Packaging and dispenser device comprising an endpiece, and a flexible pouch fastened to the endpiece

Abstract

A packaging and dispenser device may include: a flexible pouch including a top edge, and a dispenser endpiece onto which the pouch is fastened. The dispenser endpiece may include: a tubular body including an axis, and defining at least one inlet orifice and a dispenser orifice; and two fins that are substantially diametrally opposite, and that are situated on either side of the tubular body. Each fin may include at least one tapering portion that includes two downwardly-converging opposite faces. Each fin may include, over at least a fraction of its length, a projection forming an abutment for the top edge of the pouch.

Description

This non provisional application claims the benefit of French Application No. 05 52714 filed on Sep. 8, 2005 and U.S. Provisional application Ser. No. 60/719,964 filed on Sep. 26, 2005, the entire disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference.

The present invention relates to a packaging and dispenser device comprising an endpiece made of plastics material, and to a flexible pouch fastened to the endpiece.

BACKGROUND

U.S. Pat. No. 6,612,466 discloses an example of an endpiece comprising a tubular body, a collar, and below said collar, two diametrally-opposite fins presenting constant thickness in the axial direction, and tapering in the radial direction.

When the endpiece includes a threaded neck in order to receive a cap, the consumer must grip the cap with one hand, and the pouch with the other, and turn one relative to the other in order to unscrew the cap.

Since the pouch is not rigid, twisting occurs below the cap, which twisting deforms the pouch giving it an unattractive twisted appearance, and makes the device awkward to use.

One solution for remedying that problem can consist in making, below the collar, a wide hollow portion of lenticular cross-section, the opposite walls of the flexible pouch being fastened to the long sides of the wide hollow portion.

Such a solution presents the drawback of leaving a certain amount of composition inside the wide hollow portion that is difficult to extract from the pouch.

In addition, the plastics material of the endpiece presents a certain amount of permeability to air, and the relatively large exchange area can degrade preservation of the composition contained in the pouch.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,126,167 discloses an endpiece that also includes two diametrally-opposite fins tapering in the radial direction. Such an endpiece does not solve, in entirely satisfactory manner, the problem of gas exchange through the plastics material of the endpiece, and it makes it difficult to empty the pouch completely because of the possibility of composition accumulating below the endpiece.

US 2003/0172950 describes an endpiece including two fins provided with recesses for achieving a saving in material.

SUMMARY

Consequently, there exists a need to benefit from a packaging and dispenser device in which the endpiece is easy to fasten to the pouch with a relative accurate positioning, which is easy to use, for example when unscrewing the cap, and which also provides satisfactory emptying of the pouch, as well as good preservation from air, when the composition contained in said pouch is sensitive to oxidizing.

In one of its aspects, the invention provides a packaging and dispenser device comprising a flexible pouch, and a dispenser endpiece onto which the pouch is fastened, the dispenser endpiece comprising:

• • a tubular body having an axis, and defining at least one inlet orifice and a dispenser orifice; and
  • two fins that are substantially diametrally opposite, and that are situated on either side of the body, each fin having at least one axially-tapering portion that tapers in the axial direction going away from the dispenser orifice. The fins may include, over at least a fraction of their length, i.e. along their longitudinal axis, downwardly-converging opposite faces, said faces possibly extending over a major fraction of the height of said portion, or indeed over substantially the entire height of the fins.

The fins may also include over at least a fraction of their length at least one projection forming on abutment for a top edge of the pouch. The pouch may thus easily be fastened in a relative accurate way to the endpiece. This projection may define a shoulder or an edge with at least one of the faces of the fins or with both of them and may include one or several ribs extending over at least a portion of the top edge of the fins.

In addition, tapering the fins reduces gas exchange through the endpiece, as well as the volume of composition likely to remain trapped in the device at the end of its life.

The fins may comprise longitudinal top and bottom edges and at least a portion presenting two opposite faces converging from the top edge towards the bottom edge.

In another of its aspects, the invention also provides a packaging and dispenser device comprising a flexible pouch, and an endpiece onto which the pouch is fastened, the endpiece comprising a tubular body, and two diametrally-opposite fins extending from the tubular body, the pouch comprising two opposite walls that are heat-sealed together, and that define an inside space for containing the composition, in which device the fins are isolated from the inside space of the pouch over at least a fraction of their length by means of a zone in which the walls are heat-sealed together.

The heat-sealing zone isolates the inside space from the plastics material of the endpiece, thereby making it possible to reduce the gas exchange through the plastics material of the endpiece, and improves the emptying of the pouch.

The fins may advantageously be isolated from the inside space over their entire length by a zone in which the walls of the pouch are heat-sealed together. Said zone may extend underlying the longitudinal bottom edge of the fins.

The endpiece is thus in contact with the composition only in the central portion of the body, the fins being completely integrated in the heat-sealing of the walls of the tube.

Each of the fins may include at least one oblique portion having a longitudinal axis extending obliquely relative to the axis of the tubular body.

In another exemplary embodiment, each of the fins may include at least one perpendicular portion having a longitudinal axis extending perpendicularly relative to the axis of the tubular body. At least one of the longitudinal top edge, longitudinal bottom edge or both of them may include a portion extending perpendicularly to the longitudinal axis of the tubular body.

When the device is observed with the axis of the body of the vertical endpiece and the dispenser orifice at the top, the fins may generally extend downwards.

The fins may include a portion comprising downwardly-converging opposite faces converging along a direction parallel to the axis of the tubular body.

The fins may or may not be substantially rectilinear, e.g. each fin may include a downwardly-directed bend.

Over at least a fraction of its top edge, each fin may further include two opposite ribs. The top edge of the pouch may come to bear substantially against the underside(s) of the rib(s).

At least one fin may extend in the radial direction over a distance that is greater than 10 millimeters (mm), so as to make it easier to unscrew a cap that is mounted on the endpiece.

Each of the fins may include an end portion that tapers away from the tubular body.

The body may include a collar. The distal ends of the fins may be further from the axis of the body than is the collar.

The collar may include at least one flat that is substantially parallel to the fins, and in particular two diametrally-opposite flats that are substantially parallel to the fins.

The body may include a threaded neck extending between the collar and the dispenser orifice, so as to receive a closure cap.

The device may include rounded junctions between the fins and the tubular body, beside the inlet orifice.

The pouch may advantageously be heat-sealed on the endpiece, and it may comprise two opposite main walls that are heat-sealed on the fins.

The main walls may advantageously be heat-sealed together along at least a fraction of the length of the fins, and below said fins.

The longitudinal edges of the pouch may be further from the axis of the body than are the distal ends of the fins. In a variant, the longitudinal edges of the pouch may be closer to the axis of the body than are the distal ends of the fins.

In another of its aspect, the invention provides a packaging and dispenser device comprising a flexible pouch, and an endpiece onto which the pouch is fastened, the endpiece comprising a tubular body having an axis, and defining at least one inlet orifice and a dispenser orifice, and two fins that are substantially diametrally opposite, and that are situated on either side of the body, each fin comprising a longitudinal top edge and longitudinal bottom edge, and at least a portion presenting two opposite faces converging from the longitudinal top edge towards the longitudinal bottom edge, the pouch comprising two opposite walls that are heat-sealed together, and that define an inside space for containing the composition, in which device the fins are isolated from the inside space of the pouch over at least a fraction of their length, or over their entire length by a zone in which in the walls are heat-sealed together.

In another of its aspect, the invention also provides a packaging and dispenser device comprising a flexible pouch, and an endpiece onto which the pouch is fastened, the endpiece comprising a tubular body having an axis, and defining at least one inlet orifice and a dispenser orifice, and two fins that are substantially diametrally opposite, and that are situated on either side of the body, each fin comprising at least one portion having a longitudinal axis extending obliquely relative to the axis of the tubular body, this portion presenting two opposite faces converging downwards, along a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of said portion.

In another of its aspect, the invention also provides a packaging and dispenser device comprising a flexible pouch, and an endpiece onto which the pouch is fastened, the endpiece comprising a tubular body having an axis, and defining at least one inlet orifice and a dispenser orifice, and two fins that are substantially diametrally opposite, and that are situated on either side of the body, each fin comprising at least one portion having a longitudinal axis extending obliquely relative to the axis of the tubular body, this portion presenting two opposite faces converging downwards, along a direction parallel to the axis of the tubular body.

By way of example, the pouch is made from a heat-sealable composite sheet, that may include a metal layer.

By way of example, the pouch contains a composition that must not be exposed to air during storage, for example a cosmetic or dermatologic composition. Such a cosmetic composition is for instance a hair colorant.

The invention may also provide an endpiece for a packaging and applicator device as defined above.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention can be better understood on reading the following detailed description of non-limiting embodiments thereof, and on examining the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic view in elevation showing an example of a device made in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 2 is a section on II-II of FIG. 1;

Figure 3 is a diagrammatic cross-section on III-III of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the FIG. 1 endpiece in isolation;

FIG. 5 is an axial section of the FIG. 4 endpiece;

FIG. 6 is a side view of the FIG. 4 endpiece;

FIG. 7 is a plan view of the FIG. 4 endpiece;

FIG. 8 is a cross-section on VIII-VIII of FIG. 5;

FIGS. 9 and 11 are diagrammatic and fragmentary views similar to FIG. 1, showing variant embodiments of the invention; and

FIGS. 10 and 12 are sections on X-X and XII-XII respectively.

MORE DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1 shows a packaging and dispenser device 1 comprising a flexible pouch 2 that is fastened, at its top, to an endpiece 3.

The pouch 2 comprises two main walls 4 and 5 that are heat-sealed together at their periphery, and that are heat-sealed to the endpiece 3, in such as manner as to form an inside space for containing the composition, the heat-sealing being represented by a hatched zone in FIG. 1.

The endpiece is made of plastics material, e.g. of polyethylene.

In the embodiment under consideration, the pouch 2 has two longitudinal edges 6 that extend along a longitudinal axis X, and a bottom wall 7 that extends substantially perpendicularly to the axis X, but other shapes are possible.

As can be seen in FIG. 4, the endpiece 3 comprises a tubular body 8 of axis Y, the top of the body including a threaded neck 10 that defines a dispenser orifice 11 for the composition.

The threaded neck 10 can receive a closure cap, not shown, that screws onto the endpiece.

The bottom of the body 8 includes a skirt 13 that defines, at its bottom end, an inlet orifice 14 for the composition.

The body 8 includes a collar 15 at the base of the threaded neck 10.

The endpiece 3 includes two diametrally-opposite fins each extending from the skirt 13 along a longitudinal axis Z that slopes downwards in the embodiment under consideration, and that forms, relative to the longitudinal axis Y of the body 8, a non-zero angle α, e.g. close to 80°, as shown in FIG. 5.

In a variant, not shown, the angle α could be equal to 90°.

In the embodiment under consideration, the fins 20 extend in rectilinear manner along the axis Z, but this could be otherwise, as described below.

As shown in FIG. 8, each fin 20 presents, in cross-section, a thickness e that tapers downwards, and that includes two main faces 23 that form between them an angle β, which, for example, lies in the range 5° to 10°, e.g. about 8°. The main faces 23 are downwardly-converging along a direction parallel to the axis Y of the body 8.

Along its top longitudinal edge, each fin 20 includes two longitudinal ribs 24, each defining a shoulder 25 with the corresponding face 23 of the fin. With the ribs 24, the top of each fin thus forms a flat 27 that slopes downwards a little.

The distance D between the distal ends 30 of the fins 20 is much greater than the distance d between the opposite ends 31 of the collar 15 that is situated in the plane of the fins, thereby enabling the device to be held securely by the user while the cap is being unscrewed.

The fins 20 taper at their distal ends 30, as can be seen in particular in FIGS. 4 and 6, thereby avoiding damaging the walls of the pouch. For the same purpose, the bottom and top comers 33 and 34 of each fin are rounded at its distal end.

Rounded junctions 35 are provided between the skirt 13 and the longitudinal bottom edges 37 of the fins 20.

In the embodiment under consideration, the collar 15 includes two diametrally-opposite flats 38 that are substantially parallel to the longitudinal axes Z of the fins 20.

When the pouch 2 is assembled with the endpiece 3, the walls 4 and 5 of the pouch are heat-sealed on the skirt 13, and on the opposite faces 23 of the fins 20, as shown in FIG. 2, and they are also heat-sealed together below said faces in a zone 40, as shown in FIG. 2, thereby preventing any accumulation of composition under the endpiece, and also reducing gas exchange through the endpiece. This zone 40 in which the walls of the pouch are heat-sealed together extends underlying the longitudinal bottom edge of the fins.

The top edges 41 of the walls 4 and 5 advantageously come to bear against the edge of the undersides of the ribs 24 of the fins 20, and of the collar 15, the axis Y of the endpiece coinciding with the axis X of the pouch, in the embodiment under consideration. The ribs 24 may thus form an abutment against which the top edge of the walls of the pouch may bear.

The longitudinal edges 6 can be further from the axis X than are the distal ends 30 of the fins.

In a variant, as shown in FIG. 9, the fins 20 can extend beyond the longitudinal edges 6 of the pouch, said fins presenting a bent shape with a downwardly-sloping proximal portion 44, and a distal portion 43 that extends substantially parallel to the axis Y of the endpiece.

In such a variant, the walls 4 and 5 of the pouch can be heat-sealed together below the proximal portion 44, and along a region 46 adjacent to a distal portion 43, on the inside of the pouch, as shown in FIG. 10.

Each distal portion 43 advantageously presents a side 45 that tapers towards the axis Y, so as to make it easier to assemble the walls 4 and 5 in the zone 46.

The ribs 24 need not extend over the entire length of the proximal portion 44 of the fins.

In another variant, shown in FIG. 11, the fins 20 present a bent shape, but their radially outermost edge is nearer to the axis Y than are the longitudinal edges 6 of the pouch, thereby making it possible to assemble the walls 4 and 5 on either side of each distal portion 43, not only along a zone 46 situated on the inside, but also along an assembly zone 49 situated on the outside, as can be seen in FIG. 12.

The distal portion 43 advantageously presents a shape that tapers both inwards and outwards, so as to make it easier to assemble the walls 4 and 5.

Naturally, the invention is not limited to a particular shape of pouch, and said pouch could be elongate to a greater or lesser extent, the terms “pouch” and “tube” being considered as being synonymous in the present application.

In all of the embodiments described, the ribs 24 could be omitted.

The pouch could be made from various different materials, and in particular from a composite sheet.

By way of example, such a sheet could be a multi-layer laminate comprising:

• • a metal layer, e.g. made from aluminum, or from an alloy containing aluminum;
  • an adhesive agent on one side of the metal layer, e.g. comprising a copolymer containing at least 7% by weight of carboxylic and/or carboxylate motifs, the carboxylic motifs possibly being in the form of acid; and
  • a layer of a non-metallic material that is connected to the metal layer via the adhesive agent, e.g. a thermoplastic material, preferably polymer, e.g. polyethylene.

By way of example, the carboxylate motif is an acrylate or methacrylate motif, e.g. ethyl acrylate. By way of example, the carboxylic motif is an acrylic or methacrylic acid. The copolymer could contain at least a second monomer presenting an alkyl motif having an alkyl chain that contains 2 to 10 carbon atoms.

By way of example, the adhesive agent is a copolymer of ethyl acrylate and ethylene, or of acrylic acid and ethylene.

By way of example, the adhesive agent could contain 7% to 19%, more particularly 8% to 11%, or even 8.5% to 10.5%, and preferably 9.7% by weight of an acrylic acid, or of an acrylic ester.

The composite structure could include a second outer structure next to the metal layer, this outer structure possibly being made from a thermoplastic material, in particular polymer, e.g. polyethylene terephthalate, for defining the outer surface of the pouch. This outer structure could be secured to the metal layer by means of a layer of a second adhesive agent, in particular a polyurethane-based adhesive.

Other composite-sheet structures are possible.

The packaging device could contain a cosmetic or dermatological product such as a hair colorant that must not be exposed to air during storage. By way of example, the composition is a composition containing at least one alkaline agent that is selected, for example, from ammonia, and/or ethanolamine, and/or sodium silicate, and could, for example, contain at least one oxidizing base, and possibly at least one coupling agent, and one or more direct colorants.

The expression “comprising a” should be understood as being synonymous with “comprising at least one”, unless specified to the contrary.

Although the present invention herein has been described with reference to particular embodiments, it is to be understood that these embodiments are merely illustrative of the principles and applications of the present invention. It is therefore to be understood that numerous modifications may be made to the illustrative embodiments and that other arrangements may be devised without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A packaging and dispenser device comprising:

a flexible pouch comprising a top edge, and

a dispenser endpiece onto which the pouch is fastened, the dispenser endpiece comprising: a tubular body including an axis, and defining at least one inlet orifice and a dispenser orifice; and two fins that are substantially diametrally opposite, and that are situated on either side of the tubular body, each fin including at least one tapering portion that includes two downwardly-converging opposite faces, wherein each fin includes over at least a fraction of a length thereof a projection forming an abutment for the top edge of the pouch.

2. A device according to claim 1, the projection comprising a rib that extends over at least a fraction of a top edge of the fins.

3. A device according to claim 1, wherein each of the fins includes at least one oblique portion including a longitudinal axis that extends obliquely relative to the axis of the tubular body.

4. A device according to claim 1, wherein each of the fins includes at least one perpendicular portion including a longitudinal axis that extends perpendicularly relative to the axis of the tubular body.

5. A device according to claim 1, wherein the pouch comprises two opposite walls that are heat-sealed together, and that define an inside space for containing a composition, the fins being isolated from the inside space over at least a fraction of their length by a zone in which the walls of the pouch are heat-sealed together.

6. A device according to claim 5, wherein the fins are isolated from the inside space over an entire length thereof by the zone in which the walls of the pouch are heat-sealed together.

7. A device according to claim 5, wherein the zone extends underlying a longitudinal bottom edge of each of the fins.

8. A device according to claim 1, wherein the fins generally extend downward.

9. A device according to claim 1, wherein each fin includes at least one portion comprising two opposite faces that downwardly converge along a direction parallel to the axis of the tubular body.

10. A device according to claim 1, wherein each fin includes, over at least a fraction of a top edge thereof, two ribs.

11. A device according to claim 10, wherein each rib defines a shoulder with a corresponding face of the fin.

12. A device according to claim 1, wherein at least one fin extends in a radial direction over a distance that is greater than 10 mm.

13. A device according to claim 1, wherein each of the fins includes an end portion that tapers away from the tubular body of the endpiece.

14. A device according to claim 1, wherein the tubular body includes a collar.

15. A device according to claim 14, wherein distal ends of the fins are further from the axis of the tubular body than is the collar.

16. A device according to claim 14, wherein the body includes a threaded neck that extends between the collar and the dispenser orifice.

17. A device according to claim 1, further comprising rounded junctions between the fins and the tubular body, beside the inlet orifice.

18. A device according to claim 14, wherein the collar includes at least one flat that is substantially parallel to the fins.

19. A device according to claim 14, wherein the collar includes two diametrally opposite flats that are substantially parallel to the fins.

20. A device according to claim 1, wherein the fins are substantially rectilinear.

21. A device according to claim 1, wherein each fin includes a downwardly-directed bend.

22. A device according to claim 1, wherein the pouch is heat-sealed on the endpiece.

23. A device according to claim 22, wherein the pouch comprises two opposite main walls that are heat-sealed on the fins.

24. A device according to claim 1, wherein longitudinal edges of the pouch are further from the axis of the tubular body than are distal ends of the fins.

25. A device according to claim 1, wherein longitudinal edges of the pouch are closer to the axis of the tubular body than are distal ends of the fins.

26. A device according to claim 1, wherein the pouch comprises a composite sheet.

27. A device according to claim 1, wherein the pouch comprises a metal layer.

28. A device according to claim 1, wherein the pouch contains a composition that must not be exposed to air during storage.

29. A device according to claim 1, wherein the pouch contains a hair colorant.

30. A device according to claim 1, wherein the downwardly-converging faces of each fin extend over a major fraction of the tapering portion.

31. A device according to claim 1, wherein the downwardly-converging faces extend over substantially an entire height of the tapering portion.

32. An endpiece for a packaging and applicator device as defined in claim 1.

33. A packaging and dispenser device comprising:

a flexible pouch, and

a dispenser endpiece onto which the pouch is fastened, the dispenser endpiece comprising: a tubular body including an axis, and defining at least one inlet orifice and a dispenser orifice; and two fins that are substantially diametrally opposite, and that are situated on either side of the tubular body, each fin comprising at least one portion including a longitudinal axis that extends obliquely relative to the axis of the tubular body, the at least one portion including two opposite faces that converge along a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis and away from the dispenser orifice.

34. A packaging and dispenser device comprising:

a flexible pouch, and

a dispenser endpiece onto which the pouch is fastened, the dispenser endpiece comprising: a tubular body including an axis, and defining at least one inlet orifice and a dispenser orifice; and two fins that are substantially diametrally opposite, and that are situated on either side of the tubular body, each fin comprising at least one portion including a longitudinal axis that extends obliquely relative to the axis of the tubular body, the at least one portion including two opposite faces that converge along a direction parallel to the axis of the tubular body and away from the dispenser orifice.

35. A packaging and dispenser device comprising:

a flexible pouch, and

an endpiece onto which the pouch is fastened, the endpiece comprising: a tubular body including an axis, and defining at least one inlet orifice and a dispenser orifice, and two fins that are substantially diametrally opposite, and that are situated on either side of the tubular body, each fin comprising a longitudinal top edge and a longitudinal bottom edge and at least a portion that includes two opposite faces converging from the longitudinal top edge toward the longitudinal bottom edge, the pouch comprising two opposite walls that are heat-sealed together, and that define an inside space for containing a composition, the fins being isolated from the inside space of the pouch over at least fraction of a length thereof by a zone in which the walls are heat-sealed together.