RING FOR SECURING A POUCH IN A PRESSURIZED DISPENSER AND METHOD OF PRESSURIZING A PRESSURIZED DISPENSER PROVIDED WITH SUCH A RING

Abstract

A fastening ring for a pressurized dispenser includes a central portion (31) on the exterior face of which is fastened a pouch and whose diameter is smaller than the opening (11) of the container, and a flange (32) for fastening the ring between the edge of the container opening (11) and the peripheral edge (231) of the cup of the container valve. The ring is further provided, on its exterior face, between the central portion (31) and the flange (32), with at least one passage (361), dimensioned so that, when the ring is placed in the opening (11) of a container with its passage(s) situated at the height of the edge of the opening (11) of the container, the passage(s) extend on both sides of the edge of the opening (11) and each passage forms a path setting in contact the outside and inside of the container.

Description

The invention relates to a fastening ring for a pressurized dispenser and to a method of pressurizing a pressurized dispenser provided with a ring according to the invention. The pressurized dispensers for which the ring of the invention is intended are made up of a container, a valve mounted on a cup, and a fastening ring on which is fastened a pouch. The fastening ring is provided with a central portion on the exterior face of which is fastened a pouch and whose transverse cross-section is smaller than the cross-section of the opening of the container for which the ring is intended, and with a flange for fastening the ring between the edge of the opening of the container and the peripheral edge of the cup of the valve and/or to ensure sealing between the ring and the cup and/or between the ring and the edge of the opening of the container, the diameter of the flange being greater than the diameter of the opening of the container for which the ring is intended.

There are several ways of pressurizing a pressurized dispenser depending on whether the valve is a metering valve or a simple valve, whether the product to be packaged is viscous or not, and whether it is located in a pouch or directly in the container.

Initially, the propellant gas was introduced through an opening made in the bottom of the container already containing the product to be packaged. After pressurization, the opening was closed by a small stopper called a plug. This technique is still used in some cases, but other methods have been developed. In the case of a low-viscosity product kept in a pouch protecting it from the propellant gas, it is common to first put the valve with the pouch in the container, lift the cup to introduce the propellant gas into the container through the slot located between the peripheral edge of the cup and the rolled edge of the neck of the container. The cup is then secured to the container by swaging or crimping it. Finally, the pouch is filled with the product to be packaged by making it penetrate via the valve. If the product to be packaged is not placed in a pouch, it is possible to introduce the product first, position the valve on the container, add the propellant gas through the slot created by lifting the valve, and then swage or crimp the valve. The propellant gas can also be added via the valve.

The solution of filling via the valve is not always applicable. It is not suitable, for example, for metering valves which have an intermediate reservoir that cannot be opened both to the outside and to the inside of the container. The solution described above is also not applicable if the product to be packaged is not sufficiently fluid to be able to flow quickly enough through the very narrow path passing through the valve or if the residues cannot be easily cleaned.

If the product to be packaged is too viscous or too thick, as is the case, for example, with silicon, glue, sticky materials, culinary doughs such as dough for churros, it is not possible to make it penetrate into the container or into the internal pouch through the valve, even through a high flow valve. In addition, there is the problem of cleaning the valve after filling, since some of the product generally remains on the wall. Thus, the product must be poured into the container or into the pouch before putting the valve in place. When the product is contained directly in the container, pressurization is performed by introducing the gas between the valve cup and the neck of the container before attaching the cup to the container. If, however, the viscous product is contained in a pouch, it is common for the pouch to be fixed, not to the valve like for fluid products, but to the neck of the container. It can be wedged in a sealed manner between the cup of the valve and the neck of the container, or it can be welded to a fastening ring, the upper part of which is wedged between the neck of the container and the cup. Reference is made, for example, to patent application WO 2013/131846 A1. In this case, the ring provided with the pouch is placed on the neck of the container, with its flange bearing on it, the product is poured into the pouch through the large diameter channel of the ring. After filling, the valve is placed at the top of the ring and its cup is crimped or swaged on the neck of the container while wedging the flange of the ring between them in a sealed manner. The propellant gas is then introduced into the container according to the traditional method, that is to say, via an opening made in the bottom of the container, which opening is then closed by means of a stopper.

The objective of the invention is to simplify the pressurization of a dispenser provided with a valve and a fastening ring on which is fastened a pouch, and thus, to avoid piercing the bottom of the container.

This objective is achieved in accordance with the invention in that the ring is provided with a junction portion located between the central portion and the flange and on the exterior face of which at least one passage is made, the passage or passages not extending beyond said junction portion and being dimensioned so that, when the ring is placed in the opening of a container with its passages located at the height of the edge of the opening of the container, the passage or passages extend on both sides of the edge of the opening and each passage forms a path setting in contact the portion of the exterior face of the ring located outside the container and the portion of the exterior face of the ring located inside the container. It is thus possible to introduce the gas into the container via the passage or passages when the ring is placed in the neck of the housing with its passages at the height of the edge of the opening of the container, projecting above and below said edge.

In order to ensure sealing during pressurization, it is preferable to dimension the flange to ensure sealing between the ring and the peripheral edge of the cup when the ring is placed in the opening of a container with its passage or passages located at the height of the edge of the opening of the container and gas is introduced into the container through the passage or passages.

In a particular variant, the ring is provided with a single annular passage which extends completely around the ring.

The ring can also be provided with at least one of the following elements: (i) a tenon for attaching a dip tube, (ii) a tenon for attaching anti-sagging means, (iii) anti-sagging means, (iv) fins to make it easier to fasten the pouch. It is preferably provided with a flexible pouch fastened to its central portion. By anti-sagging means, it is meant in particular means that prevent the pouch from collapsing, that is to say, from collapsing on itself in a way that creates pockets isolated from the valve and whose contents cannot be extracted.

The ring can be supplied alone or with a pouch fastened to its central portion.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the ring is provided, on its exterior face at the passage or passages, with a shoulder parallel to the flange, the outside diameter of the shoulder being greater than the diameter of the opening of the container and the height of the shoulder being so that the passage or passages extend on both sides of said shoulder.

It can be useful in some cases to equip the ring with a valve equipped with means for fastening it to the fastening ring so that, when the valve is mounted in the ring, it is immobilized with respect to the ring at least in axial direction. The means for fastening the valve on the ring can be constituted by an end-piece fixed to the lower end of the stem of the valve, the end-piece being provided with at least one hook dimensioned so that, when the valve is mounted in the ring with the peripheral edge of its cup bearing against the flange of the ring, the hook or hooks are snapped behind bearing surfaces provided on the ring, preferably behind the lower edge of the central portion of the ring, so that when the valve is mounted in the ring, it is immobilized with respect to the ring at least in axial direction.

The method of the invention is characterized by the following steps:

• (a) introducing the ring into the container so that the pouch is located inside the container;
• (b) filling the pouch with the product to be packaged;
• (c) placing the valve in the ring so that the peripheral edge of the cup of the valve bears against the flange of the ring and ensures a sealed connection;
• (d) displacing the ring if necessary so that the passages for the gas extend on both sides of the edge of the opening of the container;
• (e) introducing the gas into the container through the passages;
• (f) depressing the assembly constituted by the ring and the valve until the peripheral edge of the cup and the flange are in contact with the container;
• (g) sealingly fastening the cup on the container while wedging the flange of the ring between them.

It is preferable in step (g) to fasten the cup to the container by swaging, crimping, or any other method of assembly. If the cup and the container are made of plastic, they can be welded together, for example. In step (e), the cup can be held on the ring so as to form a sealed connection.

In a first embodiment of the process of the invention, in step (a), the ring is introduced into the container until the passage or passages are at the height of the edge of the opening of the container while extending on both sides of the said edge so that it is not necessary to move the ring in step (d).

In a second embodiment of the method, in step (a), the ring is introduced into the container until its flange bears against the edge of the opening of the container. In step (d), the ring is partially taken out of the container until the passage or passages are at the height of the edge of the opening of the container while extending on both sides of the said edge.

In the second embodiment of the method, in step (c), the valve is fastened to the ring by means of fastening means provided on the valve. The valve is preferably fastened to the ring in step (c) by snap-fastening hooks behind bearing surfaces made in the ring. To partially take the ring out of the container in step (d), a traction is exerted on the cup of the valve, for example by suction.

The invention is described in greater detail below with reference to the figures which show:

FIG. 1: a cross-sectional view of a first embodiment of a fastening ring according to the invention;

FIG. 2: an enlarged view (a) of the ring of FIG. 1 and (b) of a second embodiment of a fastening ring according to the invention;

FIG. 3: an exploded view of a dispenser according to a first embodiment;

FIG. 4: an exploded view of the valve of the dispenser of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5: an exploded view of a dispenser according to a second embodiment;

FIG. 6: an exploded cross-sectional view of the valve of the dispenser of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7: an exploded perspective view of the valve of FIG. 5;

FIG. 8: a cross-sectional view of the valve of FIG. 7 mounted on the ring of FIG. 1;

FIG. 9: the different steps of the filling process of the dispenser of the first embodiment;

FIG. 10: the various steps of the method of filling the dispenser of the second embodiment;

FIG. 11: a perspective view of the ring of the invention equipped with a pouch;

FIG. 12: partial cross-sectional view of the dispenser of FIG. 3.

For the sake of clarity of the description, spatial references are used, such as “inferior” and “superior”, “above” and “below”, or “inside the container” and “outside the container”. It should be noted that the ring on the one hand and the valve on the other hand are manufactured independently of each other and independently of the container. The protection is directed in particular to the ring alone. Therefore, the spatial references are made with respect to the ring and the valve as they are intended to be used assembled in a pressure distributor whose valve is placed above the container. This does not prevent the dispenser from being used in all positions, in particular with the valve under the container. In addition, the valve, the ring, and the container all have a certain rotational symmetry about an axis (A) passing through the stem, the ring and the container. This axis is visible in FIG. 3. The terms “axial” and “radial” refer to this axis and mean parallel and perpendicular to this axis respectively.

The invention relates to a method for pressurizing a dispenser provided with a valve and an internal pouch. For this purpose, a special ring has been developed. In the exemplary embodiments shown in the figures, the valve selected is a high flow valve. However, the person of the art understands that any type of valve can be used, in particular metering valves, or even traditional valves with which filling through the valve could be envisioned. The dispensers provided with pouches are essentially made up of a container, a valve, a fastening ring and a pouch fastened to the fastening ring.

A fastening ring is generally made up of a central tubular portion (31), on the external face of which the pouch (4) is fastened. The transverse cross-section of this central portion is smaller than the cross-section of the opening (11) of the neck of the container, so that it can penetrate freely into this opening. The central portion (31) is surmounted by a flange (32) that widens away from the axis (A) and whose outer edge has a diameter greater than the diameter of the opening (11) of the neck of the container (1). This flange serves essentially to limit the penetration of the ring into the container. It also serves to ensure sealing between the cup and the ring on the one hand and between the container and the ring on the other hand. Between the central portion (31) and the flange (32), there is a junction portion (33) whose transverse cross-section is also smaller than the cross-section of the opening (11) of the neck of the container, so that it can penetrate freely into the opening. The transverse cross-section of this junction portion is generally greater than the cross-section of the central portion (31), although this is not imperative.

In addition to these main elements, the ring can also be provided with a tenon for fixing, for example, a dip tube. It can also be provided with anti-collapse means (34), for example, in the form of one or more parallel helical elements (341) extending over part or all of the depth of the pouch. The anti-collapse means can be an integral part of the ring as in the present example, or they can be fixed to a tenon, for example, by force-fitting or screwing. They can also be welded by ultrasound or any other suitable method.

Traditionally, filling of a dispenser equipped with a high flow valve and an internal pouch begins by placing the ring in the container so that it bears with its flange (32) on the edge (12) of the opening (11) of the neck of the container. The product to be packaged is introduced into the pouch via the central channel (35) that passes through at least the junction portion (33) and the central portion (31) of the ring. The valve is then introduced into the central channel (35) until the peripheral edge (231) of the cup (23) comes into contact with the flange (32) of the ring and the rolled edge (12) that surrounds (11) the neck of the container. At this stage, the cup is swaged or crimped on the neck so as to ensure sealing between the ring and the cup as well as between the ring and the rolled edge (12).

When the dispenser is filled, the ring is thus wedged between the neck of the container (1) and the cup (23). The product to be packaged is located in the pouch (4) while the propellant gas is located in the space between the pouch and the wall of the container (1). In dispensers for viscous products without a pouch, pressurization takes place before the valve is fastened to the container. To this end, the cup is held above the neck of the container so as to form an annular slot between the cup and the rolled edge of the container. The gas can then be introduced into the container via this annular slot. In the case of a dispenser with an inner pouch, holding the cup above the neck of the container is not sufficient, because the slot thus obtained is located between the cup (23) and the flange (32) of the ring so that the gas would penetrate into the pouch and not into the space between the pouch and the wall of the container. Since the flange (32) of the ring has a diameter smaller than the diameter of the cup, it is not accessible when the cup is placed on it. It is therefore not possible to take hold of the ring to lift it and create a slot between the ring and the rolled edge (12) of the container. This is why pressurization of dispensers with high flow valve and inner pouch can only be done via an opening in the bottom of the container.

The method of the invention provides for passing the gas through passages located between the exterior face of the ring and the neck of the container before permanently pushing down the ring and the valve to close the dispenser, then sealingly fastening the cup to the container.

For this purpose, the ring (3a, 3b) of the invention is provided with one or more passages (361) on the exterior face of its junction portion (33). These passages are limited to the junction portion, that is to say, they do not extend along or beyond the flange, nor along the central portion on which the pouch is fastened. In addition, the passages are dimensioned so that, when the ring is placed in the opening (11) of a container with its passages (361) located at the height of the rolled edge (12) of the opening (11) of the container, the passage or passages extend on both sides of the edge (12) of the opening (11). This situation is clearly visible in particular in FIGS. 9vi, 10vi and 10vii. Each of the passages thus forms a path setting in contact the part of the exterior face of the ring located outside the container and the part of the exterior face of the ring located inside the container. In the example presented here, the passages are in the form of vertical grooves (361) made on the exterior face of the wall of the ring. These grooves are formed in a portion of the wall of the junction portion (33). Their height is so that, when the ring is placed in the opening of the container with its passages located at the height of the rolled edge (12), these passages extend above and below the rolled edge. When the dispenser is ready for use, the junction portion and the passages are located inside the container, outside the pouch. They play no role, so that the presence of the passages (361) in this portion has no effect on the final sealing of the dispenser. This basic version of the ring according to the invention is shown in FIG. 2b.

In a variant embodiment that is not shown, there is only one passage which extends completely around the ring. For this purpose, the transverse cross-section of the junction portion, at least over part of its height, must be so that, when the ring is in the pressurization position, an annular free space is formed between the edge of the opening and the wall of the junction portion at this passage.

In a variant embodiment of the invention shown in FIG. 2a, the ring (3b) is additionally provided with a shoulder (36) located in the junction portion (33). This shoulder (36) is parallel to the flange (32) and has a diameter slightly greater than the diameter of the opening (11) of the container so that the ring can be placed in an intermediate position, with this shoulder (36) bearing on the rolled edge (12) of the container. The passages (361) pass through the shoulder. The passages and the shoulder (36) are dimensioned so that, when the ring is bearing with its shoulder against the rolled edge of the opening, the gas can flow freely from the outside of the container towards the inside by passing through these passages. In the filled state, the shoulder (36) plays no role, so that the presence of the passages (361) in this shoulder has no effect on the final sealing.

The pouch (4) is fastened, preferably by welding, to the exterior face of the central portion (31) of the ring. In order to facilitate this fastening and to ensure its high strength, two vertical and pointed fins (312) placed opposite one another can be provided on the exterior surface of the central portion. These fins give the central portion a radial cross-section (that is to say, perpendicularly to the axis (A)) in the shape of a boat. It should be understood by that that the radial cross-section is substantially in the shape of a diamond, whose angles at the ends of the small diagonal are obtuse and rounded, while the angles at the ends of the great diagonal are acute and pointed. The boat-shaped cross-section is smaller than the transverse cross-section of the opening of the container, and generally smaller than the cross-section of the junction portion, which in turn has generally a round cross-section.

Two methods are possible for pressurizing the dispensers provided with a ring according to the invention.

In a first embodiment shown in FIG. 9, a fastening ring (3b) provided with a shoulder (36) as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2a is used. The filling steps are as follows:

• Step (a) The ring (3b) of the invention is placed in the container (1). This ring is equipped with a pouch (4) which can be wound around the axis (A) and held in this position by a self-adhesive strip that can easily be broken. This step is schematically represented in FIG. 9(i). The ring is not fully pushed down into the container, but only placed in an intermediate position with its shoulder (36) against the rolled edge (12) of the container. The pouch is located inside the container.
• Step (b) The filling head is then introduced into the central channel (35) and the product to be packaged is poured into the pouch which unrolls as the filling proceeds. The filling head is designed in such a way that it bears against the inner wall of the central channel (35), ensuring sealing from the outside. This step is represented schematically in FIG. 9 (ii). At the end of the filling, the filling head is moved out of the way.
• Step (c) The valve (2a, 2b) is then placed in the upper part of the central channel (35) of the ring so that the peripheral edge (231) of the cup bears against the flange (32) of the ring. This step is shown in FIG. 9(iii).
• Step (d) In this first embodiment, the ring (3b) rests on the rolled edge of the neck of the container, bearing on its shoulder (36). It is therefore not necessary to move it. The pressurization can be carried out directly after step (c) during the step (e).
• Step (e) Pressurization can begin. The cup is forcibly held in abutment against the flange so that a sealed junction is formed between the two parts. To do this, one must be careful not to press the ring too hard, as this may cause it to be pushed down into the container beyond its shoulder. To increase the sealing between the cup and the flange (32) of the ring, a sealing ring can be placed in the bottom of the peripheral edge of the cup. However, since the ring is generally made of a sufficiently flexible plastic material, it can perform this function by itself. The gas penetrates into the container by passing through the passages (361). It is then located in the space between the pouch and the wall of the container. Under the effect of the gas pressure, the ring is pushed against the cup, thus increasing the sealing between the ring and the cup. Since the sealing between the flange (32) and the peripheral edge of the cup is ensured by forcibly maintaining the cup in place on the flange, the gas cannot penetrate into the pouch. This step is shown in FIG. 9(iv), an enlargement of the passage of the gas being shown in FIG. 9(vi).
• Step (f) Once the pressurization is complete, pressure is exerted on the cup to force the ring to penetrate completely into the container in spite of the retaining effect of its shoulder (36). When the shoulder (36) has passed inside the container, the valve, and with it the ring pushed by the cup of the valve, continue to go down within the container until the flange (32) of the ring and the peripheral edge (231) of the cup come to bear against the rolled edge (12) of the container. The ring is then in the lower position as shown in FIG. 9(v).
• Step (g) At this stage of the filling, it is possible to fasten the cup definitively on the container. This fastening can be done in different ways depending on the materials used. If the cup is metallic, it can be swaged on the container. In this case, the wall of the peripheral edge of the cup is pushed outwards towards the lower edge of the rolled edge (12) so that the wall comes to match the shape of the rolled edge while sealingly wedging the flange (32) between them. It would also be possible to crimp it rather than swaging it. If the cup and container are made of plastic, they can be welded together. Due to the seal that results from the swaging or crimping, between the ring and the cup as well as between the ring and the rolled edge (12), the inner channel (35) of the ring and the contents of the pouch are insulated from the outside, not only at the valve, but also at the seal formed by the contact between the flange and the peripheral edge (231) of the cup. Likewise, the space located between the container and the pouch is isolated from the outside by the seal formed by the flange (32) and the rolled edge (12) of the container.

A second way of proceeding is shown in FIG. 10. For this second method of operation, a ring with or without shoulder (36) can be used. Although FIG. 10 shows the method with the example of the flange (3b) having a shoulder, the person of the art understands that the latter does not play any role and that the method can therefore be carried out with a basic ring (3a). This second method makes it possible to use the filling machines in which the cup is lifted in order to pass the gas between the cup and the rolled edge. For this embodiment, it is necessary to use a particular valve. Whereas for the first embodiment, a conventional valve, for example, a conventional high flow valve consisting of a stem (21), a PU valve seal (22) and a cup (23), as is shown in FIG. 4, is sufficient, for the second embodiment, it is necessary to provide, on the valve, means for fastening it to the ring. In the example shown in FIGS. 5 to 8, the fastening means are constituted by an end-piece (24) fixed to the lower end of the stem (21) of the valve. The end-piece is provided on its upper part with a connecting ring (241) and on its lower part with one or more hooks (242). The lower end of the stem (21) is provided with a tenon (211) intended to penetrate into the opening of the connecting ring (241) so as to center the two parts before welding them together. It is immediately understood that other fixing methods can be envisioned and that it would be possible to dispense with the centering tenon (211). Here also, it would be possible to use any type of valve, such as a metering valve or a conventional valve with which filling through the valve could be envisioned.

The process of the second embodiment proceeds as follows.

• Step (a) The ring (3a, 3b) is placed in the container (1). This ring is equipped with a pouch (4) which can be wound around the axis (A) and held in this position by a self-adhesive strip that can easily be broken. The ring is fully inserted into the container (1) in the lower position, that is to say, until the flange (32) bears against the rolled edge (12) of the container and the pouch is located in the container. The shoulder (36), when there is one, is thus inside the container. This step is visible in FIG. 10(i).
• Step (b) The product to be packaged is then poured into the pouch via the central channel (35) of the ring. Here too, the filling head of the machine is introduced into the upper part of the central channel (35) so as to ensure a sealed junction with the wall of the central channel. This step is shown in FIG. 10(ii).
• Step (c) After filling, the filling head is moved out of the way. The valve is then put in place as shown schematically in FIG. 10(iii). For this purpose, the stem (21) provided with the end-piece (24) is introduced into the central channel (35) of the ring until the peripheral edge (231) of the cup comes to abut against the flange (32) of the ring and the rolled edge (12) of the container. The hooks (242) of the end-piece are dimensioned so that, in this position, they come to hook behind bearing surfaces made in the ring. In the present case, these bearing surfaces are formed by the lower edge (311) of the central portion (31) of the ring (3a, 3b). This position is clearly visible in FIGS. 8 and 10(iii). After the hooks are snapped onto the ring, the valve and the ring are formed as a single piece, and they cannot move relative to each other, at least in the axial direction of the ring.
• Step (d) It is then possible to lift the valve as in conventional processes. However, the valve being fastened to the ring via the hooks (242), the upward movement of the valve causes the same displacement of the ring and the filled pouch. In general, lifting the valve is performed by pulling on the cup (23). When the ring (3b) is provided with a shoulder (36), it is sufficient to lift the ring until the shoulder is located in the proximity of the rolled edge (12) of the opening of the container. It is not necessary that the shoulder comes back out of the container. Thus, it is not necessary to exert a strong traction. This is clearly visible on the right of FIG. 10(vi). When the ring (3a) has no shoulder, the ring is lifted until the passages (361) are at the height of the rolled edge (12) of the container while extending on both sides of this rolled edge. This is clearly visible on the right side of FIG. 10(vii).
• Step (e) Once the ring (3a, 3b) is in the intermediate position, it is possible to introduce the gas under pressure through the passages (361) as shown in FIGS. 10(iv) and 10(vi) for the ring (3b) with shoulder 10, or 10(vii) for the ring (3a) without shoulder. Under the effect of the gas pressure, the ring is pressed against the cup and thus ensures sealing between the ring and the cup. Since the junction between the flange (32) of the ring and the peripheral edge (231) of the cup is sealed, the gas cannot enter into the pouch, and the product to be packaged cannot come out of the pouch.
• Step (f) When the pressurization is completed, the valve along with the ring and the pouch are again pushed down until the peripheral edge (231) of the cup and the flange (32) are in contact with the rolled edge the container. The ring is thus again in the lower position as shown in FIG. 10(v).
• Step (g) At this stage of the process, it is possible to fasten the cup to the container. As in the first method, this fastening can be done for example by swaging the cup on the rolled edge or by crimping it. If the cup and the container are made of plastic, it is also possible to weld them together.

Although the figures show dispensers equipped with a high flow valve, it is immediately understood that it would be possible to use other types of valves, such as, for example, metering valves, with which the feasibility of filling the pouch via the valve cannot be envisioned, or even normal valves, with which filling through the valve would be feasible.

LIST OF REFERENCES

• 1 Container
  • 11 Opening of the container
  • 12 Rolled edge surrounding the opening
• 2a/b High flow valve
  • 21 Stem
    • 211 Connecting tenon
  • 22 PU valve seal
  • 23 Cup
    • 231 Peripheral edge of the cup
  • 24 Valve/ring fastening end-piece
    • 241 Connecting ring
    • 242 Hooks
• 3a/b Fastening ring
  • 31 Central portion
    • 311 Lower edge of the central portion
    • 312 Fins
  • 32 Flange
  • 33 Junction portion
  • 34 Anti-collapse means
    • 341 Helical elements
  • 35 Central channel
  • 36 Shoulder
    • 361 Passages for the gas
• 4 Pouch

Claims

1. Fastening ring for a pressurized dispenser made up of a container provided with an opening, a valve mounted on a cup provided with a peripheral edge and a fastening ring on which is fastened a pouch,

wherein the fastening ring comprises:

a central portion having an exterior face adapted for fastening a pouch, a transverse cross-section of the central portion being smaller than the opening of the container for which the ring is intended,

a flange for at least one of (i) fastening the ring between the edge of the opening of the container and the peripheral edge of the cup of the valve, (ii) ensuring sealing between the ring and the cup of the container, and (iii) ensuring sealing between the ring and the edge of the opening of the container, a diameter of the flange being greater than a diameter of the opening of the container for which the ring is intended, and

a junction portion located between the central portion and the flange and having an exterior face,

wherein at least one passage is formed on the exterior face of the junction portion, the passage or passages not extending beyond the junction portion and being dimensioned so that, when the ring is placed in the opening of a container with the passage or passages located at the height of the edge of the opening of the container, the passage or passages extend on both sides of the edge of the opening and each passage forms a path setting in contact the portion of the exterior face of the ring located outside the container and the portion of the exterior face of the ring located inside the container.

2. The fastening ring according to claim 1, wherein the flange is dimensioned so as to ensure sealing between the ring and the peripheral edge of the cup when the ring is placed in the opening of a container with its passage or passages located at the height of the edge of the opening of the container and gas is introduced into the container through the passage or passages.

3. The fastening ring according to claim 1, wherein the at least one passage is a single annular passage which extends completely around the ring.

4. The fastening ring according to claim 1, further comprising at least one of the following elements: (i) a tenon for attaching a dip tube, (ii) a tenon for attaching anti-collapse means, (iii) anti-collapse means, (iv) fins to facilitate fastening a pouch.

5. The fastening ring according to claim 1, further comprising a flexible pouch fastened to the central portion.

6. The fastening ring according to claim 1, wherein the exterior face of the junction portion comprises, at the passage or passages, a shoulder parallel to the flange an outer diameter of the shoulder being greater than the diameter of the opening of the container and a height of the shoulder being so that the passage or passages extend on both sides of the shoulder.

7. The fastening ring according to claim 1, further comprising a valve equipped with means for fastening the valve on the fastening ring so that when the valve is mounted in the ring, the valve is immobilized with respect to the ring at least in axial direction.

8. The fastening ring according to claim 7, wherein the fastening means of the valve on the ring are constituted by an end-piece attached to a lower end of a stem of the valve, the end-piece being provided with at least one hook dimensioned so that, when the valve is mounted in the ring with a peripheral edge of the cup of the valve bearing against the flange of the ring, the hook or hooks are snapped behind bearing surfaces formed on the ring.

9. Method of pressurizing a pressurized dispenser made up of a container, a valve mounted on a cup, and a fastening ring according to claim 1, on which is fastened a pouch,

wherein the method comprises:

(a) introducing the ring in the container so that the pouch is located inside the container;

(b) filling the pouch with a product to be packaged;

(c) placing the valve in the ring so that a peripheral edge of the cup of the valve bears against the flange of the ring;

(d) moving the ring if necessary so that the passage or passages for the gas extend on both sides of the edge of the opening of the container;

(e) introducing gas into the container through the passage or passages;

(f) pushing down the assembly constituted by the ring and the valve until the peripheral edge of the cup and the flange are in contact with the container;

(g) sealingly fastening the cup on the container while wedging the flange of the ring between the cup and the container.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein, for fastening the cup on the container in step (g), the cup is swaged, crimped or welded to the container.

11. The method according to claim 9, wherein, in step (a), the ring is introduced into the container until the passage or passages are at the height of the edge of the opening of the container while extending on both sides of the edge so that it is not necessary to move the ring in step (d).

12. The method according to claim 9, wherein, in step (a), the ring is introduced into the container until the flange bears against the edge of the opening of the container and wherein, in step (d), the ring is partially taken out of the container until the passage or passages are at the height of the edge of the opening of the container while extending on both sides of the edge.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the pressurized dispenser is equipped with a valve provided with fastening means, and wherein, in step (c), the valve is fastened to the ring by its the fastening means.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein, in step (c), the valve is fastened to the ring by snap-fastening hooks behind bearing surfaces made in the ring.

15. The method according to claim 13, wherein, in step (d), for partially taking the ring out of the container, a traction is exerted on the cup of the valve.

16. The method according to claim 14, wherein, in step (d), for partially taking the ring out of the container, a traction is exerted on the cup of the valve.

17. The method according to claim 10, wherein, in step (a), the ring is introduced into the container until the passage or passages are at the height of the edge of the opening of the container while extending on both sides of the edge so that it is not necessary to move the ring in step (d).

18. The method according to claim 10, wherein, in step (a), the ring is introduced into the container until the flange bears against the edge of the opening of the container and wherein, in step (d), the ring is partially taken out of the container until the passage or passages are at the height of the edge of the opening of the container while extending on both sides of the edge.

19. The fastening ring according to claim 8, wherein, when the valve is mounted in the ring with the peripheral edge of the cup of the valve bearing against the flange of the ring, the hook or hooks are snapped behind a lower edge of the central portion of the ring.

20. The fastening ring according to claim 2, wherein the at least one passage is a single annular passage which extends completely around the ring.