WO2002003830A1

WO2002003830A1 - Stick product for use as a refill cartridge or as a push-up deodorant stick

Info

Publication number: WO2002003830A1
Application number: PCT/EP2001/006288
Authority: WO
Inventors: Jorge Alejo Alonzo; Amelito Sombillo Bagtas
Original assignee: Unilever Plc; Unilever Nv; Hindustan Lever Limited
Priority date: 2000-07-07
Filing date: 2001-06-01
Publication date: 2002-01-17
Also published as: AU2001270549A1; GB0016677D0

Abstract

A stick product that can be used both as a refill for a swivel-up deodorant stick applicator and as a push-up deodorant stick, comprising a solid stick composition (1) surrounded by a removable tubular body (2) and having at the bottom an elevator platform (3) with a threaded aperture (4), characterised in that said aperture (4) is covered on its outer side by a removable plug (5) that aids the use of the product as a push-up stick.

Description

STICK PRODUCT FOR USE AS A REFILL CARTRIDGE OR AS A PUSH-UP DEODORANT STICK

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a stick product that can be used as a refill unit for a swivel-up deodorant stick applicator or directly as a push-up deodorant stick.

BACKGROUND AND PRIOR ART

Stick products, in particular deodorant sticks, including antiperspirant sticks, are well known. They may be packaged in simple push-up dispensers or in what are referred to as swivel-up or elevator/threaded shaft dispensing packages. An example of the latter type of package is described in US 4,950,094 (Yorks, 1990). Such packages typically have a tubular body or barrel with an elliptical or circular cross- section having a threaded shaft axially orientated therein and rotatably mounted at the bottom end through an aperture. The threaded shaft is typically connected to a hand wheel on the exterior of the package's bottom for advancing the stick composition out of the package. An elevator or follower is threadably mounted to the shaft in the interior of the package at its bottom and typically closely fits the cross- section of the tubular body. Turning the hand wheel in a particular direction advances the elevator towards the top of the package, thereby dispensing the composition, whilst turning the hand wheel in the opposite direction retracts it back towards the bottom. The package is typically filled with the composition in a molten state, with the elevator in its lowest position. Upon cooling the composition solidifies and takes on the shape of the package. When the stick composition has all been used, the associated package is typically of no further use and is disposed of.

More recently, in order to reduce the consumption of natural resources and reduce solid waste disposal requirements, re- useable swivel-up dispensers and refill units have been developed. WO 92/08388 (Lepsius et al , 1992) describes this option for a variety of stick products. In a particular embodiment of the invention the elevator can be removed from the top of the threaded shaft, when the composition has all been used up, and replaced by a further elevator associated with an unused deodorant stick composition of similar shape to the original. Counter-rotation of the threaded shaft is used to draw the new elevator and associated deodorant stick composition down to the bottom, in preparation for use. A further development is described in WO 93/25113 (Dornbusch et al , 1993) . This patent describes an elevator/threaded shaft dispensing package for a solid stick composition and a refill cartridge therefor. The cartridge is designed to telescope into a reusable base and possesses a tubular body and a push plate on the bottom. When inserted, the cartridge sits on the elevator and is pushed up thereby when the associated hand wheel turns the threaded shaft. Significantly, the threaded shaft does not make direct contact with refill cartridge and there is wasted space beneath the elevator, surrounding the threaded shaft and its associated internally threaded neck. A result of this latter deficiency is that the volume of the total package is significantly greater than the volume of deodorant composition that it contains.

Neither of the above patents, relating to stick refill systems refers to the possibility of independent use of the refill unit as a push-up product.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

We have invented a new stick product that can be conveniently used both as a refill device for a swivel-up deodorant stick applicator and as a push-up deodorant stick. In addition, our new stick product, when used to refill a swivel-up stick applicator, offers the benefit of allowing the threaded shaft of the original applicator to penetrate into the refill stick composition, through a threaded aperture in the elevator at the base of said composition, thereby minimising wasted space. This latter feature is a packaging efficiency benefit, being noticeable both in the transportation and storage of the original and refilled applicators .

In a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a stick product that can be used both as a refill for a swivel-up deodorant stick applicator and as a push-up deodorant stick, comprising a solid stick composition surrounded by a removable tubular body and having at the bottom an elevator platform with a threaded aperture, characterised in that said aperture is covered on its outer side by a removable plug that aids the use of the product as a push-up stick.

In a second aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of refilling an elevator/threaded shaft stick dispensing package, said method comprising:

i) . removing a solid stick composition from a surrounding tubular body by pressing on a removable plug covering a threaded aperture in an elevator platform supporting said solid stick composition; then ii) . removing said plug from the aperture in the elevator platform; and then iii) .screwing the threaded shaft of the dispensing package through the threaded aperture in the elevator platform, thereby drawing the refill composition into the dispensing package.

In a third aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of manufacture of a stick product that can be used both as an independent push-up deodorant stick and as a refill for an elevator/threaded shaft deodorant stick dispensing package, said method comprising:

(i) filling an empty tubular body having an elevator platform with a threaded aperture at its lower end, with a composition in a molten state, said tubular body being closed at its upper end by a removable cap, the molten deodorant composition being added through an aperture in the elevator; and then (ii) cooling the deodorant composition until it solidifies and closing the aperture through which the molten composition was added using a removable plug that aids the use of the product as a push-up stick.

When used as a refill for a swivel-up stick applicator, it is required that the solid stick composition is of a size and shape suitable for insertion into said swivel-up stick applicator. It is preferred that the stick composition is of a size and shape that mirrors the internal dimensions of the barrel of the swivel-up deodorant stick applicator.

The stick product of the present invention has a tubular body of essentially uniform cross-section, preferably circular or elliptical, most preferably elliptical. The height of the tubular body is preferably equal to 80% or greater of the maximum cross-sectional dimension. More preferably, the height of the tubular body is between 100% and 400% of the maximum cross-sectional dimension; when the cross-section is circular, a further preference is for this percentage to be between 200% and 400% and when the cross- section is elliptical for this percentage to be between 100% and 250%. It is preferred that lowest region of the tubular body, by which it is meant the region that the elevator sits in when it is fully retracted, has thicker walls than the higher region of the tubular body; in particular it is preferred that the internal cross-sectional dimensions of the tubular body are less in the lowest region of the tubular body. The elevator platform at the bottom of the solid stick composition is of a cross-sectional size and shape that enables it to fit inside the tubular body; preferably the elevator fits snuggly within the lowest region of the tubular body. It is also preferable that the elevator platform is orthogonally orientated relative to the sides of the tubular body. The elevator preferably possess a side wall, extending upwards from the platform, that helps to support the stick composition when it is removed from its surrounding tubular body in readiness for its refill application mode of use. The height of this side wall is preferably sufficient to hold the composition on the platform even when said platform is tilted away from horizontal to an angle of 30° or more. For this reason, it is preferred that the height of the elevator side wall, when present, is at least 5% that of the height of the stick composition. However, since the elevator is part of the refill dispenser, it is desirable to minimise its size in order to reduce the consumption of natural resources and reduce solid waste disposal requirements. For this reason, it is preferred that the ratio of the height of the elevator side wall to the height of the deodorant stick composition is less than 1 to 5, especially less than 1 tolO.

The threaded aperture in the elevator is orientated such that its longitudinal axis is parallel to the sides of the tubular body. It is preferable that this aperture is centrally located within the elevator. It is also preferred that the threaded aperture extends beyond the elevator itself, in order to lengthen the available thread. The threaded aperture preferably extends towards the outer side of the dispenser. The screw thread in the aperture is designed to accept a corresponding threaded shaft of the type found in the elevator/threaded shaft stick dispensing package for which the product is a refill unit.

In a preferred embodiment, the threaded aperture is supported in the centre of a larger aperture by multiple support arms, typically four or six. The apertures between the support arms enable the package to be filled with molten deodorant composition from the bottom without the need for molten deodorant composition to pass through the threaded aperture, with the associated risk of partial or complete blockage of the same. A further preference relating to the support arms is that they possess a strengthening strut running along their centre, preferably raised in the direction of the composition.

The removable plug covering the threaded aperture in the elevator is an integral part of the present invention. By pressing upon the plug, the consumer is able to push the elevator platform upwards, thereby raising the solid stick composition out of its removable tubular body. The plug serves to reduce loss of volatile components from the deodorant composition, aid the use of the product as a push- up stick, and ease the removal of the surrounding tubular body prior to use of the stick composition as a refill. The plug preferably has a maximum horizontal dimension of between 60% and 99% of the maximum horizontal dimension of the dispenser cross-section. The plug preferably covers any other apertures present in the elevator, as well as the threaded aperture. The plug is preferably held in place by friction between the sides of the plug and the sides of the aperture into which it is inserted; in particular, between the outer side of a section of the plug (the "tip") that fits into the threaded aperture in the elevator and the inner side of said threaded aperture. It is also desirable that the frictional forces are sufficiently weak to be overcome by hand pressure, enabling the plug to be easily removed. A particularly preferred structural element of the plug is that the tip has a flattened cone shape. A further desirable feature is the presence of a support wall around tip, the wall preferably being of lower height than the tip and preferably being positioned to encircle an outward extension of the threaded aperture.

The stick composition is preferably enclosed at the top by a removable cap or former, preferably of convex shape. The cap or former functions to complete the enclosure of the deodorant composition and reduce the loss of any volatile components from the composition, thereby minimising product dry-out and maximising product shelf-life. The preferred convex shape is particularly desirable when the product is manufactured using a 'bottom-fill' technique. Under such circumstances, the top of the stick composition, on solidification, adopts the shape of the cap. A convex shape for the top of the stick composition helps to make product application to the skin convenient and comfortable.

When the stick composition comprises one or more particularly volatile components, for example ethanol, it is desirable that an o-ring, preferably made of thermoplastic rubber, is present between the wall of the plug and inside of the tubular body.

The components of the package, other than the o-ring when present, are preferably made of moulded plastic, particularly moulded plastic with a degree of flexibility. Suitable plastics include polyethylene (especially HDPE) and polypropylene, polypropylene being particularly preferred.

The term "stick composition" refers any coherent solid material that may be applied to a substrate by contact. It particularly refers to cleansing and deodorising compositions, especially deodorant stick compositions comprising one or more deodorant and/or antiperspirant active constituents. Typically, such compositions are suitable for topical application to the human body. The composition can comprise any of those components known in such products in the art .

Deodorant stick compositions may comprise other components, in addition to the aforementioned deodorant and/or antiperspirant active. Such materials include structurants, emollients, perfumes, and other added benefit agents. Typical compositions suitable for use as part of the present invention include those described in WO 98/27939 (Guskey et al , 1998), WO 92/19222 (Motley et al , 1992), WO 98/58623 (Guskey, 1998), US 5871720, WO 98/43605, WO 97/34577, and WO 97/13496, these patents being incorporated herein by reference. In the following description all percentages are percentages by weight of the total composition.

Deodorant actives, when employed, are preferably used in an amount from 0.01 to 20%, particularly from 0.1 to 5%.

Herein, deodorant actives include all materials capable of killing micro-organisms, particularly bacteria, and/or of hindering their growth; hence both bactericides and bacteristats are included. The deodorant actives may be inorganic, for example antiperspirant actives ( vide infra) , organic, or mixture of organic and inorganic material. Organic deodorant actives include short chain monohydric alcohols, comprising up to 4 carbons, of which ethanol is particularly preferred. A further class comprises bi- or polyhydric alcohols, such as ethylene glycol or propylene glycol. It will be recognised that both of these two classes of deodorant active can also function as carrier materials for other components of the composition. Still further classes of deodorant actives comprise chlorinated aromatics, including biguanide derivatives (eg. Triclosan, Triclorban™, Cosmosil™, .and Chlorhexidine) .

Antiperspirant actives, when employed, are preferably used in an amount from 0.5-60%, particularly from 5 to 40% and especially from 10 to 35%. The proportion of antiperspirant salt in the composition is normally calculated by weight on an anhydrous salt basis; that is to say, excluding the weight of any water associated with the salt. Preferred antiperspirant actives are astringent salts, including, in particular, aluminium, zirconium and mixed aluminium/zirconium salts, including both inorganic salts and organic salts and complexes. Examples include aluminium, zirconium and aluminium/zirconium halides and halohydrate salts, such as chlorohydrates. Some especially preferred halohydrate salts comprise activated aluminium chlorohydrates such as those described in EP 6,739 (Unilever NV et al ) and other actives as described in EP 28,853 (Unilever NV et al ) . Examples of preferred complexes include complexes of aluminium, zirconium and arninoacids such as glycine, as disclosed in US 3,792,068 (Luedders et al) . Activated ZAG complexes can also be employed, such as the materials disclosed in US 5,486,347 (Callaghan et al) .

Carrier materials, when employed, typically comprise one or more liquid materials that is fluid at dispensing temperatures for the composition and can be gelled or otherwise structured by a structurant to provide a semi- solid or solid product at use temperature (typically below 40 and usually below 30°C) . Examples include short chain alcohols (as previously mentioned) ; siloxanes (particularly polyorganosiloxanes, for example cyclomethicones, often used at a level of from 20 to 50%) ; liquid aliphatic hydrocarbons such as mineral oils or hydrogenated polyisobutene; liquid aliphatic esters, for example isopropyl myristate and PPG-14 butyl ether. Mixtures of carriers may also be employed.

Structurants, when employed, can comprise inorganic or organic materials. Suitable non-polymeric organic structurants include fatty acids or salts thereof, (eg. stearic acid, 12-hyroxysteraric acid, or sodium salts thereof) ; fatty alcohols (eg. stearyl alcohol) ; sterols (eg. lanosterol) ; dibenzoyl alditols (eg. dibenzoyl sorbitol) ; n- acyl amino acid derivatives (eg. N-lauroyl glutamate dibutylamide) ; amide derivatives of di- or tribasic carboxylic acids (eg. dodecyl N,N' -dibutylsuccinimide) ; waxes (eg. paraffin waxes, hydrogenated castor oil, Synchrowax HRC, Carnabau, beeswax, modified beeswaxes, microcrystalline waxes, polyethylene waxes) ; and fatty ester derivatives of polyols (eg. glycerol monostearate) . Mixtures of organic structurants can be also employed.

Polymeric structurants which can be employed include organo- polysiloxane elastomers; polyacrylamides; polyacrylates; and polyalkylene oxides.

Suitable inorganic thickeners include siliceous and alumino- siliceous materials, for example silicas and clays. These materials can also function as suspending or bulking agents. Examples of suitable silicas include fumed silicas and examples of suitable clays include bentonites, hectorites, colloidal magnesium aluminium silicates, and montmorillonite clays, including those that have been hydrophobically surface-treated.

Emolliency and fragrance, derived from emollient and perfume components, can be considered added benefits derived from deodorant stick products. Other added benefit agents desirably present in the products of the invention include wash-off agents, humectants, anti-oxidants, sunscreens, and mixtures thereof .

Other desirable features that may be associated with the product include a surrounding protective layer of thin plastic (for example polyethylene film) , serving to provide additional restraint to the cap and plug of the dispenser and, if sealed, further reduce loss of volatile components from the composition. It is necessary that such protective covering can be easily removed by tearing by the consumer when access to the product is required. Plastics added by shrink-wrapping are suitable for this purpose. Further desirable features include instruction with the product to indicate the swivel-dispenser product for which it is a suitable refill and/or instruction with the product to indicate how the refilling operation should be performed.

BRIEF DESCRITION OF THE DRAWINGS

Specific embodiments of the invention are described in more detail in the following with reference to the accompanying drawings . Each drawing represents a particular view of a particular embodiment of the invention.

Figure 1 shows an embodiment of the product in longitudinal cross section across the major axis with the deodorant stick composition and associated elevator and plug pushed essentially fully out of the tubular body.

Figure 2 shows a bottom plan view of a second embodiment of the product without the plug in place.

Figure 3 shows the product in Figure 2 in half-cutaway.

Figure 4 shows the location of the o-ring in Figure 3. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The product, illustrated in Figure 1 comprises a solid stick composition (1), surrounded by a removable tubular body (2) and keyed at its bottom end to an elevator platform (3) with a threaded aperture (4) covered on its outer side by a removable plug (5) . The tubular body (2) is of essentially uniform elliptical cross-section, although its wall is thicker in the lower region (6) than the upper region (7) . At its base tubular body (2) has an inward facing wall (24) . The elevator platform (3) is of a cross-sectional size and shape that enables it to fit snuggly inside the lower region of the tubular body (6) . The elevator platform (3) has a circumferential side wall (8) and an internal circular wall (9) which extends inwardly from the threaded aperture (4) . Both the side wall (8) and the internal circular wall (9) extend inwardly from elevator platform (3) to an approximately equal height .

The removable plug (5) has a head flange (23) which is large enough to cover the threaded aperture (4) in the elevator and possibly other apertures also present in the elevator. Further features illustrated in Figure 1 are the convex removable cap or former (22) and the detailed design of the plug (5) . The latter has a tip (14) that fits into the threaded aperture (4); a circular support wall (15), of height less than the tip (14) ; and a flexible lip (16) that extends to the inner surface of the circular hole (17) at the bottom of the tubular body (2), when the elevator (3) and its plug (4) are fully inserted into said tubular body (2), and fits snuggly within circular wall (24) . Figure 2 illustrates an the threaded aperture (44) in the elevator (43) passing through the centre of the elevator (43) . In the embodiment illustrated in this Figure, the threaded aperture (44) is held in the centre of a larger aperture (50) by four support arms (51) . The support arms

(51) each possess an inward facing strengthening strut (not visible in Figure 2) on their top side. There is also a lip

(52) around the outer side of the threaded aperture. A lip

(53) also runs around part of the inside of the aforementioned larger aperture (50) .

Figures 3 and 4 illustrate an embodiment of the invention different to that illustrated in Figure 1, although several features are common to both embodiments. Thus, Figure 3 illustrates a solid deodorant stick composition (41) , surrounded by a removable tubular body (42) having a thicker wall in the lower region (46) than in its the upper region (47) , and keyed at its bottom end to an elevator platform having a side wall (48) and an internal circular wall (49) . The circular hole (57) is filled by the plug (45) which has the additional features illustrated in Figure 4.

Figure 4, illustrates an o-ring (59), located between the outer surface of a support circle (60) of the plug (45) and the inner surface (61) of the hole (57) in the bottom of the tubular body (42) . The o-ring (59) serves to aid retention of volatile components.

Claims

1. A stick product that can be used both as a refill for a swivel-up deodorant stick applicator and as a push-up deodorant stick, comprising a solid stick composition surrounded by a removable tubular body and having at the bottom an elevator platform with a threaded aperture, characterised in that said aperture is covered on its outer side by a removable plug that aids the use of the product as a push-up stick.

2. A stick product according to claim 1, the solid stick composition being covered at the top with a removable cap.

3. A stick product according to claim 1 or claim 2, the tubular body being of elliptical cross-section.

4. A stick product according to any of the preceding claims, the elevator platform having an upwards extending side wall.

5. A stick product according to claim 4, the ratio of the height of the elevator side wall to the height of the stick composition being less than 1 to 5.

6. A stick product according to any of the preceding claims, the removable plug on the outer face of the product having a maximum horizontal dimension of between 60% and 99% of the minimum horizontal dimension of the product cross-section.

A stick product according to any of the preceding claims, the removable plug covering an aperture comprising a threaded aperture held in the centre of a larger aperture by multiple support arms.

A stick product according to any one of the preceding claims, the solid stick composition being a deodorant stick composition comprising one or more deodorant and/or antiperspirant active constituents.

9. A method of refilling an elevator/threaded shaft stick dispensing package, said method comprising: i) removing a solid stick composition from a surrounding tubular body by pressing on a removable plug covering a threaded aperture in an elevator platform supporting said solid stick composition; then ii) removing said plug from the aperture in the elevator platform; and then iii) screwing the threaded shaft of the dispensing package requiring refilling through the threaded aperture in the elevator platform, thereby drawing the refill composition into the dispensing package.

10. A method of manufacture of a stick product that can be used both as an independent push-up deodorant stick and as a refill for an elevator/threaded shaft deodorant stick dispensing package, said method comprising: i) filling an empty tubular body having an elevator platform with a threaded aperture at its lower end, with a composition in a molten state, said tubular body being closed at its upper end by a removable cap, the molten deodorant composition being added through an aperture in the elevator; and then ii) cooling the deodorant composition until it solidifies and closing the aperture through which the molten composition was added using a removable plug that aids the use of the product as a push-up stick.

11. A deodorant stick product substantially as described herein with respect to Figure 1 or with respect to Figures 2, 3 and 4.