Device for dispensing a fluid product

Abstract

The invention relates to a device for dispensing a fluid product, the device comprising a valve body (110) containing a valve chamber (120) with a valve member (130) that slides within the valve body (120) between a rest position and a dispensing position, the device comprising a deformable element (160) for urging the valve member towards its rest position, the deformable element (160) comprising a hollow cylindrical tube (161) made of a deformable material, such as an elastomer, in particular a thermoplastic elastomer, the hollow tube (161) being arranged radially inside the valve body (110) and, in the rest position, being slightly deformed radially inward by a radially projecting profile (165), the hollow tube (161), during actuation, folding radially inward under the effect of an actuation force applied by the user.

Description

Fluid product dispensing device

[0001] The present invention relates to a fluid product dispensing device, comprising a valve.

[0002] Document EP0551782 describes a device comprising a valve comprising a valve body in which slides a valve stem which is biased towards its rest position by a spring.

[0003] Documents WO2009001005, WO2014195616, WO2018203013 and WO2021156580 describe other types of valves also comprising such a spring.

[0004] These valves have some drawbacks. For example, they have a metal spring, which is not advantageous from a recycling point of view.

[0005] Documents DE8029136 and US6296155 describe other devices of the state of the art.

[0006] The present invention aims to provide a fluid product dispensing device which does not reproduce the aforementioned drawbacks.

[0007] The present invention also aims to provide a fluid product dispensing device which improves recycling by eliminating metal springs.

[0008] The present invention also aims to provide a fluid product dispensing device which is simple and inexpensive to manufacture and assemble.

[0009] The present invention therefore relates to a fluid product dispensing device comprising a valve body containing a valve chamber with a valve sliding in said valve body between a rest position and a dispensing position, said device comprising a deformable element for urging said valve towards its rest position, said deformable element comprising a hollow cylindrical tube made of a deformable material, such as an elastomer, in particular a thermoplastic elastomer, said hollow tube being arranged radially inside said valve body, and being, in the rest position, slightly deformed radially inwards by a radially projecting profile, said hollow tube, upon actuation, folding radially inwards under the effect of an actuation force exerted by the user.

[0010] Advantageously, said radially projecting profile is a radially projecting external profile formed on said hollow tube and projecting radially outwards from said hollow tube to cooperate, in the rest position, with said valve body.

[0011] Advantageously, said radially projecting profile is a peripheral rib.

[0012] Alternatively, said radially projecting profile comprises a plurality of lugs arranged around the periphery of said hollow tube or said piston, over the same axial height.

[0013] Advantageously, said radially projecting profile is arranged axially approximately in the middle of said hollow tube or said piston.

[0014] Advantageously, said hollow tube bears on the one hand on a bottom wall of said valve body and on the other hand on a radial collar of said valve.

[0015] These and other features and advantages will become more clearly apparent from the following detailed description, given with reference to the accompanying drawings, given as non-limiting examples, and in which:

[0016] is a schematic cross-sectional view of a fluid product dispensing device comprising a valve according to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, in the rest position, and

[0017] laest a view similar to that of the, in distribution position.

[0018] In the description, the terms "axial" and "radial" refer to the longitudinal central axis of the valve.

[0019] Figures 1 and 2 show an embodiment of the invention, in which the device comprises a valve, in particular a metering valve, for dispensing a dose of fluid product with each actuation. In this example, the valve is a retention valve, but the present invention also applies to so-called non-priming valves, as described for example in document WO2014195616.

[0020] The retention metering valve shown in Figures 1 and 2 comprises a valve body 110. Inside said valve body 110, a valve 130 slides between a rest position, which is that shown in the, and a dispensing position, shown in the, in which the valve 130 is pressed inside the valve body 110.

[0021] This valve is intended to be assembled on a tank (not shown), preferably by means of a fixing element 105, which can be a crimped, screwed or snap-on cap, and advantageously with the interposition of a neck seal 106.

[0022] Advantageously, a ring 104 can be assembled around the valve body 110, in particular to reduce the dead volume in the inverted position and to limit the contact of the fluid product with the neck seal.

[0023] The valve 130 is biased towards its rest position by a deformable element 160.

[0024] According to the invention, the deformable element 160 comprises a hollow cylindrical tube 161 made of a deformable material, for example an elastomer, in particular a thermoplastic elastomer.

[0025] This hollow tube 161 is arranged radially inside the valve body 110 and cooperates on the one hand with a bottom wall of the valve body 110, and on the other hand with a radial collar 1320 of the valve. This radial collar 1320 slides in the valve body 110 when the valve 130 moves between its rest and distribution positions.

[0026] In the embodiment shown in Figures 1 and 2, the hollow tube 161 has on its outer radial surface a radially projecting outer profile 165 which projects radially outwards from said tube 161.

[0027] This radially projecting external profile 165 can advantageously be a peripheral rib, but as a variant it could be composed of a plurality of lugs arranged all around the periphery of the tube 161 over the same axial height thereof.

[0028] Advantageously, the radially projecting external profile 165 is arranged axially approximately in the middle of said tube 161, but other implementations are possible.

[0029] Thus, at rest, the tube 161 is arranged radially close to the valve body 110, radially inside the latter, and the presence of the radially projecting external profile 165 generates a small deformation radially towards the inside of said tube 161, as visible in the.

[0030] A metering chamber 120 is defined within the valve body 110, said valve 130 sliding within said metering chamber 120 to allow the contents thereof to be dispensed when the valve is actuated. The metering chamber 120 is preferably defined between two annular seals, a valve seal 121 and a chamber seal 122, in a well-known manner. This metering chamber 120 fills before or after each actuation with a dose of fluid product from the reservoir. The volume of the metering chamber 120 may be defined by means of a chamber insert 140, of substantially cylindrical shape.

[0031] The valve body 110 comprises one or more fluid passage openings 111, which may be holes or longitudinal slots. These openings allow the metering chamber 120 to be filled after each actuation, when in the inverted use position (with the valve arranged under the reservoir), the valve 130 returns from its dispensing position to its rest position.

[0032] The present invention has been described with reference to an advantageous embodiment, but it is understood that a person skilled in the art can make any modifications thereto, without departing from the scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims.

Claims

Fluid product dispensing device comprising a valve body (110) containing a valve chamber (120) with a valve (130) sliding in said valve body (120) between a rest position and a dispensing position, said device comprising a deformable element (160) for urging said valve (130) towards its rest position, characterized in that said deformable element (160) comprises a hollow cylindrical tube (161) made of a deformable material, such as an elastomer, in particular a thermoplastic elastomer, said hollow tube (161) being arranged radially inside said valve body (110), and being, in the rest position, slightly deformed radially inwards by a radially projecting profile (165), said hollow tube (161), upon actuation, folding radially inwards under the effect of an actuation force exerted by the user. Device according to claim 1, wherein said radially projecting profile (165) is a radially projecting external profile formed on said hollow tube (161) and projecting radially outwardly from said hollow tube (161) to cooperate, in the rest position, with said valve body (110). Device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein said radially projecting profile (165) is a peripheral rib. Device according to claim 1 or 2, in which said radially projecting profile (65) comprises a plurality of lugs arranged around the periphery of said hollow tube (161), over the same axial height. Device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said radially projecting profile (165) is arranged axially approximately in the middle of said hollow tube (161). Device according to any one of the preceding claims, in which said hollow tube (161) bears on the one hand on a bottom wall of said valve body (110) and on the other hand on a radial collar (1320) of said valve (130).* * *

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