FR2663644A1 - Hollow body, such as floating bar of soap, and its method of manufacture - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a method of manufacture of a hollow body, made of malleable material consisting of two half-shells, such as a bar of soap. According to the invention, each of the said half-shells (1) is moulded with complementary teeth (2), each set of teeth (2) comprising at least one deformable tooth (3) with straight flanks and at least one nondeformable tooth (4) with an oblique flank inclined away from the flank of the said straight tooth, and in that the said half-shells are forcibly assembled after moulding, such that a straight tooth of one half-shell is received between a straight tooth and an inclined flank of the other half-shell, the straight teeth becoming inclined substantially parallel to the said oblique sides during the forcible assembly in order to constitute, on the one hand, an undetachable assembly of the assembled half-shells and, on the other hand, a sealing barrier resulting from this mode of assembly. Application to the soap industry.

Description

Hollow body, such as floating soap, and its manufacturing process
The present invention relates to a method of manufacturing a hollow body, of malleable material. consisting of two half-shells which, once assembled, constitute a non-removable assembly. The invention also relates to new industrial products such as soaps or candles obtained by said process, said articles preferably having a final density of less than 1.

Generally, soaps have a density close to that of water, but greater than this. Soaps tend to sink in water and flow to the bottom of the container containing the volume of water, which has several disadvantages. Indeed, the soap has a faster wear. Furthermore. it melts in water then cloudes the water and is difficult to recover because it undergoes a surface dissolution generating a slippery film.

To respond to this problem, it is known to modify the density of soaps by adding a foreign body whose density is less than that of water. So. FR-A.2262107 patent proposes a floating soap in which the body lnciure can be for example a hollow apse. polyvinyl chloride capsule, gas bubble, etc. Similarly, patent FR-A.2570079 proposes to integrate a hollow plastic capsule or a cork core in the heart of the soap. However, these foreign bodies harm the detergent effects of detergents and modify the natural textures of the soap.

According to FR-A.2614313, it is possible to avoid the inclusion of foreign bodies by modifying the chemical composition of the soap, in particular by adding potassium laurate and by subjecting the soap to specific physical treatments. This process has many drawbacks because the products obtained have a granular surface state unpleasant to the touch.

The present invention therefore aims to overcome these drawbacks by proposing a method for manufacturing hollow bodies and more particularly floating soaps which do not require the introduction of foreign bodies.

Another object of the invention is to implement a process for obtaining hollow bodies and more particularly soaps whose composition and external appearance are not modified compared to existing products.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide a method for manufacturing a hollow body and more particularly a soap in which one or more cavities are formed so as to contain a mini-toy, a small soap, a perfume, bath salts, etc.

 this effect the method according to the invention is characterized in that each of said half-shells is molded with complementary teeth, each toothing comprising at least one deformable tooth with straight lateral flanks and at least one non-deformable tooth with oblique lateral flank inclined away from the lateral flank of said right tooth. and in this mulon forcibly assembles after molding said half-shells so that a straight tooth of a half-shell is received between a straight tooth and an inclined flank born of the other half-shell, the straight teeth s 'tilting substantially parallel to said oblique flanks during the force assembly to form on the one hand, a non-removable assembly of the assembled half-shells, on the other hand, a sealing barrier resulting from this method of assembly.

Depending on the number of cavities or interior spaces desired, the toothing which may be single or multiple, is arranged at the periphery and / or in the central position relative to the two half-shells.

The invention also relates, by way of new industrial products, to articles and more particularly to soaps consisting of two half-shells of any shape obtained by the manufacturing process.

Other characteristics of the invention will appear further on reading the detailed description which follows with reference to the accompanying drawings, which description and drawings are given, of course, especially by way of example.

Figure 1 shows a perspective view of a half
shell with teeth in accordance with the object process
of the invention; Figure 2 shows a section along the
line AA in Figure 1; Figure 3 is a schematic view
that in section of a part of two half-shells according to the
Figure 1, before assembly; figure 4 represents diagram
tick the parts of Figure 3 after assembly; the
Figure 5 is a diametrical sectional view of a hollow body
comprising a toothing, according to a variant of FIG. 1;
Figure 6 is a sectional view of part of the body
hollow of Figure D, before assembly; figure 7 shows
feel a sectional view along line BB of Figure 5
and figure 8 is similar to figure 4, for a varian
you.

In accordance with FIGS. 1 to, two identical hemispherical half-shells I are molded separately using suitable molding presses I comprising at least one toothing 2. The toothing, whether continuous or not, consists of at least one series of two straight deformable teeth 3 and a tooth 4, non-deformable, with oblique lateral sides 6,7 in the shape of a pyramid trunk. The teeth 2, as shown in the example of Figures I to 3, is in the form of an annular ring disposed at the periphery of the half-shell 1, concentriau to this half-shell 1. The teeth 3 and 4 are radial. The two half-shells are then assembled by pressing so that the complementary teeth 2 constitute on the one hand a sealing barrier, on the other hand a non-removable assembly of the assembled half-shells I. Before pressing, the half-shells I are arranged so that the straight teeth 3 of a half-shell 1 are placed opposite the inclined flanks 6.7 of one tooth 4 with inclined flanks of the other half -shell. Thus during force assembly, a straight tooth 3 of a half-shell 1 is received between a straight tooth 3 and an inclined flank 5 of the other half-shell, the straight teeth 3 tilting substantially parallel to the oblique sides 6 and 7 during assembly. The assembly plan then has a profile 8 shown in FIG. 4.

It is possible to obtain a similar assembly plane by placing the teeth no longer on the periphery of the half-shells but in the central position. Similarly, the crown can take any shape, for example square, rectangular, oval, etc. This crown can be continuous or discontinuous. This embodiment makes it possible to limit the number of molds by allowing the assembly of two identical half-shells, like those shown in FIGS. 1 to 3.

In the variant embodiment shown in FIGS. 5 to f, the half-shells 10, 11 are different and molded separately. They comprise chain a toothing constituted respectively by a continuous rib 12, 13, with straight flanks 14, preferably concentric to the half-keel O, 11. The rib t2 of the half-flue-ie 10 sr adjacent to a flank oblique i3 of a peripheral rib 16.The rib 13 of the half-shell 11 is adjacent to an inclined flank 17. During the force-fitting, the ribs 12, 13 undergo deformations similar to those undergone by the teeth of the teeth of Figure 1. Thus, identically to Figure 3, a straight rib of a half-shell is received between a straight rib and an inclined flank of the other half-shell, the straight ribs tilting substantially parallel to the inclined sides during the force assembly.

The number of ribs can be greater than 1. It depends only on the desired size of the cavity. The ribs can also be discontinuous.

In the variant of FIG. 8, ribs 20, 21, similar to the ribs 12, 13, are arranged in the central position. A toric cavity 22 is thus obtained. It would also have been possible to use, in order to obtain the same result, a toothing identical to that shown in FIG. 1. Similarly, the ribs are shown to be circular and concentric, but they could have any other shape, for example square, rectangular. , oval, etc.

To increase the cohesive force between the two half-shells.

in all cases it is possible to apply a water-soluble binder to the teeth surfaces so as to increase the cohesive force between the half-shells.

The cavity formed inside the two half-shells can be a single cavity as in the examples shown, but it can also include several interior volumes communicating or not communicating between them. Before force assembly, it is possible to incorporate or deposit in the cavity or cavities a body or a low pea product so as not to compromise the buoyancy of the assembly. This product can for example be a mini-auet, a small soap, a bath pearl, a foaming product for the bath, a water-soluble perfume, a cosmetic product, and-z.

The shape of the cavity can be arbitrary. I1 is however preferable that this form is approximately homothetic of the external form of the soap compared to the center of gravity, so that no part of the wall has a thickness less than another, which would involve a great fragility of this part of the wall.

The dimension of the cavity (ies) must be chosen so that the density of the assembly is less than 1. Thus, so that the soap floats with 2/3 of its volume in water and the rest of the volume out of the water, the volume of the cavity (ies) must be at least equal to 30% of the volume of the assembly.

The external shape of the soap is arbitrary. It can in particular be spherical, cubic, ellipsoidal, parallelepiped, etc.

As for the soap used, it is no different in its constitution and in its composition from the soaps commonly used. The process can therefore be applied regardless of the additives added to the base, whatever the colorant and the perfume used and whatever the destination of the product (household soap or bath soap). Note, however, that due to the existence of a cavity, the soap will be relatively large.

This manufacturing process applies to any article of any shape and size for which it is desired to obtain. after implementation of the manufacturing process, a non-removable assembly of the assembled half-shells and a sealing barrier resulting from this method of assembly.

Claims (9)

1. A method of manufacturing a hollow body, of malleable material consisting of two half-shells, such as a soap, characterized in that each of said half-shells (1) is molded with complementary teeth (2), each toothing (2) comprising at least one deformable tooth (3) with straight lateral flanks and at least one non-deformable tooth (4) with oblique lateral flank in inclination away from the lateral flank of said straight tooth, and in that '' said half-shells are forcibly assembled after molding in such a way that a straight tooth of a half-shell is received between a straight tooth and an inclined flank of the other half-shell, the straight teeth tilting substantially parallel to said oblique sides during the force assembly in order to constitute on the one hand, a non-removable assembly of the assembled half-shells, on the other hand, a sealing barrier resulting from this mode of assembly. 2. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that the teeth are arranged at the periphery of each half-shell and / or in the central position relative to each half-shell. 3. Method according to one of claims 1 and 2, characterized in that the toothing is a continuous or non-annular ring arranged orthogonally to the assembly plane, the teeth preferably being in concentric arrangement. 4. Method according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that two identical half-shells are molded, the profile of the toothing consisting of an alternation of two straight teeth and a tooth with symmetrical inclined sides converging towards the teeth of the opposite half-shell, two straight teeth of a half-shell being arranged opposite the inclined flanks of a tooth with inclined flanks of the other half-shell. 5. Method according to one of claims 1 and 2, characterized in that the teeth consist of teeth in the form of ribs, preferably concentric, continuous or not along a closed line. 6. Method according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that before assembly but after molding of the two half-shells, any object for example a mini-toy, a small soap, a bath pearl, etc, in the interior volume (s). 7. Method according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that a water-soluble binder is applied to the teeth surfaces so as to increase the cohesive force between the two half-shells. 8. As new industrial products, articles with hollow bodies characterized in that they are molded and assembled according to the method of claims 1 to 7. 9. Article according to claim 8, characterized in that it is in the form of a hollow soap, preferably floating.