Claims for Patent: 6,938,798

Summary for Patent: 6,938,798

Title:	Fluid or powdery product dispensing device
Abstract:	A device for dispensing a substance in fluid or powder form, the device having a dispensing outlet (10), an air blaster (20) for generating a blast of air when the device is actuated, and at least one reservoir (30) containing a single dose of substance. The reservoir (30) an air inlet (31) connected to the air blaster (20), and a substance outlet (32) connected to the dispensing orifice (10), the air inlet (31) being provided with a substance retaining member (40) for retaining the substance in the reservoir (30) until it is dispensed, and the substance outlet (32) being closed off by a closure element (50). The dispenser device is configured such that the closure element (50) is a spherical element, such as a ball, force fitted into the substance outlet (32) of the reservoir (30). The device further has a mechanical opening system (60, 70, 80) co-operating with the closure element (50) for ejecting it mechanically from its closure position when the device is actuated.
Inventor(s):	Stradella; Giuseppe (Camogli, IT)
Assignee:	TEBRO S.A. (Luxembourg, LU)
Application Number:	10/416,873
Patent Claims:	1. A device for dispensing a substance in fluid or powder form, the device comprising a dispensing orifice (10), an air blaster (20) for generating a blast of air when the device is actuated, and at least one reservoir (30) containing a single dose of substance, said reservoir (30) having an air inlet (31) connected to said air blaster (20), and a substance outlet (32) connected to said dispensing orifice (10), said air inlet (31) being provided with a substance retaining member (40) for retaining the substance in the reservoir (30) until it is dispensed, and said substance outlet (32) being closed off by a closure element (50), said dispenser device being characterized in that the closure element (50) is a spherical element force fitted into the substance outlet (32) of the reservoir (30), said device further comprising a mechanical opening system (60, 70, 80) having a rigid member engaging said closure element (50) for ejecting it mechanically from its closure position when the device is actuated. 2. A device for dispensing a substance in fluid or powder form, the device comprising a dispensing orifice, an air blaster for generating a blast of air when the device is actuated, and at least one reservoir containing a single dose of substance, said reservoir having an air inlet connected to said air blaster, and a substance outlet connected to said dispensing orifice, said air inlet being provided with a substance retaining member for retaining the substance in the reservoir until it is dispensed, and said substance outlet being closed off by a closure element, wherein the closure element is a spherical element force fitted into the substance outlet of the reservoir, said device further comprising a mechanical opening system co-operating with said closure element for ejecting said closure element mechanically from its closure position when the device is actuated; and in which said mechanical opening system (60, 70, 80) is secured to said air blaster (20). 3. A device according to claim 1, in which said substance retaining member (40) is impermeable to the substance and is impermeable to air, before the device is actuated. 4. A device according to claim 1, in which said substance retaining member (40) is impermeable to the substance and permeable to air before the device is actuated. 5. A device according to claim 1, in which said substance retaining member (40) is a membrane which is punctured by said mechanical opening system (60) when the device is actuated. 6. A device according to claim 5, in which said mechanical opening system (60) comprises a movably mounted rod (61, 62) adapted to pass through said reservoir (30) when said device is actuated so as to eject said closure element (50). 7. A device according to claim 6, in which said rod comprises a first rod portion (61) secured to said air blaster (20) and a second rod portion (62) fixed to said first rod portion (61), and designed to puncture said membrane (40) and to pass through said reservoir (30) so as to expel said closure element (50). 8. A device according to claim 7, in which said first rod portion (61) is provided with at least one external air-passageway groove (63) extending axially or helically along said rod. 9. A device according to claim 1, in which said mechanical opening system (70) is secured to said substance retaining member (40). 10. A device according to claim 9, in which the substance retaining member (40) is a plate which is extended inside the reservoir (30) towards the closure element (50) by a preferably conical first rod (71) whose end (72) co-operates with the closure element (50). 11. A device according to claim 10, in which said air blaster (20) further comprises a second rod (75) which co-operates with said retaining member (40) to move it together with the first rod (71) when the device is actuated. 12. A device according to claim 11, in which said second rod (75) is provided with at least one external air passageway groove (73). 13. A device according to claim 9, in which the substance retaining member (40) is provided with one or more air passageway grooves. 14. A device according to claim 1, in which the reservoir (30) comprises a powder reservoir (35) and a liquid reservoir (36), and the substance retaining member (40) comprises a first retaining member (45) which, at rest, separates the two reservoirs (35, 36), and a second retaining member (46), the mechanical opening system (80) comprising a rod (81) interconnecting said two retaining members (45, 46) so that, when the rod (81) moves, the liquid is firstly transferred into the powder reservoir (35) to mix with the powder therein, the closure element (50) being ejected mechanically at the end of the stroke (81) of the rod by said first retaining member (45), air passageway means (83) being opened to connect the air blaster to the powder reservoir (35) so as to deliver the powder and liquid mixture through said substance outlet (32). 15. A device according to claim 1, in which said mechanical opening system (60, 70, 80) forms a guide system for manually actuating the air blaster (20). 16. A device according to claim 1, in which said air blaster (20) comprises a piston (21) mounted to slide in an air chamber (22). 17. A device according to claim 1, in which said air blaster comprises a bellows (25). 18. The device according to claim 1, wherein the closure element is a ball. 19. A device for dispensing a substance in fluid or powder form, comprising: a dispensing outlet; an air blaster having a compressible chamber that generates a blast of air when the device is actuated; a reservoir containing a dose of a substance, the reservoir having an air inlet communicating with the air blaster and a substance outlet communicating with the dispensing orifice, the air inlet provided with a seal that retains the substance in the reservoir until the substance is dispensed, and the substance outlet closed off by a closure element, wherein the closure element fitted into the substance outlet of the reservoir, and wherein the device further comprises a movable rigid member co-operating with the closure element so as to contact and mechanically eject the closure element from closure element's closing position when the device is actuated. 20. The device according to claim 19, wherein the mechanical opening system is secured to the air blaster.