[002] As the pump can be actuated by simple pressing or rotation, this type of device is often actuated by mistake, in particular when it is placed in a voluminous handbag. In order to remedy this drawback, it is known to provide a fixed cover over the button used to actuate the fluid dispensing pump, for example via a threaded or snap-fit connection. However, this cover may sometimes become dislodged and thereby mislaid.

[003] The present invention seeks to overcome this problem by providing a device for dispensing a fluid comprising: a bottle for containing a fluid, a dispensing pump fixed to the bottle and comprising a button capable of being actuated to deliver the fluid and a cover arranged to protect the button from actuation, the cover capable of being moved relative to the bottle between an OPEN position, in which the cover is retracted in a substantially parallel manner along the bottle and the button is exposed and a CLOSED position, in which the cover covers the button to prevent actuation thereof, characterised in that the cover and the bottle include elastically engaging stop means arranged to stop the movement of the cover at the defined OPEN and CLOSED positions.

[004] The present invention defines specific OPEN and CLOSED positions as described above and also provides means of positively engaging the cover in these two positions.

However, the stop means are"elastically engaging"and therefore, by application of force, the stop may be elastically released to allow the cover to be moved to the other defined position. For example, the elastically engaging stop means may comprise a releasable snap bead arrangement or an arrangement where a boss or projection engages in a slot or defined recess.

[005] According to particular embodiments of the invention, the device may further have one or more of the following characteristics: [006]-The bottle has at least one cylindrical part and the cover comprises a hollow cylindrical sleeve capable of accommodating said cylindrical part of the bottle.

[007]-The cylindrical part of the bottle comprises at least one helical thread and the inner wall of the hollow cylindrical sleeve comprises at least one internal screw thread capable of co-operating with the bottle thread in order to move the sleeve relative to the bottle using a screwing movement.

[008]-The dispensing device includes means of retarding the movement of the cover relative to the bottle, the retarding means comprising at least one damping piece, which retards and smoothes the movement of the cover on the bottle, giving the dispensing device a feeling of quality.

[009]-The bottle includes a means of gripping the bottle whereby the cover only envelops the cylindrical portion of the bottle, leaving the gripping means exposed to constitute a means of holding the bottle during the movement of the sleeve.

[010]-The gripping means comprise a cylindrical seat with diameter greater than that of the body of the bottle.

[011]-The dispensing device includes means of holding the cover permanently on the bottle.

[012] -The means of holding the cover permanently on the bottle comprise a flange defined on the bottle and an annular rib integral with the inner wall of the cover, the annular rib being suitable for abutment against the flange in order to limit the translational movement the cover <BR> <BR> [013] -The cover comprises an orifice for passage of the button and a protective disk is fixed to cover the orifice, the disk being detached at the time of first use of the pump; [014] -The button for the pump is capable of being actuated by pressure along an axis of actuation and the cover is capable of being moved in relation to the bottle with a rotational and translational movement parallel to said axis of actuation.

[015]-The gripping means comprise a cylindrical seat with diameter greater than the body of the bottle.

[016] The invention also relates to a bottle designed for use in such a fluid dispensing device.

[017] The invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which : [018]-Fig. 1 shows a cross sectional view of the dispensing device according to the invention, with the cover in a position protecting the device from accidental actuation [019] -Fig. 2 shows a cross sectional view of the same dispensing device as shown in Fig.

1, with the cover in a position allowing actuation; and [020]-Fig. 3 is a cross sectional view of the protective cover for the dispensing device shown in Figs 1 & 2.

[021] Referring to Figure 1, the dispensing device according to the invention comprises a bottle 2, a dispensing pump 4 and a protective cover 6.

[022] The bottle 2 has a cylindrical body 7 and a cylindrical seat 10. The cylindrical body 7 is hollow and suitable for containing a fluid to be dispensed. The bottle 2 is made from a thermoplastics material by extrusion or injection blow moulding and the body 7 is mounted on the seat 10. The latter has a diameter greater than the diameter of the body 7 in order to support the body 7 and to form a means of gripping the bottle 2.

[023] With reference to Figures 1 and 2, the external form of the body 7 comprises a threaded section 12 and a shoulder 13 extended by a section of reduced diameter 14.

Slots 15,16 are formed on the section of reduced diameter 14. The section of reduced diameter 14 terminates in a flange 17 and a neck 8 for fixing the pump 4 is ac- commodated beyond the flange 17. These structures are realized by blow moulding and are designed to co-operate with the cover 6 [024] The pump 4 is of the atomizer or vaporizer type. In particular, it comprises a push button 18, a nozzle 19, a pump system (not shown) and a body 20 screwed or crimped on to the neck 8 of the bottle. The push button 18 is movable relative to the body 7 along the axis A-A in order to actuate the pump 4 to deliver the fluid contained in the bottle 2.

[025] The protective cover 6 is adapted to fit on the body 7. In particular, the cover 6 takes the form of a hollow cylinder 22 comprising at its end a finishing edge 24 and an orifice 26 for passage of the push button 18. The cover 6 is manufactured by injection blow moulding from a thermoplastics material. The material of the cover 6 and the material of the body 7 are chosen to optimise the sliding coefficient and reduce the effort required to screw the bottle 2 relative to the cover 6. For example, the body 7 may be made of polyethylene terephthalate (PETP) and the cover 6 of polypropylene (PP). Alternatively, the body 7 may be made of polypropylene (PP) and the cover 6 in polyethylene (PE).

[026] The inner wall of the hollow cylinder 22 of the cover 6 includes a tapped section 28 followed by a boss 30 and by an annular ribs 32 extending radially inwardly in the median part of the sleeve.

[027] The tapped section 28 is adapted to co-operate with the corresponding threaded section 12 on the outer wall of the body 7 of the bottle 2, in order to move the cover 6 in relation to the bottle 2. The threaded section 12 and the tapped section 28 comprise a maximum number of threads corresponding to five turns of the bottle 2.

[028] The cover 6 is adapted to move relative to the bottle 2 between a high position, in which the cover 6 protects the button 18 from accidental activation and a low position, in which the push button 18 protrudes from the orifice 26 and is capable of being actuated.

[029] When the cover 6 is in its high position, it protects the button 18 (as shown in figure 1) because the cover 6 extends beyond the button 18 and covers it, preventing any pressure being applied to the button 18. When the cover 6 in this position, it is only possible to press the button 18 along the axis A-A with a finger or object of smaller diameter than that of the orifice 26. Thus, the button 18 is protected when it is carried in a voluminous bag with other objects.

[030] When the cover 6 is in its low position, the button 18 may be actuated (as shown in figure 2) because it extends through the orifice 26. The push button 18 is disengaged from the cover over the whole length of its movement, in order to allow transmission of complete finger pressure.

[031] Furthermore, a boss 30 (as shown in figure 3) projects radially outwards to the inner wall of the sleeve 6. The boss 30 is adapted to engage in the slots 15 and 16, formed in the section of reduced diameter 14, in order to provide elastic means of electively engaging the cover 6 with the bottle 2. The slot 15 is formed in the upper part of the section of reduced diameter 14, in the vicinity of the flange 17. The angular position of the slot 15 is determined relative to the position of the boss 30, such that the boss 30 co-operates with the slot 15 in a position, which corresponds to the position of protection of the button 18.

[032] In a similar manner, the slot 16 is formed in the lower part of the section of reduced diameter 14, in the vicinity of the shoulder 13. The angular position of the slot 16 is defined in the same way as the angular position of the slot 15 so as to stop the cover 6 in a position corresponding to the position of actuation of the button 18.

[033] The section of reduced diameter 14 has a length approximately corresponding to the extent of movement of the cover 6.

[034] The annular rib 32 is formed around the whole of circumference of the internal wall of the cover 6. It has a rounded shape in order to allow it to be forced past the flange 17, when the cover 6 is mounted on the bottle 2.

[035] The annular rib 32 on the cover 6 and the flange 17 on the bottle 2 provide a means of holding the cover 6 permanently on the bottle 2. They prevent separation and uncoupling of the cover 6 from the bottle 2 after one is mounted on the other. Once assembled, the annular rib 32 will abut against the flange 17 if the bottle is rotated beyond the elastic engaging means 15,30.

[036] As shown in figure 3, a protective disk 34 is initially fixed to the finishing edge 24 of the cover 6 by frangible bridges, in order to cover the orifice 26 and prevent passage of the button 18 therethrough. The disk 34 is suitable for being detached on first use of the pump 4. The disk 34 allows the non-use of the bottle 2 to be checked before sale. It gives information relating to the quality of the product sold in the distribution system.

The disk 34 is also made of a plastics material and is integrally moulded with the cover 6. Alternatively, a simple self-adhesive label may be used instead of the disk 34.

[037] During use of the dispensing device according to the invention, a user holds the seat 10 of the bottle 2 in one hand, while the other hand rotates the cover 6. The cover 6 is thereby driven relative to the bottle 2 by a rotational movement about axis A-A combined with a translational movement parallel to the axis A-A. The seat 10 advan- tageously forms a means of gripping the bottle 2.

[038] When the cover 6 is moved from the position of protection of the push button 18 to the position allowing actuation of the button 18, the boss 30 snaps into the slot 16 to stop the movement of the cover 6 in the position allowing actuation of the button 18.

Similarly, during movement of the sleeve from the position allowing actuation of the push button 18 to the position of protection of the button 18, the boss 30 snaps into the slot 15 to stop the movement of the cover 6 in the position where it protects the button 18.

[039] The cover 6 may, for example, be decorated by silkscreen printing, by hot marking or any other transfer process used in the decoration of hollow bodies. It can likewise be varnished, lacquered or covered with an external coating.

[040] The bottle 2 may take a round, square or other shape, provided it comprises a cylindrical part on which the protective cover 6 may be mounted.

[041] The push button 18 may be replaced with a lever adapted to be actuated by rotation around its main axis. In this case, this lever is likewise protected by a cover 6, which extends around the lever and prevents undesirable rotation of the latter.

[042] The protective cover 6 may be provided by two tongues fixed to a tapped ring, the tongues having a length sufficient to extend beyond the push button 18 along the axis A-A, so as to protect it from any pressure, particularly pressure along an axis parallel to the axis of actuation A-A of the push button 18. slot [043] Alternatively, the inner wall of the cover 6 may comprise two bosses 30 and the outer wall of the body 7 of the bottle 2 comprises a single slot 15 adapted to engage into each of the bosses to define the position of actuation of the push button 18 and the position of protection of the push button 18 respectively.

[044] The slots 15 and 16 may be enhanced by the provision of damping buffers. Such buffers terminate in pieces projecting radially in relation to the outer wall of the bottle 2. The buffers rub against the boss 30 to dampen the movement of the cover 6 in the positions of actuation and protection of the push button 18. The damping buffers and the boss provide means of retarding the movement of the cover 6 relative to the bottle 2. Alternatively, these pieces take the form of a double cover 6 between which the boss 30 is adapted to engage.

[045] Advantageously, the length of the cover 6 approximately corresponds to the length of the bottle 2 so that when the dispensing device is in a position allowing the actuation of the pump 4, the sleeve 6 envelops the body 7 of the bottle 2 and thus constitutes a means of protection against shocks.

[046] Preferably, the diameter of the cover 6 corresponds to the diameter of the seat 10 to provide a continuous finish, which presents improved aesthetic effect.