Fluid product dispenser

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10076762-B2
Application number	US-201515304314-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 14, 2015
Priority date	Apr 16, 2014
Publication date	Sep 18, 2018
Grant date	Sep 18, 2018

Abstract

A dispenser having a fluid reservoir (R) and a dispenser member (D) mounted on the reservoir (R), the reservoir (R) forming a cylinder (11) and including a piston (2; 2′) that slides in the cylinder (11) so as to decrease the working volume of the reservoir (R). The leaktight slide cylinder (11) contains a separator element (3a) that divides the reservoir into two compartments (Ri, Rs), namely a lower compartment (Ri) that is defined between the piston (2; 2′) and the separator element (3a), and an upper compartment (Rs) that is defined between the separator element (3a) and the dispenser member (D). The separator element (3a) includes at least one through hole (33) that puts the two compartments (Ri, Rs) into communication with each other, the separator element moving in the leaktight slide cylinder in response to the dispenser member being actuated by pressing on the pusher.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A fluid dispenser comprising a fluid reservoir (R) and a dispenser member (D) that is mounted on the reservoir (R), the dispenser member (D) including a pusher ( 5 ) for actuating the dispenser member, the reservoir (R) forming a leaktight slide cylinder ( 11 ) and including a piston ( 2 ; 2 ′) that slides in the cylinder ( 11 ) in response to the dispenser member (D) being actuated by pressing on the pusher ( 5 ), so as to decrease a working volume of the reservoir (R) and keep the working volume of the reservoir out of contact with the outside air;
wherein the leaktight slide cylinder ( 11 ) further contains a separator element ( 3 a ; 3 b ; 3 c ; 3 d ; 3 e ; 3 f ; 3 g ) that divides the reservoir into two compartments (Ri, Rs), namely a lower compartment (Ri) that is defined between the piston ( 2 ; 2 ′) and the separator element ( 3 a ; 3 b ; 3 c ; 3 d ; 3 e ; 3 f ; 3 g ), and an upper compartment (Rs) that is defined between the separator element ( 3 a ; 3 b ; 3 c ; 3 d ; 3 e ; 3 f ; 3 g ) and the dispenser member (D), each of the two compartments being filled entirely with a respective fluid, such that there is no air therein, the separator element ( 3 a ; 3 b ; 3 c ; 3 d ; 3 e ; 3 f ; 3 g ) including at least one through hole ( 33 ; 33 ′; 33 ″) that puts the two compartments (Ri, Rs) into communication with each other, the separator element ( 3 a ; 3 b ; 3 c ; 3 d ; 3 e ; 3 f ; 3 g ) moving in the leaktight slide cylinder ( 11 ) in response to the dispenser member (D) being actuated by pressing on the pusher ( 5 ) that results in the fluids from the reservoir being dispensed.

2. A dispenser according to claim 1 , wherein the separator element ( 3 a ; 3 b ; 3 c ; 3 d ; 3 e ; 3 f ; 3 g ) slides in leaktight manner in the slide cylinder ( 11 ).

3. A dispenser according to claim 1 , wherein the fluid of the lower compartment (Ri, Rs) is different from the fluid in the upper compartment.

4. A dispenser according to claim 3 , wherein the fluid of the lower compartment (Ri) presents viscosity that is lower than the viscosity of the fluid of the upper compartment (Rs).

5. A dispenser according to claim 1 , wherein the separator element ( 3 a ; 3 g ) moves simultaneously with the piston ( 2 ; 2 ′).

6. A dispenser according to claim 1 , wherein the separator element ( 3 d ) includes a filter ( 33 ″).

7. A dispenser according to claim 1 , wherein the lower compartment (Ri) contains microcapsules that are broken on passing through the at least one through hole ( 33 ).

8. A dispenser according to claim 1 , wherein the lower compartment (Ri) contains at least one capsule (C) containing a substance, and the separator element ( 3 e ) and/or the piston ( 2 ′) includes perforator means ( 34 ; 24 ) that are suitable for perforating the capsule (C) so as to diffuse the substance in the reservoir.

9. A dispenser according to claim 1 , including a plurality of separator elements that are superposed in the cylinder ( 11 ) in such a manner as to divide the reservoir into three or more compartments.

10. A dispenser according to claim 1 , wherein the separator element ( 3 a ; 3 b ; 3 c ; 3 d ; 3 e ; 3 f ; 3 g ) is in the form of a disk with at least one leaktight-sliding lip ( 31 ) on an outer periphery of the disk.

11. A dispenser according to claim 1 , wherein the separator element ( 39 ) includes a portion that is conical ( 32 ′) and/or cylindrical ( 32 ″).

12. A dispenser according to claim 1 , wherein the piston ( 2 ; 2 ′) is a follower piston that moves when the reservoir (R) is subjected to suction, or a pusher piston that is resiliently biased by a spring or by a propellant gas.

13. The dispenser according to claim 1 , wherein the dispenser member is a pump.

14. The dispenser according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one through hole of the separator element puts the two compartments into direct fluid communication with each other.

15. The dispenser according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one through hole of the separator element puts the two compartments into fluid communication with each other within the upper compartment.

16. The dispenser according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one through hole of the separator element puts the two compartments into fluid communication with each other upstream of the dispenser member, such that the fluid from the lower compartment that passes through the at least one through hole mixes with the fluid in the upper compartment and within the upper compartment prior to entering the dispenser member.

17. The dispenser according to claim 1 , configured to allow the fluid of the lower compartment to enter the upper compartment through the at least one through hole.

18. The dispenser according to claim 1 , wherein the fluid from the lower compartment that passes through the at least one through hole of the separator element mixes with the fluid form the upper compartment within the upper compartment.

19. The dispenser according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one through hole is directly formed in the separator element.

Assignees

• Aptar France Sas

Inventors

• Muller Patrick

Classifications

• B05B11/1081 Primary

  Arrangements for pumping several liquids or other fluent materials from several containers, e.g. for mixing them at the moment of pumping · CPC title

• B05B11/028 Primary

  Pistons separating the content remaining in the container from the atmospheric air to compensate underpressure inside the container · CPC title

• B05B11/1042

  Components or details · CPC title

• B05B11/0048

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic

• B01F15/0087

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic