Fluid product refill

Abstract

Fluid product refill comprising a fluid product reservoir (R) and a dispensing head (T) mounted on the reservoir (R), the dispensing head (T) comprising a fluid product outlet conduit (15) and an air inlet conduit (16), the fluid product outlet conduit (15) defining an inlet opening (151) and an outlet opening (152), the air inlet conduit (16) defining an inlet opening (161) and an outlet opening (162), the dispensing head (T) further comprising a sleeve (22) connected to an elastically deformable bellows (21), the sleeve (22) being slidably engaged around the fluid product outlet conduit (15) and air inlet conduit (16), so as to close the fluid product outlet opening (152) and air inlet opening (161) in the rest position and to clear them in the open position by deformation of the sleeve (22). "Figure for the abridged version: Figure 3"

Description

Title of the invention: Fluid product refill

[0001] The present invention relates to a fluid product refill comprising a reservoir and a dispensing head mounted on the reservoir. The dispensing head includes a fluid product outlet conduit and an air inlet conduit. The fluid product outlet conduit defines a fluid product inlet opening and a fluid product outlet opening, while the air inlet conduit defines an air inlet opening and an air outlet opening. The refill of the invention is handled by a user, who holds the refill in one hand and the bottle to be filled in the other. The user then places the refill upside down on the bottle or places the bottle upside down on the refill and then turns the assembly right side up. The handling of the refill is therefore manual. The preferred areas of application for the present invention are cosmetics, perfumery, drugstore, food, and pharmaceuticals.

[0002] In the prior art, document EP2500277A1 is known, describing a fluid product refill system comprising a reservoir and a rotaryally operated dispensing head. The dispensing head comprises, on the one hand, a fixed part mounted on the reservoir and forming a fluid product outlet and an air inlet, and on the other hand, a rotating part to be screwed onto the bottle to be filled and forming a fluid product inlet and an air outlet. The rotation of the rotating part relative to the fixed part allows the channels to align and the fluid and air flows to cross by gravity alone. The dispensing head does not close automatically after filling; it is closed by a reverse rotation.Thus, a filling operation requires unscrewing the rotating part onto the threaded neck of the bottle to be filled, rotating the fixed part relative to the other fixed part in an opening direction, rotating the fixed part relative to the other fixed part in a closing direction, and finally unscrewing the rotating part from the neck of the filled bottle. The correct sequencing of all these rotations must also be managed.

[0003] Document US2007277902Al also describes a manual reloading, the head of which The dispenser comprises a movable tube and a fixed valve that seals one end of the movable tube. The head screws onto the threaded neck of the bottle to be filled, which moves the movable tube away from the fixed valve against a return spring. The liquid product can then flow by gravity, while the air is expelled in the opposite direction. The drawback of this refill is that the return spring is in contact with the liquid product. Furthermore, the spring is metallic, so the refill is not recyclable. Additionally, as described in document EP2500277A1, the refill must be screwed onto and unscrewed from the bottle. Finally, the product conduits fluid and air are identical, so there is a conflict between the fluid product and the air, which inevitably leads to a blockage of flows.

[0004] The present invention proposes to remedy the disadvantages of the aforementioned prior art by defining a manual, recyclable refill with a minimum of parts, in which the fluid product is protected, whose actuation is easy and intuitive and whose flows do not compete.

[0005] To this end, the present invention proposes a fluid product refill comprising a reservoir and a dispensing head mounted on the reservoir, the dispensing head comprising a fluid product outlet conduit and an air inlet conduit, the fluid product outlet conduit defining a fluid product inlet opening and a fluid product outlet opening, the air inlet conduit defining an air inlet opening and an air outlet opening, the dispensing head further comprising a sleeve connected to an elastically deformable bellows, the sleeve being engaged by sliding around the outlet and inlet conduits so as to close the fluid product outlet and air inlet openings in the rest (or closed) position and to clear them in the open (or operated) position by deformation of the sleeve.

[0006] Thus, the sleeve, which acts as a movable valve element actuated by the bellows, is located outside the conduits. The same is true for the bellows.

[0007] According to an advantageous feature of the invention, the bellows is engaged around the fluid outlet and air inlet ducts without coming into contact with the fluid. This means that the fluid outlet duct is separate from the bellows and channels the fluid flow on its own. Advantageously, the bellows also does not come into contact with the airflow passing through the air inlet duct. The bellows is thus separated from the fluid and air ducts by a peripheral dead space. Only the sleeve comes into contact with the ducts.

[0008] According to an advantageous aspect of the invention, the fluid outlet and air inlet ducts can be formed by a cannula that is internally partitioned, with the sleeve and bellows engaged around the cannula. Advantageously, the partitioned cannula passes through the sleeve and bellows.

[0009] According to one embodiment, the fluid product outlet and air inlet conduits can be an integral part of a mounting part, which also forms a mounting ring, advantageously threaded, engaging with a neck, advantageously threaded, formed by the tank.

[0010] Advantageously, the cuff and the bellows are made in a single piece in the form of a valve piece, which is mounted on the mounting piece, advantageously by snap-fit.

[0011] Preferably, the mounting part and the valve part are made of the same type of plastic material, such as a polyolefin.

[0012] Ideally, the fluid product refill consists only of the reservoir, the mounting part and the valve part, possibly with a seal interposed between the reservoir and the mounting part.

[0013] According to another feature of the invention, the fluid product outlet and air inlet openings are axially offset. Thus, the fluid product and air ducts are differentiated.

[0014] According to another aspect of the invention, the cuff can define an annular lower edge that makes tight contact with a projecting annular profile formed at the lower end of the partitioned cannula. The seal in the rest or closed position is thus improved. It is not necessary for the cuff to slide tightly around the partitioned cannula. A small amount of play is possible: this reduces friction and makes actuation smoother. Tight sliding, for example by means of a sealing lip formed by the cuff at its upper edge, is also possible.

[0015] Furthermore, the partitioned cannula may include a stop element. The cuff defines an internal annular edge that advantageously makes a tight seal against the stop element in the open position. This stop in the open position can have several functions: the stop can be tight, so that the bellows never comes into contact with the fluid. The stop also defines a maximum deformation of the bellows to protect it. The stop also defines a maximum penetration of the partitioned cannula into the bottle to be filled. Advantageously, the stop element is a separate part that is engaged around the cannula. The stop element can be in the form of a simple cylinder. Thus, the configuration (length, diameter) of the stop element can be adapted to the bellows, the cuff, and / or the height of the neck of the bottle to be filled.The stopper element is then a modular part easily adapted to the desired parameters. In most cases, it is sufficient to vary its length or height. This feature (stopper element = separate part attached around the cannula) can be implemented regardless of whether the fluid product comes into contact with the other fluid product and could therefore be protected separately.

[0016] According to another feature, the air inlet duct can extend deeper into the tank than the fluid outlet duct, so they have different lengths. This is another way to distinguish them, in order to avoid any flow conflicts. It is also possible to differentiate the ducts by, for example, varying their cross-sectional areas.

[0017] In order to be able to penetrate the necks of bottles with a small internal diameter, the cuff has an external diameter of less than nine, or even eight millimeters.

[0018] The spirit of the invention lies in integrating the functions of the moving valve and elastic return into a single piece located outside the fluid and air conduits, so that there is no contact between the bellows and the fluid. The three-piece refill system also offers a significant advantage. Similarly, making the dispensing head from a single plastic material facilitates its recycling.

[0019] The invention will now be described in greater detail, with reference to the accompanying drawings, giving by way of non-limiting example, one embodiment of the invention.

[0020] In the figures:

[0021] [Fig-1] [Fig. 1] is a cross-sectional view of a refill of the fluid product of the invention ready to be attached to the neck of a bottle to be filled,

[0022] [Fig.2] [Fig.2] is a view similar to that of [Fig.1] with the charging port connected with the neck of the bottle to be filled, but still in the closed position, and

[0023] [Fig. 3] Fig. 3 is a view similar to those in Figures 1 and 2 with the recharging in taken with the neck of the bottle to be filled, and in the open position.

[0024] The fluid product refill is intended to cooperate with a bottle F, which can be made of any suitable material, but preferably glass. The bottle F comprises a body defining a usable volume containing the fluid product. The upper part of the body forms a shoulder Ef from which a neck Cf projects upwards. The neck is advantageously threaded and defines an upper annular edge Bf. The neck Cf internally defines an opening that communicates with the usable volume of the body.

[0025] Bottle F can be combined with a dispensing head incorporating a hand pump, so as to form a fluid product dispenser. The dispensing head is preferably screwed onto the threaded neck Cf of bottle F, so as to be able to be removed by unscrewing to allow the bottle F to be filled using the fluid product refill of the invention.

[0026] Bottle F is not critical for the present invention: it is sufficient to define an opening through which it can be filled.

[0027] The fluid product refill comprising a fluid product reservoir R and a dispensing head T mounted on the reservoir R.

[0028] The reservoir R may have a configuration similar or identical to that of the bottle F. The reservoir R includes a shoulder Er from which a neck Cr projects. The neck Cr may also be threaded. The reservoir R is preferably rigid, but a flexible, deformable reservoir is not excluded. The reservoir R, like the bottle F, is preferably made of a single piece.

[0029] The distribution head T forms the core of the invention. It is preferably made up of two single-piece parts 1 and 2, which are attached one on top of the other.

[0030] First, a mounting part 1 is fixedly mounted onto the neck Cr of the tank R, for example by screwing or snapping. To do this, the mounting part 1 forms a retaining ring 11, which extends around the neck Cr. The retaining ring 11 includes internal engagement profiles, such as a thread or a snap profile. An annular plate 12 extends radially inward toward the inside of the retaining ring 11. A snap ring 13, which extends in line with the retaining ring 11, forms with the annular plate 12 a snap housing, the function of which will be given below.

[0031] The assembly part 1 defines two conduits, namely a fluid product outlet conduit 15 and an air inlet conduit 16. These conduits 15, 16 pass through the annular plate 12, extending on either side of the annular plate 12, such that an internal portion of the conduits 15, 16 extends into the neck Cr and an external portion projects outwards. The external portion is formed by a cannula 14, which is internally partitioned to delimit two external conduit sections. The partition 140 may be flat or curved. The internal portion is formed by a socket 17, which is internally partitioned to delimit two internal conduit sections.

[0032] The cannula 14 is directly connected to the inner periphery of the annular plate 12. The cannula may form or be provided with a stop element 143. When integrated into the cannula 14, the stop element may be in the form of an annular reinforcement or vertical ribs. When it is a separate, attached part, the stop element may be in the form of a simple cylinder engaged around the cannula 14. This stop profile 143 may extend to the annular plate 12. The cannula 14 is then cylindrical to its free end, which forms an axial plug 141 for the two external sections of the conduits 15 and 16. Advantageously, the axial plug 141 forms an annular ridge 142, which projects radially outwards. This bead 142 can join the cylindrical part the cannula 14 by a truncated conical connecting section.Near the axial plug 141, the cannula 14 has two lateral openings, which communicate with the conduits 15 and 16. There is a fluid outlet 152 and an air inlet 161. It can be noted that the fluid outlet 152 is closer to the axial plug 141 than the air inlet 161. The opening 152 closest to the plug 141, however, remains at a distance from the plug 141 and its rim 142. The cannula 14 is preferably cylindrical between the stop profile 143 and the annular rim 142: the cylindricity is, however, interrupted by the openings 152 and 161, which are flush.

[0033] The sleeve 17 is also connected to the inner periphery of the annular plate 12, substantially in the axial extension of the cannula 14. It can also be said that the sleeve 17 extends concentrically inside the retaining ring 11 and the neck Cr. The sleeve 17 forms a fluid inlet opening 151, which communicates with the fluid outlet opening 152. The fluid inlet opening 151 is located axially inside the retaining ring 11 and the neck Cr. It can be noted that the cross-sectional area of ​​the conduit 15 defined by the sleeve 17 is larger than that defined by the cannula 14. The sleeve 17 forms a chimney 171 that extends inside the reservoir R. This chimney 171 forms an internal cross-section of the air inlet duct 16 and defines an air outlet opening 162 at its free end.

[0034] Thus, the cannula 14 and the socket 17, which are both internally partitioned, together form the fluid product inlet duct 15 with its inlet openings 151 and outlet openings 152 and the air outlet duct 16 with its inlet openings 161 and outlet openings 162.

[0035] The mounting part 1 can be made in one piece from polyolefin or copolyester.

[0036] Furthermore, a valve piece 2 is mounted around the cannula 14 of the mounting piece 1. The valve piece can be made in one piece from polyolefin or elastomer. This mounting piece 2 comprises a bellows 21, a sleeve 22, and a snap-on tab 23. The snap-on tab 23 is snapped into the snap-on ring 13 by bearing against the annular plate 12. The snap-on tab 23 is rigid, primarily due to its increased thickness. Alternatively, the tab could be welded or bonded. The bellows 21 is connected to the snap-on tab 23 and forms several folds. The bellows 21 is elastically deformable, primarily due to its thin wall thickness. The bellows 21 extends around the cannula 14 without coming into contact, in the rest position, as is the case in figures 1 and 2. The cuff 22 is connected to the bellows 21, at its end opposite the snap-on heel 23.The sleeve 22 is engaged around the cannula 14 with very little play or a tight sliding contact. It can be seen that the sleeve 22 is located at the level of the fluid outlet 152 and air inlet 161 openings in its rest position, and abuts against the annular rim 142 of the cap 141. The sleeve 21 acts as a movable valve element, and the cannula 14 acts as a valve seat. As for the bellows, it acts as a return spring for the sleeve 22, which is elastically pushed back into its rest position, advantageously making a tight stop against the annular rim 142 with its outer annular edge 222.

[0037] Reference will be made successively to figures 1, 2 and 3 to describe a filling cycle of bottle F.

[0038] In [Fig. 1], the refill is already positioned upside down, with its dispensing head T located below the reservoir R. The refill is ready to be connected to the bottle F for filling. The cap 141 is positioned just above the opening of the neck Cf. The dispensing head is at rest, with the sleeve 22 sealing the two openings 152 and 161: the outer annular edge 222 of the sleeve making a tight contact with the annular ridge 142 of the cap 141. The bellows 21 is in its most relaxed state.

[0039] In [Fig.2], the sleeve 22, the two openings 152 and 161 and the stopper 141 are now inserted into the neck Cf. The valve is however still closed: the sleeve 22 covering the two openings 152 and 161. The first fold of the bellows 21 comes into contact with the upper annular edge Bf of the bottle F: this contact can be airtight.

[0040] From the position shown in [Fig. 2], the user continues to move the refill towards the bottle F, which causes the cannula 14 to descend into the neck Cf and even into the body of the reservoir R, leaving the cuff 21 static in the neck Cf. The openings 152 and 161 are thus exposed. This is shown in [Fig. 3]. It can be seen that the openings 152 and 161 are then located at the shoulder Ef. A gap may remain between the cuff 22 and the inner wall of the neck Cf. As for the bellows 21, it is strongly compressed, but not excessively, since it is limited by the contact of the inner annular edge 221 of the cuff 22 against the stop element 143 of the cannula 14. This limitation of the deformation of the bellows 21 is particularly advantageous when the bellows 21 is made of a material with limited deformability, as is the case with polyolefins.It is possible that the internal annular edge 221 could form a sealing lip, which slides tightly with the cannula 14, in order to ensure that the bellows 21 never comes into contact with the fluid product.

[0041] It should be noted that a stop element 143 attached around the cannula 14 allows its length or diameter to be easily adapted without touching the mounting part 1. The configuration of the stop element can thus be chosen to determine the maximum deformation of the bellows, the stroke of the cuff and / or the depth of insertion of the cannula 14 into the neck of the bottle to be filled.

[0042] As soon as the open position of the valve shown in [Fig. 3] is reached, the fluid stored in the reservoir R can flow by gravity through the fluid outlet duct 15, entering through the fluid inlet opening 151 and exiting through the fluid outlet opening 152. Conversely, the air contained in the bottle F is evacuated through the air inlet duct 16, entering through air inlet opening 161 and exiting through air outlet opening 162. Filling can be completed in two different ways. Either the user decides to remove the refill from bottle F by extracting the cannula 14 from the neck Cf, while bottle F is not yet full: the valve closes with the sleeve 21 returning to its rest position, in which it seals the two openings 152 and 161. Or the user waits until bottle F is completely filled before removing the refill. The flow of the fluid stops automatically as soon as the fluid level in bottle F reaches the openings 152 and 161. Due to the relatively low positioning of the two openings 152 and 161 in the neck Cf, it is ensured that bottle F is not overfilled.

[0043] Thanks to the refill mechanism of the invention, the fluid product does not come into contact with the bellows 21, and the two fluid product ducts 15 and air ducts 16 are selectively sealed by the sleeve 21. The fact that the refill consists of only three components, namely the reservoir R, the mounting part 1, and the valve part 2 (and optionally a neck seal), is particularly advantageous. Similarly, making the mounting part 1 and the valve part 2 from the same plastic material (polyolefin) facilitates recycling of the dispensing head. Preferably, the reservoir R is also made of polyolefin, so that the refill does not need to be disassembled for recycling.

Claims

Demands

1. A fluid product refill comprising a fluid product reservoir (R) and a dispensing head (T) mounted on the fluid product reservoir (R), the dispensing head (T) comprising a fluid product outlet conduit (15) and an air inlet conduit (16), the fluid product outlet conduit (15) defining a fluid product inlet opening (151) and a fluid product outlet opening (152), the air inlet conduit (16) defining an air inlet opening (161) and an air outlet opening (162), the dispensing head (T) further comprising a sleeve (22) connected to an elastically deformable bellows (21), the sleeve (22) being slidably engaged around the fluid product outlet conduit (15) and air inlet conduit (16), so as to close the fluid product outlet (152) and air inlet openings. (161) in rest position and to release them in open position by deformation of the cuff (22),in which the fluid product outlet conduits (15) and air inlet conduits (16) are an integral part of a mounting part (1), which also forms a mounting ring (11) engaging with a collar (Cr) formed by the fluid product reservoir (R), and in which the sleeve (22) and the bellows (21) are made as a single unit in the form of a valve part (2), which is mounted on the mounting part (1), advantageously by snap-fit, characterized in that the refill consists solely of the fluid product reservoir (R), the mounting part (1) and the valve part (2), optionally with a seal interposed between the fluid product reservoir (R) and the mounting part (1).

2. Fluid product refill according to claim 1, wherein the bellows (21) is engaged around the fluid product outlet (15) and air inlet (16) conduits without coming into contact with the fluid product.

3. Fluid product refill according to claim 2, wherein the fluid product outlet conduits (15) and air inlet conduits (16) are formed by a cannula (14) which is internally partitioned, the sleeve (22) and the bellows (21) being engaged around the cannula (14).

4. Fluid product refill according to claim 3, wherein the cannula (14) passes through the sleeve (22) and the bellows (21).

5. Fluid product refill according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the mounting part (1) and the valve part (2) are made of the same type of plastic material, such as a polyolefin.

6. Fluid product refill according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the fluid product outlet openings (152) and air inlet opening (161) are axially offset.

7. Fluid product refill according to claim 3, wherein the sleeve (22) defines an annular lower edge (222), which comes into tight contact against a protruding annular profile (142) formed at the lower end of the cannula (14).

8. Fluid product refill according to claim 3, wherein the cannula (14) includes a stopper element (143), the sleeve (22) defines an internal annular edge (221), which advantageously makes contact, sealingly, against the stopper element (143), in the open position.

9. Fluid product refill according to claim 8, wherein the stop element (143) is a separate part, which is engaged around the cannula (14).

10. Fluid product refill according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the air inlet duct (16) extends deeper into the fluid product reservoir (R) than the fluid product outlet duct (15), so that they have different lengths. * * *

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