Technical Field

The present invention relates to a container for the dispensing of fluid substances, particularly for medical products, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics or the like.

Background Art

Bellows-shaped dispensers of medicinal substances are known which are provided with a cannula allowing for the introduction of the dispenser in a cavity of the human body, e.g. to perform micro-enemas, vaginal or anal douches, etc.

The bellows of traditional dispensers are usually deformable along a deformation axis that is coaxial to the cannula.

The use of such bellows-shaped dispensers is rather inconvenient as it does not allow to empty the bellows completely given that the reduction in axial length of the bellows during compression is limited by the approaching, one against the other, of the flaps of the bellows.

The incomplete emptying of the bellows member makes it impossible to use the entire fluid substance contained in the dispenser.

To overcome at least in part these drawbacks, the patent document EP 0 804 367 provides a container for the dispensing of fluid substances wherein the deformation axis of the bellows is orthogonal to that of the cannula.

Even this solution, however, is not without drawbacks among which deserves to be mentioned the fact that the particular shape of the bellows considerably complicates the manufacturing process of the container, with the consequent increase in production costs which, inevitably, affect the retail price, with the risk of making the products less attractive to customers.

Description of the Invention

The main aim of the present invention is to provide a container for the dispensing of fluid substances, particularly for medical products, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics or the like, that can be almost completely emptied, reducing to a minimum the quantity of substance contained in it that cannot be used.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a container for the dispensing of fluid substances, particularly for medical products, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics or the like, which can be manufactured in a practical, easy, functional and cheap manner.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a container for the dispensing of fluid substances, particularly for medical products, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics or the like, which allows to overcome the mentioned drawbacks of the prior art within the ambit of a simple, rational, easy and effective to use as well as affordable solution.

The above mentioned objects are achieved by the present container for the dispensing of fluid substances, particularly for medical products, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics or the like, having the characteristics of claim 1. Brief Description of the Drawings

Other characteristics and advantages of the present invention will become better evident from the description of a preferred but not exclusive embodiment of a container for the dispensing of fluid substances, particularly for medical products, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics or the like, illustrated by way of an indicative, yet non-limiting, example in the accompanying drawings, wherein: Figure 1 is an axonometric, partially broken-out sectional view of the container according to the invention;

Figure 2 is an exploded view of the container according to the invention;

Figure 3 is a sectional view of the container according to the invention in the configuration of end of dispensing.

Embodiments of the Invention

With particular reference to such illustrations, reference number 1 globally designates a container for the dispensing of fluid substances, particularly for medical products, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics or the like.

In this regard it is specified that in the present treatise by the term fluid substances not only liquid products but also viscous products are meant, e.g. in the state of paste and gel, and powder products, in particular very fine and smooth powders.

The container 1 is basically made up of three pieces: a bellows member 2, 3, a cannula member 4, 5 and a cap member 6, 7.

The bellows member 2, 3 is able to contain the fluid substance and has:

- at least a lateral bellows wall 2, which is defonnable along a deformation axis A and comprises a first axial extremity 2a and a second axial extremity 2b opposite the first one, which are mutually approachable for the dispensing of the fluid substance;

at least an exit opening 8 for the outflow of the fluid substance from the bellows member 2, 3, which is arranged in correspondence of the first axial extremity 2a;

at least a bottom wall 3, which is arranged in correspondence of the second axial extremity 2b and comprises at least a protuberance 9 which extends towards the inside of the bellows member 2, 3.

The lateral bellows wall 2 comprises a plurality of pairs of flaps 2c folded in an accordion manner.

The flaps 2c have a substantially circular perimeter coaxial to the deformation axis A.

In particular, the bellows member 2, 3 has an axial-symmetric conformation with the axis of symmetry coinciding with the deformation axis A.

The first axial extremity 2a is shaped to define a neck having at least an outer shoulder 1 1 for the support of the user's fingers.

The outer shoulder 1 1 consists, e.g., of an annular expansion.

In other words the bellows member 2, 3 is compressible by the user using a single hand by placing two fingers (e.g., the index and middle finger) on the outer shoulder 11 and by applying a pressure on the bottom wall 3 by means of another finger (e.g. the thumb).

The bottom wall 3 comprises an annular portion 10 that lies on a plane substantially orthogonal to the deformation axis A and has an outer edge 10a associated with the second axial extremity 2b and an inner edge 10b associated with the protuberance 9.

The protuberance 9 is substantially shaped like a truncated cone, substantially coaxial to the deformation axis A and with the larger base coincident with the inner edge 10b.

The protuberance 9 is at least partially complementary to the inner surface of the first axial extremity 2a and, when the bellows member 2, 3 is completely crushed, it enters at least partially inside the neck 2a.

In this way, the particular shape of the bottom wall 3 allows the protuberance 9 to occupy almost the entire space within the bellows member in the configuration of end of dispensing, allowing to dispense substantially the entire fluid substance through the cannula member 4, 5.

The cannula member 4, 5 is associable in a sealing manner with the first axial extremity 2a and extends coaxially to the deformation axis A.

In particular, the cannula member 4, 5 comprises a tang 4, insertable in a sealing manner inside the exit opening 8, and a tubular stretch 5, having a thinned and elongated shape for its introduction within a body cavity, which extends from the tang 4 and ends with a dispensing hole 12 through which the fluid substance escapes from the container 1.

The dispensing hole 12 can be obstructed by means of the cap member 6, 7. In fact, the cap member 6, 7 is fittable in a sealing manner to cover at least part of the cannula member 4, 5.

In particular, the cap member 6, 7 comprises a hollow base 6, which is associable by interlocking with the first axial extremity 2a, and an elongated cap 7, which can be placed around the cannula member 4, 5 and is associated with the hollow base 6 along a union stretch with weakened section 13 which is easily tearable.

In other words, the cap member 6, 7 is made so that the hollow base 6 and the elongated cap 7 constitute a single monolithic body which, when assembled, has the hollow base 6 interlocked on the outer surface of the neck 2a and the elongated cap 7 which covers the tubular stretch 5 as far as closing the dispensing hole 12.

In this respect it is underlined that the cap member 6, 7 comprises a shutter pin 14 which protrudes inside the elongated cap 7 and which, in the closed configuration, shutters the dispensing hole 12. When opening the container 1 , the elongated cap 7 is separated from the hollow base 6 by tearing off the union stretch with weakened section 13, which therefore shows the effective "tamper-evident" opening.