WO2001053003A2

WO2001053003A2 - Fluid product dispenser with gripping member

Info

Publication number: WO2001053003A2
Application number: PCT/FR2001/000116
Authority: WO
Inventors: Laurent Decottignies
Original assignee: Airlessystems
Priority date: 2000-01-21
Filing date: 2001-01-15
Publication date: 2001-07-26
Also published as: EP1251966B1; DE60106392T2; WO2001053003A3; EP1251966A2; ES2230269T3; FR2804093A1; DE60106392D1; US20030094464A1; FR2804093B1

Abstract

The invention concerns a fluid product dispenser comprising: a soft pouch (1) containing the fluid product, said pouch having an opening; a pouch support (2) whereon the pouch opening (1) is fixed; a dispensing member (3), such as a pump, to draw the fluid product from the soft pouch by pressing on a push-member (35), said soft pouch not having a rigid shell enclosing or encasing the soft pouch. The invention is characterised in that it comprises gripping means (4) whereby the dispenser is held for applying pressure on the push member, said gripping means leaving the soft pouch at least partly exposed.

Description

Fluid product dispenser with gripping member.

The present invention relates to a fluid dispenser comprising a flexible bag containing fluid, a flexible bag support on which the bag is fixed, for example by welding, and a dispensing member such as a pump for withdrawing fluid in the flexible pocket by pressing a button. In the prior art, there are already many dispensers using a flexible bag and a pump. In general, the flexible bag is positioned inside a rigid shell, which serves on the one hand to protect the flexible bag and on the other hand to grip the dispenser more easily. If the rigid shell of such a dispenser is removed, its gripping at the level of its flexible pocket becomes difficult due to the soft and deformable nature of the flexible pocket. It is therefore practically impossible to use such a dispenser in the absence of the rigid shell. This is particularly the case when the flexible pocket is made from sheets of laminated material which have only very limited hold.

The object of the present invention is to define a flexible bag dispenser devoid of a rigid shell, the grip of which is easy to press on the pusher in order to actuate the pump.

To do this, the present invention provides a fluid dispenser having the characteristics of claim 1. These are real gripping means which clearly differ from a rigid shell of the prior art since there currently has no rigid shell in the dispenser of the present invention which surrounds or encloses a flexible pocket.

According to a first embodiment, the gripping means are located outside of the flexible bag.

Advantageously, the gripping means comprise several gripping members. Preferably, the gripping members are located substantially symmetrically on each side of the dispensing member. A feature of the present invention lies in the fact that each gripping member is adapted to be grasped by a finger of one hand. In a particularly advantageous embodiment, there are two gripping members adapted to be gripped respectively with the index and middle fingers, the thumb used for actuating the pusher. This dispenser is then used in the manner of a conventional syringe for which the index and middle fingers come in opposition to the thumb to exert pressure. According to a practical embodiment, the gripping members are produced in the form of holes for the passage of the fingers. As a variant, the gripping members are produced in the form of notches for the fingers. According to another embodiment, the gripping members are produced in the form of two arcuate tabs which can be grasped using two fingers.

According to a characteristic of the invention, the gripping means are fixed to the pocket support. Advantageously, the gripping means are produced in a single piece with the pocket support. In certain embodiments, the gripping means may surround the part of the pocket support on which the pocket is fixed. Another embodiment of the invention provides that the gripping means comprise a substantially rigid element disposed inside the flexible pouch. The dispenser is then grasped by the pocket which has a hold imparted by the rigid element. The advantage of this embodiment is that it does not harm the aesthetics of the dispenser since it is completely invisible. In addition, the flexible pocket always retains the same presentable appearance. Advantageously, said substantially rigid element is attached to the pocket support. In addition, said substantially rigid element extends along opposite lateral edges of the flexible bag.

The spirit of the invention resides in the fact of making a dispenser with a flexible pouch of minimalist design, that is to say incorporating only the essential elements essential for its use. To this end, the conventional rigid shell has been eliminated and replaced by appropriate gripping means allowing ergonomic utility of the dispenser.

The invention will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings which give, without limitation, several embodiments of the present invention. In the drawings: - Figure 1 is a front view of a dispenser of the invention, Figure 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view through the upper part of the dispenser of Figure 1, Figure 3 is a view from above of the dispenser of FIGS. 1 and 2, FIG. 4 is a partial view similar to that of FIG. 1 showing a second embodiment of a dispenser according to the invention, FIG. 5 is a view in vertical cross section at through a dispenser according to a third embodiment of the invention, FIG. 6 is a partially exploded perspective view of the dispenser of FIG. 5, and Figures 7 and 8 are sectional views through two other embodiments according to the invention.

In all of the embodiments shown in the figures, the fluid dispenser according to the invention comprises a flexible pocket 1 containing fluid, a pocket support 2 on which the flexible pocket 1 is fixed, most often by welding, a dispensing member 3, preferably a pump, for withdrawing fluid from the flexible bag.

The flexible pocket is made of a flexible material which offers only very poor manual resistance. This manual holding may not be sufficient to activate the pump.

The flexible pocket 1 can for example consist of two sheets of a heat-sealable complex connected together by welding on the periphery with the exception of an opening intended to be welded on the pocket support 2.

For this purpose, the pocket support 2 comprises a welding appendage 21, advantageously provided with welding ribs 211 on which the opening of the pocket 1 is welded. Above the welding appendage 211, the pocket support 2 defines a platform 2 from which protrudes upward a fixing sleeve 23 provided with a snap-in profile 231. The pump 3 is provided with or comprises a fixing ring a fixing ring 32 internally forming a snap-on profile 34 intended to cooperate with the profile 231 of the bushing 23. In the embodiments shown in the figures, the fixing ring 32 internally forms a snap cord 34 intended to engage below a bead 231 which projects outward.

Once the pump 3 is mounted on the pocket support on which the flexible pocket is welded, the dispenser is operational and it is possible to dispense product by actuating the pump on the pusher 35.

This is a completely conventional design for a fluid dispenser with a flexible bag which is normally provided with a rigid shell in which the flexible bag is placed.

On the contrary in the present invention, the rigid shell has been eliminated and replaced by gripping means 4 which leave the flexible pocket entirely or at least partially visible.

In the embodiments of Figures 1 to 6, the gripping means 4 are located outside the pocket, so that it is not necessary to grip the dispenser by the pocket. In the embodiments of FIGS. 1 and 4, the gripping means 4 are in the form of a one-piece body, for example made of molded plastic, which forms several gripping members 42, two in number in these modes of production. More specifically, the body 4 comprises a plate 41 substantially in the shape of an eye, as can be seen in FIG. 3, from which a peripheral upe 44 extends downwards. The plate 41 is pierced at its center. a through hole through which extends the fixing sleeve 23 and optionally the fixing ring 32 The body 4 forms two opposite parts of lesser thickness at the level of which two gripping holes 42 are formed as can be seen in the figure 1. These gripping holes 42 are located substantially on either side of the pump 3 as well as of the pocket support 2. The peπpheπque skirt 44 has a height such that the body masks the upper part of the flexible pocket 2 at the level or its opening is fixed to the welding appendage 21.

The body 4 is fixed to the distributor by any mechanical means, for example by wrapping as can be seen in FIG. 4. In fact, the body internally forms a snap-on profile 45 intended to cooperate with the platform. shape 22 formed by the pocket support 2. The inlay profile 45 engages below the platform 22 and the plate 41 of the body 4 acts as a stop surface to permanently fix the body on the pocket support 2 It goes without saying that with this latching technique the mounting of the body 4 is quick and simple and requires only a limited tool.

In the variant shown in FIG. 4, the gripping holes have been replaced by gripping notches 42.

In these two embodiments, whether they are holes or gripping notches 42, it is easy to grasp the dispenser using two fingers, for example the mdex and the middle finger, that the it is passed through the holes or notches 42, and the actuation of the dispenser is carried out using the thumb which is pressed on the pusher 35. Easy gripping of the device is thus achieved without having to maintain it by his pocket which has only a mediocre outfit.

In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the gripping member 4 forms two legs 42 extending in an arc of a circle in opposite directions. These two tabs 42 serve as a gripping element which is grasped with the help of two fingers of a mam, generally the index and middle fingers, so as to leave the thumb free to be able to press on the pusher 35 The two legs 42 therefore take up the opposite reaction force. to that exerted on the plunger 35. It is thus possible to actuate the dispenser using only three fingers.

The tabs 42 therefore extend in an arc on either side of the pump 3 in diametrically opposite manner. One can of course imagine variants in which the two legs 42 are not arranged in a perfectly symmetrical manner with respect to the pump 3. The two legs 42 are fixed either to the pocket support member or directly to the pump 3 The two legs 42 can be formed integrally with one of these two elements, but preferably, the two legs 42 are fixed to a retaining plate 41 which is used for fixing to the dispenser. Advantageously and practically, the tabs 42 and the retaining plate 41 are molded in one piece, for example made of plastic. For fixing the retaining plate 41 on the distributor, any technique can be used such as for example screwing, bundling or even welding. In the preferred embodiment shown in the accompanying drawings, the support plate 41 forms a latching housing 43 intended to cooperate with the pocket support member 2, advantageously at its socket 22. The housing 43, as it can be seen more particularly in FIG. 2, is open so that the retaining plate 41 can be snapped onto the sleeve 22 by sliding it laterally, which has the effect of temporarily enlarging the opening of the housing 43 when the plate 41 passes at the level of the maximum diameter of the socket 22. Beyond the maximum diameter of the socket 22, the opening of the housing 43 narrows again to grip the socket 22. It is of course possible to imagine a retaining plate 41 with a housing 43 closed so that the plate 41 can be put in place on the socket 22 by engaging it from above while the pump is not yet in place.

In the embodiment shown in Figure 3, the sleeve 22 forms an outer peripheral cord 23 below which the plate 41 is latched. As can be seen, the plate 41 is snapped into a housing formed by the appendage 21 and the cord

23. One can of course imagine variants in which the socket 22 does not include such a latching cord 23 but is perfectly cylindrical so that the plate

41 with a closed housing 43 is engaged from above on the sleeve 22 and the final fixing of the plate 41 is carried out by the lower end 33 of the fixing ring 32 of the pump 3. This is also the case on Figure 3, where we could do without the cord

23.

Referring now to Figures 7 and 8, we see two other embodiments in which the gripping means are arranged inside the flexible bag 1, so that they are not visible and therefore do not harm the aesthetics of the dispenser. In both versions, the gripping means comprise a substantially rigid element 4 which gives the flexible bag 1 a hold so that it can be grasped without it deforming too much. In addition, it thus retains a substantially identical shape even when it is empty or almost empty. To give this holding to the pocket, the rigid element 4 can for example extend along the opposite lateral edges of the pocket, thus forming an internal frame. In FIG. 7, the element is in the form of a U with the core disposed at the bottom of the pocket, while in FIG. 8, the rigid element 4 is connected to the pocket support 2.

Claims

Claims:

1.- Fluid product dispenser comprising: a flexible pocket containing fluid, said pocket having an opening, a pocket support on which the opening of the pocket is fixed, - a dispensing member, such as a pump, for withdrawing fluid from the flexible bag by pressing on a pusher, said flexible bag being devoid of rigid shell surrounding or enclosing the flexible bag, characterized in that it comprises gripping means by which the dispenser is grasped to press the pusher, said gripping means leaving the flexible pocket at least partially visible.

2. A dispenser according to claim 1, wherein the gripping means are located outside of the flexible bag.

3. A dispenser according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the gripping means comprise several gripping members located substantially symmetrically on each side of the dispensing member.

4. A dispenser according to claim 3, wherein each gripping member is adapted to be grasped by a finger of one hand.

5. A dispenser according to claim 3 or 4, wherein there are two gripping members adapted to be gripped respectively with the index and middle fingers, the thumb used to actuate the pusher.

6. Dispenser according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the gripping means are fixed to the pocket support.

7. Dispenser according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the gripping means are produced in a single piece with the pocket support.

8. Dispenser according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the gripping means surround the part of the pocket support on which the pocket is fixed.

9. A dispenser according to any one of claims 2 to 8, wherein the gripping members are made in the form of holes or notches (42) for the passage of the fingers.

10. Dispenser according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the flexible bag has insufficient manual holding to actuate the dispensing member.

I - A dispenser according to any one of claims 2 to 7, in which the gripping members are produced in the form of two arcuate tabs which can be grasped using two fingers.

12. A dispenser according to claim 1, wherein the gripping means comprise a substantially rigid element (4) disposed inside the flexible bag (21).

13. A dispenser according to claim 12, wherein said substantially rigid element (4) is connected to the pocket support (1).

14. A dispenser according to claim 12 or 13, wherein said substantially rigid element (4) extends along opposite lateral edges of the flexible bag.