Device for dispensing a fluid substance

Abstract

Dispensing device, comprising a bowl-shaped outer container having a bottom and a side wall (2B) having a free end defining an opening into the outer container, the free end being attached to a collar (80); an intermediate member supporting an inner container and a hand pump coupled to the inner container, for dispensing a fluid substance(s) contained therein; removable attachment means (60B) being provided between the collar (80) and the intermediate member, for uncoupling the collar (80) from the intermediate member by taking the inner container and the pump therewith and replacing said intermediate member, container and pump with a new intermediate member with a pump and an inner container filled with the fluid substance by recoupling said new intermediate member, container and pump with the collar (80) and consequently with the outer container.Figure for abstract: Fig. 2.

Description

Title of the invention: Device for dispensing a fluid substance FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The present invention relates to a device for dispensing a fluid substance.

[0002] It relates in particular to a device for dispensing a rechargeable fluid substance. STATE OF THE ART

[0003] Most devices available on the market for dispensing a fluid substance using a manual pump, particularly in the cosmetic or medical field, are discarded once the substance contained inside is used up.

[0004] There are also well-known devices that offer the possibility of recharging. But this recharging is often laborious and difficult to implement for end users, who are not qualified to handle these devices. Summary of the invention

[0005] The object of the present invention is to provide a device which is improved in comparison with the prior art.

[0006] Another object of the present invention is to propose a device within everyone's reach, which allows easy recharging, without having to carry out excessively laborious operations.

[0007] These and other objects are achieved by means of a device for dispensing a fluid substance, comprising an outer container which is bowl-shaped and made of glass, metal, ceramic or wood, the outer container having a bottom and a side wall, the side wall having a free end defining an opening of the outer container, the free end of the container being stably attached to a collar, the device further comprising an intermediate plastic element supporting at least one inner container and, directly or indirectly, a hand pump coupled to the inner container, for dispensing a substance contained therein, between the collar and the intermediate element being provided removable fastening means, so that, after the fluid substance has been completely dispensed,a user can disengage the collar from the intermediate element with the inner container and the pump and can replace them with a new intermediate element, with the pump and the inner container filled with the fluid substance to be dispensed to recouple them with the collar and consequently with the outer container, the collar having, in cross-section, a groove in which, the free edge of said side wall fits, the side wall being inserted tightly, irremovably, in said groove.

[0008] According to special provisions, which can be combined:

[0009] - an adhesive is inserted between the side wall and the collar;

[0010] - the opening and therefore a passage of the collar are configured to allow to an inner container filled with a fluid substance to be dispensed to be inserted into the outer container;

[0011] - the intermediate element defines a neck having a smaller diameter than the diameter of the opening defined by the free end of said side wall, the neck being provided with a free end on which rests a first flange of the inner container which is a deformable pocket contained in the outer container, on the first flange resting a second flange of the pump, the device further comprising a nut locked on said neck, the first flange and the second flange being interposed tightly between said free end and said nut;

[0012] - the nut is locked onto the neck by means of a thread or by means of a snap coupling;

[0013] - the intermediate element defines a bowl having, on an inner wall thereof- herein, coupling means for engaging a neck of the inner container, the neck being contained within the bowl;

[0014] - the top of the bowl is defined by a flange wall, on the flange wall resting a second pump flange, on the second pump flange, on the opposite side of the flange wall resting the free end of a deformable pocket contained in the inner container;

[0015] - the coupling means comprise a snap-on coupling or a thread;

[0016] - the removable fixing means define a bayonet coupling;

[0017] - the removable fixing means are a magnetic coupling, preferably formed by at least one magnetic element coupled to the collar and at least one ferromagnetic element coupled to the intermediate element;

[0018] - said side wall of the outer container is cylindrical or polygonal, the surface exterior of the side wall possibly presenting decorative reliefs or hollows;

[0019] - said side wall is made in one piece with the bottom of the outer container. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[0020] Other characteristics and advantages of the invention will appear more clearly on reading the description of a preferred but not exclusive embodiment of the device illustrated, by way of non-limiting example, in the drawings annexed hereto, in which:

[0021] [Fig.l] is a sectional view of the device according to the present invention;

[0022] [Fig.2] is an enlargement of the part surrounded by a circle in [Fig.l];

[0023] [Fig.3] illustrates the same part as [Fig.2], but according to an embodiment different ;

[0024] [Fig.4] is a perspective view of an intermediate element of the device of [Fig.l];

[0025] [Fig.5] represents a part of the device of [Fig.l] according to a sectional view;

[0026] [Fig.6] is a top view of the part of [Fig.5];

[0027] [Fig.7] is a sectional view of a variant of the device of [Fig.l];

[0028] [Fig.8] is an enlargement of the portion surrounded by a circle in [Fig.7]; and

[0029] [Fig.9] is a sectional view of a portion of the device of [Fig.7]. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0030] With reference to the cited figures, the reference number 1 is used to designate, as a whole, a device for dispensing a fluid substance.

[0031] As used herein, the term "fluid substance" may refer to a liquid of varying density, such as a cream, which is preferably used in the cosmetic or medical fields.

[0032] The device for dispensing a fluid substance 1 comprises an outer container in the form of a bowl 2 made of glass, metal, ceramic or wood.

[0033] The outer container 2 comprises a bottom 2A and a side wall 2B.

[0034] The bottom 2A and the side wall 2B are preferably made from a single piece of glass. If the outer container 2 is made of metal, wood or ceramic, it is also possible for the side wall and the bottom to be made of two separate pieces which are then assembled in an essentially immovable manner.

[0035] In all cases, the side wall 2B has an end opposite the bottom, which forms an opening (or entrance) into the outer container 2.

[0036] Advantageously, the side wall 2B of the outer container is cylindrical or polygonal (e.g. square, hexagonal, etc.). The base or bottom 2A may have a profile that corresponds to the perimeter of a cross-section of the side wall 2B.

[0037] Advantageously, the opening of the outer container 2 is formed at the end of the side wall 2B and has a surface area which is comparable to or greater than that of the base 2A.

[0038] The side wall 2B can therefore be tapered towards the base 2A and can therefore be slightly frustoconical.

[0039] The end opposite the bottom of the container 2 is stably fixed to a collar 80, the usefulness of which will be explained below.

[0040] The device 1 further comprises an intermediate element 5, 5' made of plastic, which supports at least one inner container 6 and, directly or indirectly, a manual pump 7, the latter being coupled to the inner container 6, 60 to dispense a substance S contained inside.

[0041] Removable constraining means 60A, 60B, 70A, 70B are provided between the collar 80 and the intermediate element, such that, after all the fluid substance S has been dispensed, a user can uncouple the collar 80 from the intermediate element 5 (taking the inner container 6 and the pump 7 with it) and can replace said components with a new intermediate element 5 plus a pump 7 and an inner container 6, 60 filled with the fluid substance S to be dispensed, recoupling said components to the collar 80 and consequently to the outer container 2.

[0042] Therefore, by removing the intermediate element 5, the inner container 60, the pump 7 and any other element are also removed except the outer container 2 and the collar 80.

[0043] Therefore, once the substance to be dispensed is exhausted, it is possible to keep the outer container 2 (connected to the collar 80), which can also be manufactured to a very high quality level, and to recouple said container to a new intermediate element 5, 5' which, by supporting the pump 7 and the inner container 6, 60, essentially serves as a refill.

[0044] Therefore, the opening of the outer container 2, and consequently a passage 80A in the collar 80, may be configured to allow an inner container 6, 60 filled with fluid substance S to be dispensed to be inserted into the outer container 2. Preferably, during insertion, the passage 80A should be large enough to prevent deformation of the inner container 6.

[0045] To couple with the outer container 2, the intermediate element 5 may comprise a stop 5A, which abuts against a part of the collar 80.

[0046] The stop 5A may be, for example, a cylindrical part (Figures 2 and 3), a flange ([Fig.8]) or a shoulder.

[0047] To continue the description relating to the configurations of Figures 1, 2, 3 and 4, it should be noted that the intermediate element 5 can form a neck 10 of a diameter smaller than that of the opening formed by the free end of said side wall 2B or by the opening 80A.

[0048] The diameter of the neck 10 may be similar to that of conventional containers, precisely to allow connection with a conventional pump 7, although without air.

[0049] The neck 10 may be provided with a free end 10A on which rests a first flange 11 of the inner container 6, said container being a deformable pocket contained in the outer container 2.

[0050] A second flange 13 of the pump 7 can rest on the first flange 11.

[0051] Of course, a seal (not shown) may be present between the pump and the inner container 6.

[0052] The device may also comprise a locking nut 14 locked on said neck 10, the first flange 11 (of the pocket) and the second flange 13 (of the pump) being interposed between said free end 10A and said locking nut 14.

[0053] It should be emphasized that, if the locking nut 14 is present, it may include a collar 14A. For aesthetic reasons, the collar 14A may be perfectly aligned with the outer perimeter of the side wall 2B, so that the coupling between the outer container 2 and the intermediate element 5 is devoid of shoulders or changes in diameter, with the exception of the collar 80.

[0054] Therefore, the only part of the container to protrude laterally is the thicker section formed by the portion of the collar 80 superimposed around the perimeter of the wall 2B.

[0055] According to a variant of the present invention, the collar 14A can also cover the collar 80 and thus mask it, extending above.

[0056] Of course, the locking nut 14 can be locked onto the neck 10 by snap-fastening, as shown in [Fig.l], or with a thread (not shown).

[0057] Reference will now be made to [Fig.7], which represents a slightly different configuration of the device 1.

[0058] Here, the intermediate element 5' and the inner container 60 both have a different configuration from those illustrated previously.

[0059] The intermediate element 5' may form a bowl 61 provided, on one of its inner walls, with means for coupling the inner container 60 to a neck 62, said neck 62 being contained in the bowl 61.

[0060] It should be emphasized that the coupling means between the neck 62 of the inner container and the bowl 61 may alternatively be threaded 72 or may have a snap-fastening system (not shown).

[0061] The top of the bowl 61 can be formed by a flange wall 25 (pierced for the passage of the pump 7).

[0062] A second flange 13 of the pump 7 may rest on the flange wall 25.

[0063] Consequently, the free end 70 of a deformable pocket 71 contained in the inner container 60 can rest on the flange 13 of the pump 7, on the side opposite to that on which the flange wall 25 rests.

[0064] In practice, therefore, the second flange 13 of the pump and the free end 70 (which may also have a flange profile) of the deformable pocket 71 are interposed between the free end of the inner container 60 (at the inlet thereof) and the flange wall 25 of the intermediate element 5'.

[0065] In this configuration, the stop 5A can also be a flange 5A, as clearly seen in [Fig.8].

[0066] In this case, the intermediate element 5' may have an external collar 101 which, for aesthetic reasons, is set back relative to the collar 80.

[0067] It has been seen that the locking nut 14 shown in the configurations described above is not present in this configuration.

[0068] The different profile of the intermediate element 5' is designed to support an inner container 60 (with its own substantially rigid structure), which contains the deformable pocket 71.

[0069] The deformable pouch 71 may be a separate part of the inner container 60 (not shown) or it may essentially be an inner liner (at least partial) which may be detached from the inner container 60 as a result of the vacuum generated by the pump 7 during use (as in [Fig.7]).

[0070] Of course, the neck 62 of the inner container 60 may include recesses (not shown) which allow outside air to enter said container when the deformable pocket 71 empties.

[0071] Some possible profiles of the intermediate element 5 and 5', and consequently of the inner container 6 and 60, are described above.

[0072] The configurations of the collar 80 and the outer container 2 which will now be described can be used indifferently with one or other of the configurations described in the examples above.

[0073] For example, the removable constraint means 60A, 60B may form a bayonet coupling.

[0074] More specifically, [Fig.4] represents a fixing element 60B made on the intermediate element 5 and [Fig.6] represents the recesses 60A made in the collar in which the fixing elements 60B are inserted and fixed.

[0075] Alternatively, as in [Fig.7], the removable fixing means 70A, 70B may be a magnetic coupling, preferably formed (see [Fig.8]) of at least one magnetic element 70A fixed to the collar 80 and at least one magnetic or ferromagnetic element 70B fixed to the intermediate element 5.

[0076] It is preferable (but not mandatory) that the magnetic element 70A be coupled to the collar 80 rather than to the intermediate element, because the intermediate element must be handled, during assembly, by automatic machines. The assembly of the magnet could therefore hinder these automatic operations.

[0077] As for the shape of the magnetic element 70A, it may be a single ring or two half-rings coupled to each other.

[0078] In this case, there are no constraints concerning the shape of the ferromagnetic or magnetic element 70B. It can also be in the form of sectors because, with this configuration, it is not necessary to rotate or orient the outer container relative to the intermediate element 5.

[0079] Of course, the mirror configuration, in which the ferromagnetic element is a ring, is also possible and the magnetic element can therefore also be made of several pieces spaced apart from each other.

[0080] It should be emphasized that the collar 80 can also serve as a connecting system between an intermediate element, for example with a square plan, and an outer container with a circular plan, or vice versa. In this case, the magnetic or ferromagnetic elements can be in the form of sectors, since the orientation between the two parts is always necessary.

[0081] The system for fixing the collar 80 and the outer container 2 may also be of a different type, independently of the system used to fix the intermediate element 5, 5' and said collar 80.

[0082] For example, the collar 80 may comprise, in sections, a groove 90 in which the free edge of said side wall 2B is inserted. This configuration is visible both in Figures 2 and 3, but also in [Fig.8].

[0083] The outer collar 80B of the collar 80 may be crimped onto an outer surface of said side wall 2B (as in [Fig.3]), possibly at the level of an annular groove 2C in said wall 2B (as in [Fig.2]).

[0084] Alternatively, or in addition to the systems described above, the side wall 2B can simply be tightly fitted (but irremovably, in any case) in said groove 90. This is precisely the case in [Fig.8], on which there is no crimping.

[0085] Optionally, in the case where there is no crimping, an adhesive can be inserted between the side wall 2B and the collar 80.

[0086] Various embodiments of the invention have been described herein, but other embodiments may also be envisaged, provided that they are based on the same innovative concept.

Claims

Claims

1. A device (1) for dispensing a fluid substance, comprising an outer container (2) which is bowl-shaped and made of glass, metal, ceramic or wood, the outer container (2) having a bottom (2A) and a side wall (2B), the side wall (2B) having a free end (3) defining an opening (4) of the outer container (2), the free end (3) of the container being stably attached to a collar (80), the device (1) further comprising a plastic intermediate element (5, 5') supporting at least one inner container (6) and, directly or indirectly, a hand pump (7) coupled to the inner container (6, 60), for dispensing a substance (S) contained therein, between the collar (80) and the intermediate element being provided removable fastening means (60A, 60B, 70A, 70B), such that, after the fluid substance (S) has been completely distributed,a user can disengage the collar (80) from the intermediate element (5) with the inner container (6) and the pump (7) and can replace them with a new intermediate element (5), with the pump (7) and the inner container filled with the fluid substance (S) to be dispensed to recouple them with the collar (80) and consequently with the outer container (2), the collar (80) having, in cross-section, a groove (90) in which the free edge of said side wall (2B) fits, the side wall (2B) being inserted tightly, irremovably, in said groove (90).,

2. A device according to claim 1, wherein an adhesive is inserted between the side wall (2B) and the collar (80).

3. Device according to claim 1, wherein the opening (4) and consequently a passage (80A) of the collar (80) are configured to allow an inner container (6, 60) filled with a fluid substance (S) to be dispensed to be inserted into the outer container (2).

4. Device according to claim 1, wherein the intermediate element (5) defines a neck (10) having a smaller diameter than the diameter of the opening (4) defined by the free end of said side wall (2B), the neck (10) being provided with a free end (10A) on which rests a first flange (11) of the inner container (6) which is a deformable pocket contained in the outer container (2), on the first flange (11) resting a second flange (13) of the pump (7), the device further comprising a nut (14) locked on said neck (10), the first flange (11) and the second flange (13) being tightly interposed between said free end (10A) and said nut (14).

5. Device according to the preceding claim, in which the nut (14) is locked onto the neck (10) by means of a thread or by means of a snap-on coupling.

6. A device according to claim 1, wherein the intermediate element (5') defines a bowl (61) having, on an inner wall thereof, coupling means for engaging a neck (62) of the inner container (60), the neck (62) being contained within the bowl (61).

7. Device according to the preceding claim, in which the top of the bowl (61) is defined by a flange wall (25), on the flange wall (25) resting a second flange (13) of the pump, on the second flange (13) of the pump (7), on the opposite side of the flange wall (25) resting the free end (70) of a deformable pocket (71) contained in the inner container (60).

8. A device according to claim 5, wherein the coupling means comprises a snap-fit coupling or a thread (72).

9. A device according to claim 1, wherein the removable fastening means (60A, 60B) define a bayonet coupling.

10. Device according to claim 1, wherein the removable fixing means (70A, 70B) are a magnetic coupling, preferably formed by at least one magnetic element (70A) coupled to the collar (80) and at least one ferromagnetic element (70B) coupled to the intermediate element (5).

11. Device according to claim 1, wherein said side wall (2B) of the outer container is cylindrical or polygonal, the outer surface of the side wall possibly having decorative reliefs or hollows.

12. Device according to claim 1, wherein said side wall (2B) is made in one piece with the bottom (2A) of the outer container (2).

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