Classifications

• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B67—OPENING, CLOSING OR CLEANING BOTTLES, JARS OR SIMILAR CONTAINERS; LIQUID HANDLING
  • B67B—APPLYING CLOSURE MEMBERS TO BOTTLES JARS, OR SIMILAR CONTAINERS; OPENING CLOSED CONTAINERS
  • B67B3/00—Closing bottles, jars or similar containers by applying caps
  • B67B3/22—Closing bottles, jars or similar containers by applying caps by applying snap-on caps

Definitions

• Mounting equipment for mounting a dispensing member on a container neck.
• the present invention relates to mounting equipment for mounting a dispensing member on a container neck.
• This type of mounting equipment is frequently used in various technical fields such as perfumery, cosmetics or even pharmacy, and is used to mount pumps, valves or any dispensing heads on containers with necks .
• the purpose of the dispenser is to dispense the fluid contained within the container.
• the dispensing member is frequently engaged in or on the neck in order to be able to withdraw or be supplied with fluid from the container.
• the container neck has an axis of symmetry. Most often, this axis of symmetry merges with that of the container.
• mounting equipment adapted to mount the dispensing member by screwing a ring around the container neck.
• mounting equipment adapted to mount the dispensing member by screwing a ring around the container neck.
• crimping equipment There are also other mounting equipment making it possible to successively lower several constituent elements of a fixing member.
• a conventional design for a fixing member consists in providing a fixing ring associated with a covering hoop. The fixing ring can engage outside the container neck in a relatively simple manner and without exerting considerable pressure, then the mounting equipment lowers the covering band to come and block the ring around the neck.
• There is yet another simpler mounting technique consisting in forcibly fitting the dispensing member onto or in the container neck.
• the dispensing member is or may also be provided with an integrated or associated fixing member which engages with the container neck and which thus fixes the dispensing member on the neck after having been fitted in strength.
• the dispensing member with its associated or incorporated fixing means is in unitary form, which does not change between the initial state before mounting and the final state after mounting.
• the mounting equipment is not intended to move a part of the dispensing member relative to another part, as is the case with the fixing ring system and covering hoop previously discussed. Consequently, the mounting equipment comprises a thrust member capable of exerting a thrust on the dispensing member in order to force it onto the neck of the container.
• This pushing member is preferably single and presses on a pushing area of the dispensing member which is static with respect to the rest of the dispensing member. In other words, there is no movement of this thrust zone relative to the whole of the dispensing member during force re-engagement on the container neck.
• the present invention relates more specifically to the latter type of mounting equipment allowing a force fitting of a unitary dispensing member on a container neck, without excluding the ring and hoop system.
• the dispensing member with these fixing means is mounted in the following manner on a container neck: the dispensing member is first brought, then deposited on the container neck.
• the removal of the dispensing member on the container neck does not guarantee its aligned orientation relative to the axis of symmetry of the container neck. It therefore frequently happens that the dispensing member is disposed totally offset or inclined relative to the axis of symmetry of the container neck. It is therefore easily understood that it is not possible to exert a thrust on this offset distribution member in order to force it onto the container neck. Indeed, a push on such an offset distribution member would simply have the effect of offsetting it even more and then of destroying it by crushing on the container neck.
• the present invention therefore aims to remedy this drawback related to the offset of the dispensing member during its initial removal from the container neck before exerting the pushing force fit to fix it on the container neck .
• this drawback can also occur with other type of distribution member, such as for example that previously described which implements a fixing ring and a covering band.
• the mounting equipment further comprises, a first guide wall to bring at least roughly the dispensing member in the axis of the neck, and a second guide wall to refine the orientation of the dispensing member in the axis of the neck.
• a first guide wall to bring at least roughly the dispensing member in the axis of the neck
• a second guide wall to refine the orientation of the dispensing member in the axis of the neck.
• the first guide wall is at least partially frustoconical and converges towards the second guide wall.
• the two guide walls thus form a sort of funnel, inside which the offset distribution member can be brought back to a position substantially aligned with the axis of the container neck.
• the second guide wall is movable relative to the first guide wall between a rest position and a push position.
• a third guide wall can be provided to perfect the alignment of the dispensing member with the axis of the neck.
• the second guide wall can be movable relative to the third guide wall between a rest position and a push position, the third guide wall being hidden in the rest position and unmasked in the push position.
• the pushing member gradually unmasks the third guide wall during its movement from its rest position towards its pushing position.
• the first guide wall and the third guide wall can moreover be integral and static with respect to each other.
• the first guide wall may be at less partially frustoconical and extended by a substantially cylindrical part forming the third guide wall.
• the pushing member can be urged towards its rest position by elastic return means.
• the pushing member forms a sleeve comprising an internal wall at least partially cylindrical and a free lower end, the internal wall forming the second guide wall, and the free lower end forming a contact zone adapted to come into thrust contact with the dispensing member.
• the sleeve masks the third guide wall in the rest position.
• the invention therefore provides for the implementation of several successive guide walls making it possible to progressively refine the alignment of the dispensing member with the axis of the neck.
• Moving the second guide wall relative to the first to unmask the third guide wall is particularly advantageous, since the dispensing member can be further oriented or aligned using the third guide wall while the member distribution is engaged with the second guide wall.
• the second and third guide walls can therefore be used simultaneously. This is possible because the second guide wall moves relative to the first, and especially relative to the third.
• FIG. 1 is a view in vertical cross section through a mounting device according to the invention in the rest position
• FIG. 2 is a view similar to that of FIG. 1 for the mounting equipment in the push position
• FIG. 3 represents the assembly equipment of FIGS. 1 and 2 associated with a fluid product distributor during different successive assembly steps
• FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of detail A of FIG. 3
• FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of detail B in FIG. 3.
• This mounting equipment comprises a base or mandrel 11 intended to come into engagement with a press or any means making it possible to generate a pressing force along a predetermined axis.
• This mandrel 11 therefore comprises an upper part 110 intended to be grasped by fixing means associated with the press and a lower part forming a crown 111 whose internal wall forms a housing 113 for a return spring 13.
• the crown 111 also forms an annular lower end 114 serving as a stop surface as will be seen below.
• the ring 111 also defines an external wall 112 which is engaged with a sleeve 12 which forms a part integral with the mandrel 11 by any technical means (force fitting, welding, bonding, screwing, crimping, etc.).
• the sleeve 12 forms a connection section 121 engaged with the mandrel 11.
• the sleeve 12 forms a cylinder 123 internally defining a sliding barrel 124.
• the cylinder 123 is connected to a head 125 which defines a shoulder 126 which extends radially inwards from the barrel 124.
• the head 125 From the internal periphery of the shoulder 126, the head 125 defines a substantially cylindrical wall 127 In the extension of this wall 127, the head defines a frustoconical convergence wall 128 which widens outwards from the wall 127.
• the frustoconical convergence wall 128 may end in an annular wall 129 which defines the the lower end of the sleeve 12 and of the assembly equipment as a whole.
• the sleeve 12 thus forms an internal housing defined by the barrel 124 and the opening of which is narrowed at the level of the wall 127 due to the shoulder 126 facing inwards. At its upper end, this internal housing is closed by the lower part of the mandrel 11 which defines the crown 111 and the housing 113 in which the upper end of the return spring 13 is received.
• This housing formed by the sleeve 12 and the mandrel 11 therefore contains the spring 13, but also a pushing member 14, which is here in the form of a slide mounted inside the sleeve 12.
• the pushing member 14 also defines a housing 143 in which the end is received lower of the return spring 13.
• the pushing member defines a substantially cylindrical external wall 142 adapted to come into sliding contact substantially without friction with the barrel. sliding 124 defined by the sleeve 12.
• the thrust member 14 forms an inward shoulder 146 adapted to come into abutment contact against the shoulder 126 formed by the head 125 of the sleeve 12.
• FIG. 1 represents the thrust equipment in the rest position, that is to say with the return spring 13 urging the thrust member 14 away from the mandrel 11.
• FIG. 2 represents the thrust equipment in the rest position, that is to say with the return spring 13 urging the thrust member 14 away from the mandrel 11.
• the pushing member 14 also comprises a socket 147 disposed in the lower part of the pushing member.
• This sleeve 147 extends downward to define a lower end 149.
• This sleeve 147 extends from the internal periphery of the shoulder 146.
• the sleeve 147 forms an internal wall 148 and an external wall 144 which is adapted to slide with or without friction with respect to the wall 127 of the sleeve 12. In the rest position shown in FIG. 1, the sleeve 147 masks the wall 127 of the sleeve 12, while in the thrust position shown in FIG. 2, socket 147 almost completely unmasks the wall 127 of the sleeve 12.
• a receiving housing 140 intended to receive a part of the dispensing member as will be seen below.
• the frustoconical convergence wall 128 is integral in displacement with the substantially cylindrical wall 127 which, moreover, extends in its extension from its smallest section.
• the internal wall 148 defined by the sleeve 147 of the pushing member 14 is movable relative to the two walls 127 and 128, owing to the fact that the pushing member 14 is translatable inside the sleeve 12.
• the frustoconical convergence wall 128 defines a first guide wall
• the internal wall 148 of the sleeve 147 forms a second guide wall
• the substantially cylindrical wall 127 forms a third guide wall.
• the first guide wall allows a rough reorientation of the dispensing member
• the second guide wall allows to refine the orientation of the dispensing member
• the third guide wall allows to perfect its orientation to bring it into an adequate orientation for a force fit on a container neck.
• the invention can do without the third guide wall in certain cases.
• FIG. 3 represents five views illustrating five successive stages of the assembly process using the assembly equipment according to the invention.
• a container 2 having a body 21 held in a support 4.
• the container 2 also forms a neck 22 which defines an opening allowing access to the interior of the body 21.
• the body 21 is of course adapted to contain any fluid product.
• the neck 22 has an axis of symmetry X which is here merged with the axis of symmetry of the body 21.
• containers in which the axis of symmetry of the neck 22 does not coincide with that of the body 21.
• a dispensing member 3 On the neck 22, is arranged a dispensing member 3 whose only visible parts are constituted by a fixing ring 32 and the pusher 31.
• the ring fixing 32 has the function of cooperating with the external part of the neck 22 to achieve a fixing of the dispensing member on the neck.
• the pusher 31 its function is to allow the actuation of the dispensing member by pressing it.
• the pusher 31 is translatable in the interior of the ring 32.
• the term “ring” here means any fixing means adapted to be put in place on a neck by force fitting. It may very well be that the fixing ring 32 includes an external covering provided for aesthetic purposes.
• the dispensing member 3 is deposited on the neck 22 in a tilted or inclined manner, which results from the random deposition of the dispensing member on the neck 22.
• the distribution member 3 here has an axis of symmetry Y which forms an angle Z with respect to the axis of symmetry X of the neck 22.
• the mounting equipment 1 has not yet entered actuation.
• the pusher 31 of the dispensing member 3 has already come into contact with the first guide wall 128 which forms a convergence cone. In reality, the pusher 31 comes into contact with the convergence wall 128 with its upper annular stop.
• the distribution member 3 has already been straightened since its axis of symmetry Y is already close to the axis of symmetry X of the neck 22. To bring the distribution member into contact of the convergence wall 128, it is necessary either to raise the container 2 or preferably to lower the mounting equipment by exerting a thrust materialized by the arrow located at the upper end of the mounting equipment.
• the pusher 31 slides on the convergence wall 128 which is preferably produced with a particularly smooth surface state. This has the effect of gradually but roughly straightening the dispensing member 3 so as to bring its axis of symmetry Y towards the axis of symmetry X of the neck 22.
• the pusher 31 ends up leave the convergence wall
• the pushing member 14 it is necessary to further perfect the alignment of the dispensing member with respect to the axis of the neck to ensure force-fitting with a success percentage close to 100%.
• the pushing member 14 it is preferable for the pushing member 14 to be movable relative to the sleeve 12, as has been described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2.
• the displacement of the pushing member 14 causes the engagement of the fixing ring 32 inside the third guide wall 127, while the pusher 31 is engaged in the second guide wall 148. It is thus used of the prepositioning of the dispensing member coming from the engagement of its pusher in the second guide wall 148 to perfect its alignment by engagement of the external wall of the fixing ring 32 in the third guide wall 127.
• FIGS. 4 and 5 are enlarged views of details in FIG. 3 which make it possible to understand how the third guide wall can perfect the aligned positioning of the dispensing member.
• the fixing ring 32 which defines an advantageously cylindrical external wall 321 comes almost into contact with the third guide wall 127: in practice, there remains a small gap W which is indeed less than the spacing U which exists between the pusher and the guide wall.
• This small gap W allows perfect alignment of the dispensing member relative to the axis of the neck.
• This perfect alignment resulting from the engagement of the ring 32 in the third guide wall is facilitated by the fact that the pusher 31 has been previously engaged in the second guide wall, and especially that the pusher is still engaged in the second wall of guide when the fixing ring 32 enters the third guide wall.
• the spirit of the invention resides in the fact of using assembly equipment which makes it possible to straighten and gradually align the dispensing member during distinct stages until it comes into perfect alignment, thus guaranteeing a fitting in force insured.

Landscapes

• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Closures For Containers (AREA)
• Sealing Of Jars (AREA)
• Filling Of Jars Or Cans And Processes For Cleaning And Sealing Jars (AREA)
• Containers And Packaging Bodies Having A Special Means To Remove Contents (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=31198292

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (7)

Families Citing this family (4)

Family Cites Families (10)

• 2002
  • 2002-08-23 FR FR0210549A patent/FR2843709B1/fr not_active Expired - Fee Related
• 2003
  • 2003-08-12 BR BR0313707-4A patent/BR0313707A/pt not_active IP Right Cessation
  • 2003-08-12 EP EP03792447A patent/EP1539582A2/de not_active Withdrawn
  • 2003-08-12 US US10/524,591 patent/US20050285000A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2003-08-12 JP JP2004530296A patent/JP2005536408A/ja not_active Withdrawn
  • 2003-08-12 CN CN03820032.5A patent/CN1678493A/zh active Pending
  • 2003-08-12 WO PCT/FR2003/002519 patent/WO2004018296A2/fr not_active Application Discontinuation

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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