FR2845675A1 - Fixing unit for fluid e.g. perfume, dispenser, has skirt with vent passing through thickness of skirt, and forming vent below large diameter top segment to come into contact with leaktight contact in opening of reservoir - Google Patents

Abstract

The unit has an internal recess (132) designed to receive a dispensing unit. A substantially cylindrical skirt (110) is designed to be engaged in an opening (20) of a reservoir to establish leaktight contact. The skirt is provided with a vent (115) that passes through the thickness of the skirt. The vent is formed below a large diameter top segment to come into contact with leaktight contact in the opening. An Independent claim is also included for a fluid dispenser.

Description

The present invention relates to a fixing member for fixing a member

  distribution on an opening of a tank, as well as a distributor using such a fixing member. The fixing member generally comprises receiving means, for example by snap-fastening, intended to receive the dispensing member. On the other hand, the fixing member may comprise a substantially cylindrical skirt intended to be forcibly engaged in the opening of the reservoir to make a tight tight contact there. This type of fastener is frequently used in fluid dispensers in the field

  perfumery, cosmetics or even pharmacy.

  Document EP-0 823 288 describes a fixing member of this type. The skirt of the fixing member can engage inside or outside the opening formed by the reservoir. In the version where the skirt is forcibly engaged inside the tank, the latter comprises a continuous cylindrical upper part and a vertically grooved cylindrical lower part. This vertically grooved part extends to the lower end of the skirt. Thus, when the skirt is engaged inside the opening of the tank, the air present inside the tank can escape through the vertical grooves. Thus, as the skirt is pressed into the opening, the air from the reservoir escapes therefrom until the continuous cylindrical upper part 20 comes into tight tight engagement in the opening of the reservoir. Starting from

  moment, the inside of the tank is sealed from the outside.

  The final assembly is obtained when a radial flange formed by the skirt comes to bear on the upper end of the opening of the reservoir. A comparable venting system is described in EP-0 628 355, in which a fixing member supporting a pump comprises a skirt formed with a continuous cylindrical upper section below which are formed a series of vertical grooves intended to allow the venting of the tank

  before the final mounting of the fastener.

  The fixing member of document EP-0 823 288 is more particularly intended to be mounted on small capacity tanks made of glass. In general, these are sample distributors. The problem with this type of glass vial is that the tolerance on the internal diameter of the vial is relatively large. Therefore, it can happen that the vertical grooves formed on the lower part of the skirt are completely crushed when the internal diameter of the opening of the vial is reduced. To overcome these drawbacks, the depth of the grooves can be increased, but this requires forming the skirt with a greater wall thickness, which is

  hardly compatible with samples due to size reasons.

  The object of the present invention is to remedy this aforementioned drawback

  of the prior art by defining a fixing member implementing another type of venting.

  To achieve this object, the present invention proposes that the skirt be formed with at least one vent hole passing through the thickness of the skirt. Thus, the inside of the skirt located inside the tank can communicate with the outside as long as a seal is not formed above the vent hole. Unlike the aforementioned documents of the prior art, the flow of air from the reservoir no longer takes place along the external wall of

  the skirt, but from the inside of the skirt through the through vent hole.

  According to one embodiment, the hole is formed below an upper section of increased diameter intended to come into tight sealing contact in the opening. It is precisely this upper section of increased diameter which will cut the communication between the vent hole and the exterior at the end of mounting of the fixing member in the opening of the tank. Indeed, it does not matter that a seal is already made below the vent hole, since it does not prevent

  not the air outlet from the tank through the vent hole.

  According to another characteristic of the invention, the hole is formed at a middle section of increased diameter intended to come into tight tight contact in the opening. Thus, a seal can be directly formed around the vent hole where it opens onto the outer wall of the skirt. The diameter of the middle section may be identical to that of the upper section, but a middle section may also be provided having a diameter which is less than that of the upper section, or at least less than

  part of the upper section.

  According to another aspect of the invention, the hole is formed above a lower section comprising a part of increased diameter intended to come into tight sealing contact in the opening. Thus, a seal can be achieved by tightening contact below the section where the vent hole is formed. The lower section can have a constant diameter so as to form a cylinder, but it can also have a variable diameter of which at least a part can come into tight tight contact in the opening. The sealed contact made at the level of the lower section does not cut the communication

  that exists between the tank and the exterior through the vent hole.

  According to an alternative embodiment, the upper section and / or the lower section form (s) a rod projecting outwardly intended to be crushed in the opening of the tank. Once the rod is crushed against the internal wall of the opening, the rest of the upper and / or lower section can also come into tight sealing contact with the internal wall of the opening. However, the

  tight contact will be stronger at the level of the crushed rod.

  According to another aspect of the invention, the skirt forms an abutment flange intended to come into abutment contact with the opening. The flange stop on the upper end of the opening marks the final mounting position of the fixing member, in which the vent hole is advantageously isolated from

  the outside by the upper section of increased diameter.

  According to another characteristic of the invention, the upper section is formed with at least one vertical groove, one end of which is intended to communicate with the vent hole when the upper section is in tight contact in the opening of the tank. Thus, even when the upper section of increased diameter comes into contact with the inner wall of the container opening, the vent hole can still continue to perform its venting function until the upper end of the groove is closed. One can even provide that the upper end of the groove extends to the top of the upper section of increased diameter, that is to say just below the stop flange. In this case, the seal can be made against the stop flange. According to another characteristic, which can be implemented in combination with the preceding characteristic, the hole is formed at the level of a median section of narrowed diameter intended to remain out of contact with

  opening the tank. Thus, the middle section, once engaged inside the reservoir opening, forms an annular which can communicate with the groove advantageously formed at the upper section. This allows the vent hole to be produced without the need for orientation, since it is the annular 10 which makes the communication between the vent hole and the vertical groove (s).

  According to another characteristic of the invention, the fixing member forms an internal ferrule against which at least one component of the

  distribution is resiliently biased in the rest position.

  The present invention also relates to a dispenser for a liquid or pulverulent fluid product comprising a reservoir, a dispensing member.

  and a fixing member of the invention.

  The invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings which give by way of nonlimiting examples several embodiments of the invention. In the figures: - Figure 1 is a front view of a fixing member according to a first embodiment of the invention, Figure 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing the right part of the fixing member of Figure 1, 25 - Figure 3 is a vertical cross-sectional view through the fixing member of Figure 1 associated with a dispensing member, being mounted in the opening of a tank, - the FIG. 4 is a view similar to that of FIG. 3 with the fixing member in the final mounting position inside the opening of the reservoir, and

  - Figures 5, 6, 7 and 8 are views in vertical cross section of the skirts of fasteners according to four other embodiments of the invention.

  Reference will first be made to FIGS. 1 and 2 to explain the structure of a fixing member 100 according to a first embodiment of the invention.

  This fixing member 100, like the others in FIGS. 5 to 8 which we will describe below, can be made of molded plastic. It generally has a symmetry of revolution around the axis A-A of FIG. 2.

  The fixing member 100 comprises a skirt 110 which is generally cylindrical. The skirt 110 is extended upwards by a sleeve 130 which extends substantially in the extension of the skirt 110. At the level where the sleeve 130 connects the skirt 110, the fixing member comprises a radial flange 120 which s extends inward. On its internal periphery, the radial flange 120 extends downward, forming a substantially cylindrical crown 140. The crown 15 140 itself extends downward to first form an inward shoulder 150 and then a ferrule. substantially cylindrical 160 which ends in a lower end of stop 170. The skirt 110, the flange 120 and the crown 140 define an internal housing 132 whose function will be given below. The sleeve 130, the flange 120, the crown 140, the shoulder 150 and the ferrule 160 as well as the upper part of the skirt 110 may be common to all the embodiments of FIGS. 5 to 8. The present invention is rather situated at the skirt 110, and more particularly at its lower part. Starting from the bottom of the skirt 110, it first forms a lower end section 111 whose external diameter is advantageously less than the internal diameter of the container opening in which the fixing member 100 is intended to be mounted. Above this lower end 111, the skirt forms a transition section 112 which here has a substantially frustoconical outer wall 30. Above this transition section 112, the skirt forms a lower section 113 which is here substantially or perfectly cylindrical. Beyond this section 113, the skirt forms an intermediate section 114 at the level of which a vent hole 115 is formed through the thickness of the skirt, as can be seen in FIG. 2. The intermediate section 114 is here substantially or perfectly cylindrical and is connected to the lower section 5 113 continuously. We can even foresee that the external diameters of sections 113 and 114 are identical. Beyond the section 114, the skirt forms an upper section 116 which here formed with a rod 1161 which projects radially outward. The rod 1161 forms a part of the external wall of the upper section 116, but the remainder of the external wall of the upper section 116 can be substantially or perfectly cylindrical and presented a

  external diameter advantageously identical to those of the intermediate section 114 of the lower section 113. This is clearly visible in FIG. 1. It can thus be said that the skirt forms beyond the frustoconical section 112 a cylindrical section provided near its upper end of a protruding rod 15 1161.

  Beyond the upper section 116, the skirt forms a stop flange 117 which also projects radially outwards. Beyond this flange 117, the skirt forms a housing section 118 which partially forms the housing

  132 with the connecting flange 120 and the crown 140.

  The internal wall of the skirt 110 can be substantially or perfectly cylindrical. Reference will now be made to FIGS. 3 and 4 to explain how the fixing member 100 of FIGS. 1 and 2 interacts when it is mounted in the opening of a container or of a reservoir for fixing a dispensing member. on the tank. The container or reservoir 2 defines an opening 20

  delimited by an internal wall 21 which is for example substantially or perfectly cylindrical. The opening 20 is delimited by an upper edge 22.

  The reservoir may be a flask comprising a cylindrical fit closed by

a fund.

  As for the dispensing member 3, it may be a valve or a pump, as is the case in the example used to illustrate the invention. We will not describe in detail the internal structure of the pump 3 since this is not critical to the present invention. The pump 3 may for example comprise a pump body 30 internally defining a pump chamber provided with an inlet 31. A piston 33 mounted on an actuating rod 35 capped with a plunger 36 equipped with a nozzle 37 can slide in the pump body 30 to modify the volume of the pump chamber and thus put the fluid stored in the chamber under pressure before being discharged through the actuating rod 35 to be distributed at the nozzle 37. The body pump 30 may for example comprise a latching reinforcement 34 located at its upper end. This ratchet reinforcement 34

  is intended to come into engagement snapped inside the housing 132 formed by the fixing member 100. This is only a non-limiting embodiment: of course, one can imagine still other forms of embodiment for the means for receiving the fixing member to receive the dispensing member 3. This is, however, a completely conventional form.

  In FIG. 3, the fixing member 100 is shown partially engaged inside the opening 20 of the reservoir 2. More specifically, the skirt 110 of the fixing member is already partially engaged inside the opening 20, and already makes tight sealing contact with the internal wall 21 20 at its lower section 113. To do this, the external diameter of the lower section 113 must be chosen to be equal to or slightly greater than the internal diameter of the internal wall 21. Of course, the lower end section 111 and the transition section 112 both have diameters much smaller than the diameter of the wall 21, hence the existence of an intermediate space 25 as can see it in Figure 3. Thus, due to the lower section 113, a sealed annular contact is already made between the fixing member and the reservoir. However, the inside of the tank can still communicate with the outside through the vent hole 115 which is located above the lower section 113. Of course, it is not necessary that the body 30 of the pump 3 either in contact with the vent hole 115 so as to close it off completely and hermetically. We can therefore note in Figure 3

  that there is a space between the body 30 and the skirt 110.

  Since the outer diameter of the lower section 113 is identical to the outer diameter of the intermediate section 114 at which the vent hole 115 is formed, the vent hole 115 will be hermetically sealed as soon as the intermediate section 114 will have penetrated inside the opening 20. As soon as the hole 115 is closed, the inside of the tank no longer communicates with the outside. The seal produced extends over a cylindrical section covering the lower section 113 and the intermediate section 114. While continuing to push the skirt 110 inside the tank, the upper section

  116 will also penetrate inside the opening of the tank. Therefore, the protruding rod 1161 will be constrained inside the tank by making a very strong tight contact. Advantageously, the fixing member 100 is made of a substantially deformable plastic material so that the rod 161 will be partially or entirely crushed against the internal wall 21 of the opening 20.

  As a result, the skirt 110 will undergo a deformation at its internal wall in the form of an annular boss 1163, as shown in FIG. 4.

  Thus, the upper section 116 is then substantially or perfectly cylindrical inside the tank. The final mounting position is reached when the stop flange 117 comes into stop contact with the upper edge 22 of the tank. This is shown in FIG. 4. It can then be noted that the skirt 110 is perfectly cylindrical externally at the level corresponding to the sections 113, 114 and 116. The sealing is carried out over the entire height of these

  sections with a greater tightening contact at the level of the crushed rod 1161.

  Since the vent hole 115 is located near the stop flange 117, the stroke of the skirt 110 inside the opening with the vent hole closed is not important. As a result, the overpressure generated inside the

tank is very limited.

  Without departing from the scope of the invention, it can be provided that only one or two section (s) among sections 113, 114 and 116 makes (s) a tight tight contact, advantageously section 116, because it closes the hole at the last moment. Reference will now be made to FIG. 5 which represents a second embodiment for a fixing member according to the invention. The numerical references 5 of the first embodiment started from 100. For the second embodiment, the numerical references started from 200, and so on for the three

following modes.

  This fixing member 200 comprises a skirt 210 defining a lower end section 211 and a transition section 212 which may be strictly identical to those of the first embodiment. It is the same

  for the abutment flange 217 and of the housing section 218. The lower section 213 and the intermediate section 214 are here also identical to those of the first embodiment, that is to say of substantially or perfectly cylindrical shape with a outer diameter equal to or slightly greater than that of the internal wall 21 of the neck in which the skirt must be engaged by force. On the other hand, the upper section 216 is here also substantially or perfectly cylindrical and extends in the extension of the intermediate section 214. Thus, the sections 213, 214 and 216 form a substantially or perfectly cylindrical section having a substantially constant diameter equal or slightly greater than the internal diameter of the neck opening.

  Sealing inside the neck will therefore be done by cylinder-to-cylinder contact

by closing the vent hole 215.

  FIG. 6 represents the skirt 310 of a fixing member 300 which is identical to the previous embodiment at the level of section 311, 312, 317 and 318 corresponding respectively to sections 211, 212, 217 and 218 of FIG. 5 On the other hand, the lower section 313 forms above the transition section 112 a first substantially cylindrical section 3132, then a projecting rod 3131 which is extended by another substantially cylindrical section 3132. The two substantially cylindrical sections 3132 advantageously have 30 the same outside diameter which may be equal to or slightly greater than the inside diameter of the container opening. As for the protruding rod 3131, it is adapted to be crushed against the internal wall 21 of the container, for example generating an internal boss comparable to that shown in FIG. 4 with the reference numeral 1163. Therefore, once the rod 3131 crushed against the internal wall 21, it can return substantially to the same cylinder as that 5 defined by the adjacent sections 3132. Beyond the second substantially cylindrical section 3132, the lower section forms a third section 3133 whose external diameter is less than that of sections 3132. The diameter of this section 3133 is preferably less than the diameter of the internal wall 21 of the reservoir 2. Thus, once the section 313 engaged in the opening of the container, there remains an annular defined between the external wall of the section 3133 and the internal wall 21. The intermediate section 314 at the level of which the hole d 'vent 315 extends in the extension of section 3133, and may even have the same diameter. Thus, the vent hole 315 can communicate with the ring finger formed at sections 3133 and 314 even when the skirt is engaged in a container opening. Beyond the intermediate section 314, the upper section 316 may be identical to that corresponding to FIG. 5 referenced 216. In other words, the upper section 316 may be substantially or perfectly cylindrical and have an external diameter equal or substantially greater than the internal diameter of the wall 21. Advantageously, the external diameter of the sections 3132 and 316 is

  identical. The engagement of the skirt inside a neck results in two cylindrical sealing zones separated by an annular. The vent hole 315 as in the previous embodiment establishes communication between the interior of the tank and the exterior until the upper section 316 25 comes into tight sealing engagement inside the opening. of the tank.

  In the embodiment of FIG. 7, the skirt 410 forms sections 411, 412, 417 and 418 which can be identical to those corresponding to the previous embodiments. The lower section 413 can also be formed with a protruding rod 4131 intended to be crushed against the internal wall 30 21 of the tank. Directly above the rod 4131, the skirt forms the intermediate section 414 at which the vent hole 415 is located. Beyond the section 414, the upper section 416 extends over a greater height than in the previous embodiments by forming a substantially or perfectly cylindrical section in the extension of the intermediate section 414 and a projecting rod 4161 located near or just below the flange 417. A groove 4162 extends over a part or even the entire height of the upper section 416. This groove extends vertically and connects with its lower end the vent hole 415. The external diameter of the intermediate section 414 and of the upper section 416 in its cylindrical part is advantageously identical to or slightly greater than the internal diameter of the reservoir at the level of the internal wall 21. As for the rods

  4131, 4161, they are intended to come crashing against this internal wall 21. Thus, a cylindrical seal is produced, but this is interrupted at the level of the groove 4162. However, a complete peripheral seal is produced at the level of the rod 4131. Likewise, a seal can be produced at the level of the flange 417 against which the end edge 22 can come to bear sealingly.

  With this embodiment, the venting is possible up to the final mounting position, since the groove 4162 communicates the vent hole 415 with the outside even when the internal wall 21 is already engaged at the level of the upper section 416. Since the groove 4162 breaks the seal 20 at the level of the upper section 416, this will mainly have a fixing and retaining function. The sealing function but also fixing will be provided by the lower section 413. The groove can, however, stop below the rod 4161, so that the latter will achieve a seal

complete ring finger.

  The last embodiment implements a skirt 510 comprising sections 510, 512, 517 and 518 identical to those corresponding to the preceding embodiments. The lower section 513 may first have a substantially or perfectly cylindrical part whose diameter is equal to or slightly greater than the internal diameter of the wall 21. This lower part of the lower section 513 can also be produced with an external diameter less than outer diameter of the inner wall 21, so that there is no seal at this level. Beyond this lower part, the section 513 can form another upper part whose diameter is less than the diameter of the wall 21. The intermediate section 514 can also have a diameter less than the diameter of the internal wall 21. As for the upper section 516, it can first extend in the extension of section 514 with the same diameter and then return to a diameter equal to that of the lower part of section 513. However, part of section 516 is formed with one or more vertical grooves 5162 which extend from the portion of reduced diameter upwards without however extending to the flange 517. 10 Thus, once the skirt 510 engaged in the tank, a tight contact completely sealed on the periphery will be made at the lower section 513 and at the upper end of the section 516 above the groove 5162. Between these two contacts complete watertight peripherals, the vent hole 515 can communicate with an annular which extends all around the skirt because the skirt is not in contact with the wall 21 at the intermediate section 514 as well as at the lower part of the intermediate section 516. This allows communication between the vent hole and the groove 5162. Therefore, with this latter embodiment, it is possible to vent the tank through the hole 515 and the groove 5162 until the internal wall 21 reaches the level of the upper end part of the section 516 without grooves 5162.

  almost total venting of the tank and a perfect seal.

  It is obvious that the lessons brought by these five embodiments can be mixed to form other embodiments without departing from the scope of the invention. For example, the skirt 410 in FIG. 7 can have no protruding rod. Conversely, the skirt 510 in FIG. 8 can be provided with one or even two protruding rod (s). On the other hand, the embodiment of FIG. 1 can also be provided with a communication groove which extends at the level of the section 116. It is also possible to produce one or two section (s) from among the lower, middle and upper sections with an external diameter less than the internal diameter of the internal wall 21 of the opening, so that there is no tight contact at this or these section (s). We can even foresee that there is no complete peripheral tight contact at the level of the lower, middle and upper sections. By choosing for example one or more groove (s) long enough and / or sufficiently narrow (s), one can both vent during assembly

  and prevent any leakage of fluid by a phenomenon of capillarity.

  Thanks to the invention, it is possible to produce fixing members allowing

  venting the tank simply and reliably.

Claims (10)

claims   1.- Fixing member (100; 200; 300; 400; 500) for fixing a dispensing member (3) to an opening (20) of a tank (2), said fixing member comprising receiving means ( 132; 232; 332; 5,432; 532) intended to receive the dispensing member and a substantially cylindrical skirt (110; 210; 310; 410; 510) intended to be engaged in the opening of the reservoir in order to make a contact there waterproof, characterized in that the skirt is formed with at least one vent hole   (115; 215; 315; 415; 515) crossing the thickness of the skirt.   2.- fastener according to claim 1, wherein the hole is   formed below an upper section (116; 216; 316; 416; 516) of increased diameter intended to come into tight tight contact in the opening.   3. A fastener according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the hole is formed at a middle section of increased diameter (114; 15 214; 314; 414; 514) intended to come into tight tight contact in the 'opening. 4. A fixing member according to claim 1, 2 or 3, in which the   hole is formed above a lower section (113; 213; 313; 413; 513) comprising a portion of increased diameter intended to come into tight sealing contact in the opening.   5. A fastener according to claim 2, in which the upper section (116; 416) forms a rod (1161; 4161) projecting outwards.   intended to crash into the opening.   6. A fastener according to claim 4, in which the lower section (313; 413) forms a rod (3131; 4131) projecting outwards.   intended to crash into the opening.   7.- fastener according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the skirt forms an abutment flange (117; 217; 317; 417; 517) intended to come   in abutment contact with the opening.   8. A fastener according to claim 2, in which the upper section (416; 516) is formed with at least one vertical groove (4162; 5162), one end of which is intended to communicate with the vent hole (415; 516) when the upper section is in tight contact in the opening of the tank. 9. A fastener according to claim 1, 2, 4 or 8, in which the hole (315; 515) is formed at the level of a median section of narrowed diameter (314; 514) intended to remain out of contact with opening the tank.   10.- fastener according to any one of claims   previous, forming an internal ferrule (160; 260; 360; 460; 560) against which at least one component (33) of the dispensing member (3) is   resiliently biased in the rest position.   il.- Fluid product distributor comprising a reservoir (2), a distribution member (3) and a fixing member (100; 200; 300; 400;   500) according to any one of the preceding claims. * * *