EP0564370B1 - Packaging device, in particular for cosmetic products - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a packaging device according to the preamble of claim 1, in particular for cosmetic products, comprising a lid with controlled opening. Document US-A-330835 describes a device corresponding to the preamble of claim 1.

The devices for packaging cosmetic products, in particular makeup products, generally consist of a body such as a box or a jar containing the product and provided with a cover.

Certain known devices include a screwed cover; however, once detached from the body, the cover is a bulky piece and inconvenient to handle.

Other known devices include a cover which is articulated on the body, and held in the open position by an elastic member capable of being compressed when the cover is closed. A clasp is then provided on the device to keep the cover in the closed position.

However, these devices have the drawback that, when the clasp is unlocked, the cover opens abruptly, which can be unpleasant for the user and damage the image that the latter may have of the packaged product. . In addition, the rapid tilting of the cover may give rise to product splashes.

To brake such a cover when it is opened, provision has been made to make it integral with a damping mechanism, but this embodiment is expensive and unnecessarily increases the volume of the packaging device which is generally of small size.

The present invention aims to eliminate the drawbacks mentioned above by proposing a packaging device comprising a cover the opening of which is continuously controllable, a device the production of which is also simple and economical.

The subject of the present invention is a packaging device, in particular for cosmetic products, composed of a jar-shaped body, a lid hinged thereon and an operating member, characterized by the fact that the operating member is rotatably mounted on the body, and comprises a part in the form of an inclined ramp, the cover comprising, in the vicinity of its articulation on the body, a tongue which engages in means of vertical guide provided in the wall of the body, the tongue being integral in vertical translation with the ramp-shaped part of said operating member, so that a rotational movement of the operating member relative to the body and to said tongue causes a guided translational movement of the tongue in the wall of the body, and the tilting of the cover around its axis of articulation on the body.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the operating member is a cylindrical wheel, comprising a wall in the form of an inclined ramp whose height decreases from one end to the other of the ramp, said wall extending over at least part of the circumference of the wheel, preferably over substantially half of the latter.

It is understood that, by rotation of the operating member, the device according to the invention allows the cover to be maneuvered continuously, the opening angle of the cover being determined by the angle of rotation of the member maneuver.

Advantageously, the inclination of the ramp of the operating member is such that by turning the latter at a measured speed corresponding to normal handling of the device, the cover is opened in a progressive and flexible manner.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the operating member comprises a bottom wall which constitutes the bottom of the device. The latter is then handled in the same way for example as a tube of lipstick, by blocking the body in rotation and by rotating the lower part of the device.

Advantageously, the body has a double side wall in which is housed the ramp-shaped part of the operating member, which makes it possible both to conceal the ramp-shaped part inside the device and the isolate from the interior cavity of the body intended to receive the conditioned product.

Different types of assemblies can be used to secure the tongue of the cover to the ramp of the operating member, as will be described later.

• la figure 1 est une vue en coupe d'un mode de réalisation du dispositif selon l'invention,
• la figure 2 est une vue en perspective de l'organe de manoeuvre de la figure 1,
• la figure 3 est une vue identique à la figure 1 dans laquelle le couvercle est basculé en position ouverte,
• la figure 4 est une vue de dessus du corps du dispositif décrit, et
• la figure 5 est une variante de l'assemblage entre la languette du couvercle et la rampe inclinée de l'organe de manoeuvre.

In order to better understand the invention we will now describe an embodiment given by way of example and without any limiting character with reference to the accompanying schematic drawing in which:

• FIG. 1 is a sectional view of an embodiment of the device according to the invention,
• FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the operating member of FIG. 1,
• FIG. 3 is a view identical to FIG. 1 in which the cover is tilted to the open position,
• FIG. 4 is a top view of the body of the device described, and
• Figure 5 is a variant of the assembly between the tongue of the cover and the inclined ramp of the operating member.

The device described in the drawing comprises a body 1, for example of plastic, of cylindrical shape, a cover 2 also for example of plastic, and a thumb wheel 3 which constitutes according to the invention the member for operating the cover.

The body 1 of the device described has a double side wall formed by an outer wall 4 a and an inner wall 4 b defining between them an annular cavity 5 open below.

The body 1 has at its upper part a neck 6 of reduced diameter.

In the example illustrated, the body 1 is open at its lower part. As a variant, it is possible to provide it with a bottom, in the form of a cover, or of a rigid wall attached by snap-fastening or gluing, or molded with the interior wall 4b .

The articulation of the cover 2 on the body 1 is produced around an axis 7 constituted by lugs 7 a and 7 b provided on lugs 8 produced on the body at the neck 6.

In the vicinity of this articulation zone, the body has a recess 9. This recess is produced in the walls 4 a , 4 b of the body in the annular cavity 5, and has an extension in the radial direction slightly greater than that of said annular cavity 5. This recess 9 is intended to receive the tongue of the cover 2 as will be described below, to ensure guided vertical sliding.

The cover 2, of circular section, has a central skirt 10 which is applied in the closed position around the interior cavity of the body 1, inside the neck 6, to seal the conditioning cavity in position closed.

Two legs 11, each crossed by an orifice 12, are articulated on the legs 8 of the cover 1, around the axis 7.

In the vicinity of its articulation, the cover 2 is extended by a flexible tongue 13, terminated by an end portion 14 whose section is substantially the same dimensions as those of the slide 9 formed in the walls 4 a , 4 b of the body 1.

Advantageously, the cover 2 and its tongue 13 are made in one piece, for example by injection.

The end piece 14 is intended to slide vertically inside the slide 9 to exert on the cover 2 a lever effect which causes its tilting.

It is clear that for a lever effect to be exerted on the cover 2, the tongue 13 must be distant from the axis 7 of articulation of the cover 2, which justifies the presence of the tabs 11.

The translation of the tongue 13 of the cover 2 inside the slide 9 takes place under the effect of the rotation of the wheel 3.

As can be seen more clearly in FIG. 2, the wheel 3 has a cylindrical shape, comprising a bottom 15 and a side wall 16.

This wall 16 constitutes the gripping surface of the wheel 3 once mounted on the body 1, the outer wall 4 a of the body 1 being shorter than its inner wall 4 b .

In the vicinity of its periphery and over substantially half of its circumference, the wheel 3 has a wall in the form of an inclined ramp 17 provided with a rib 18, in the form of a dovetail, which is able to cooperate with the part d end 14 of cover 2, which comprises a recess 19 of corresponding shape, in which the rib 18 of the wheel 3 can slide.

This connection by a "dovetail" type assembly allows the ramp 17 to slide in the circumferential direction relative to the tongue 13, and ensures their connection in the direction of a vertical translation.

Once mounted on the end piece 14 of the cover 2, the inclined ramp 17 is housed in the annular cavity 5 of the body 1.

In the embodiment described, the thumbwheel 3 is snapped onto the body 1, by an annular rib 20 engaging in an annular groove 21 formed on the lower part of the inner wall 4 b of the body 1.

In a variant, not shown, the bottom 15 of the thumbwheel 3 may include a skirt internally surrounding the interior wall 4 b , the height of said skirt possibly corresponding to the height of the interior wall 4 b . The skirt thus defines with the bottom 15 of the wheel a container for the packaged product.

FIG. 4 shows a top view of the body 1 as well as the tongue 13 of the cover 2 cut along the plane IV-IV of FIG. 3.

The double side wall 4 a , 4 b is shown in this figure in broken lines.

The hinge pin 7 of the cover is, as mentioned above, constituted by two lugs 7 a and 7 b on which the orifices 12 of the lugs 11 of the cover 2 engage.

It is clearly seen in this figure that the section of the recess 9 of the body 1 is slightly greater than the section of the end part 14 of the cover 2, so that, during the rotation of the knob 3, the part of end 14 is held in the recess 9 and can only be driven by a vertical translational movement.

A stop 23 is disposed in the cavity 5, opposite the recess 9. This stop 23 is intended to limit the rotation of the wheel 3, which can thus be rotated without the connection between the end piece 14 and the rib 18 of the ramp 17 is not interrupted.

In the embodiment described, in which the ramp 17 extends over substantially half of the circumference of the wheel, a single stop 23 is sufficient to limit the rotation of the wheel. In another embodiment, the ramp 17 extends over less than half of the circumference of the wheel, and two stops are provided.

The operation of the device is as follows.

In the closed position, shown in FIG. 1, the ramp 17 of the thumb wheel 3 pushes the tab 13 of the cover 2, presenting its highest end in line with the guide recess 9 formed on the body 1.

The height of the ramp 17 is chosen so that the tongue 13 exerts a slight pressure on the cover in the closed position.

To open the device according to the invention, a torque is exerted on the wheel 3 in the direction represented by the arrow 22 in FIG. 2.

The displacement of the ramp 17 to the right of the recess 9 causes the tongue 13 to translate downwards.

The tongue 13 exerts, by means of the tabs 11, a lever effect on the cover 2 and brings it into the open position shown in FIG. 3.

It is understood that by a continuous rotation of the wheel 3, there is provided a progressive tilting movement of the cover 2.

The height of the lowest end of the ramp 17 is chosen so that the cover 2 is tilted by a maximum angle in its open position.

In a variant illustrated in FIG. 5, the tongue 13 of the cover 2 and the inclined ramp-shaped portion 17 of the wheel 3 have at their respective ends bent profiles 18 'and 19' able to cooperate in order to hook the the tongue 13 on the ramp-shaped part 17 of the wheel 3.

It is understood that the embodiment which has just been described has no limiting character.

In particular, the wheel described here may include a ramp inclined over its entire periphery, the body in this case having no stop intended to block the wheel in rotation.

Claims (11)

1. A packaging device, in particular for cosmetic products, made up of a pot-shaped body (1) and a lid (2) articulated thereon and a manipulating element (3), characterized in that the manipulating element (3) is mounted for rotation on the body (1) and has a sloping ramp-shaped part (17), the lid (2) comprising in the vicinity of its articulation (7, 8, 11, 12) to the body, a tongue (13) which engages in vertical guide means (9) provided in the side (4a, 4b) of the body (1), the tongue (13) being joined for vertical translation to the ramp-shaped part (17) of the said manipulating element (3), in such a way that a rotational movement of the manipulating element (3) relative to the body (1) and to the said tongue (13) produces a guided movement of translation of the tongue (13) in the side (4a, 4b) of the body (1) and the tilting of the lid (2) round its articulation pin (7) on the body (1).
2. A device according to claim 1, characterized in that the manipulating element is a cylindrical serrated ring (3) having a side in the shape of a sloping ramp (17) whose height decreases from one end of the ramp (17) to the other, the said sloping ramp-shaped side extending over at least a portion of the circumference of the said serrated ring (3).
3. A device according to any one of claims 1 and 2, characterized in that the manipulating element (3) has a bottom (15) which constitutes the bottom of the device.
4. A device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the body (1) has a double side wall (4a, 4b) wherein the sloping ramp-shaped part (17) of the manipulating element (3) is accommodated.
5. A device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the manipulating element (3) is catch-engaged on the body (1).
6. A device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the sloping ramp-shaped part (17) of the manipulating element (3) and the tongue (13) of the lid (2) are joined by a dovetail system (18, 19), allowing the ramp (17) to slide in the circumferential direction relative to the tongue (13) and ensuring their interlocking in the direction of a vertical translation.
7. A device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the tongue (13) of the lid (2) and the sloping ramp-shaped part (17) of the manipulating element (3) have at their respective ends angled profiles (18', 19') which are capable of cooperating so as to obtain the fastening of the tongue (13) on the ramp-shaped part (17).
8. A device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the tongue (13) and the lid (2) are made of a single piece, in particular by the injection moulding of a plastic material.
9. A device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the body (1) includes a bottom.
10. A device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the body (1) is open at its lower portion.
11. A device according to claim 10, characterized in that the bottom (15) of the manipulating element (3) includes a skirt which internally surrounds the side wall of the body, the said skirt defining, together with the said bottom, a container for the packaged product.

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