EP1080017A1

EP1080017A1 - Sampling-type spraying device

Info

Publication number: EP1080017A1
Application number: EP99919336A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Firmin Garcia; Aline Abergel
Original assignee: Valois SAS
Current assignee: Aptar France SAS
Priority date: 1998-05-18
Filing date: 1999-05-17
Publication date: 2001-03-07
Anticipated expiration: 2019-05-17
Also published as: EP1080017B1; JP2002515381A; US6460781B1; DE69902467D1; ES2181421T3; US20030015605A1; CN1301229A; US6663019B2; WO1999059881A1; CN1144735C; BR9910440A; FR2778639A1; DE69902467T2; AU3714699A; FR2778639B1

Abstract

The invention concerns a device for dispensing in spray form a fluid product, comprising a reservoir (13) containing the product to be dispensed and a spray outlet (16), said reservoir (13) including at least an actuating wall (131) deformable by application of a vertical force (F) so as to reduce the reservoir (13) internal volume, thereby exerting pressure on the fluid product to deliver it through the spray outlet (16). The invention is characterised in that said at least one actuating wall (131) has a predetermined threshold of resistance to deformation which must be overcome so as to deform it.

Description

Sample type spray device.

The present invention relates to a device for distributing a fluid product in spray form. More particularly, the invention relates to a miniature sprayer, preferably disposable, adapted in particular to the sample in the fields of pharmacy, perfumery or cosmetics. The problems which arise for such a product distributor include, in particular, inexpensive manufacturing requirements. Indeed, since the samples are not generally intended for sale, the manufacturing cost must be as low as possible. It is therefore important to have devices whose parts can be easily produced in large series and whose assembly can be carried out in a simple manner. In addition to the samples used mainly for advertising purposes, it is desirable to be able to visibly affix the brand, logo or any other distinctive sign corresponding to the product contained in the distributor. Likewise, it is desirable to provide a device having an original shape and practical for use. For example, in the case of a sample to be included in magazines or newspapers, it is essential that the dispenser has a very reduced thickness.

The dispensing device according to the invention can also find applications in the pharmaceutical field. In this particular area, it is important that the dose of product is precise. In addition, it is also important that the spray is of good quality. It is for example known from document FR-A-2 443 980 a disposable vaporizer produced by welding of plastic sheet defining between it a reservoir as well as two swirl channels connected to a spray orifice. By pressing on the reservoir, the walls of which are produced by plastic sheets, the product is discharged into the swirl channels then through the spray orifice to create a jet of sprayed product. This disposable spray does not, however, allow a defined dose of product to be expelled. In addition, the production of swirl channels by welding two plastic sheets is rather imprecise and random. According to a version of this vaporizer, the tank is divided into two chambers by a partition which breaks under the action of pressure. One chamber is filled with a fluid while the other contains another product and air. In addition, the tank is separated from the spray orifice by a break point. At first, when the tank is pressed, the partition breaks and the two fluids mix more or less with each other and with the air. In any case, the mixture thus obtained cannot be homogeneous. By increasing the pressure, the breaking point breaks and the non-homogeneous mixture is forced back towards the spray orifice. The jet coming out of the orifice is sometimes composed of the first fluid, sometimes composed of the second fluid and sometimes of air, but never of a homogeneous mixture of the three. It follows that the jet is sometimes purely aqueous and sometimes biphasic. Its quality is therefore not constant.

Document FR-2 232 923 describes a dispenser of the same type suffering from similar problems.

We also know from document WO 98/01360 a two-phase dispenser capable of delivering a dose of product in spray form. This dispenser is also intended to serve as a miniature sprayer in the form of a sample. It includes two air tanks and a product tank which are all connected to a common spray port. Upstream of the spray orifice, there is provided a fiber capable of soaking up the product. The air expelled from the air tank therefore passes through the fiber soaked in product expelled from the two product tanks. For actuation of the device, a pressure member is provided in the form of a foldable tab on the reservoirs so as to crush them, which causes the product and air to be discharged towards the spray orifice. The various reservoirs are formed between a support and a flexible barrier film. The pressure tab has the effect of crushing the film against the support at the level where they together form the product and air reservoirs.

The drawback with this type of two-phase distributor 5 is that the quality of the spraying depends on the speed of actuation of the tongue on the reservoirs. Indeed, if the tongue is brought slowly to the tanks, the spraying will be of poor quality. Therefore, it is necessary to fold down the tongue with a certain speed.

The present invention aims to solve this problem of the prior art by defining an inexpensive dispensing device which ensures perfect quality of the spray under all circumstances. In addition, the volume of the dose emitted must be constant and precise. On the other hand, in certain applications, in particular advertising, the distributor will have to meet certain dimensional requirements, in particular it will have to have a very reduced thickness in order to be able to be incorporated into a magazine. or a review. It must also be able to withstand high pressures without product leakage. Indeed, when such a sample is included in a journal for example and these journals are stacked, the included sample is subjected to high pressure.

To solve this problem, the present invention provides a device for distributing a fluid product in sprayed form, comprising a reservoir containing the fluid product to be dispensed and a spray orifice, said reservoir comprising at least one actuating wall which is deformable per application. a pressing force so as to reduce the internal volume of the reservoir and thus exert pressure on the fluid product to discharge it through the spray orifice, said at least one actuation wall having a predetermined resistance threshold to the deformation that must be overcome to deform it.

According to one embodiment, said at least one actuating wall has, at rest, a convex profile, which is capable of deforming suddenly and easily into a determined concave profile, as soon as the bearing force has reached said resistance threshold .

Like the devices described in the prior art, actuation also takes place by pressing on an actuating wall, but in the present invention, the state of deformation of the wall (s) does not depend linearly of the supporting force but requires the exceeding of a predetermined threshold so that an energy accumulation is created in the user's finger which is suddenly released when the force exceeds said resistance threshold of the wall. This creates a kind of precompression, although the liquid inside the tank is not subjected to any pressure until the wall is deformed. The accumulation of potential energy in the user's finger ensures that the energy released will be necessary and sufficient for a good spraying of the product. Dynamically, as long as the bearing force has not reached this threshold, the wall remains at rest. As soon as the force exceeds this threshold, the wall leaves its rest position and during its deformation towards its deformed final position, the force required is actually much lower than the bearing force necessary to exceed the resistance threshold, which has the consequence that the deformation, after leaving the rest position, is rapid and abrupt since the force is much greater than that necessary. The rest position therefore constitutes a point of resistance after which the force necessary for the deformation is much less to reach the deformed final state.

According to one embodiment, said at least one actuating wall has at least one reinforcing groove or rib to increase its rigidity or delimit its perimeter. This point of resistance is here achieved by the grooves or ribs.

According to another characteristic, said at least one actuating wall has a shape memory allowing it to return to its initial shape after the support force has been released. This ensures that the dispenser can be used repeatedly without altering the actuation capacity of the wall.

On the other hand, it is advantageous for said at least one actuating wall to have a constant deformed state so that the quantity of product dispensed is constant and dosed. With a distributor ensuring at the same time a predetermined threshold of resistance to deformation, a shape memory and a constant deformed state, a repeated spraying of optimum quality of a precise dose of product is ensured. The use of one or two actuating wall (s) according to the invention in a two-phase application finds a particular advantage because the actuating wall does not act directly on the fluid product, but on the gas found inside the tank by brutally compressing it.

According to an advantageous embodiment in the case of two-phase application, a nozzle comprising a retention piece of porous material adapted to soak up the fluid product is disposed upstream of the spray orifice. The porous retention piece is automatically soaked with fluid by capillary action when the distributor is at rest, and is then traversed by a flow of air which is pressurized by the actuation of the wall of the reservoir.

In another aspect, the spray orifice is hermetically sealed, before use of the device, by a plug member. Consequently, an actuation of the wall will only have the effect of compressing the air inside the tank without a spray being emitted. The plug member therefore serves as a safety and guarantee of first use.

According to a practical embodiment, the dispenser can be produced from a thermoformed shell forming the actuating wall and from an opercular film defining together the reservoir and the spray orifice. The distributor can thus be manufactured very simply and quickly in a single assembly line.

As a variant, the dispenser can be produced from two thermoformed shells, each forming an actuating wall, the two shells being assembled in leaktight manner to form between them the reservoir and the spray orifice. The invention will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings which give by way of nonlimiting example an embodiment of the present invention.

In the drawings: FIGS. 1a to 1d represent schematic perspective views of a dispensing device according to the invention during different stages of use, FIG. 2a is an enlarged view of the detail surrounded by dotted lines in FIG. which represents the part of the dispenser incorporating the spray orifice in the state not yet used, FIG. 2b is a cross-section view through the part shown in part 2a, FIG. 3a is an enlarged view of the detail circled on Figure 1b showing the spray orifice in use, Figure 3b is a cross-sectional view through the part shown in Figure 3a; and Figures 4a, 4b and 5a, 5b are cross-sectional views through a dispensing device according to a second embodiment of the invention.

In the figures, the dispensing device according to the invention which is shown is a sample of the free type intended to be incorporated in journals or magazines as advertising, for example for a perfume. It is therefore understood that the dispenser must be relatively flat. This application to a free sample should not be considered as unique or limiting indeed, one can appHquer the present invention to any fluid dispenser having an actuating wall to be deformed to exert pressure on the product to be dispensed.

According to the first embodiment shown in Figures 1 to 3, the dispenser comprises three constituent elements, namely a semi-rigid shell 11, preferably thermoformed, a flat opercular film 12 connected to the shell 11, and a piece of material porous 19 wedged between the shell il and the film 12. The film may be in the form of a flexible or rigid substrate.

The semi-rigid shell 11 can be made from a sheet of thermoformable plastic. The flat plastic sheet is placed on an imprint concave defining a concave dome 13 and a channel 15 defining a housing ending in a conduit 14 made blind by a plug portion 171 as can be seen in Figures 2a and 2b. Once turned over, the shell defines a dome 13 to which the housing 15 terminated by the channel 14 is connected, as can be seen in the various figures. The dome 13 defines with respect to the plane of the shell 11 a certain volume which corresponds to that of the tank which will be designated in the following description by the reference numeral 13

In order to complete the reservoir 13 formed by the dome of the shell 11, the opercular film 12 is heat sealed on the base of the shell 11 so as to isolate the reservoir 13 as well as the housing 15 and the blind channel 14 from the outside, as can be seen in FIG. 1a, the shell 11 and the opercular film 12 therefore together define an internal volume constituted by the reservoir 13, the housing 15 and the blind channel 14.

Of course, the fluid to be dispensed should be introduced into the reservoir 13 before sealing with the film 12. Preferably, the amount of fluid in each reservoir 13 is preferably less than the total capacity of the reservoir 13 so that part of the reservoir 13 remains filled with a gas, for example air. This ensures a two-phase distribution.

The fluid, and possibly the gas contained inside the shell 11 after sealing, is completely isolated from the outside and cannot escape from it. According to one embodiment, the shell 11 and the opercular film 12 are provided with a common breaking line 18 which crosses the blind duct 14. The part of the shell 17 formed on the other side of the breaking line 18 relative to to the reservoir 13 defines a foldable or detachable tab serving as a plug member. By folding the tongue 17, the part 171 is detached from the conduit 14 at the level of the rupture line 18. The conduit 14 is then no longer blind but defines an orifice 16 serving as a spray orifice for the dispenser. Consequently, after tearing off the detachable tab 17, the reservoir 13 can communicate with the outside via the channel 14 opening out with its spray orifice 16. Upstream of the channel 14, the housing 15 can for example contain a nozzle any spraying, but preferably according to the invention, the housing 15 contains a piece of porous material 19, a detailed explanation of which will be given with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3. In any case, the housing 15 may contain any means allowing spraying of the product stored inside the tank 13. Once the tab 17 has been folded back, it is possible to distribute a dose of fluid contained in the reservoir 13 by acting on the dome formed by the shell 11.

Obviously, the user will understand that it is necessary to act on the top of the dome of the reservoir 13. At this point, the dome of the reservoir 13 defines an actuating wall 131 on which one can act using the thumb by example.

This actuating wall 131 has a convex profile at rest which is incorporated practically imperceptible to the eye in the dome of the reservoir 13. This actuating wall 131 can be delimited on its periphery by one or more grooves or ribs 132 which are formed inside the dome during thermoforming. These grooves or ribs 132 therefore have on the one hand the role of delimiting the zone of the actuating wall but also of reinforcing and stiffening its periphery. These grooves or ribs 132 have the effect of reinforcing the resistance of the concave profile to the deformation exerted according to arrow F in FIG. This resistance to deformation can also come from the particular shape of the dome. Consequently, when one begins to press on the actuator wall 131, the latter does not undergo any deformation and the dome remains intact as a whole. However, as soon as the bearing force exerted on the actuator wall 131 exceeds a certain resistance threshold which depends on the geometry, the nature and the thickness of the dome as well as on the configuration and the location grooves or ribs, the convex actuating wall 131 suddenly deforms towards the inside of the reservoir until it reaches a final deformed position in which it forms a concave profile approximately corresponding to the convex profile of the initial state. It should be noted that the rest of the dome constituting the reservoir 13 does not undergo any deformation during the deformation of the actuating wall 131. Consequently, the variation generated by the depression of the wall 131 towards the interior of the reservoir 13 generates a reduction in volume which is always constant because the initial state and the final state of deformation are constant. It is thus ensured that an identical quantity of air is both expelled from the spray orifice 16. In addition, the fact that it is necessary to overcome this predetermined threshold of resistance to deformation ensures a state of pressurization of the air substantially identical to each actuation.

Finally, in order to allow a return to the initial state of rest, the actuating wall has a shape memory which results in an intrinsic restoring force which brings the actuating wall 131 back from its sunken shape to its convex shape. rest. It should be understood that the concept of predetermined threshold of resistance to deformation does not mean that a predetermined minimum support force level must be reached, from which any subsequent increase in force allows a progressive deformation of the wall. actuation 131. On the contrary, once the deformation of the actuating wall 131 has been initiated, the force necessary for its subsequent deformation until it is fully depressed is significantly less than that necessary for the initial deformation. In other words, the energy necessary for its complete deformation after initial deformation is much less than that necessary for the initial deformation. And thanks to the predetermined threshold of resistance to deformation of the wall 13, a largely sufficient force is available to allow the subsequent complete deformation of the wall. The resistance threshold acts in the same way as a rupture threshold beyond which the force necessary for the deformation is much less. And since the user's finger has accumulated a large amount of energy which must be greater than the predetermined threshold, this guarantees rapid, even instantaneous, depression of the actuating wall 131 towards its fully depressed position.

An actuating wall 131 such as that which has just been described provides three advantageous functions, namely an initial energy accumulation ensuring instantaneous actuation, - consistency of the deformation state of the wall, and a reminder of the wall in its initial position.

From these considerations, it is possible to envisage a distributor incorporating one or more of these functions. Reference will now be made more particularly to FIGS. 2b and 3b to describe a particular embodiment using a piece of porous material 19 to carry out the spraying at the level of the orifice 16. The piece of porous material which can be in the form a small parallelepiped is placed in the housing 15 that forms the shell it upstream of the outlet channel 14. The piece of porous material 19 is blocked in the housing 15 downstream by the wall sections joining the channel 14 and upstream by a blocking angle 191 formed by the shell 11. The piece of porous material 19 cannot therefore move, but nevertheless remains in connection with the reservoir 13 in such a way that it can be soaked by capillarity of the product content in the reservoir 13. When the dispenser is still sealed, as shown in FIGS. 2a and 2b, the channel 14 is closed by the wall 171 which is part of the foldable or detachable tongue 17. When the dispenser is thus still sealed, the piece of porous material can still soak with product while preventing a passage of the product beyond into the space formed by the conduit 14. Indeed, the phenomenon of capillarity produced by the piece of porous material prevents any passage of the product in this space. After tearing off the tongue, the conduit 14 forms the spray orifice as can be seen in FIGS. 3a and 3b. An actuation of the wall 131 then has the effect of compressing this air and expelling it through the piece of porous material soaked in product, which causes its two-phase spraying at the level of the orifice 16.

According to one embodiment, the piece of porous material can be adapted in size so as to contain only one dose. After actuation, the piece of porous material 19 is then emptied of its fluid product. The piece of porous material 19 is loaded with a fluid product by simply agitating the dispenser or by letting it rest horizontally on its opercular film 12. After a few seconds, the piece of porous material 19 is again completely soaked with fluid product and actuation is again possible. This piece of porous material 19 therefore acts in the manner of a metering chamber which ensures consistency in the quantity of product dispensed.

According to an alternative embodiment, the piece of porous material 15, while occupying the housing 15, can extend into the reservoir in the manner of a dip tube. In this case, the porous part can retain several doses so that several consecutive actuations are possible. In addition, this part acts as a stopper which prevents the product from leaking through the orifice 16. Consequently, even when the dispenser is open, that is to say with its tongue 17 torn off, it is easy to transport the dispenser even upside down without risk of leakage

Referring now to Figures 4a, 4b and 5a, 5b, we see a second embodiment in which the rigid or flexible lidding film has been replaced by another thermoformed shell 11 'similar to that of the first embodiment. The distributor then has an almost total symmetry except for the housing for the porous part and the outlet orifice which are formed in only one of the shells. With this variant, we obtain a doubling of the deformation volume, and therefore of the quantity of product dispensed, since there is an actuating wall on each shell. Another advantage inherent in this double-sided dispenser lies in its resistance to compression because its two faces are provided with an actuating wall according to the invention having a threshold of resistance to deformation. This feature is particularly sought after for applications as a free sample inserted in a magazine.

By combining both the advantages of the actuating wall according to the invention and a piece of porous material placed upstream of the spray orifice in the same dispenser, it is ensured on the one hand that the dose of product distributed is constant and precise and that the pressure and the quantity of air expelled through the piece of porous material are constant and precise. We can thus guarantee an optimal quality of the spraying for a simple sample of perfume for example.

Claims

Claims:

1.- Device for dispensing a fluid product in sprayed form, comprising a reservoir (13) containing the fluid product to be dispensed and a spray orifice (16), said reservoir (13) comprising at least one actuating wall ( 131) deformable by application of a pressing force (F) so as to reduce the internal volume of the reservoir (13) and thus exert pressure on the fluid product to discharge it through the spraying orifice (16), characterized in that said at least one actuating wall (131) has a predetermined threshold of resistance to deformation which must be overcome to deform it.

2. A dispensing device according to claim 1, wherein said at least one actuating wall (131) has a shape memory allowing it to return to its initial shape after the release force has been released (F).

3. A dispensing device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein said at least one actuating wall (13) has a constant deformed state so that the quantity of product dispensed is constant and dosed.

4. Dispensing device according to any one of the preceding claims, in which said at least one actuating wall (131) has at rest a convex profile, which is capable of deforming suddenly and easily into a determined concave profile, as soon as the pressing force (F) has reached said resistance threshold.

5. Dispensing device according to any one of the preceding claims, in which said at least one actuating wall has at least one groove or reinforcing rib to increase its rigidity or delimit its periphery.

6. Dispensing device according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the reservoir (13) contains both a fluid and a gas. so as to rehase a two-phase spray of fluid and gas at the outlet of the spray orifice (16).

7. A dispensing device according to claim 6, in which a nozzle comprising a retention piece of porous material (19) adapted to soak up the fluid product is disposed upstream of the spray orifice (16).

8. A dispensing device according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the spray orifice (16) is hermetically sealed, before use of the device, by a plug member (17).

9. A dispensing device according to any one of the preceding claims, produced from a thermoformed shell (11) forming the actuating wall (131) and an opercular film (12) together defining the reservoir (13 ) and the spray orifice (16).

10.- Dispensing device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, made from two thermoformed shells (11 and 11 ') each forming an actuating wall, the two shells being assembled in a sealed manner to form therebetween the reservoir (13) and the spray orifice (16).