EP0606249B1

EP0606249B1 - Container for a sample of perfume

Info

Publication number: EP0606249B1
Application number: EP92918800A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Peter Stephens Somogyi
Original assignee: D Swarovski KG
Current assignee: D Swarovski KG
Priority date: 1991-10-04
Filing date: 1992-09-09
Publication date: 1996-05-29
Anticipated expiration: 2012-09-09
Also published as: WO1993006761A1; ATE138541T1; ES2088149T3; EP0606249A1; FR2682020A1; FR2682020B1; DE69211146D1; DE69211146T2

Abstract

The perfume is retained by capillarity inside a cavity (10) of very small transverse dimension.

Description

The present invention relates to perfume containers more precisely to a container intended for a miniaturized presentation for sampling, demonstrating or selling perfumes.
The problem of the samples arises in two different manners, on the one hand when the samples are distributed to the public and on the other hand when the samples are in the hands of professionals, such as representatives, retailers, in order to make their fabrication known.
As regards the distribution of samples to the public, they are presented in the form of a container of a few millilitres (usually from 1 to 3), non valorizing, which is produced and distributed in very large quantities to consumers who do not recognize in the presentation the public image of the companies producing them, hence a very large waste of a costly product.
As regards the professionals, they transport containers containing their various perfumes, and during the demonstration, they use small bands of absorbent paper which they partially dip in the perfumes so that the customers can smell them or they use demonstration sprayers of large capacity.
In both cases, a large quantity of perfume is used and the contents, due to the handling to which they are subjected, suffer from an oxidation phenomenon which is detrimental to the fragrance.
The present invention aims at proposing a container allowing solving these problems caused by the quantity of product used, the degradation of the fragrance and of the public image, while authorizing an olfactive test under very good conditions.
To this effect, the invention relates to a perfume container, characterized by a cavity having in its totality a very small transverse size to retain the perfume by capillarity.
The container according to the invention is also remarkable in that:

said cavity is cylindrical, of very small diameter,
it is closed by a closing plug carrying a sealing lining ensuring a tight closing by friction of a peripheral deformable skirt.

The present invention will be better understood from the following description, with reference to the accompanying drawing wherein:

Fig. 1 is a sectional view of a container according to the invention;
Fig. 2 is a sectional view of a plug adapted for closing the container of Fig. 1.

Referring to Fig. 1, one sees in section the container 1 according to the invention. It includes a cavity 10 for the perfume, ended by a chamfer 11 at its opened end.
According to the invention, this cavity 10 is of very small dimension in the transverse direction.
The fact that a cavity of small size has been provided allows to prevent the perfume from flowing out by capillarity.
In the case of a cylindrical cavity 10, its diameter is of the order of 2 millimetres.
The filling has to be made with the assistance of a tool adapted for being positioned in a precise manner in the cavity and for delivering the required quantity of perfume.
To this effect, one can fill the perfume cavity by using a syringe the needle of which is progressively removed from the cavity as the perfume flows inside said cavity.
Due to the retention of the perfume by capillarity in the cavity, the container 1 according to the invention can be transported without any risk of the perfume flowing out.
It is possible to smell at leisure the perfume in order to discover and appreciate it, but it is not possible to pour it out and to perfume one's self.
In order to avoid a too quick evaporation of the perfume, a closing plug 2 of container 1 is provided, as shown in Fig. 2.
This plug 2 includes an upper portion 20 intended to be grasped and a sealing lining 3.
The upper portion 20 provides the container closed by plug 2 with an aesthetic appearance while the sealing lining 3 ensures the tight closing of the cavity.
The sealing lining 3 is formed with a peripheral skirt 30 which can be deformed in order to be adapted in a precise manner to said cavity 10 and to close it in a satisfactory manner.
The upper portion 20 and the sealing lining 3 are, according to the materials used, formed integrally or of two portions fixed to one another.
The chamfer 11 provided at the opened end of cavity 10 is used as a guide for the penetration of the sealing lining 3 inside cavity 10.
In a preferred manner, but not shown in the drawing, the container and its plug are provided with shapes of a good aesthetic effect so as to reflect the precious character of their contents. This type of container allows very different and valorizing shapes able to support the public image of the company while preserving the marketing concept of the novelty.
They may be made of attractive materials such as cut crystal, precious stones, metals, for their use for demonstration purposes, but also of less costly materials. The various presentations can allow using the container according to the present invention for advertising, sampling, demonstration or commercial purposes as a function of the value, the appearance and the presentation of the containers.

Claims

A perfume container, characterized by a cavity (10) having in its totality a very small transverse size to retain the perfume by capillarity.
The container according to the claim 1, characterized in that said cavity (10) is cylindrical and of very small diameter.
The container according to claims 1 or 2, characterized in that it is closed by a closing plug (2) carrying a sealing lining (3) ensuring a tight closing by friction of a deformable peripheral skirt (30).