DISPENSING DEVICE FOR FLUID PRODUCTS

• US 20190321840A1
• Filed: 09/28/2017
• Published: 10/24/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aptar Itaia S.p.A.
• Original Assignee: Aptar Italia Spa (AptarGroup Incorporated)
• Inventors: LAMBERTO, Carta
• Granted Patent: US 10,946,400 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 11/0044 compensating underpressure by ingress of atmospheric air into the container, i.e. with venting means venting means for deformable containers B05B11/047
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 11/0062 Outlet valves actuated by the pressure of the fluid to be sprayed fluid-actuated pump outlet valve arrangements B05B11/1016, B05B11/1022, B05B11/1033, B05B11/1036, B05B11/104, B05B11/1064, B05B11/1097
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 11/007 being opened by deformation of a sealing element made of resiliently deformable material, e.g. flaps, skirts, duck-bill valves
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 11/0072 A valve member forming part of an outlet opening
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 11/1047 the pump being preassembled as an independent unit before being mounted on the container
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 11/106 in a retracted position, e.g. in an end-of-dispensing-stroke position
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 11/028 the dosing device being provided with a dip tube and fitted to a container, e.g. to a bottleneck
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 11/32 for liquid or semiliquid
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 19/00 Calibrated capacity measures for fluids or fluent solid material, e.g. measuring cups

Abstract

A dispensing device for fluid products includes a draw-up pipe, a main body and a dispensing head. The main body includes a pumping system, connected to the draw-up pipe and a fastening ring nut, for fixing the dispensing device to a container for fluid products. The fastening ring nut and the pumping system are mutually coupled for forming between them an air compensation duct which allows the selective passage of air from the outside towards the inside of the container during the operation of the dispensing device. The dispensing head in turn includes a cup, which has in a relative lower portion a passage, and a valve, housed in the lower portion of the cup, configured to adopt a first configuration, or open configuration, wherein the passage is put in fluid communication with the pumping system and a second configuration, or closed configuration, wherein the passage is occluded.

Claims

1. A dispensing device (1) for fluid products comprising:

a draw-up pipe (2) which defines a main direction of extension of the dispensing device;

a main body (3) comprising a pumping system (5) connected to the draw-up pipe (2) and a fastening ring nut (6) configured for fixing the dispensing device (1) to a container for fluid products;

a dispensing head (4) connected to the main body;

wherein the dispensing head (4) comprises;

a cup (8) defining an inner chamber for receiving a measured quantity of a fluid product and having a gap (L) for the passage in a relative lower portion;

a valve (9) housed in the lower portion of the cup (8) and configured to adopt a first configuration, or open configuration, wherein the gap (L) for the passage of the lower portion of the cup (8) is put in fluid communication with the pumping system (5) of the main body of the dispensing device and a second configuration, or closed configuration, wherein the gap (L) for passage is occluded.

2. The dispensing device according to claim 1, wherein the valve (9) comprises:

an annular connecting element (10) positioned around the main direction of extension for securely fixing the valve (9) to the lower portion of the cup (8);

a partition (11) axially mobile along the sliding direction of the fluid from the main body (3) to the dispensing head (4), configured so that the valve (9) can take up the open configuration and closed configuration;

a plurality of braces (12) which connect the annular element (10) with the partition (11) and defining elastic elements for actuating the axial movement of the partition (11).

3. The dispensing device according to claim 1, wherein the partition (11) is positioned at a height different to the annular element (10) along the main direction of extension of the dispensing device (1) and wherein the braces (12) extend at least partly along the main direction of extension.

4. The dispensing device according to claim 3, wherein each brace of the braces (12) comprises an arched portion (12a)) which extends from the annular element (10) and is parallel to the annular element (10) and a rectilinear portion (12b) connecting between the arched portion (12a) and the partition (11).

5. The dispensing device according to claim 3, wherein the partition (11) is disc-shaped and is positioned coaxial with the annular element (10).

6. The dispensing device according to claim 2, wherein the braces (12) are uniformly distributed around the main direction of extension of the dispensing device (1).

7. The dispensing device according to claim 2, wherein the cup (8) has an annular lip (13) inside the gap (L) for passage “

L”

designed to support and seal the partition (11), in the closed configuration.

8. The dispensing device according to claim 1, wherein the cup (8) and the valve (9) are made in a single piece.

9. The dispensing device according to claim 1, wherein the dispensing head (4) and the main body (3) are made of two different structures comprising respective reversible connecting means and shaped in such a way as to facilitate coupling.

10. The dispensing device according to claim 1, wherein the valve (9) is configured to adopt the open configuration when the cup (8) is connected to the main body (3) of the dispensing device (1) and the dispensing device (1) is actuated to adopt the closed configuration when the cup (8) is separated from the main body (3) of the dispensing device (1) or when the dispensing device is at rest.

11. The dispensing device according to claim 1, comprising a lid (8a) configured to close and cover at least partly the cup (8), wherein the lid (8a) has ribs (14) resting on an inner wall of the cup (8) and designed to absorb a deforming force, the ribs (14) being positioned substantially along the main direction of extension of the dispensing device (1).

12. The dispensing device according to claim 11, wherein the ribs (14) are designed to rest on respective ribs (15) made on an inner surface of the cup (8) making rotationally integral the lid (8a) with the cup (8) in such a way that a twisting movement applied to one between the lid (8a) and the cup (8) is transmitted unchanged to the other element.

13. The dispensing device according to claim 1, wherein the lower portion of the cup (8) has an S-shaped profile configured to make a cup-shaped spring designed to absorb a deforming force exerted on the dispensing device.

14. The dispensing device according to claim 1, comprising a lid (8a) configured to close and cover at least partly the cup (8), wherein the lid (8a) has an annular groove (8b) designed to receive an upper portion of the cup (8), in a reversible manner.

15. A dispensing device (1) for fluid products comprising:

a draw-up pipe (2) which defines a main direction of extension of the dispensing device;

a main body (3) comprising a pumping system (5) connected to the draw-up pipe (2) and a fastening ring nut (6) configured for fixing the dispensing device (1) to a container for fluid products, wherein the fastening ring nut (6) has a central opening in which is housed the pumping system (5);

a dispensing head (4) connected to the main body;

wherein the fastening ring nut (6) and the pumping system (5) are mutually coupled for forming between them an air compensation duct (7) for the selective passage of air from the outside towards the inside of the container.

16. The dispensing device according to claim 15, wherein the pumping system (5) comprises:

a pumping device (5b) and an outer body (5a) housed inside the pumping device (5b), the outer body (5a) being of substantially tubular shape which can be coupled with the fastening ring nut (6) by axially inserting inside a central opening of the fastening ring nut (6).

17. The dispensing device according to claim 15, wherein the fastening ring nut (6) comprises:

a first hollow cylindrical portion (61) parallel to the sliding direction of the fluid from the main body (3) to the dispensing head (4) and equipped inside with a threaded profile designed to engage with a respective threaded profile of a cylindrical end of a container for fluid products;

a second disc-shaped portion (62) positioned transversally to the sliding direction of the fluid and inside the first portion (61) at a height such as to divide the first portion into a lower zone, having the thread, and an upper zone (65);

a vertical step (63) extending from the second portion (62) towards the dispensing head parallel to the direction of sliding of the fluid in a position radially inside the upper zone (65);

a elastic tab (64) extending from an edge radially inside the second portion (62) parallel to the direction of sliding of the fluid towards the draw-up pipe.

18. The dispensing device according to claim 17, wherein the central body (5a) has a step (5c) configured for making contact with the edge radially inside the second portion (62) of the fastening ring nut (6), defining a maximum depth for inserting the pumping system (5) inside the fastening ring nut (6).

19. The dispensing device according to claim 17, wherein the upper zone (65) and the vertical step (63) define the edges of a blind seat designed to receive a portion of the dispensing head.

20. The dispensing device according to claim 17, wherein the tab (64) is configured for making contact with a step (5d) of the outer body (5a) in such a way as to prevent the withdrawal of the pumping system (5) from the fixing ring nut (6).

21. The dispensing device according to claim 20, wherein the tab (64) is configured for adopting a first configuration or rest configuration wherein the outer body (5a) rests on the tab (64) with the step (5c) in a raised position relative to the edge radially inside the second portion (62) of the fastening ring nut (6) and a second configuration or elastically deformed configuration wherein the tab (64) is elastically deformed by the action of the outer body (5a) when the latter is in the lowered position with the step (5c) in contact with the edge radially inside the second portion (62) of the fastening ring nut (6).

22. The dispensing device according to claim 21, wherein the tab (64) is configured for adopting a rest configuration when the dispensing device (1) is not being used and the dispensing head (4) is disconnected from the ring nut (6) and a an elastically deformed configuration when the dispensing head (4) is locked in low end of stroke position by the action of the locking mechanism.

23. The dispensing device according to claim 21, wherein the outer surface of the outer body (5a) has discontinuity (5e) for allowing the selective passage of air from the outside towards the inside of the container.

24. The dispensing device according to claim 18, wherein the pumping system (5) is axially movable along the direction of sliding of the fluid, the movement being limited between two stop ends, a first stop end being defined by the step (5c) configured for making contact with an outer portion of the portion of the fastening ring nut (6) delimiting the relative opening central, and a second stop end being defined by the elastic tab (64).

25. The dispensing device according to claim 17, wherein the air compensation duct (7) has at least a first stretch passing between the outer body (5a) and the vertical step (63) and a second stretch passing between the outer body (5a) and the tab (64).