Dispensing – With discharge assistant – Plural
Patent
1995-11-02
1997-12-16
Huson, Gregory L.
Dispensing
With discharge assistant
Plural
222340, 222327, 2223831, 222387, G01F 1100
Patent
active
056975295
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
The present invention concerns the industrial packaging of fluid substances such as cosmetic, pharmaceutical, hygiene and housework substances in pots.
Packaging such substances in pots is practical but taking the substance directly from the pot on the finger or on an instrument causes soiling and the wide opening facilitates pollution, drying and oxidation by exposure to air each time that some product is removed. Closed packaging with a pump or pressurized dispensing device was therefore developed to overcome these drawbacks. Various types of packaging of this kind are disclosed in the documents WO-A-93 25447, EP-A-0 526 811 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,872,596. Such packaging is more costly, however, and often unesthetic in appearance, especially if cheap materials are used to reduce costs. Especially in the case of cosmetic and hygiene products to remain on show in bathrooms or in hairdressing salons, a pleasing appearance is required, and the packaged product must not deteriorate, since it is often of a relatively high cost.
To meet the demand from consumers for a high-quality, even luxurious, presentation at an affordable price, consideration has been given to using the same exterior packaging adapted to be refilled an unspecified number of times using interchangeable cartridges each having a dispensing device (see U.S. Pat. No. 5,190,191). The aim of the invention is to avoid any laborious, delicate or soiling operation in refilling the packaging and to prevent wear or clogging of a multiple-use dispensing device.
The invention consists in a rechargeable packaging for dispensing fluid substances comprising a bell-shaped case closed by a removable base, having a captive manual plunger passing through it and providing a passage for a dispensing nozzle; the interior of the case housing a replaceable cartridge comprising an inverted pot container with a mobile bottom and a top face of which carries a dispensing device associated with a dispensing nozzle; the container and the case having cooperating means for locating and immobilizing the cartridge in the case, the dispensing device being extended by an actuator rod the free end of which has means for temporarily connecting it to complementary means at the free end of the plunger, wherein said cartridge includes a leaf spring exterior to the dispensing device, an external free end of the actuator rod has an enlargement connected to the plunger through which the leaf spring applies traction to the actuator rod, an inside free end of the plunger has an inclined part facing the cartridge forming a cam that cooperates with the leaf spring on insertion of a cartridge into the case to deploy the free end of the actuator rod and to enable insertion and retention of the enlargement at its end in a T-section groove parallel to the axis of the cartridge and open at its ends and laterally.
The dispensing device carried by the container can be a suction-discharge pump with non-return valves, which has the advantage of metered dispensing, or a slide or other valve type closure device. In this case a compression spring bearing against the base of the case bears against the mobile base of the container at all times.
In practise, the lips of the groove are advantageously elastically deformable and cause the enlargement on the rod to be clipped into the groove on the plunger by finger pressure of the user on the plunger when a cartridge is first used.
The spring may comprise a circular arc-shape leaf spring the free ends of which are braced against parallel abutments upstanding from the top wall of the container and the actuator rod passes freely through the central part of the leaf spring.
Alternatively, the spring can be a circular arc shape leaf spring the free ends of which are braced against parallel abutments attached to the plunger and the central part of the leaf spring is fixed to a support upstanding from the top wall of the container.
The spring can instead comprise a circular arc shaped wall of the plunger opposite the face on which the finger of the user presses, th
REFERENCES:
patent: 4796786 (1989-01-01), Czech
patent: 5465873 (1995-11-01), Mejean et al.
Huson Gregory L.
Rexam Reboul
LandOfFree
Refillable packaging does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Refillable packaging, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Refillable packaging will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-199429