OA18513A - Container with a bactericidal insert. - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a container (10) for storing and dispensing a fluid product comprising a body (12) delimiting a volume in which the product is received and comprising a dispensing nozzle (14) through which the product is intended. out of the container (10), and comprising at least one insert (16, 18, 36) located in the internal volume of the body (12), which is in contact with the fluid product and which comprises at least one material with a bactericidal effect , characterized in that said at least one insert (16, 18, 36) is made entirely from the material with a bactericidal effect.

Description

CONTAINER CONTAINING A BACTERICIDAL INSERT

DESCRIPTION

TECHNICAL AREA

The invention relates to a container for the storage and distribution of a fluid product such as, for example, a cosmetic product, which is designed to limit a possible proliferation of bacteria in the fluid product.

The invention more particularly provides a container comprising means for substituting chemical additives.

STATE OF THE PRIOR ART

Many fluid products, such as for example cosmetic products, are contained in hermetically closed containers, to avoid any oxidation of the product and to avoid contamination of the product by bacteria, for example.

Such receptacles include in particular a flexible or rigid body, the walls of which are hermetic to air and to any other type of pollutant, and a nozzle for dispensing the product.

In order to avoid oxidation of the product, the container includes a dispensing nozzle which is designed to only allow the product to exit, this is then referred to as an airless type nozzle. Such a tip is designed to open in the direction of the product outlet and to close automatically as soon as the desired quantity of product has left.

The container is then designed to be deformable and compressible as the product is withdrawn. Indeed, by applying pressure to the walls of the container, pressure is formed in the container, causing the product to exit.

Document FR-A-3,011,826 describes an airless-type dispensing nozzle, making it possible to prevent any contamination of the product remaining inside the container, whether when a certain quantity of the product is released out of the container. container, or when a user takes the product out.

Thus, many solutions exist to protect the product against possible contamination from outside the container.

The preservation of the product as such, inside the container, is achieved by the use of preservative compounds such as, for example, antioxidants, anti-molds, bactericides, vlrucides, or antifungals.

Such compounds can have a harmful effect, in particular when the product in which they are used is a cosmetic product intended to be applied to the skin.

This is why it has been proposed to market products not comprising such compounds. To ensure a good shelf life, it was then proposed to durdr the conditions of hygiene and sterility of the production sites, which turns out to be particularly complex and expensive to implement.

The object of the invention is to provide a container which is designed to limit the proliferation of possible polluting elements in the product which is contained in the container.

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

The invention provides a container for the storage and distribution of a fluid product comprising a body delimiting a volume in which the product is received and comprising a dispensing nozzle through which the product is intended to leave the container and comprising at least one insert located in the interior volume of the body, which is in contact with the fluid product and which comprises at least one material with a bactericidal effect, characterized in that said at least one insert is made entirely from the material with a bactericidal effect.

The presence of an insert composed of bactericidal material in the internal volume of the container allows the product still present in the container to be permanently brought into contact with this bactericidal material.

The various manipulations of the container to remove the product make it possible to stir the product, to increase the proportion of product that comes into contact with the insert

Preferably, said at least one insert is made from another material which is completely covered by said material with a bactericidal effect.

Preferably, said at least one insert consists of at least one ball which is free to move in the interior volume of the body.

Preferably, said at least one insert consists of a porous or perforated element which is capable of being traversed by the fluid.

Preferably, said at least one Insert consists of a grid.

Preferably, said at least one insert is arranged between the dispensing nozzle and the interior volume of the body.

Preferably, the insert forms a sheet which extends in a median principal plane of the body.

Preferably, said at least one insert covers at least part of the interior walls of the body.

Preferably, said at least one insert is made of a material chosen from copper and silver.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Other characteristics and advantages of the invention will become apparent on reading the detailed description which follows, for the understanding of which reference is made to the appended figures, among which:

- Figure 1 is a schematic side view of a container for a fluid product comprising two inserts according to the invention;

- Figure 2 is a section of the container shown in Figure 1, along a vertical main plane median thereof; and

- Figure 3 is a schematic representation of another container comprising an insert according to an alternative embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED PRESENTATION OF PARTI CU U ERS EMBODIMENTS

There is shown in Figures 1 and 2 a container 10 for containing a fluid or liquid. This product can be, for example, a cosmetic cream or a gel.

The container 10 comprises a hollow body 12 which is here elongated in shape, and it is obtained from a cylindrical tube, a lower end 12a of which is flattened to close the latter. According to the embodiment shown in Figures 1 and 2, the body 12 is made of a flexible material, such as a plastic material. It can also be made of an easily deformable ductile material.

The container 10 also comprises a nozzle 14 for dispensing the product, through which the product is intended to be taken by the user.

According to the embodiment shown in Figures 1 and 2, the nozzle 14 closes the upper end 12b of the body 12.

In addition, here, the nozzle 14 for dispensing the product is a nozzle which only allows the output of the product, that is to say it prevents anything from entering inside the interior volume of the product. container 10, whether it is a certain quantity of the product which would have been taken out of the container, or else air.

This tip 14 is a tip of the type called airless. Here it consists of a tip as described in document FR-A-3,011,826 to which reference will be made for more details on the structure or operation.

Thanks to this end piece 14, the interior volume of the container 10 is isolated from the outside and more particularly from any polluting element which could cause oxidation or contamination by bacteria of the product present inside.

It is possible that the product may be contaminated before the first use, for example during the manufacturing process of the product, or during its introduction into the container 10, despite the many precautions that can be implemented on site.

To prevent any proliferation of this contamination in the product, the container 10 comprises at least one insert 16 which is placed in the interior volume of the body 12 and which is permanently in contact with the product contained in the container 10.

Insert 16 is made from a bactericidal material. By way of nonlimiting examples, the bactericidal material is preferably copper, it can also be silver.

In the case of copper, when it comes into contact with the product, the insert 16 releases Cu ++ ions which have a bactericidal effect.

According to a first embodiment, the insert is made from another material, such as a plastic material or another metal, which is covered, by plating or by deposit, by the bactericidal material. This makes it possible in particular to reduce the production cost of the insert.

According to another embodiment, the insert 16 is made entirely from this bactericidal material.

According to the embodiment shown in Figures 1 and 2, the insert 16 is in the form of a substantially planar grid, which extends along a median main plane of the container.

Here, this median plane is the vertical plane according to the orientation of the figures, which passes through the flat lower end 12a of the body 12. Thus, according to a particular embodiment, a lower end of the insert 16 is located at the level of the lower end 12a of the body 12 and it is held in the body 12 by the permanent deformation by the crushing of the lower end 12a of the body 12, when closing this lower end 12a of the body 12.

The grid shape of the insert 16 makes it possible to increase the contact surface of the insert 16 with the product contained in the container, which makes it possible to treat a larger quantity of product.

According to an alternative embodiment not shown, the container comprises one or more inserts in the form of beads made of bactericidal material or covered with the bactericidal material. These balls are able to move freely in the container, to be able to come into contact with all of the product contained. These balls also have the advantage of allowing homogenization of the product which is stirred in the latter during their movement in the container.

In addition, the walls of the body 12 being flexible, this allows the product to be stirred in the container 10 each time the latter is handled, further increasing the quantity of product which comes into contact with the insert 16, whether when it is in the form of a grid or else in the form of one or more grids.

According to an alternative embodiment, the container comprises a second insert 18 located at the level of the nozzle 14 for dispensing the product.

This second insert 18 is here also produced in the form of a grid based on bactericidal material, which is shaped in the form of a hopper, separating the opening of the end piece 14 from the interior volume of the body 12.

Here, the second Insert 18 comprises a cylindrical grid 20 substantially coaxial with the vertical main axis of the end piece 14 and a bottom grid 22 at the lower end of the cylindrical grid.

Thanks to this second insert 18, the product which flows towards the dispensing nozzle 14 is forced to pass through the grid constituting the second insert 18. This quantity of product then comes into contact with the bactericidal material, which then exerts its action. on the product.

This allows the dispensing of product that has been sterilized beforehand.

The shape and dimensions of the second insert 18 are defined to make it possible to process an average quantity of product which is withdrawn for each use.

FIG. 3 shows another container 30 with rigid walls. For example, the container is made from glass.

This container 30 here also comprises a body 32 in which the product is stored and an open dispensing tip 34. This tip 34 is adapted to receive a cover, not shown, for closing the opening of the tip 34.

According to this embodiment, the product is taken directly from the opening of the nozzle 34, for example with a finger or an appropriate tool.

This receptacle comprises an insert 36 arranged in the body 32. This insert is also made from a bactericidal material, as described above, such as, for example, it is made from copper.

In order not to interfere with the removal of product, the insert 36 is pressed against the walls of the body 32.

Here, the insert 36 consists of a grid covering the cylindrical wall and the bottom wall of the body 32. According to a variant, the insert consists of a sheet based on the bactericidal material, or else consists of a layer of the bactericidal material, which is applied to these walls.

The dimensional characteristics of the grid constituting each insert 16, 18, 36, that is to say its pitch and the thickness of each bar are defined according to the product, in particular according to its viscosity.

Such an insert 16, 18, 36 makes it possible to sterilize the product present in the container 10 at any time, and whatever the conditions of use of the container.

This results in better hygiene and safety of use for any user and a reduction in the costs of marketing the product in such a container since the hygiene constraints of the production site can be reduced.

The container 10, 30 has just been described to contain a cosmetic product. It will be understood that such a container can be used for any type of fluid product, whether for a cosmetic product, a pharmaceutical product or a food product in particular.

Also, it was mentioned above that the material of the insert 16 can be copper or silver. It will be understood that these two materials are nonlimiting examples of the invention and that each insert 16 can be made from an alloy of one and / or the other of these two materials or else from any other. material or alloy having bactericidal properties and which is also chemically compatible with the fluid product intended to be contained in the container.

Claims (8)

1. Container (10, 30) for the storage and distribution of a fluid product comprising a body (12) delimiting a volume in which the product is received and comprising a dispensing tip (14, 34) through which the product is intended to leave the container (10), and comprising at least one insert (16, 18, 36) located in the interior volume of the body (12), which is in contact with the fluid product and which comprises at least one effect material bactericidal, characterized in that said at least one insert (16,18, 36) is made entirely from the material with a bactericidal effect. 2. Container (10) according to claim 1, characterized in that said at least one insert consists of at least one ball which is free to move in the internal volume of the body (12). 3. Container (10, 30) according to claim 1, characterized in that said at least one insert (16, 18, 36) consists of a porous or perforated element which is capable of being traversed by the fluid. 4. Container (10, 30) according to the preceding claim, characterized in that said at least one insert (16,18,36) consists of a grid. 5. Container (10) according to claim 3 or 4, characterized in that said at least one insert (18) is disposed between the nozzle (14) of distribution and the interior volume of the body (12). 6. A container (10) according to claim 3 or 4, characterized in that the insert (16) forms a sheet which extends in a median main plane of the body (12). 7. A container (30) according to claim 3 or 4, characterized in that said at least one insert (36) at least partially covers the inner walls of the body (12). 8. A container (10, 30) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said at least one insert (16,18, 36) is made of a material chosen from copper and silver.