Dispensing – With discharge assistant – With movable nozzle interconnected therewith
Reexamination Certificate
1999-10-07
2001-02-20
Derakshani, Philippe (Department: 3754)
Dispensing
With discharge assistant
With movable nozzle interconnected therewith
Reexamination Certificate
active
06189741
ABSTRACT:
The present invention relates to a device for distribution of fluid products of the type which has a container in which the product to be distributed is held and on which distribution means, such as a pump, are mounted.
Generally, containers holding a product which is to be distributed are provided with a neck in which the distribution means, such as a pump, are engaged. The attachment of the pump on the neck can be obtained in various ways.
Thus, a known method is to engage a pump body by force in the neck of the container. This execution is advantageous from an economic standpoint, inasmuch as the number of pieces used is limited, but it is not always simple to execute. In particular, during mounting, the phenomena of excessive pressure can come about.
Another method consists of doing traditional setting. Recent years have seen the development of the use of bushings containing the pump and ensuring the positioning as well as the attachment on the neck by cooperation of the bushing, of the external walls of the neck and of a ring, such as in U.S. Pat. No. 4,984,702, GB-A-2 274 836 or else U.S. Pat. No. 4,773,553. These bushings in general allow tolerance of the small size differences which can occur on the container during manufacturing.
The document FR-2 756 546 describes a device for attachment of a pump in the neck of a container. This device uses a deformable bushing which forms a skirt with tabs which project towards the interior before mounting. The bushing also forms a stop flange. The skirt with its tabs is introduced in the neck of the container until the flange rests on the neck of the container. Then, the body of the pump is force fit in the skirt by deforming it or compressing it. After fitting, the pump body forces the tabs towards the exterior under the neck of the container, thus locking the bushing in the neck.
The disadvantage with this attachment device is that the pump cannot be pre-mounted in the bushing, because the pump deforms the bushing by expanding its skirt.
The aim of the present invention is to palliate this disadvantage by defining a distribution device which is provided with attachment means on which the pump can be pre-mounted, in such a way as to form a unit which simply has to be mounted on the appropriate container.
For this purpose, the invention provides a distributor with the characteristics disclosed in the main claim.
Thus, it is possible to pre-assemble the pump body in the bushing, the pump body being engaged in the internal sleeve and this sleeve being partially engaged in the receiving space in such a way as to extend only in the receiving space defined by the cylindrical skirt so that the tabs of the bushing always projecting towards the interior of the receiving space allow passage through an opening. Thus, this assembly is then positioned on the opening of a container in such a way that the tabs project below the opening in the container. Then, the sleeve, provided with the pump, is pressed in so that its radial projection rests against the end of the cylindrical skirt, merged with the radial projection of the bushing; the sleeve resting then on the ends of the projecting tabs in the receiving space and said tabs separating towards the exterior of the bushing under the opening of the container form means of holding said bushing in said opening.
According to one execution variant of a bushing according to the invention, the container can be provided with a neck; in this case, the cylindrical skirt of the bushing is arranged so as to extend along the internal wall of the neck, and the tabs of the bushing project inside the container at most up to the zone of connection with the cylindrical skirt, the exterior radial projection of the bushing resting on the upper edge of the neck of the container.
According to a second execution variant of a bushing according to the invention, the container does not have a neck, and the opening of the container is arranged in a wall of said container, the cylindrical skirt being arranged so that the tabs extend projecting inside the container at most up to the zone of connection with said cylindrical skirt, the exterior radial projection of the bushing resting on the periphery of the opening of the container.
When a venting pump is used in a device according to the invention, the dimensions of the receiving space defined by the cylindrical skirt or the dimensions of the internal sleeve are such that once the pump body is housed in the sleeve, a space is arranged between the interior surface of the internal sleeve and the exterior surface of the pump body, the vent of the pump thus being in communication with the interior of the container by the intermediary of said space and the spaces separating the tabs of the bushing.
In the case of another type of pump such as a so-called “airless” pump, it is possible not to provide this space.
According to an execution variant of the invention, the tabs arranged in the extension of the cylindrical skirt of the bushing are connected together by cylindrical skirt portions, said cylindrical skirt portions having a thickness less than the thickness of the tabs.
Preferably, these cylindrical skirt portions are connected to the cylindrical skirt of the bushing and have a thickness less than the thickness of this bushing.
Thus, during introduction of the bushing in the opening of a container, the tabs are held together, and any risk of untimely separation or overturning of a tab during this introduction is avoided.
Preferably, these cylindrical skirt portions are elastically deformable, and when the tabs are separated towards the exterior of the bushing, the cylindrical skirt portions elastically deform because of their sufficiently small thickness and do not work against the separation of the tabs but rather deform in order to accompany this movement of the tabs towards the exterior of said bushing. In this case, the aesthetic appearance of the distribution device is kept when the container is transparent or translucent, the bushing being continuous.
It is also possible to provide that at each connection between a tab and a cylindrical skirt portion, a breaking starting point is arranged so that during separation of the tabs, each connection between a cylindrical skirt portion and a tab breaks so as not to stand in the way of separation of the tabs.
Preferably, the bushing is a piece molded out of a flexible material such as high density polyethylene or low density polyethylene.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3073470 (1963-01-01), Greene
patent: 5992704 (1999-11-01), Jager-Waldau
patent: 86 20 974 U (1986-10-01), None
patent: 0 218 528 A2 (1987-04-01), None
patent: 2738553 (1997-03-01), None
patent: 2756546 (1998-06-01), None
patent: 2195974 (1988-04-01), None
“Rapport De Recherche Preliminaire” dated Nov. 13, 1998 from FR 9804191.
Derakshani Philippe
Rockey Milnamow & Katz Ltd.
Valois S.A.
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