Dispensing – Drip – leakage or waste catching or disposal
Reexamination Certificate
2000-04-28
2001-07-24
Shaver, Kevin (Department: 3754)
Dispensing
Drip, leakage or waste catching or disposal
C222S148000, C222S153110, C222S402110, C222S571000, C239S491000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06264067
ABSTRACT:
The present invention relates to a device of the push-button type for actuating a dispensing member, such as a valve or pump, and dispensing a product. Preferably, the product is pressurized, for example by means of a compressed or liquefied gas.
The device according to the invention may, in its simplest form, be in the form of a push-button, for example one press-fitted onto a valve stem or pump stem. Alternatively, it may be a device of the type comprising a band for fixedly attaching the device to a container containing the product that is to be dispensed, and a part which can move with respect to the band, for example via a film hinge, so as to form a bearing surface (actuating surface) for actuating the dispensing member.
The flammability of certain volatile components, such as lacquers, which are contained in certain hair products has encouraged cosmetic research into the development of water-based lacquers. Such lacquers use compressed air or other gases, such as di-methyl ether (“DME”), as propellant.
One of the problems associated with the use of such products stems from the fact that the resins they contain, on drying, clog up the orifices, ducts or other narrow passages in the dispensing device, in particular those positioned near the dispensing orifice, thus making the device completely unusable once it has been used a few times.
FR-A-2,639,259 describes an adapter piece for dispensing product, such as a foam or mousse product. The adapter includes an elastically deformable bellows intended, when the adapter piece is mounted, to be positioned between a container containing the product and the remainder of the dispensing adapter (the adapter piece), so as to define a variable-volume chamber. In an at-rest position, the variable-volume chamber has its maximum volume. In this position, the inlet orifice of the adapter piece is not connected to the container valve stem. By exerting pressure on a bearing surface of the adapter piece, the valve stem and the inlet orifice of the adapter piece are placed in sealed communication so as to cause the product to be dispensed via a dispensing orifice connected to the inlet orifice via a duct. When the actuating pressure is released, the bellows returns to its position of maximum elongation which, on the one hand, interrupts the connection between the valve stem and the inlet orifice of the adapter piece and, on the other hand, gives rise to a partial vacuum inside the adapter piece so as to suck back any residual product residing, for example, in the duct. The sucked-back product is conveyed via the inlet orifice of the adapter piece into a cavity formed by the dished element which bears the valve of the container. A structure of this kind, in which the sucked-back product is collected in the bottom of the valve-holder dish, is also described in FR-A-2,196,949.
Although the above-mentioned design has some advantages, it also has some drawbacks. Firstly, when cleaning out the adapter piece, the adapter piece has to be disconnected from the valve stem so as to allow the sucked-back product to be able to flow into the annular region provided for this. What happens is that the residual product present in the ducts near the dispensing orifice is sucked out of these ducts via the inlet orifice of the adapter piece, that is to say via the same orifice as that via which it had entered while the valve was being actuated. What this means is that the connection has to be reestablished each time the valve is actuated again, and this is not without its problems because of the flexibility of the material which forms the connection between the adapter piece proper and the container. Furthermore, such a design is usually only capable of being used with valves of the push-in type. What is more, the adapter piece normally has to be mounted in a sealed manner on the container. Finally, such an adapter piece is of a design which is expensive to produce.
FR-A-2,677,617 describes a pump-type dispensing assembly in which, once the pump has been actuated, an overpressure is created inside the ducts near the outlet nozzle so as to expel the residual product which may otherwise stagnate at this point. A mechanism of this kind cannot work with a valve-type dispensing device. Furthermore, only some of the ducts can be cleaned out. Finally, the design is complicated and expensive.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,894,660 describes a dispensing head for toothpaste, comprising structure for causing any residual product which may remain in the ducting of the dispensing head to retreat back away from the outlet orifice of the dispensing head. The retreat of the product away from the outlet orifice is obtained by creating a partial vacuum inside a variable-volume chamber in communication with the ducting in the dispensing head. Because of its arrangement at a level substantially above an inlet orifice in communication with the ducting, this chamber cannot collect the residual product. Aside from the inability of such a chamber to collect the product, the idea that this product could be conveyed to the variable-volume chamber via an orifice of very small cross section would in any event be preposterous given the viscosity of toothpaste.
In light of the foregoing, there is a need in the art for an improved device for actuating a dispensing member.
Accordingly, one of the preferred objects of the invention is to provide an actuation device, dispensing assembly, and dispensing method which solve all or some of the problems or short-comings of the related art. Preferably, the device is capable of being mounted, for example, on a valve.
Another preferred object of the invention is to provide an actuation device equipped with a mechanism capable of allowing the ducts or other passages and narrow regions near the dispensing orifice to be cleaned out. Preferably, the device is both reliable and easy to use.
Yet another preferred object of the invention is to provide such an actuation device having an aesthetic appearance similar to that of the conventional devices and having a size that is not appreciably altered.
A further preferred object of the invention is to provide such an actuation device with an integral region for collecting the residual product. Preferably, the device is economical to produce.
A further preferred object of the invention is to provide an actuation device which optionally does not need to be attached in a sealed manner to the container for which it is intended.
It should be understood that the invention could still be practiced without performing one or more of the objects and/or advantages described above. Still other objects will become apparent from the detailed description which follows.
To achieve those and other advantages, and in accordance with the purposes of the invention, as broadly described herein, the invention includes an actuation device for actuating a dispensing member and for dispensing a product. The actuation device includes an inlet orifice, a dispensing orifice, at least one passage, a suction orifice and a vacuum mechanism. The inlet orifice is for flow communication with the dispensing member. The passage is configured to convey the product from the inlet orifice to the dispensing orifice. The suction orifice, which is distinct from the inlet orifice, flow communicates with the passage. The vacuum mechanism includes a variable-volume chamber having a collecting region and a chamber orifice. The variable-volume chamber is entirely contained within the actuation device. The chamber orifice is in flow communication with the suction orifice. At least a portion of the collecting region is below the level of the chamber orifice. The vacuum mechanism is configured to create at least a partial vacuum inside the passage so that at least some of any residual product residing in the passage is conveyed, via the suction orifice and the chamber orifice, into the collecting region of the variable-volume chamber.
For carrying out the cleaning operation, which preferably occurs after each actuation of the dispensing member, the invention preferably does
Buechner Patrick
Finnegan Henderson Farabow Garrett & Dunner L.L.P.
L'Oreal (S.A.)
Shaver Kevin
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