WO2003051746A2 - Fluid product dispensing device - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention concerns a fluid product dispensing device comprising a reservoir (1), a dispensing member (2), such as a pump or a valve, mounted on the reservoir by means of a fixing element (10), such as a cap or fixing ring, and a dispensing head (20) mounted on said dispensing member. The invention is characterized in that the device comprises a retaining element (30) fixed to said fixing element (10) and/or to said reservoir (1), and co-operating with the dispensing head (20) to prevent it from being pulled away from said dispensing member, the retaining element (30) comprising a radially inner part (31) adapted to be fixed on said fixing element (10) and/or said reservoir (1), and a radially outer part (36) co-operating with said dispensing head (20).

Description

 Fluid product dispensing device

The present invention relates to a device for dispensing a fluid product, and more particularly such a device comprising an anti-tearing system for the dispensing head.

In many fluid dispensing devices, a dispensing head is used to actuate a pump or valve mounted on a reservoir. This head is generally mounted axially movably on said pump or valve or on said tank so that actuation of the head causes the displacement of the piston of the pump or of the valve of the valve. For multiple reasons, it may be desirable to secure the dispensing head of the device, that is to say to prevent the voluntary or accidental removal or tearing of said dispensing head of said device. This is particularly desirable in the context of the drug distribution device, for which it may be desirable to avoid any contact of the product with the air in the environment. A voluntary or accidental tearing of the head in this case would risk bringing the exposed part of the pump or valve into contact, and in particular the product remaining there, in the surrounding air, which implies a risk of contamination of said product.

It has already been proposed to secure the dispensing head with the reservoir or the pump or valve fixing ring on the reservoir. This however implies a modification either of the reservoir or of the fixing ring, so that it is not in this case possible to use the standard parts, that is to say those commonly used in product distribution devices. fluid, and which are not suitable for achieving such a function of securing the dispensing head. The object of the present invention is to provide a device for dispensing a fluid product which does not have the abovementioned drawbacks.

Thus, the present invention aims to provide a fluid dispensing device which is simple and inexpensive to manufacture and assemble, and which adapts to the standard elements of existing distribution devices.

The present invention also aims to provide such a fluid dispensing device, which is easy to assemble, while ensuring a secure and reliable fixing of the dispensing head on the device.

The present invention therefore relates to a fluid dispenser device comprising a reservoir, a dispensing member, such as a pump or a valve, mounted on the reservoir by means of a fixing element, such as a capsule. or a fixing ring, and a dispensing head mounted on said dispensing member, characterized in that the device comprises a retaining element fixed to said fixing element and / or to said reservoir, and cooperating with said dispensing head to prevent its tearing off of said dispensing member, the retaining element comprising a radially internal part adapted to be fixed on said fixing element and / or said reservoir, and a radially external part cooperating with said dispensing head.

Preferably, said dispensing head is movable between a rest position and an actuating position of the dispensing member, said dispensing head cooperating with said retaining element in the event of an attempt to tear off. Advantageously, the retaining element is fixed on the fixing element.

Advantageously, said radially external part extends radially beyond said fixing element and cooperates with a shoulder produced on an internal lateral wall of said dispensing head.

Advantageously, said radially external part is curved and / or inclined axially downwards to increase the tear resistance.

Advantageously, the radially internal part is fixed in a radial groove of the fixing element.

Advantageously, said radially internal part comprises fixing means cooperating with said radial groove of the fixing element, and locking means for locking said fixing means in said groove.

According to a first embodiment, said fixing means comprise a ring provided with at least one slot, and said locking means are assembled around said ring.

Advantageously, said ring has four slots, preferably distributed regularly over the periphery of said ring.

Advantageously, said locking means comprise a snap-on ring around said split ring. Advantageously, said ring is fixed to said ring by bridges of breakable material, said ring comprising a latching groove so that after fixing the ring, the ring is separated from the ring and snapped into said groove to lock the Ring.

Advantageously, before locking, the ring is fixed to the ring by bridges of breakable material so that the at least one slot is open, to facilitate the fixing of the ring on the radial groove of the fixing element.

According to a second embodiment, said fixing means comprise latching tabs.

Advantageously, said locking means comprise at least one movable blocking element movable between a non-locking position allowing the spacing of the legs and a locking position preventing the spacing of the legs.

Advantageously, said locking means comprise a respective locking element associated with each latching tab. Advantageously, each blocking element is produced in the form of a pad of material sliding between said respective latching tab and a rigid guide wall of said retaining element.

Other characteristics and advantages of the present invention will appear more clearly during the following detailed description of several embodiments thereof, given with reference to the accompanying drawings, given by way of nonlimiting examples, and in which, FIG. 1 is a schematic sectional view of a first embodiment of the present invention,

- Figure 2 is a view similar to that of Figure 1, showing a second embodiment of the present invention, - Figure 3 is a view similar to Figures 1 and 2, showing a third embodiment of the present invention , and

- Figure 4 is a view similar to Figures 1 to 3, showing an alternative embodiment of the present invention.

The drawings show different embodiments of the present invention, in which a retaining member 30 is fixed on the fixing element 10, which fixes a pump or a valve 2 on a reservoir 1. This fixing member 10 can be a fixing ring screwable or snap-on, but the example shown shows a crimpable capsule. It should be noted that the present invention also applies to a retaining element 30 which would be fixed around the reservoir or of an integral part of the reservoir, depending on the shape of the various constituent elements of the dispensing device, and in particular of the tank dispensing head and of the fixing element.

In the drawings, the reservoir 1 and the dispensing member 2, that is to say the pump or the valve, are only shown very schematically in FIG. 4, and only the constituent elements of the invention and important for the understanding thereof will therefore be described below with reference to the drawings.

In the first embodiment which is shown in FIG. 1, the dispensing head 20 extends axially around the fixing element 10 by means of a lateral skirt 21, and this dispensing head is advantageously displaceable between a rest position and an actuation position, in which the head is pressed axially with respect to said fixing ring 10, as visible in FIG. 4. According to the invention, the retaining element 30 cooperates with the head dispenser 20 to prevent its accidental or voluntary tearing from the device. This cooperation occurs in the event of a tearing-off attempt, as shown in FIG. 1, and is advantageously carried out by means of an internal radial shoulder 22 produced on the lateral skirt 21 of the dispensing head, this radial shoulder 22 cooperating with said retaining element 30. Advantageously, in the rest position of the dispensing head, an axial gap of approximately 1 mm can be provided between the shoulder 22 of the head and the retaining element 30. In this way, the means preventing the tearing become active very quickly in the event of an attempt to tear the head from its rest position.

This retaining element 30 comprises a radially internal part 31 which is fixed on the fixing element 10, and a radially external part 36 which cooperates with the dispensing head. In the embodiment shown in the figures, the radially external part 36 advantageously extends radially beyond the fixing element 10 to come to cooperate with said radial shoulder 22 of the dispensing head.

Advantageously, as visible in FIG. 4, the radially external part 36 can be bent or inclined axially downwards, in the position shown in the figures, so as to increase the resistance to tearing. Indeed, in this case, when the user pulls on the dispensing head 20 to tear it from the device, that is to say upwards in the figures, the inclined part increases the resistance to deformation of the element retaining 30, and therefore prevents even more effectively the tearing of this dispensing head. It should be noted that in this FIG. 4, the device is shown in the actuation position, the shoulder 22 therefore being moved axially away from the retaining element 30. Advantageously, to achieve the axial inclination of the part radially external 36, the retaining element 30 may comprise spacing means 50 cooperating with the fixing element 10 to define an axial space between the radially external part 36 and said fixing element.

According to a first embodiment of the invention, the radially internal part 31 of the retaining element 30 is fixed to the fixing element 10, and in particular snapped into a radial groove 11 as shown in FIG. 1. Figures 2 and 3 show two other embodiments, which in fact represent variants at the radially internal part 31 of the retaining element 30, intended not only to facilitate the fixing of the retaining element 30 on the 'fastening element 10, but still to lock this fixation to ensure a secure and reliable fixing of the retaining element 30 on the device, and therefore a secure and reliable attachment of the dispensing head on the device.

FIG. 2 represents a first alternative embodiment which shows a radially internal part 31 comprising fixing means 32 and locking means 33, said locking means being intended to be assembled around said fixing means 32 to lock them after fixing. In the variant shown in Figure 2, the fixing means 32 are made in the form of a ring having four slots 34. Thus, the ring 32 forming the fixing means of the retaining element 30 is composed of four sections ring separated by the four slots 34. Of course, one could provide any number of slots, including a single slot 34 if necessary. The purpose of the slot is to allow the ring 32 to be spaced apart when the retaining element 30 is placed around the fixing element 10. The fixing of the retaining element 30 is therefore facilitated by the presence of these slots 34. Once the retaining element is fixed, the locking means 33 are arranged around said ring 32 to prevent the slots 34 from opening. In the example shown in FIG. 2, these locking means are produced in the form of a ring 33 which snaps into a radial groove 39 provided on the rear face of said fixing ring 32 of the element of retainer 30. Advantageously, this ring 33 is fixed, before locking, to said ring 32 by bridges of breakable material 35. After the retainer 30 has been fixed on the fixing element 10, these bridges of breakable material are broken and the ring 33 is snapped into said radial groove 39. Advantageously, a ramp 38 is provided to facilitate this snap-fastening. Advantageously, the ring 33 is made in a single piece, and it is fixed before locking to the ring 32 so that the slots 34 are open or slightly apart, so that the fixing of the retaining element 30 on the fixing element 10 is facilitated. Then, when the ring 33 is snapped into the radial groove 39, this locking ring 33 urges the ring 32 radially inside the radial groove 11 of the fastening element 10, by completely or partially closing the slots 34, so that the retaining element is then fixed in a non-removable manner on said fixing element 10.

FIG. 3 shows an alternative embodiment in which fixing means 32 provided on the radially internal part 31 of the retaining element 30 are not produced in the form of a split ring, but in the form of lugs latching 32. In this case, the locking means 33 are advantageously produced in the form of pads of displaceable material, a pad 33 preferably being associated with each latching tab 32. As visible in FIG. 3, these pads of material 33 are advantageously disposed in a sliding manner between said latching lugs 32 and a guide wall 37 of the retaining element 30. Thus, in the position shown in FIG. 3, which is a non-locking position, the lugs 32 can move apart, to facilitate the positioning of the retaining element 30 around the fixing element 10. The tabs 32 can move apart and then snap into the radial groove 11 of the el fixing ment 10. Then, the locking studs 33 are pressed inside the retaining element 30, between the respective snap-on lugs 32 and the guide wall 37, so as to lock said snap-on lugs 32, and in particular to prevent their separation. Thus, after movement of the locking studs 33, the latching tabs can no longer move apart and the retaining element 30 is fixed in a non-removable manner to the fixing element 10 as desired.

The present invention has been described with reference to several particular embodiments thereof, but it is understood that it is not limited to these embodiments. On the contrary, a person skilled in the art can make any modifications to it without departing from the scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims.

Claims

claims 1.- Device for dispensing a fluid product comprising a reservoir (1), a dispensing member (2), such as a pump or a valve, mounted on the reservoir by means of a fixing element (10), such a capsule or a fixing ring, and a dispensing head (20) mounted on said dispensing member, characterized in that the device comprises a retaining element (30) fixed to said fixing element (10) and / or to said reservoir (1), and cooperating with said dispensing head (20) to prevent it from being torn off from said dispensing member, the retaining element (30) comprising a radially internal part (31) adapted to be fixed on said fixing element (10) and / or said reservoir (1), and a radially external part (36) cooperating with said dispensing head (20). 2.- Device according to claim 1, wherein said dispensing head (20) is movable between a rest position and an actuating position of the dispensing member, said dispensing head (20) cooperating with said element withholding (30) in the event of an attempted tearing. 3.- Device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the retaining element (30) is fixed on the fixing element (10). 4.- Device according to any one of the preceding claims, in which said radially external part (36) extends radially beyond said fixing element (10) and cooperates with a shoulder (22) produced on an internal side wall. (21) of said dispensing head (20). 5.- Device according to claim 4, wherein said radially outer portion (36) is curved and / or inclined axially downward so as to increase the resistance to tearing. 6.- Device according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the radially internal part (31) is fixed in a radial groove (11) of the fixing element (10). 7.- Device according to claim 6, wherein said radially internal part (31) comprises fastening means (32) cooperating with said radial groove (11) of the fixing element (10), and locking means (33) for locking said fixing means (32) in said groove (11). 8.- Device according to claim 7, wherein said fixing means (32) comprise a ring (32) provided with at least one slot (34), and said locking means (33) are assembled around said ring (32). 9.- Device according to claim 8, wherein said ring (32) has four slots (34), preferably distributed regularly over the periphery of said ring (32). 10.- Device according to claim 8 or 9, wherein said locking means (33) comprise a ring (33) snap-fit around said split ring (32). 11.- Device according to claim 10, wherein said ring (33) is fixed to said ring by bridges of breakable material (35), said ring (32) having a latching groove (39) so that after fixing the ring (32), the ring (33) is separated from the ring (32) and snapped into said groove (39) to lock the ring (32). 12.- Device according to claim 11, wherein, before locking, the ring (33) is fixed to the ring (32) by bridges of breakable material (35) so that the at least one slot (34) is open, to facilitate the fixing of the ring (32) on the radial groove (11) of the fixing element (10). 13.- Device according to claim 7 or 8, wherein said fixing means (32) comprise latching tabs (32). 14.- Device according to claim 13, wherein said locking means (33) comprise at least one movable blocking element (33) movable between a non-locking position allowing the spacing of the legs (32) and a locking position preventing the spacing of the legs (32). 15.- Device according to claim 14, wherein said locking means (33) comprise a respective locking element (33) associated with each latching tab (32). 16.- Device according to claim 15, in which each locking element (33) is produced in the form of a pad of material (33) sliding between said respective latching tab (32) and a rigid guide wall ( 37) of said retaining element (30). ****