Dual dispenser

Abstract

The invention relates to a dual dispenser comprising an outer reservoir (R1) and an inner reservoir (R2) and also comprising two pumps (P1, P2) that communicate respectively with one of the reservoirs (R1, R2). The inner reservoir (R2) comprises an outer casing (R21) and an inner sleeve (R22) that extends inside the outer casing (R21), one pump (P1) from the pumps (P1, P2) communicating with the outer reservoir (R1) through this inner sleeve (R22), and the other pump (P2) from the pumps (P1, P2) communicating directly with the inner reservoir (R2). The invention is characterised in that the inner sleeve (R22) and the outer casing (R21) are two separate parts, the inner sleeve (R22) defining a lower end (R222) which is in sealing contact with the outer casing (R21), this lower end (R222) opening directly into the outer reservoir (R1).

Description

[0001] Duo distributor

[0002] The present invention relates to a duo dispenser comprising two reservoirs, namely an external reservoir and an internal reservoir, as well as two pumps communicating respectively with the reservoirs. In general, a common push button allows the two pumps to be actuated simultaneously. The preferred field of application of the invention is that of cosmetics, but it can also be applied to pharmacy, drugstore or food.

[0003] In the prior art, document US2001025859A1 is already known, which describes a particular type of duo dispenser comprising a single mixing pump, which draws fluid products from two nested tanks. More precisely, a small tank suspended from the pump is arranged inside a large tank on which the pump is mounted. The pump is provided with two dip tubes: a short one which extends into the small tank and a long one which extends into the large tank through the small tank. The sealing between the long dip tube and the small tank is not addressed in this document, but seems problematic. In addition, filling the small tank is technically impossible.

[0004] The present invention immediately differs from this prior art document in that the duo dispenser of the invention comprises two pumps, and not a single mixing pump, so that the two pumps can be standard, with different or identical doses. In addition, the present invention seeks to simplify as much as possible the operations of filling and mounting the dispenser and in particular the introduction of the plunger tube of the pump from the external reservoir.

[0005] Also known are documents US2019255548A1 and US2019357656A1, which describe duo dispensers comprising two pumps with an internal reservoir arranged inside an external reservoir. One of the pumps communicates with the external reservoir through an internal sleeve formed by the internal reservoir, which is a single-piece part suspended in the external reservoir. In document US2019255548A1, the sleeve and the internal reservoir are arranged side by side, so that the volume of the internal reservoir is very limited. In document US2019357656A1, the internal reservoir surrounds the sleeve, which extends in the axis of the dispenser, so that one pump is arranged axially centrally and the other eccentrically.

[0006] These two duo distributors have drawbacks that the present invention proposes to overcome.

[0007] To achieve this, the invention proposes that the internal reservoir comprises two separate parts, namely an outer casing and an inner sleeve which extends inside the outer casing, one of the pumps communicating with the external reservoir through this inner sleeve, the other pump communicating directly with the internal reservoir. It goes without saying that the internal reservoir is arranged inside the external reservoir. The inner sleeve defines a lower end which is in sealed contact with the outer casing, this lower end opening directly into the external reservoir.

[0008] Advantageously, the inner sleeve may comprise a body which terminates in the lower end, which is tightly connected in an opening of the outer casing by means of a sealing ring.

[0009] Advantageously, the body can define at its upper end a mouth, the passage section of which is much larger than that of the lower end, the body advantageously having a general configuration in the shape of a funnel with a progressively decreasing passage section.

[0010] Advantageously, the internal sleeve defines an internal space that communicates with the external reservoir. We can say that the internal space of the internal sleeve forms an extension of the external reservoir or that it is an integral part of the external reservoir.

[0011] Advantageously, the external reservoir pump includes a dip tube that extends through the inner sleeve into the external reservoir. It can also be said that the dip tube projects beyond the inner sleeve into the external reservoir. The dip tube dips into the fluid product from the external reservoir that rises into the inner sleeve. There is no seal between the dip tube and the inner sleeve. Thus, it is easy to insert the dip tube into the inner sleeve. Furthermore, the pump can also extend inside the inner sleeve.

[0012] According to an interesting characteristic of the invention, the inner sleeve can extend in an off-center or eccentric manner inside the outer casing. The inner sleeve then has no symmetry of revolution. This allows the dip tube to open into the external reservoir at the outlet of the inner sleeve centrally or axially relative to the external reservoir, while the pump is mounted in an off-center or offset manner. The inner sleeve forces the dip tube to bend. Advantageously, the lower end of the inner sleeve defines a minimum passage section. The inner sleeve can then be likened to a funnel, which facilitates the insertion, guidance and passage of the dip tube into the external reservoir. The upper end of the inner sleeve can define the maximum passage section to facilitate the insertion of the free end of the dip tube.The inner sleeve can then decrease in passage section to its lower end.

[0013] According to another feature, the inner sleeve may define an upper end that communicates with the outer reservoir through a pressure balancing duct, which advantageously forms an air bridge that spans the inner reservoir. In the normal use and storage position, the upper end is not immersed in the fluid product, but surrounded by air, so that the air can directly communicate between the inner sleeve and the outer reservoir to maintain the two volumes at the same pressure. More specifically, the dispenser may comprise a pump support forming two receiving housings respectively for the two pumps, one receiving housing communicating with the inner sleeve and the other receiving housing communicating with the inner reservoir, the pump support forming a main section of a pressure balancing duct, which connects the inner sleeve to the outer reservoir.On the other hand, the dispenser may comprise a common seal which comes into sealing contact with both the external reservoir, the external casing and the internal sleeve. Advantageously, the common seal is compressed onto the external reservoir, the external casing and the internal sleeve by the pump support.

[0014] Preferably, the outer shell is supported by the outer reservoir and the inner sleeve is supported by the outer shell.

[0015] The spirit of the invention lies in extending the external reservoir inside the internal reservoir, so that the external reservoir extends both around and inside the internal reservoir, which can thus have an annular cross-section. This extension of the external reservoir is formed by the internal space of the internal sleeve, which also forms the internal wall of the internal reservoir. The external reservoir and the internal sleeve together form a sort of concentric siphon, which communicates by fluid in the lower part, but also by air in the upper part through an internal pressure balancing or venting duct. This ensures that the fluid product level is the same in the external reservoir and in the internal sleeve. The design of the internal sleeve in the form of a funnel or of decreasing section is advantageous for the mounting of the dip tube, which is guided by the internal sleeve until it reaches the bottom of the external reservoir.

[0016] The invention will now be more fully described with reference to the accompanying drawings, giving by way of non-limiting example, an embodiment of the invention.

[0017] In the figures:

[0018] Figure 1 is a perspective view of the duo dispenser according to one embodiment of the invention,

[0019] Figure 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view through a duo dispenser of the invention along a vertical plane passing through the two pumps. Figure 3 is a view similar to that of Figure 1 along a vertical plane perpendicular to that of Figure 1 and passing through the plane of the vent duct.

[0020] Reference will be made indifferently to Figures 1, 2 and 3 to describe the structure of a duo distributor according to a non-limiting embodiment of the invention. The duo distributor comprises two reservoirs arranged one inside the other, namely an external reservoir R1 and an internal reservoir R2.

[0021] The external reservoir R1 may be in the form of a shell comprising a side wall R11 of generally cylindrical shape, a base R12 allowing the dispenser to be kept upright and a neck R13, possibly provided with attachment means. The neck R13 connects the side wall by two internal shoulders R14 and R15, which are arranged in concentric steps. Their functions will be given below. The external reservoir R1 may advantageously be made of a transparent material, in order to reveal its contents.

[0022] The inner tank R2 is arranged inside the outer tank R1. The tank R2 comprises an outer casing R21 and an inner sleeve R22 which extends inside the outer casing R21. The outer casing R21 comprises a barrel R211 of generally cylindrical shape, which extends into a bottom R212 forming a central opening R213. At its upper end, the outer casing R21 forms an annular collar R214 which rests on the inner shoulder R14 of the outer tank R1. The barrel R211 forms an inner shoulder R216 near the annular collar R214. The inner shoulder R14, the annular collar R214 and the inner shoulder R216 may be circular. The barrel R211 and the bottom R212 extend inside the external tank R1 with a distance separating them, so as to form a useful volume V1 in the shape of a bucket.The inner sleeve R22 comprises a body R220 which ends in a lower end R222, which is tightly connected in the opening R213 by means of a sealing ring R23. At its upper end, the body R220 defines a mouth R224, the passage section of which is much larger than that of the lower end R222. The body R220 thus has a general funnel-shaped configuration with a gradually decreasing passage section. In Figure 2, it can be seen that the body R220 defines two opposite walls R221 and R222, which are different: the wall R222 is straight and vertical, while the wall R221 is first straight and vertical from the mouth R224, then oblique and straight again at the lower end R222. In Figure 3, it can be seen that the opposite walls of body R220 are symmetrical and have a similar configuration to wall R221, but with a less inclined oblique section.It can be noted that the mouthpiece R224 is arranged in an eccentric, off-center or offset manner inside the neck R214. However, the lower end R222 is arranged in a perfectly axial or centered manner, so that the body R220 extends in an off-center manner inside the outer casing R21. More precisely, the inner sleeve R22 also defines a support ring R225, which extends around the mouthpiece R224, but in an eccentric manner. The support ring R225 forms a range, which extends in a crescent moon shape around the mouthpiece R224. This range forms a passage opening R226, which gives direct access to the internal reservoir R2. The support ring R225 rests on the internal shoulder R216 of the outer casing R21. In Figure 2, we see the R224 mouth and the R226 passage opening side by side. In Figure 3, we see the R224 mouth centered in the R225 support ring.The R225 support crown can be circular, but the R224 mouthpiece can have any shape, geometric or not.

[0023] Thus, the outer casing R21 and the inner sleeve R22 define between them a useful volume V2. The sleeve R22, or more precisely its body R220, also defines an internal space E which communicates with the useful volume V1 through the lower end R222 of the inner sleeve R22. The outer reservoir R1 thus defines a total useful volume which corresponds to the sum of the useful volume V1 and the internal space E. In other words, we can say that the useful volume V1 of the outer reservoir R1 is extended inside the inner sleeve R21 which defines the internal space E. As can be seen in the figures, the useful volume V1 and the internal space E are initially filled by a first fluid product F1, which therefore extends both around and inside the inner reservoir R2. As for this inner reservoir R2, it is initially filled with a second fluid product F2, which can be identical to the fluid product F1, or preferably different.

[0024] Filling tanks R1 and R2 is extremely simple. For example, tank R1 can be half-filled and tank R2 can then be inserted into the partially filled tank R1. Then simply fill tank R2. Alternatively, it is possible to fill tank R1 through the internal sleeve R22, and then tank R2.

[0025] The duo dispenser of the invention also comprises two pumps P1 and P2, pump P1 being associated with the internal reservoir R1 and pump P2 being associated with the internal reservoir R2. Pumps P1 and P2 may be identical, or preferably different, in particular in terms of their doses. The design of pumps P1 and P2 is not critical to the present invention, so it will not be described in detail. However, it can be said that each pump P1, P2 comprises a pump body P11, P21, in which an actuating rod P12, P22 is axially movable back and forth. Pumps P1, P2 also each comprise a dip tube P13, P23: dip tube P13 extending inside the internal sleeve R22 and defines a lower end which is located close to the bottom R12 of the external reservoir R1. As for the dip tube P23, it extends straight inside the internal tank R2 to near the bottom R212.

[0026] It should be noted that the dip tube P13 is slightly bent, due to the offset design of the inner sleeve R21, so as to position the lower end of the dip tube P13 substantially axially or centrally relative to the bottom R12 of the external reservoir R1. The funnel-shaped design of the inner sleeve R21 allows the lower end of the dip tube P13 to be easily engaged through the mouth R224. The tapering body R220 then guides the dip tube P13 towards the lower end R223 and beyond into the external reservoir R1. Indeed, it can be noted in Figure 1 that the pump P1 is offset relative to the lower end R223 so that the dip tube P13 must undergo a deflection following the funnel shape of the inner sleeve R21.

[0027] The duo distributor of the invention also comprises a pump support S which defines two receiving housings S1 and S2 respectively for the two pumps P1 and P2. The pump bodies P11 and P21 can for example be received by snap-fitting in the receiving housings S1 and S2. The pump P1 can extend inside the mouth R224 of the internal sleeve R22 and the pump P2 can extend inside the external casing R21 by passing through the passage opening R226 of the support ring R225.

[0028] In order to ensure the tightness of the tanks, a neck seal J is also provided, which is compressed onto the internal shoulder R15 of the external tank R1, onto the annular collar R214 of the external casing R21, onto the upper edge of the mouth R224 and onto the support ring R225 of the internal sleeve R22. The compression of this neck seal J is ensured by the pump support S.

[0029] As can be seen in Figure 3, the duo distributor also defines a pressure balancing duct Q which connects the internal space E of the internal sleeve R22 with the useful volume V1 of the external reservoir R1. The upper part of the reservoirs is not filled with fluid product, but with air. Thus, the pressure balancing duct Q allows air to communicate between the internal sleeve R22 and the external reservoir R1, so that the pressure is always identical in these two spaces. As a result, the level of the fluid product F1 in the internal space E and in the useful volume V1 is identical. In more detail, the pressure balancing duct Q comprises a main section S12, which extends horizontally through the support S, as well as two vertical sections J1 and J2, which are formed through the seal J. One of the vertical sections J1 extends through the annular collar R214 at R215.The pressure balancing duct Q forms a sort of air bridge that spans the internal reservoir R2. This is visible in Figure 3. We can thus say that the internal space E communicates with the useful volume V1 both in the lower part through the end R222 and in the upper part through the pressure balancing duct S12.

[0030] The pump support S is mounted on the neck R13 of the external reservoir R1 by means of a cover C which engages both the pump support S and the neck R13. Finally, the two actuating rods P12 and P22 are capped by a common pusher B, which defines a common outlet orifice B1. Alternatively, it is also possible to provide two separate outlet orifices, one for the pump P1 and the other for the pump P2. The pusher B is guided axially inside the cover C and the common outlet orifice B1 moves axially through a window C1 of the cover C, as can be seen in Figure 1. From the outside, the duo distributor only reveals the external reservoir R1, the cover C, the pusher B and the common outlet orifice B1. When the external reservoir R1 is transparent, the external casing R21 of the internal reservoir R2 is also visible.

[0031] The internal tank R2 is here produced by the sealed assembly of two parts, namely the external casing R21 and the internal sleeve R22. This two-part embodiment is explained by the fact that the internal sleeve R22 has a complex shape without an axis of symmetry. However, other embodiments can be imagined, in which the body R220 of the internal sleeve R21 has axial symmetry, so as to be cylindrical. In this case, it could be envisaged to produce the external casing R21 and the internal sleeve R22 in a single piece.

[0032] In this embodiment, the dip tube P13 is attached to the inlet of the pump P1. Without departing from the scope of the invention, it could also be imagined that the dip tube P13 is made in a single piece or integral with the internal sleeve R22. In this case, the pump P1 would be fitted, when it is mounted on the pump support S, into a nozzle formed at the inlet of the dip tube.

[0033] In this embodiment, the external envelope R21 extends axially or centrally inside the tank R1. Without departing from the scope of the invention, other less symmetrical or central shapes for the external envelope R21 can be imagined.

[0034] The invention provides a duo distributor whose external reservoir extends or is extended inside the internal reservoir. The internal sleeve thus defines a top-up reservoir for the external reservoir and also makes it possible to receive the pump P1 in an off-axis manner while arranging the lower end P131 of the dip tube P13 in an axially central manner.

Claims

Claims Duo dispenser comprising an external reservoir (R1) and an internal reservoir (R2), as well as two pumps (P1, P2) communicating respectively with the reservoirs (R1, R2), the internal reservoir (R2) comprising an external casing (R21) and an internal sleeve (R22) which extends inside the external casing (R21), one pump (P1) among the pumps (P1, P2) communicating with the external reservoir (R1) through this internal sleeve (R22), the other pump (P2) among the pumps (P1, P2) communicating directly with the internal reservoir (R2), characterized in that the internal sleeve (R22) and the external casing (R21) are two separate parts, the internal sleeve (R22) defining a lower end (R222) which is in sealed contact with the external casing (R21), this lower end (R222) opening directly into the external tank (R1).Duo distributor according to claim 1, wherein the inner sleeve (R22) comprises a body (R220) which terminates in the lower end (R222), which is tightly connected in an opening (R213) of the outer casing (R21) by means of a sealing ring (R23). Duo distributor according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the lower end (R222) defines a minimum passage section. Duo distributor according to claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the inner sleeve (R22) extends in an off-axis manner inside the outer casing (R21). Duo distributor according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the body (R220) defines at its end. upper a mouth (R224), the passage section of which is much larger than that of the lower end (R222), the body (R220) advantageously having a general configuration in the form of a funnel with a progressively decreasing passage section. Duo distributor according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the internal sleeve (R22) defines an upper end which communicates with the external reservoir (R1) through a pressure balancing conduit (Q). Duo distributor according to claim 1, in which the pressure balancing conduit (Q) forms an air bridge which spans the internal reservoir (R2).Duo distributor according to any one of the preceding claims, comprising a pump support (S) forming two receiving housings (S1, S2) respectively for the two pumps (P1, P2), one receiving housing (S1) communicating with the internal sleeve (R22) and the other receiving housing (S2) communicating with the internal reservoir (R1), the pump support (S1, S2) forming a main section (S12) of a pressure balancing conduit (Q), which connects the internal sleeve (R22) to the internal reservoir (R1). Duo distributor according to any one of the preceding claims, comprising a common seal (J) which comes into sealing contact with both the external reservoir (R1), the external casing (R21) and the internal sleeve (R22).

10. Duo dispenser according to claim 9, wherein the common seal (J) is compressed onto the outer reservoir (R1), the outer casing (R21) and the inner sleeve (R22) by the pump support (S).

11. Duo dispenser according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the outer casing (R21) is supported by the outer reservoir (R1) and the inner sleeve (R22) is supported by the outer casing (R21).

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