Device For Dispensing A Preferably Cosmetic Fluid

Abstract

The invention relates to a device (1), comprising a valve element (2) and a valve seat (4) associated therewith, for dispensing a preferably cosmetic fluid. The invention also relates to the use of thermoplastic silicone for producing a valve element. The aim of the invention is to produce the aforementioned device in a simple and inexpensive manner. For this purpose, the valve element (2) is produced from a thermoplastic silicone. The valve element is especially injection-molded from thermoplastic silicone at a processing temperature of from 140° C. to 250° C.

Description

The present invention relates to a device for dispensing a preferably cosmetic fluid as set forth in the preamble of claim 1 as well to a use of thermoplastic silicon for manufacturing a valve element of such a device.

The fluid is, particularly, a liquid, a foam, a gel, a lotion, a suspension or the like. As needed, the fluid can also contain dissolved gas or a gas phase. The term “cosmetic liquid” is intended to refer, in its narrower meaning, above all to bodily care and cleaning products, cosmetics, and the like, such as shaving foam, shaving gel, hair gel or the like. However, technical or other liquids also come into consideration. In the following, for the sake of simplicity and due to the emphasized use, only “cosmetic fluid” is mentioned in many cases.

EP 0 442 858 A2 discloses a dispensing device with a rigid lower part and an elastic upper part. A pump chamber is formed between the upper part and the lower part. The upper part is designed as a single piece and has a flap-like valve element to form an intake valve in the pump chamber. Moreover, the upper part, together with the lower part, forms a delivery valve. For this purpose, a groove-like delivery channel is formed with a curved cross-section into which a delivery section of the upper part is elastically pretensioned. The lower part is preferably made of polypropylene or polyethylene by means of injection molding. The upper part is preferably vacuum-formed of thermoplastic polyethylene. The known dispensing device does not function satisfactorily, since a trouble-free closure of the valves is not always ensured. Moreover, the manufacture of the upper part and lower part is elaborate because it requires different methods.

The object of the present invention is to provide a device and a use of thermoplastic silicon for the manufacture of a valve element, so that simple, inexpensive manufacture particularly of all parts through injection molding is made possible with good sealing and closing characteristics of the valve element.

The abovementioned object is achieved by a device as set forth in claim 1 or a use as set forth in claim 15. Advantageous modifications are the subject of the subsidiary claims.

One essential idea of the present invention lies in the manufacture of the valve element of thermoplastic silicon.

The elasticity of the silicon is very advantageous with respect to the sealing effect and plasticity of the valve element.

By using thermoplastic silicon, a substantially simpler processing is made possible, particularly by means of conventional injection molding. This is not possible with conventional silicon manufactured from two components immediately prior to processing and very considerably reduces the mechanical complexity and time required.

Particularly, the proposed use of thermoplastic silicon to manufacture a valve element of a device for dispensing a preferably cosmetic fluid, with the valve element being injection-molded at a processing temperature of 140° C. to 250° C., makes manufacture simple and inexpensive. Particularly, conventional injection molds and injection machinery can be used here.

Especially preferably, a provision is made that the valve element is injected at least in part directly against the valve seat and/or another part of the device—particularly in the same mold in which the valve seat or the part was injected previously. The valve and the part can particularly be manufactured from an inexpensive polyolefin such as polypropylene. This results in a very simple and inexpensive manufacturing process. Particularly, an otherwise required assembly of the valve element in the device, particularly at the valve seat or other parts of the device, can be omitted. Moreover, special machines for special manufacture of the valve element are not necessary.

The valve element is preferably elastically pretensioned against the valve seat and is designed to be self-closing. This permits a simple construction.

The valve element is preferably fastened non-positively or positively to the device, particularly by means of at least one engagement part or through injection. This allows, particularly in combination with the preferred immediate injection of the valve element, for very simple manufacture, since other mounting or fastening steps can be omitted.

Further advantages, features, characteristics and aspects of the present invention follow from the claims and the following description of a preferred embodiment based on the drawing. The sole FIGURE shows:

a perspective, exploded view of a proposed valve device.

FIG. 1 shows a proposed device 1 for dispensing a preferably cosmetic fluid (not shown) in the sense indicated at the outset. The device 1 can, particularly, be designed as a dispenser head or actuator, a dosing pump or hand-operated pump or the like. The device 1 can also be integrated into another device, such as a pump or the like.

The device 1 has a preferably at least partially elastically deformable valve element 2 which is provided with a particularly arched or channeled contact area 3.

The device 1 further has a valve seat 4 allocated to the valve element 2 or its contact area 3 which is formed in the example shown by a particularly arched or cap-like part 5 of the device 1. The part 5 or the valve seat 4 and the valve element 2 together form a valve of the device 1 for the fluid.

The valve element 2 and the part 5 are depicted in FIG. 1 as being spaced apart from other or in exploded view merely for the sake of illustration. In fact, the valve element 2 is preferably not manufactured separately from the part 5 but rather directly injection-molded against same.

The valve element 2 is preferably provided with at least one engagement part 6 which engages into a corresponding undercut or recess 7 on the valve seat 4 or part 5 in order to ensure a secure fastening of the valve element 2 and/or seal. However, a constructive reversal is also possible here in which the engagement part 6 is disposed or formed on the part 5.

The valve element 2 and part 5 are preferably connected to each other—particularly also inseparably—by means of other engagement parts (not shown) which engage, for example, in recesses or openings 8 and bring about a particularly positive connection.

The valve seat 4 and/or the part 5 are preferably injection-molded, particularly from a thermoplast, very preferably from a polyolefin such as polypropylene or the like, and particularly rigidly. However, other suitable materials can be used.

The valve element 2 is particularly injection-molded directly against the valve seat 4 or the part 5. Preferably, the injection of the valve element 2 takes place in the same injection mold in which the part 5 was injection-molded with the valve seat 4 after the part 5 is at least solid enough for injection of the valve element 2. This results in very simple, quick and inexpensive manufacture.

In the finished state, the valve element 2 is adjacent with its preferably channeled contact area 3 to the valve seat 4 or engages in same. This forms a valve of the device 1, which is preferably designed to be self-closing. Optionally, the valve element 2, particularly its contact area 3, is elastically pretensioned against the valve seat in order to achieve a good seal. This pretensioning can be achieved by means of appropriate dimensional adaptation and consideration of the shrinking behavior upon cooling.

The valve or contact area 3 is preferably enclosed by the engagement element 6 on all sides or in a U-shape, with the engagement element 6 engaging inseparably into the correspondingly continuous recess 7, so that the fluid exiting from the part 5 through the delivery opening 9 can only be discharged between valve seat 4 and contact area 3—along the groove.

As needed, the valve can be opened by manual actuation or the like. In the example shown, the opening of the valve takes place particularly in that the fluid (not shown) lifts up the valve element 2, particularly only its contact area 3, when there is sufficient fluid pressure—particularly when the device 1 is pressed down to open a feed valve—so that the valve of the device 1 is opened and the dispensing of the fluid is made possible. When a certain pressure is undershot, the valve preferably closes automatically as a result of the restoring forces bringing the valve element 2 or its contact area 3 to rest again on the valve seat 4.

According to the inventive proposal, the valve element 2 consists of thermoplastic silicon. Beyond the normal elastic characteristics of a silicon, the silicon is thermoplastic. Particularly, it is a copolymer, such as a two-phase-constructed block copolymer, very especially preferably a polydimethyl siloxane urea copolymer. The Shore A hardness of the silicon is preferably 40 to 100, particularly 60 to 100 (measured per DIN 53505).

The use of the thermoplastic silicon allows for a considerable simplification of the manufacture. Particularly, the injection molds, injection machinery or the like used for the other components such as the part 5 or the valve seat 4 can also be used to manufacture the valve element 2. Particularly, in contrast to conventional silicon, the thermoplastic silicon does not require working at significantly elevated temperatures, no processing of two components to manufacture the silicon, and no (substantial) hardening after molding.

Rather, the thermoplastic silicon allows for the injection molding manufacture of even thin-walled, elastic valve elements 2 at a processing temperature of preferably 140° C. to 250° C.

In the example shown, the valve element 2 is designed at least substantially in the manner of a disc, with the engagement part 6 and other optional engagement elements (not shown) which engage in openings 8 in the part 5 ensuring a secure fastening of the valve element 2 on the part 5. Particularly, after injection, the valve element 2 is connected inseparably to the part 5. Despite the immediate injection, the valve element 2 is able to separate from or lift off the part 5 or valve seat 4 in the desired areas, particularly with its contact area 3, in order to open the valve. This is a special characteristic and advantage of thermoplastic silicon. Namely, it does not bond directly to the material of the part 5 upon injection.

The device 1 can have a pump chamber which is preferably delimited or formed at least to some degree by the part 5. Particularly, fluid can then be dispensed from the pump chamber through manual deformation of the part 5, particularly through pressing down, via the valve formed by the contact area 3 and the valve seat 4. The part 5 is then appropriately designed to be elastically deformable for this purpose. Subsequently, fluid can be taken up, particularly sucked, back into the pump chamber through preferably self-actuating elastic resetting of the part 5.

According to one variation (not shown), the valve element 2 can also be manufactured, particularly injection-molded, separately and, independently from the valve seat 4/part 5, and in such case not be solidly attached to same in the assembled state. Alternatively or in addition, with its outstanding characteristics, the thermoplastic silicon can also be used for another particularly injection-molded part of the device 1 in the abovementioned manner.

Claims

1. Device for dispensing a preferably cosmetic fluid, with a particularly elastically deformable valve element and particularly with an allocated valve seat (4), wherein the valve element consists of thermoplastic silicon.

2. Device as set forth in claim 1, wherein the valve element is injection-molded, particularly injection-molded directly against the valve seat or another part of the device, particularly the part forming the valve seat.

3. Device as set forth in claim 1, wherein the valve element is elastically pretensioned against the valve seat.

4. Device as set forth in claim 1, wherein the valve element is designed to be self-closing.

5. Device as set forth in claim 1, wherein the valve element can be opened by manual actuation and/or pressure of the fluid.

6. Device as set forth in claim 1, wherein the valve element fastened non-positively and/or positively to the device or its part, particularly by means of at least one engagement part.

7. Device as set forth in claim 1, wherein the silicon is a copolymer, preferably a two-phase-constructed block copolymer, particularly a polydimethyl siloxane urea copolymer.

8. Device as set forth in claim 1, wherein the silicon has a Shore A hardness of 60 to 100.

9. Device as set forth in claim 1, wherein the valve seat consists of a thermoplast, preferably a polyolefin, particularly polypropylene.

10. Device as set forth in claim 1, wherein the valve seat is injection-molded.

11. Device as set forth in claim 1, wherein the valve seat is formed by an elastically deformable, preferably one-piece part of the device.

12. Device as set forth in claim 1, wherein the device has a pump chamber which is delimited or formed at least partially by a part of the device, particularly wherein fluid can be dispensed from the pump chamber through manual deformation of the part and can be subsequently taken up, particularly sucked, into the pump chamber through preferably self-actuating elastic resetting of the part.

13. Device as set forth in claim 1, wherein the valve element forms, particularly together with the valve seat, an inlet, delivery, one-way or dispenser valve for the fluid.

14. Device as set forth in claim 1, wherein the device is designed as a dispenser head, manually actuated pump or dispenser.

15. Use of thermoplastic silicon to manufacture a valve element of a device for dispensing a preferably cosmetic fluid, with the valve element being injection-molded from the silicon at a processing temperature of 140 to 250° C.

16. Use as set forth in claim 15, wherein the valve element is injection-molded directly against a valve seat of the device.

17. Use as set forth in claim 16, wherein the valve seat or a part of the device forming same is injection-molded before the valve element—particularly in the same injection mold.

18. Use as set forth in claim 16, wherein the valve seat or a part of the device forming same is manufactured from a thermoplast, preferably from a polyolefin, particularly polypropylene.

19. Use as set forth in claim 15, wherein the silicon is a copolymer, preferably a two-phase-constructed block copolymer, particularly a polydimethyl siloxane urea copolymer.

20. Use as set forth in claim 15, wherein the silicon has a Shore A hardness of 60 to 100.