WO1982002036A1 - Device for the accumulation fand restitution of mechanical energy with variable volume vacuum chambers - Google Patents

Abstract

One of the applications of the device is carried out by several autonomous annular vacuum chambers (R, S and T) of variable volume joined together and surrounding a container in the form of a bellows (19) containing a pressurized fluid. A valve (17) fitted to the container (19) allows the diffusion of said fluid as an aerosol or as a jet.

Description

 "Mechanical energy accumulation and restitution device with variable volume vice chambers"

The applicant has described in French patents N ° 72 40 290, 74 05 122 and 76 00 539 containers using a vacuum chamber to ensure the diffusion under pressure of a product contained in a fluid chamber, the variable volume of the vacuum chamber above being produced either by a cylinder-piston assembly, or by a bellows made of elastic material. As is apparent from these disclosures of these patents, such containers provide, compared to known containers, several advantages described in the said exhibits.

The Applicant notes that the characteristic means which provide such advantages can be further improved and can therefore allow, on the one hand, the production of simple, inexpensive and reduced volume containers and, on the other hand, the extension of the field of applications of said devices in the manner of springs for storing and restoring mechanical energy. The present invention proposes for this purpose, a device in which the variable volume of the vacuum chamber is produced by one or more autonomous elements assembled together, each of said elements composed of two walls assembled together on their edges in a sealed manner in a position in which their internal faces are applied without play against one another, with members being provided, allowing, by a tensile force applied from the outside, to separate the two from one another above-mentioned interior faces, creating a vacuum between them.

It should be noted that the term wall or organ is used in the broadest sense, encompassing the different shapes, sizes, thicknesses or materials of said walls or said organs.

Thus, for example, the aforementioned walls can be made flat or in the form of flattened suction cups during their assembly in pairs, have the shape of a disc or a washer, have their faces applying one against the other smooth or profiled, present or not particular means, ensuring their assembly, these means formed integrally with said walls or not, etc. The members making it possible to separate the walls of the vacuum chambers l 'from one another, can also have different shapes, sizes or materials, corresponding to the purpose which must achieve the device according to the invention. Several advantages can be derived from a device thus constituted.

1. The pressure supplied by the armed device is practically constant for any relative position of the walls forming the vacuum chambers. Indeed, the creation in each vacuum chamber of a capacity from a practically zero volume, ensures the realization of an extremely high vacuum between the walls of said chambers, so that the differential pressure between the acting atmospheric pressure on the outer faces of the aforementioned walls and the vacuum prevailing inside said walls remains constant.

2. The device according to the invention, composed of several autonomous vacuum chambers, formed by thin walls, produces a light and rigid assembly in transverse direction, eliminating the irregular deformations of a sealed bellows, subjected to traction.

3. The device according to the invention can produce a simple deflection for any given load, by assembling several vacuum chambers producing the sum of the arrows of each of the above-mentioned chambers. 4. The device according to the invention in which a characteristic, chosen in advance, links the increase in a deflection to the increase in a load (external force) is easily achieved by assembling the vacuum chambers having walls of different surfaces, said surfaces exposed to atmospheric pressure determining the charges necessary to separate them from each other.

5. The weight of a device according to the invention, presenting the vacuum chambers with the surfaces of the large walls, is much lighter than the weight of a steel spring capable of providing identical important work, but with a decreasing pressure.

6. The device according to the invention, in a free position, in which the internal faces of the walls forming the vacuum chambers are in contact without play with each other, has a very compact shape and occupies an extremely reduced volume.

7. Walls in the form of suction cups formed in pairs in one piece, can be assembled together to form the sealed vacuum chambers of the device according to the invention, by a simple pressure, flattening said suction cups so that their faces interior touch without play between them. Several other advantages will become apparent hereinafter, by making it possible in particular to produce a single-component assembly comprising a fluid chamber in the form of a bellows, surrounded by the annular vacuum chambers according to the invention. The characteristic objects and advantages of the invention will moreover emerge from the description which will be given below, relating to several embodiments chosen by way of example and represented in the accompanying drawings: FIG. 1 shows in perspective a device according to the invention, comprising a single chamber empty, said chamber shown in a free position, in which the interior faces of its walls, in the form of flat discs, touch; FIG. 2A is a vertical sectional view showing, separated from each other, the various constituent elements of a device comprising three vacuum chambers and constituting one of the embodiments of the invention; Figure 2B is an elevational view showing the device of Figure 2A with the components assembled together by pressure; FIG. 2C is a vertical axial section showing the device of FIG. 2B with the walls of the three vacuum chambers separated by a tensile force applied from the outside; Figure 3 is an axial, vertical section of a device according to the invention, comprising a single vacuum chamber, composed of two walls in the form of flat washers, shown in the free position in which their inner faces touch; Figure 4 is an axial, vertical section of a device of the type of that of Figure 3, the walls in the form of flat washers constituting three vacuum chambers being shown in the separated position; FIG. 5 is an elevational view in axial, vertical section of the device of FIG. 4, in which the central bellows, formed by the walls of the three vacuum chambers, is closed at its two ends, by watertight transverse partitions; Figure 6A shows in axial section the central bellows of a device of the type of Figure 5 formed integrally with two radially oversized flat washers on each convex fold of the accordion wall of said bellows; in Figure 6B the same bellows is shown flattened with the outer edges of the washers attached to each other in pairs, so as to form the annular vacuum chambers surrounding the central bellows; Figure 7 shows in axial section an aerosol can equipped with a device according to the invention. Identical or equivalent elements have the same references in all the figures.

In Figure 1 two flat discs 1 and 2, applying without play against each other, are fixed to each other, in a sealed manner on their outer edges 3 by welding, gluing or a another method, to form a vacuum chamber. The two elements 4 and 5 formed integrally with the disks 1 and 2, or fixed on their outer faces, make it possible, by a tensile force applied to these elements, to separate the inner faces of the disks 1 and 2, and create an extremely deep vacuum between them.

As explained above, in such a device, an axial restoring force acting between the position in which the two walls are spaced from one another and the free position in which they touch, remains substantially constant.

It is clear that the total deflection of such a device comprising several vacuum chambers is equal to the deflection of a single vacuum chamber, determined by the maximum distance from its spaced apart walls, multiplied by the number of the vacuum chambers of the device cited above.

In FIG. 2A, the elements A, B, C and D represent four elements constituting a device according to the invention.

The two elements B and C, each formed in one piece by two suction walls 2-1 'and 2'-1 ", will form a vacuum chamber of the device, while the elements A and D, each also formed by '' in one piece, by a 1 or 2 "suction cup and a member 4 or 5, placed at two ends of the device, will form with the suction cups 2 and 1 "two other vacuum chambers and will at the same time exert a traction force necessary for the creation of vacuum in the aforementioned vacuum chambers. In FIG. 2B the four elements A, B, C and D are fixed to each other by an external pressure applied during assembly, this pressure flattening the suction cups 1 and 2, 1 'and 2', 1 "and 2" so that their internal faces come into contact without play with each other others, by bringing them together in this flattened position, in a sealed manner, atmospheric pressure ensuring this fixing.

It is obvious that, in such a device, it is necessary that the tensile force applied from the outside never exceeds the resistance offered by atmospheric pressure acting on the outside faces of the suction cups or that the deflection of the aforementioned device is limited by a stop.

In Figure 2C the device of Figure 2B is shown with the inner faces of the suction cups spaced from each other by a tensile force applied from the outside on the members 4 and 5, said suction cups forming in pairs 1-2, 1 '-2', and 1 "-2" the three vacuum chambers according to the invention. It should be noted that the number of vacuum chambers, formed by elements such as B or C can be any and depends only on the maximum deflection required from the device subjected to a given load.

In Figure 3, two walls in the form of flat ron¬délies 6 and 7 resting without play on one another, are fixed to each other in a sealed manner on their outer edges 3 and on their inner edges 8 by welding, gluing or any other method, to form an annular vacuum chamber, the two tubular elements 9 and 10 in one piece with the washers 6 and 7 or fixed on the circular pads 11 and 12, allow to dismiss the inner faces of the washers 6 and 7 and create an extremely high vacuum between them.

In FIG. 4, three annular vacuum chambers R, S and T, each formed by a pair of elastic washers, flat 6-7, 6'-7 'and 6 "-7", are assembled together by welding, gluing elastic or any other method, on the circular areas 13 and 14 arranged between their outer edges and their inner edges, the tubular end elements 9 and 10 being fixed on the areas 11 and 12 at the two ends of the device.

It can be seen in FIG. 4 that the parts of the washers 6-7, 6'-7 'and 6 "-7", inside the circular areas 11, 13, 14 and 12 form an accordion wall U which determines a central volume surrounded by the annular vacuum chambers R, S and T.

In FIG. 5, a watertight transverse partition 15 fitted with a valve 17 is crimped onto a connection ring 16 which is fixed on the circular pad 11 at one end of the accordion wall U, while a sealed bottom 18 is fixed on track 12 at the other end of it. There is thus constituted with said wall a sealed container forming a fluid chamber, provided with a valve and surrounded by annular vacuum chambers; this bellows-shaped container, once filled with a liquid or pasty product, allows a diffusion under pressure of said product.

A container thus constituted, presents compared to known containers of the so-called aerosol type, several very important advantages:

1. The fluid chamber and the annular vacuum chambers having the common accordion partition wall, the overall volume of the device, filled with a fluid and ready to be used, is very small, said volume being determined solely by the sum volumes of these rooms. 2. The empty container, before filling with the walls of the flat chambers pressed against each other, occupies an extremely small volume, which considerably reduces the costs of transporting the empty devices to the places of their packaging. , as well as the costs of their storage and handling.

3. Two concentric bellows, the peripheries of the peripheral folds of the central bellows integral with the peripheries of the concave folds of the external bellows, make a very rigid device, eliminating in the armed position, the irregular deformations of these walls.

4. There remains practically no product not distributed in an empty container, used completely, the residual capacity of the fluid chamber of such a container determined by the circular holes formed in the center of the flattened washers, being very reduced.

The device according to the invention, shown in FIG. 5, can be produced in one piece from a container 19 in the form of a bellows shown in FIG. 6A, this container 19 having on the peripheral folds 20 and 20 'of its accordion wall U two flat circular walls, projecting radially 22-21' respectively 22'-21 ", the peripheral devices formed at the two ends of the container 19 each comprising only one wall 21 and 22".

In FIG. 6B, the container 19, flattened by an external pressure, is in a position in which the external faces, adjacent to the accordion wall U, extended by the faces of the flat, radially projecting walls 21, 22, 21 ', 22 ', 21 ", 22" touch each other without play, allowing by any known method, the assembly in pairs of the peripheral flanges of the walls formed on the folds adjacent to the wall U, thereby forming between the interior faces walls 21-22, 21'-22 ', 21 "-22" the three annular vacuum chambers surrounding the container 19. FIG. 7 shows an example of application of the invention to the production of a dispensing container of the so-called aerosol type. The container itself usually comprises a cylindrical body 30 which can remain open at the base and having a frustoconical upper part 31 closed in leaktight manner by a cup 32 set at 33, with a seal and the end element 34 of a device according to the invention. In the center of the cup is fixed, in a manner known per se, a valve 35 fitted with a diffuser 36.

The terminal element 34 comprises a tubular part 37 which is taken in the seam 33 and a flat annular part 38 which is fixed to the central circular area of a first washer 40 initially flat followed by a series of similar washers 40-1 , 40-2 ... 40n. These washers are cut in this application example from an aluminum foil and assembled together by an ultrasonic welding technique successively according to three circular ranges of increasing radii, namely the internal, central and external ranges indicated in 41, 42 and 43. The internal and external welds 41 and 43 assemble the washers 40 in pairs while the central welds 42 assemble together the facing faces of the successive pairs, as well as at the end of the series, the terminal element 44 formed by a single disc also cut from the starting sheet or from a thicker sheet.

We thus find a series of annular vacuum chambers delimiting opposite the valve 35 a fluid chamber 50 in bellows closed at the end by the end element 44. The deployment of the device according to the invention in its illustrated position is obtained during the filling of the fluid chamber 50 through the valve 35. Distribution is therefore ensured by progressive return vacuum chambers thus expanded in their flattened state where the terminal element 44 is approached from the terminal element 38, being no longer separated from the latter except by the distance corresponding to the sum of the thicknesses of the constituent sheets. The fluid chamber can be filled either under pressure or by suction created by deployment of the device.

Of course, the arrangements described and shown may be subject to various modifications and variants without departing from the scope of the invention. Thus, for example, instead of walls initially flat to constitute the vacuum chambers, one can make use of walls of embossed structure with concentric circular zones in hollow and projecting, the projecting parts of a wall being adapted to s '' fit into the hollow parts of the other wall, making the clearance-free contact between the facing internal faces of each vacuum chamber.

Claims

CLAIMS 1. Device allowing the accumulation and the restitution of the mechanical energy by the creation of the vacuum in a capacity of a variable volume, this device characterized by the fact that it comprises at least one vacuum chamber, composed of the two walls assembled together in a position in which the internal faces of said walls are applied without play against one another, while their edges are fixed to each other in a sealed manner, members being provided allowing a force applied from the outside, to separate one from the other the two aforementioned walls, creating between them a vacuum; the differential pressure between, at least, atmospheric pressure, acting on the outer faces of the aforementioned walls and the vacuum prevailing between their separated inner faces, determining the resistance force opposed to said applied force from the outside. 2. Device comprising several vacuum chambers according to claim 1, in which two adjoining flat discs or in the form of two flattened suction cups one against the other, forming each vacuum chamber of the aforementioned device, said vacuum chambers being assembled together on areas arranged at the centers of their walls, having on the other hand at each of the two ends of the device a member making it possible to exert on this device a tensile force, each of said members formed integrally or assembled with the wall placed at one of the two aforementioned ends. 3. Device comprising several vacuum chambers according to claim 1, in which pairs of neighboring flat rounds or in the form of flattened suction cups one against the other forming annular vacuum chambers these annular chambers being assembled in a sealed manner between them according to circular areas arranged on their walls, between their peripheral edges and their edges interiors, with, on the other hand, at each of the two ends of the device a member making it possible to exert on it a tensile force, each of said members being formed in one piece or assembled with the wall placed at one of the two aforementioned ends on a circular area disposed between its peripheral edge and its inner edge. 4. Device comprising several annular vacuum chambers according to claims 1 and 3 wherein the accordion wall, formed by the central parts of the washers inside the circular areas joining the vacuum chambers, is closed in a sealed manner to its two ends, by a flat bottom on one side and by a transverse partition provided with a ring fitted with a valve on the other side, the container in the form of a tight central bellows thus produced allowing to exercise a tensile force on the walls of the annular vacuum chambers surrounding it by introduction under pressure of any fluid, inside said bellows. 5. Device comprising several annular vacuum chambers, surrounding a central container in the form of a bellows according to claims 1 and 4, characterized in that it is made in one piece by a bellows having on each peripheral fold of its accordion wall two flat walls or in the shape of suction cups extending radially outwards, the peripheral edges of said walls being assembled in pairs in a position where the interior faces of the 'assembled walls are in contact without play with each other, said walls walls assembled in pairs, belonging to the peripheral folds adjacent to the above-mentioned bellows. 6. A method of manufacturing a device according to claims 1 and 4, characterized in that elements each formed by two washers, integral with each other according to circular areas, located between their outer and inner edges are flattened and assembled together d '' a waterproof way according to the outside and inside edges said washers, thus forming annular vacuum chambers surrounding a bellows-shaped container, the two ends of said bellows being respectively constituted by an element comprising a washer secured to a flat bottom and by an element comprising a washer secured to a transverse partition provided of a ring. 7. A method of manufacturing a device according to claims 1 and 4, characterized in that flat elastic washers, assembled together in pairs, in a sealed manner, along their outer and inner edges, are then joined together according to circular areas arranged on the walls of said washers between their outer and inner edges 8. A method of manufacturing a device according to claims 1 and 2, wherein elements each formed by two flat discs or in the form of suction cups, integral with each other on the pads arranged in their centers are flattened and assembled together a sealed manner on the outer edges of said discs or suction cups, the two ends of the device being formed by two terminal elements each comprising a flat disc or in the form of a suction cup integral with a member making it possible to exert traction on said device. 9. A method of manufacturing a device according to claims 1 and 2, wherein the flat discs, assembled together in pairs, in a sealed manner, along their outer edges, are then joined together according to ranges arranged in the aforementioned disc centers. 10. Aerosol can characterized by the use of a device according to the invention for the propulsion under pressure of a fluid to be dispensed.