Fluid product dispensing device

• US 8,419,706 B2
• Filed: 11/14/2002
• Issued: 04/16/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/15/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aptar France S.A.S (AptarGroup Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Aptar France S.A.S (AptarGroup Incorporated)
• Inventors: Stradella, Fabio, Stradella, Giuseppe, Heldt, Frdric
• Primary Examiner(s): Zalukaeva, Tatyana
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hanrahan, Benedict L
• Application Number:
  US10/495,550
• Publication Number:
  US 20050029288A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,806 Days
• Field of Search: 604/86, 604/87, 604200-206, 604/208, 604/214, 604/218, 604/222, 604244-246, 604411-414, 604/905, 239/309, 222/82
• US Class Current: 604/411
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/286 upon internal pressure increase, e.g. pierced or burst A61M5/283 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 11/02 Membranes or pistons acting on the contents inside the container, e.g. follower pistons
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 11/025 with stepwise advancement of the piston, e.g. for spraying a predetermined quantity of content

Abstract

A fluid dispenser device comprising a body provided with a dispenser orifice, a reservoir containing at least one dose of fluid being disposed statically in said body, said reservoir being closed in sealed manner by two stoppers, a first stopper and a second stopper the fluid being disposed in a fluid chamber, said device further comprising opener means for opening said first stopper, said opener means being disposed statically in said body, actuator means being connected to said second stopper, the actuation of said second stopper creating pressure in the fluid chamber; said pressure displacing and/or deforming said first stopper towards said opener means, and then fluid is expelled through said open first stopper towards said dispenser orifice, a spray profile being provided downstream from said dispenser orifice, the device further comprising precompression means.

Claims

1. A nasal spray device, comprising:

a body (1) configured to be inserted into a nasal passage for dispensing fluid in the nasal passage and provided with a dispenser orifice (2),

a reservoir (10) containing at least one dose of fluid being disposed statically in said body (1), said reservoir (10) including a cylindrical wall distinct from and disposed entirely inside the body such that the body does not define a fluid sealing surface of the reservoir, said reservoir being closed in sealed manner by a first stopper (20) and a second stopper (30), the fluid being disposed in a fluid chamber (11) formed by said first and second stoppers (20, 30) and said cylindrical wall,

opener means (40) for opening said first stopper (20), said opener means (40) being disposed statically in said body (1),

actuator means (50) being connected to said second stopper (30) so as to displace said second stopper in said reservoir (10), the actuation of said second stopper (30) creating pressure in the fluid chamber (11), said pressure displacing and/or deforming said first stopper (20) towards said opener means (40), in such a manner that firstly said first stopper (20) is opened, and then fluid is expelled through said open first stopper (20) towards said dispenser orifice (2),

a spray profile (5) provided upstream from said dispenser orifice (2) to dispense the fluid in the form of a fine spray; and

precompression means (70) to create precompression in the reservoir (10) before said first stopper (20) is opened by said opener means (40), so as to improve the spraying of the fluid, and so as to ensure that the entire dose of fluid is dispensed,

wherein said opener means for opening the first stopper comprise a hollow needle in which only one end has a sharp point, pointing away from the dispensing orifice,

wherein the sharp point is formed by a bevel, and the needle has the bevel at only the first end that forms the sharp point.

2. A device according to claim 1, in which said a hollow needle (40) is designed to pierce said first stopper (20) and to transfer the fluid towards the dispenser orifice (2).

3. A device according to claim 1, in which said first stopper (20) is disposed inside said reservoir (10) and is displaceable towards said opener means (40) during actuation.

4. A device according to claim 1, in which said reservoir (10) contains a single dose of fluid that is dispensed during a single actuation of the device.

5. A device according to claim 1, in which said reservoir (10) contains at least two doses of fluid that are dispensed during successive actuations of the device, said actuator means (50) including dose-fractioning means (60).

6. A device according to claim 1, in which said precompression means (70) are formed on the first stopper (20), and/or on the opener means (40), and/or on the reservoir (10).

7. A device according to claim 6, in which said precompression means (70) comprise resistance means (71, 72, 73) requiring an actuating force that is greater than a predetermined threshold in order to open said first stopper (20).

8. A device according to claim 7, in which said resistance means (70) comprise an abutment co-operating with said first stopper (20) before it is opened, said first stopper (20) being deformable in order to be capable of moving past said abutment.

10. The device according to claim 1, wherein actuating surfaces for a user'"'"'s fingers are formed integrally with the body.

9. A nasal spray device comprising;

a body specifically configured to be inserted into a nasal passage for dispensing fluid in the nasal passage, said body forming a dispenser orifice and a spray profile;

a reservoir containing at least one dose of fluid being disposed in said body, said reservoir being closed in sealed manner by a first stopper and a second stopper, wherein the reservoir comprises a cylindrical wall distinct from and disposed entirely inside the body such that the body does not define a fluid sealing surface of the reservoir, the fluid being disposed in a fluid chamber formed by said first and second stoppers and said cylindrical wall;

opener means for opening said first stopper, said opener means being disposed entirely inside said body;

actuator means connected to said second stopper so as to displace said second stopper in said reservoir in a direction toward said dispenser orifice, the actuation of said second stopper creating pressure in the fluid chamber, said pressure displacing and/or deforming said first stopper in a direction towards said opener means and said dispenser orifice, in such a manner that firstly said first stopper is opened, and then fluid is expelled through said open first stopper towards said dispenser orifice,

wherein said spray profile is provided upstream from said dispenser orifice to dispense the fluid in the form of a fine spray; and

precompression means so as to create precompression in the reservoir before said first stopper is opened by said opener means, so as to improve the spraying of the fluid, and so as to ensure that the entire dose of fluid is dispensed,

wherein said opener means comprise a needle having a first end that points inwards and away from the dispenser orifice, a second end opposite from the first end, wherein only the first end has a sharp point,

wherein the sharp point is formed by a bevel, and the needle has the bevel at only the first end that forms the sharp point.

11. A nasal spray device comprising:

a body specifically configured to be inserted into a nasal passage for dispensing fluid in the nasal passage, said body comprising a cylindrical interior wall, a dispenser orifice, and a spray profile, wherein the spray profile is disposed upstream from the dispenser orifice to dispense fluid passing therethrough in the form of a fine spray;

a reservoir comprising at least one dose of fluid, the reservoir comprising a cylindrical wall and disposed entirely within the cylindrical interior wall of the body so as to be distinct from the body, and wherein the reservoir is sealed by two stoppers, a first stopper and a second stopper, and the fluid is contained between the first and second stoppers;

a piercing needle that is structured to open the first stopper, the piercing needle disposed entirely within the body, in a location upstream from the dispenser orifice and downstream from the first and second stoppers before actuation of an actuator;

said piercing needle having a first end that points inwards and away from the dispenser orifice, a second end that is opposite from the first end, and a sharp point provided only on the first end;

said actuator connected to the second stopper so as to displace the second stopper within the reservoir, the displacement of the second stopper creating pressure in the fluid chamber that displaces, deforms or displaces and deforms the first stopper towards the piercing needle so that the first stopper is opened and fluid is then expelled through the first stopper towards the dispenser orifice; and

precompression means for creating precompression in the reservoir before the first stopper is opened by the piercing needle,

wherein the sharp point is formed by a bevel, and the needle has the bevel at only the first end that forms the sharp point.