Filling device and method for filling an aerosol container, and assembly comprising such a filling device

Abstract

The invention relates to a device (1) for filling an aerosol container (27) with a liquid comprising a tinting base (26), the filling device (1) comprising a cup (2) for receiving the liquid for filling the aerosol container (27), and a piston head (3) able to act by pushing on the filling liquid contained in the cup (2) in order to transfer it from the cup (2) to the aerosol container (27), the cup (2) being provided at its bottom with an injection orifice (7) that can be adapted to the aerosol container (27), the piston head (3) being in the form of a scraper disk (8) capable of being in contact with the inner face of the peripheral wall (6) of the cup (2) during the transfer operation, the piston head (3) having at least one standby position in which the piston head (3) is arranged outside the cup (2), removably coupled to the cup (2) and seals the injection orifice (7) of the bottom (5) in the cup (2). The cup (2) is prefilled with the tinting base (26) and the filling device comprises a removable cover (10) for closing the filling opening (4) of the prefilled cup (2).

Description

Description Title of the invention: FILLING DEVICE AND METHOD FOR FILLING AN AEROSOL CONTAINER AND ASSEMBLY COMPRISING SUCH A FILLING DEVICE

[0001] The present invention relates to a filling device and method for filling an aerosol container as well as to an assembly comprising such a filling device.

[0002] It relates in particular to a filling device for filling an aerosol container with a liquid comprising at least one base capable of being tinted, called the tinting base, using in particular a filling installation equipped with a pusher element, this filling device comprising a cup intended to receive the filling liquid from the aerosol container, and a piston head capable of acting by pushing on the filling liquid contained in the cup to transfer it from the cup to the aerosol container, the cup which has a filling opening being delimited by a bottom and a peripheral wall, said cup being provided at its bottom with an injection orifice adaptable to the aerosol container, said piston head being in the form of a scraper disc capable of being in contact with the internal face of the peripheral wall of the cup during the transfer operation,the piston head having at least one so-called waiting position in which said piston head, removably coupled to the bucket, is arranged outside the bucket and closes the injection orifice at the bottom of the bucket.,

[0003] On-demand filling of aerosol containers and the use of such aerosol containers, particularly for spraying paint, have been known for many years. Due to the repetitive nature of such operations, any savings that can be made in reducing the time spent on such operations are appreciated by operators. A filling device is described in patent KR20190134960. Patent EP 1 943 146 describes a filling device whose design eliminates the need to clean the filling installation after the filling operation.

[0004] An aim of the invention is to propose a filling device whose design makes it possible to reduce the time spent preparing for the filling operation without compromising the absence of the need to clean the filling installation at the end of the cleaning operation.

[0005] To this end, the subject of the invention is a filling device for filling an aerosol container with a liquid comprising at least one tintable base, called a tintable base, using in particular a filling installation equipped with a pusher element, this filling device comprising a cup intended to receive the filling liquid from the aerosol container, and a piston head capable of acting by pushing on the filling liquid contained in the cup to transfer it from the cup to the aerosol container, the cup which has a filling opening being delimited by a bottom and a peripheral wall, said cup being provided at its bottom with an injection orifice adaptable to the aerosol container, said piston head being at least in the form of a scraper disc capable of being in contact with the internal face of the peripheral wall of the cup during the transfer operation,the piston head having at least one so-called waiting position in which said piston head, coupled in a removable manner to the cup, is arranged outside the cup and closes the injection orifice at the bottom of the cup, characterized in that the cup is pre-filled with the base to be tinted and in that the filling device comprises a removable cover for closing the filling opening of the pre-filled cup.,

[0006] The combined presence of a cap and a piston head allows the piston head and the cap to be used alternately to ensure the sealing of the cup provided at its bottom with an injection orifice. Thus, the presence of the piston head and its positioning outside the cup in the waiting position allow the cup to be pre-filled with a tinting base. The presence of the cap allows the cup to be closed for storage and transport in the pre-filled state, the cup to be opened at the filling site to possibly add a tint to the tinting base to give it the desired tint, the cup to be closed and, thanks to the cap, to ensure the sealing of the cup during the preparation of the cup at the stage of filling the aerosol container by detaching the piston head from the bottom of the cup and positioning this piston head on the pusher element of the filling installation. The hood makes it possible, during this step of preparing for the transfer of the filling liquid from the cup to the aerosol container, to prevent or limit leakage of the contents of the cup through the bottom of the cup, which was not possible in the prior art where pre-filling of the cup was impossible. This possibility of pre-filling the cup without risk of leakage of the cup through its bottom during the preparation of the operation of transferring the contents of the cup to the aerosol container thanks to the use of the hood saves time during the preparation of the cup because it eliminates all the operations of preparing the liquid and transferring it into the cup which were necessary in the prior art and which, in addition to the time required to carry them out, constituted for the operator a risk of soiling the hands and the obligation to clean the container(s) used for preparing the liquid.This lack of treatment also limits the number of containers used and reduces the quantity of waste produced.

[0007] It should be noted that the tinting base is understood to mean the initial composition of the liquid before adding, if necessary, means for modifying the color, such as pigments, a colorant, etc. This base can be understood as a resin, a binder, or other. This practice of a base that can be adapted to the color is known in the field of painting with the resulting advantages in terms of inventory management and the expiry date.

[0008] According to one embodiment of the invention, the cap is a repositionable cap on said cup to allow the filling opening to be reclosed. The cap is therefore a multiple opening / closing cap that can be opened and closed several times. This cap is a non-single opening / closing cap to allow, if necessary, before the operation of transferring the filling liquid from the cup to the aerosol container, the opening of the cup and the addition to the cup of means for modifying the shade to obtain the desired shade.

[0009] According to one embodiment of the invention, the device comprises an attached sealing gasket, said sealing gasket being, in the waiting position of the piston head, interposed between the piston head and the injection orifice of the bottom of the cup at the outlet of the injection orifice of the bottom of the cup outside the cup. Ideally, the sealing gasket is in contact with said outlet. The presence of a sealing gasket makes it possible to perfect the seal to reduce the risk of leakage from the bucket during transport and storage of said filling device before the transfer operation.

[0010] According to one embodiment of the invention, the sealing gasket is bonded to the piston head.

[0011] According to one embodiment of the invention, the piston head is centrally provided with a hollow stud arranged projecting from the so-called internal face of the piston head which is turned towards the bottom of the cup in the waiting position of the piston head, this hollow stud is arranged opposite the injection orifice of the cup and in that the sealing gasket is arranged inside said stud.

[0012] According to one embodiment of the invention, the injection orifice of the bottom of the cup extends externally by a projection forming an injection nozzle positionable on the aerosol container, the end of the nozzle forms the outlet of the injection orifice outside the cup and the sealing gasket is in bearing contact with the outlet of the injection orifice in the waiting position of the piston head. Preferably, the nozzle is surrounded by a crown protecting the end of the injection nozzle. Said crown surrounds said stud and is coupled to fit with the hollow stud in the waiting position of the piston head.

[0013] Alternatively, the injection orifice at the bottom of the cup may extend externally with a projection forming an injection nozzle that can be positioned on the valve of the aerosol container and the piston head is provided, on the so-called internal face side of the piston head which is turned towards the bottom of the cup in the waiting position of the piston head, with a projecting part configured to penetrate into the injection nozzle in said waiting position.

[0014] According to one embodiment of the invention, the hood is coupled by snap-fastening to the bucket.

[0015] According to one embodiment of the invention, the cover is provided on its periphery with a U-shaped groove, and, in the closed state of the opening for filling the bucket by the cover, the U of said groove covers the so-called upper edge of the peripheral wall of the bucket opposite the so-called lower edge connecting said wall to the bottom of the bucket. This results in improved sealing without compromising ease of opening / closing.

[0016] According to one embodiment of the invention, the upper edge of the peripheral wall of the bucket is doubled to form a gutter open in the direction of the U and the sides of the gutter are inserted at least partially inside the U in the closed state of the filling opening of the bucket by the cover.

[0017] According to one embodiment of the invention, one of the so-called outer flanks of the gutter is provided, on its inner face facing the filling opening of the cup, with point bulges capable of cooperating with hollows provided on a branch of the U of the cap, in the closed state of the filling opening of the cup by the cap. These bulges are multi-purpose. They participate on the one hand, in a snap-on closure of the cap, and on the other hand, in the possibility of using the cup as a cap for the aerosol container at the end of the operation of transferring the filling liquid from the cup into the aerosol container.

[0018] According to one embodiment of the invention, the cover is provided with at least one, preferably at least two parallel peripheral sealing lips configured to, in the closed state of the filling opening of the bucket by the cover, come to bear on the peripheral wall of the bucket.

[0019] According to one embodiment of the invention, the piston head has, in the center of one of its faces forming the so-called external face of the piston head in the waiting position of said head, a projecting shutter intended to seal the injection orifice of the cup in a configuration in which the piston head is retained in the cup in an end-of-transfer position close to the bottom of the cup, and the cover is provided with a central recess to allow, in the stacked state of two identical or similar filling devices, the housing of the projecting shutter of the piston head in the waiting position of the filling device located above and called upper in the recess of the cover of the filling device immediately below called lower.

[0020] According to one embodiment of the invention, the cover has two opposite faces with male and female parts of complementary shape for allow, in the superimposed or juxtaposed state of said hood with an identical hood, a nested stack of said hoods.

[0021] The invention also relates to a method for filling, with a filling device, an aerosol container with a liquid comprising at least one tintable base, called the tintable base, using in particular a filling installation equipped with a pusher element, the filling device comprising a cup intended to receive the filling liquid from the aerosol container, and a piston head capable of acting by pushing on the filling liquid contained in the cup to transfer it from the cup to the aerosol container, the cup which has a filling opening being delimited by a bottom and a peripheral wall, said cup being provided at its bottom with an injection orifice adaptable to the aerosol container, said piston head being in the form of a scraper disc capable of being in contact with the internal face of the peripheral wall of the cup during the transfer operation,the piston head having at least one so-called waiting position in which said piston head, removably coupled to the cup, is arranged outside the cup and closes the injection orifice at the bottom of the cup, characterized in that the filling device is of the aforementioned type, and in that the method comprises, before the transfer operation, in the waiting position of the piston head, at least one step of detaching the piston head from the cup to allow positioning of the piston head on the pusher element followed by a step of opening the cover.,

[0022] In detail, the process generally includes the following steps: - positioning the bucket in the pre-filled state with the hood in the low position, i.e. head down, - removal of the piston head, - positioning a bucket holder on the bucket, - positioning the aerosol container by coupling the injection orifice of the cup with said aerosol container, - turning over the cup / cup holder / aerosol container assembly, - opening the hood, - installation of the assembly in the filling installation.

[0023] According to one embodiment of the method, the step of detaching the piston head from the bucket to allow positioning of the piston head on the pusher element is preceded by a step of tinting the base to be tinted, this step comprising at least one operation of opening and one operation of closing said cover.

[0024] According to one embodiment of the method, said method comprises, during the transfer operation, a step of retaining the piston head inside the bucket to form a sealed wall trapping the residual liquid not transferred inside the bucket.

[0025] According to one embodiment of the method, the method comprises, after the transfer operation, a step of positioning the cup on the aerosol container to form a cap for said aerosol container.

[0026] The invention also relates to an assembly for implementing a method of filling an aerosol container with a liquid comprising at least one base which can be tinted, called the tinting base, said assembly comprising a filling installation equipped with a pusher element, a filling device and, if necessary, a tinting installation capable of allowing the tinting of the tinting base, characterized in that the filling device of said assembly is of the aforementioned type. Brief description of the drawings

[0027] The invention will be clearly understood upon reading the following description of exemplary embodiments, with reference to the appended drawings in which:

[0028] [Fig. 1] represents a perspective view of a filling device in the unassembled state of the elements;

[0029] [Fig. 2] represents a perspective view of a filling device;

[0030] [Fig. 3] shows in the form of schematic views a tinting machine and a filling installation;

[0031] [Fig. 4] represents a sectional view of a filling device associated with a detail view;

[0032] [Fig. 5] represents a sectional view of a stack of hoods;

[0033] [Fig. 6] shows a sectional view of a stack of filling devices;

[0034] [Fig. 7] represents a sectional view of a filling device in the open state of the hood after addition of an active agent to the tint of the base to be tinted;

[0035] [Fig. 8] represents a sectional view of a filling device in the closed state of the hood after addition of an active agent to the tint of the base to be tinted;

[0036] [Fig. 9] represents a schematic view of a filling device during the transfer operation, the hood having been removed and the piston head being coupled to the pusher element of the filling installation;

[0037] [Fig. 10] shows a sectional view of a filling device at the end of the transfer operation.

[0038] As mentioned above, the filling device 1, which is the subject of the invention, is more particularly intended to allow the filling with liquid, in particular with paint, of an aerosol container 27 of the type partially shown in Figure 3 or Figure 9. This aerosol container 27 is generally in the form of a cylindrical body provided at its upper part with a valve. This valve is surmounted by a removable diffuser, not shown, allowing the liquid contained inside the aerosol container to be diffused into the atmosphere. This diffusion is obtained using a propellant gas contained inside the aerosol container. The filling of the aerosol container 27 with liquid to be projected is carried out via the valve of the aerosol container 27. To do this, it requires a filling device 1 of the type according to the invention.This filling device 1 is generally used in cooperation with a filling installation 28 equipped with a pusher element 29 although it can also be used alone.

[0039] The filling device 1 conventionally comprises a cup 2 intended to receive the filling liquid from the aerosol container 27. This cup 2, which has a filling opening 4, is delimited by a peripheral wall 6 with an internal face, shown at 61 in figures 1 and 4, and a bottom 5. This cup 2 is generally made of synthetic material in a transparent or translucent material to allow visibility of the nature of the liquid transferred. This cup 2 is provided at its bottom 5 with an injection orifice 7 adaptable to the valve of the aerosol container 27. A piston head 3 acts by pushing on the filling liquid contained in the cup 2 to transfer it from the cup 2 to the aerosol container 27. Thus, the cup 2 is positioned initially with its injection orifice 7 opposite the valve of the aerosol container 27, said orifice 7 with its projection being introduced into the valve. Indeed, generally, the injection orifice 7 of the bottom 5 of the cup 2 extends externally by a projection forming an injection nozzle positionable on the aerosol container 27, the end of the nozzle forms the outlet 71 of the injection orifice 7 outside the cup 2.

[0040] This nozzle can be surrounded by a crown 15 protecting the end of the injection nozzle as illustrated in Figure 4. The crown 15 thus makes it possible to avoid any contact of the operator's fingers with the end of the nozzle. The filling liquid, contained inside the cup 2, is, under the action of an axial displacement of the piston head 3 inside the cup 2, transferred from the cup 2 to the aerosol container 27. The filling installation, as illustrated in Figure 3, makes it possible, with the aid of a pusher element 29, to act on the piston head 3 and to drive the latter in displacement inside the cup.

[0041] The piston head 3 is in the form of a scraper disc in continuous contact with the internal wall 61 of the bucket 2 during the transfer operation. Generally, this piston head 3 is shaped to cooperate with the bucket 2 to obtain, after transfer, the retention of the piston head 3 inside the bucket 2. This piston head 3 thus forms a sealed wall trapping the residual liquid not transferred inside the bucket 2. Conventionally, the pusher element 29 is generally in the form of a pneumatic or hydraulic cylinder. The rod of this cylinder is then capped with the piston head 3. This head 3 of the piston is in the form of a circular disc with a radial sealing scraper segment. This scraper disc 8 is extended by a circular skirt 9 intended to cover the pusher element 29, generally of the cylinder type, of the filling installation 28. Thus, the assembly and disassembly of the piston head from the pusher element 29 are easily carried out because the piston head 3 is mounted with a simple interlocking at the end of the pusher element 29.

[0042] The piston head 3 can be retained inside the bucket 2 by a large number of means. Thus, this retention can be achieved by elastic clamping of the wall of the bucket 2 around the piston head 3 by an internal peripheral bead of the bucket 2 which retains, during an axial movement of the pusher element towards the outside of the bucket or otherwise, the piston head 3 inside said bucket.

[0043] Maintaining the piston head 3 inside the cup 2 avoids the operator having to handle this piston head 3 in contact with the liquid to be transferred. Thus, the pusher element 29 is, when removed from the cup 2, free from any dirt and can be coated with a new piston head for a new transfer operation.

[0044] In the example shown, the piston head 3 is retained in the cup 2 in an end-of-transfer position close to the bottom of the cup 2 and in which it obstructs the injection orifice 7 of the cup 2. This position is more particularly visible in Figure 10. This position thus makes it possible to avoid any contamination of the filling installation when the operator is required to remove the cup 2 from the aerosol container. To allow this obturation of the injection orifice 7 of the cup 2 by the piston head 3, the piston head 3 has a projecting obturator 22 intended to seal the injection orifice 7 of the cup 2.

[0045] The transfer operation will not be described in further detail as it is well known to those skilled in the art and is described in particular in patent EP-1,943,146. Upon completion of the transfer operation, the cup 2, with the piston head 3 retained therein, can be used as an aerosol container cap in a manner also known.

[0046] The piston head 3 has at least one so-called waiting position in which the piston head 3 is arranged outside the cup 2. In this waiting position, the piston head 3 is removably coupled to the cup 2 and closes the injection orifice 7 of the bottom 5 of the cup. This position is visible in Figure 8. It is noted that the piston head 3 is centrally provided with a hollow stud 12 arranged projecting from the so-called internal face 13 of the piston head 3 which is turned towards the bottom 5 of the cup 2 in the waiting position of the piston head 3. This hollowed-out stud 12 is arranged opposite the injection orifice 7 of the cup 2. The crown 15, which surrounds the nozzle of the injection orifice 17 of the cup in the waiting position, is coupled in a nesting manner with the hollowed-out stud 12 which it surrounds in the waiting position.

[0047] In the state of the art, the operation of filling the cup with liquid to be transferred takes place after detaching this piston head 3 from the cup to position it on the pusher element and positioning the cup 2 on the aerosol container.

[0048] The cup 2 of the present invention, in the waiting position of the piston head 3, is pre-filled with a tinting base 26 which can indifferently form at least part or all of the filling liquid of the aerosol container 27. Indeed, this tinting base can be transferred in the state from the cup to the aerosol container. This tinting base 26 can also be tinted before its transfer. For this purpose, pigments, a diluent or the like can be added to this tinting base 26 to modify the shade of the tinting base 26.

[0049] Generally, the operation of modifying a base 26 to be tinted is carried out using a tinting machine 30 known per se of the type shown in Figure 3. The preparation of tinted paint compositions from a tinting base to which at least one active agent is added as a colorant, whether in the form of a pigment or otherwise, is well known to those skilled in the art, as illustrated for example by patents WO 20249225 and EP3592813.

[0050] The tinting base 26 can be a water-based acrylic paint or a solvent-based paint with a solvent other than water. The shade of this tinting base 26 can be a white shade.

[0051] The filling device 1, which is the subject of the invention, comprises a removable cover 10 for closing the filling opening 4 of the pre-filled cup 2. This cover 10 is necessary to allow the transfer operation described above to be carried out without the contents of the pre-filled cup 2 leaking through the injection orifice 7 of the cup 2. In particular, the presence of the cover 10 makes it possible to remove the piston head 3 from the cup 2 for positioning the piston head 3 on the pusher element 29 of the filling installation 28 without the contents of the cup escaping through the injection orifice 7 due to the presence of the cover. 10. This cap 10 is a non-single opening / closing cap. In particular, this cap 10 is a repositionable cap on the cup 2 to allow reclosure of the filling opening 4. The possibility of repositioning the cap 10 on the filling opening 4 of the cup 2 makes it possible to prefill the cup 2 with base 26 to be tinted in the factory. At the filling site of the aerosol container, generally separate from the factory, the cup 2 can be opened by removing the cap 10. The shade of the base 26 to be tinted can be modified if necessary by adding pigments, diluent or other, capable of modifying the shade of the base to be tinted. The cap 10 can then be repositioned on the cup 2 to close the cup 2 and allow stirring of the contents of the cup 2 in order to ensure mixing of the base to be tinted and the added elements. The piston head 3, in the waiting position on the bucket 2, is detached from the bucket 2 to be positioned on the pusher element 29.The cup 2 is positioned on the aerosol container 27. The cap 10 is then removed. The transfer operation can begin. In detail, the operations of detaching the piston head 3 from the cup 2 and removing the cap 10 are carried out as follows: the cup is positioned in the pre-filled state with the cap in the low position, i.e. upside down; the piston head is removed; a cup holder conventionally used in filling installations and visible in Figure 3 is positioned on the cup; this cup holder is an open-bottomed container which lines the cup on the outside in a manner known per se; the aerosol container is then coupled to the injection orifice of the cup; the cup / cup holder / aerosol container assembly is turned over; the cap is opened and the assembly is positioned in the filling installation.

[0052] To allow easy opening and closing of the cover 10, the cover 10 is clipped to the cup 2. To ensure the most airtight closure possible of the cup 2 with the cover 10, the cover 10 is provided on its periphery with a U-shaped groove 16. In the closed state of the opening 4 for filling the cup 2 by the cover 10, the U of said groove 16 covers the upper edge 62 of the peripheral wall 6 of the cup 2, this upper edge of the peripheral wall 6 of the cup 2 corresponding to the edge of the wall opposite the lower edge 63 connecting the wall 6 to the bottom 5 of the cup 2.

[0053] The upper edge 62 of the peripheral wall 6 of the bucket 2 is doubled, that is to say forms a double wall to form a gutter 17 open in the direction of the U.

[0054] The sides of the gutter 17 are inserted at least partially inside the U in the closed state of the opening 4 for filling the bucket 2 by the cover 10. This construction is visible in figure 4. This construction allows the creation of a peripheral baffle which reduces the risks of leakage. One of the so-called outer flanks of the gutter 17, that is to say the flank of the gutter 17 furthest from the filling opening 4, is provided, on its inner face facing the filling opening 4 of the cup 2, with point bulges 18 capable of cooperating with hollows 19 formed on a branch of the U of the cover 10 in the closed state of the filling opening 4 of the cup 2 by the cover 10. These bulges 18 ensure, by elastic deformation of the flank of the gutter, a snap-fastening coupling with the hollows 19 formed inside the U of the cover 10 on the branch of the U extending at least partially inside the cup in the closed position of the cover.

[0055] The cover 10 is provided with at least one, preferably at least two parallel peripheral sealing lips 21 configured to, in the closed state of the opening 4 for filling the cup 2 by the cover 10, come to bear on the internal face 61 of the peripheral wall of the cup 2. The two sealing lips 21 are provided on the cover 10 at the branch of the U of the cover inserted inside the cup 2. The seal is also reinforced at the piston head 3 when the latter is in the waiting position. For this purpose, the filling device 1 comprises an attached sealing gasket 11. This sealing gasket 11 is, in the waiting position of the piston head 3, interposed between the piston head 3 and the injection orifice 7 of the bottom 5 of the cup 2 at the level of the outlet 71 of the injection orifice 7 of the bottom 5 of the cup 2 outside the cup 2.This sealing gasket 11 is in bearing contact with said outlet 71, as can be seen in Figures 4, 7 and 8.

[0056] Ideally, the sealing gasket 11 is glued to the piston head 3. This sealing gasket 11, which can be formed by a disc-shaped seal, is arranged inside the hollowed-out stud 12 of the piston head 3. This hollowed-out stud 12 is arranged opposite the injection orifice 7 of the cup and is surrounded by the crown 15 of the bucket in the waiting position of the head 3 of the piston as illustrated in figure 4 or figure 8. Again, such an assembly limits the risks of leakage.

[0057] Finally, to facilitate the storage of the filling device 1 before its pre-filling, the cover 10 has two opposite faces with respectively male 24 and female 25 parts of complementary shape to allow, in the superimposed or juxtaposed state of the cover 10 with an identical cover 10, a nested stacking of said covers 10 with cooperation of the male 24 and female 25 parts, as illustrated in FIG. 5.

[0058] Likewise, to facilitate the transport and / or storage of the filling device 1, the cover 10 is provided, on its external face, with a central recess 23 to allow, in the stacked state of two identical or similar filling devices 1, the housing of the shutter 22 projecting from the piston head 3 in the waiting position of the filling device 1 located above and called upper in the recess of the cover 10 of the filling device 1 immediately below called lower, as illustrated in Figure 6. The filling devices 1 can thus be stacked.

[0059] In practice, the method of filling an aerosol container with a filling device 1, as described above, comprises at least, before the transfer operation, as described above, while the piston head 3 is in the waiting position, at least one step of detaching the piston head 3 from the cup 2 to allow positioning of the piston head 3 on the pusher element 29, followed by a step of opening the cover 10 after having coupled the injection orifice 7 of the bottom 5 of the cup to the valve of the aerosol container 27.

[0060] When the base 26 to be tinted requires a tinting step by adding an active agent 31 to the tinting of the base 26 to be tinted, the step of separating the piston head 3 from the cup to allow positioning of the piston head 3 on the pusher element 29 is preceded by a tinting step of the base 26 to be tinted, this step comprising at least one opening operation and one closing operation of the cover 10.

[0061] Thus, it is assumed that the bucket of the filling device 1 is in the configuration in which the piston head 3 is in the waiting position and that the cover is not yet positioned. The cup 2 is pre-filled with base 26 to be tinted. This operation can be carried out in the factory. The cover 10 is positioned over the filling opening 4 of the cup to tightly close the cup 2. The filling device 1 can then be transported to the point of sale where there is a filling installation 28 and ideally a tinting installation 30. The customer chooses a shade if the shade of the base to be tinted does not suit him as it is. Once the shade has been chosen by the customer, the cover 10 is removed and the cup, with its piston head 3 in the waiting position, is introduced into the tinting installation 30 to allow the distribution of color pigments into the cup pre-filled with the base 26 to be tinted. Alternatively, the addition of pigments can be carried out manually in the absence of a tinting installation 30.The cover 10 is repositioned on the cup 2 and a manual mixing operation or in a mixing machine can be carried out to homogenize the contents of the cup 2. The piston head 3 is then detached from the front 5 of the cup 2 and positioned at the end of the pusher element 29 of the filling installation 28, generally by simple interlocking. The cup 2 inserted in a cup holder is coupled by its injection orifice 7 to the aerosol container 27, in particular to the valve of said aerosol container. The cover 10 can be removed. The cup 2, the cup holder and the aerosol container are arranged in the filling installation 28 and the transfer operation, by introducing the piston head 3 into the cup 2 to generate a thrust on the contents of the cup 2 and the transfer of its contents to the aerosol container via the injection orifice 7, can be carried out in a conventional manner.It is noted that the process does not require any modification of the filling installation 28. This transfer operation is illustrated in Figure 9.

[0062] At the end of the transfer step, as illustrated in Figure 10, the piston head 3 is retained in the cup 2 which can then be used as a cap for the aerosol container. The filling installation 28 is ready to carry out a new transfer operation without any cleaning operation of the installation being necessary. Similarly, the hands of the operator, who has not had to carry out any transfer, are perfectly clean.

[0063]

Claims

Claims

1. Filling device (1) for filling an aerosol container (27) with a liquid comprising at least one tintable base, called the tintable base (26), using in particular a filling installation (28) equipped with a pusher element (29), this filling device (1) comprising a cup (2) intended to receive the filling liquid from the aerosol container (27), and a piston head (3) capable of acting by pushing on the filling liquid contained in the cup (2) to transfer it from the cup (2) to the aerosol container (27), the cup (2), which has a filling opening (4), being delimited by a bottom (5) and a peripheral wall (6), said cup (2) being provided at its bottom (5) with an injection orifice (7) adaptable to the aerosol container (27),said piston head (3) being at least in the form of a scraper disc (8) capable of being in contact with the internal face of the peripheral wall (6) of the cup (2) during the transfer operation, the piston head (3) having at least one so-called waiting position in which said piston head (3), coupled in a removable manner to the cup (2), is arranged outside the cup (2) and closes the injection orifice (7) of the bottom (5) of the cup (2), characterized in that the cup (2) is pre-filled with the base (26) to be tinted and in that the filling device comprises a removable cover (10) for closing the filling opening (4) of the pre-filled cup (2).,

2. Filling device (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the cover (10) is a cover which can be repositioned on said cup (2) to allow the filling opening (4) to be closed.

3. Filling device (1) according to one of claims 1 or 2, characterized in that it comprises an attached sealing gasket (11), said sealing gasket (11) being, in the waiting position of the piston head (3), interposed between the piston head (3) and the injection orifice (7) of the bottom (5) of the cup (2) at the outlet (71) of the injection orifice (7) of the bottom (5) of the cup (2) outside the cup (2).

4. Filling device (1) according to claim 3, characterized in that the sealing gasket (11) is glued to the piston head (3).

5. Filling device (1) according to one of claims 3 or 4, characterized in that the piston head (3) is centrally provided with a hollow stud (12) arranged projecting from the so-called internal face (13) of the piston head (3) which is turned towards the bottom (5) of the cup (2) in the waiting position of the piston head (3), in that this hollow stud (12) is arranged opposite the injection orifice (7) of the cup (2) and in that the sealing gasket (11) is arranged inside said stud (12).

6. Filling device (1) according to one of claims 3 to 5, characterized in that the injection orifice (7) of the bottom (5) of the cup (2) extends externally by a projection forming an injection nozzle positionable on the aerosol container (27), in that the end of the nozzle forms the outlet (71) of the injection orifice (7) outside the cup (2) and in that the sealing gasket (11) is in bearing contact with the outlet (71) of the injection orifice (7) in the waiting position of the piston head (3).

7. Filling device (1) according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the cover (10) is coupled by snap-fastening to the bucket (2).

8. Filling device (1) according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the cover (10) is provided on its periphery with a U-shaped groove (16), and in that, in the closed state of the opening (4) for filling the cup (2) by the cover (10), the U of said groove (16) covers the so-called upper edge (62) of the peripheral wall (6) of the cup (2) opposite the so-called lower edge (63) connecting said wall (6) to the bottom (5) of the cup (2).

9. Filling device (1) according to claim 8, characterized in that the upper edge (62) of the peripheral wall (6) of the cup (2) is doubled to form a gutter (17) open in the direction of the U and in that the sides of the gutter (17) are inserted at least partially inside the U in the closed state of the filling opening (4) of the cup (2) by the cover (10).

10. Filling device (1) according to claim 9, characterized in that one of the so-called external sides of the gutter (17) is provided, on its internal face facing the opening (4) for filling the cup (2), with point bulges (18) capable of cooperating with hollows (19) arranged on a branch of the U of the hood (10) in the closed state of the opening (4) for filling the bucket (2) by the hood (10).

11. Filling device (1) according to one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that the cover (10) is provided with at least one, preferably at least two parallel internal peripheral sealing lips configured to, in the closed state of the opening (4) for filling the cup (2) by the cover (10), come to bear on the peripheral wall (6) of the cup (2).

12. Filling device (1) according to one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that the piston head (3) has, in the center of one of its faces forming the so-called external face (14) of the piston head (3) in the waiting position of said head (3), a projecting shutter (22) intended to seal the injection orifice (7) of the cup (2) in a configuration in which the piston head (3) is retained in the cup (2) in an end-of-transfer position close to the bottom (5) of the cup (2), and in that the cover (10) is provided with a central recess (23) to allow, in the stacked state of two identical or similar filling devices (1), the housing of the projecting shutter (22) of the piston head (3) in the waiting position of the filling device (1) located above and called upper in the recess of the cover (10) of the filling device (1) immediately below said lower.

13. Filling device (1) according to one of claims 1 to 12, characterized in that the cap (10) has two opposite faces with male (24) and female (25) parts of complementary shape to allow, in the superimposed or juxtaposed state of said cap (10) with an identical cap (10), a nested stacking of said caps (10).

14. Method for filling, with a filling device (1), an aerosol container (27) with a liquid comprising at least one tintable base called the tintable base (26), in particular using a filling installation (28) equipped with a pusher element (29), the filling device (1) comprising a cup (2) intended to receive the filling liquid of the aerosol container (27), and a piston head (3) capable of acting by pushing on the filling liquid contained in the cup (2) to transfer it from the cup (2) to the aerosol container (27), the cup (2), which has a filling opening (4), being delimited by a bottom (5) and a peripheral wall (6), said cup (2) being provided at its bottom (5) with an injection orifice (7) adaptable to the aerosol container (27), said piston head (3) being in the form of a scraper disc (8) capable of being in contact with the internal face of the peripheral wall (6) of the cup (2) during the transfer operation, the piston head (3) having at least one so-called waiting position in which said piston head (3), removably coupled to the cup (2), is arranged outside the cup (2) and closes the injection orifice (7) of the bottom (5) of the cup (2), characterized in that the filling device (1) is in accordance with one of claims 1 to 13, and in that the method comprises, before the transfer operation, in the waiting position of the piston head (3),at least one step of detaching the piston head (3) from the bucket (2) to allow positioning of the piston head (3) on the pusher element (29) followed by a step of opening the cover (10).,

15. Filling method according to claim 14, characterized in that the step of detaching the piston head (3) from the cup to allow positioning of the piston head (3) on the pusher element (29) is preceded by a step of tinting the base (26) to be tinted, this step comprising at least one opening operation and one closing operation of said cover (10).

16. Assembly for implementing a method of filling an aerosol container (27) with a liquid comprising at least one base (26) which can be tinted, called the base to be tinted, said assembly comprising a filling installation (28) equipped with a pusher element (29), a filling device (1) and, if necessary, a tinting installation (30) capable of allowing the tinting of the base (26) to be tinted, characterized in that the device (1) for filling said assembly conforms to one of claims 1 to 13.

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