WO1993023175A1

WO1993023175A1 - Bottle for dispensing disinfecting, therapeutic or cosmetic substances in the form of foam

Info

Publication number: WO1993023175A1
Application number: PCT/EP1993/001122
Authority: WO
Inventors: Giovanni Ferrari; Evro Fabbri; Antonio Fontana
Original assignee: Lameplast S.R.L.
Priority date: 1992-05-12
Filing date: 1993-05-07
Publication date: 1993-11-25
Also published as: ITMO920070A1; ITMO920070A0; IT1259955B

Abstract

The bottle for dispensing disinfecting, therapeutic or cosmetic substances in the form of foam, consisting of an elastically-deformable container (1) which contains the substance to be dispensed, enables safe and continuous production of foam, ease of dispensing and dosage; a cap (2) is fitted with a mixing insert (11), with cannula (13) which extends into the bottle for passage of air and peripheral through-holes (14); a cylindrical body (7), inside which is a mixing chamber (15), protrudes from the said cap and has an axial dispensing opening (10); in the mixing chamber, abutting an annular shoulder (15a), is a disk (16) with mesh (17); it is used for the application of disinfecting and therapeutic substances for external and internal use and for the application of cosmetics.

Description

BOTTLE FOR DISPENSING DISINFECTING, THERAPEUTIC OR COSMETIC SUBSTANCES IN THE FORM OF FOAM.

The invention concerns a bottle for dispensing disinfecting, therapeutic or cosmetic substances in the form of foam, that is, a bottle for dispensing medicinal substances, in particular substances for external use, though also for internal use, such as, for example, disinfectants, fungicides, curative substances in general or also cosmetic substances, advantageously fitted with a device for the generation of foam from a substance initially in a liquid state.

The prior art does not include bottles for dispensing disinfecting or therapeutic substances for external use in the form of foam: said substances are in fact normally applied in liquid form, sometimes using spray dispensers, or are applied in the form of cream contained in appropriate tubes or in single-dose sachets. The application of the said substances in the form of liquid or cream generally entails wastage of the substance and/or imprecise dosage; as regards substances in the form of cream, there is also the risk of contamination as a result of imperfect closure of the tube after use; finally, as regards substances contained in single-dose sachets, the amount of substance that is not applied cannot subsequently be used.

Foam-dispensing bottles are known in the field of irrigators for vaginal lavage, such as, for example, the irrigator object of the application for the patent of invention n. MO 91 A 000124, by the same applicant, in which the irrigation liquid, contained in a deformable bottle, is mixed with air inside a mixing chamber which opens into a dispensing cannula, at the inlet opening of which the air-irrigation liquid mixture is transformed into foam. Said irrigator, however, cannot be used to dispense disinfecting or therapeutic substances for external use, inasmuch as the presence of the cannula would make the application of the substance extremely awkward and it is not possible to use the bottle without the cannula.

Such prior art may be subject to further improvements with a view to eliminating the said drawbacks.

From the foregoing emerges the need to resolve the technical problem of inventing a bottle for the external and, possibly, the internal . application of medicinal disinfecting and therapeutic substances, and also of cosmetics, having a device to generate the foam which is reliable and simple and economic to manufacture. The invention resolves the said technical problem by adopting an elastically-deformable dispensing bottle containing a substance in liquid state, on the mouth of which is inserted a cap having a substantially cylindrical axial distributor body, of reduced diameter and length, at the base of which is fitted an insert which mixes the air and said liquid, having an axial cannula for air discharge and peripheral holes for liquid discharge; said distributor body containing a mesh disk, to impart a turbulent motion to the air-liquid mixture in order to bring about the formation of the foam.

The advantages offered by the invention are: simplicity and economy of construction; certainty in the continuity and uniformity of generation of foam; ease of dispensing and dosage of the substance; reduced dimensions of the distributor body; possibility of using the entire quantity of substance contained in the bottle, without wastage or risk of contamination. An embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the two tables of drawings attached, in which: Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of the upper part of the dispensing bottle as described; Figure 2 is a partially sectioned exploded view of the bottle. The figures show: 1, the elastically-deformable dispensing bottle containing the substance in liquid form from which the foa is obtained for external or also internal application; closing cap 2 of bottle 1, having undercut 3 on its lower portion snap-inserted between check ring 4 and annular projection 5 on the neck of the bottle; 6, a second annular projection on the neck of the bottle to prevent accidental removal of the cap; 7, a substantially cylindrical distributor body protruding axially from the top of cap 2; 8, a hole in cap 2 for the admission of air into bottle 1 closed with safety seal 9; 10, the foam dispensing nozzle closed with safety seal 10a or with snap-shut cap 10b; 11, a mixing element snap fitted in the base of said distributor body 7; 12, a central hole with two diameters in element 11, for the insertion of tube 13 discharging air from bottle 1; 14, the holes in element 11, arranged around central hole 12, for discharging liquid from bottle 1; 15, a mixing chamber for the air and the liquid in the distributor body 11 adjoining foam dispensing nozzle 10; 15a (Figure 2), an annular shoulder inside chamber 15 acting as abutment for ring 16 with mesh 17, to impart a turbulent motion to the air-liquid mixture in order to bring about the formation of the foam; 18, a groove in element 11 for the insertion, in said groove, of annular membrane 19 to close air inlet hole 8. Operation is as. follows: having removed safety seal 9 and safety seal 10a, or snap-shut cap 10b, the bottle is turned upside down and held with its axis more or less vertical; to dispense the medicinal or cosmetic substance, bottle 1 is squeezed causing the flow of air through conduit 13, and of liquid through holes 14 in element 11, into mixing chamber 15, in which the air, emulsifying with the liquid, initiates the formation of the foam, formation which is completed as the air-liquid emulsion passes through mesh 17; the foam thus formed is then dispensed through dispensing nozzle 10. For internal use, for example in the treatment of internal hemorrhoids, having removed safety seal 10a or cap 10b, a dispensing cannula, not shown, is inserted in dispensing nozzle 10.

When dispensing of the foam is completed, pressure is released from bottle 1, which returns to its original shape elastically, drawing air back in through hole 8. If necessary, the liquid contained in bottle 1 can be completely discharged.

In practice, the materials, dimensions and details of execution may be different from but technically equivalent to those described without departing from the giuridical domain of the present invention.

Claims

CLAIMS 1. A bottle for dispensing disinfecting, therapeutic or cosmetic substances in the form of foam, consisting of an elastically deformable container having a cap, characterised in that, from the cap (2) protrudes axially a substantially cylindrical distributor body (7), having a dispensing nozzle (10), containing a mixing chamber (15) delimited up-stream by a mixing element (11) snap fitted at the base of the said distributor body (7); said mixing element having a central hole (12) with two diameters for the insertion in said hole of an air discharge tube (13) and liquid discharge holes (14) positioned around the said central hole; a ring (16) with mesh (17) being placed inside the mixing chamber (15) abutting an annular shoulder (15a) .

2. A bottle as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that, the said cap (2) has a hole (8) for the admission of air into bottle (1), closed by an annular membrane (19) inserted in a groove (18) in the mixing element (11).

3. A bottle as claimed in claims 1 and 2, characterised in that, the dispensing nozzle (10) and the air inlet hole

(8) are closed by guarantee seals (9, 10a).

4. A bottle as claimed in claims 1 and 2, characterised in that, the dispensing nozzle (10) is closed by a snap-shut cap ^• (10b) and the air inlet hole (8) is closed by a guarantee seal (9).

5. A bottle as claimed in one or more of the preceding claims, characterised in that, during use, a dispensing cannula is inserted in the dispensing nozzle (10).