The invention relates to cartridges, more specifically to fluid fragrance cartridges. The present application claims the benefit and priority of EP 1 938 235.1 , filed on May 7, 2019.

BACKGROUND Several cartridge concepts for dispensing devices are known. The cartridges usually comprise a valve to permit the content to be dispensed and to seal the cartridge when not in use.

Known solutions, however, involve several drawbacks. For instance, some cartridge arrangements do not provide a good dosing accuracy or may have leakage problems which render the cartridge unreliable.

In order to provide e.g. a high dosing accuracy, known cartridges usually comprise complex designs involving high manufacturing costs and/or having an increased assembling difficulty. Besides, some known cartridges include a needle for releasing their content, however, the needle may be dangerous when the user manipulates the cartridge.

There is a need to provide a reliable fragrance cartridge having a simple design which provides a precise dosing and at the same time avoids or at least substantially reduces the leakages.

SUMMARY In a first aspect, a cartridge for dispensing a fluid fragrance is provided. The cartridge comprises a cartridge body and a cap associated to the cartridge body. The cartridge body has an inner cavity for housing a fluid fragrance, a resealable membrane for dispensing fluid fragrance and a plunger to force fluid fragrance out of the inner cavity through the resealable membrane. The cap comprises a needle in correspondence with the resealable membrane of the body. The cartridge body and the cap are relatively movable with respect to each other between a sealed position in which the needle remains outside the inner cavity and a dispensing position in which the needle accesses the inner cavity trough the resealable membrane. The use of a cartridge comprising a resealable seal, i.e. a seal that closes automatically e.g. after the needle is removed, prevents or at least substantially reduces leakage problems while at the same time ensures a reliable functioning without involving a complex and/or costly mechanism.

Furthermore, a cartridge having two associated parts, i.e. the cartridge body and the cap, that may move relatively with respect of each other between two different positions enables opening and closing the cartridge as many times as needed. In addition, by being able to be in a sealed position, a more reliable cartridge may be obtained as the cartridge is closed when no fluid is being dispensed

In addition, using a cartridge having a cap provided with a needle, i.e. instead of using an external needle as extraction means, the contamination with other fragrances is avoided. That is, as each cartridge comprises its own extraction means there is no risk of altering the content of the cartridge with an external fragrance. Furthermore, the needle provides a particularly precise dosing of the fragrance.

A “fragrance” may in particular be a fluid, e.g. a liquid, which includes different combinations of olfactory ingredients and essences diluted in ethanol in different percentages. A fragrance can be used as a personal fragrance to be sprayed on the skin or vaporized to the air, clothes, etc.

In an example, the needle may comprise a sharp end positioned upwards, i.e. facing the resealable membrane, thereby preventing injuring the user when the cartridge is being manipulated.

In an example, the cartridge may comprise a resilient element for maintaining and/or returning the cartridge to the sealed position. That is, in absence of an actuating force urging the body and the cap towards each other, e.g. a compressing force, the resilient element may facilitate maintaining the cartridge in the sealed position, and this prevents undesired and/or accidental fragrance dispensing. In addition, the recovery of such sealed position may be automatic, i.e. the removal of an (external) actuating force would cause the cartridge to return to such sealed position.

In another aspect, a perfume dispensing device is provided. The perfume dispensing device comprises a plurality of cartridges according to any of the disclosed examples, a system to shift the cartridges at least from a sealed position to a dispensing position and an actuator to actuate the plunger of the cartridges.

In a further aspect, a method for dispensing a fluid fragrance is provided. A plurality of cartridges according to any disclosed examples are mounted in a perfume dispensing device. Then, a relative movement between the cartridge body and the cap of a selected cartridge is performed to shift the selected cartridge from the sealed position to the dispensing position. The plunger of the selected cartridge is then driven to dispense a predetermined amount of fluid.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Non-limiting examples of the present disclosure will be described in the following, with reference to the appended drawings, in which:

Figure 1 schematically illustrates a simplified longitudinal view of a cartridge according to an example in a sealed position;

Figure 2 schematically illustrates a simplified longitudinal view of a fragrance container according to an example in a dispensing position;

Figure 3 schematically illustrates a fragrance dispensing device comprising a plurality of fragrance containers according to an example; and

Figure 4 illustrates a flow chart of a method for dispensing fragrance according to an example.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Figure 1 shows a side view of a cartridge 1 that may comprise a cartridge body 100 having an inner cavity 110 having a predefined volume, e.g. about 20 ml, for housing a fluid fragrance, and a resealable membrane 140 for dispensing the fluid fragrance.

The cartridge body 100 may be elongated and substantially tubular and may be made of plastic, metal, glass, or a combination thereof. The cartridge body 100 and the inner cavity 1 10 may have a predetermined cross section e.g. substantially circular, triangular, D-shaped, etc. In an example, the cartridge body 100 may comprise an aperture (not shown) provided with a removable element, e.g. a lid, to enable the user to refill the inner cavity 110 with a fluid fragrance that may differ or be equal to the previously stored fragrance. A refillable cartridge may therefore be obtained. In an alternative example, the cartridge may be hermetic and thus non refillable.

The resealable membrane 140 may comprise an elastic seal, e.g. a rubber seal, having elastic properties that enables recovering its shape after being passed through or punctured e.g. by a needle, and thus, avoiding spillage of the fluid fragrance. In an example, the elastic seal may be e.g. cylinder-shaped or disc-shaped and may comprise a conus-shaped recess to facilitate precise insertion e.g. of extracting means (later on disclosed) in the face facing the inner cavity. The resealable membrane 140 enables dispensing fluid only when it is pierced, e.g. by extracting means, and thus, undesired liquid release is prevented when the fluid is being dispensed but also when the cartridge is not in use.

In an example, the resealable membrane 140 may be a septum membrane which may be made of any suitable material e.g. silicone, rubber, etc., that closes itself after being pierced or passed through e.g. by extracting means, therefore preventing leakage problems. Such septum membrane may comprise an opening to assist the access to the inner cavity.

The cartridge body 100 may also comprise a plunger 120 to force the fluid fragrance out of the inner cavity 110 e.g. via extracting means. The plunger 120 may have a predetermined cross section e.g. substantially circular, triangular, D-shaped, etc. correspondingly matching at least with the cross-section of the inner cavity.

The plunger 120 may comprise a rod 121 to be more easily actuated, i.e. pushed, rotated, etc.; for example, by an external actuator when the cartridge 1 is mounted on a fragrance dispensing device (see Figure 3). The plunger 120 may also facilitate a precise dosing of the fluid fragrance e.g. by being controlled by a step motor that may move a linear actuator which may push the plunger with a resolution e.g. of tenths of millimetre. In an example, the plunger 120 may be a push plunger, i.e. a plunger that is moved along the longitudinal axis X of the cartridge caused by a force acting along the longitudinal axis.

In an example (not shown), the plunger 120 may be a rotary plunger, i.e. a plunger that is moved along the longitudinal axis X by rotary movement of the plunger. In the example, the rotary plunger and the inner cavity may comprise threads to facilitate the rotation.

The cartridge 1 of Figure 1 may further comprise a cap 200 associated with the cartridge body 100. The cap 200 may be made of plastic, metal, glass, or a combination thereof and may or may not be of the same material as the cartridge body 100. The cap 200 may comprise an extracting means e.g. a needle 210 in correspondence with the resealable membrane 140 for outputting the content housed in the inner cavity 110. The needle 210 enables a precise dosing thereby providing a highly accurate cartridge.

The needle 210 may comprise a sharp end positioned pointing towards the cartridge body 100, thereby rendering the puncturing part of the needle inaccessible once the cap and the cartridge body are coupled together i.e. when the cartridge 1 is assembled (see Figure 1). By hiding the puncturing or sharp end of the needle 210 within the inaccessible part of the assembled cartridge 1 the risk of injuring the user is substantially reduced.

The needle 210 may comprise the outlet end, i.e. the needle end opposite to the sharp end, in correspondence with an outlet orifice (not shown) of the cap 200. In an example, the cap 200 may comprise a needle end holder 230 attached thereto. The needle end holder 230, that may or may not be an integral part of the cap 200, may comprise an opening in correspondence with the outlet end of the needle and the outlet orifice of the cap to let the dispensed fluid fragrance be released e.g. into a removable vessel.

The cap 200 and the cartridge body 100 may be assembled together in a way that they are relatively movable with respect to each other between a sealed position and a dispensing position.

The sealed position (see Figure 1) may be any position in which the needle 210 remains outside the inner cavity 110 and thus, the fluid fragrance cannot be dispensed. The dispensing position (see Figure 2) may be any position in which the needle 210 accesses the inner cavity 1 10 of the cartridge body 100 through the resealable membrane 140 and enables the fluid fragrance to be dispensed e.g. when the plunger is actuated.

In order to guide the relative movement between both parts of the cartridge 1 , the cap 200 may comprise guides (not shown), e.g. recesses, arranged at its inner surface i.e. the surface to be in contact with the cartridge body. The cartridge body 100 may comprise protrusions 130 arranged at the outer surface and in correspondence with the guides of the cap. In an alternative example, the cap 200 may comprise protrusions and the cartridge body 100 matching recesses.

In an example, the cap 200 may comprise at least a stop to limit the extent of the penetration to the needle 210 in the inner cavity 110.

The cartridge 1 may further comprise a resilient element 300 that may maintain the cartridge 1 in the sealed position. Therefore, when an amount of fluid is to be dispensed, the cartridge would need to be actuated, e.g. pushed by an actuating force, to be shifted to the dispensation position. By using a resilient element, undesired and/or accidental dispensation of fluid fragrance may be prevented or at least substantially reduced.

An actuating force e.g. caused by an external actuator, may cause the cartridge to reach or be moved to the dispensing position from the sealed position. Once the cartridge 1 is in the dispensing position, the plunger 120 may be actuated in order to dispense a predetermined amount of fluid. At the time the actuating force is removed, the resilient element 300 may cause a relative movement between the cap and the cartridge body, thereby automatically returning the cartridge 1 to the sealed position.

The use of a resilient element 300 enables not only maintaining the cartridge 1 in the sealed position when not in use, i.e. when the fluid fragrance is not to be dispensed, but also returning the cartridge 1 to the sealed position automatically when the actuating force is removed. In addition, by using a resilient element 300 the need of a further (external) actuating force to move the cartridge to the sealed position is removed.

In an example, the resilient element 300 may be a spring mounted between the cartridge body 100 and the cap 200. When the cartridge 1 is moved to the dispensing position, the spring may be compressed (see Figure 2) and when the force is removed, the spring may recover its shape thereby causing a relative movement between the cartridge body and the cap, and thus, moving the cartridge 1 to the sealed position.

The cartridge 1 may further comprise a housing (not shown) to protect and isolate the assembled cartridge body 100 and cap 200. The housing may comprise an opening at the proximal end, i.e. the end covering the plunger, sized to allow an external actuator e.g. a linear actuator of a dispensing device, to pass through it and actuate, e.g. press, the plunger 120 of the cartridge 1 and advance it into the inner cavity of the cartridge. By having a housing impeding or at least substantially restricting the access to the plunger 210 of the cartridge 1 , undesired or accidental dispensation of a fragrance cartridge may be avoided. Besides, the housing protects the cartridge body and the cap from impacts that could damage them and/or cause them to be disassembled.

The housing may comprise an outlet opening at the distal end i.e. the end covering the cap, for enabling dispensed fragrance to be delivered e.g. in a removable receptacle (not shown) of a perfume dispensing device.

In an example, the housing may comprise guides in the inner surface to facilitate the relative movement between the cartridge body and the cap.

In an example, the housing may comprise an identification element (not shown) attached thereto. The identification element may electronically store information related to the cartridge e.g. the identification number, the type of fragrance contained, the remaining fragrance volume, a description of the fragrance, etc. Some of the data stored in the identification element, e.g. the remaining fragrance volume, may need to be re-written or updated after each use, and so, the identification element may be a read/write identification element e.g. a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tag.

Figure 2 shows the fragrance cartridge 1 of Figure 1 in a dispensing position. In the figure, the needle 210 is shown accessing the inner cavity through the resealable membrane 140 and therefore, the cartridge is ready to dispense the fluid fragrance when the plunger 120 is actuated.

Figure 3 depicts a fragrance dispensing device 700 comprising a plurality of cartridges 1 according to any of the disclosed examples mounted therein. The dispensing device 700 may comprise a vertically movable actuator 710, e.g. a linear movable actuator. The actuator 710 may be an elongated rod sized to press the plunger of the cartridge and also to pass through the opening of the housing of the cartridge if any. When vertically displaced, i.e. parallel to vertical axis Y, the vertically movable actuator 710 may actuate the plunger e.g. by pressing the rod of the plunger, and thereby draw a volume of liquid. The dispensed fluid fragrance volume is proportional to the displacement of the vertically movable actuator 710 and thus of the plunger. The greater the vertical displacement of the plunger the greater amount of fragrance would be released.

The dispensing device 700 may also comprise a rotatable carrousel 720 that may be axially rotatable clockwise and/or anti-clockwise (see the arrows) with respect to a vertical axis Y to increase the efficiency of the dispensing device. The rotatable carrousel 720 may therefore be rotated in the direction which requires less angular displacement in order to arrange a subsequent cartridge e.g. in correspondence with the vertically movable actuator 710.

The carrousel 720 may comprise seats 721 for removably inserting a plurality of cartridges 1. The seats 721 may have a cross-section complementary to the cross- section of the cartridges to facilitate their insertion. The dispensing device 700 may comprise e.g. a motor (not shown) to provide rotatable movement to the carrousel 720 and thereby move the cartridges to a position in correspondence with the vertically movable actuator 710 in which the plunger may be actuated.

The dispensing device 700 may also comprise a read/write antenna (not shown) for writing and/or reading the identification elements of the cartridges 1. The dispensing device 700 may further comprise a control system (not shown) in data communication with the read/write antenna, a data storage element, the vertically movable actuator, a communication system, etc.

In use, the user may purchase or be provided with a plurality of cartridges 1 comprising a plurality of fluid fragrances, and also with a dispensing device 700 according to any of the disclosed examples. Each cartridge is sold or provided in the sealed position, and may be inserted in this position into a seat of the carrousel.

The user may select a fragrance composition or may create a fragrance to be dispensed via a user interface e.g. using a smartphone. The control system of the dispensing device 700 may then check whether the fragrances required for the selected composition are available in the rotatable carrousel 720, and may inform the user if any element, i.e. a fragrance, is missing or if the amount of a fragrance is not enough for the selected composition.

To check the available fragrances and the remaining fragrance amount in each cartridge, the rotatable carrousel 720 may be axially rotated e.g. around a vertical axis Y. As the rotatable carrousel 720 is rotated, the read/write antenna, arranged in the dispensing device 700 may read an identification element that may store information related to each cartridge 1. The information stored in each identification element may comprise permanent data, i.e. data which may not need to be updated or re-written, such as the type of fragrance, a brief description of the fragrance, etc., and may also comprise non-permanent data which may be re-written in order to be updated e.g. the remaining fragrance amount. Besides, the control system may associate each cartridge to a specific seat in the carrousel, and save the position of the cartridges e.g. in the data storage element.

Once the availability of the required fragrances is verified, the control system may then search for the cartridge comprising a first fragrance of the selected composition and rotate the carrousel, e.g. via a motor, so as to arrange such cartridge in a predetermined position aligned with the vertically movable actuator.

The vertically movable actuator 710 may then be downwardly displaced and the plunger of the cartridge may then be actuated e.g. pressed. As the cartridges 1 are mounted while being in the sealed position, the resealable membrane impedes the fluid fragrance to be released. When the movable actuator is displaced, the pressure in the inner cavity increases, i.e. as no fluid may be released, until the cartridge body is downwardly displaced. In this case, the cap may be fixedly mounted and the cartridge body may therefore be displaced relative to the cap. By this relative movement the resealable membrane may punctured by the needle and cartridge may therefore be moved to the dispensing position.

Once the cartridge is in the dispensing position, the vertically movable actuator may be further displaced, the fluid may then be pushed out of the inner cavity via the needle. A predetermined amount of liquid fragrance according to the selected composition may then be released, e.g. into a removable vessel (not shown). Once the required amount, i.e. volume, of fluid fragrance is released, the control system may register, e.g. in a data storage element, the released fluid volume in order to calculate and save, e.g. in a data storage element, the data of the remaining fragrance quantity in the cartridge. In addition, such information, i.e. the remaining liquid amount, may be re-written in the identification element of the actuated cartridge thereby updating the information. Each cartridge may therefore comprise an updated status which enables for example, retrieving the information offline i.e. without need to access a specific data storage element. Being able to update the information of the identification element also enables the possibility of using the cartridges in a different dispensing device as the varying information, i.e. the information to be updated such as the remaining liquid amount, may be directly retrieved from each cartridge.

When the predetermined amount of fragrance is dispensed, the vertically movable actuator may be retracted and, the selected cartridge may return to the sealed position e.g. due to a resilient element. The resealable membrane makes a tight connection with the needle, and once the needle is pulled out of the reservoir, the resealable membrane recovers its shape thanks to its elastic properties thus avoiding spillage of the remaining content.

The control system may then search the cartridge comprising the following fragrance of the selected composition and repeat the steps until the corresponding amount of all the fragrances of the composition is released.

In an alternative example, the cartridge body may be fixedly arranged in the dispensing device and the cap may be moved towards the cartridge body, e.g. by elevating the rotatable carrousel, in order to achieve the dispensing position on the cartridge. Once in the dispensing position, the plunger may be actuated with the vertically movable actuator in order to dispense the predetermined amount of the selected composition.

Figure 4 shows a flow diagram of a method for dispensing a fluid fragrance. A plurality of fragrance cartridges according to any of the disclosed examples may, in block 410, be mounted on a fragrance dispensing device e.g. in the seats of a rotatable carrousel. A relative movement between the cartridge body and the cap may, in block 420, caused to shift a selected cartridge from a sealed position to a dispensing position. The plunger may then be driven, in block, 430 to dispense a predetermined amount of fluid. Once the required amount of liquid is released from the actuated cartridge, e.g. into a removable vessel (not shown), the control system may search the cartridge comprising the following fragrance of the selected composition and repeat the steps until the corresponding amount of all the fragrances of the composition is released.

Although only a number of examples have been disclosed herein, other alternatives, modifications, uses and/or equivalents thereof are possible. Furthermore, all possible combinations of the described examples are also covered. Thus, the scope of the present disclosure should not be limited by particular examples, but should be determined only by a fair reading of the claims that follow.