Cap for fluid sample dispenser

Abstract

A cap for a fluid sample dispenser. The present invention relates to a specific lid (1) for dispensing a sample of, for example, a relatively viscous or less viscous fluid, such as a cosmetic or food product. The lid (1) comprises: closure means (2, 5) for tightly sealing the container to be secured thereto; a motorized shaft (3) comprising a longitudinal duct (4), passing through the closure means (2, 5) and having an axis of rotation perpendicular to the opening plane of the container and at the end of which at least one blade (7) is fixed; and a motor (8) for rotating the shaft (3). The duct of the dispensing pump (30) may be inserted into the shaft (3) and the operation of the vanes (7) may move the product back to the center and prevent air from being pumped.

Description

Technical Field Background Art

[0001] Traditionally, perfume and cosmetics stores offer their customers the opportunity to try out various products, ranging from highly fluid perfumes to thicker creams. Usually, the commercial containers of the products are opened and left for self-service use. Each customer can handle it in the way they see fit, which may cause several problems. First, there are hygiene issues because all customers handle the items freely and may spill the product on the display case. Second, there is also a waste problem because the amount dispensed cannot be controlled and the product remaining at the bottom of the jar often remains unused. Even when about 30% is still left, the product is systematically replaced. There is also a space problem because samples are often placed on rather large trays in front of the shelves.

[0002] Many of these products are packaged in bottles sealed with a metering pump system (also known as a cosmetic pump or dispenser pump). The operating principle of these pumps is well known. A circuit (tube) connects the dispensing outlet of the pump located in the pump head to the interior of the bottle (usually the bottom of the bottle). A chamber is inserted into the pump head, closed at the bottom by a ball valve that allows the fluid to flow in the circuit only in one direction towards the outlet. When the pump head is pressed down, the pressure pushes against the ball sealing the circuit. At the same time, the volume of the chamber decreases, forcing its contents towards the pump outlet. When the pressure is released, a vacuum lifts the ball and fluid is sucked from the bottle into the chamber, which returns to its initial volume. The pump head serves both as a cap and as a device for dispensing the product. This cap must seal the bottle in an airtight manner.

[0003] However, this system is not suitable for all products, especially thick products such as certain creams, which are instead distributed in jars with a spiral "cap" with a diameter of a few centimeters. During the suction phase of using a metering pump, if the viscosity is too high, a vacuum forms at the base of the tube at the bottom of the bottle, and during the next suction, air is inhaled, creating bubbles in the system. Therefore, the amount dispensed each time the pump is pressed becomes random or even zero because after several presses, the product in the circuit is completely replaced by air.

[0004] Therefore, the applicant believes it is necessary to develop a dispenser suitable for these products, which allows the control or even automation of the dispensing of the product through a metering pump system and occupies very little space. Summary of the Invention

[0005] To this end, the present invention relates to a cap for a container, the cap comprising:

[0006] - a closing device for the tight sealing of the container,

[0007] - A motorized shaft, which includes a longitudinal duct, passes through the closing device and has a rotation axis perpendicular to the opening plane of the container, and at least one blade is fixed at the end of the motorized shaft, and

[0008] - A motor for actuating the rotation of the shaft.

[0009] The lid for the container refers in this broad sense to both the lid for the neck of the bottle and the cap for the can, without limiting its diameter. The lid includes means for fixing it to the container, which may include, for example, a thread complementary to the thread on the container, and / or a clamp for gripping the container or means for gripping onto the container.

[0010] The closing device for tightly sealing the container refers to a device for preventing the circulation of air and other fluids between the inside and the outside of the container except via the longitudinal duct included in the shaft. This is important for storing the product in the container. The closing device for tightly sealing is designed to cover the opening of the container and is thus generally disc-shaped, having approximately the same diameter as the opening of the container. The closing device for tightly sealing may include a gasket (placed around the opening of the container), a disc, a spring (to allow adjustment of the contact between the two parts), etc.

[0011] The motorized shaft is arranged to pass through the closing device for tightly sealing. Thus, a part of the shaft is designed to be inserted into the container, while the other part projects from the lid on the other side. Its rotation axis is perpendicular to the opening plane of the container, and thus by extending perpendicular to the closing device for tightly sealing, the closing device is intended to be arranged in the opening plane of the container to ensure tightness.

[0012] At least one blade, preferably between two and four blades, and more preferably more than two blades are attached to the end of the shaft. The blades are designed to rotate against the bottom of the container. Thus, the blades are preferably arranged substantially perpendicular to the rotation axis of the shaft, i.e., horizontally arranged in the operating mode. The shape of the blades can be adjusted to fit the bottom of the container.

[0013] Preferably, the motorized shaft is arranged such that it can move along its axis through the closing device for tightly sealing. This allows easy adjustment of the length of the shaft to adapt to the size of the container so that the blades reach the bottom of the container.

[0014] The shaft can be rotated by a motor, which is preferably housed on the outer part of the lid and is coupled to the shaft. The motor is an electric motor that can be powered by a battery, where the battery is also housed in the lid, or includes a connection port for the power supply.

[0015] The electric motor can operate intermittently or continuously. Preferably, the motor operates intermittently, and more preferably operates intermittently after dispensing the product.

[0016] When the shaft is activated, these blades rotate to shift the contents at the bottom of the container towards the center, so as to overcome the problem of cavitation formation after removing the material from the container, and thus prevent the formation of air bubbles in the dispensing circuit of the metering pump that can be coupled to the lid of the present invention.

[0017] The axis of rotation of the shaft is preferably centered relative to the container (and the closure means) to allow rotation.

[0018] In addition, the shaft includes a longitudinal duct to allow the insertion of the pick-up tube of the metering pump. When the pick-up tube from the metering pump is inserted into the container, the longitudinal duct may include a sealing gasket for the container.

[0019] The lid may consist of one or more parts. When the lid includes a plurality of parts, these parts can be assembled by any airtight assembly means. When the lid includes a plurality of parts, these parts may include, for example, a shaft with blades, a part supporting the motor, and an adapter part on the container. This makes it easy to manufacture the shaft and motor parts in a standardized manner and easy to supply a variety of (cheaper) adapter parts to easily change the product.

[0020] The present invention thus also relates to an assembly, which comprises:

[0021] - the lid of the present invention, and

[0022] - a metering pump, which includes a dispensing piston having a chamber and a check valve connected to a pick-up tube, and the pick-up tube is inserted into the longitudinal duct of the lid.

[0023] In a preferred embodiment, the shaft actuating motor is arranged to be actuated synchronously with the actuation of the dispensing piston of the pump. This means that when extracting the product from the container, the shaft motor only operates intermittently in order to homogenize the contents at the bottom of the container again before the next extraction of the product.

[0024] Advantageously, for this purpose, the dispensing pump can also be motorized, and then the dispensing motor is synchronized with the shaft actuating motor. In this case, a power supply, such as a battery or a power connection, is provided for the dispensing motor. There are several ways known to those skilled in the art to drive such a pump. For example, the movement of the piston can be motorized and / or the movement of the chamber can be motorized.

[0025] The metering pump may also include a sensor coupled to the motor of the dispensing piston. The sensor is, for example, a pressure detector (such as a pressed button), a movement detector, or a presence detector that detects the passage or presence of, for example, a hand or an object under the dispensing piston.

[0026] Installed in a store, the metering pump can be more or less distant from the lid of the present invention and from the container on which the metering pump is mounted, such that the pick-up tube is longer than conventional. This means that, for example, several metering pumps can be grouped together in a small space, while the lid and the container can be further placed back in an optimized position in a closed cabinet.

[0027] If each metering pump is equipped with a sensor, the user can then select the product they wish to try out by passing their hand or an object under the corresponding metering pump (e.g., identified by a suitable label or any other identification means). Indicator lights can be added to confirm which metering pump is dispensing the product.

[0028] Generally speaking, the airtightness of the pump-lid-container assembly is important for the correct operation of the sample dispenser and for ensuring the microbiological compliance of these products.

[0029] Another important parameter is the compatibility of the materials of the parts intended to come into contact with the product itself, to ensure that there is no contamination of the product. A person skilled in the art will be able to identify suitable materials depending on the use.

[0030] Common materials that can be used for cosmetics (e.g., for the shaft and blades of the lid) include nitrile (FDA nitrile), Teflon (PTFE), PP / PE blends, or stainless steel. They can also be materials such as those sold by Tekniplex of.

[0031] The lid of the present invention can be used for any type of sample dispensing for product trials, and in particular for products that require special hygiene standards for handling, such as cosmetic products (creams, cosmetics, etc.) and food products (oils, yogurts, dessert ice creams, beverages, alcohols, syrups, etc.). It is mainly intended for any place where product demonstrations are required, such as in stores, offices, events, trade fairs or exhibitions, or in public places such as stations, airports or outdoor areas.

[0032] It allows the handling of products with a certain viscosity that could not previously be used with a metering pump, such as creams or lotions. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0033] The present invention will be better understood with the aid of the description of several embodiments corresponding to the attached drawings, in which:

[0034] - Figure 1 a perspective view of the lid according to the present invention is shown;

[0035] - Figure 2 is Figure 1 a cross-sectional view of the lid in;

[0036] - Figure 3 a pump-lid assembly of the present invention is illustrated;

[0037] - Figure 4 Another embodiment of the pump cover assembly according to the present invention is illustrated. Detailed Description

[0038] Referring to Figure 1 and Figure 2 , the cap 1 for a container (shown in dashed lines) according to the present invention includes a closing device 2 for tightly sealing the container, in which case the cap can be screwed onto the container. The motor shaft 3 passes through the cap 2. The longitudinal duct 4 extends through the center of the shaft along the entire length of the shaft. The axis AA' of the shaft also corresponds to its axis of rotation, which is perpendicular to the plane of the opening of the container, i.e., in this case, perpendicular to the surface 5 of the cap. The lower end 6 of the shaft is designed to penetrate into the container. The blades 7 are at this end, and the blades 7 can be considered as double blades. Here, the longitudinal duct 4 extending through the shaft opens at the center of the blades. The motor 8 is housed in a protected compartment on the top of the cap. It is designed to rotate the shaft 3 in a manner well known to those skilled in the art.

[0039] The cap 1 is screwed onto the container in an airtight manner. Although this is not the case here, an annular gasket can additionally be wedged between the cap and the edge of the opening to ensure airtightness.

[0040] Here, the shaft 3 can slide through the cap such that its length in the container allows it to reach the bottom of the container. However, this feature is optional, and for example, if the containers used are always the same, the shaft can be fixed.

[0041] Here, flat double blades are shown at the end of the shaft, but the number and shape of the blades can be different. These blades can be, for example, inclined or curved, and their shape can be adapted according to the viscosity of the product to be dispensed, the dimensions of the container (its width and its depth), etc. The blades can be rigid or flexible.

[0042] Here, the cap is shown assembled as a one-piece, but it can also be several pieces: for example, the surface 5 of the cap can have an opening and threads, the motor unit can have complementary threads and be screwed onto the cap, and the shaft can then be inserted from below, or the shaft 3 can be pre-assembled with the motor 8. This flexibility of the cap means that, for example, when the product or a batch of products in the container is changed, only the cap and the shaft need to be replaced, and the most expensive-to-produce motor unit can be retained.

[0043] See Figure 3, the lid 1 is combined with a relatively conventional metering pump 30. The metering pump 30 includes a dispensing piston 31 which can move between a rest position (solid line) and a dispensing position (dashed line). Below the piston there is a chamber 32, the volume of which varies according to the position of the piston. A pick-up tube 33 or hose extends from the chamber. The pick-up tube 33 is inserted into the longitudinal duct 4 of the shaft 3 of the lid 1 up to the opening at the level of the vane. A gasket may be provided in the longitudinal duct to ensure that the system is airtight when the tube is inserted. A check valve 34 (in this case a ball valve) is inserted between the chamber 32 and the tube 33.

[0044] The valve is designed such that when pressure is applied to the dispensing piston 31, the valve closes and the fluid contained in the chamber is discharged towards the outlet of the piston 30 (its volume decreases), and when the pressure is released, the valve 34 opens and the fluid rising in the tube 33 fills the chamber 32 (its volume increases).

[0045] It is possible to link the dispensing piston to a sensor which is connected to a control unit for the shaft actuating motor 8. In this way, pressing the dispensing piston can trigger the motor and the rotation of these vanes. Thus, when fluid is drawn from the container, the fluid is homogenized to prevent the formation of air in the tube 33.

[0046] In Figure 4 the specific embodiment illustrated, the dispensing pump (such as pump 30) is mounted in a housing 40 (as shown in dashed lines), which housing 40 has an opening 41 at the outlet of the dispensing piston 31. A motor 35 driving the piston 36 is mounted inside the housing such that the piston 36 is placed in contact with the dispensing piston 31. A sensor 37 (in this case for example a motion detector) is positioned in an opening in the housing near the opening 41 present. Thus, the sensor 37 can detect movement outside the housing, near the dispensing nozzle. The sensor 37 is connected to the motor 35, and an integrated circuit correlates the detection of motion by the sensor 37 with the activation of the motor 35, which causes the piston 36 to move and press on the dispensing piston 31 to dispense the fluid. Advantageously, the motor 35 is synchronized with the motor 8 for actuating the shaft 3.

[0047] This is just one example of how a metering pump can be automated. First, the dispensing piston can have a shape other than the one shown, and other actuation means can be envisaged, either outside the dispensing pump (components not physically connected), or as an integral part of the metering pump (components inserted into the metering pump). Similarly, the electrical connections are not shown here as there are multiple possibilities well known to those skilled in the art.

[0048] The housing (such as Figure 4The housing 40) shown or any other type of housing protects the metering pump mechanism and facilitates the juxtaposition of multiple metering pumps. This is particularly useful in a store to save space. Such a housing can be fixed, for example, under a shelf or in a cabinet so that the user does not need to see the mechanism of the pump or the lid.

[0049] A lid that can be screwed onto the container is illustrated here. However, the means for fixing the lid to the container can vary. For example, it can be a lid that fits sealingly into the opening of the container, or a spring-loaded or clamped clamp with at least two lugs or pincers that grip the container. In addition to these lugs, for example, a gasket disc having the same diameter as the container opening can be provided to ensure airtightness, for example with a spring to ensure that it is pressed tightly against the container opening. This type of fastening can allow a certain degree of flexibility in the diameter of the container opening.

Claims

1. A lid (1) for a container, the lid (1) comprising: - Closing devices (2, 5) for tightly sealing the container, - A motorized shaft (3) including a longitudinal duct (4), the motorized shaft (3) passing through the closing devices (2, 5) and having a rotation axis (A') perpendicular to the opening plane of the container, and at least one blade (7) being fixed at the end of the motorized shaft (3), and - A motor (8) for actuating the rotation of the shaft (3).

2. The lid (1) according to claim 1, the lid (1) further comprising means for attaching to the container.

3. The lid (1) according to any one of claims 1 and 2, wherein, The motorized shaft (3) is configured to be movable along the axis of the motorized shaft through the closing devices (2, 5).

4. The lid (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, the lid (1) comprising between two and four vanes (7).

5. The lid (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein, The blade (7) is arranged substantially perpendicular to the rotation axis of the shaft (3).

6. The lid (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein, The longitudinal duct (4) includes a sealing gasket.

7. The lid (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 6, the lid (1) comprising a plurality of components.

8. An assembly, the assembly comprising: - The cap (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 7, and - A metering pump (30) including a dispensing piston (31) having a chamber (32) and a check valve (34) connected to a pick-up tube (33), The pick-up tube (33) is inserted into the longitudinal duct (4) of the cap (1).

9. The assembly according to claim 8, wherein, The motor (8) for actuating the shaft (3) is configured to be actuated synchronously with the actuation of the dispensing piston (31) of the pump.

10. The assembly according to any one of claims 8 and 9, wherein, The metering pump (30) is also motorized, and then the motor (35) for actuating the metering pump (30) is synchronous with the motor (8) for actuating the shaft (3).

11. The assembly according to any one of claims 8 to 10, wherein, The metering pump (30) includes a sensor (37) coupled to the motor of the dispensing piston (31).

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