Fluid dispenser

• US 20040164101A1
• Filed: 02/18/2004
• Published: 08/26/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 02/20/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Valois SAS (AptarGroup Incorporated), Cochlear Limited
• Original Assignee: Valois SAS (AptarGroup Incorporated)
• Inventors: Garcia, Firmin, Cornet, Gerard
• Application Number:
  US10/779,847
• Publication Number:
  US 20040164101A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 222/200
• CPC Class Codes: A45D 2200/207 Vibration, e.g. ultrasound
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 1/304 the controlling element being a lift valve
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 17/0646 Vibrating plates, i.e. plates being directly subjected to the vibrations, e.g. having a piezoelectric transducer attached thereto
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 17/0684 Wicks or the like

Abstract

A fluid dispenser comprising: a fluid reservoir (1); at least one dispensing orifice through which the fluid is dispensed; a fluid feed duct (12) leading from the reservoir (1) towards the dispensing orifice, said duct being provided with an inlet and with an outlet; a valve (31, 61) for selectively closing off the feed duct, said valve comprising a moving valve member (31) mounted to move between a passageway-closure position and a passageway-opening position, the moving valve member being mounted to be moved in translation along a valve axis, the moving valve member (31) coming into leaktight abutment against a fixed valve seat (61), formed at the outlet of the feed duct (12), when in the passageway-closure position, and remaining away from said seat when in the passageway-opening position; said fluid dispenser being characterized in that it further comprises an outlet channel (32) formed by a sleeve (33) connecting the outlet of the duct (12) to the dispensing orifice, said sleeve having an elastically deformable segment (34), said moving valve member being situated inside said channel, said elastically-deformable segment urging the moving valve member into the passageway-closure position.

Claims

1. / A fluid dispenser comprising:

a fluid reservoir (1);

at least one dispensing orifice through which the fluid is dispensed;

a fluid feed duct (12) leading from the reservoir (1) towards the dispensing orifice, said duct being provided with an inlet and with an outlet;

a valve (31, 61) for selectively closing off the feed duct, said valve comprising a moving valve member (31) mounted to move between a passageway-closure position and a passageway-opening position, the moving valve member being mounted to be moved in translation along a valve axis, the moving valve member (31) coming into leaktight abutment against a fixed valve seat (61), formed at the outlet of the feed duct (12), when in the passageway-closure position, and remaining away from said seat when in the passageway-opening position;

said fluid dispenser being characterized in that it further comprises an outlet channel (32) formed by a sleeve (33) connecting the outlet of the duct (12) to the dispensing orifice, said sleeve having an elastically deformable segment (34), said moving valve member being situated inside said channel, said elastically-deformable segment urging the moving valve member into the passageway-closure position.

2. / A dispenser according to claim 1, in which said sleeve has a connection end (341) mounted on the duct and a moving dispensing end (35) connected to the connection end through said deformable segment (34).

3. / A dispenser according to claim 1, further comprising actuating means (41, 42) for moving the moving valve member (31) into its passageway-closure position, said actuating means being electromagnetic means.

4. / A dispenser according to claim 1, in which the actuating means comprise a fixed element (41) and a moving element (42) pushed away from the fixed element when fed with current, said moving element being constrained to move with the outlet channel.

5. / A dispenser according to claim 4, in which the fixed element is constrained to move with the connection end and the moving element is constrained to move with the dispensing end.

6. / A dispenser according to claim 2, in which the moving valve member is constrained to move with the dispensing end.

7. / A dispenser according to claim 2, in which the moving dispensing end (35) forms means for receiving a piece of porous material (30) urged away from said at least one dispensing orifice by the elastically deformable segment (34).

8. / A dispenser according to claim 7, in which the sleeve is formed by a support piece (3) provided with an elastically deformable diaphragm (36) having an outer peripheral edge (361) that is held in fixed manner, said diaphragm (36) moving the moving member (31) and the piece of porous material (30) in translation axially.

9. / A dispenser according to claim 8, in which the support piece is made integrally as a single piece.

10. / A dispenser according to claim 2, in which the sleeve has a substantially rigid segment (37) disposed between the dispensing end and the elastically deformable segment.

11. / A dispenser according to claim 10, in which the moving valve member is constrained to move with the rigid segment.

12. / A dispenser according to claim 1, in which the moving valve member and the sleeve are made integrally as a single piece.

13. / A dispenser according to claim 1, further comprising a vibratory plate (2) that generates vibration in the fluid, said plate advantageously being vibrated by a piezoelectric element.

14. / A dispenser according to claim 13, in which said at least one dispensing orifice (22) is formed through the vibratory plate (2).