Dispensing – With discharge assistant – With movable nozzle interconnected therewith
Reexamination Certificate
2001-03-27
2003-12-30
Bomberg, Kenneth (Department: 3754)
Dispensing
With discharge assistant
With movable nozzle interconnected therewith
C222S481500, C222S482000, C222S494000, C137S854000, C220S203110, C220S203130
Reexamination Certificate
active
06669060
ABSTRACT:
The present invention relates to the packaging and dispensing of fluid products, for example cosmetic products. The invention is aimed in particular at packaging and dispensing methods whereby the product is pumped from a container by means of a pump arranged outside of the container. More generally, the invention is aimed at any type of packaging entailing, for dispensing the product it contains, an air intake which does not deteriorate the overall sealing of the container.
In the field of perfumery for example, it is commonplace for product sale outlets to offer testers for products being sold, which allow the customers to test out the product before purchasing it. Usually, these testers consist of the same models as those intended for sale. The limited volume of these testers means often requires them to be renewed. Furthermore, the customers' assessment of the scents may be corrupted by the atmosphere laden with a mixture of vapors that may come from the various bottles of scent present at the test point. In addition, it is quite frequent for the testers to be removed or stolen from these test points. Finally, designers of such sales outlets are restricted in their creativity by the need to provide a very specific front location for the tester or testers.
It has been proposed that the pump be unattached and located away from the containers containing the scents. Thus, the pump, associated with its actuating member, can be mounted fixedly on a display counter and connected via a duct of some length to the container containing the scent, which container is located in a unit to which the customers do not have access. Thus, the risk of theft or breakage of scent bottles is minimized. The saving of space on display counters is substantial. The containers containing the scents can be of larger capacity. The vapors from the bottles may be confined inside a closed unit.
In conventional manually-operated pumps, the pump is sealed and air is taken in at the bottom of the stroke of the pump. Such an air intake is needed to compensate for the volume of product dispensed, without which the reduced pressure occurring inside the container could prevent the pump from operating. Thus, when the pump is mounted in the container, the intake of air into the container occurs without a problem each time the pump is operated. Such an air intake prevents the volatile components of the scent from evaporating in excessive proportion, thus preserving all the sensory qualities of the scent.
When the pump is delocalized from the container, the air intake, which is located at the bottom of the stroke of the pump, is no longer in communication with the container. Pump operation is soon blocked because of the excessive vacuum pressure inside the container. With such products containing highly volatile components, it is desirable to have a perfect seal. Thus, it is not possible to design the air intake in the form of a regulated air leakage used, for example, in devices for packaging less volatile products such as shampoos.
According to one aspect of the invention, a valve element configured to be mounted in an air intake passage of a container may be at least partially elastically deformable. The valve element includes a valving member configured such that, when vacuum pressure inside the container is less than a predetermined threshold differential from atmospheric pressure, the valving member is in sealed contact with a seat formed on the container. Further, the valving member may be configured such that the valving member moves away from the seat when the predetermined threshold differential is reached, so as to allow air to be taken into the container. By its elasticity, the valving member returns to a position in sealed contact with the seat when the vacuum pressure inside the container drops back to less than the predetermined threshold differential. The valve element may be placed in a functional configuration via an elastically irreversible modification thereof during mounting.
According to another aspect of the invention, a valve element for use with an air intake passage of a container may include a base portion, a skirt extending from the base portion, and a valving member on the skirt. The valving member may also include a free end. The valving member may be configured to be modified from an initial configuration, in which the free end extends in a first direction away from the base portion, to a second configuration, in which the free end extends in a second direction toward the base portion.
When the valve element is modified to the second configuration, the valve element may be configured so that it does not normally return to its initial configuration by its own elasticity. Such a configuration may be referred to as “elastically irreversible.” It should be appreciated, however, that the valve element can be forcibly returned to its initial configuration, for example, to remove the valve element from the air intake passage.
In one embodiment, as long as the vacuum pressure generated in the container in response to the pumping of the product is not too great, the valving member bears elastically against the seat formed around the air intake passage, thus providing a good seal, for example, against the volatile components contained in the container. When the vacuum pressure reaches a certain threshold, it may become great enough to overcome the elasticity of the element and to force the part which makes the seal to detach from the seat so as to allow air to enter the container. When the vacuum pressure drops back below the threshold, the valving member may return automatically, by elastic return, into sealed contact with the seat, thus re-establishing a perfect seal of the container equipped with such an air intake. Thus, the inside of the container may be placed selectively in communication with the outside only at times when an ingress of air is desired.
The functional configuration of the valve element may be obtained by an elastic modification during mounting to make producing and mounting of the valve element easier, particularly when it is obtained by molding. Furthermore, this sequence may avoid potential problems associated with the manufacturing of the valve element and the container for which it may be intended.
The intake of air into the container may be via a continuous annular passage formed all around the element between an outer edge thereof and an inner edge of the passage in which the element is inserted. Alternatively, it may be formed of a plurality of discontinuous passages spaced uniformly at the periphery of the element.
In one embodiment, the valving member comprises a skirt. The valve element may be placed in functional configuration by at least partially turning the skirt back.
According to one embodiment of the invention, the skirt may be formed as a continuation of a foot portion of the element. When the valve element is in an air intake passage, the foot portion may be at least partially located inside the container. The valve element may be placed in functional configuration by turning the skirt back towards the seat onto the foot portion. A zone of the skirt turned back in this way may be in sealed contact with the seat when the vacuum pressure inside the container is less than the predetermined value.
The skirt may be shaped so that it has a flexibility such that it may be made from a wide choice of elastically deformable material. It is possible to use rubbers, such as nitriles or butyls, whose compatibility with products such as scents poses no problems. Further, by giving the skirt portion intended to be turned back a length which is slightly longer than necessary, a few variations around the turning-back zone will be allowed. The skirt may be shaped as a cylinder and may have various cross-sectional shapes, for example, circular, oval, square, rectangular, triangular, and the like. These variations may affect the bearing of the valving member on the seat without, however, preventing it from fulfilling its role satisfactorily.
According to one embodimen
Bomberg Kenneth
Finnegan Henderson Farabow Garrett & Dunner LLP
L'Oreal (S.A.)
LandOfFree
Air intake valve arrangement does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Air intake valve arrangement, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Air intake valve arrangement will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-3171750