EP0279299A1 - Closable container for treating the fingers provided with a rubbing part immersed in a solution - Google Patents

Abstract

The container (1) for the treatment of fingers (7) is provided with a double-walled seal (12, 13) which is connected to the inner wall of the container in a positive and / or non-positive manner. The inner seal (12) abuts against a shoulder (27) and holds an underlying sponge (4). The sponge has a hole (6) extending in the vertical direction for receiving a finger (7) to be treated. The sponge (4) absorbs the liquid (8) present in the cup (2) for the treatment of the finger (7). The hole (6) can be provided with an exchangeable lining. To insert the finger (7) there are closable slots in the seals (12, 13) so that no liquid (8) flows out or evaporates. The sponge (4) is expediently covered at the top by a seal (12) which can be held on the circumference by a spring ring (36) which bears against a lock or into a groove (37) in the inner wall of the cup (2) and thereby being held non-positively. So that the liquid does not flow out, or only after a very long time, even if the open cup accidentally tips over, it is advisable to use a type of sponge with a weight of 30 to 100, preferably 65 kg / m³.

Description

The invention relates to a closable container according to the preamble of the first claim.

Such containers are mainly used to remove nail polish, but also for cleaning and care of fingers.

To remove nail polish, the or the fingers are immersed in the container so that the nail is wetted by a solution or liquid. Then the nail is rubbed against a surface until the nail polish is removed. A mixture of acetone, lanolin and other additives was mostly used as the liquid.

The mixture of caustic (acetone) and fatty (lanolin) components can damage clothing and furniture, etc. if the container tips over due to unskillful handling. In order to avoid such damage, a container design was striven for in which only small amounts of liquid can leak out if the container is tipped over or turned upside down with the lid removed.

Such an embodiment is disclosed in US Pat. No. 4,321,936, which is bottle-shaped and rather complex. In the lower part there is a grid and at the top an abrasion body consisting of several segments. There is no coherent surface available when cleaning the finger. As a result of the bottle-shaped design, only one finger can be inserted into the container at a time, and despite the two seals arranged one above the other existing slots is only a temporary protection against the leakage of the liquid is guaranteed.

US Pat. No. 4,466,452 describes a further container with a liquid for treating fingernails, in which a sponge with a through hole is arranged. The sponge is pressed against the floor by a disc spring or held on the floor by a fastening. To make it difficult for the liquid to flow out of the container, the upper edge of the open container is provided with an annular wall which extends radially inwards.

In this version, a delayed leakage of the liquid of an overturned container is only guaranteed temporarily. If, however, the container comes upside down, there is almost no protection against leakage. The coherent inner surface of the sponge forms an uninterrupted abrasion surface. When cleaning the fingers, however, the sharp inner edge of the disc spring, if present, bothers.

Another problem is pointed out in this context. When the container is heated, for example by the sun, acetone with the low evaporation temperature tends to splash when a finger is inserted into the container through a stretchable closure and the volume is consequently reduced slightly.

Furthermore, an embodiment is described in US Pat. No. 4,282,891, in which the liquid is at least e.g. T. is held back by the sponge. Since a relatively high level of moisture is a prerequisite for the proper functioning of the nail polish remover, the liquid that is not absorbed by the sponge can flow out, which can lead to stains on clothes and carpets.

For this reason, there is a need to improve the existing design so that damage to clothes, carpets and furniture caused by leaking liquid to remove nail polish is avoided.

Another disadvantage of the design according to US Pat. No. 4,282,891 is that the container is only liquid and gas tight to a limited extent. This applies both before and after the first opening of the container and means that the container cannot hold the filled liquid without evaporation.

If the container remains filled up for a while, the contents can evaporate, creating an unpleasant smell in the shop or at home. In this case, the customer also receives only part of the purchased goods.

The object of the invention is therefore to provide a container of the type mentioned, which does not have the disadvantages of the existing design.

The container to be created should lie on its side with the lid removed and at least temporarily be able to stand upside down without liquid being able to flow out.

Furthermore, it should be possible to store filled containers for a longer period of time without the liquid contained therein even partially evaporating.

In addition, the container should be inexpensive and easy to manufacture and suitable for environmentally friendly liquids.

Since the fluids previously used for treatment, e.g. acetone in nail polish remover, can be very harmful to clothing, furniture and carpets, it is important that the liquid cannot flow out or evaporate unintentionally.

The measures taken prevent the liquid from flowing out or evaporating if the container accidentally tips over or is stored for a long time. Furthermore, in one embodiment, a hermetic closure of the container is provided so that the liquid cannot evaporate when the container is temporarily not in use.

• Fig. 1 eine schrägbildliche Darstellung eines geschlossenen Behälters,
• Fig. 2 einen radialen Vertikalschnitt durch den Behälter nach Fig. 1,
• Fig. 3 wie Fig. 2, jedoch in offenem Zustand und mit einge­führtem Finger,
• Fig. 4 einen Ausschnitt aus Fig. 2 mit eingesetzter Schmutz­hülle,
• Fig. 5 einen detaillierten Ausschnitt V aus Fig. 2, in grös­serem Massstab,
• Fig. 6 eine schematisch dargestellte Variante zur Ausfüh­rungsform nach Fig. 3,
• Fig. 7 eine erste Variante zu Fig. 6,
• Fig. 8 eine der Fig. 6 ähnliche Ausführung,
• Fig. 9 einen Ausschnitt IX aus Fig. 8 in grösserem Massstab,
• Fig. 10 eine von der Fig. 9 abweichende Ausführungsform,
• Fig. 11 eine zweite Variante zu Fig. 6, mit Pfropfen,
• Fig. 12 einen Vertikalschnitt durch einen verschlossenen Behälter, und
• Fig. 13 bis 18 verschiedene Formen der Einschnitte im Schwamm oder in der Abdeckung oder Abdichtung zeigen.

An exemplary embodiment of the container according to the invention is explained below with reference to the drawing. Show it:

• 1 is an oblique view of a closed container,
• 2 is a radial vertical section through the container of FIG. 1,
• 3 like FIG. 2, but in the open state and with an inserted finger,
• 4 shows a detail from FIG. 2 with the dirt cover inserted,
• 5 shows a detailed section V from FIG. 2, on a larger scale,
• 6 shows a schematically represented variant of the embodiment according to FIG. 3,
• 7 shows a first variant of FIG. 6,
• 8 is an embodiment similar to FIG. 6,
• 9 shows a detail IX from FIG. 8 on a larger scale,
• 10 shows an embodiment that differs from FIG. 9,
• 11 shows a second variant of FIG. 6, with a plug,
• Fig. 12 is a vertical section through a closed container, and
• 13 to 18 show different shapes of the incisions in the sponge or in the cover or seal.

1 and 2, a container 1 consisting of a cup 2 and a screw cap 3 is shown, in the interior of which a roller-shaped sponge 4 is located. A hole 6 for receiving a finger 7 extends coaxially to the axis of symmetry 5 through the sponge 4, as shown in FIG. 3. There is a liquid 8 in the cup for removing nail polish, which is partially absorbed by the sponge 4.

The cover 3 is fastened by means of a thread, the elongated base surface 9 of which intersects the axis 5 to improve the sealing, as is increasingly indicated in FIG. 5. Instead of the screw thread, a bayonet lock can also be provided. The inner wall of the cup 2 runs slightly conically outwards at the top and forms a truncated cone surface 10 against which a correspondingly designed surface 11 bears against a radially sectioned conical and circular projection on the cover 3. The angles give way; of the two surfaces 10 and 11 to the axis 5, to improve the seal slightly apart.

The seal already mentioned is normally sufficient to prevent evaporation when the cover 3 is closed. For a cup 2 that has already been used or for a cup 2 that is temporary during the treatment If it is open, another seal is required.

Such a seal can, as shown in Fig. 6, consist of a disc 12ʹ, which engages positively and / or non-positively against the inner wall or in a groove in it, so that the contents of the cup 2 are hermetically sealed until first use . The seal or disc 12ʹ can have different thicknesses, and e.g. be thicker at the edge than in the middle. The disc 12 'can also be connected to the sponge 4 by welding or gluing.

Above the cup 2 there is a further cap-shaped seal 13, the two vertical walls 14 of which bear positively and / or non-positively against the inner wall of the neck 15, it also being possible to weld a weld between the seal 13 and the inner wall of the neck 15. or make an adhesive connection.

FIG. 7 shows an embodiment in which the vertical, cylindrical wall 16 extends to the bottom of the cup 2, the space 17 in FIG. 6 being offset downwards, below the neck 15. Gas collects in this space 17, which arises when the container is exposed to excessive heat, so that the liquid 8 evaporates. Such evaporation can be annoying because it creates splashes that damage clothes or furniture.

FIG. 8 shows an embodiment in which the space 17 is approximately at the same height as in FIG. 6, but the wall 16, as in FIG. 7, extends to the bottom of the cup 2. In the embodiment according to FIG. 8, the upper end wall 18, like that 13 in FIG. 6, is located in the neck area and has an average shape which is modified compared to that according to FIGS. 6 and 7. The end wall 18 has a constantly increasing thickness from the center to the edge. This increasing thickness gives the end wall a high one Stability and therefore a very good sealing ability.

So that the finger 7 can be inserted into the cup, holes or incisions are provided in the seals 12, 13, 18, 19. The incisions can take any shape and be opened before use, for example by cutting or removing a sticker 20 (Fig. 9).

When viewed from above, the incisions can be straight or arched and should stop a little away from the outer circumference in order to reduce the risk of tears and leaks. In the vertical section perpendicular to the cracks, they run, for example, obliquely to the horizontal plane (FIG. 9) or they consist of a wedge-shaped tongue 30 which engages in a groove 29 (FIG. 10). In this way the seal is improved. So that the outflow of evaporated liquid is delayed or prevented, a sponge pad 21 can be arranged on the inside of the seal 19 and on one side of the incision or slot 25, e.g. are fixed by welding as shown in FIG. 9.

When the finger 7 is inserted, the cushion 21 is pushed aside. The small thickness of the center of the end wall 18 (FIG. 8) facilitates the insertion of the finger 7 and nevertheless seals the interior of the cup 2.

After a single use of a container 1, it contains dissolved nail polish, which has an unsavory effect on subsequent use. Therefore, a sleeve 22 is provided in the embodiment according to FIG. 4, which is preferably closed by a sleeve bottom 23. At the top, the sleeve 22 has a border 24 which rests on the edge of the hole 6 through the sponge 4 and is held by it. The sleeve or lining 22 consists of a stable, permeable material, for example of a plastic carrier, which is coated on the inside with a dense plastic or plastic Cotton is lined.

The sleeve or liner 22 is preferably replaced after each use of the nail polish remover. If this takes place immediately after use, the paint has only limited possibilities of penetrating the liquid and settling there, so that the interior of the cup 2 gives a clean impression. The lining also has the advantage that it can consist of a material suitable for contact with the finger, the absorbency of which can be insignificant.

If the cup 2 is placed with the cover 3 removed for finger treatment, it can easily happen that it is tipped over due to carelessness and thereby falls on the floor. In this case it is important that little or no liquid flows out. This is achieved by designing the slots 25, 26 with the cushion 21, which first absorbs the liquid 8. Therefore, there is a risk of leakage only after a short while.

The incisions 25 and 26 do not have to be completely continuous, but can leave behind a remaining thin skin that is easy to pierce with a finger. Furthermore, the seal 12ʹ (Fig. 7) need not have an incision, but can consist of an easily pierceable material.

The contact surface of the abrasion body or sponge 4 on the bottom of the cup 2 (FIG. 7) can be ring-shaped, this ring 35 delimiting a space 34 on the bottom for receiving liquid.

In Fig. 11 a plug 32 is shown, which has an annular edge 33 on the circumference for resting on and pressing against the opening edge. In this version, the graft must be removed before use. The plug 32 can also have a shape, as shown in Fig. 8, 9 or 10, in which case it does not have to be removed.

The liquid consists, for example, of acetone, lanolin, perfume and water, and acetone can be replaced by less volatile substances such as glycol ether.

FIG. 12 shows a container 1, consisting of a cup 2 and a screw cap 3, which is provided with an internal thread 38 which engages in an external thread 39 on the cup 2. Below the cover 3 there is a seal 40, e.g. made of rubber, which largely prevents the content from evaporating when the container 1 is closed.

Inside the container 1 there is a sponge 7, which has incisions in the middle and / or a cylindrical hole 6 for inserting a finger. At the top of the sponge 4 there is a seal 12 which greatly reduces evaporation of the liquid. This seal consists of a soft material that practically does not allow any liquid to pass through and is provided on the circumference with a spring ring 36 which engages non-positively in a closed groove 11 which extends circularly along the inner wall of the cup 2.

Under the seal 12 is the sponge 4, which is preferably made of a material that only releases the absorbed liquid when it is under mechanical pressure. This can prevent the liquid in the sponge 4 from flowing out if the container 1 is accidentally tipped over, so that it comes to lie on its side or upside down.

The circular or corner-shaped seal 12 can be completely closed and have a perforation in the middle, which can be pierced with the finger or opened with a flap.

To clean the inner wall of the cylindrical hole 6, a piston-shaped brush, not shown, can be provided, which has a short handle at the top. This brush can consist of a cylindrical, relatively hard sponge or can be equipped with bristles and stored separately or in a cup. When cleaning, the brush is moved up and down a few times and rotated if necessary so that paint residues are removed from the inner wall of the hole. Afterwards the brush can be cleaned with water. Instead of the hole 6, according to FIGS. 12-18, incisions with different shapes can be provided in the seal 12. These incisions can be straight or S-shaped, cross-shaped, swastika-shaped or star-shaped and may have a hole 6 in the middle for inserting the finger. The incisions can be covered in the seal with an adhesive that is only removed before use.

The incisions preferably extend to the center of the radius of the cover or seal 12 so that its crack resistance is ensured.

Experiments have shown that sponges with a weight of about 30 to 100 kg / m³ are well suited for retaining the liquid. Particularly good results were found with a sponge with a weight of 65 kg / m³. Various sponge-like materials such as foam rubber, foam and natural sponges can be used. However, it is very important for the insertion of the finger that sponges are made of soft material. Sponges with open or closed pores or made of fibers with these properties are preferably used.

Sponges made of foam rubber or foam are preferred because these materials are very soft and can be produced practically exactly according to the requirements. With natural sponges, on the other hand, it can be very difficult to find a sponge that has the most favorable properties in terms of weight and pores.

The sponge is made so that it swells as a result of the liquid absorption and consequently exerts pressure on the container wall, so that no liquid can flow out between the container wall and the sponge. This measure also ensures that the sponge adheres firmly to the inner wall and does not rotate in the vessel during the treatment with the finger.

Conventional mixtures of acetone, lanolin, glycerol and water, but also acetone-free mixtures or solvents can be used as the liquid. So that the liquid in the sponge is retained even better, it can be treated with a sealing liquid, which makes it more difficult for the liquid to escape.

An acetone-based liquid can contain up to 99.7% acetone, up to 49.7% water, up to 5% lanolin derivatives and up to 3% perfume concentrate. In a preferred embodiment, these values are each 80: 18.7: 0.8: 0.5%.

The previously common liquids for removing non-nail polish contained the very effective agent acetone, which has recently been increasingly rejected for toxic reasons. However, acetone-free liquids often have a slightly longer cleaning time, but this can be reduced by keeping the fingers in the air for a short time after moistening before the actual removal of the lacquer begins.

The shapes of the incisions shown in FIGS. 12-18 serve as examples and can be expanded as desired. Furthermore, the incisions for inserting the finger can have a hole in the middle. It is important that the incisions end a little in front of the edge so that the container can lie on its side for an unlimited period of time without the liquid flowing out in drops.

If the container is turned upside down with the lid removed, it may take up to about a quarter of an hour for a single drop to flow out, this time also depending on the fact that no more liquid than required is poured into the cup 2. This amount of liquid is determined based on its composition, etc. It should be noted that the finger is not normally bathed in the liquid, but rather serves as a stain remover to remove nail polish residues.

In the preceding description it was assumed that the sponge has the shape of a circular cylinder. The sponge can also e.g. prismatic, triangular, pyramidal or frustoconical. A prism-shaped design has the advantage that the sponge can be better held against rotation. In the case of a triangular, pyramid or frustoconical design, it is assumed that the sponge has a larger diameter at the bottom than at the top. With an appropriate shape of the container, its stability is increased and the holding of the sponge in the container is improved or facilitated.

In particular for transport purposes, but also for a long-lasting sealing, the container can have a cover at the top, which is welded or glued, for example, to the upper edge, the edge of the cover extending down to the thread or even to the lowest part of the thread . The cover can be in the middle with a perforation, which is sealed with a removable sticker.

Instead of the normal thread mentioned, a bayonet lock or a thread that is divided three times, for example, can be provided, in which the brewing movement for opening or closing the vessel is greatly reduced.

Instead of the spring washer mentioned, a dimensionally stable plastic can be used which is slightly flexible, but is so form-fitting and stable that it can be held in the correct position by a cam or a groove.

The dimensionally stable plastic can be held by a separate spring ring, which can also be connected in one piece to the plastic.

Claims (29)

1. A closable container with a sponge (4) immersed in a solution for treating fingers, in particular for removing nail polish, the sponge (4) having a hole (6) in the middle for receiving at least one finger (7), characterized in that it has a device (27) for holding the sponge (4), and that the sponge (4) is designed in this way and consists of a material which prevents the liquid from flowing out even when the cup (2) is also present removed cover (3) by mistake comes to lie on the head. 2. Container according to claim 1, characterized in that the sponge (4) is covered by a cover (12, 13, 18, 19) extending to the container wall with a dense slot (25, 26) intended to break through, and that the cover (12,13,18,19) lies against the shoulder. 3. Container according to claim 2, characterized in that the cover (12, 13, 18, 19) is connected to the inner wall of the container in a positive and / or non-positive manner. 4. Container according to claim 2, characterized in that the cover (12, 13, 18, 19) is connected to the inner wall of the container by thermal or ultrasonic welding. 5. Container according to one of claims 2 to 4, characterized in that between the outer cover (13, 18) and the sponge (4) there is a space (17) for the thermal pressure equalization. 6. Container according to one of claims 2 to 5, characterized in that the hole (6) with a replaceable, permeable sleeve (22) can be lined, which has a layer of a soft cleaning material on the inside. 7. Container according to one of claims 2 to 6, characterized in that the sleeve (22) has a bottom wall (23). 8. Container according to one of claims 2 to 7, characterized in that the wall thickness of the cover (18) decreases continuously or gradually from the circumference to the center. 9. Container according to one of claims 2 to 8, characterized in that the cover (18, 19) is supported by an extension of the peripheral wall (28) on the container bottom. 10. Container according to one of claims 2 to 9, characterized in that it has an external thread for a lid (3) with an annular and conical sealing wall (11) arranged opposite its internal thread. 11. A container according to claim 10, characterized in that its outer diameter corresponds to that of the lid. 12. Container according to one of claims 2 to 11, characterized in that the slot (25) extends so obliquely to the surface of the cover that the two edges of the slot overlap one another. 13. Container according to one of claims 2 to 11, characterized in that the slot (25) on one side consists of a groove (29) into which a tongue (30) engages from the other side of the slot. 14. Container according to one of claims 2 to 13, characterized in that the slot (25) on the inside is covered by a sponge cushion (21) which prevents or delays the outflow of the liquid (8). 15. A container according to claim 1, characterized in that the device consists of an inwardly in the neck area extending shoulder. 16. A container according to claim 1, characterized in that the device (27) consists of a welded or adhesive connection. 17. Container according to one of claims 1 to 16, characterized in that a seal (31) is inserted between the container (2) and the lid (3). 18. A container according to claim 17, characterized in that the seal (31) is injected into an annular groove. 19. A container according to claim 1, characterized in that the sponge (4) has a weight of 30 to 100 kg / m³, preferably 65kg / m³. 20. Container according to claim 1, characterized in that it has a brush made of sponge or bristles for cleaning the wall of the hole (6). 21. Container according to one of claims 1 to 20, characterized in that the hole (6) in the sponge (4) consists of a star-shaped incision, in the middle of which the finger can be inserted by pushing away the individual wedge-shaped parts shaped by the star . 22. Container according to one of claims 1 to 20, characterized in that the hole (6) in the sponge (4) consists of a straight, cross-shaped or swastika-like incision, in the middle of which the finger by pushing away the parts of the sponge delimited by the cross can be introduced. 23. A container according to claim 5 or 6, characterized in that the sponge (4), where the individual cuts come together, has a hole (8) for receiving a finger. 24. Container according to one of claims 1 to 23, characterized in that the sponge is provided at the top with a seal (12) made of a liquid-tight material, which in a groove (37) or against a cam on the inner wall of the cup (2) rests and prevents the sponge (4) from moving towards the lid (3). 25. Container according to one of claims 1 to 24, characterized in that the sponge (4) consists of foam or foam rubber. 26. A container according to claim 25, characterized in that the sponge has open or closed pores. 27. A container according to claim 24, characterized in that the seal (12) has an incision and / or a hole in the middle. 28. A container according to claim 27, characterized in that the incision is straight, S, cross, swastika or star-shaped and preferably extends to the middle radius. 29. A container according to claim 26, characterized in that the seal (12) is held by means of a spring ring (36) which is integrally connected to it or is separated from it.

Images