Improved liquid-dispensing device with droplet non-return mechanism, air filter and improved multifunction silicon valve

Abstract

The present invention relates to a liquid-dispensing device comprising an improved multifunction silicone valve with pressure couplings between the elements. The device dispenses droplets with a non-return mechanism, secures and isolates the passage of air to be filtered such that it does not contaminate the liquid inside the dispensing device, reduces the number of pieces, facilitates correct assembly by counter pressure, without requiring threads or complex joining elements, and eliminates the need for rotational alignment when assembling the parts, among other advantages.

Description

[0001] IMPROVED LIQUID DISPENSING DEVICE WITH ANTI-RETURN DROP MECHANISM, AIR FILTER AND IMPROVED MULTIFUNCTION SILICONE VALVE

[0002] TECHNICAL FIELD

[0003] The present invention falls within the technical field of ophthalmic product dispensers, specifically a multi-dose drop dispenser device with an anti-drop return mechanism, an air filter for preservative-free use, and a multi-function silicone valve is disclosed, wherein the silicone valve comprises a side pressure fit without annular protrusions and without a channel along the valve support.

[0004] STATE OF THE ART

[0005] In the prior art, there are some technologies related to preservative-free multi-dose droppers with anti-return mechanisms and air purification systems. Examples of this type of technology include patent documents US9345616B2 and US9238532B2 from Nemera la Verpilliere SAS, and document US9833356B2 from Aptar Radolfzell GmbH, which involve spring-loaded or diaphragm valves. However, these technologies have the significant disadvantage that their manufacture involves assembling a large number of very complex parts, preventing their production using simple and rapid manufacturing technologies (for example, conventional blow-fill-seal technology). Furthermore, their nozzles are flattened and thick, hindering easy and precise application of the drop to the user.Another disadvantage of these devices is that the air purification filter itself is wide, thick, or has a large diameter relative to the diameter of the bottle opening. None of the prior art technologies allow for single-step assembly, nor do they specify a solution to the problem of assembling the parts without requiring rotational alignment to ensure the smooth flow of compensating air into the device. Additionally, prior art dispensing devices do not include a cap long enough to extend upwards and protect the air return hole in the upper housing.

[0006] Furthermore, through application PCT / PE2020 / 050003, a protection device has been claimed for a liquid dispenser with a drip-proof mechanism and air filter. This device incorporates simple and rapid manufacturing technologies, features an elongated spout, and allows assembly without rotational alignment, enabling the smooth flow of compensating air into the device. However, this design requires individual sealing rings manufactured using double-shot, multi-material plastic injection molding. This increases the number of parts manufactured using this technology, making the process more complex and increasing the risk of ring misalignment due to the pressure exerted.

[0007] Another patent application from the same applicant is PCT / PE2020 / 050008, which relates to a liquid dispenser with a drip-proof mechanism and air filter. However, this patent requires sealing via annular protrusions located on horizontal and vertical extensions of the diaphragm valve. Additionally, the flow circulation body includes annular recesses for fitting the annular protrusions; both of these design details increase the complexity of manufacturing the diaphragm valve and the flow circulation body.

[0008] DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] The present invention solves the aforementioned technical problems by proposing a liquid dispensing device which mainly comprises:

[0010] A flow circulation body (40) with at least one air compensation through-hole (41), a rod-shaped valve support (42) disposed on the upper surface of the flow circulation body; at least one upper through-hole (44) in the upper surface of the circulation body;

[0011] A silicone valve (30) with a top portion (31) covering the valve support, having a droplet-forming opening (36) at one end of the valve support; at the bottom of the silicone valve is disposed a horizontal extension portion (32) or a vertical extension portion (33) across and continuously; wherein an intermediate zone of the vertical extension portion (33) comprises at least a first annular recess, wherein inside the first annular recess there is at least one window (34) for airflow into the dispensing device, wherein the vertical extension portion (33) is coupled by a first snap-fit ​​coupling (36) to the flow circulation body (40);

[0012] An upper housing (20) covering the silicone valve and part of the flow circulation body, wherein the lower part of the upper housing has a second snap-fit ​​coupling (24) with the lower part of the flow circulation body, the upper housing comprising at least one side hole (21) arranged at the height of the at least one window (34) of the silicone valve.

[0013] As explained above, the present invention, compared to its predecessor, eliminates the need for annular protrusions on the silicone valve and also eliminates the need for annular recesses to fit these protrusions into the upper housing. The connection between the upper housing, the silicone valve, and the flow circulation body is achieved through a press fit, reducing the manufacturing complexity of the silicone valve, the flow circulation body, and the upper housing. This press fit is possible because the external diameter of the vertical extension of the silicone valve is larger than the internal diameter of the upper housing at the height and proximity of the first annular recess of the silicone valve; likewise, the external diameter of the intermediate portion of the flow circulation body is larger than the internal diameter of the vertical extension of the silicone valve.This design leverages the flexibility of the silicone valve to provide a proper pressure fit. This is highly relevant because there is no precedent for using a silicone valve not only to control the flow of ophthalmic solution but also to provide a pressure-fit connection. The flexibility of the silicone ensures a tight seal between the lower part of the diaphragm valve and the flow circulation body, and also creates a counter-pressure seal between the silicone valve and the upper cover, at the level of the air compensation channel that runs through the upper housing, the silicone diaphragm, and the flow circulation body.

[0014] Furthermore, the present invention dispenses with the channel or recess in the valve support bar, since in this improved version the fluid circulates in the free space left between the valve support bar and the silicone valve interior; this free space is created through a difference in diameter between the two elements.

[0015] The following describes some additional elements of the invention:

[0016] The silicone valve has a substantially cylindrical or conical upper portion that covers the surface of the valve support and a lower portion that extends over part of the outer surface of the flow circulation body. This silicone valve has multiple functions, such as allowing the regulated flow of liquid through its elongated section and liquid dispensing opening, ensuring proper sealing and isolation of the air intake area to be filtered by the system, and securing the flow circulation body to the upper housing.This elongated silicone valve has, in its lower area, a portion extending its diameter horizontally or horizontally and continuously a portion extending vertically; where the vertical extension portion comprises at least one window for airflow into the bottle, preferably only one window inside the first annular depression.

[0017] A second annular depression in an intermediate section of the flow circulation body is positioned at the height of at least one window in the silicone valve, creating a free annular space between the flow circulation body and the silicone valve. Similarly, since the silicone valve has a first annular depression along its vertical extension, another annular space is created between the other side of the silicone valve and the upper housing.

[0018] The flow circulation body includes at least one air compensation through-hole at the level of at least one silicone valve window. The air entering through this compensation through-hole is filtered and / or purified by a filter, which is preferably attached by pressure or snap to an internal area of ​​the flow circulation body. Once the air has been filtered and / or purified, it is suitable for contact with the liquid inside the dispenser. Air is channeled through this compensation through-hole to compensate for the outflow of the dispensed liquid when using this device.

[0019] The upper part of the flow circulation body has an annular depression to accumulate and receive the liquid to be transmitted along the rod-shaped valve support, between the space generated between the upper portion of the silicone valve and said rod-shaped valve support.

[0020] The silicone valve or valve body comprises a drop-forming opening located coincidentally with the tip of the valve support. When the bottle is squeezed, the pressure causes the liquid in the bottle to circulate between the valve support and the silicone valve; and, when the bottle is released, the space between the valve support and the silicone valve closes. In another preferred embodiment, this silicone valve has a tapering upper end, leaving a small open space for drop formation. This upper end is preferably concave with the center of the silicone valve.

[0021] Another element of the present invention is the upper housing or spout that covers the silicone valve and part of the flow circulation body, wherein the lower part of the upper housing has a snap-fit ​​coupling with the lower part of the flow circulation body, and the upper housing comprises at least one lateral hole arranged at the height of the at least one window of the silicone valve; and, another element is a cap with a central protrusion for displacing residual droplets and evaporating them through at least one evaporation window located on the upper or upper side of the cap, a snap-fit ​​or threaded attachment element could be arranged on the outer face of the upper housing for coupling with the neck of a dropper bottle.

[0022] The present invention integrates a set of relevant technical features into a single device, providing the following technical effects:

[0023] - It achieves a pressure fit between the silicone valve, the flow circulation body, and the upper housing, reducing the manufacturing complexity of the silicone valve, flow circulation body, and upper housing. Preferably, the pressure fit is achieved through the difference in diameter between these components. For example, because the outer diameter of the silicone valve's vertical extension is larger than the inner diameter of the upper housing at the height and proximity of the first annular recess between the silicone valve and the upper housing; similarly, the outer diameter of the middle portion of the flow circulation body is larger than the inner diameter of the silicone valve's vertical extension.

[0024] - It eliminates the need for a channel along the valve support rod, as the fluid flow is achieved through the space between the valve support rod and the upper inner surface of the silicone valve. Preferably, this space is created by a difference in diameters; that is, ideally, the diameter of the valve support rod is 0.1 to 1.5 mm smaller than the diameter of the corresponding areas of the silicone valve.

[0025] - It has a very small number of parts, compared to prior art that requires the assembly of several complex components to achieve the objective of providing a preservative-free, air-filtering multi-drop bottle dispenser with an anti-return droplet system.

[0026] - It does not require rotational alignment of the flow circulation body with the upper housing or the silicone valve to create a communication channel and free air entry to the system, nor does it require rotational alignment of the silicone valve with respect to the other elements, simply direct press assembly, one on top of the other, is sufficient.

[0027] The present invention has the same dimensions as a bottle for dispensing ophthalmic liquids with traditional Tip&Cap technology. Thus, the manufacturing dimensions meet the requirements for proper operation in blow / fill / seal machines with a standard Tip&Cap Insertion System, without any modification, allowing for mass production and reducing costs.

[0028] BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[0029] The following figures illustrate some embodiments of the present invention; these figures or their description are not intended to limit in any way the scope of protection defined by the claims.

[0030] Figure 1: An exploded view of the present invention is shown. Figure 2: A cross-sectional view of the present invention is shown.

[0031] The reference numbers displayed in the figures refer to the following elements:

[0032] 10: Cover

[0033] 11: Central protrusion of the lid

[0034] 12: Lid thread

[0035] 13: Evaporation window

[0036] 20: Top casing

[0037] 21: Side hole positioned at window height

[0038] 22: Attachment element with neck of dropper bottle

[0039] 23: Threaded intermediate surface

[0040] 24: Second press coupling

[0041] 30: Silicone valve

[0042] 31: Silicone valve top

[0043] 32: Horizontal or width extension

[0044] 33: Vertical extension

[0045] 34: Window

[0046] 35: First annular depression

[0047] 36: First press fit between silicone valve and flow circulation body

[0048] 37: Separation / free space

[0049] 38: Concave upper termination

[0050] 40: Flow circulation body

[0051] 41: Air compensation through hole

[0052] 42: Bar or elongated portion

[0053] 43: Second annular subsidence

[0054] 44: Top through hole

[0055] 46: Internal annular wall of the circulatory body

[0056] 50: Filter PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION OR DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0057] The present invention is for use with pharmaceutical liquids of various kinds, but in a preferred embodiment it has been developed with ophthalmic liquids in mind, which are conventionally dispensed in dispensers of the type known as Tip & Cap, these being mostly manufactured by a Blow / Fill / Seal system.

[0058] In a preferred embodiment, the solution according to the present invention can also be combined with known prior art solutions to design it with bacterial resistance, thus including bacteriostatic surfaces that inhibit bacterial growth to eliminate or prevent any impurities that may be introduced.

[0059] The silicone valve (30) could be made of polyethylene, a thermoplastic elastomer, polypropylene, or a synthetic polymer, such as silicone.

[0060] In a first embodiment, the air compensation through-hole (41) of the circulation body includes a filter (50) with hollow cylindrical walls, where this filter is suitable for insertion between internal cylindrical walls of the flow circulation body (46). In a second embodiment, the filter is a solid porous filter, without stops, and with a thickness of 2 to 3 mm through which the air must pass. In a third embodiment, the solid porous filter has an external stop. In a fourth embodiment, the portion of the filter that comes into contact with the liquid inside the dispensing device has a silicone protector or lining, approximately 0.05 mm thick. From the above, it is understood that the circulation body could comprise an internal annular wall suitable for housing one of the different types of filters proposed above.The present invention may comprise a silicone cap attached to the inner annular wall of the circulation body, which serves to protect the air filter (50) from contact with any component of the liquid formula inside the bottle that could alter the filter's structure or performance. Air flows through a narrow hole, acting as a non-return valve that allows air to pass through but prevents liquid from exiting. The non-return valve concept of the narrow hole is achieved due to the self-sealing properties of the silicone. The narrow hole is created by stretching the silicone lining, piercing it with a fine tool such as a needle, and then allowing it to return to its original shape.

[0061] The inner upper portion of the cap (10) comprises a central protrusion (11) designed to displace excess liquid and to make contact with the dispenser's droplet nozzle. An absorbent body may optionally be attached to this protrusion. This central protrusion has at least one evaporation space / hole that allows communication with the outside environment to evaporate any remaining liquid from the droplet after each use, even with the cap in place. Furthermore, this cap presses against the silicone valve spout, ensuring a watertight seal.

[0062] In another preferred embodiment, the outer diameter of the intermediate portion of the flow circulation body (40) is greater than the inner diameter of the vertical extension (33) of the silicone valve (30), generating a first pressure coupling (36) between the silicone valve and the flow circulation body.

[0063] In another preferred embodiment, the upper housing (20) includes a threaded intermediate surface (23).

[0064] In another preferred embodiment, the flow circulation body (40) is press-fitted to the vertical extension (33) of the silicone valve (30), because the outer diameter of the vertical extension (33) is larger than the inner diameter of the corresponding portion of the upper housing (20).

[0065] In another preferred embodiment, an intermediate portion of the flow circulation body comprises a second annular depression (43) at the height of at least one window (34) of the silicone valve.

[0066] In another preferred embodiment, the air compensation through-hole (41) of the circulation body includes a filter (50) which has walls shaped like a hollow cylinder and a stop, wherein this filter is suitable to be inserted between cylindrical walls inside the flow circulation body (46), between the walls of this filter a flat filter silicone is arranged perpendicular to the airflow.

[0067] In another preferred embodiment, the air compensation through-hole of the circulation body includes a solid porous filter with an external stop portion.

[0068] In another preferred embodiment, the inner upper part of the cap (10) comprises a central protrusion (11) into which a tip of the silicone valve (30) fits.

[0069] In another preferred embodiment, the top of the cap (10) includes at least one through hole in contact with the tip of the silicone valve.

[0070] In another preferred modality, the upper end of the silicone valve is concave with respect to the center of the silicone valve.

[0071] In another preferred embodiment, the bar-shaped valve support and silicone valve are arranged with a separation space (37) for fluid circulation.

[0072] In another preferred embodiment, the second press fit (24) between the lower part of the upper housing and the lower part of the flow circulation body is achieved by slightly enlarging the outer diameter of the lower part of the flow circulation body relative to the inner diameter of the lower part of the upper housing. This allows the upper housing to be press-fitted without the need for notches, protrusions, or pronounced grooves in the upper housing and the flow circulation body. This reduces the manufacturing complexity of the parts.

Claims

CLAIMS 1 A liquid dispensing device characterized by comprising: A flow circulation body (40) with at least one air compensation through-hole (41), a rod-shaped valve support (42) disposed on the upper surface of the flow circulation body; at least one upper through-hole (44) in the upper surface of the circulation body; A silicone valve (30) with a top portion (31) covering the valve support, having a droplet-forming opening (36) at one end of the valve support; at the bottom of the silicone valve is disposed a horizontal extension portion (32) or a vertical extension portion (33) across and continuously; wherein an intermediate zone of the vertical extension portion (33) comprises at least a first annular recess (35), wherein inside the first annular recess there is at least one window (34) for airflow into the dispensing device, wherein the vertical extension portion (33) is coupled by a first snap-fit ​​coupling (36) to the flow circulation body (40); An upper housing (20) covering the silicone valve and part of the flow circulation body, wherein the lower part of the upper housing has a second snap-fit ​​coupling (24) with the lower part of the flow circulation body, the upper housing comprising at least one side hole (21) arranged at the height of the at least one window (34) of the silicone valve. 2.- The liquid dispensing device, according to claim 1 characterized in that the outer diameter of the intermediate portion of the flow circulation body (40) is greater than the inner diameter of the vertical extension (33) of the silicone valve (30).

3. The liquid dispensing device according to claim 1, characterized in that the flow circulation body (40) is press-fitted to the vertical extension (33) of the silicone valve (30), because the The outer diameter of the vertical extension (33) is greater than the inner diameter of the corresponding portion of the upper housing (20). 4.- The liquid dispensing device, according to claim 1, characterized in that an intermediate portion of the flow circulation body comprises a second annular depression (43) at the height of at least one window (34) of the silicone valve.

5. The liquid dispensing device according to claim 1, characterized in that the air compensation through-hole (41) of the circulation body includes a filter (50) which has walls in the shape of a hollow cylinder and a stop, wherein this filter is suitable to be inserted between cylindrical walls inside the flow circulation body (46), between the walls of this filter a flat filter silicone is arranged perpendicular to the air flow.

6. The liquid dispensing device, according to claim 1, characterized in that the air compensation through hole (41) of the circulation body includes a solid porous filter with an external stop portion. 7.- The liquid dispensing device, according to claim 1, characterized in that the inner upper part of the lid (10) comprises a central protrusion (11) into which a tip of the silicone valve (30) fits.

8. The liquid dispensing device, according to claim 1, characterized in that the upper part of the lid (10) includes at least one through hole in contact with the tip of the silicone valve.

9. The liquid dispensing device, according to claim 1, characterized in that the upper end of the silicone valve is concave with respect to the center of the silicone valve.

10. The liquid dispensing device according to claim 1, characterized in that a separation space (37) is arranged between the bar-shaped valve support and the silicone valve for the circulation of liquid.

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