Liquid product dispensing container

Abstract

The invention relates to a dispensing device for dispensing a determined dose of liquid, the dispensing container comprising a container body with a first end having a dispenser for dispensing the determined dose of liquid and a second end having an actuator for moving the liquid toward the dispenser, wherein the container body comprises a first chamber for housing the liquid product, and a second chamber provided with the dispenser for dispensing said determined dose of liquid product, the dispensing device comprising a dispensing assembly located inside the container body with a rod, the rod having a first end connected to the actuator and a second end provided with a drive element.

Description

LIQUID DISPENSER CONTAINER FIELD OF INVENTION

[0001] The present invention relates to a dispensing container for the distribution of a liquid product. More particularly, the present invention relates to a dispensing container for the distribution of a measured dose of a liquid product. STATE OF THE ART

[0002] Beauty and hygiene products, as well as health products (such as dermatological products or dietary supplements), are used to improve the appearance of skin and human or animal health. Some products promote skin whitening, wrinkle reduction, and protection against UV rays. The packaging or containers for these products are often expensive, making it essential to dispense the correct amount of skincare or dietary supplement without waste. Furthermore, it is recommended to use measurable quantities of cosmetic products, as excessive or insufficient amounts can have a negative or negligible impact on the skin.

[0003] To solve the aforementioned problem, pump-type containers are used, which allow the user to dispense the product onto the area of ​​skin where it is intended to be applied. These conventional containers have a problem with excessive dispensing due to the rapid air pressure caused by pumping.

[0004] Document WO2021091023A1 discloses a container for liquid cosmetic products that releases air pressure applied to a piston in such a way that the cosmetic contents can always be dispensed in a constant quantity. The container further comprises a body into which is inserted a piston that moves up and down, a compression piece, and a nozzle, which are coupled to the upper and lower sides of the body, respectively. The compression piece is coupled by means of a coupling part fixed to the upper side of the body, and a buffer piece having an internal air hole formed within it to relieve the air pressure generated by the rapid compression of the compression piece is coupled between the body and the compression piece.In addition, the container discharges the contents in a constant quantity, because the buffer part which relieves the air pressure generated by the rapid compression of the compression part is coupled in such a way that the movement of the piston is controlled by the discharge of air at constant pressure through the internal air hole for as long a time as possible.

[0005] Document CN217199647U discloses a perfume bottle for one-handed use, comprising a lower cap and an upper cap, in which a pressure cap is disposed inside the cap, and the pressure cap slides up and down inside the cap via a piston. Furthermore, an inner bottle is connected to the pump head. The pump head is connected to a dripper, and the cap is movably connected to the lower cap and rotates on the lower cap.

[0006] However, prior art containers have a relatively complex structure and assembly process, which increases manufacturing costs and decreases productivity. Furthermore, none of the products disclosed in the prior art offer a solution to prevent leakage or product waste during dispensing from the container.

[0007] One problem addressed by the present invention is the need for dispensing containers capable of accurately and repeatedly dispensing controlled quantities of metered liquid product and preventing leakage or waste of said product within the container. SUBJECT OF THE INVENTION

[0008] The object of the present invention relates to a device for dispensing a determined dose of liquid, the dispensing device comprising a container body with a first end having a dispenser for dispensing said determined dose of liquid and a second end having an actuator for moving the liquid towards the dispenser, in which the container body comprises a first chamber for containing the liquid, and a second chamber provided with the dispenser for dispensing said determined dose of liquid, the dispensing device comprising a dispensing assembly located in the container body with a rod, the rod having a first end connected to the actuator and a second end provided with a drive element, in which the dispensing assembly is adapted to move the drive element from a first position to allow the transmission of the fluid between the first chamber and the second chamber,to a second position in the direction of the distributor to stop the transmission of fluid between the first chamber and the second chamber and to distribute the determined dose of liquid.

[0009] According to one embodiment of the invention, the inner wall of the second chamber is essentially cylindrical in shape and the drive element is designed, in its second position, to be fixed against said inner wall.

[0010] According to one embodiment of the invention, the actuator is adapted to be operated by the finger of a user of the dispensing device, in order to move the drive element from its first position to its second position.

[0011] According to one embodiment of the invention, the actuator is connected to a spring and the distribution assembly is moved from its first position to its second position against the resistance of said spring, the spring being adapted to push the distribution assembly from its second position to its first position.

[0012] According to one embodiment of the invention, the spring is in the form of a flexible wall, the first end of the rod being connected to said flexible wall.

[0013] According to one embodiment of the invention, the first chamber is provided with guiding means in the form of ribs adapted to guide the drive element towards the second chamber.

[0014] According to one embodiment of the invention, the inner wall of the second chamber is essentially cylindrical in shape and the drive element is designed, in its second position, to seal itself against said inner wall.

[0015] According to one embodiment of the invention, the actuator is adapted to be operated by the finger of a user of the dispensing device, in order to move the drive element from its first to its second position.

[0016] According to one embodiment of the invention, the actuator is connected to a spring and the distributor assembly is moved from its first to its second position against the resistance of said spring, the spring being adapted to push the distributor assembly from its second to its first position.

[0017] The purpose, object, and characteristics of the invention will become clearer upon reading the following description, made with reference to the figures in which:

[0018] shows a front view of a distribution device in a closed state according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0019] represents a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the distribution device in a rest position;

[0020] shows an enlarged portion of the longitudinal cross-sectional view of the;

[0021] represents a perspective view of the distribution device, without a closing cap;

[0022] shows an exploded view of the distribution device;

[0023] represents a front view of a connecting element comprising a flexible wall of the distribution device;

[0024] shows an exploded view of the connecting element of the;

[0025] represents a top view of a lower body of the connecting element of the;

[0026] shows a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the connecting element of the; and

[0027] represents a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the distribution device in a distribution position. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0028] In this description, the terms "includes", "comprise", "comprising", "including", "includes" and similar terms consistently mean that a set of objects is not limited to the objects specifically mentioned.

[0029] Lamontre shows a front view of a dispensing device 100 according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention. The dispensing device 100 of the present invention is suitable for dispensing liquid products used in cosmetics, medicine, pharmaceuticals, arts, painting, cooking, etc., that is, for any application requiring a relatively controlled flow rate of a liquid product. The cosmetic dispenser of the present invention is intended to dispense a measured dose of liquid product. The measured dose of liquid product can range from 0.01 ml to 1.0 ml, preferably from 0.5 ml to 1.0 ml. The product to be dispensed can be any fluid product. It can be completely liquid or semi-liquid. A wide range of materials and viscosities can be used.

[0030] Lamontre provides a dispensing device 100 with an elongated container body 20 adapted to be filled with a liquid product (not shown), an actuator 60 coupled to an upper end of the container body 20, and a stopper 50 coupled to a lower end of the container body 20. As shown in the figure, the container body 20 comprises two chambers: a first chamber 22 for holding the liquid product and a second chamber 123 for precisely dispensing a measured dose. The volume of said dose can range from 0.01 ml to 1 ml, preferably from 0.5 ml to 1 ml of liquid product. The second chamber 123 is a dosing chamber. According to one aspect of the invention, the container body 20 has a cylindrical wall made of a transparent material. Said transparent material includes glass. In other embodiments, the container body 20 can be made of another rigid material such as metal, ceramic, or plastic.

[0031] Furthermore, the second chamber 123 has a smaller diameter than the first chamber 22. The liquid product is present in both chambers 22 and 123. In the first position, as shown in the figure, the two chambers 22 and 123 are in fluid communication. This means that the liquid product can flow from the first chamber 22 to the second chamber 123 assisted by gravity. According to the embodiment in the figure, the first chamber 22 and the second chamber 123 are both essentially cylindrical, with the second chamber 123 having a smaller diameter than the first chamber 22. Any other shape, rectangular or otherwise, can be used to achieve the same advantages.

[0032] As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the second chamber 123 has an upper part 23a and a lower part 23b. The upper part 23a of the second chamber 123 forms a neck to receive the plug 50 removably. For this reason, the upper part 23a is provided with a thread 30. The plug 50 has an internal thread 54 to cooperate with the thread 30 on the neck of the upper part 23a of the second chamber 123, so that the plug 50 is removably coupled to the neck.

[0033] The upper part 23a of the second chamber 22 is fully coupled to the lower end of the first chamber 22. The lower part 23b of the second chamber 123 includes a distributor 40 for dispensing the liquid product. In the embodiment shown in the figures, the distributor 40 is fully coupled to the lower end of the lower part 23b. In other embodiments, the distributor 40 can be coupled to the lower end of the lower part 23b by a threaded engagement, a snap-fit, or any other known method.

[0034] Furthermore, the dispenser 40 includes a cylindrical channel 42 and a nozzle 43 for discharging the product. According to one aspect of the invention, the second chamber 123 and the dispenser 40 together form a funnel-shaped structure suitable for the controlled distribution of the liquid product in droplet form. In the example illustrated in Figure 1, the dispenser 40 is intended for the drop-by-drop distribution of the liquid product through the nozzle 43. Alternatively, the dispenser 40 can be replaced by another type of dispenser, for example, a dispenser for spraying, applying, or spreading, for example by rolling a ball, or any other liquid product dispenser.

[0035] As shown in the figure, the inside of the cap 50 accommodates a sealing piece 52 projecting inwards towards the cap, designed to close the opening 43 of the dispenser 40. In the example shown in the figure, the cap 50 has a cylindrical wall 51 connected to a lower wall 51a carrying a sealing piece 52 projecting inwards. When the cap 50 is screwed onto the neck portion 23a, the sealing piece 52 of the cap 50 is inserted into the opening 43, which prevents the liquid product from escaping through the opening 43 when the dispensing device 100 is not in use.

[0036] As indicated in 1a and 1a, a drive assembly is positioned inside the body of the container 20, and comprises a rod 70 with a first end 71 for connecting said rod 70 with the actuator 60. The rod 70 has a second end 72 provided with a drive element 73. The rod 70 and the drive element 73 are oriented along a longitudinal axis X of the container body 20. In addition, the rod 70 passes through the first chamber 22 and extends towards the second chamber 123.

[0037] The drive element 73, fixed to the lower end 72 of the rod 70, is adapted to allow the dispensing of the liquid product in doses. The drive element 73 is spherical in shape. However, the drive element 73 can have a shape chosen from square, polygonal, and similar shapes.

[0038] As indicated in 1a and 1a, the body of the container 20 has ribs 80 which project from an inner surface, such that a part of the length of each rib 80 extends from an inner surface of a lower portion of the first chamber 22 and another part from an inner surface of the upper part 23a of the second chamber 123. The ribs 80 surround the drive element 73 in such a way that said ribs 80 guide said drive element 73 during the back-and-forth movements towards the distributor 40.

[0039] As shown in the figure, the actuator 60 is connected to a connecting element 62. The assembly consisting of the connecting element 62 and the actuator 60 forms the upper end of the first chamber 22. The connecting element 62 is connected to the upper end of said first chamber 22 by snapping.

[0040] Referring to figures 6, 7, 8 and 9, the connecting element 62 is an integrated one-piece structure adapted to form the upper end of the container body 20.

[0041] The connecting element 62 comprises a lower portion including a set of grooves 63a and projections 63b on its outer surface. This set of grooves 63a and projections 63b is adapted to cooperate with projections and grooves present on the inner surface of the wall, near the upper rim 28 of the container body 20.

[0042] Furthermore, the connecting element 62 includes on its upper side three flexible arms 90. An upper end of each of the flexible arms 90 is integrally connected to an upper end of a hollow rod 65 and a lower end of each of the flexible arms 90 is connected to an inner surface of the connecting element 62.

[0043] The hollow rod 65 is closed at its upper end and open at its lower end. The hollow rod 65 is further provided with a groove 65a shown in the figure to cooperate with the upper end 71 of the rod 70.

[0044] According to one embodiment, the connecting element 62 comprises polypropylene. According to another embodiment, the connecting element 62 can be obtained from materials suitable for injection molding, including thermoplastic elastomers, thermoplastic polyester elastomer such as HYTREL®, nitrile rubber, silicone rubber, ethylene-propylene tetrapolymer rubber (EPDM), styrene-ethylene-butylene-styrene (SEBS), styrene-isoprene-styrene (SIS) and other similar materials, so that the material used for the actuator 60 is relatively flexible compared to the material used for the connecting element 62.

[0045] The arms 90 are of a relatively thin thickness, which means that the arms 90 have some flexibility allowing them to follow the movement imposed on the hollow rod 65 as soon as a user exerts some pressure on the actuator 60.

[0046] The actuator 60 is integrally connected at its lower end to the inner surface of the cylindrical wall of the connecting element 62. The upper end of the hollow rod 65 and an upper surface of each of the flexible arms 90 are integrally connected to an inner surface of the actuator 60. The connection between the actuator 60, the cylindrical wall of the connecting element 62 and the hollow rod 65 is achieved by single or double injection or by chemical bonding by overmolding.

[0047] The function of the actuator 60 is to move the rod 70 and the drive element 73 from a first position, as shown in the diagram, to a second position towards the distributor 40, as shown in the diagram. With this movement towards the second position, the drive element 73 is used to increase the pressure of the liquid product in the second chamber 123 in order to distribute the liquid product from the opening 43 of the distributor 40.

[0048] To enable the said movement of the rod 70 and the drive element 73, the actuator 60 is composed of a relatively flexible material enabling it to move, under deformation, from its initial position at rest, as seen in the, to a second deformed position, as seen in the.

[0049] The operation of the device 100 according to the invention is as follows: when a user wishes to dispense liquid product, he first removes the cap 50 from the device 100.

[0050] Next, the user presses a finger on the actuator 60, which deforms under pressure. At the same time, the flexible arms 90 are compressed, and the hollow rod 65, along with the assembly formed by the rod 70 and the drive element 73, moves from its first position, a rest position, to its second position, a dispensing position. The rod 70 and the drive element 73 move toward the distributor 40. First, the drive element 73 enters the second chamber 123, thus closing the fluid connection between the two chambers 22 and 123. The drive element 73 continues its movement to increase the pressure of the fluid in the second chamber 123. This pressure increase allows the fluid to be dispensed through the opening 43 of the distributor 40.

[0051] The movement of the drive element is stopped as soon as the drive element 73 comes into contact with the lower part wall 23b of the second chamber 123.

[0052] Thanks to the dimensions of the second chamber and the operation described above, the 100 device is suitable for distributing a dose with a fixed volume.

[0053] After a dose of liquid product is dispensed, the user removes their finger, and the entire rod 70 and drive element 73 can return to its initial rest position. This return movement is possible thanks to the energy stored in the elastically deformable elements, such as the actuator 60 and the arms 90.

[0054] Once the drive element 73 has exited the second chamber 123, the first chamber 22 and the second chamber 123 are again in fluid communication with each other and thanks to gravity a defined quantity of fluid product can enter the second chamber 123.

[0055] It should be noted that in the example shown in Figures 1 to 10, the actuator 60 is made of a flexible material and is used to allow the assembly formed by the rod 70 and the drive element 73 to return to its initial position. In an embodiment not shown in the figures, the actuator 60 may be made of a rigid material, which cooperates with a conventional spring. This spring is adapted to deform elastically as soon as a user actuates the actuator in order to store energy in said spring.

Claims

Dispensing device (100) for a determined dose of liquid, the dispensing device (100) comprising a container body (20) with a first end having a dispenser (40) for dispensing said determined dose of liquid and a second end with an actuator (60) for moving the liquid towards the dispenser (40), in which the container body (20) comprises a first chamber (22) for containing the liquid, and a second chamber (123) provided with the dispenser (40) for dispensing said determined dose of liquid, the dispensing device (100) comprising a dispensing assembly located in the container body (20) with a rod (70), the rod having a first end (71) connected to the actuator (60) and a second end (72) provided with a drive element (73),the distribution device (100) being characterized in that the distribution assembly is adapted to move the drive element (73) from a first position in the first chamber (22) to allow the transmission of fluid between the first chamber (22) and the second chamber (123), to a second position in the second chamber (123) in the direction of the distributor (40) to stop the transmission of fluid between the first chamber (22) and the second chamber (123) and to distribute the determined dose of liquid. Distribution device (100) according to claim 1, wherein the inner wall of the second chamber (123) is essentially cylindrical in shape and wherein the drive element (73) is designed, in its second position, to be fixed against said inner wall. Dispensing device (100) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the actuator (60) is adapted to be actuated by the finger of a user of the dispensing device (100), in order to move the drive element (73) from its first position to its second position. Distribution device (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the actuator (60) is connected to a spring, and wherein the distribution assembly is moved from its first position to its second position against the resistance of said spring, the spring being adapted to push the distribution assembly from its second position to its first position. Distribution device (100) according to claim 4, in which the spring is in the form of a flexible wall, the first end of the rod (71) being connected to said flexible wall. Distribution device (100) according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the first chamber (22) is provided with guiding means in the form of ribs (80) adapted to guide the drive element (73) towards the second chamber (123). Distribution device (100) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the inner wall of the second chamber (123) is essentially cylindrical in shape and wherein the drive element (73) is designed, in its second position, to seal itself against said inner wall.

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