EP4616754A1

EP4616754A1 - Container for cosmetic fluids

Info

Publication number: EP4616754A1
Application number: EP23821348.2A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Katie HODDINOTT; Roger OLLER MAS; Núria Bosch Vilamala; Ona Figueras Saborit; Mónica Arcos Morales; Marcia Bardauil
Original assignee: Quadpack Industries SA
Current assignee: Quadpack Industries SA
Priority date: 2022-11-08
Filing date: 2023-11-08
Publication date: 2025-09-17
Also published as: WO2024100576A1

Abstract

Comprises a base (8) which is directly or indirectly connected to an outer cover (1), characterised in that it comprises:- a shaft (4), hollow, defining a passageway (20), located in the base (8), comprising at least one section with thread (10),- an intermediate support (6), inside which there is a first section with thread (11) through which the thread (10) moves, and which is connected to the inside of the base (8),- an annular roof (9) in the form of a hat, covering the upper part of the shaft (4) leaving the passageway (20) free, and comprising a first lip (12) arranged on the perimeter of the roof (9),- an adapter (5) at least partially surrounds the intermediate support (6) and terminating at the top in a second section with thread (19) which connects to the thread (10) below the roof (9),- a shell (3) which at least partially surrounds the adapter (5) and which engages with the base (8), defining a housing (13) of variable volume containing a fluid and connected to the passageway (20), bounded at the bottom by the roof (9), its first lip (12) and an inner shaft (7), and at the top by a canopy (15) of the shell (3), the shell comprising orifices (14) which communicate the fluid with the outside,- the inner shaft (7) defined above, which is arranged in the passageway (20) as a cover blocking the fluid outlet from the housing (13) to the outside through the passageway (20), the inner shaft (7) comprising at least one vertical groove (16), which guides the air trapped inside to the outside, and- an inner cap (18) which is located inside the outer cap (1) and covers the orifices (14), preventing fluid leakage during fluid charging.

Description

Container for cosmetic fluids, that comprises a base which is directly or indirectly connected to an outer cover, characterised in that it comprises: a shaft, hollow, defining a passageway, located in the base, comprising at least one section with thread, an intermediate support, inside which there is a first section with thread through which the thread moves, and which is connected to the inside of the base, an annular roof in the form of a hat, covering the upper part of the shaft leaving the passageway free, and comprising a first lip arranged on the perimeter of the roof, an adapter at least partially surrounds the intermediate support and terminating at the top in a second section with thread which connects to the thread below the roof, a shell which at least partially surrounds the adapter and which engages with the base, defining a housing of variable volume containing a fluid and connected to the passageway, bounded at the bottom by the roof, its first lip and an inner shaft, and at the top by a canopy of the shell, the shell comprising orifices which communicate the fluid with the outside, the inner shaft defined above, which is arranged in the passageway as a cover blocking the fluid outlet from the housing to the outside through the passageway, the inner shaft comprising at least one vertical groove, which guides the air trapped inside to the outside, and an inner cap which is located inside the outer cap and covers the orifices, preventing fluid leakage during fluid charging.

BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION

In the state of the art, different containers are known to supply cosmetic products.
Thus, European Patent No. EP1362525 ( ES2266747 ), "ROLL-ON APPLICATION DEVICE", from 2003, in the name of L'OREAL, which relates to a device for the packaging and application of a product, in particular a cosmetic product, the device comprising a container containing the product and fitted with an applicator structure of the roll-on type, comprising i) a support delimiting a housing able to communicate with the container via an opening, and ii) a non-spherical application element arranged inside the housing, the surface of which revolves around at least one axis X, said application element being mounted so as to have a portion capable of closing in a sealed manner the said opening when the device is in a storage position.
Also known is European Patent No. EP0363137 ( ES2082784 ) "CONTINUOUS DISPENSER", dated 1989, in the name of UNILEVER PLC, which relates to a wide roll-on dispenser that has a fluid reservoir and an applicator roller mounted in a housing with a valve mechanism therebetween to control the flow of fluid from the reservoir to the roller, the valve mechanism being operated by movement of the housing with respect to the reservoir. In a preferred arrangement the housing is moved to operate the valve mechanism by applying and removing an overcap.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention falls within the field of the cosmetic fluid dispensing containers.
The closest prior art is the European Patent No. EP1362525 ( ES2266747 ).
This patent solves the problem of dispensing a cosmetic fluid to the skin by means of a roll-on system that optimises such dispensing.
On the other hand, it has the disadvantage that when the fluid is finished, a high proportion of the fluid remains in the container, which means that the user loses a quantity to be dispensed.
The present invention solves the problem by means of a container that combines a configuration for the removal of air so that it does not take up space inside the housing, a lip that fits the walls of the housing to draw all the fluid into the outlet orifices and an inner cap that prevents the fluid from escaping to the outside.
An object of the present invention is a container for cosmetic fluids, that comprises a base which is directly or indirectly connected to an outer cover, characterised in that it comprises: a shaft, hollow, defining a passageway, located in the base, comprising at least one section with thread, an intermediate support, inside which there is a first section with thread through which the thread moves, and which is connected to the inside of the base, an annular roof in the form of a hat, covering the upper part of the shaft leaving the passageway free, and comprising a first lip arranged on the perimeter of the roof, an adapter at least partially surrounds the intermediate support and terminating at the top in a second section with thread which connects to the thread below the roof, a shell which at least partially surrounds the adapter and which engages with the base, defining a housing of variable volume containing a fluid and connected to the passageway, bounded at the bottom by the roof, its first lip and an inner shaft, and at the top by a canopy of the shell, the shell comprising orifices which communicate the fluid with the outside, the inner shaft defined above, which is arranged in the passageway as a cover blocking the fluid outlet from the housing to the outside through the passageway , the inner shaft comprising at least one vertical groove, which guides the air trapped inside to the outside, and an inner cap which is located inside the outer cap and covers the orifices, preventing fluid leakage during fluid charging.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In order to facilitate the explanation, the present description is accompanied by three sheets of drawings in which a practical embodiment has been shown, which is cited as an example, not limiting the scope of the present invention:

Figure 1 is an overview of the invention,
Figure 2 is a cut through line II-II of figure 1, and
Figure 3 is an exploded view of figure 1.

CONCRETE EMBODIMENT OF THE PRESENT INVENTION

Figure 1 shows an outer cover 1 and a base 8.
Figure 2 illustrates the outer cover 1, a shell 3 inside which is configured a housing 13, a shaft 4, an adapter 5, an intermediate support 6, an inner shaft 7 with its vertical grooves 16 and a passageway 20, the base 8, a roof 9, a section with thread 10, a first thread pitch 11, a second thread pitch section 19, a first lip 12, a second lip 17, holes 14, a canopy 15 and an inner cover 18.

Finally, figure 3 shows the outer cover 1, the shell 3, the shaft 4, the adapter 5, the intermediate support 6, the inner shaft 7 with its vertical grooves 16 and the passageway 20, the base 8, the roof 9, the section with thread 10, the first thread pitch 11, the second thread pitch section 19, the first lip 12, the second lip 17, the housing 13, the holes 14, the canopy 15 and the inner cover 18.
Thus, the container of the present invention comprises a base 8 which is directly or indirectly connected to an outer cover 1. This is because the base 8 could be connected directly to the outer cover 1 or to an intermediate piece which joins them together.
It also comprises a hollow shaft 4, located in the base 8, comprising at least one section with thread 10. This shaft 4 defines a passageway 20 with this cavity, which, as will be explained in more detail later, is used to pour the fluid into the interior of the container.
It also has an intermediate support 6, inside which there is a first section of thread passage 11 through which the thread 10 moves, and which is connected to the inside of the base 8.
A hat-like annular roof 9, which covers the upper part of the shaft 4, leaving the passageway 20 free, covers the upper part of the shaft 4, and comprises a first lip 12 arranged on the perimeter of the roof 9. This roof, as will be explained in more detail later, when moving upwards, pushes, together with the inner shaft 7 (the head of the inner shaft 7), the fluid towards the outside.
It also comprises an adapter 5 which at least partially surrounds the intermediate support 6 and which ends at the top in a second threaded passage 19 which connects to the thread 10 below the roof 9. Thus, as the adapter 5 moves through the second threaded passage 11, it pushes up the roof 9 and the inner shaft 20 which compresses the fluid.
The shell 3 at least partially surrounds the adapter 5 and engages with the base 8, defining a housing 13 of variable volume containing a fluid and connected to the passageway 20. The housing 13 is bounded at the bottom by the roof 9, its first lip 12 and an inner shaft 7, which prevents the fluid from escaping downwards, and at the top by a roof 15 of the shell 3. The shell 3, in the canopy 15, comprises orifices 14 that communicate the fluid with the outside.
The inner shaft 7 defined above, in the previous paragraph, is arranged in the passageway 20, which is the one connecting the inside of the housing 13 with the outside through the passageway 20. The inner shaft 7 is arranged as a cover blocking the fluid outlet from the housing 13 to the outside through the passageway 20, said inner shaft 7 comprising at least one vertical groove 16, which guides the air trapped inside the housing 13 to the outside.
Finally, it also comprises an inner cover 18 which is located inside the outer cover 1 and covers the holes 14.
Optionally, to ensure watertightness, it may comprise a second lip 17, located on the roof 9, below the first lip 12.
In a particular embodiment, the manufacturer will configure the container of the present invention with the roof 9 as far away from the inner lid 18 as possible, i.e., with the housing 13 at maximum capacity.
The container is then placed in an inverted position, without the base 8 and the inner shaft 7. This allows the housing 13 to be connected to the outside via the passageway 20.
The operator then pours the fluid into the housing 13 through the passageway 20. The fluid does not flow out of the holes 14 as the inner cap 18 blocks the holes 14 and prevents the fluid from flowing out of the holes 14.
Once completed, it will insert the inner shaft 7 into the passageway 20 and block the fluid outlet from the inside of the housing 13.
In addition, any trapped air shall be dissipated through the vertical grooves 16.
Finally, it will place the base 8 and the product is ready to be marketed.
The user shall take the container and remove the outer cover 1.
Then turn the base 8 with the fingers. The base 8 is connected to the adaptor 5, which, when the base 8 is rotated, moves the adaptor 5 upwards by means of the second thread pitch section 19, which moves along the thread 10. This causes the roof 9 and the inner shaft 7 to push the fluid inside the housing 13 towards the holes 14, through which it exits to the outside. In this way, the housing 13 changes its volume by reducing it. At the initial moment, when the operator loads the fluid inside the housing 13, as explained above, he configures the volume of the housing, varying its capacity until it reaches the maximum volume, hence the housing 13 is configured so that it is of variable volume, with maximum capacity to be reduced as the user dispenses the fluid inside the housing 13.
The first lip 12, and if applicable the second lip 17, seal the bottom of the housing 13 and prevent fluid from escaping out of the housing 13 into the base 8.
The present invention describes a new container for cosmetic fluids. The examples mentioned herein are not limiting of the present invention, therefore it may have different applications and/or adaptations, all of them within the scope of the following claims.

Claims

Container for cosmetic fluids, that comprises a base (8) which is directly or indirectly connected to an outer cover (1), characterised in that it comprises:
- a shaft (4), hollow, defining a passageway (20), located in the base (8), comprising at least one section with thread (10),

- an intermediate support (6), inside which there is a first section with thread (11) through which the thread (10) moves, and which is connected to the inside of the base (8),

- an annular roof (9) in the form of a hat, covering the upper part of the shaft (4) leaving the passageway (20) free, and comprising a first lip (12) arranged on the perimeter of the roof (9),

- an adapter (5) at least partially surrounds the intermediate support (6) and terminating at the top in a second section with thread (19) which connects to the thread (10) below the roof (9),

- a shell (3) which at least partially surrounds the adapter (5) and which engages with the base (8), defining a housing (13) of variable volume containing a fluid and connected to the passageway (20), bounded at the bottom by the roof (9), its first lip (12) and an inner shaft (7), and at the top by a canopy (15) of the shell (3), the shell comprising orifices (14) which communicate the fluid with the outside,

- the inner shaft (7) defined above, which is arranged in the passageway (20) as a cover blocking the fluid outlet from the housing (13) to the outside through the passageway (20), the inner shaft (7) comprising at least one vertical groove (16), which guides the air trapped inside to the outside, and

- an inner cap (18) which is located inside the outer cap (1) and covers the orifices (14), preventing fluid leakage during fluid charging.
Container, according to claim 1, characterised in that it comprises a second lip (17), located on the roof (9), below the first lip (12).