EP1589849A1

EP1589849A1 - Fluid product dispensing assembly

Info

Publication number: EP1589849A1
Application number: EP03815089A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Jean-Paul Lecoutre
Original assignee: Valois SAS
Current assignee: Aptar France SAS
Priority date: 2002-12-11
Filing date: 2003-12-08
Publication date: 2005-11-02
Also published as: WO2004062425A1; FR2848534B1; FR2848534A1; CN1722968A; US7188752B2; US20040118874A1; JP2006509608A; BR0317274A

Abstract

The invention concerns a fluid product dispensing assembly comprising: a fluid product dispenser (1), and a shell (2) encasing at least partly said dispenser, said shell defining at least an application zone (21, 26) designed to be urged in contact with the dispenser. The invention is characterized in that the dispenser comprises a body (10) forming at least one substantially cylindrical section, said section defining an adjoining zone designed to be urged in contact with the shell application zone.

Description

Fluid product distribution assembly

The present invention relates to a fluid dispenser assembly comprising a fluid dispenser and a covering at least partially enveloping said dispenser. Fluid product means any liquid, pasty or even powdery substance or product capable of being applied to an application surface or of being distributed in the atmosphere. This type of distribution set is notably encountered in the field of pharmacy, cosmetics or even perfumery.

In the prior art, document FR-2 784 361 describes a product packaging comprising a dispenser with a deformable actuating wall wrapped in a covering allowing the actuation of the wall of the dispenser. The dispenser of this document, however, has a substantially flat or thin configuration. On one side, the dispenser is perfectly flat, while on the other side, it forms a convex dome defining the push-in actuation wall. Thus, by pressing on this actuating wall, for example using a finger or a hand, it is possible to reduce the internal volume of the reservoir of the dispenser and thus to discharge part of the fluid product which it contains. mixture with a gas, for example air. There is thus obtained at the outlet of the distributor a sprayed mixture of fluid and air. The covering extends at least over the reservoir of the dispenser in the form of a flap which covers the actuating wall. In cross section, the covering is in the form of a cylinder segment. In other words, the flap which covers the actuating wall has a curved configuration, while the other part of the covering simply covers the flat rear face of the dispenser. The covering is in contact and fixed to the distributor at the rear face and / or at the edges of the front face defining the actuating wall. This is a particular type of distribution assembly using a particular distributor and a specific suitable covering.

The object of the present invention is to define another type of distribution assembly also formed by a distributor and an enveloping covering. However, both the dispenser and the covering have totally different configurations from those of the aforementioned document of the prior art.

In fact, the present invention provides a fluid product distribution assembly comprising a fluid product distributor and a covering at least partially enveloping said distributor, said covering defining at least one application zone intended to come into contact with the distributor, characterized in that the dispenser comprises a body forming at least one substantially cylindrical section, said section defining an apposition area intended to come into contact with the area of application of the covering. The dispenser of the present invention is therefore clearly distinguished from that of the prior art in that it preferably has a generally cylindrical configuration of which at least one substantially cylindrical section serves as an apposition surface on which the covering comes into contact. . The contact can also serve as a point or zone for fixing the covering on the dispenser. The dispenser usable in the present invention has a rather conventional appearance in the form of small cylinders, the major part of which forms a fluid reservoir with which is associated a dispensing member such as a pump or a valve. The actuating head of the pump or the valve can be capped with a protective cap which completes the overall cylindrical shape of the dispenser. However, it is not necessary for the body to have a perfect cylindrical shape: it suffices to define at least one substantially cylindrical section over part of its height.

Advantageously, the covering defines a substantially cylindrical housing receiving the dispenser, said housing defining the application area.

According to another characteristic, the covering comprises at least one sheet profiled so as to partially conform around the dispenser, said sheet defining at least one application zone. Advantageously, the covering comprises two sheets profiled so as to partially conform around the dispenser, each sheet defining at least one application zone. In this case, the two sheets can be linked together on either side of the distributor in a substantially symmetrical manner with respect to the distributor. Preferably, the two sheets together define two junction zones located on either side of the dispenser, the two zones extending in a common plane. Advantageously, the junction zones can each form a junction plane. Preferably, the two sheets can be arranged symmetrically with respect to the junction plane.

According to another characteristic of the invention, the area of application of a sheet extends substantially over almost half of the periphery of the substantially cylindrical section. Thus, the sheet can wrap the body of the dispenser over almost half of its periphery or only over a smaller area depending on the curvature of the sheet relative to the profile of the substantially cylindrical section defining the apposition area of the dispenser. .

According to another advantageous characteristic of the invention, at least one sheet has an at least partially adhesive face. In practice, one of the faces of the sheet is entirely coated with a self-adhesive adhesive, but minimally, at least the application area is coated at least partially with an adhesive. Preferably, where the joining areas are also at least partially coated with an adhesive.

According to another aspect of the invention, the dispenser comprises a dispensing head which projects out of the covering, said head advantageously being capped with a removable protective cap situated outside the covering. The dispenser can then be in the form of a miniature vaporizer having a reservoir of generally cylindrical shape surmounted for example by a pump capped with a cap. The present invention also relates to a method of manufacturing such a dispensing assembly comprising the following successive steps: a) supplying a dispenser comprising a body defining a substantially cylindrical section forming an apposition zone between two sheets of which at least one is partially adhesive, b) exert pressure to bring the two sheets into contact with each other and with the dispenser so that the adhesive sheet sticks to the other sheet and to the opposition zone of the dispenser.

Thus, the distribution assembly can be manufactured in the manner of a sandwich by placing a distributor of the conventional vaporizer type between two deformable or profiled sheets advantageously coated with an adhesive so that they stick together and on the body of the distributor. . Of course, one or even the two sheets can be preformed so as to conform and adapt around the dispenser. However, preferably, flexible flat sheets can be used which are brought back into contact with the dispenser and also between them using a suitable press device.

The invention will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings giving by way of nonlimiting examples two embodiments of a distribution assembly according to the invention as well as a manufacturing apparatus for manufacturing a distribution assembly of the invention.

In the figures:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view from above of a distribution assembly according to a first embodiment of the invention,

FIG. 2 is a partially transparent plan view of the distribution assembly of FIG. 1,

FIG. 3 is a view in horizontal transverse section along the section line A- A of FIG. 2,

FIG. 4 is a perspective view from above of a distribution assembly according to a second embodiment of the invention, FIG. 5 is a partially transparent plan view of the distribution assembly of FIG. 4,

FIG. 6 is a vertical cross-sectional view along the section line B-B of FIG. 5, and

- Figure 7 is a schematic perspective view intended to illustrate the method of manufacturing a distribution assembly according to the invention. In the two embodiments illustrated in the figures, the dispensing assembly comprises two constituent elements, namely a fluid dispenser 1 or the and a covering 2 or 2 'at least partially enveloping the dispenser. Referring to Figures 1 to 3, it can be seen that the fluid dispenser 1 comprises a body 10 which is here of generally perfectly cylindrical shape comprising a bottom connected to one of its ends, while the other end is provided with '' a dispensing head 12 (drawn in dotted lines), which can advantageously be actuated by pressing in to dispense a dose of fluid contained in the body 10. Advantageously, the dispensing head 12 is mounted on a pump 14 or a valve and capped with a protective cap 13 whose shape and external diameter extend the cylindrical shape of the body 10. The pump or valve may comprise an actuating rod on which the head is mounted.

This is only a preferred form. Indeed, the body 10 of the distributor 1 can be profiled or configured so as not to be perfectly cylindrical, while retaining at least one substantially cylindrical section over its height. On the other hand, the body does not necessarily contain or does not necessarily form a reservoir of fluid product: it can in fact also form a case containing an element of the dispenser. The cap 13 is an optional element. Similarly, the dispensing head can be replaced by any dispensing member or even by an applicator tip. The dispenser can for example also be in the form of a lipstick stick. An important characteristic of the dispenser is that its body defines at least one substantially cylindrical section, even if it is not "-ylindrical over its entire height. Preferably, the dispenser incorporates a dispensing member such as a valve and preferably a pump, on which the dispensing head is mounted, which can for example be in the form of a pusher actuable using a finger or a hand. The pusher can even incorporate a dispensing orifice in the form of a nozzle making it possible to obtain a vaporization of the fluid product. Thus, in the embodiment of Figures 1 to 3, the body 10 is in the form of a perfect circular cylinder. One can however imagine other forms of section for the body 10. For example, the cylinder formed by the body can have an oval, ellipsoidal, or even polygonal section. The distributor body then looks more like a tube of various cross-section. However, it still meets the definition of a cylinder.

As for the covering 2, it surrounds, hides or at least partially envelops the body 10, the bottom 11 as well as the cap 13 which can remain visible, for example by protruding from the covering. However, the bottom 11 can also remain inside the covering as well as the cap 13. In this case, the covering can comprise a removable or detachable part allowing the cap 13 to be unmasked before it can be removed. However, in the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the covering 2 covers only part of the body 10, namely its major part with the exception of the bottom 11 and the upper end part located just below the cap 13.

The covering 2 comprises two sheets 20 and 25 which can be made of any material capable of being machined in the form of sheet, plate, film, laminate, or a complex thereof. The sheets can be identical or different in nature. The sheets can for example be made of paper, cardboard, plastic, metal, or a complex thereof. The sheets 20 and 25 can be flexible, rigid, semi-rigid, thermally or mechanically deformable. It is a question of two sheets 20 and 25, but these two sheets can for example be connected along their edges so as to form only one piece of sheet made up of two sheets articulated with respect to each other. One or preferably the two sheets may have an aesthetic outer periphery, which can be adapted according to the type of dispenser of the dispensing assembly.

According to the invention, the fluid dispenser 1 is disposed between the two sheets 20 and 25 which thus surround the body 10 of the dispenser. Since the body 10 of the dispenser defines a perfect cylinder, the two sheets 20 and 25 will come into contact with the body 10 at a longitudinal apposition zone formed on the height of the body 10. Correspondingly, the two sheets 20 and 25 define two respective application zones 21 and 26 which will come into contact with the apposition zones of the body 10. According to the invention, each sheet defines two lateral junction zones

22 respectively 27 which extend on either side of the application zone 21 respectively 26. The two junction zones 22 defined by the sheet 20 are intended to come into contact with the junction zones 27 defined by the sheet 25 Advantageously, the two sheets 20 and 25 are fixed together at the level of these junction zones 22, 27. Preferably, these junction zones each form a junction plane, and these junction planes extend in a common passing plane. advantageously through the body 10 of the distributor 1, as can be clearly seen in FIG. 3.

Thus, it can be said that the covering forms a substantially cylindrical central housing inside which extends the body 10 of the dispenser.

This central housing is bordered on either side by two advantageously flat fins which extend in a common plane. These fins defined by the junction zones of the sheets can be profiled at their contour to give them an attractive aesthetic appearance. Advantageously, the two sheets are completely identical and identical in shape around the dispenser. Indeed, the sheets 20 and 25 being joined on either side of this central housing, it is necessary that they conform around the dispenser at this housing. Since the body 10 has a cylindrical section here circular, each sheet must conform around the dispenser in the form of a curve or a longitudinal boss which defines a section of cylinder. Depending on the curvature of the sheets at the dispenser, the surface of the application and application areas is more or less large. In the embodiment of Figures 1 to 3, the central housing receiving the distributor has a cross section substantially in the form of an eye receiving inside the distributor which can then be assimilated to the pupil of the eye. This is clearly visible in Figure 3. In this case, the two zones for affixing the body 10 and the two zones for applying the sheets 20 and 26 are formed by the tangential contact of the sheets with the dispenser. Of course, by accentuating the curve or the boss of the sheets, the zones of apposition and application can be extended to then form a segment or section of cylinder. By quickly referring to the second embodiment, and more particularly to its FIG. 6, it can be seen that the two sheets can be shaped so as to extend in contact with the dispenser over almost half of the periphery of the dispenser so that the housing formed by the two sheets is then in the form of a cylinder which is in contact with the distributor over its entire internal periphery.

For fixing the sheets to each other and to the dispenser, provision may be made for the internal faces of the sheets, that is to say the faces facing one another, to be covered or coated with an appropriate adhesive allowing a solid fixing both on the body of the distributor and between them. One can of course imagine other fixing means, such as for example heat sealing or mechanical fixing. The advantage linked to the use of self-adhesive sheets lies in the fact that it is very easy to determine the shape of the housing receiving the dispenser and thus the surfaces of the application and application areas, and therefore also of the lateral junction zones.

The lateral edges 28 of the covering, preferably formed by the external edges of the junction zones of the two sheets, preferably have a certain rigidity or hold so that the user can easily grasp the dispensing assembly by these lateral edges so as to have a good grip of the assembly in the hand. One can for example press on the dispensing head while maintaining the assembly by the outer lateral edges for gripping the covering. Thus, the aesthetic periphery of the covering may also have a functional aspect linked to its manual gripping. Another function of the covering is to extend the useful surface which can be used to affix inscriptions or indications relating to the product, its composition or its use. Thus, the two sheets 20 and 25 can be identical in shape but different in their printing.

In the example shown in Figures 1 to 3, the two sheets 20 and 26 are profiled or shaped symmetrically identical. It is however possible to produce a distribution assembly in accordance with the invention using a perfectly flat sheet and a profiled or shaped sheet. The flat sheet then comes into tangential contact with the dispenser while the other sheet is strongly profiled or deformed to bypass the dispenser. In this case, the lateral junction zones can extend in a common plane passing tangentially next to the distributor and not in the middle of the distributor. As a reminder, the sheets can be planar at the origin and shaped by deformation around the dispenser or, as a variant, at least one of the sheets is previously profiled, for example by thermoforming, to conform to the dispenser. We will now refer briefly to Figures 4 to 6 which show an alternative embodiment.

A first difference with the first embodiment lies in the shape of the body 10 ′ of the distributor l ′ which is not here perfectly cylindrical, but on the contrary profiled concave so as to thus define a substantially central zone 101 in the form of a diabolo. This central zone 101 is bordered on either side by two substantially cylindrical sections 100 which will define the zones of affixing of the body 10 '. The covering 2 ′ is here also produced from two sheets 20 ′ and 25 ′ which each define the application zones 21 ′ and 26 ′ in fixing contact with the affixing zones 100 of the body 10 ′. Thus, the sheets 20 ′ and 25 ′ of the covering 2 ′ do not come into contact with the body 10 ′ at the level of the central zone in diabolo 101. From the outside, as shown in FIG. 4, the central zone in diabolo 101 is not visible, since the two sheets 20 'and 25' define a central cylindrical housing which does not match the external shape of the body 10 '. A second difference with the first embodiment, which has already been commented on above, lies in the more enveloping form. sheets 20 'and 25'. Indeed, as can be seen in FIG. 6, the two sheets each define a housing half in the form of a half-cylinder 21 ′ and 26 ′ which are in contact with substantially cylindrical sections 100 over almost half of the periphery . In this embodiment, the covering 2 ′ is thus in the form of a central housing conforming to the section (s) substantially cylindrical (s) defining the zones in which the dispenser is affixed, this central housing being bordered by on both sides by two junction zones which extend up to contact with the distributor. Again, it is possible to produce a covering whose common plane of the junction zones does not pass through the center of the distributor but in an offset manner, for example tangential.

Reference will now be made to FIG. 7 to explain a manufacturing process which can be used to manufacture a distribution assembly according to the invention. The manufacturing process can for example be implemented by a machine making it possible to successively supply distributors of bare fluid product between two covering sheets which will then be pressed together to come into contact with the distributor and between them. This machine can for example comprise a distributor support 110 comprising several locations suitable for receiving and maintaining distributors 1. The distributors are thus kept side by side with a necessary spacing. The support device 110 is preferably mobile in order to be able to move the distributors successively step by step. On the other hand, the manufacturing machine makes it possible to scroll two coils 120 and 125 made up of an adhesive tape 127 disposed on a non-stick substrate 121 respectively 126. The adhesive tapes 122 and 127 are precut so as to define portions of tape which are detachable from the rest of the tape and of course from the non-stick substrate. These portions of detachable tape will define the sheets of the covering. The machine incorporates means making it possible to separate the non-stick substrate 121, 126 from the adhesive tape 122, 127 so as to pass only the adhesive tapes between two press jaws 30 and 31. Thus, at each step, the two adhesive tapes go forward in unison to place a piece of ribbon adhesive on either side of a bare dispenser supported by the support 110. The pressure surfaces of the press jaws 30 and 31 are configured to apply the two adjacent pieces of tape against the dispenser 1 and one on the other at the level of the lateral junction zones. Depending on the shape of the jaws, the covering will more or less marry the distributor (see Figures 3 and

6). Once the jaws 30 and 31 separate, the support 110 can move one step to extract the finished dispensing assembly and bring a new bare dispenser between the jaws. Symmetrically, the ribbons advance one step to present a new piece of ribbon between the jaws around the bare dispenser. The dressing can thus be carried out in a very simple manner with a machine which can be computed using two pieces of self-adhesive tape applied one against the other with a bare dispenser interposed.

Claims

Claims:

1.- Fluid product distribution assembly comprising:

- a fluid dispenser (1), and

- a covering (2) at least partially enveloping said dispenser, said covering defining at least one application zone (21, 26; 21 ', 26') intended to come into contact with the dispenser, characterized in that the dispenser comprises a body (10) forming at least one substantially cylindrical section, said section defining an apposition area intended to come into contact with the area of application of the covering.

2. A dispensing assembly according to claim 1, wherein the covering (2) defines a substantially cylindrical housing receiving the distributor, said housing defining the application area.

3. A dispensing assembly according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the covering comprises at least one sheet (20, 25; 20 ', 25') profiled so as to partially conform around the dispenser, said sheet defining at least an application area.

4. A dispensing assembly according to claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the covering comprises two sheets (20, 25; 20 ', 25') profiled so as to partially conform around the dispenser, each sheet defining at least one zone. application.

5. A dispensing assembly according to claim 4, wherein the two sheets are connected together on either side of the dispenser in a substantially symmetrical manner with respect to the dispenser.

6. A dispensing assembly according to claim 4 or 5, in which the two sheets together define two junction zones (22,

27; 22 ', 27') located on either side of the dispenser, the two zones extending in a common plane.

7. A distribution assembly according to claim 6, wherein the junction zones each form a junction plane.

8. A dispensing assembly according to any one of claims 3 to 7, wherein the area of application of a sheet extends substantially over almost half of the periphery of the substantially cylindrical section.

9. A dispensing assembly according to any one of claims 3 to 8, wherein at least one sheet has an at least partially adhesive face.

10. A dispensing assembly according to claim 9, wherein the application area is coated with an adhesive.

11. A dispensing assembly according to claim 9 or 10, wherein the junction area is coated with an adhesive.

12. Dispensing assembly according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the dispenser comprises a dispensing head (12) which projects out of the covering, said head advantageously being capped with a removable protective cap (13 ) located outside the casing.

13. A dispensing assembly according to claim 7, wherein the two sheets are arranged symmetrically with respect to the junction plane.

14. Dispensing assembly according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the covering comprises external lateral edges (28) by which the assembly can be gripped manually.

15. Dispensing assembly according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the dispenser comprises a pump (14) and a dispensing head mounted on the pump.

16.- A method of manufacturing a distribution assembly according to any one of the preceding claims, comprising the following successive steps: a) bringing a dispenser comprising a body defining a substantially cylindrical section forming a zone of opposition between two sheets, at least one of which is partially adhesive, b) exerting pressure to bring the two sheets into contact with one of the and the dispenser so that the adhesive sheet sticks to the other sheet and to the dispensing area.

17. The manufacturing method according to claim 15, wherein at least one sheet is deformed during step (b).