EP3135603B1 - Refillable container - Google Patents

Description

Technical area

The present invention relates to a refillable container, including, but not limited to, a container for perfumes, but also for cosmetic care or serums, make-up products, e-liquids for electronic cigarettes, scented candles, or any other liquid substance, fluid, powder or paste and particularly devices designed to fit removably on the neck or the mouth of such containers, variable shapes and variable volumes.

State of the art

We know several solutions to easily reload a container. The document JP 2010-173723 A discloses a refillable container comprising an outer bottle and a refill inserted entirely into an internal volume of the outer bottle, the outer bottle and the refill being detachably secured by a male ring fixed on the refill concentrically inserted in the neck of the outer bottle. . The present invention provides a container that can be easily recharged by the insertion of a refill bottle that is feasible simply and at low cost.

The use of a refill is justified to the extent that, by its quality and price, the main distributor, in this case the bottle, is a non-disposable object. On the other hand, the value of a refill depends more on the value of its contents than on the container forming the refill, so that being of low value, the empty refill can be discarded or recycled.

Presentation of the invention

The present invention relates to a refillable container according to claim 1. Preferred embodiments are the subject of the dependent claims.

Brief description of the figures

• La figure 1 illustre une bague 'femelle' de raccord utilisée dans un aspect de l'invention.
• La figure 2 illustre une bague de raccord 'mâle' complémentaire à la bague de la figure 1. Un détail est élargi pour plus de clarté.
• La figure 3 illustre un tube utilisé, selon un aspect de l'invention, pour la fabrication des flacons de recharge.
• La figure 4 illustre la partie externe, non jetable du conteneur, en ce cas une bouteille en verre comprenant un goulot fileté.
• La figure 5 illustre un flacon de recharge jetable, plein et fermé par un opercule.
• La figure 6 illustre la bouteille vide, en section, prête à accueillir une recharge.
• La figure 7 montre en section le conteneur avec sa recharge vide, et un outil de montage et démontage.

Examples of implementation of the invention are indicated in the description illustrated by the appended figures in which:

• The figure 1 illustrates a coupling 'female' ring used in one aspect of the invention.
• The figure 2 illustrates a 'male' coupling ring complementary to the ring of the figure 1 . A detail is expanded for clarity.
• The figure 3 illustrates a tube used, according to one aspect of the invention, for the manufacture of refill bottles.
• The figure 4 illustrates the outer non-disposable part of the container, in this case a glass bottle comprising a threaded neck.
• The figure 5 illustrates a bottle of disposable refill, full and closed by a lid.
• The figure 6 illustrates the empty bottle, in section, ready to accommodate a refill.
• The figure 7 shows in section the container with its empty refill, and a tool for assembly and disassembly.

Example (s) of embodiment of the invention

In a preferred embodiment, the non-disposable outer portion and the refill bottles that together make up the container of the invention are interconnected by threaded rings 52, 12, shown in FIGS. figures 1 , respectively 2.

The female ring 52 (cf. Figure 1 ) is intended to be permanently fixed inside the neck of a bottle 50 (visible on the Figures 4 and 6 ). When the bottle is made of an inelastic material, such as for example glass, the inner ring is preferably glued and has, on its outer surface, reliefs capable of improving its adhesion. However, it is also conceivable, without departing from the scope of the invention, that the ring 52 is driven or welded into the bottle 50, or secured by other suitable fastening means.

The female ring 52 carries on its internal lateral surface a screw thread 57 that aims to maintain the recharge and exchange it with another. It preferably has an edge on the outside that prevents it from falling into the bottle and bears on the neck of the bottle.

It is obvious that one can bring to this realization modifications of detail without departing from the scope of the invention.

The Figure 4 illustrates a possible embodiment of the bottle 50. In this example it is a round glass bottle, but the invention is not limited to that the bottle 50 can be made, for example, of metal, for example aluminum, ceramic, crystal, a synthetic material, or any other material. This part of the container is not disposable and can be made with relatively expensive materials and careful manufacturing techniques to give it an aesthetically appealing appearance. It can be engraved or decorated, and is usually marked with logos, drawings, indications to identify the product and instructions for use.

The bottle 50 has on the neck a thread 56 for fixing a cap, not shown in the figures. Preferably the cap is not a disposable component and the user does not necessarily have to replace it with a new one at each insertion of a new refill. Depending on the need, the cap may include a nebulizer, a child safety device, a dropper, or any other accessory. The invention is not limited to a screw cap either.

The refill 1, visible on the figure 5 comprises a vial 15 (cf. Figure 3 ) capable of receiving the desired content 40, and a male ring (cf. Figure 2 ) permanently attached to the upper end. A temporary closure means, for example the lid 18, prevents the release of the contents 40 until the refill 10 has not yet been inserted into the container 50.

The vial 15 can be made simply and economically from a drawn glass tube of the desired diameter with a flat bottom or round. Such tubes can be cut with conventional glass-working techniques and are, moreover, widely used in chemical and biological laboratories. They are therefore widely available on the market at a reasonable price. The invention is not however limited to this variant and could also include embodiments with flasks 15 made of metal, for example aluminum, ceramic, or synthetic material.

The male ring 12 has an external thread complementary to that of the female ring 52, so as to be able to be fixed and two diametrically opposite axial holes 18 in its edge, which serves for screwing and unscrewing, as will be seen later .

The shapes of the female ring 52 and the male ring 12 are such that they can be made of metal, for example aluminum, by a limited number of turning stages, drilling, and other conventional machining operations. However, these elements could also be made by injection of synthetic material, in which case they could be made integrally with the vial 15 or, respectively, the bottle 50, by 3D printing, or by any other suitable method.

The invention is also not limited to a connection screwed between the female ring 52 and the male ring 12, which could be connected by any non-permanent connection means, for example a bayonet system, by means of spring clips, or by simple pressure.

The figure 7 shows the container of the invention with all its components described above assembled, the refill 10 being inserted entirely into an internal volume of the outer bottle 50. The container also comprises a tool 60 for screwing and unscrewing the refill 10 The tool 60 comprises a core 65 intended to engage the mouth of the refill 10, and one or more pins 63 which enter the axial holes 18 of the male ring 12. The core 65 allows an immediate alignment of the tool with the refill, after which one can simply turn the tool 60 until a pin engages with a hole corresponding, and continue the action in the desired direction, to screw or unscrew the refill.

Reference numbers used in the figures

10

refill

12

'male' ring

15

flask

17

male thread

18

axial hole

40

contents

50

bottle

52

'female' ring

56

Bottle neck trickle

57

female thread

60

tool

63

pin

65

core

Claims (6)

1. Refillable container
   consisting of an outer reusable bottle (50) in combination with a refill pack (10) which is fitted entirely in the inner volume of the outer bottle (50), the outer bottle equipped with a bottleneck, whereas the outer bottle (50) and the refill pack (10) are being joined together in a detachable manner through a male threaded ring (12) fastened to the refill pack,
   characterized in that
   the male threaded ring is inserted concentrically in a female threaded ring (52), which is affixed to the neck of the outer bottle (50).
2. Refillable container according to the preceding claim, in which the male threaded ring (12) and the female threaded ring (52) are screwed together.
3. Refillable container according to the preceding claim, in witch the male threaded ring (12) and the female threaded ring (52) are joined together by means of a bajonett fitting or a spring clips arrangement.
4. Refillable container according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the bottle (50) and/or the refill pack (10) are made of glas and/or metal, and/or synthetic material.
5. Refillable container according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the male threaded ring (12) and/or the female threaded ring (52) are metal workpieces.
6. Refillable container according to any one of the preceding claims, including a screwing tool (60).

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