Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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DESCRIPTION
The present invention relates to a dispenser
of viscous products, such as toothpaste products,
cosmetic creams, food juices, and the like, in which a
container is squeezed to deliver the product out and
then released;
More particularly, the invention relates to a
dispenser of viscous products which comprises an outer
container, extending along a longitudinal axis which
would generally lie vertical, with at least one
elastically deformable side wall, a closed bottom, and
a top provided with an opening defined by a rim, a
flexible bag placed inside said outer container, said
bag having a mouth and being intended for containing
the viscous product, a plate-like element positioned
across the opening in the container top and being
connected to the rim of the latter, said plate-like
element being provided with an axial passageway,
parallel to the longitudinal axis of the outer
container, having a collar projected inwardly of said
outer container, said bag having its mouth sealed
around said collar, a head provided in its inner side
with a viscous product delivery conduit which has one
end provided with a delivery orifice and an opposite
end provided with an inlet orifice in communication
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with the axial passageway through said plate-like
element, said head including connecting means for being
connected to the rim of the opening in the top of said
outer container, a first one-way valve means placed in
said viscous product delivery conduit and opening in
the direction toward said delivery orifice, and a
second one-way valve means opening in the direction
toward the inner side of the outer container.
Dispensers of the type mentioned above, are
shown and described, for example, in US Patents No.s
4,469,250; 4,909,416; and 4,842,165.
According to the disclosure of US Patents
No.s 4,469,250 and 4,909,416, the flexible bag intended
for containing a viscous product to be dispensed out is
only a firmly secured at the location of the open mouth
of the container with elastically deformable walls by
means of a holding element disposed across the mouth
and being fixed to the container.
This arrangement has a drawback in that, not
even after repeatedly squeezing and releasing the
elastic walls of the outer container, does it allow the
bag to be emptied completely and, therefore, the full
amount of product charged into the bag to be used.
According to the prior art disclosed by US
Patent No. 4,842,165, the bag of viscous product is
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instead secured directly on the outer container, both
at the location of its mouth and of a peripheral region
halfway the height of the container.
With such a construction, the bag emptying is
falicitated and full amount of viscous product
contained therein can be used.
However, the bag connection to the middle
region of the inner wall of the outer container, as
well as aL the location of its mouth, involves
manufacturing technologies which are quite complicated,
adversely affect the dispenser manufacturing cost, and
disallows any filling of the bag with the product to be
dispensed, and subsequent handling thereof, while
separate from the container.
In addition, the continuous seal of the bag
to the middle region of the outer container requires
that the valve means for admitting air to the container
inside, as should occur at the end of each compressive
action on the container, be positioned in the container
bottom or, at least in an area underlying the seal
region in order to be active onto the free portion of
the flexible bag.
This position requirement for the
air-admitting valve means restricts the feasibility oP
the outer container in one piece, and further increases
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the dispenser cost.
It is the object of this invention to obviate
the drawbacks of the above-mentioned prior art
dispensers, and ensure complete emptying of the
flexible bag without involving peripheral attachment of
the bag to the middle region of the outer container.
A further object is to avoid the need to have
the air-admitting valve means located on the walls of
the outer container, and this for the benefit of the
dispenser manufacturing economy and of the bag filling
procedure, which can be now carried out even without
the presence of the outer container.
These objects are achieved by a dispenser
according to the appended claims.
The invention will be now described in
greater detail with reference to two preferred
embodiments thereof, given by way of illustration and
not of limitation and shown in the accompanying
drawings, wherein:
Figure 1 shows in longitudinal section a
first embodiment of this dispenser;
Figure 2 is a longitudinal section view of
the embodiment shown in Figure 1, but taken in a
perpendicular plane to that of Figure 1;
Figure 3 is a sectional view taken along the
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line III~III in Figure 2;
Figure 4 is a sectional view taken along the
line IV-IV in Figure 1;
Figure 5 is a fragmentary sectional view,
drawn to an anlarged scale and taken along the line V-V
in Figure 4;
Figure 6 is a longitudinal section view
similar to that in Figure 1, but showing the dispenser
head removed from the outer container;
Figure 7 shows a second embodiment of this
dispenser with the head in the open condition for
pulling out the bag; and
Figure 8 is a perspective view of an opener
having elastically divergent legs;
Figure 9 is a perspective view of an opener
to according a modified embodiment.
Figure 10 is a perspective view showing the
assembling 3tep of an opener according to Figure 9 into
the outer container.
With reference to the above-listed drawing
figures, shown at 1 is an outer container made of
plastics material, e.g. of the polyolefinic type.
It is substantially elliptical in plan view
and has a closed bottom 2, serving as a rest base, and
a top 3 formed with an opening 4 defined by the edge 5.
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The container 1 extends along a longitudinal
axis X-X, generally arranged to lie upright, and has at
least one of its walls, 6 and 7, with a greater radius
of curvature made deformable elastically under a
pressure force from outside, e.g. finger pressure from
the fingers of one user's hand.
Provided across the opening 4 is a plate-like
element 8, also made of a plastics material, which is
connected with its peripheral edge 9 to the edge 5
defining the opening 4.
This plate-like element 8 is formed with a
passageway 10, coaxial with the axis X-X, around which
a collar 11 is provided.
Said collar 11 is made in one piece with the
element 8 and extends inwardly of the container 1.
Connected to the outer surface of the collar
11, as by welding, is the mouth 12 of a flexible bag 13
intended to contain a product, such a toothpaste, to be
dispensed. The bag 13 is generally formed from a
laminated film whose inner layer comprises a
heat-sealable material which is compatible with that of
the collar 11.
The circumference of the bag 13, in the fully
extended condition when filled with the viscous product
to be dispensed is such that an interspace 14 is formed
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between the bag and the wall of the outer container 1.
Also connected to the plate-like element 8 is
a support 15 which, in the embodiments shown, is in the
form of an annular element coaxial with the collar 11
and secured on the interior of the latter. From the
support 15 there extend, inwardly of the bag 13,
opposite leg pairs 16, 17 and 16a, 17a, which are
elastically divergent and have ends 18, 19 and 18a, l9a
arranged to push, as a retractor on the bag 13 toward
the outer container 1, thereby keeping the bag under a
tension force, directed from the inside out, even as
the bag, due to the product dispensing action,
gradually empties itself and its bottom portion is
folded up toward the mouth 12, as shown by the dash
line in Figure 2.
The spreading tension from the legs 16, 17
and 16a, 17a is applied to the bag 13 in a peripheral
region located substantially halfway of the container 1
length along a substantially perpendicular direction to
the axis X-X.
The ends 18, 19 and 18a, l9a of the legs 16,
17 and 16a, 17a, which may be conveniently formed from
a polyolefinic or polyamidic plastics material, are
shaped as arcuate segments having a radius of curvature
which corresponds to that of the respective confronting
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walls of the container 1, and extend in height over a
predetermined distance parallel to the axis X-X.
Between the leg pairs 16, 17, 16a, 17a and
their respective ends 18, 19, 18a and l9a, there are
formed slots 20 sized to allow the elastic movement of
the legs on the container 1 being squeezed and
released, while preventing, however, the bag 13 from
getting in between and forming pockets of
non-dispensable product.
Located on this same plate-like element 8, as
particularly shown in Figures 4 and 5, is a one-way
valve means for admitting external air to the container
1 interior following the suction effect created by the
elastic recovery of the container 1 walls at the end of
a product dispensing action.
This valve means comprises a hollow seat 21
defined by a frusto-conical side wall 22 and a top wall
23, with the taper pointing away from the container
and the cavity open into the inner side of the
container. The frusto-conical side wall 22 is provided
with a plurality of openings 24.
Located inside the seat 21 lS a bell-shaped
element 25, made of an elastomeric material and bein8~
therefore, elastically flexible, which is connected to
the top wall 23 by a peduncle 26. This bell-shaped
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element 25 will cling elastically against the openings
24 and hold them normally closed, especially when a
pressure is exerted on the walls 6 and 7 of the
container 1.
On said walls being released at the end of a
dispensing operation, external air is allowed to enter
through the openings 24 in consequence of the elastic
deformation undergone by the bell-shaped element 25
inwardly of the seat 21, and each the interspace 14
between the flexible bag 13 and the outer container 1.
Due to the absence of intervening
obstructions, the air can also flow beneath the bag 13
past the position of the ends 18, 19 and 18a, l9a of
the opener legs and gradually cause the bag to overturn
until emptied completely.
With specific reference to Figure 6, it may
be noted that the dispenser of this invention includes
a head, generally indicated by numeral reference 27.
This head has, on its inner side, a delivery conduit 28
provided with a delivery orifice 29 at its end 30, and
an inlet orifice 31 at its opposite end 32. The inlet
orifice 31 is into communication with that axial
passageway 10 of the plate-like element 8 by means of a
front connection of the edge of the end 32 with an
annular groove 33 formed on the element 8 around the
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axial passageway 10. The profiles of the cross-section
of the groove 33 and of the edge of the end 32 mate
with each other interlocked relationship.
A plurality of holes 8a is provided in the
bottom of annular groove 33.
Said holes 8a, which can be seen in Figure 2,
go across the thickness of the plate-like element 8 and
open into the interspace 14.
At the location of the inlet orifice 31, the
delivery conduit 28 is provided with a one-way valve
means which opens in the direction toward the delivery
orifice 29. This valve means comprises a cap 34 made
from polypropylene, for example, which can be displaced
angularly (see Figure 2) about a point 35 of attachment
to a ring 36 which bears sealingly on an snnulus 36a
against which said cap 34 abuts in the sealing
position.
The hinge-like point 35 of attachment is
sized to hold, in its rest condition, the cap 34 in the
closed position.
The head 27 is further provided with
connecting means for connection to the open top 3 of
the container 1. This means comprises a ring-like rib
37 formed around the edge 38 of the head and a
counter-rib 39 formed on the edge 5 of the aperture 4
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of the container 1.
Lastly, the head 27 includes a thread-down
cap 40 with a tamper-proof band 41, for closing the
delivery orifice 29.
With reference now to the embodiment shown in
Figure 7, the rib 37 for connection of the head 27 to
the container 1 is shown formed on a ring-like band 42
which is connected axially to the head 27 by a
self-hinge flexible bridge 43 and interlockingly
matched profiles 44 and 45 formed along the confronting
edges of the head 27 and the band 42, respectively, in
regions extending laterally of the bridge 43.
In the same embodiment as shown in Figure 7,
the plate-like element 8 is provided with a grip ring
46, concentrical with the axial passageway 10, which is
substantially co-planar with the plate-like element 8,
in the rest position, and is connected to the latter by
a self-hinge flexible bridge 47.
The grip ring 46 can be raised by angular
displacement about the bridge 47, as shown in Figure 7,
and used to pull out of the container 1 the structural
assembly formed by the plate-like element 8 and the
flexible bag 13 when the latter has been emptied
completely, and replace it with another assembly with a
full bag 13.
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The embodiment just described enables
repeated use of the container 1 and its head 27 by
replacing emptied bags 13 with full bags in a
refill-like fashion.
It will be appreciated from the foregoing
description that, with this invention, the flexible bag
13 requires no direct connection to the interior walls
of the outer container 1, either at the mouth or any
intermediate peripheral region thereof.
The bag 13, being held under constant tension
by the ends 18, 19 and 18a, l9a of the opener legs
placed inside it, enables exhau~tive delivery of the
product contained therein. In addition, by virtue of
its connection to the collar 11 of the plate-like
element in a detachable fashion from the container
together with the internal opener leg pairs 16, 17 and
16a, 17a, the bag 13 can be filled, where required,
separately from the container 1, thereby to provide a
separate refill item and affording all the advantages
mentioned hereinabove.
With reference to Figure 9, which discloses a
different embodiment of the opener of Figure 8, the leg
pair 16 and 17 is replaced by a pair of smaller legs
160 and 170 which are connected to each other by a
flexible strip-like annular element 171, at their
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farthest position from the support 150. Said annular
element 171 is flat and substantially thick as the legs
160 and 171. Its outllne, when inserted in the bag 13
and not pressed, is such to mate the outline of the
inner side of the container 1 whereas its axial
extension or wedth is symmetrically decreasing from the
location of the legs 160 and 170 to the opposite
locations 172 and 173.
The axial width at said opposite locations
172 and 173 is such to allow the annular element 171 to
pass through the opening 4 of the container by means of
a tilting movement during the assembling steps of the
dispenser, as shown in Figure 10.
The operation of a dispenser according to the
invention can be appreciated from the foregoing
description: after removing the protective cap 40 and
while holding the outer container 1 in one hand, by
application of a pressure force to the resilient walls
6 and 7 one will cause the bag 13 and the elastic
opener leg pair 16 and 17 or 160 and 170 to become
compressed.
As a result, a selected amount of the viscous
product can be urged out past the one-way valve 34
which opens toward the delivery orifice 2g.
On relieving the walls 6 and 7 of the
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container 1 of the compressive force, and as such walls
spring back to their normal positions, the opener leg
pair 16 and 17 or 160 and 170 will develop a lateral
thrust force inside the bag 13 and again stretch it to
its maximum diaMeter as allowed by the transverse
dimensions of the bag 13 before it contacts the inside
surfaces of the walls 6 and 7 of the container 1.
Concurrently therewith, as the cap 34 is
closed against the abutment ring 36, the bell-shaped
element 25 will deform elastically toward the hollow
seat 21 and allow the air present in the cavity 27a of
the head 27, which is not sealed off around its outer
edge, to flow from the outside into the container 1 and
the lower areas of the bag 13 through the interspace
14.
The dispenser of this invention is assembled
by first connecting the support 15 for the opener legs
to the plate-like element 8, specifically by attaching
it to the inner wall of the collar 11.
At this stage, using a holding tool, not
shown, passe~ through the axial passageway 10, in the
caYe of the embodiment of Figure 8, the elastic legs
16, 17 and 16a, 17a are engaged with the tool and held
gathered together in a converging condition. Specially
useful to this aim is the recess 48 provided in the
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interconnection region of the ends 18, 19 and 18a, l9a
to the respective legs 16, 17 and 16a, 17a.
The assembly including the plate-like element
8 and the opener legs 16, 1? and 16a, 17a held gathered
by the tool is brought toward the bag 13, and the legs,
while still held in the tool, are inserted through the
mouth 12 until the latter locates around the outer
surface of the collar 11.
The mouth 12 of the bag is now welded to the
collar 11 using conventional welding equipment.
On completion of the welding step, the
assembly is inserted into the container 1 and the
plate-like element 8 is air-tight fixed with its edge 9
to the edge 5 of the container 1.
This seal may be enhanced by a wall section
9a fitting as a stopper inside the mouth 4 of the
container 1.
At that point, the opener legs 16, 17 and
16a, 17a are released from the holding tool and the
tool is taken out axially through the passageway 10,
thereby the opener legs will spring to their bag 13
stretching positions.
This is followed by the filling step of
fitting the head 27.
During the filling step, the holes 8a,
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provided in the bottom of the groove 33, allow the exit
of the air from the interspace 14, whereas when the
head 27 is fitted on the container 1, they become
air-tight closed by the end 32 of the delivery conduit
28 which is inserted into the groove 33.
