MXPA96003089A - Device for the distribution and packaging of a product stored to pres - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a device for supplying and packaging a substance, the device comprises a receptacle for storing the substance under pressure, a valve having a control rod and an applicator made of a porous material, the applicator has an applicator surface external designed to contact the skin of the user to supply the substance, wherein the applicator includes a blind hole to be fixed directly on the control rod without a transport cup that causes the substance to be injected in situ in the applicator with the substance diffusing substantially axially towards the center of the external applicator surface

Description

Device for the Distribution and packaging of a product stored under pressure DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention concerns a device for distributing and packaging a product, this device comprises a container for storing the product under pressure, equipped with a valve actuator rod, and a porous applicator, sintered material or the like; presenting an external application surface, intended to come into contact with the skin of the user, to distribute the product. FR-A-2, 713, 060, of the applicant, describes such a device. The applicator is supported by a plastic cup, prolonged inferiorly by a ridge that engages on the driving rod; this regatón presents an internal channel for the passage of the product. The latter leaves the actuator rod when the valve is open, to be channeled by the rim and the cup, towards the internal surface of the applicator, which is opposite the external application surface. The convenience of using a device of this type depends especially on the freshness impression that is provided to the user during the contact of the applicator with the skin, due, in part, to the fact that the product cools during the expansion that accompanies its outlet of container REF: 22833 pressurized. On the other hand, it is desirable to avoid that, in case of prolonged use of the device, the droplets of the product do not flow on the container or on the hands of the user. The cup of the device, which is described in FR-A-2, 713, 060, has a depression, which can receive an excess of the liquid expelled by the actuator rod; and substantially radial channels, which are used between the inner surface of the cup and the internal surface of the applicator, to ensure a good distribution of the product to be distributed, and to uniformly feed the external application surface. A cushion tube is placed in the same point of support, opposite the end of the internal channel of the rim. Although satisfactory, a device of the type described in FR-A-2, 713, 060 is of a relatively complex construction. The object of the invention is to propose a new dispensing and packaging device, which is of simplified construction and which is also comfortable to use, like the known devices. This is achieved by the fact that the applicator comprises a perforation (disimetric), central, which allows its attachment directly on the driving rod, the depth of this drilling is chosen so that the injection of the product is performed ij situ, in the applicator, with a substantially axial diffusion of the product towards the center of the external application surface. Unexpectedly, the applicant has found that, despite the absence of a cupel for distributing the product on the internal surface of the applicator, a satisfactory comfort is obtained, in its use, certainly increased. Preferably, the external application surface is aspheric, generally convex to the outside; and the dome is arranged so that the product is diffused in the applicator, according to a diffusion cone that is inscribed in a volume delimited by an end cone whose generatrix rests on the contour of the external application surface and whose vertex is located on the shaft of the drive rod, inside the latter. Thanks to the invention, the lateral surface of the applicator extends radially towards the outside and towards the base of the external application surface, which does not receive product for a certain period of time, after the opening of the valve, and which, in In case of prolonged use of the device, it causes the appearance of droplets of the product in the center of the external application surface. The lateral surface of the applicator, not saturated in product, remains capable of absorbing the droplets when they leave by gravity the center of the external application surface, this allows to avoid that the product flows on the container or the hands of the user.

Thanks to this capacity of absorption of the product by the lateral surface of the applicator, it is possible to concentrate the expulsion of the product towards the center of the external application surface without the risk that the droplets of the product, which are formed in the case of an extended opening of the valve, do not flow in the container or on the hands of the user, and benefit from the fact that the product expelled by the actuator rod reaches very quickly and in a localized way the external application surface, and cools a little, to confer an increased freshness impression upon contact with the user's skin. On the other hand, the concentration of the product in the center of the applicator allows the user, keeping the applicator by its periphery (which remains for a certain period of time without direct contribution of the product, after the opening of the valve, as explained above ), activate the valve to test the device, without the risk of having your fingers wet by the product. In a particular application of the invention, an annular throat is provided, to still improve the channeling of the product towards the center of the external application surface, retarding the diffusion of the product towards the lateral surface of the applicator. The presence of an annular groove open towards the container, on the lower surface of the applicator, is also advantageous when the actuator rod is incunable and when the valve used is a valve with lateral pressure opening on the actuator rod, because it allows to increase the movement of a maximum angular axis of the applicator on contact with the container. Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent with the detailed reading of two non-limiting application examples of the invention and from the examination of the appended drawings, on which: - Figure 1 is an axial sectional view , partial and schematic, of a distribution and packaging device, according to a first example of application of the invention; and Figure 2 is an axial, partial and schematic sectional view of a distribution and packaging device, according to a second application example of the invention. FIG. 1 shows a device 1 for distributing and packaging a liquid product, such as a deodorant, according to a first application example of the invention. This device 1 comprises a known container 2, aerosol canister (can), symmetrical, revolution, in the described application example, about a longitudinal axis X. The container 2 has an upper end in the form of an oval, provided with an annular groove 3, intended for the engagement of an annular bearing 4, of a protective cap 5, shaped to cover the upper end of the container 2 when the device is not used.

The container 2 comprises a valve known in the art, which is not seen in Figure 1, more than the fixing means on the container (they are presented in the described application example in the form of a cup 6, set in an opening of the container 2 and the driving rod 7). In the application example presented in Figure 1, the valve that equips the container 2 is of the sinking opening type of the actuating rod 7. Of course, it is possible, without departing from the scope of the invention, to use an opening valve by lateral pressure on the driving rod. The actuating rod 7 is of the X axis and is traversed internally and axially by a passage channel of the product and forcibly inserted into its emerging end, in a perforation 8 of an applicator 9, constituted of a porous block that is obtained by sintering polyethylene microspheres. The applicator 9 is soft to the touch and weakly compressible, deforms very little or nothing when placed in contact with the wearer's skin. The applicator 9 is delimited, in its upper part, by an external application surface 10, intended to come into contact with the skin of the user, which presents in the application example described a slightly convex aspherical shape, convex towards the outside. The surface 10 is joined (without forming a protruding edge) by its circular contour, centered on the X axis, to a lateral surface 11, cylindrical, of revolution, in the described application example, around the X axis. The applicator 9 is delimited , in its lower part, by a flat surface 12, perpendicular to the axis X, in the center of which the perforation 8. The lower end of the latter is chamfered to define a conical mouth (entrance) 13, which facilitates the insertion of the driving rod 7 in the bore 8, during the assembly of the applicator 9 on the latter. According to the invention, the insertion length 1_, of the actuating rod 7, in the applicator 9; that is to say, the depth of the perforation (asymmetric) 8, in the described application example, is chosen so that the product that leaves the actuating rod 7 is injected in situ in the applicator 9 and diffuses, mainly in a manner axial, in the direction of the external application surface, 10. Preferably, the distance 1 ^ is greater than or equal to half the external diameter d, of the driving rod 7, and the product diffuses in the applicator 9 according to a cone diffusion D, inscribed in a volume delimited by a cone 14, resting on the contour of the external application surface 10 and where the vertex is located on the X axis, in the vicinity of the edge of the upper extremity of the rod of drive 7. Thus, the product expelled by the latter diffuses mainly towards the apex of the external application surface 10, that is towards its central region and does not reach the lateral region of the applicator 9 to After a lapse of time. In the case of using the device 1 for a short time, the lateral surface 11 then remains without product and retains a complete absorption capacity, to absorb any drips of liquid that have dripped into the apex of the external application surface 10 (the device 1 is optionally inclined with respect to the vertical) and that they are drained by gravity on the external surface of the applicator 9. Thus, the drops of the product are prevented from draining over the entire height of the side wall 11 and which does not fall on the container or on the hands of the user; what guarantees a comfortable use of the device 1 in any circumstance. The injection in situ, in the applicator, allows the product to quickly reach the apex of the external application surface 10, without noticeably heating up after its expansion, which gives the user an impression of appreciable freshness. In Figure 2 a device is represented, according to a second application example of the invention. The same reference numbers have been retained for elements identical to those of the previous application. This device, 1 ', differs from that described above by the shape of the applicator, which here has the reference number 9 which has an annular groove 15, and by the type of valve used, with opening by lateral pressure on the - - drive shaft 7. The annular groove 15 has an enlarged section towards the container and a flat bottom, as shown in Figure 2, and allows, on the one hand, an important angular movement of the applicator 9 'around an axis of roon perpendicular to the X axis, for the opening of the valve, the cup 6 can extend into the throat 15 when the applicator is tilted and, on the other hand, defines an annular region 16, of reduced thickness, between the bottom 17 and the surface external application 10, which makes it more difficult to diffuse the product radially outward, and allows to delay the saturation, with the product, of the lateral surface 11, to preserve in this last its capacity absorption of the droplets of product, susceptible to be formed when the device 1 'is used for a long time. It should be noted that, in the two examples of application that have just been described, the mouth of the dysmetric perforation 3 is located substantially in the same plane as the lower, radially outer edge 18 of the applicator 9. To use the device 1 or 1 ', the cap 5 is lifted and the applicator 9 is passed over the region of the skin on which it is desired to distribute the product. In the case of the device 1, the applicator is pressed lightly, so that the driving rod 7 is made to penetrate, and the opening of the valve is caused. In the case of the device 1 ', the rubbing in contact with the skin is sufficient to make the applicator 9' tilt and open the valve. Of course, the invention is not limited to the application examples that have just been described and various variants and modifications can be provided, without departing from the scope of the present invention. It is noted that, in relation to this date, the best method known by the applicant to carry out the aforementioned invention, is the conventional one for the manufacture of the objects to which it refers. Having described the invention as above, the content of the following is claimed as property.

Claims (8)

1. A device for distributing and packaging a product, comprising a container for storing the product under pressure; a valve with a drive rod and a porous applicator, of sintered material or the like; wherein this applicator has an external application surface, intended to come into contact with the skin of the user, to distribute the product, where the device is characterized in that the applicator comprises a dismetric perforation for its attachment directly on the actuator rod, the depth of this perforation is chosen so that the injection of the product is made in situ, in the applicator, with a substantially axial diffusion of the product towards the center of the external application surface.

2. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that the applicator is arranged so that the product diffuses in the applicator according to a diffusion cone inscribed in a volume delimited by a cone that rests on the contour of the external surface of application, and whose vertex is located on the axis X, of the driving stem, in the vicinity of the edge of the upper extremity.

3. The device, according to one of claims 1 and 2, characterized in that the depth of the dysmetric perforation > is at least equal to half the outer diameter of the drive rod.

4. The device, according to any of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the applicator comprises an annular groove.

5. The device according to claim 4, characterized in that the throat is located in the lower part of the applicator and opens towards the container.

6. The device according to any of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the external application surface has a slightly convex, convexly outward shape.

7. The device according to any of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the disimetric perforation has a mouth that is located substantially in the same plane as the lower, radially outer edge of the applicator.

8. The device, according to any of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the valve is opening by lateral pressure on the driving rod.