Dispensing – With discharge assistant – With movable nozzle interconnected therewith
Reexamination Certificate
1999-10-26
2001-07-10
Shaver, Kevin (Department: 3754)
Dispensing
With discharge assistant
With movable nozzle interconnected therewith
C222S386000, C222S309000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06257457
ABSTRACT:
The present invention relates to a device for spraying fluids, and more particularly to such a spray device designed to deliver at least two doses of the fluid.
Devices of that kind give rise to several problems. Thus, one problem which arises is that of obtaining perfect atomization of the entire dose when the device is actuated. Another problem is that of ensuring that the content of the tank is fractioned in simple and reliable manner so as to be able to transform the device into a two-dose dispenser.
Document WO 93/02804 deals with these problems in an attempt to solve them. That document discloses a device such as a two-dose dispenser, comprising a tank mounted on a base and a pusher for actuating the apparatus. A portion of the pusher co-operates with a split ring placed in a groove formed in the outer wall of the tank so that in order to be able to dispense the first dose, it is necessary to build up a certain amount of force in the hand of the user until the split ring leaves its groove. In order to fraction the content of the tank into two doses, the device of document WO 93/02804 provides for forming a second groove in the outer wall of the tank and for placing a second split ring therein such that after the device has been actuated to expel the first dose, the assembly comprising the pusher plus the first split ring is stopped by the second ring located in said second groove. Thereafter, in order to spray the second dose, it is again necessary to build up a certain amount of force in order to be able to cause the second split ring to leave its groove and thus cause the second dose to be dispensed. That device operates in satisfactory manner but can nevertheless present certain drawbacks. Thus, since only a small amount of fluid is contained in the tank, a main object is to keep the cost of said spray device as low as possible so as to avoid having a negative influence on the final sale price of the device. Unfortunately, the device disclosed in document WO 93/02804 has various different component parts which are necessary to perform the energy-accumulating function and the dose-fractioning function. The manufacture and assembly of those various component parts can therefore be relatively expensive. Furthermore, because of the presence of two peripheral grooves in the outer surface of the tank, it is practically impossible to make the tank and the base as a single piece, since said grooves are situated in the hollow annular space defined between the tank and the base. In addition, the use of moving means for performing the energy-accumulating function can give rise to the risk of faulty operation in the event of said split rings breaking or jamming.
Document EP-0 546 607 discloses a single-dose dispenser having a peripheral groove in the inner wall of the body which co-operates with a peripheral rib on the outer wall of the tank so as to prevent the device being actuated accidentally. The drawback of that kind of device is the difficulty in making a mold that is simple and of low cost. The groove in the inner wall requires the use of an undercut and thus a mold that is relatively complicated.
Document EP-0 311 863 discloses a two-dose dispenser having dose-fractioning means which are disposed on a part that is engaged on the body and that co-operates with the tank. It does not have energy-accumulating means and it requires the use of an additional part, with the molding of said part also suffering from the same drawbacks as those described above, i.e. a mold that is complicated and expensive.
An object of the present invention is to provide such a device for spraying fluids which does not have the above-mentioned drawbacks.
Thus, an object of the present invention is to provide a device for spraying fluids that comprises a minimum number of component parts.
Another object of the present invention is to provide such a device making it possible to achieve reliable fractioning while guaranteeing a manufacturing cost, and in particular for molding and for assembly, that is as small as possible.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a device for spraying fluids, such as a two-dose dispenser, that is capable of guaranteeing perfect atomization of the entirety of each dose, while still being simple to fabricate, assemble, and use, and to do so at the smallest possible cost.
The present invention thus provides a device for spraying fluid, the device comprising a tank containing a plurality of doses of fluid, a cylindrical base receiving said tank, a dispenser member such as a pump, a manual actuator element, fractioning means co-operating with said actuator element to fraction the content of the tank into at least two doses, and energy-accumulator means co-operating, during actuation, with said manual actuator element to accumulate energy in the hand of the user so as to guarantee proper atomization of the entire dose of fluid on each actuation, the device being characterized in that said base, said fractioning means, and said energy-accumulator means form integral portions of a common one-piece block.
Preferably, said tank is integrally formed with said one-piece block.
Preferably, the dispenser device comprises indexing means co-operating with said manual actuator element selectively to allow or prevent actuation of the device, in which said indexing means are integrally formed with said one-piece block.
Advantageously, said indexing means are formed by one or more thickenings provided on a portion of an inner surface of said one-piece block and co-operating, in a first position of the actuator element, with one or more tabs projecting into the inside of the actuator element to prevent actuation of the device, said actuator element being movable in rotation relative to said one-piece block into a second position in which said tabs no longer co-operate with said thickenings, thereby enabling the device to be actuated.
Preferably, said energy-accumulator means co-operate with said actuator element by deforming it elastically when a predetermined minimum force is exerted thereon.
Advantageously, said energy-accumulator means are studs formed on the outer surface of said one-piece block, which studs co-operate with corresponding shoulders provided on the inner surface of the actuator element.
Advantageously, said fractioning means are formed by thickenings forming at least one axially-directed step with the thickenings acting as indexing means.
In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the dispenser device is a two-dose dispenser adapted to dispense two doses of fluid, said actuator element being rotatably mounted on said one-piece block which comprises:
first indexing means formed by one or more thickenings extending over a first portion of the inner peripheral surface of the base and co-operating, in a first position of the actuator element, with one or more axial tabs projecting into the actuator element to prevent the first dose being dispensed;
first energy-accumulator means formed by one or more studs projecting from the outer surface of said base and co-operating, after a first rotation of the actuator element into a second position in which said first indexing means no longer co-operate with the actuator element, with one or more shoulders provided on the inner surface of the actuator element, thereby accumulating energy in the hand of the user during actuation of the device, said shoulders passing over said studs only after a predetermined minimum force has been applied, thereby enabling the actuator element to move relative to the one-piece block, and thus to cause the first dose to be dispensed;
fractioning means formed by one or more thickenings extending over a second portion of the inner peripheral surface of the base and co-operating with said axial tab(s) of the actuator element after the first dose has been dispensed to prevent additional axial displacement of the actuator element over the one-piece block, thereby fractioning the content of the tank into two doses, such that said fractioning means act simultaneously as second indexin
Bui Thach H.
Shaver Kevin
Sughrue Mion Zinn Macpeak & Seas, PLLC
Valois S.A.
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