WO2004103690A1

WO2004103690A1 - Method and apparatus for moulding cosmetic products

Info

Publication number: WO2004103690A1
Application number: PCT/IB2004/001618
Authority: WO
Inventors: Renato Ancorotti; Luigi Gandini
Original assignee: Gamma Croma S.P.A.
Priority date: 2003-05-23
Filing date: 2004-05-19
Publication date: 2004-12-02
Also published as: BRPI0411183A; ITMI20031037A0; CA2525891A1; EP1633551A1; ITMI20031037A1; US20070071534A1

Abstract

Apparatus for moulding a cosmetic product (11) on a housing (12) comprising a support structure (1) having holding means (3,10) for at least one housing and a least one shaped punch (8) acting on the housing. The apparatus also comprises a mobile screening element (2), for the cosmetic product, which may be coupled, at least partially, to the outer side surface of the housing.

Description

"Method and apparatus for moulding cosmetic products"

Field of the invention

The present invention concerns a method and apparatus for moulding a cosmetic product on a housing, or upholding container, in order to give the cosmetic product a determined configuration inside the housing itself.

In particular, the invention concerns a method and apparatus for the moulding on a containing/upholding surface of a housing, usually in terracotta, of a cosmetic product in paste form, or at any rate not yet in the solid state, before its subsequent processing of drying. Prior art

For the preparation of solid cosmetics on a terracotta housing, such as face powder and eye shadow, a known technique is to place a suitable quantity of a viscous cosmetic product, for example composed of powders and solvents and/or fats, on a housing which acts as the final container, and then compress the product, with a shaped punch, to give it the desired shape with relation to the housing. In particular, the cosmetic product is dosed on a containing/upholding surface of a housing, normally concave or flat, which is laid and held on a supporting structure, and then cold- pressed by a punch in such a way that the cosmetic product adapts to the housing according to a predefined shape. At the end of moulding, the cosmetic product and the respective housing are inserted in a special oven to obtain the drying of the product and then, once this phase is ended, they are packed for final sale. However, during the moulding phase the action of the punch on the cosmetic product normally causes the formation of flashes (or fins) which, at least partially, are deposited on the outer side surface of the housing itself, giving it an unattractive appearance. The subsequent drying phase may also lead to the formation of encrustations of the cosmetic product on said outer side surface of the housing, which are difficult to remove.

Consequently, since the housing is intended for the final user, it is common practice to include a flash-removing operation, or "cleaning" of the housing, on its surface parts that do not hold the moulded cosmetic product, after the housing has been removed from the oven, at the end of drying.

This cleaning operation must allow an accurate removal of all the excess flashes deposited on the housing, without interfering with the shape that the cosmetic product has assumed after moulding, and without causing scoring or scratching of the housing; the operation is therefore particularly complex and is carried out by hand, by suitably trained personnel.

The necessary presence of this flash-removing phase, performed by hand, prevents the realisation of an automatic process for producing the cosmetic product, and is also particularly expensive in terms of both cost and time.

An aim of the present invention is therefore to provide a method, and an apparatus for performing it, which allows an accurate moulding of a cosmetic product on a housing, preferably of terracotta, without leaving deposits of flashes on the housing itself.

Another aim of the present invention is to realise an apparatus for the moulding of a cosmetic product on a housing which may be automatically controlled, so that the whole processing cycle of the cosmetic product can be carried out by machinery. A further aim of the present invention is to provide a method and an apparatus that allow a notable decrease of the times and costs for the production of a cosmetic product moulded on a housing. Summary of the invention These and other aims are achieved by the apparatus for the moulding of a cosmetic product on a housing according to the first independent claim and the subsequent dependent claims and by the method according to the thirteenth independent claim and the subsequent claims depending on it. The apparatus for the moulding of a cosmetic product on a housing equipped with a surface for containing/upholding the same cosmetic product, according to the present invention, comprises a support structure with holding means for at least one housing and at least one shaped punch acting on the housing, as well as a screening element, for the cosmetic product, which may be coupled, in such a way that it can be removed, to at least one surface portion of the housing not belonging to said surface for containing/upholding the cosmetic product. The screening element thus has the purpose of preventing the deposit of flashes, due to the moulding of the cosmetic product in paste form, and of any excess cosmetic product, along the outer side walls of the housing, or at any rate walls not intended to hold the cosmetic product, although it may be removed from the coupling with the housing itself, before the possible drying phase. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the screening element is fitted on the support structure and presents at least one region impermeable to the cosmetic product, with at least one opening which may be coupled to the housing in such a way that it surrounds, and is substantially in contact with, the top outer edge of the housing itself.

In this case, the screening element, for example a plate or grid, with an opening able to surround the top outer edge of the housing, substantially in contact with it, during the moulding operation, acts as a mask for the cosmetic product with respect to the housing, so that any flashes are deposited on the edges of the opening that may be coupled with the housing, without involving the outer walls of the latter. According to a preferred aspect of the present invention, the mobile screening element is elastically fitted on the structure that supports the housings and the punch comprises means suited for interfering with said screening element, in order to shift the screening element during the operation of the punch to couple it with the housing. According to another aspect of the present invention, the moulding apparatus may comprise a removable tray, inserted between the support structure and the screening element, on which it is possible to place one or more housings to be subjected to the moulding phase. According to the present invention, the method for moulding a cosmetic product on a housing with at least one surface for containing/upholding the same cosmetic product, by means of a shaped punch, comprises the phases of:

- placing the cosmetic product on said surface for containing/upholding the cosmetic product;

- fixing the housing on a support structure; - placing a screening element, for the cosmetic product, which may be coupled, in such a way that it can be removed, to at least one surface portion of the housing not belonging to said surface for containing/upholding the cosmetic product;

- compressing the cosmetic product with the punch and, simultaneously or previously, placing the screening element coupled with the housing; and

- removing the screening element from the coupling with the housing. In a preferred implementation of the method according to the present invention, the screening element is placed on the support structure and is provided with an opening that may be coupled with the housing in such a way as to surround the top outer edge of the latter, substantially in contact with it. The coupling of the screening element with the housing thus takes place in such a way that the aforementioned opening surrounds the top outer edge of the housing, substantially in contact with said top outer edge. According to a preferred aspect of the method according to the present invention, the cosmetic product is placed on the housing, after a prior extrusion phase, and, after the removal of the screening element, it is subjected to drying.

According to another aspect of the method according to the present invention, at the end of drying there may be a further phase of surface processing with chip-forming machining of finished product, in particular by milling of the visible surface of the cosmetic product itself. This makes it possible to obtain a surface with homogenous aesthetic characteristics and/or ones that are easily recognisable by the consumer, depending on the surface processing carried out. Here and henceforth, the term "screening element" means any element impermeable to the cosmetic product which, having a suitable shape, is placed in such a way as to prevent the cosmetic product, during moulding, from depositing along the surface of the housing that is not intended to hold the cosmetic product. In particular, said screening element may be shaped in such a way as to present through openings which, by coupling with the top outer edge of the housings, are able to prevent the spreading of the cosmetic product outside the housings themselves, during the moulding operation. Brief description of the drawings

Some embodiments of the apparatus and of the implementation of the method according to the present invention will now be described, purely for illustrative purposes, with reference to the enclosed figures, in which: figure 1 is a side section view of an apparatus for moulding a cosmetic product on a housing, according to a preferred aspect of the present invention; figures 2a-2c are a set of side section views which illustrate, in sequence, a phase of moulding a cosmetic product on a housing, according to a preferred embodiment of the method of the present invention, with the aid of the apparatus in figure 1 ; figure 3 is a partial perspective view of the apparatus in figure 1 ; figure 4 is an overhead view of the support structure and of the screening element of the apparatus in figure 1; figure 5 is a partial side view of the apparatus in figure 1 , in which has been added, according to a particular aspect of the present invention, a removable tray for the transport of the housings; and figures 6a-6d are schematic side section views which illustrate, in sequence, a phase of moulding a cosmetic product on a housing, according to another embodiment of the method of the present invention, with the use of an apparatus provided with a removable tray, similar to the one in figure 5.

Detailed description of some preferred embodiments of the invention With reference to the figures, the apparatus for moulding a cosmetic product 1 1 on a housing, or container, 12, according to the present invention, comprises a support structure 1 equipped with holding means 3, 10 for one or more housings 12, and one or more punches 8 associated with said housings 12. The housings 12 are also equipped with a surface on which the cosmetic product 1 1 is contained and/or upheld during and after moulding, usually concave or flat in shape. According to the prior art, the punches 8 present a lower moulding surface 9 which reproduces, in the negative, the desired shape that the cosmetic product 1 1 is to assume on the housing 12, for example, as schematically shown in figures 2a-2c, a simple spherical cap. Each of these punches 8, associated with a housing 12, is activated by known devices (not shown in the figures) in such a way as to compress the product 1 1 on the cosmetic product containing/upholding surface of the housing 12 which, in turn, is supported by the structure 1 and held in correspondence to the respective punch by the means 3, 10.

Although the housing 12 and the moulding surface 9 of the punch 8 are represented here as substantially cylindrical containers with a circular base, as the technician in the sector can easily understand, these housings 12 and the corresponding moulding surfaces 9 may have any form suitable to uphold the cosmetic product, without going outside the scope of protection of the present invention. Preferably, the means for holding the housings 12 on the structure 1 are of the vacuum type and comprise, for each housing 12, a suction mouth 3 fluidly connected to a pneumatic circuit 10, which in turn is connected to an aspirator, not illustrated, preferably automatically controlled. The use of vacuum holding means 3, 10 is particularly advantageous when using housings 12 made of terracotta, or any other material that can be easily damaged, because it allows good stability of the same housings 12 to be obtained on the structure 1 , without presenting excessive risks of breakage or scoring of the surface of said housings 12. However, although the figures show means of a vacuum type for holding the housings 12, holding means of any other known type may alternatively be used, for example mechanical ones, as an expert in the sector can easily expect. According to the present invention, the apparatus for moulding a cosmetic product 1 1 on a housing 12 also comprises a screening element 2, for the cosmetic product 1 1 , which may be removed from the housing 12, and then from the support structure 1 , and which may be coupled to at least one surface portion of the housing 12. not belonging to said surface for containing/upholding the cosmetic product 1 1.

The screening element 2, impermeable to the cosmetic product 1 1 , is shaped in such a way that, once it is coupled to the housing 12, during moulding it is interposed between the outer surface of the housing 12 that is not intended to contain/uphold the cosmetic product 1 1 , and the flashes of cosmetic product which normally form during moulding, and it can then be removed at the end of said operation. In particular, in the apparatus illustrated in the figures, the screening element is a plate 2 impermeable to the cosmetic product 1 1 (for example a metallic plate) and provided with through openings 4 with dimensions such as to be able to surround the top outer edge of the housing 12, substantially in contact with said top outer edge, and thus with an extremely small clearance. The plate 2 also comprises centring holes 6 which, when engaged by the corresponding pins 7 integral with the support structure 1 , allow the through openings 4 to be precisely aligned with the regions in which the housings 12 are held on the support structure 1. Moreover, in the particular apparatus illustrated, the coupling between holes 6 and pins 7 allows the openings 4 to be centred in particular with the suction mouths 3, of the holding means with which the structure 1 is provided, for anchoring the housings 12 during moulding.

The arrangement of the pins 7, at right angles to the top surface of the support structure 1 , allows the screening element 2 to be shifted, removed and/or fitted according to a direction parallel to the direction of action of the punches 8.

The perforated plate 2, with openings 4 having a shape and dimensions such as to coincide substantially with the top outer edge of the housings 12, or to be slightly higher than said edge, prevents flashes of cosmetic product 1 1 being deposited on the outside of the housings 12. In fact, when the openings 4 are placed in correspondence to the top outer edges of the housings 12, the flashes of cosmetic product 1 1 which are created during the moulding operation at the margins of the shaped surface 9 of the punches 8, gather on the top face of the plate 2 and, as they do not go below the latter, they do not affect the side walls of the housing 12.

Although the screening element 2 has been described as a perforated plate in the preferred embodiment illustrated in figures 1-5, the screening element 2, according to the invention, may be any other element impermeable to the product 1 1 that is able to prevent the deposit of said product 1 1 on the outer walls of the housings 12 that are not intended to hold the product 1 1 , for example a sheet of flexible material placed simply around the side surface of the housing 12, or a grid with impermeable regions within which holes have been made that couple with the housing 12, or crowns applied on the housings 12 in such α way that they may be removed, which are able to divert the flashes of cosmetic product 1 1 during moulding, or an extremely thin perforated sheet 2 placed on the top outer edge of the housings 12 in such a way that it may be removed. According to another aspect of the present invention, as may be seen in the figures, the perforated sheet 2 may be fitted elastically on the surface for supporting the housings 12 on the structure 1 using garter springs 5, interposed between the lower portion of the plate 2 and the same support surface of the structure 1. The aim of this elastic fitting is to allow the forced coupling of the perforated plate 2 with the housings 12 only during the moulding operations, that is when the punch 8 is acting on the product 1 1 , while, at the end of moulding, when the punch 8 is raised from, the product 1 1 , allowing the rapid removal from the coupling of the plate 2 from the housings 12, so as to prevent the flashes of product 1 1 deposited at the sides of the openings 4 from penetrating between the edges of the same openings 4 and the corresponding outer side walls of the housings 12. To allow this use of the plate 2 fitted on the housings 12, the punches 8, or at least some of them, may be fitted with means for interfering with the plate 2, suited to shift the plate 2 towards the housings 12, when the punches are pushed to compress the viscous cosmetic product 1 1 into the same housings 12. In particular, one or more punches 8 may have at least one dimension of the moulding surface 9 larger than at least one of the dimensions, on the plan, of the housing 12 and thus interfere with the region of the plate 2 immediately adjacent to the respective openings 4, shifting the plate with itself during the movement of compressing the product 1 1 , to allow coupling with the housings 12. As already mentioned, the direction of shifting of the plate 2, given by the coupling of the pins 7 integral with the support structure 1 with the centring holes 8 cut in the same plate 2, is the same as that of the punches 8, so as to allow the plate 2 to be dragged by the punches 8 and, thanks to the springs 5, to allow the same plate 2 to be moved away from the housings 12 when the punches 8 move away from the structure 1.

According to a particular aspect of the present invention, moreover, between the housings 12 and the support structure 1 , a removable tray 13 may be interposed, with seats for the housings 12 and/or holes corresponding to the suction mouths 4 to allow the vacuum holding means 3, 10 to act on the bottom of the housings, which may be removed from the structure 1 after moulding, so as to allow easy transport of the housings 12 to the drying oven (when contemplated). With reference in particular to figures 2a-2c, a preferred implementation of the method for moulding a cosmetic product according to the present invention, which may be accomplished thanks to the apparatus described and illustrated above, will now be. described in detail. This form of implementation of the method according to the present invention contemplates, for each housing 12, a first phase of laying a dosed quantity of cosmetic product 1 1 on the surface of the housing 12, or in correspondence to the latter, which is intended to hold said product 1 1 , a quantity which, after moulding by the punch 8, allows a final conformation of the product 1 1 to be obtained on the housing 12, according to the shape desired by the operator. Before it is laid on each housing 12, the cosmetic product 1 1 may be realised, as described in the Italian patent application IT Ml 2001 A 002841 in the name of the Applicant, by means of extrusion of a paste obtained by mixing fats for cosmetic use, colouring powders and at least one solvent for cosmetic use.

After the product 1 1 has been laid on the housings 12, each housing 12 is placed on the support structure 1 , in correspondence to the means for holding the latter structure 1 , or in correspondence to a suction mouth 3 connected to an aspiration circuit 10. In the particular moulding apparatus described above, the activation of an aspirator (not illustrated), fluidly connected to the circuit 10 of the holding means of the support structure 1 , generates a flow of aspirated air in correspondence to the suction mouths 3 which allows the housings 12 to be firmly anchored to the same structure 1 , without this damaging said housings 12 if they are made of fragile material, for example terracotta. Immediately before, or preferably after, the phase of holding the housings 12 to the structure 1 , the moulding method according to the present invention contemplates preparing a screening element 2, which may be coupled to the housings 12, in correspondence to the portions of their surfaces that are not intended to hold the cosmetic product 1 1. In particular, in the apparatus illustrated in figures 2a-2d, the screening element, composed of a perforated plate 2, is fitted engaging the pins 7 of the structure 1 in the centring holes 8 in the plate 2, so that the openings 4 correspond to the suction mouths 3. The moulding method according to the present invention then comprises the phase of compressing (moulding) the cosmetic product 1 1 , with the punches 8, on the housings 12, while the screening element is interposed between the flashes created by the same punches 8 and the outer side surface of the corresponding housings In the apparatus in figures 2a-2d, in which the screening element is composed of the above-mentioned perforated plate 2 positioned above the housings 12 and the moulding surface 9 of each punch 8 has a diameter greater than the diameter of each housing 12, during the advance stroke A of each punch 8 towards the corresponding housing 12, the moulding surface 9 of the punch 8 engages both with the product 1 1 and with the edges of the openings 4 in the plate 2, forcing the plate 2, at a certain moment of the stroke A of the punch 8, to slide with the same punch 8 towards the housing 12, according to a direction B which, thanks to the coupling of the pins 7 with the holes 8, is parallel to the advance direction A of the punch 8. The sliding of the plate 2, induced by the punch 8 to contrast the action exerted by the springs 5, is interrupted (on account of the geometry of the plate 2 and of the punches 8) when each of the openings 4 corresponds to the top outer edge of the respective housing 12, each of the openings surrounding said top outer edge, substantially in contact with it.

In this way, any flashes of product 1 1 that may be deposited along the side walls of each housing 12 are prevented, while their collection on the top wall of the plate 2 is favoured.

At the end of the moulding phase, the lifting of the punches 8, along the direction indicated by the arrow C, determines the simultaneous lifting of the perforated plate 2 which, no longer held by the surfaces 9 of the punches 8 and pushed by the springs 5, moves along direction D, losing the coupling with the housings 12.

This movement of the plate 2 with respect to the housings 12 prevents any flashes of product 1 1 , placed in correspondence to the edges of the through openings 4, from penetrating through the openings 4 and accumulating along the outer walls of the housings 12, when the punches 8 are raised after moulding.

At this point the housings 12 may be released from the holding means, for example by interrupting the operation of the aspirator, and then subjected to a subsequent drying phase in a suitable oven, according to a known technique.

Preferably, at the end of the above drying phase, the cosmetic product may be subjected to a further process of surface finishing, for example by milling, aimed at eliminating any discontinuity on the surface of the cosmetic product or at giving a particular appearance (for example with grooves) to the surface of the product.

In particular, a surface milling process may be carried out which involves only the surface of the cosmetic product visible to the consumer, in order to make that surface homogeneous and/or to shape it for aesthetic reasons. Now, with reference to figures 6a-6d, a further preferential embodiment of the method according to the present invention will be described, implemented in an apparatus with a removable tray 13 for removing the housings 12 after moulding. In figures 6a-6d, to designate identical parts, the same numerical references as those in the previous figures are used.

The method schematically shown in figures 6a-6d contemplates a first phase of laying strips of cosmetic product 1 1 , obtained preferably following a process of extruding the same product 1 1 , on the upper surface of the screening element 2 in correspondence with one or more housings 12, laid on a support structure 1 (figure 6a).

The support structure 1 , for each housing, is also equipped with a suction mouth 3, fluidly connected to an aspiration system, in such a way that the housings 12, during the laying phase, are at the same time held to the support structure 1 by means of a suction flow directed towards the suction mouths 3.

As for the apparatus in the previous figures, the screening element is composed of a plate 2 which is fitted above the support structure 1 with the interposition of springs 5 and is provided with through openings 4 corresponding to the housings 12 and shaped in such a way as to surround the outer edge of the corresponding housings 12, substantially in contact with said outer edge.

The housings 12 are laid on a removable tray 13, laid in turn in a removable way on the structure 1 , which comprises a plurality of openings 14, 15 (see figure 6d) to allow both the interaction of the plate 2 with the springs 5 and the operative connection between the suction mouths 3 and the respective housings 12. During moulding, shown in figure 6b, each punch 8 engages with the plate 2 and, during compression of the cosmetic product 1 1 on the housing 12, causes shifting of the same plate 2 towards the housing 12, overcoming the resistance offered by the springs 5. During the moulding stroke, the punch 8 separates a given quantity of the cosmetic product 1 1 intended for the housing 12 from the strip of product deposited in the previous phase and then compresses said quantity on the housing 12, according to the shape of the moulding surface of the same punch 8.

The shifting and the dimensions of the plate 2 are such that, when the punch 8 has ended its moulding stroke, the openings 4 are coupled, substantially in contact, with the top outer edges of the housings 12, preventing the cosmetic product 1 1 from reaching the side surfaces of said housings 12.

At the end of the moulding phase, the moving of the punch 8 away from the housing 12 (figure όc), thanks to the springs 5, causes the lifting of the plate 2, on which lies the cosmetic product 1 1 deposited in excess and any flashes due to moulding, from the support structure 1.

After having removed the plate 2 of the moulding apparatus, it is then possible to interrupt the suction flow directed towards the mouths 3, and to lift the tray 13 on which lie the housings 12 (figure 6d), in such a way that it is possible to transport at the same time a plurality of housings 12 to the oven, where they will undergo the possible next drying phase. Similarly to the form of implementation of the method according to the present invention illustrated with reference to figures 2a-2c, at the end of drying it is possible to have a further phase of surface processing of chip-forming machining of dried cosmetic product, so as to make the appearance of the latter more attractive for the consumer. After various tests carried out with the apparatus described above, varying the shape and dimensions of the housings 12, and then of the openings 4 in the plate 2, the Applicant has been able to ascertain that, after moulding, there were no traces of cosmetic product 1 1 on the side walls of the same housings 12 not intended to hold the cosmetic product 1 1 , thus making it unnecessary to perform a further phase of manual removal of flashes from the housings 12.

Claims

1. Apparatus for moulding a cosmetic product (1 1 ) on a housing (12) with at least one surface for containing/upholding the cosmetic product, of the type comprising a support structure (1 ) having holding means (3, 10) for at least one housing and at least one shaped punch (8) acting on said at least one housing, characterised in that it comprises a screening element (2) for the cosmetic product which may be coupled, in such a way that it can be removed, to at least one surface portion of said housing not belonging to said surface for containing/upholding the cosmetic product.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1 , characterised in that said screening element comprises at least one region impermeable to said cosmetic product in which there is at least one through opening (4) which may be coupled to the housing in such a way that it surrounds, and is substantially in contact with, the top outer edge of said housing.

3. Apparatus according to claim 2, characterised in that said screening element is a plate (2) with at least one through hole (4), constituting said at least one opening which may be coupled to the housing, and an upper surface on which the cosmetic product (1 1 ) can be laid.

4. Apparatus according to claim 1 , 2 or 3, wherein said screening element is fitted above said support structure.

5. Apparatus according to claim 4, characterised in that said screening element is fitted elastically on said support structure.

6. Apparatus according to claim 4 or 5, wherein said punch comprises means for interfering with said screening element.

7. Apparatus according to claim 6, wherein at least one dimension of the moulding surface of the punch is greater than at least one of the dimensions of the housing, in this way the punch interfering with said screening element.

8. Apparatus according to any one of claims 6 or 7, wherein said screening element is fitted (7, 8) on said support structure in a mobile way along a direction parallel to the direction of action of the punch.

9. Apparatus according to any one of the claims from 5 to 8, wherein said screening element comprises one or more garter springs (5) for fitting it on said support structure.

10. Apparatus according to any one of the previous claims, characterised in that it comprises a removable tray (13) interposed between said support structure and said screening element, said at least one housing being laid on said tray.

1 1. Apparatus according to any one of the previous claims, characterised in that said holding means for at least one housing comprise at least one suction mouth (3) and means for generating a flow of suction, fluidly connected to said suction mouth.

12. Apparatus according to any one of the previous claims, characterised in that said moulding surface (9) of the punch is realised according to a substantially concave shape.

13. Method for moulding a cosmetic product on a housing with a surface for containing/upholding said cosmetic product, by means of a shaped punch, comprising the phases of: a. placing the cosmetic product in correspondence to said surface for containing/upholding the cosmetic product; b. holding the housing on a support structure; c. placing a screening element, for the cosmetic product, which may be coupled, in such a way that it can be removed, to at least one surface portion of the housing not belonging to said surface for containing/upholding the cosmetic product; d. compressing the cosmetic product with the punch and, simultaneously imposing, or maintaining, the coupling of said screening element with said at least one surface portion of the housing; e. removing the screening element from the coupling with said housing.

14. Method according to claim 13, wherein said screening element comprises at least one region impermeable to said cosmetic product and having at least one opening that may be coupled, substantially in contact, with the top outer edge of said housing, characterised in that, during the phase of imposing the coupling of said screening element with the housing, said opening surrounds, and is substantially in contact with, the top outer edge of the housing.

15. Method according to claim 14, wherein said screening element is elastically fitted on the support structure, and said punch comprises means for interfering with the screening element, characterised in that: a. before the phase of compressing the cosmetic product, said screening element is placed in such a way that said at least one opening is above said housing; and that b. during the phase of compressing the cosmetic product, the punch induces a movement of the screening element such that, during moulding, said opening surrounds said outer edge of the housing.

16. Method according to claim 13, 14 or 15, characterised in that said phase of placing the cosmetic product corresponding to the housing takes place after a phase of extruding said cosmetic product.

17. Method according to any one of the claims from 13 to 16, wherein said phase of removing the screening element occurs by lifting the screening element with respect to the housing.

18. Method according to any one of the claims from 13 to 17, wherein there is a drying phase of the moulded cosmetic product, after said phase of removing the screening element.

19. Method according to claim 18, wherein, after said drying phase, there is a phase of surface processing of chip-forming machining of the surface of the dried cosmetic product.

20. Method according to any one of the claims from 13 to 19, wherein said housing is laid on a removable tray interposed between said support structure and said screening element, characterised in that it comprises, after the phase of removing said screening element from the coupling with said housing, a phase of lifting said tray with respect to the support structure.