AptarGroup has filed a patent for a device that dispenses fluid products. The device includes a reservoir, a dispensing mechanism, an actuator, a motor, an electronic control module, a gear wheel, and a locking ring. The locking ring prevents the actuator from moving in its locking position and allows it to move towards its actuating position in its release position. The device aims to provide controlled and precise dispensing of fluid products. GlobalData’s report on AptarGroup gives a 360-degree view of the company including its patenting strategy. Buy the report here.
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According to GlobalData’s company profile on AptarGroup, smart inhalers was a key innovation area identified from patents. AptarGroup's grant share as of September 2023 was 62%. Grant share is based on the ratio of number of grants to total number of patents.
A device for dispensing fluid product with a locking mechanism
A recently filed patent (Publication Number: US20230302239A1) describes a device for dispensing a fluid product. The device includes a fluid product dispenser with a reservoir and a dispensing means, such as a pump or a valve. An internal body with a hollow cylinder receives the dispenser, and an actuator with a dispensing orifice is mounted on the internal body. The actuator can be axially displaced between a rest position and an actuating position, with the displacement activating the dispensing means to dispense a dose of fluid product through the orifice.
The device also includes a motor, an electronic control module, a gear wheel connected to the motor, and a locking ring. The locking ring is rotatably mounted on the internal body and can be moved between a locking position and a release position. A spring urges the locking ring towards its locking position. The gear wheel displaces the locking ring from its locking position to its release position. In the locking position, the locking ring cooperates with the actuator to prevent its axial displacement, while in the release position, it enables the actuator to be displaced towards its actuating position.
The device further comprises an external body that is fixed to the internal body and contains the motor and electronic control module. It also includes a control button for initiating the actuation of the motor. The actuator has axial struts, and the locking ring has radial projections. In the locking position, the radial projections cooperate with the axial struts to prevent the axial displacement of the actuator. In the release position, the radial projections are angularly offset from the axial struts, allowing the actuator to be displaced axially towards its actuating position.
The locking ring has an axially flexible tongue with an axially upwardly projecting tooth. The internal body or an element integral with it has an internal profile with a first window and a second window separated by a radial strut. The actuator has an axially downwardly extending axial finger. In the locking position, the tooth is disposed in the first window, and the displacement of the locking ring towards its release position axially deforms the flexible tongue, enabling the tooth to pass into the second window behind the radial strut. During the axial displacement of the actuator, the axial finger cooperates with the tooth to disengage it from the radial strut, allowing the locking ring to return towards its locking position.
After each actuation of the dispenser, the electronic control module includes time delay means to prevent the displacement of the locking ring from its locking position towards its release position for a predetermined time. This prevents accidental dispensing of the fluid product. The time delay means can immobilize the control button and/or the motor.
Overall, this patented device provides a controlled and secure mechanism for dispensing fluid products, ensuring accurate dosing and preventing accidental dispensing.
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GlobalData, the leading provider of industry intelligence, provided the underlying data, research, and analysis used to produce this article.
GlobalData Patent Analytics tracks bibliographic data, legal events data, point in time patent ownerships, and backward and forward citations from global patenting offices. Textual analysis and official patent classifications are used to group patents into key thematic areas and link them to specific companies across the world’s largest industries.
