"COMPACT DISPENSING DEVICE "

[0001] The object of the present invention is a trigger dispensing device, suitable for the dispensing of liquid or semi-dense products, in particular intended for the body care product sector, such as beauty products, deodorants, hair care products, sun protection products for the skin and the like.

[0002] Typically, such products should be used in small quantities and are offered for sale in small bottles, also to limit the overall cost of purchase.

[0003] Consequently, the dispensing head fitted on the bottle should be particularly compact, so as to create an aesthetically pleasing combination with the bottle.

[0004] The object of the present invention is to meet the needs of the sector. Such object is achieved by a dispensing device according to claim 1. The dependent claims describe further advantageous embodiments of the invention .

[0005] The features and advantages of the dispensing device according to the present invention will be apparent from the description given below, provided by way of non- limiting example, in accordance with the accompanying figures, wherein:

- figures la and lb illustrate a dispensing device according to an embodiment of the present invention, in a resting configuration;

- figures 2a and 2b show a socket of the dispensing device of figures la and lb;

- figures 3a and 3b show a main body of the dispensing device of figures la and lb;

- figures 4a and 4b show a chassis of the dispensing device of figures la and lb;

- figures 5a and 5b show a trigger group of the dispensing device of figures la and lb;

- figures 6a and 6b show a piston of the dispensing device of figures la and lb;

- figures 7a and 7b show the dispensing device in a limit dispensing configuration.

[0006] With reference to the accompanying figures, a dispensing device consisting of a bottle 2 and a dispensing head 4, fitted to the bottle 2, is indicated collectively at 1.

[0007] The bottle 2 comprises a bottle wall 6 and a neck 8, having a central neck axis X, which annularly delimits an inner neck compartment 10. The dispensing head 4 engages with the neck 8 of the bottle 2.

[0008] For example, the neck 8 has an outer thread 12 for screwing on a cap 14 that allows the head 4 to be fastened to the bottle 2. [0009] The head 4 comprises a socket 20, for example, made in one piece of plastic material, provided with a central socket axis Y and comprising a socket bottom 22 and an annular socket wall 24, protruding axially from the socket bottom 22.

[0010] The socket bottom 22 has, for example, centrally, a tubular socket shank 26 that leads into the socket through a shank opening 28, preferably raised with respect to the inner surface of the socket bottom 22. Said socket shank 26 is intended to be used with a small suction tube for the product contained in the bottle.

[0011] Preferably, moreover, the socket wall 24 comprises, at the end opposite the socket bottom 22, an annular socket cuff 30, continuous or in sectors, protruding radially externally, with the function of providing support at the rim of the neck 8.

[0012] Preferably, moreover, through the socket wall 24 a socket through-hole 32 is made, which is part of the vent means that will be better described hereinafter.

[0013] The socket 20, and in particular the socket wall 24, is suitable to be housed in the neck compartment 10 of the neck 8.

[0014] Once the socket 20 is inserted into the neck 8 of the bottle 2, typically so that the socket axis Y coincides with the neck axis X, the socket shank 26 protrudes preferably below the neck 8, the socket wall 24 is housed in the neck compartment 10 and the socket cuff 30 rests on the rim of the neck 8, for example, by means of an annular seal 34.

[0015] In addition, the dispensing head 4 further comprises a multifunctional main body 40, made in a single piece of plastic material.

[0016] The main body 40 comprises a cylinder 42 which extends along a main axis Z, delimited annularly by a tubular cylinder wall 44.

[0017] Additionally, the main body 40 comprises a skirt 46 comprising an annular skirt wall 48 coaxial to the main axis Z, surrounding the cylinder wall 44, while remaining radially spaced therefrom.

[0018] Preferably, the skirt 46 comprises a plurality of circumferential ridges 50, placed on the outer surface of skirt wall 48, suitable to interlock with the socket 20.

[0019] Moreover, the main body 40 comprises a dispensing tube 52 that extends at least for an upper section 52' along a secondary axis W, parallel and offset with respect to the main axis Z.

[0020] Preferably, moreover, the dispensing tube 52 comprises a second section 52'' extending along a third axis K, parallel and offset with respect to the main axis Z and the secondary axis W, and proximal to the main axis Z with respect to the secondary axis W.

[0021] Preferably, the dispensing tube 52 is delimited partly by the cylinder wall 44 of the cylinder 42, partly by the skirt wall 48 of the skirt 46 and partly by a tube wall 54.

[0022] In particular, the first section 52' is delimited by the tube wall 54, partly joined to the cylinder wall 44; the second section 52'', on the other hand, is delimited partly by the skirt wall 48, partly by the cylinder wall 44 and partly by the tube wall 54.

[0023] The dispensing tube 52 is open at the top, at the first section 52', through an upper opening 56, and at the bottom, at the second section 52'', through a lower opening 58, within the skirt 46.

[0024] Preferably, moreover, through the skirt wall 48 a skirt through-hole 60 is made and through the cylinder wall 44 a cylinder through-hole 62 is made, both of which are part of the vent means which will be discussed hereinafter .

[0025] The main body 40 is inserted, at least partially, within the socket 20, so that the main axis Z coincides with the socket axis Y.

[0026] Preferably, the circumferential ridges 50, present on the outside of the skirt wall 48, interlock with the inner surface of the socket wall 24, preferably with similar circumferential ridges present on said inner surface.

[0027] When the main body 40 is engaged with the socket 20, part of the cylinder 42 is placed within the socket 20 (and thus inside the neck compartment 10), while the dispensing tube 52 protrudes axially above the socket 20 and above the neck 8.

[0028] In addition, when the main body 40 is engaged with the socket 20, said main body 40 rests on the socket 20, and in particular the skirt 46 rests on the socket cuff 30.

[0029] Preferably, the dispensing head 4 also comprises a chassis 70, for example made in a single piece of plastic material, comprising a casing 72 and an extension tube 74, extending along an extension axis J.

[0030] The casing 72 also has a casing passage 76 having a passage axis Q, parallel to and spaced from the extension axis J of the extension tube 74.

[0031] Moreover, the chassis 70 comprises a shank 78, protruding from the casing 72, opposite the tube extension 74 with respect to the passage axis Q, for example, deviating therefrom. The shank 78 is intended for engagement with a trigger group, which will be discussed hereinafter .

[0032] Moreover, the chassis 70 comprises an end tube 80 extending along an end axis P, inclined, for example, orthogonal, to the extension axis J. The end tube 80 ends preferably with an enlargement 82 for the insertion of a dispensing nozzle 90.

[0033] The chassis 70 is intended to be inserted into the main body 40 so that the passage axis Q coincides with the main axis Z.

[0034] When the chassis 70 is in place, the casing 72 covers the part of the dispensing tube 52 and the cylinder 42 that exit from the socket 20.

[0035] Moreover, the dispensing tube 52 of the main body 40 engages with the extension tube 74 of the chassis 70, so that the extension axis J coincides with the secondary axis W of the main body 40.

[0036] The inner duct of the dispensing tube 52, the inner duct of the extension tube 74 and the inner duct of the end tube 80 are therefore in fluid communication, in sequence with each other, forming a dispensing path of the product .

[0037] Moreover, the casing 72 of the chassis 70 rests on the rim of the neck 8, and in particular on the socket cuff 30 of the socket 20. Applying the cap 14, thus allows the socket 20 and chassis 70 to be fastened to the neck 8 of the bottle 2.

[0038] The dispensing head 4 further comprises a piston 120, equipped with a sealably sliding piston head 122 in the cylinder 42, between an upper or resting limit position, wherein it defines in the cylinder 42 a dosing chamber 42', and a lower or dispensing limit position, wherein the dosing chamber 42' has minimum volume.

[0039] The piston 120 further comprises a piston body 124, ending with the piston head 122, having extension such that, even in the dispensing limit position, it exits from the chassis 70, passing through the casing passage 76.

[0040] At the free end of the piston body 124, on the opposite side of the piston head 122, said piston body 124 has an engagement hole 126, for example slotted, transverse to the axis of the piston.

[0041] Once the main body 40 has been fitted to the socket 20, between the main body 40 and the bottom 22 of the socket 20, a valve compartment 100 remains, where a valve group 110 of the dispensing head 4 is housed.

[0042] Said valve group 110 comprises a normally closed pre- compression valve, operating between the dosing chamber 42' and the duct inside the dispensing tube 52 to allow passage of the product to be dispensed when the pressure in the dosing chamber exceeds a predefined threshold pressure .

[0043] Said valve group 110 further comprises a normally closed non-return valve, which operates between the dosing chamber 42' and inside of the bottle to prevent a flow of product from the dosing chamber 42' to the inside of the bottle and to allow a flow of product from the inside the bottle to the dosing chamber 42' .

[0044] Preferably, the pre-compression valve and the non- return valve are integrated with each other, e.g. according to the teaching in the International Application WO2014/013352 on behalf of the Applicant, which is expressly incorporated herein.

[0045] The dispensing head 4 also comprises a trigger group 140, in a single piece of plastic material, comprising a trigger 142 and a spring portion 144.

[0046] The spring portion 144 comprises an example of embodiment of elastic return means engaged with the trigger or with the piston, operating permanently to bring the device to the initial resting configuration.

[0047] The trigger 142 extends from a front portion 146, shaped to be suitable for resting one's fingers to activate the device (typically index and middle fingers), to a rear portion 148, preferably intended for hinging to the shank 78 of the chassis 70, e.g. through a hole 150.

[0048] Between the front portion 146 and the rear portion 148, there is an engagement element 152 for engagement with the piston 120. For example, said engagement element 152 is a pin suitable to be inserted into the engagement hole 126 of the piston 120. [0049] The spring portion 144 comprises finally a blade 154, preferably housed inside the shank 78 of the chassis, suitable to deform elastically when the trigger 142 is pressed and to return the trigger 142 to its initial position when said trigger 142 is released.

[0050] Finally, according to a preferred embodiment, the dispensing head comprises a locking device 160, either removable from the head or non-removable, suitable to lock, when activated, the movement of the trigger or the piston.

[0051] For example, said locking device 160 is irremovable from the head and, in a locked configuration, locks the trigger movement. Said locking device 160 is translatable in an unlocked configuration, wherein it does not interfere with the movement of the trigger.

[0052] During normal use of the dispensing device according to the present invention, the dispensing device is initially in an initial resting configuration, wherein the trigger 142 is in a resting position corresponding to the piston 120 in the resting limit position; the pre- compression valve is closed, and the non-return valve is closed. It is assumed that the dosing chamber 42' is already full of the product to be dispensed.

[0053] The manual trigger operation 142, using the fingers to push the front portion 146 of said trigger 142, causes a thrust action on the piston 120, so that the pressure in the dosing chamber 42' increases.

[0054] Once the predetermined threshold pressure in the dosing chamber 42' has been exceeded, the pre-compression valve opens and allows the product to flow from the dosing chamber 42' to the inner duct of the dispensing tube 52, possibly by passing through the valve compartment 100 (dispensing stage) .

[0055] The product runs through the inner duct of the dispensing tube 52, the inner duct of the extension tube 74, the inner duct of the end tube 80, the dispensing nozzle 90 and flows out into the environment.

[0056] Meanwhile, the piston 120 comes to the dispensing limit position and the trigger is released.

[0057] At times the trigger is released before the piston has reached the dispensing limit position; this does not change the operation of the device.

[0058] Once the trigger is released, due to the action of the spring portion 144, the trigger is pushed to the initial resting position, and thus so is the piston 120.

[0059] Consequently, a vacuum is made in the dosing chamber 42', which leads to the closure of the pre-compression valve at the opening of the non-return valve and the suction of product from inside the bottle into the dosing chamber 42' (suction stage) .

[0060] To balance the removal of product from the inside of the bottle, the dispensing head 4 comprises vent means suitable to put the inside of the bottle in communication with the external environment, while preventing the escape of liquid.

[0061] According to a preferred embodiment, said vent means comprise the socket hole 32, preferably the skirt hole 60, the cylinder hole 62 and preferably the piston head 122. The socket hole 32, the skirt hole 60 and the cylinder hole 62 are in fluid communication with each other; moreover, the socket hole 32 is in fluid communication with the inside of the bottle, and the cylinder hole 62 may be placed in fluid communication with the external environment by virtue of the gap between the piston body 124 and the inner surface of the cylinder 44.

[0062] In particular, in one embodiment, the piston head 122 provides for a main lip 128, which forms a first seal with the inner surface of the cylinder 44, and a secondary lip 130, placed behind the main lip 128, which forms a second seal with the inner surface of the cylinder 44.

[0063] In the resting limit position of the piston 120, the cylinder hole 62 is placed between the main lip 128 and the secondary lip 130, whereby it is not in communication with the external environment. Said vent means are therefore normally closed (preventing the accidental escape of product from inside the bottle to the external environment) .

[0064] When piston 120 moves to the dispensing limit position, the secondary lip 130 passes over the position of the cylinder hole 62, thus placing it in communication with the external environment. Said vent means are thus open and allow air to enter the inside of the bottle, balancing the product outflow during the suction stage.

[0065] Innovatively, the dispensing device according to the present invention meets the requirements mentioned above, as the dispensing head is particularly compact.

[0066] In effect, the head protrudes only partially above the neck of the bottle, since the valve is housed in the neck compartment.

[0067] Advantageously, the dispensing head is very economical, as it consists of a limited number of components, all made of plastic and each having several functions .

[0068] According to a further advantageous aspect, the device allows one to spray precisely the area desired, as the nozzle remains fixed during the dispensing stage.

[0069] According to a variant embodiment of the invention, the spring portion is not integrated with the trigger and constitutes a separate component, operating on the trigger or directly on the piston.

[0070] It is clear that one skilled in the art, in order to meet contingent needs, may make changes to the dispensing device described above, all contained within the scope of protection defined by the following claims.