CN1822991A - Valve nozzle for a dispenser for liquid cosmetic products and method for storage this product - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a valve nozzle for a dispenser for a liquid cosmetic product, said nozzle comprising a reservoir (R) and an internal piston (P) which is actuated by the displacement of a base (E). The inventive nozzle is characterised in that it comprises a cap (1) which closes the reservoir and is provided with a dispensing opening (10) that can be closed in a sealed manner by a pin (21) fixed to a spacer (2) which is arranged inside the cap (1) in a sliding manner and is provided with at least one line (20) which successively ensures the emptying of the reservoir and the discharge of the product. According to the invention, said cap (1) and said spacer (2) define a space (12) with a wall that has at least one elastically deformable region, enabling the pin (21) to retract from the dispensing opening (10), following the actuation of the piston (P), in order to ensure the discharge of the product.

Description

Valve nozzle for liquid cosmetic dispenser, and method of storing such product

The invention relates to a nozzle with a valve for use in dispensers for liquid cosmetics.

More specifically, the invention is applied in a dispenser which essentially comprises a reservoir and an internal piston actuated by a displacement movement of a base.

These dispensers usually have tail valves that ensure the watertightness of the containment chamber and product delivery.

Said valve is generally constructed in the nozzle of the application device, which nozzle is made of a single piece with a housing chamber, or which nozzle can be connected to said housing chamber.

In both cases, during the packaging of the product, it is necessary to ensure that the air above the free surface of the liquid is released at the end of the assembly process.

From the standpoint of the product manufacturer, this operation must be simple and easy to carry out, so as not to add additional product costs and/or introduce quality defects.

Furthermore, during the dispensing phase of the product, the accuracy of the dose dispensed depends greatly on the sensitivity of the valve and its ability to respond to the excess pressure generated by the displacement movement of the piston, even at small amplitudes corresponding to small doses. The same is true of the case.

As far as watertightness is concerned, it depends on the agility and reliability of the movable parts of the valve when the valve returns to their normal position.

All these limitations are technical problems that the nozzle of the present invention aims to solve.

This object of the invention is achieved by a nozzle, wherein said nozzle is characterized in that it comprises a cap for isolating the receiving chamber and has a dispensing orifice, wherein said orifice can be blocked in a watertight manner by means of a plug, Said plug is slidably connected to a septum housed to slide inside the cover and having at least one duct permanently ensuring the ventilation of the chamber and the discharge of the product, said cover and said The spacers delimit a cavity between them, in which the wall has at least one elastically deformable zone so that under the action of the piston the plug can be separated from the dispensing orifice to ensure delivery of the product.

According to a first alternative embodiment of the invention, said deformable area consists of the top area of the cap surrounding the dispensing orifice. The conduit preferably passes through the septum.

According to another alternative embodiment, said deformable area consists of the top wall of the air chamber, said top wall supporting said plug. Accordingly, the air chamber is preferably affixed to the spacer.

Also, in this case, the conduit is located on the perimeter of the gas chamber.

According to an advantageous feature, the bottom perimeter of said spacer has elements connected to the top edge of the housing.

According to another feature, said cover comprises a skirt mounted radially to the outer side wall of the housing cavity.

According to yet another feature, said cover includes internal stops for limiting the upward sliding movement of the partition when it is mounted on the housing.

The invention also relates to a method for packaging a liquid cosmetic product into a dispenser comprising a nozzle according to the invention, said method being characterized in that, after filling, said cap is fitted to the containing chamber with the inner septum in its low position to separate it from the dispensing orifice, then squeeze the nozzle down to expel the air it contains outwards through the duct, cavity and orifice until the septum Resting downwardly on the top edge of the receiving chamber, the cap then rests against the septum while the plug enters the dispensing orifice in a watertight manner.

According to one feature of the method, the nozzle is guided onto the distributor so that it slides against the side wall of the housing chamber, thereby forming a radial seat.

The nozzle of the invention is particularly simple in construction, since it consists of only two parts (cap and septum), which are connected to each other to form an assembly in a pre-assembled state and which can be combined with the dispenser's The other components (chamber, piston and base) are shipped together to the customer.

In addition, the packaging method of the present invention is easy to realize industrial production, because the final finishing step is only accomplished by simply installing the pre-assembled components into the containing cavity, and wherein the air contained in the containing cavity is automatically released.

Furthermore, this assembly operation is carried out by the fitting between the skirt of the cover and the wall of the receiving cavity forming the radial seat.

The invention will be better understood from reading the following description with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figures 1A and 1B show a cross-sectional view of a first embodiment of the nozzle of the present invention, mounted on a dispenser, in the normal phase and in the spraying phase, respectively.

Figures 2A and 2B show cross-sectional views showing a second embodiment of the nozzle of the present invention installed in the same dispenser in the normal phase and in the spray phase, respectively.

3A to 3D show schematic diagrams of various steps in the packaging method of the present invention.

An embodiment of the nozzle according to the invention in combination with a liquid cosmetic dispenser D is shown in the drawings, the structure of which is presented here by way of illustration.

These dispensers D mainly comprise as their main parts a housing R and an inner piston P, which is moved by manual actuation of the bottom E, in particular by rotating said bottom about a vertical axis. The piston P moves relative to the chamber R and the nozzle.

The nozzles of the present invention are obviously suitable for mounting on dispensers other than those shown here, and primarily in dispensers in which the piston is moved by axial displacement of the valve actuator.

In Figures 1A, 1B, 2A and 2B, the products are not shown for reasons of clarity.

The nozzle of the invention comprises a cap 1 closing the receptacle R, said cap 1 having a dispensing orifice 10 . The orifice 10 can be blocked in a watertight manner by a plug or needle valve 21 fastened to a spacer placed so as to slide inside the cap 1 .

The spacer 2 has at least one duct 20 which, as shown in FIGS. 3A to 3D , permanently ensures that the chamber R is ventilated and, as shown in FIGS. 1B and 2B , ensures that the product is transported from the The chamber is drained.

The cap 1 and the septum 2 define between them, in the top region of the nozzle, an enclosure 12 into which the product is delivered through a conduit 20 . The walls of this cavity have at least one elastically deformable zone that allows the plug 21 to clear from the dispensing orifice 10 under the action of the piston P to allow the delivery of the product.

The bottom perimeter of the spacer 2 has elements ensuring engagement with the top edge or neck r of the housing R, while the cover 1 comprises a skirt 11 which press-fits tightly against the housing R in a watertight manner. on the outer side wall of the chamber R and rests against the outer side of the top edge of the bottom E.

As shown in Figures 3C and 3D, the cap 1 also includes an internal stop, for example in the form of a shoulder 13, for limiting the relative upward sliding of the septum 2 when the nozzle is mounted on the dispenser.

In the embodiment of the invention shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B , the deformable area of the cavity 12 consists of the top of the cover 1 . This area consists of the real wall of the cap which surrounds at least the dispensing orifice and which is made of a special material and/or has a special thickness so as to guarantee its protection under pressure from the product. , has enough flexibility to open the orifice 10.

In this case, the conduit 20 passes through the septum 2 and, in an alternative embodiment, is located around the plug 21 .

The receptacle R has a neck r, wherein the outer contour of the neck r matches the outer contour of the peripheral flange 22 of the spacer 2 so as to be connected to said flange by fitting.

In addition, the outer profile of the side of the spacer 2 matches the inner wall of the cover 1 at the level of the shoulder 13, ensuring that it can be wedged in the elevated position.

In the embodiment of the invention shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B , the deformable area of the cavity 12 consists of the top wall 23 a of the air chamber 24 supporting the plug 21 .

The gas employed is preferably air at atmospheric pressure.

The gas chamber 24 is gas-tight and fastened to the partition 2 .

Excessive pressure will be generated in the housing chamber R and the chamber 12 under the action of the piston P. Since the walls of the cover 1 are not deformed in this case, the excess pressure will be absorbed by the thin walls of the air chamber 24, forming a flexible membrane and bringing the plug 21 and thereby closing the orifice 10 Open.

This operation is obviously only possible under the condition that the piston P is pressurized so that there is a pressure differential in the chamber 12 and the pressure in the inner volume of the air chamber 24 is positive.

In the alternative embodiment shown the air chamber is housed inside the spacer and the bottom 23b of the air chamber consists of rigid walls which do not deform under the pressure conditions required to be established.

This bottom can be a separate part, as shown in an alternative embodiment, or it can also be made of a single part with the other parts of the air chamber 24 .

The conduit 20 is located on the perimeter of the gas chamber in the form of at least one channel 20a. As shown in the alternative embodiment, if several channels are to be provided, they will be separated by a partition wall 25 extending axially between the side wall of the gas chamber 24 and the wall of the nozzle 1 .

The neck r of the housing chamber consists of at least one circumferential slot c, which ensures the circulation of the product and the connection with the spacer 2 .

The operation of installing the nozzle on the dispenser D in the present invention is carried out during the packaging process of the product, and the operation is carried out in the following steps:

After filling the chamber R (FIG. 3A), the cover 1 is placed and installed as shown in FIG. 3B.

During this step, the septum 2 is in its low position; the plug 21 is retracted relative to the orifice 10 .

The nozzle is then pushed vertically downwards, which has the effect of squeezing the air contained therein, causing the air to be continuously and automatically expelled to the outside through the conduit 20, cavity 12 and orifice 10 (indicated by the arrow in FIG. 3B ). ).

During the entire first installation, the nozzle is guided by sliding the cover 1 on the outside of the side wall of the housing R, so that the outside of said side wall forms a radial seat, while keeping the spacer 2 relative to the cover 1 fixed.

This sliding installation continues until the spacer 2 rests against the top edge r of the housing R, as shown in FIG. 3C .

After this position, the spacer 2 is secured to the housing and only the lid 1 is continuously slid vertically downwards relative to the spacer/cavity assembly.

The installation is complete when the plug 21 is inserted into the aperture 10 in an airtight manner and the cover 1 rests and is connected to the top of the spacer 2; in this case, as shown in FIG. 3D, the skirt 11 The bottom edge of is in contact with the bottom E at the same time.

Claims (11)

1. A nozzle with a valve for dispensing liquid cosmetics, wherein said nozzle comprises a housing chamber (R) and an inner piston (P) actuated by a displacement movement of a base (E), characterized in that said The nozzle comprises a cap (1) for isolating the receiving chamber and having a dispensing orifice (10), wherein said orifice (10) can be blocked in a watertight manner by means of a plug (21) which can slidably connected to a spacer (2) mounted to slide inside the cover (1) and having at least one duct (20) permanently ensuring the ventilation of the chamber and the discharge of the product, Said cover (1) and said spacer (2) delimit between them a cavity (12) in which the wall has at least one elastically deformable zone so that the action of the piston (P) The plug (21) can be separated from the dispensing orifice (10) to ensure the delivery of the product. 2. Nozzle according to claim 1, characterized in that said deformable area consists of the top area of the cap (1) surrounding the dispensing orifice (10). 3. A nozzle according to claim 2, characterized in that said conduit (20) passes through the septum. 4. The nozzle as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that said deformable region consists of the top wall (23a) of the air chamber (24), said top wall (23a) supporting said plug (21). 5. Nozzle according to claim 4, characterized in that said air chamber (24) is fixed to said diaphragm (2). 6. Nozzle according to claim 4 or 5, characterized in that the duct (20) is located on the periphery of the air chamber (24). 7. Nozzle according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the bottom perimeter of the spacer (2) has elements connected to the top edge of the housing (R). 8. Nozzle according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said cap (1) comprises a skirt (11) fitted radially to the outer side wall of the housing chamber (R). 9. Nozzle according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the cover (1) comprises an internal stop (13) which, when mounted on the housing (R), Used to limit the upward sliding of the spacer (2). 10. A method for packaging liquid cosmetics into a dispenser (D), wherein said dispenser (D) on the one hand comprises a housing chamber (R) and a Inner piston (P), on the other hand comprising a nozzle according to any one of claims 1 to 9, the method being characterized in that, after filling, the cap (1) is fitted to the housing chamber (R) with the inner septum (2) at its low position to be separated from the dispensing orifice (10), and then squeeze the nozzle downwards to pass the air it contains through the duct (20), cavity ( 12) and the orifice (10) discharges outwards until the spacer (2) rests downward on the top edge (r) of the chamber (R), then the lid (1) rests on the spacer (2), At the same time the plug ( 21 ) enters the dispensing orifice ( 10 ) in a watertight manner. 11. A method according to claim 10, characterized in that the nozzle is guided onto the dispenser (D) so that the cover is slid against the side walls of the housing (R), wherein said side walls thus form a A radial seat.

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