CN115135197A

CN115135197A - Container with hinged lid and pressure relief valve

Info

Publication number: CN115135197A
Application number: CN202080097163.XA
Authority: CN
Inventors: 马林·罗奥德斯; L·德吕容
Original assignee: LOreal SA
Current assignee: LOreal SA
Priority date: 2020-03-05
Filing date: 2020-03-05
Publication date: 2022-09-30
Also published as: KR20220116022A; FR3107887B1; WO2021175433A1; FR3107887A1; JP2023512568A

Abstract

A container (3) comprising: a main body (10); -a container lid (11), said container lid (11) being connected to said main body by a hinge (12), said container lid comprising: -a sealing gasket (21) made of elastomeric material configured to contact a corresponding surface (85) of the body when the lid is closed; -a release valve (40) integral with the sealing gasket (21), configured to release air under pressure in the container.

Description

Container with hinged lid and pressure relief valve

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a container comprising a body and a container lid connected to the body by a hinge.

The invention relates more particularly, but not exclusively, to a container configured for use as a refill in a cosmetic compact, the container being housed in a housing provided with a lid.

These containers should be capable of being stored in a relatively sealed condition to prevent the volatile compounds from escaping from the cosmetic product they contain.

Background

Some containers cannot be closed in a completely sealed manner and must be packaged in a sealed bag during storage.

Other containers, such as the one disclosed in KR20-0478096, are provided with sealing means to sealingly close the container. Herein, the container comprises a lid provided with a spring biased valve comprising an actuating lever. When the user lifts the lever to open the container, the valve is forced open and air will enter the container. At rest, the valve is held in a closed state by a spring. The manufacture and operation of such containers is relatively complex.

KR200354451 discloses a cosmetic powder container having a lid provided with a release valve which is snap-fastened in an opening of the lid.

There remains a need for a container that can provide a desired seal in a closed configuration while eliminating some or all of the disadvantages of the prior art detailed above.

Disclosure of Invention

An exemplary embodiment of the present invention is directed to a container, including:

-a main body,

-a container lid, preferably connected to the main body by a hinge, the container lid comprising:

a sealing gasket made of an elastomeric material, configured to contact a corresponding surface of the body when the container lid is closed,

a release valve integral with the sealing gasket, the release valve being configured to release air under pressure in the container.

The invention enables easier manufacturing of the container while preventing undesired pressure build-up inside the container. Air under pressure can escape at any time through the relief valve without the need for a complex lever mechanism. Furthermore, the relief valve is simple to manufacture, as it can be moulded with the gasket in one operation.

By the present invention, the gasket can be configured to provide good sealing contact with the body of the container, allowing for long term storage of the product in some cases without the need to package the container in a sealed bag prior to use. If necessary, the container may still be packaged in a sealed bag to further improve sealability.

The valve preferably comprises at least one slot which is closed at rest and which opens under pressure from the air in the container. The length of the slot may be less than 3 mm. Preferably, there is only one groove. The slots may be mechanically cut out after the molding operation of the valve. The gasket is preferably made of TPE (thermoplastic elastomer).

The valve preferably has a dome that is concave towards the interior of the container. The dome shape may force the valve to act as a one-way valve, allowing air under pressure to flow from the interior to the exterior of the container, but preventing air flow from the exterior to the interior to some extent if the interior is at a lower pressure than the exterior.

The container lid preferably includes a support connected to the hinge and a seal assembly secured to the support, the seal assembly including the gasket. The support may define a housing for receiving an applicator pad.

The seal assembly may include a mounting ring secured to the support and a base plate connected to the mounting ring by an annular gasket. The base plate preferably comprises an opening in which the valve extends, said opening preferably being circular. The diameter of such an opening may be in the range of 6mm to 10 mm. The valve may include a thicker edge portion that may be flush with the lower outer surface of the base plate. The apex of the dome may be coplanar with the upper outer surface of the base plate.

The floor may have a recess facing the interior of the container. The valve may extend only partially within said recess. The valve is preferably off-center.

The container cover may include a tongue configured to snap-fasten to a corresponding boss of the body.

The body preferably contains a cosmetic product, such as a foundation. The cosmetic product may be a liquid that impregnates the porous substrate.

The present invention also relates to a cosmetic compact comprising a base configured to receive the container of the present invention, and a lid. The container may be used as a refill, removed once empty and replaced with a new container.

The lid is preferably hinged to the base about an axis of rotation perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the hinge of the container.

Drawings

Other advantages of the invention will become apparent upon reading the detailed description in conjunction with the drawings in which:

figure 1 is a perspective view of an example of a cosmetic compact made according to the invention in a closed configuration,

figure 2 shows the compact of figure 1 in an open configuration,

figure 3 shows the compact with the lid removed,

figure 4 shows a single container, which is,

figure 5 is a bottom view of the sealing assembly,

FIG. 6 is a section along VI-VI of FIG. 5, an

Fig. 7 shows a detail of fig. 6.

Detailed Description

The cosmetic compact 1 shown in figures 1 and 2 comprises a base 2, the base 2 defining a housing for accommodating a container 3, the container 3 containing a cosmetic product (not shown).

The compact 1 is provided with a lid 4, the lid 4 being connected to the base 2 by a hinge 9. The cassette lid 4 may carry a mirror 6 on its inner surface as shown.

The container 3 constitutes a refill which can be removed from the base 2 and replaced by a new container.

For this purpose, the base 2 is hollow so that when the lid 4 is opened, the user can access the bottom of the container 3 to push it out of the base 2.

As shown in fig. 4, the outer rim of the container 3 may be provided with grooves 8 and the base 2 has corresponding tongues (not shown) which snap-fasten into said grooves when the container 3 is inserted into the base.

The base 2 may be provided with a latch 7, the latch 7 holding the lid 4 in the closed position until the latch is depressed, as is common for such products.

The container 3 comprises a main body 10 and a container lid 11 connected to the main body 10 by a hinge 12.

The cover 11 is provided with a tongue 13 opposite the hinge 12, which tongue 13 is configured to snap-fasten into a corresponding groove of the body 10 when the cover 11 is closed.

The hinge 12 and the tongue 13 are inserted into the

recesses

80 and 81 of the base 2, respectively, and the container 3 is accommodated in the base 2 in a predetermined angular orientation due to the presence of the

recesses

80 and 81. The container 3 is oriented such that the axis of rotation of the container lid 11 and lid 4 are perpendicular.

Thus, once the lid 4 is pivoted rearwardly, the user can open the container 3 by pivoting the cover 11 laterally, as shown in fig. 2.

As shown in fig. 3, the container lid 11 includes a cup-shaped support 14, the support 14 defining a housing 15, the housing 15 for receiving an application pad 82 that a user can grasp with his fingers to apply a product.

The support 14 includes a top wall 16, the top wall 16 covering a portion of the housing 15 to retain the application pad 82 in the housing 15 during handling of the compact 1 with the lid 4 open.

The container lid 11 includes a seal assembly 20, the seal assembly 20 being below the support 14 and shown separately in fig. 5-7.

The seal assembly 20 includes an annular gasket 21 extending between a top mounting ring 22 and a bottom plate 23.

The mounting ring 22 and the base plate 23 are made of the same relatively rigid plastic material, such as polypropylene (PP), while the gasket 21 is made of an elastomeric material, such as a thermoplastic elastomer (TPE).

The mounting ring 22, the base plate 23 and the washer 21 are preferably made by a double injection moulding process, the elastomeric material being moulded onto the other material after injection moulding of the other material.

As shown in fig. 7, the mounting ring 22 includes an annular ridge 24 at its outer edge, the annular ridge 24 being configured to snap-fasten into a corresponding groove of the support 14. The mounting ring 22 may be fixed to the support 14 in any other way, for example may be glued or welded to the support 14.

The bottom plate 23 has a central recess 27 bounded by an outer edge region 28, the central recess 27 having an outer diameter smaller than the outer diameter of the washer 21.

The gasket 21 is sandwiched between a top portion 30 and a bottom portion 31 of the rim region 28.

The washer 21 is attached to the inner side 84 of the mounting ring 22.

The gasket 21 has an outer surface 34, and the outer surface 34 is configured to contact the body 10 in a tight manner when the container lid 11 is closed.

The outer surface 34 may be slightly convex in cross-section, as shown in fig. 7, or may be provided with any other profile configured to achieve the desired seal, such as an annular boss.

The gasket 21 may be provided with an inner surface 37 thereof opposite the outer surface 34. When the container lid 11 is closed, some air is still trapped in the container 3 due to the close contact between the gasket 21 and the corresponding seat 85 on the body.

The retaining force of the snap engagement of the tongues 13 on the corresponding reliefs of the body 10 is weak and does not prevent the pressure of the air trapped inside the container 3 from forcing the cover 11 open if the container 3 is not provided with a release valve 40 according to the invention.

The release valve 40 extends in a corresponding opening 41 of the bottom plate 23 and has a dome 60 recessed towards the inside of the container 3. The dome 60 is connected at its outer edge to a thicker edge portion 61 which may be flush with the outer surface of the bottom 31 as shown.

As shown in fig. 6, the apex 87 of dome 60 may be substantially coplanar with the outer surface 86 of top 30 and the central region of bottom plate 23.

The release valve 40 includes a slot 43 extending through the top of the dome. The groove 43 remains closed as long as the pressure in the container 3 does not exceed a predetermined value. The dome 60 will deform in response to the pressure built up in the container 3 and the slot 43 will open, allowing air under pressure to escape to the outside.

During the double injection molding process, the relief valve 40 is preferably made of the same elastomeric material as the gasket 21.

The opening 41 is adjacent the rim region 28 and the relief valve 40 is connected to the portion of the gasket 21 sandwiched between the top 30 and bottom 31 of the rim region 28.

In this way, the elastomeric material can easily flow in the area of the opening 41 for molding the release valve 40 during the double injection molding process.

The wall of the bottom plate 23 is chamfered at the location where it connects the recess 27 to the bottom 31 of the peripheral region 28.

The valve 40 extends partially within the recess 27.

As shown in fig. 5, the bottom plate 23 includes a raised semicircular portion 68, the semicircular portion 68 surrounding a portion of the valve 40 radially inward of the circular profile of the recess 27. The chamfer of the semicircular portion 68 continuous with the peripheral edge region 28 is also chamfered.

The injection point of the bottom plate 23 may be located in its center.

The bottom plate 23 may be provided with a gate 50 for injecting the elastomeric material during the double injection molding process.

The gate 50 may be located at the bottom 31 of the rim region 28 opposite the relief valve 40.

The diameter of the opening 41 may be in the range of 6mm to 10mm, for example 8 mm.

The diameter of the dome 60 is smaller than the diameter of the opening 41, for example 2 mm.

The present invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments and encompasses many variations. For example, the container lid 11 can be manufactured in different ways. The seal assembly 20 may be attached to the applicator pad support 14 in different ways.

Claims

1. A container (3) comprising:

-a main body (10),

-a container lid (11), the container lid (11) being connected to the body by a hinge (12), the container lid comprising:

-a sealing gasket (21) made of an elastomeric material, said sealing gasket (21) being configured to contact a respective surface (85) of the body when the container lid is closed,

-a release valve (40) integral with said sealing gasket (21), said release valve (40) being configured to release air under pressure in said container.

2. A container according to claim 1, wherein the release valve (40) comprises at least one slot (43) which is closed at rest and which opens under pressure from the air in the container.

3. A container according to claim 2, wherein the length of the slot (43) is less than 3 mm.

4. A container according to claim 2 or 3, wherein there is only one of said slots (43).

5. Container according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the gasket (21) is made of TPE (thermoplastic elastomer).

6. A container according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the release valve (40) has a dome (60) which is concave towards the interior of the container (3).

7. The container according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the container lid (12) comprises a support (14) connected to the hinge (12) and a sealing assembly (20) fixed to the support (14), the sealing assembly (20) comprising the gasket (21).

8. Container according to claim 7, wherein the sealing assembly (20) comprises a mounting ring (22) fixed to the support (14) and a bottom plate (23) connected to the mounting ring (22) by the annular gasket (21).

9. Container according to claim 8, wherein the bottom plate (23) comprises an opening (41) in which the release valve (40) extends, the opening (41) preferably being circular.

10. Container according to claim 8 or 9, wherein the bottom plate (23) has a recess (27) facing the container interior, the release valve (40) extending only partially within the recess (27).

11. The container according to claim 6 and any one of claims 8 to 10, wherein the release valve (40) comprises a thicker rim portion (61) preferably flush with the lower outer surface of the bottom panel, the apex of the dome (60) preferably being coplanar with the upper outer surface of the bottom panel.

12. Container according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the release valve (40) is off-centre.

13. The container according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the container cover (11) comprises a tongue (13), the tongue (13) being configured to snap-fasten onto a corresponding relief of the body (10).

14. The container according to any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein the body (10) contains a cosmetic product.

15. A cosmetic compact comprising a base (2) configured to accommodate the container of any one of claims 1 to 13, and a lid (4).