The invention relates to the domain of makeup, typically lip makeup.
It relates to packaging of typically viscous products that flow under pressure, such as creams, pastes, etc.
There are many known lipstick dispensers or tubes, for example like those described in European patent applications No. 96500011, 98500016, 98500088, 99420027, 99420072 comprising a body and a cap.
The bodies of these lipstick tubes comprise a propulsion mechanism typically composed of three coaxial parts including, in order from the outside towards the inside, an outer body forming a tube skirt and typically supporting two spiral grooves on its inner surface, a tubular element fixed to the bottom of the tube and carrying diametrically opposite axial orifices, a support for the lipstick fitted with two diametrically opposite studs, the said studs passing through the said axial orifices and cooperating with the spiral grooves such that relative rotation of the said body with respect to the said bottom causes axial displacement of the said support and therefore the said lipstick.
Deodorant dispensers are also known, for example like those described in French patent No. 2 573 734 or European patent No. 0 462 925.
These dispensers typically comprise a body provided with a side skirt and a bottom, a piston forming a support for the deodorant stick cooperating with a central screw that is rotated by an outer knob forming all or part of the said bottom.
Different types of problems arise with dispensers known according to the state of the art.
Firstly, these dispensers are only suitable for solid stick products.
But relatively fluid formulas are increasingly used even for lip makeup, that would not be suitable for packaging in traditional lipstick tubes.
Furthermore, these relatively fluid formulas may have particular Theological properties that may require a certain amount of shear during their use.
Furthermore, users would like to be able to visually observe the real colour of the packaged product without necessarily wanting to see the propulsion mechanism used to move the product to be dispensed.
Moreover, dispenser manufacturers in particular would like dispensers that can be used for packaging different product families, particularly cosmetics.
Finally, there is a permanent demand in the field of cosmetics for the development and launching of new products that are substantially different from known products.
A fluid or paste product dispenser according to the invention has an axial direction and comprises:
The dispenser according to the invention solves the problems that arise.
Firstly, the dispenser according to the invention can be used with a wide variety of makeup formulas in the form of fluid pastes.
Secondly, the design of this dispenser imposes that the packaged product follows a path equal to at least the height of the said inner skirt in the said inner partition, such that any application of the product will involve a flow or preliminary circulation of the product that can lead to fluidisation of the product if it is thixotropic, or otherwise an increase in the apparent viscosity of the product if it is rheopexic, before its application, typically on the lips if the said product is a lipstick.
This flow can also mix the product constituents if the formula of the said product tends to become less homogenous over time.
This flow may also orient these particles before application if the product is a dispersion containing solid particles, so as to obtain specific optical effects.
Furthermore according to one embodiment that will be mentioned in the detailed description of the invention, it is quite clear that the propulsion mechanism will not be visible from the outside, even if the product flow might be visible from the outside.
The dispenser according to the invention can be used for different products provided that their Theological properties and particularly their viscosity, are similar and typically correspond to a paste type product capable of flowing, either by itself or under a mechanical stress typically caused by pressure applied by the said piston during the said manual rotation.
Finally, the dispenser according to the invention is significantly different from dispensers according to prior art.
All figures relate to dispensers (1) or elements of dispensers (1) according to the invention.
a is an axial section of an empty dispenser (1) in an axial plane containing the said axial direction (10), and
c to 1e are top views of the dispensing head (31) illustrating different variant orifices (310); several small circular orifices (311) in
a to 2f relate to the dispenser (1) in
a is a view similar to
b is an axial section along the axial plane A-A in
c, similar to
d is a cross sectional view in the transverse plane B-B in
e is a top view of the open dispenser (1′).
f is a top or bottom view of the dispenser (1), corresponding to a top view of the cap (5) or a view from underneath the body (2) of the dispenser (1).
g and 2h correspond to
a to 4c illustrate a variant of the embodiment of the dispenser (1) according to
In this variant, the said central rod (41) is a threaded rod (41′) whereas in the variant in
a corresponds to
b is a cross-sectional view through the piston (40) in the transverse plane B-B in
c is an enlarged view of a cross-section in the A-A plane in
a and 4b show an axial cross section of the dispensing end piece (3) and the inner partition (6) before click-fitting.
c shows an axial sectional view of the dispensing end piece (3) and the inner partition (6) click fitted together and turned upside down so that the said inner chamber (60) can be filled with the said product (7).
a to 6b relate to another embodiment of the dispenser (1) in which the said central rod (41) is fixed in rotation to the dispensing end piece (3), whereas it was fixed to the bottom (21) in the embodiments of the dispenser illustrated in
a to 5c illustrate a variant in which the said central rod (41) is a threaded rod (41′) as is the case in
a and 5c correspond to
b corresponds to
a and 6b illustrate another variant in which, as in the case shown in
a to 7h are partial and diagrammatic axial sections of various embodiments of the dispensing head (31) of dispensing end pieces (3).
In
In
a to 7e illustrate an embodiment of orifices (310) in which the said median plane forms a plane surface (314), an embodiment represented diagrammatically by a solid line and a central straight segment in the corresponding
c and 7g, corresponding to
d and 7h, corresponding to
a to 9b illustrate cross-sections of different possible forms of the dispenser (1).
In each of these figures, the central part comprises two concentric circles that diagrammatically show the section or profile (34) of the lower part (35) of the dispensing end piece (3) and the section of the said upper part (28) of the body (2), these parts (28) and (35) being concentric to enable relative rotation of the said body with respect to the said dispensing end piece (3).
The upper part of the Figure shows the section of the dispensing head (31) in solid line, the dashed line showing a reminder of the profile (34).
The lower part of the Figure shows the section or profile (27) of the lower part (29) of the sidewall (22) of the body in solid line, and also the cross section (52) of the cap (5) provided that the said dispenser (1) has a constant section or profile over its entire height, when closed. The part (29) of the body (2) and the cap (5) form the visible parts of the closed dispenser (1), the said lower part (35) of the said dispensing end piece (3) typically being hidden by the cap (5) when the dispenser (1) is closed.
In the embodiment in
In the embodiment in
In the embodiment in
In the embodiment in
a to 10c show partial axial sections similar to the lower part of
a illustrates an embodiment in which the said moving part (21′) fixed to the central rod (41) may be separated from the skirt (22) of the said body (2).
b and 10c illustrate another embodiment in which the said moving part (21′) is connected through a thinned part forming a hinge (211) to the skirt (22) of the body (2).
In
The said moving part (21′) in
According to the invention, and according to an embodiment illustrated in
According to another embodiment illustrated in
In general, the upper wall (61) of the said lower partition (6) comprises a leak that may be made by the said upper orifice (610) such that it does not create a vacuum between the said piston (40) and the said upper wall (61), as the said piston (40) moves towards the bottom (21) of the said body (2), the said product gradually being consumed.
According to an embodiment illustrated in
According to another embodiment illustrated in
According to the invention, and as illustrated in
As illustrated particularly in
The said body (2) and the said upper end piece (3) cooperate with an axial click-fitting means (14) typically comprising a hollow part, namely a circular groove formed on the sidewall (22) of the said body (2), cooperating with a projecting part, namely a circular rib formed on the inner surface of the side skirt (30) of the said dispensing end piece (3).
The said body (2) may have an outer shoulder (26) typically concentric with the said inner shoulder (25) such that a lower end (510) of the said skirt (51) of the said cap (5) may stop in contact with the said outer shoulder (26) when the said cap (5) closes the said dispenser (1).
The said cap (5) may click-fit onto the said dispensing end piece (3) by a click-fitting means (15) as illustrated in
According to another variant of the invention, the said side skirt (30) of the said dispensing end piece (3) may be provided with a shoulder (33) such that all or part of the said cap, and particularly a lower end (510) of the said skirt (51) of the said cap (5), can stop in contact with the said shoulder (33) when the said cap (5) closes the said dispenser (1).
As illustrated in
The said orifice (310) of the said dispensing head (31) of the said dispensing end piece (3) may form or comprise a transverse slot (312) or a plurality of parallel slots (312′), typically arranged along an inclined plane (313) forming an angle a with the said axial direction (10) varying from 30° to 90°.
As illustrated in
Thus, there may be a concave profile with a recessed curvature similar to the curvature of lips, so that the said dispensing head (31) may be applied directly for uniform application of the said product (7).
According to the invention and as illustrated particularly in
As illustrated in
As illustrated in
As illustrated for example in
In the case of a dispenser (1) according to
As illustrated in
As illustrated in
This anti-rotation means as shown in
According to the invention and as illustrated in
The said lower peripheral passage (111) may have a typically cylindrical cross section with a radial thickness e less than 2 mm, such that the corresponding volume is less than 1% of the volume of the said inner chamber (60) and so as to minimise the unusable quantity of product.
The said lower peripheral passage (111) may include a plurality of channels (111′), typically several grooves typically formed within the thickness of the said sidewall (22) of the said body, or within the thickness of the said inner skirt (62) of the said inner partition (6). This variant embodiment is not shown in a specific figure, but can be used to obtain decorative effects.
According to one preferred embodiment of the invention, the said body (2) and possibly the said dispensing end piece (3) may be made from a transparent material, so that the said product (7) contained in the said flow space (11) and typically in the said peripheral passages (111, 112) can be seen from the outside.
The said inner partition (6) may be made from a transparent material, and the said sidewall (22) of the said body (2) or the said inner skirt (62) of the said inner partition (6) may include an axial and radial projection extending between the said sidewall and the said inner skirt (220, 622) so as to make the position of the said piston (40) within the said inner chamber (60) visible, so that the proportion of the said product (7) consumed can also be seen. As illustrated in
According to the invention, the said head space (113) may be limited at its lower part by the said head or upper wall (61) of the said inner partition (6), and at its upper part by the said dispensing head (31) with a spacing varying typically from 0.5 mm to 5 mm, which corresponds to a very low volume of the inevitably lost residual product compared with the volume of the said inner chamber.
As illustrated in
According to the invention, the said dispenser (1) may have an H/D ratio equal to at least 2, preferably more than 2.5, and typically between 2.9 and 6, where H is the axial height of the said dispenser and D is its largest dimension in a transverse plane perpendicular to the said axial direction as illustrated in
The height H of the dispenser (1) may typically vary from 50 mm to 120 mm.
As illustrated in
Typically, these heights H1 and H2 are equal to at least 10 mm to facilitate manual gripping. One of these lower parts (35) and (29) may be grooved so as to improve the grip.
As illustrated in
Another purpose of the invention consists of using the dispenser (1) according to the invention as a lipstick dispenser.
Another purpose of the invention consists of using the dispenser (1) according to the invention as a dispenser of a cream or lotion to be applied to the skin.
Another purpose of the invention consists of using the dispenser (1) according to the invention as a deodorant product dispenser.
Another purpose of the invention consists of using the dispenser (1) according to the invention as an eyelid makeup dispenser.
Another purpose of the invention consists of using the dispenser (1) according to the invention for packaging of a product (7) with a viscosity at ambient temperature typically varying from 5 000 to 200 000 centipoises or milli-pascal-seconds (mPa·s).
a to 10 show example embodiments.
Dispensers (1) according to the invention were made by moulding component parts made of a thermoplastic material, followed by assembly typically by axial click-fitting as can be seen particularly in
Firstly, the dispenser (1) according to the invention is radically different from traditional dispensers (1), which is major advantage in itself for the necessary renewal of products offered to the public.
Secondly, this dispenser (1) may be adapted to a wide range of products with a wide range of viscosities.
Furthermore, this dispenser (1) comprises a dispensing head that may be adapted to the exact curvature of the part of the face to be made up.
Finally, this dispenser (1) provides a means of making the product visible in a thin layer, which is very useful in practice for choosing a precise colour, for example of a lipstick, but also aesthetically.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
04 04938 | May 2004 | FR | national |