Dispensing – With discharge assistant – With movable nozzle interconnected therewith
Reexamination Certificate
1999-11-22
2001-03-06
Derakshani, Philippe (Department: 3754)
Dispensing
With discharge assistant
With movable nozzle interconnected therewith
Reexamination Certificate
active
06196424
ABSTRACT:
The present invention relates to a pump and more precisely a pump for delivery in atomized form of perfumes or cosmetic products or of small doses of pharmaceutical products.
Pumps exist, comprising a substantially cylindrical body intended to be fixed on a recipient and internally defining a chamber for metering the product to be dispensed. The lower end of the body is provided with an intake orifice equipped with a valve and its upper end is, on the one hand, provided with an outlet orifice and is, on the other hand, closed by a piston. This piston is capable of moving in the metering chamber, cooperating with elastic return means, between a support up stop and an end-of-stroke down stop.
At priming, the first descent of the piston drives out air then its rise causes the metering chamber to be filled with the product.
The following displacements of the piston are accompanied, at descent, by an atomization of product to the outside, via the outlet orifice, under the effect of the hydraulic pressure, and, at rise, by a suction of product in the chamber via the intake orifice.
However, heretofore known pumps present a larger number of parts and assembly thereof necessitates complex and delicate operations, in particular for pumps of small dimensions which are difficult to use automatically and continuously.
This results in problems of productivity as well as too high cost prices and packaging costs.
In addition, either these pumps comprise O-rings made of elastomer which are detrimental for the product from the olfactive standpoint, in particular when said product is perfumed, or they do not comprise any, and the seal is not sufficient, in particular for very volatile products.
In addition, when these pumps are used in inverted position, i.e. upside down, seal is no longer ensured and leakages of product occur.
The present invention has for its object satisfactorily to solve the technical problems raised by the prior art.
This object is attained, according to the invention, by means of a pump of the type comprising a substantially cylindrical body internally defining a metering chamber of which the lower end is provided with an intake orifice equipped with a valve and whose upper end is provided, on the one hand, with an outlet orifice and is, on the other hand, closed by a piston capable of moving in said chamber, by cooperating with elastic return means outside the chamber, between a support up stop and an end-of-stroke down stop, said piston comprising a central core fast with the lower end of an axial hollow rod whose upper end projects outside the metering chamber and a coaxial sleeve, connected to said rod by an elastic articulation ensuring, on the one hand, a sealed contact with the inner wall of the chamber and defining, on the other hand, with said core, an annular evacuating conduit capable of being opened by displacement of said sleeeve relatively to the core and the upper part of the pump body being closed by a flange of which the inner face, on the one hand, forms the up stop of the piston and the outer face, on the other hand, serves as bottom support for the return means; said flange being provided with an axial bore in which the hollow rod fast with the piston moves, characterized in that said sleeve comprises an upper ring intended to come into sealed engagement in a peripheral groove made on the inner face of said flange.
According to an advantageous characteristic, said sleeve comprises a flared lower skirt whose inner face opposite the core is provided with a peripheral snap ring adapted, when the evacuating conduit is in position of closure, to be in sealed contact with said core.
According to a particular embodiment, said articulation comprises a central collar mounted by radial clamping on the periphery of said axial hollow rod and connected to the sleeve by an elastically deformable distance piece.
According to another variant, the flange is constituted by a central bush provided with a snapping member in the upper part of the body and by a peripheral flange for fixation on the upper raised edge of said body.
According to a specific embodiment, said hollow rod and said core are made in one piece.
According to a first variant, said hollow rod is separated from the core by transverse channels supplied by the evacuating conduit.
According to a second variant, said axial hollow rod is connected, outside the metering chamber, to a spray nozzle tube.
The distance piece of the articulation of the sleeve is preferably disposed substantially opposite the opening of the transverse channels and presents drafts.
The spray nozzle tube preferably bears a peripheral shoulder defining an upper support face for the return means of the piston.
According to another variant, said shoulder extends downwardly by a cylindrical wall moving in guided manner in said central bush of the flange which defines with said wall a housing for said return means.
According to other characteristics, the body comprises an orifice forming vent located, when the piston is in up position, above the lower edge of the sleeve.
Furthermore, it may be provided that said sleeve presents a bevelled end ensuring a sealed scraping surface contact with the inner wall of the metering chamber.
According to yet another variant, the lateral face of the core and the opposite inner face of the sleeve are parallel and inclined with respect to the axis of the pump.
Said core preferably presents a truncated lower part capable of being housed in a cavity of complementary profile made in the lower part of the body, under the level of the down stop of the piston, in order to allow a forced opening of the evacuating conduit at priming.
The pump of the invention presents a very high degree of tightness without using a seal, which renders it compatible from the olfactive standpoint with perfumes and perfumed cosmetic products.
The tightness obtained is such that the pump of the invention may be used upside down without causing any leakage of the product.
The various elements constituting the pump may be assembled in one simple operation, which allows a complete automatization of the manufacturing and packaging steps and leads to productivity gains.
In addition, the return means of the piston are placed outside the metering chamber, which makes it possible to reduce the dimensions of the part of the pump body inside the recipient and to package a larger quantity of product in a recipient of the same volume.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3954354 (1976-05-01), Boris
patent: 5271532 (1993-12-01), Jumel et al.
Bougamont Jean-Louis
DuMont Pierre
Lompech Herve
Bacon & Thomas PLLC
Derakshani Philippe
Rexam Sofab
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