FR2974741A1 - DEVICE FOR PRODUCING FOAM - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a device for producing foam by emulsion of a liquid substance (9) placed in a reservoir (1 + 2) consisting of a container (1) sealed, elastic and deformable, and a nozzle (2 ), the device holding in hand and producing foam during a manual pressure exerting a deformation on the container (1). The device according to the invention comprises a magazine (5) which comprises two orifices (51, 52) allowing exchanges of air and of liquid substance between the reservoir and the magazine; a non-return valve (54) being associated with the second orifice, so as to permanently maintain a quantity of liquid substance in the magazine. The device according to the invention makes it possible to obtain, in a very reactive manner and in controlled quantity, a foam of quality, almost independently of the force or the duration of the manual pressure. The sizing of the magazine (5) allows optimal breathing of the reservoir between two manual pressures.

Description

The present invention relates to the field of foam production devices, the foam being produced by emulsification of a liquid substance placed in a tank, the device being held by hand and producing foam during a production of foam. manual pressure exerting deformation of the deformable reservoir. The patent WO 2004/078359, filed by AIRSPRAY, describes a foam pump whose foam projection head is movable in a vertical translation, a pressure on the movable head causing a foam projection. A system of return by a spring allows the head to rise automatically. Inside the pump, raising the head causes the loading of a dose of liquid product and a dose of air from the environment. The support on the head then causes the expulsion of the liquid product emulsified with air, by the mixer.

The patent application FR20050007949, filed by the present applicant, teaches a device for adapting non-specific pumps to the production of foam, in order to transform them into a foam pump. The device is composed of several elements adding to the structure of a pump for the fluids. The added elements include a feed tube from the inlet of the pump to a bend below the level of foaming liquid and rising above the level of the liquid to open into the air, the conduit having a hole Suction allowing the aspiration of the liquid when the air circulates in front of the hole.

However, these systems allow to deliver, each time the projection head is pressed, a dose of foam calibrated according to the dimensions of the pump. There are other foam production systems.

The patent WO 93/13829 filed by AIRSPRAY teaches a system which comprises at least two tanks, at least one tank for the liquid product mixing with the air and at least one tank containing compressed air. This system delivers foam when a user presses the projection head, the amount of foam being defined by the duration of the support. However, this system requires the integration of a compressed air tank, which complicates the assembly. In addition, this type of system can not be reloaded. The patent application FR20050003972, filed by the present applicant, teaches a refillable foam pump by which the expulsion of foam takes place during the pressure on a deformable container attached to a nozzle to form a reservoir for the liquid base substance. The foam is formed by an emulsion phenomenon between the liquid substance and the ambient air. However, the amount and quality of foam produced by this pump depends greatly on the strength and duration of the pressure exerted by the user on the deformable container. The present invention aims to overcome one or more disadvantages of the prior art by providing a foam production device being simple to manufacture, robust and to optimize and regulate the quantity and quality of the foam. This object is achieved by a foam production device comprising a container of elastic material, deformable and sealed containing a liquid substance, comprising one or more foaming agents, and air, the container being fixed by a sealing device to a rigid tip for forming a tank communicating with the outside by at least one shut-off valve and a dispensing orifice, the dispensing orifice communicating with the interior of the tank by foam-forming elements and a variable flow passage associated with a needle valve and the shutter valve closing air inlet openings in the nozzle when the container is deformed by pressure and opening the air inlet openings to let air from the outside to inside the tank when the container returns to its original shape, characterized in that the variable flow passage communicates with a secti it is U-shaped, open on its upper part and closed at the rounded base of the U by a non-return valve, the store containing the liquid substance and air and comprising two orifices, a first orifice practiced approximately at mid -Height of the store and a second hole made at the bottom of the store in its rounded base to receive the check valve, the first port for the passage of air from the container to the store when the container is deformed by pressure and / or for discharging the liquid substance from the magazine to the container when the level of the liquid substance in the magazine exceeds the level of the first port and the second port is extended by a dip tube descending to the bottom of the vessel. According to another feature, a cover is mounted on the endpiece and comprises a plurality of functional elements including a connecting element between the cover and the endpiece, a conduit chamber, communicating on the one hand with an outlet and on the other hand with the dispensing orifice of the foam, as well as closing bumps of the air inlet and the dispensing orifice. According to another particular feature, the variable flow passage consists of a sleeve of cylindrical outer shape whose inner shape is adapted to produce at an upper end of the sleeve stop elements for the needle and at a low end a seat for the needle valve so that, when the needle is in the abutment position on the abutment elements, the liquid substance flow rate is maximum and, when the needle is resting on the seat, the flow of liquid substance is zero. According to another feature, the foam forming elements consist of two grids of dimensions and shape adapted to the outlet passage and spaced from one another by a perforated cylinder. According to another feature, the variable flow passage consists of a sleeve of cylindrical outer shape whose inner shape is adapted to provide at one end of the sleeve stop elements for the needle and at a distance from this end a seat for the needle so that when the needle is in abutment position on the stop members the liquid flow is maximum and when the needle is supported on the seat the liquid flow is zero. According to another feature, the shutter valve is diaphragm. According to another feature, the membrane shutter valve is located inside the tank vis-à-vis the air inlet ports and rests on a holding device when it is open. According to another particularity, the non-return valve is ball. According to another feature, the foam forming elements consist of two grids of dimensions and shape adapted to the dispensing orifice and spaced from each other by a perforated cylinder. According to another feature, the foam forming elements are constituted by a succession of rigid son distributed in a cylinder and held together by a central element to give a brush shape.

According to another feature, the connecting element between the cover and the end allows a translatory movement of the cap relative to the tip so that the bumps come to seal the reservoir at its air intake orifices and its dispensing orifice According to another feature, the reservoir is composed of two parts, a rigid part forming the tip and a flexible part forming the container, the rigid part fitting on flexible parts of different volumes. The invention, its characteristics and its advantages will appear more clearly on reading the description made with reference to the figures referenced below, among which: FIG. 1 represents an exemplary embodiment of the device according to the invention, FIG. represents the embodiment of the device without the cover, and - Figure 3 shows an enlargement of the embodiment shown in Figure 2. The invention will now be described with reference to Figures 1 to 3. A container (1) elastic, deformable and sealed comprises a circular opening (20) on which is fixed removably a tip (2) in a sealed connection between the tip (2) and the container (1) made by a device (21) sealing. The tip (2) thus fixed by a removable connection and sealed to the container (1) forms with the latter a reservoir (1 + 2). The nozzle (2) comprises orifices (10) for supplying air into the reservoir and a dispensing orifice (11). Without limitation, the tank has no other passage between the inside of the tank and the outside environment.

As illustrated in Figure 1, a cover (3) is mounted on the tip (2). The cover (3) comprises a plurality of functional elements including a connecting element (17) between the cover (3) and the end piece (2), a duct chamber (12) communicating on the one hand with an outlet (18) the foam-producing device and secondly with the orifice (11) for dispensing the foam, as well as bumps (15) for closing the orifices of the tank (1 + 2). Indeed, the connecting element (17) between the cover (3) and the end piece (2) is arranged to allow the cover (3) at least one translational movement from bottom to top relative to the end piece ( 2) so that the bumps (15) of the cover (3) hermetically obstruct the orifices (10) of the air inlet and the orifice (11) of the distribution of the reservoir (1 + 2). Therefore, out of the phases of use of the foam production device, the passages between the inside of the tank and the outside medium are blocked to prevent any flow of the liquid substance (9), for example because of a reverse accidental device. During phases of use of the device, the user must of course raise the cover (3) to release the passages between the inside of the tank and the outside environment. The connecting element (17) is made for example by a helical connection. In another embodiment, the cover (3) is in sliding pivot connection with the end piece (2) and the low position of the cover (3) relative to the end piece (2) is held by an interlocking system. , replacing the helical connection. As illustrated in FIG. 2, inside the reservoir (1 + 2) and more particularly in the nozzle (2), a shutter valve (4) is located opposite the orifices (10) of air intake and rests on a holding device (22) when it is not biased in the closed position of the orifice (10) of air supply. In a nonlimiting manner, the shutter valve is made by a membrane forming a single disc piece.

As illustrated in FIG. 3, a device for forming the foam inside the reservoir (1 + 2) comprises foam forming elements (7a, 7b), a variable flow passage (6) composed, non-limiting, a needle (14), a needle sleeve (14) of cylindrical outer shape and a stop (16) needle (14), and comprises a magazine (5) fixed to the outer periphery of the passage (6) and disposed towards the interior of the container (1). The foam forming elements (7a, 7b) consist, for example, of two grids of dimensions and of shape adapted to the dispensing orifice (11) and spaced apart from one another by a perforated cylinder (13). In addition, a succession of rigid wires held together by a central element and distributed along this central element is, for example, arranged in the cylinder (13) between the two grids constituting said formation elements (7a, 7b). foam ; said central element being disposed along the axis of symmetry of the cylinder (13). The variable flow passage (6) is vertical and communicates, on the one hand, with the elements (7a, 7b) of foam formation, on the other hand, with the magazine (5). The lower inner shape of the sheath is adapted to form a seat (19) for the needle (14) and abutment members (16) are disposed in the upper portion of the sheath to prevent the needle (14) from leaving its sheath; the relative dimensions of the needle and the sleeve being adapted to allow the needle (14) to be maintained in the axis of the passage (6), including when the needle (14) abuts against the abutment elements (16). The magazine (5) has approximately, but not limited to, the shape of a test tube, open on its cylindrical upper part and closed by a rounded U-shaped base. The magazine is fixed to the variable flow passage (6) for example, by bonding its open upper part to the cylindrical outer periphery of the passage (6). The magazine (5) has two orifices that allow exchanges of liquid substance (9) and air between the magazine (5) and the tank (1 + 2). A first port (51) is made, for example, approximately halfway up the magazine (5). This orifice (51) makes it possible, on the one hand, to evacuate the overflow of liquid substance (9) in the magazine (5), the quantity of liquid substance in the magazine thus being controlled by the position of the orifice (51), on the other hand, to allow air exchange between the tank (1 + 2) and the magazine (5), the magazine being inside the tank. For the proper functioning of the device, it is understood that the level of the liquid substance (9) in the reservoir (1 + 2) must not exceed the level of the orifice (51) of the magazine (5). A second orifice (52) is formed at the bottom of the magazine (5), for example, in its rounded base. This orifice (52) is extended by a tube (53) plunger fixed to the magazine (5), for example, by tight fitting to be easily removable and changeable. In particular, longer or shorter pipes will be adapted to containers (1) deformable more or less deep. Preferably, in order to use all the liquid substance (9) contained in the reservoir (1 + 2), the plunger tube (53) descends to the bottom of the container (1), under the level of liquid substance (9) in the container (1), and the device remains functional as long as the pipe (53) is immersed in the liquid substance (9). The orifice (52) is further equipped with a non-return valve (54) preventing the liquid substance (9) contained in the magazine (5) from flowing into the container via the plunger tube (53). The non-return valve (54) is for example ball.

The driving force of the foam producing device is the pressure exerted by the user on the deformable container (1) and the property of elasticity of the material constituting the container (1) conferring on the latter the capacity to resume its initial shape after release of the pressure exerted by the user. The foam production device is operated by a breathing cycle, each cycle comprising a compression phase of the deformable container (1) and a release phase of the pressure exerted on the elastic container (1) to allow it to this to resume its original form. In the rest of this description, we explain the operation of the foam production device according to the invention by successively treating one then the other of the two phases of a handling cycle of the device according to the invention. We consider the device in the following initial configuration: the undeformed container (1) and the magazine (5) are half filled with liquid substance (9), the needle (14) rests on its seat (19), the valves shutters (4) of the air intake orifices (10) rest on their holding device (22) and the non-return valve (54) closes the orifice (52) thus retaining the liquid substance (9) contained in the store (5). When the user exerts pressure on the container (1) which deforms, a stream of air exiting through the orifices (10) begins. According to the physical phenomenon of suction, the shutter valve (4) is then plate against the orifices (10) of air supply. The pressure in the reservoir then holds the membrane against the opening and an elastic property of the material constituting the valve allows it to seal and to prevent the flow of air to the outside of the reservoir (1 2). At the same time, the magazine (5) is supplied with liquid substance (9) and with air from the reservoir (1 + 2). On the one hand, the liquid substance (9) rises in the pipe (53) plunger. The liquid substance (9) exerts a thrust, proportional to the pressure exerted by the user, this thrust lifting the non-return valve (54) for the supply of liquid substance (9) of the magazine (5). On the other hand, a part of the compressed air flows from the tank (1 + 2) into the magazine (5) through the orifice (51) made in the magazine (5) approximately halfway up. Then, a first mixture of liquid substance (9) and air is formed and leveled in the magazine (5) until pushing up the needle of its seat (19). The needle thus raised abuts against the abutment elements (16) and agitates as the mixture passes. The passage (6) being narrower than the width of the magazine (5), the propagation of the mixture accelerates at this passage (6), which has the advantageous effect of stirring the liquid substance and air. In addition, the passage (6) being divergent with respect to the direction of propagation of the mixture creates a swirling phenomenon at the outlet of the passage (6) which advantageously increases the stirring of the liquid substance and the air. Thus, a partially emulsified premix of the liquid substance (9) is obtained at the outlet of the variable flow passage (6).

Then, the premix passes through the foam forming element (7a), rises in level in the perforated cylinder (13) through the succession of rigid wires forming a brush, then passes through the element (7b) of forming foam to finally leave the tank (1 + 2) through the dispensing orifice (11).

Thus, a very abundant foam is produced at the dispensing orifice (11). The latter is connected to the chamber (12) of the foam duct, itself connected to the outlet (18) of the foam production device, this outlet (18) guiding the flow of foam for easy reception by the foam. 'user.

When the user releases its pressure on the container (1), it returns to its original shape, thanks to the elastic properties of the deformable material of the container (1). The return to its initial form creates a vacuum in the tank (1 + 2) with respect to the external pressure. Each shutter valve (4) falls into the rest position on its holding device (22) thus opening the corresponding air inlet orifice (10). Air is sucked into the tank (1 + 2) through the air inlets (10). The air can therefore flow between the inside and the outside of the tank (1 + 2) through the orifices (10) only in the re-entrant direction. At the same time, the liquid substance (9) and the air are no longer propelled towards the foam-forming device, the production device according to the invention relaxes. On one side, the needle (14) and the non-return valve (54) fall by gravity, the first on its seat (19), thus closing the passage (6) variable flow, and the second at the bottom of the magazine (5), thus closing the orifice (52) of the magazine (5) and retaining the liquid substance (9) contained in the magazine (5). On the other hand, the overflow of liquid substance (9) in the magazine (5) spreads in the container (1) through the orifice (51) and the liquid substance (9) in the tube ( 53) plunger is held in the tube (53) by a suction phenomenon related to the closed position of the non-return valve (54).

The device according to the invention therefore relaxes to its initial configuration. A new device manipulation cycle can begin.

The container (1) deformable device is provided to be removed from the nozzle (2). The container (1) deformable comprises for example a rigid ring at its circular opening so that the tip (2) can snap on. When the tank is disassembled, the user can fill it with liquid substance (9). The device is thus rechargeable by the user. A non-limiting embodiment comprising a horizontal mark of maximum filling on the container showing the level of the product by transparency. In one embodiment, a utensil is added at the foam spraying head. The utensil is for example a plastic grid which filters the foam produced to change the consistency of the foam. Another example of a device is a cross which separates the jet of foam for example into four smaller jets. The invention thus allows adjustments to produce quantities but also different foam consistencies according to the accessories used or added. Preferably, the foam producing device operates while being held in place by the user. The amount of foam produced is not unlimited but a tank (1 + 2) large capacity expels a large amount of air and liquid substance (9) to produce a large amount of foam. The tip (2) fits on a container (1) deformable by sealingly attaching a sealing device (21) at the circular opening (20) of the container (1) deformable. A user can therefore adapt containers (1) deformable having a different volume, but with an opening of the same size, on the same nozzle (2) container. The size of the deformable containers varies for example according to whether the container is more or less bulging or higher or lower. The different tank sizes adapt to particular uses. To produce a foam in abundance, a large capacity tank will be used and to produce only a small amount of foam, for example to save an expensive product, a small tank will be used. The more or less flexible nature of the tank also changes the flow rate and type of foam produced. The device according to the invention has several advantages. First, the emulsion of the liquid substance with the air starting in the magazine (5) and the variable flow passage (6), that is, before the first foam forming member (7a), increases the quality. finally obtained foam. As a result, also, the quality of the foam obtained depends little on the strength and duration of the pressure exerted by the user. Then, the device does not require any priming phase and has a high reactivity, because of the proximity between the foam-forming device and the reserve of liquid substance that constitutes the magazine (5), and because of the constant maintenance of the liquid substance in the plunger pipe (53). As a result, small jerks make it possible to obtain a quantity of well controlled foam. Finally, since the magazine (5) is larger than the plunger tube (53), the relaxation of the device after releasing the pressure exerted on the container is facilitated, and the breathing of the reservoir is greatly improved, compared with to a foam production device without a magazine (5). It should be obvious to those skilled in the art that the present invention allows embodiments in many other specific forms without departing from the scope of the invention as claimed. Therefore, the present embodiments should be considered by way of illustration but may be modified in the field defined by the scope of the appended claims.

Claims (10)

REVENDICATIONS1. Foam production device comprising a container (1) of elastic, deformable and impervious material containing a liquid substance (9), comprising one or more foaming agents, and air, the container (1) being fixed by means of a device sealing (21) to a tip (2) rigid to form a reservoir (1 + 2) communicating with the outside by at least one shutter valve (4) and a dispensing orifice (11), the dispensing orifice (11) communicating with the interior of the tank (1 + 2) by foam forming members (7a, 7b) and a variable flow passage (6) associated with a needle (14) and the shut-off valve (4) closing air intake orifices (10) formed in the nozzle (2) when the container (1) is deformed by pressure and opening the air intake orifices (10) to allow the air to pass through. outside to the inside of the tank (1 + 2) when the container (1) returns to its original shape, characterized in that the variable flow passage (6) communicates with a magazine (5) of U-shaped section, open on its upper part and closed at the rounded base of the U, the magazine (5) containing the liquid substance (9) and of air and comprising two orifices, a first orifice (51) made approximately at mid-height of the magazine (5) and a second orifice (52) made at the bottom of the magazine (5) in its rounded base for receiving the anti-tamper valve -return, the first port (51) for the passage of air from the container (1) to the store (5) when the container (1) is deformed by pressure and / or used for the evacuation of the liquid substance (9) from the magazine (5) to the container (1) when the level of the liquid substance (9) in the magazine (5) exceeds the level of the first orifice (51) and the second orifice (52) extending through a plunger tube (53) descending to the bottom of the container (1). 2. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that a cover (3) is mounted on the nozzle (2) and comprises a plurality of functional elements including a connecting element (17) between the cover (3) and the tip (2). ), a duct chamber (12), communicating on the one hand with an outlet (18) and on the other hand with the orifice (11) for dispensing the foam, as well as bumps (15) for closing the orifices (10) of the air inlet and the orifice (11) distribution. 3. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the variable flow passage (6) consists of a sleeve of cylindrical outer shape whose inner shape is adapted to produce at an upper end of the sleeve elements (16) of stop for the needle (14) and at a low end a seat (19) for the needle (14) so that, when the needle (14) is in abutment position on the abutment elements (16), the flow rate of liquid substance (9) is maximum and, when the needle (14) bears on the seat (19), the flow of liquid substance (9) is zero. 4. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the shutter valve (4) is membrane. 5. Device according to claims 1 and 4, characterized in that the shutter valve (4) diaphragm is located inside the tank (1, 2) vis-à-vis the orifices (10) of arrival d air and rests on a holding device (22) when it is open. 6. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the non-return valve (54) is ball. 7. Device according to claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the elements (7a, 7b) of foam formation consist of two grids of dimensions and shape adapted to the dispensing orifice (11) and spaced one on the other by a perforated cylinder (13). 8. Device according to claim 7, characterized in that a succession of rigid son held together by a central element and distributed along the central element to give a bottle-shaped nest in the cylinder (13) between the elements (7a, 7b) Foam formation. 9. Device according to claim 2, characterized in that the connecting element (17) between the cover (3) and the tip (2) allows a translational movement of the cover (3) relative to the tip (2). ) so that the bumps (15) hermetically seal the reservoir (1 + 2) at its orifices (10) of air supply and its orifice (11) distribution. 10. Device according to the preceding claims, characterized in that the reservoir (1 + 2) is composed of two parts, a rigid part forming the tip (2) and a flexible part forming the container (1), the rigid part s adapting to flexible parts of different volumes.