Patent Application
20240197055
This application claims priority to French Application No. 2213415, filed Dec. 15, 2022, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.
The invention relates to a receptacle for dispensing a cosmetic product, such as a skincare cream or make-up powder. This receptacle is refillable with cosmetic products.
In the present case, the receptacle comprises a base receiving a bucket containing a cosmetic product. When the bucket is empty, simply remove it and place a new one in the base.
Receptacles for dispensing cosmetic product are generally made of plastic and comprise a base connected to a cover by a pivot connection of the hinge type with a metallic or plastic pin. A bucket filled with cosmetic product is placed in the base.
Ii is known to hold the bucket in the base by a pivoting platform interposed between the base and the cover, which comes in abutment against the bucket.
The platform is connected to the base by a pivot connection with pin, and comprises a central window through which the product can be accessed.
The metallic pins pose the problem of recycling the receptacle. For recycling purposes, it is important that all the parts of the receptacle are made from the same material, so that the user does not have to dismantle it and sort the different materials before disposing of them separately.
The pivot connections using plastic pins have the disadvantage of being bulky, because to achieve the same mechanical performance as a metallic pin, a larger pin cross-section is required, as well as a larger hinge loop cross-section. Additional thickness of material are also provided at the level of the pivot connections, both for the cover and for the platform.
With a view to reducing the quantity of material used and making the receptacle more compact, the present invention proposes a refined receptacle, designed in a single material to facilitate recycling, without glue, while offering a rotation of the cover and of the platform in relation to the base, with precise positioning and a good holding of the bucket.
This aim is achieved by means of a receptacle for dispensing cosmetic product, having a central axis X and comprising:
The main characteristic of this device is that the assembly and the platform are made of the same plastic material and that the platform comprises a stationary portion in contact with the base and a movable portion connected to the stationary portion by a second pin-less pivot connection, said movable portion being in rotation relative to the stationary portion and assuming said open and closed positions.
The main idea behind this invention is to do away with the use of pins in the pivot connections, in order to avoid additional thickness of material in the connection areas between the various parts making up the receptacle.
The invention provides a pivot connection within the platform itself, rather than between the platform and the base, in order to radially offset the pivot connections within the receptacle, and thus avoid an overload of material in the rear articulation area of the receptacle.
In addition, in order to obtain a compact receptacle, the platform is directly attached by nesting into the base, thanks to its stationary portion snapped into the base. The snap-fitting is a mechanical system that allows the parts to be held together firmly, taking up a minimum of overall dimension. In the end, this type of mounting results in a flat, slim receptacle compared with the receptacles of the prior art.
According to the various embodiments of the invention, which may be taken together or separately:
Further characteristics and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description, for the understanding of which reference is made to the attached drawings in which:
By convention, the “axial” direction corresponds to the main extension of the receptacle, illustrated by the axis X in
In the following detailed description of the figures, the terms “upper” and “lower” or “top” and “bottom” will be used without limitation in reference to the axial direction. Thus, the term “upper” refers to a portion located in the vicinity of a cover of the receptacle, and the term “lower” refers to a portion located in the vicinity of a bottom of the receptacle.
Similarly, the terms “outer or external” and “inner or internal” are used with reference to the radial direction, an outer element being radially further from the axis X than an inner element.
This case is particularly suitable for containing compacted powder make-up products. This cosmetic product is contained in a bucket 5 located inside the receptacle 1, and visible in
This receptacle 1 is cylindrical with a circular cross-section in these figures, but it could have a different external shape, for example a square.
Traditionally, this receptacle 1 consists of a base 2 to which a cover 3 is connected via a first pivot connection 12 along the axis Y1, without a pin, as shown in
This first pivot connection 12 is located at the rear portion AR of the receptacle 1, while the front portion AV of the receptacle 1, opposite the rear portion, has a clasp.
This cover 3 is movable between a closed position as shown in
The receptacle 1 also comprises a platform 4 that allows to hold the bucket 5 in position within the base 2, particularly when the cover 3 is open. The bucket 5 is interposed between the base 2 and the platform 4.
So, when the user opens the cover 3 and collects some cosmetic product, the bucket 5 is held by this platform 4 and does not come out of the base 2.
The platform 4 conforms to the internal shape of the base 2 so that it is completely integrated into it without being visible from the outside when the receptacle 1 is closed.
It is annular in shape and extends in a plane perpendicular to the axis X.
The platform 4 has a central opening 15 through which it is possible to access the cosmetic product contained in the bucket 5.
In the illustrated figures, the bucket 5 is cylindrical. But it could take other forms in the context of the present invention.
The bucket 5 is made of treated steel or aluminium. Any other material may be considered within the scope of the present invention.
The platform 4 is connected to the base 2 by snap-fitting.
In addition, this platform 4 pivots between a closed position, as in
More specifically, as illustrated in
The stationary portion 47 is snapped into the base 2 at the rear portion of the receptacle 1. The stationary portion 47 extends only to the rear portion of the receptacle 1. The stationary portion 47 contributes to the stability of the platform and must be as small as possible to allow a maximum diameter of the movable portion 46 in proportion to the receptacle 1.
The movable portion 46 rotates relative to the stationary portion 47, taking up said positions for opening and closing the platform 4.
The movable portion 46 is connected to the stationary portion 47 by a second pivot connection 48 of axis Y2 without a pin. The axis Y2 is perpendicular to the axis X.
The second pivot connection 48 is also located at the rear portion of the receptacle 1, like the first pivot connection 12. However, these are two different pivot connections. The second pivot connection 48 is independent of the first pivot connection 12. The axes Y1 and Y2 are parallel but radially offset with respect to the axis X.
The first pivot connection 12 and the second pivot connection 48 each correspond to a film hinge. This type of hinge is very thin and does not require much material. This results in a slimmer, more compact receptacle 1, particularly at the rear portion.
Preferably, the length of the film hinge of the second pivot connection is greater than at least a quarter of the diameter of the platform 4. The hinge must be long enough to allow it to be stable and functional.
In this way, the base 2 and the cover 3 form a single part, and the platform 4 is a second part. These two parts form the receptacle 1. The receptacle 1 is therefore not only compact, but also minimalist in terms of parts.
These two parts are manufactured separately. Dimensional variations can therefore occur, and it is important to ensure a precise positioning between these two parts when they are mounted together, as explained below.
The platform 4, as shown in
The stationary portion 47 of the platform 4 corresponds to the rear portion of the platform 4. In particular, it comprises a leg 7 belonging to the peripheral lateral wall 41 of the platform 4. This leg 7 thus forms a stretch of the peripheral lateral wall 41.
This leg 7 is nested into a cavity 20 provided for this purpose in the base 2. This cavity 20 is defined by walls 10 extending from a bottom 25 of the base 2 and oriented along the axis X.
The stationary portion 47 of the platform 4 is nested into the cavity by a translational movement along the axis X.
Preferably, snap-fitting means are provided to snap-fit the stationary portion 47 into the base 2, in order to block it axially along the axis X.
That said, by pulling hard enough on the platform 4, it can be removed from the base 2 past the hard point of the snap-fitting. The platform 4 is therefore removable.
The stationary portion 47 also has a first bearing surface 49, oriented parallel to the axis X.
This first bearing surface 49 comes into contact with a second bearing surface 29 provided in a peripheral lateral wall 21 of the base 2.
The two bearing surfaces 49, 29 are oriented perpendicular to the bottom 25 of the base 2. They ensure a “ballistic” contact positioning between the platform 4 and the base 2.
The snap-fitting means are provided between the stationary portion 47 of the platform 4 and the base 2. In this case, one of the walls 10 of the base 2 has a protuberance 11 capable of nesting inside a groove 40 provided for this purpose in the leg 7.
In this way, the platform 4 can be snapped into the base 2.
The stationary portion 47 is connected to the movable portion 46 via the second pivot connection 48.
The second bearing surface 29 in contact with the base 2 allows to stiffen the second pivot connection 48 located just upstream. The result is a stiffened hinge area for pivoting the platform 4 relative to the base 2. This is particularly important because of the type of hinge used, in this case the film hinge, which has less hold than a pin hinge.
The first pivot connection 12, the two bearing surfaces 29, 49 and the second pivot connection 48 are arranged in the same alignment at the rear portion of the receptacle 1. In other words, these three elements are angularly aligned with respect to the axis X.
As mentioned previously, the movable portion 46 of the platform 4 typically has an annular rim 42 capable of coming to be pressed against the annular periphery 52 of the bucket 5, so as to block the bucket 5 axially, to prevent it from moving inside the receptacle 1.
This annular rim 42 delimits the central opening 15, through which the user can access the cosmetic product.
The bucket 5 is also held laterally by an internal skirt 22 extending from the bottom 25 of the base 2.
The receptacle 1 according to the invention comprises first closure means between the movable portion 46 of the platform 4 and the base 2, located opposite the bearing surfaces 29, 49, in the front portion of the receptacle 1. These first closing means are therefore a fortiori located opposite the second pivot connection 48.
These first closure means are illustrated in
In this case, the front portion of the peripheral lateral wall 41 of the platform 4 has an external bead 45 capable of being housed under an internal hook 14 projecting from a tab 27 on the peripheral lateral wall 21 of the base 2.
It is understood that the platform 4 is thus wedged inside the base 2, on the one hand at the rear via the two bearing surfaces 29, 49, and on the other hand at the front via the first closure means.
However, it is possible for the platform 4 to moves slightly out of alignment when pivoted from its open position towards its closed position, resulting in a slightly off-centre closure. This can eventually deform the film hinge.
To avoid this misalignment, and therefore this jostling at the level of the first clasp, the movable portion 46 of the platform 4 has means for wedging with the bucket 5.
These wedging means consist of a shoulder 43 oriented parallel to the axis X and coming in abutment on the lateral wall 51 of the bucket 5.
The shoulder 43 extends perpendicularly from the lower surface of the annular rim 42.
Preferably, the shoulder 43 is annular.
This shoulder 43 comes to clamp the bucket 5 around its entire perimeter.
Thus, when closed, the platform 4 comes to rest not only on the upper portion 52 of the bucket 5 via the annular rim 42, but also on the lateral portion 51 of the bucket 5 via the shoulder 43.
This clamping allows the platform 4 to be axially centred in relation to the bucket 5, and therefore in relation to the axis X, as the bucket 5 is centred in the base 2 thanks to the internal skirt 22. As a result, when the platform 4 approaches its closed position, it is completely centred in relation to the base 2 and the closure is performed without jostling and with precision.
The wedging carried out between the movable portion 46 of the platform 4 and the bucket 5 when closing the platform 4 on the base 2 allows to ensure a precise closing position at the level of the first diametrically opposed clasp.
To further improve the centring of the bucket 5 with respect to the base 2, centring pions 23 for bucket 5 protrude from the internal skirt 22 of the base 2 surrounding the bucket 5. These centring pions 23 are directed towards the bucket 5 and come into contact with the lateral wall 51 of the bucket 5. They allow to absorb any dimensional variations in the bucket 5. These centring pions 23 are distributed around the bucket 5. In the example shown, four pions 23 are evenly distributed around the bucket 5.
Advantageously, the base 2 comprises pions 24 for raising the bucket 5, which project from the bottom 25 of the base 2. These pions 24 allow to raise the bucket 5 so that it does not rest directly on the bottom of the base 2.
When using the receptacle 1, make-up powder or even dust can settle to the bottom of the base 2. These pions 24 allow to prevent the bucket 5 from coming into contact with the dust. Raising the bucket 5 also allows it to protrude from the internal skirt 22, making it easier to grip when it needs replacing.
The receptacle 1 according to the invention comprises second closing means between the cover 3 and the base 2, located opposite the pivot connections, in the front portion of the receptacle 1.
These second closing means are illustrated in
In this case, these second closing means also consist of a second clasp. This is a nesting closure with matching shapes.
In this case, the front portion of a peripheral lateral wall 32 of the cover 3 is extended by a tongue 33 provided with an internal bead 33 capable of being housed under an external hook 28 projecting from the tab 27 of the peripheral lateral wall 21 of the base 2.
Advantageously, the front portion of the peripheral lateral wall 21 of the base 2 has a recess 26 bordered by the tab 27. This recess 26 allows to accommodate the tongue 33 of the cover 3, so that the second clasp is fully integrated into the volume of the base 2, making the receptacle 1 more compact.
Advantageously, the first pivot connection 12 is provided with spring means to limit the opening of the cover 3 and slow down the closing of the cover 3.
In this case, these spring means consist of straps 13 extending on either side of the film hinge. They can be seen in
Preferably, the straps 13 are continuous with the film hinge. The straps 13 and the film hinge have a substantially constant thickness. This contributes to the strength of the hinge, simplifies moulding and tooling, and gives an attractive appearance when the straps are separated on opening.
Moreover, the receptacle 1 is circular in shape, which allows to simplify the spring effect, given the deflection of the straps.
In particular, the present invention focuses on a receptacle 11 that can be fully recyclable. To achieve this, all the parts that make up the receptacle 1 (excluding the bucket 5) must be made of the same material, so that the consumer can dispose of the receptacle 1 in a single bin, and is not obliged to dismantle the parts to sort them and put them in different sorting bins.
For recycling purposes, it is understood that the bucket 5 is removable and must be removed before the receptacle 1 is thrown away.
Thus, the base 2, the cover 3 and the platform 4 are all made of the same plastic material.
The plastic material may be selected from polypropylene (PP), recycled polypropylene (R-PP), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), recycled polyethylene terephthalate (R-PET), thermoplastic elastomer (TPE), polyethylene (PE), such as the low density polyethylene (LDPE) and/or the high density polyethylene (HDPE), composite material, post-consumer recycled material (PCR and/or similar material).
Preferably, it is polypropylene and/or polyethylene terephthalate, whether recycled or not.
Advantageously, all the parts, i.e. the base 2, the platform 4 and the cover 3, are made of a plastic chosen from polypropylene and/or polyethylene terephthalate.
Polypropylene is preferred because it is relatively flexible and compatible with recycling channels. And, above all, it allows you to have strong film hinges.
The base 2 and cover 3 assembly can be obtained by moulding.
This may involve plastic injection moulding.
In this case, the assembly is moulded with the cover 3 in the open position relative to the base 2. After demoulding, the cover 3 is folded back onto the base 2 to position it in the closed position.
The platform 4 can also be obtained by moulding.
Alternatively, the base 2, the cover 3 and the platform 4 can be 3D printed. Such a printing method allows in particular to produce these parts with particular patterns and shapes very freely.
In this case, since there are no longer any metallic pins in the receptacle 1 according to the invention, 3D printing is all the easier.
The cover 3 of the receptacle 1 may be full.
In the example shown, the cover 3 of the receptacle 1 has a central opening 35 into which a window 6 is inserted.
Preferably the window 6 is transparent, so that the user can observe the cosmetic product contained in the receptacle 1 through the window 6.
The window 6 can be translucent or opaque.
In all cases, the window 6 is made separately from the cover 3, but in the same material as the cover 3. In this case, the window 6 is preferably made of polypropylene. In this way, the entire receptacle 1 remains single-material. In addition to the advantages in terms of recycling, a single-material receptacle 1 also allows to simplify the industrial process.
Preferably, the window 6 is snapped into the cover 3.
Preferably, the window 6 cannot be removed from the cover 3.
The window 6 can be easily adapted for the marking, and can be provided with logos or other distinctive marks.
The configurations shown in the cited figures are only possible examples, in no way limiting, of the invention which, on the contrary, encompasses the variations of shapes and designs within the reach of the person skilled in the art.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2213415 | Dec 2022 | FR | national |
