealing element 16, into which a pin-shaped element 18 on an actuating element 19 can engage.

The sealing element 16 seals a region 12 surrounded by the neck section 6 of the first dispenser part 1 from a region 13 of a fluid passage, cf. Fig. 2, between the fluid chambers 2, 4, which region is surrounded by the neck section 8 of the second dispenser part 3 and is axially aligned with the region 12.

The actuating element 19 is provided in the fluid chamber 2 of the first dispenser part 1 and is designed in the form of a double toggle lever arrangement. Instead of a double toggle lever arrangement, a single toggle lever arrangement or another suitable arcuate arrangement could also be provided, which causes a reduction in the radial dimensions to result in a proportional increase in the axial dimensions. The toggle lever arrangement 19 according to the present embodiment comprises a first pair of toggle levers 20, 21 and a second pair of toggle levers 20', 21'. Each pair of toggle levers 20, 21 or 20', 2 Γ forms a triangle together with the central longitudinal axis M of the two-component dispenser. The toggle levers 20, 21 and 20', 21' are connected to one another in an articulated manner at the vertices of the triangle located radially outward in relation to the central longitudinal axis M, as indicated at 23 and 23' respectively. Furthermore, adjacent toggle levers 20, 20' and 21, 21' of the pairs are connected to one another in an articulated manner at axially spaced locations on the central longitudinal axis M, as indicated at 24 and 24' respectively, so that the toggle levers 20, 20', 21, 2V form a trapezoid with a pair of radially spaced articulation points 23, 23' and a pair of axially spaced articulation points 24, 24'. The axial distance between the articulation points 24, 24' increases when the radial section of the articulation points 23, 23' is reduced. Conversely, an increase in the radial distance between the articulation points 23, 23' results in a shortening of the axial distance between the articulation points 24, 24'.

The pin element 18 is connected to the axial articulation point 24' facing the sealing element 16, while a coupling element 25 is connected to the other axial articulation point 24, which will be discussed in more detail below.

In the initial position shown in Fig. 1, in which no radial force acts on the toggle lever arrangement 19, the radial articulation points 23, 23' are located near the deformable

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Wall 5 of the first dispenser part 1. If, as shown in Fig. 2, an external force A acts on the deformable wall 5 so that the deformable wall 5 is slightly dented concavely inwards, a radial force acts on the radial articulation points 23, 23' of the toggle lever arrangement 19, which leads to the articulation points 23, 23' being brought closer together, which in turn results in an increase in the axial distance between the axial articulation points 24, 24'. As a result, the pin element 18 is moved to the bottom of the receptacle 17 and thereby exerts an axial force on the sealing element 16, which causes the sealing element 16 to be pressed out of its sealing frictional engagement with the opening in the partition wall 14. This creates a fluid connection between the fluid chambers 2, 4 of the first and second dispenser parts 1, 3, as indicated by the arrows S in Fig. 2. As a result, the fluids previously stored separately in the fluid chambers 2, 4 can combine with one another to form a mixture that has the desired usage properties and can be dispensed via a dispenser opening, which will be discussed in more detail below.

Instead of just one sealing element 16, a further sealing element 26 can be provided which is seated in an opening in a further partition 27 in a frictionally sealing manner and can be removed from the sealing relationship with the opening together with the sealing element 16, as shown in Fig. 2. The further partition 27 spans the region 13 of the fluid passage at a close distance from the partition 14 and can be formed on an insert molding 28 which is fixed between the tubular neck sections 6, 8 of the dispenser parts 1, 3 and is surrounded on the outside by the sleeve 10.

According to the invention, the toggle lever arrangement 19 can be moved from the active position shown in Fig. 1 and 2, in which the radial articulation points 23, 23' can engage with the deformable wall 5, into an inactive position in which engagement with the deformable wall 5 cannot take place. In the inactive position of the toggle lever arrangement 19, no external force can therefore be exerted on it via the deformable wall 5. The movement of the toggle lever arrangement 19 from the active to the inactive position is achieved by a rotational movement of the toggle lever arrangement 19 about the central longitudinal axis

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M causes, as indicated in Fig. 3 by the arrows P. The deformable wall 5 has, as shown in Fig. 3, at least close to the radial plane in which the radial articulation points 23, 23' are arranged, a cross-sectional configuration which is characterized by a shorter central transverse axis X-X' and a longer central transverse axis Y-Y'. In the operative position, the toggle lever arrangement 19 is aligned along the shorter axis X-X', while rotation of the toggle lever arrangement 19 in the direction of arrow P results in the toggle lever arrangement 19 being aligned with the longer axis Y-Y'. In this latter position, the radial articulation points 23, 23' are at such a distance from the deformable wall 5 that their deformation can no longer affect a change in the radial distance of the articulation points 23, 23'.

The movement of the toggle lever arrangement 19 from the active position to the inactive position is triggered by the rotation of a cap part 29 which is rotatably mounted, e.g. snapped onto, a tubular mouth neck 30 of the first dispenser part 1. The coupling element 15 of the toggle lever arrangement 19 is connected to the cap part 29 in a rotationally fixed manner, so that a rotational movement of the cap part 29 is converted into a similar rotational movement of the toggle lever arrangement 19. The cap part 29 closes a pouring opening on the first dispenser part 1 defined by the tubular mouth neck 30 in order to be able to dispense the contents of the first fluid chamber 2. For this purpose, a tubular pouring attachment 30 with a passage can be formed on the cap part 29, which can be closed by a closure cap 31. The pouring attachment 30 could also be designed as a cutting attachment, so that the passage is exposed as soon as an area at the free end of the attachment 30 has been cut off by the consumer with a knife or the like.

According to the invention, a tamper-evident device is also provided which prevents the cap part 29 from being rotated relative to the dispenser part 1 as long as the tamper-evident device is in tact. The tamper-evident device thus simultaneously ensures that the toggle lever arrangement 19 remains in the ineffective position under these circumstances. The tamper-evident device is created by a tamper-evident ring 33 which is placed on the mouth neck 30 of the dispenser part 1 to prevent it from being rotated relative to it and which is connected to the dispenser part 1 via tear-off webs 34.

the cap part 29. When the cap part 29 bounces onto the mouth neck 30 of the dispenser part 1 for the first time, the tamper-evident ring 33 comes into engagement with anti-twisting projection elements (not shown) on the mouth neck 30, and the cap part 29 also comes into engagement with a ring collar on the mouth neck 30, so that the cap part 29 with the tamper-evident ring 33 connected via the webs 34 can no longer be easily removed from the mouth neck 30 after bouncing.

The second embodiment of a two-component dispenser according to the invention shown in Fig. 4 and 5 differs from the one described above and shown in Fig. 1 essentially only in the means which define the active and inactive positions of the toggle lever arrangement. The same or similar parts as in the embodiment according to Fig. 1 therefore have the same reference numerals and do not need to be described again. In the embodiment according to Fig. 4 and 5, the deformable wall 5 of the first dispenser part 1 can have a circular cross-sectional configuration, so that the radial articulation points 23, 23' remain at a close distance from or in engagement with the deformable wall 5 in every rotational position of the toggle lever arrangement 19. An external radial force A exerted on the deformable wall 5, which leads to the deformable wall 5 being folded in, therefore results in the toggle lever arrangement 19 being subjected to a radial force which causes the axial distance between the axial articulation points 24, 24' to increase. The pin element 18 can therefore experience an axial movement in the direction of the sealing element 16 in any rotational position of the toggle lever arrangement 19.

As shown in Fig. 4, the pin element 18 has a pair of pins 40 projecting diametrically from opposite sides, which can engage in a pair of longitudinal guide slots 42 (only one is shown in Fig. 4) arranged at a corresponding angular distance from one another in a modified receptacle 41 of the sealing element 16. When the pins 40 are aligned with the guide slots 42, the pin element 18 is moved axially into the receptacle 42 when an external force is applied to the toggle lever arrangement 19, but this does not result in the receptacle 42 and thus the

An axial force is exerted on the sealing element 16. Only when the toggle lever arrangement 19 is rotated by a certain amount so that the pins 40 move out of the aligned relationship with the slots 41 can the pins 40 engage a free edge of the receptacle 42 and exert an axial force on the receptacle 42 and thus the sealing element 16. It is understood that the axial dimension of the receptacle 42 must be longer than the distance of movement of the pin element 18 in order to achieve the effects mentioned.

The invention was previously described using embodiments in which the cap part is mounted on the mouth of the dispenser part by bouncing it on. Screw mounting would also be possible instead, in which case the cooperating screw threads on the cap part and the mouth can be designed in such a way that the toggle lever arrangement is in the active or inactive position in a certain axial position of the cap part relative to the mouth. The tamper-evident seal could also be formed by other suitable means known to the person skilled in the art than by a tamper-evident ring.

Claims (10)

1. Two-component dispenser for a mixture of two fluids, which can be stored separately from one another in a first operating position of the two-component dispenser, with a first dispenser part ( 1 ) having a first fluid chamber ( 2 ) for storing one of the fluids, a second dispenser part ( 3 ) having a second fluid chamber ( 4 ) for storing the other fluid, wherein a connecting passage ( 12 , 13 ) is provided between the fluid chambers, which is sealed by a sealing element ( 16 ) in the first operating position, and an actuating element ( 19 ) accommodated in the fluid chamber of one of the dispenser parts, which can be brought into engagement with the sealing element and which can be moved between a radially expanded position with a shortened axial dimension and a radially contracted position with an extended axial dimension, wherein the actuating element in its radial dimension is adapted to that of a flexible wall ( 5 ) of the dispenser part which can be deformed under the action of an external force. The actuating element is adapted to the dispensing part having the actuating element in such a way that an inwardly directed deformation of the wall can be transmitted to the actuating element in order to bring about a radial contraction with simultaneous axial extension of the actuating element and to exert a force on the sealing element so that the latter can be brought from the sealing position into a position in which the connecting passage is exposed, characterized in that the actuating element ( 19 ) is movable between an active position and an inactive position, wherein a rotatable cap part ( 29 ) which can be coupled to the actuating element in a rotationally fixed manner is provided at an opening of the dispensing part in question which creates a connection between the external environment and the interior of the fluid chamber containing the actuating element in order to move the actuating element between the active position and the inactive position. 2. Two-component dispenser according to claim 1, characterized in that the deformable wall ( 5 ) has a cross-sectional configuration with a longer and shorter central transverse axis, and that the actuating element ( 19 ) is movable between a position in substantial alignment with one of the central transverse axes to a position in substantial alignment with the other central transverse axis. 3. Two-component dispenser according to claim 1, characterized in that the actuating element ( 19 ) or the sealing element ( 16 ) has a receptacle ( 17 , 41 ) in which a pin element ( 18 ) can be received on the other part in question. 4. Two-component dispenser according to claim 3, characterized in that the pin element ( 18 ) is accommodated in the receptacle ( 41 ) in a position of the actuating element ( 19 ) which corresponds to its ineffective position, and is coupled to the receptacle for common movement in another position of the actuating element which corresponds to its effective position. 5. Two-component dispenser according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the actuating element comprises a toggle lever arrangement ( 19 ). 6. Two-component dispenser according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a further sealing element ( 26 ) is provided for sealing the connecting passage ( 12 , 13 ), wherein the further sealing element is arranged such that it can be brought from a sealing into a releasing relationship together with the one sealing element ( 16 ). 7. Two-component dispenser according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the first and second dispenser parts ( 1 , 3 ) are separate molded parts that can be connected to one another by a coupling arrangement ( 10 ). 8. Two-component dispenser according to claim 7, characterized in that the coupling arrangement is a screw coupling arrangement ( 10 ). 9. Two-component dispenser according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by an authenticity lock ( 33 ) between the cap part ( 29 ) and the relevant dispenser part ( 1 ) which can be overcome by an external force to prevent rotation of the cap part and to secure the position of the actuating element ( 19 ) in the ineffective position. 10. Two-component dispenser according to claim 9, characterized in that the tamper-evident device comprises a tamper-evident ring ( 33 ) which is held in a rotationally fixed manner relative to the dispenser part ( 1 ) and is connected to the cap part ( 29 ) via tearable webs ( 34 ).