WO2023147886A1

WO2023147886A1 - Device for dispensing a product

Info

Publication number: WO2023147886A1
Application number: PCT/EP2022/052924
Authority: WO
Inventors: Nihad AMARA
Original assignee: Amara Nihad
Priority date: 2022-02-07
Filing date: 2022-02-07
Publication date: 2023-08-10

Abstract

The invention relates to a device for dispensing a product in the form of a pencil (1), in particular a cosmetic product, the device comprising: at least one receiving sleeve (2) having a guide (4) located on an inner surface (3) of the receiving sleeve (2); and an adjusting element (5) which can be or is movably mounted in the receiving sleeve (2). Said adjusting element (5) is used to adjust a position of the pencil (1) and has: at least one actuating portion (6), which is accessible from outside the receiving sleeve (2), for manually actuating the adjusting element (5); a connecting portion (7) for detachably connecting the adjusting element (5) to the pencil (1); and a guide element (9).

Description

DEVICE FOR DISPENSING A PRODUCT

field of invention

The present invention relates to a device for dispensing a product in the form of a stick, in particular a cosmetic product.

The invention also relates to a system comprising the device according to the invention and a product in the form of a pen, in particular a cosmetic product.

State of the art

[0003] Cosmetic products such as deodorants, skin care or sunscreen products, shampoos and soaps can be in solid form, for example in the form of a stick ("stick"). Various devices are known from the prior art for dispensing - for example for applying to the skin - such (cosmetic) products in the form of sticks, namely in particular push-up dispensers and swing-up dispensers (which are also referred to as elevator or threaded shaft dispensers ).

[0004] Push-up dispensers are known, for example, from WO 0203830 A1, US Pat. No. 4,621,935 A or US Pat. No. 2,085,446 A. The pin is held on an adjustment element that is movably mounted in a receiving sleeve of the dispenser, so that the pin can be brought into a dispensing position by moving the adjustment element. In the refillable variant of a push-up dispenser described in DE 202021103673 U1, the pin is packaged together with a base plate that serves as an adjustment element and is provided as a refill unit. When refilling the dispenser, the entire refill unit - i.e. pen, base plate and packaging - is inserted into the holder of the dispenser. With other refillable push-up dispensers, the cosmetic product has to be placed in the empty dispenser in a liquid state and has to harden there before it can be dispensed.

The disadvantage here proves on the one hand that the pin pushed by finger power in the delivery position and must be kept there during the intended use. On the other hand, especially in the case of the refillable variants of the push-up dispenser, additional structural measures are necessary - such as inner sleeves in which the replaceable pin can be temporarily clamped, or sealing, reclosable openings on the underside of the device, through which openings the (cosmetic) Product can be filled in the liquid state - making the structure of such dispensers complex and their production expensive.

[0006] Swing-out dispensers, such as those described in US Pat. No. 4,950,094 A, typically also have a receiving sleeve and an adjustment element; however, the adjusting element is here connected to the receiving sleeve via a threaded shaft which runs in an internal thread of the adjusting element, so that the position of the adjusting element can be adjusted by rotating the threaded shaft is adjustable; the adjusting element is thus positioned by means of a threaded shaft drive. For this purpose, such swing-open dispensers generally have a rotary handle which is arranged on the outside of a base of the receiving sleeve and is rigidly connected to the threaded shaft.

Usually, for the production of such swing-up dispenser, the adjustment element is first brought into a basic position, in which basic position the adjustment element can no longer be moved further in the direction of the ground; the cosmetic product is then filled into the receiving sleeve in liquid form and hardens there while the dispenser is stored accordingly. After the cosmetic product has been used up, the entire dispenser is discarded.

[0008] WO 92/08388 describes a refillable variant of such a swivel-open dispenser. After the product in the form of a stick has been used up, the rotary handle must be rotated in a first direction until the adjustment element (including any product residue) can be removed from an upper opening of the receiving sleeve. Then a refill unit, consisting of the new pin and new adjustment element, is inserted through the upper opening into the receiving sleeve, whereupon the turning handle has to be turned in a second direction until the adjustment element is back in the basic position and the pin is complete is arranged inside the receiving sleeve (this is usually necessary in order to be able to close the dispenser with a lid).

Thus, the use of a pivoting mechanism proves to be advantageous on the one hand, since it is in particular no longer necessary to hold the pin during the intended use of the dispenser by means of a finger graft in the dispensing position, as is required with push-up dispensers; the mounting of the adjusting element or the pin by means of the threaded shaft already ensures sufficient holding force, which sufficiently prevents the pin from receding if a counterforce acts on the pin during delivery. As far as dispensing the product is concerned, swing-up dispensers are therefore easier to use than push-up dispensers. As far as refilling is concerned, however, the bearing by means of a threaded shaft leads to problems. This is mainly due to the fact that the newly inserted adjusting element must first be brought into the basic position by means of the rotary handle before the dispenser can be closed and/or used again to dispense the product as intended. In order to apply the necessary holding force, however, the threaded shafts used usually have a small pitch; accordingly, a user often has to turn the turning handle by 360° in order to move the adjusting element back into the basic position.

Another variant of a refillable swivel dispenser is described in WO 93/25113; here the connection between the internal thread of the adjusting element and the external thread of the threaded shaft is to be temporarily released in order to be able to move the adjusting element along the threaded shaft and thus bring the adjusting element into the basic position in a time-saving manner. This attempt to make the exchange of the product pen simpler or more user-friendly is reflected in an even more complex construction of the dispenser, in particular of the adjustment element, which further increases the production costs. In summary, it should be noted that the prior art does not disclose a reusable device for dispensing a product in the form of a pen that is simple in construction and at the same time user-friendly to operate, both with regard to the intended use for dispensing the product and regarding the replacement of the product pen.

Presentation of the invention

The present invention has therefore set itself the task of providing a reusable or refillable device (dispenser) for dispensing a product in the form of a pen, which device is characterized by an extremely simple structural design and by very high user-friendliness. In particular, the device should on the one hand allow a very simple exchange of the product present in the form of a stick, ie the product stick, but at the same time also enable the product to be dispensed in an exactly metered and uncomplicated manner. Further objects of the invention emerge from the description.

One object of the invention is achieved by a device for dispensing a product in the form of a stick, in particular a cosmetic product, the device comprising at least one receiving sleeve with a guide arranged on an inner surface of the receiving sleeve, and an adjustment element that can be movably mounted or is mounted in the receiving sleeve , which adjustment element is used to set a position of the pin and has at least one operating section that is accessible from outside the receiving sleeve for manual operation of the adjusting element, a connecting section for the detachable connection of the adjusting element to the pin, and a guide element, wherein, in particular by inserting the adjusting element into the receiving sleeve, an operative connection between the guide and the guide element can be established or established, which operative connection mediates the movable mounting of the adjustment element in the receiving sleeve, with manual actuation of the adjusting element movably mounted in the receiving sleeve by means of the actuating section changing a position of the adjusting element between a lower opening of the receiving sleeve and an upper opening of the receiving sleeve is adjustable, the lower opening being defined by a lower edge of the receiving sleeve and the upper opening being defined by an upper edge of the receiving sleeve, the upper opening enabling the product to be dispensed, and the guide having at least one holding section, to lock the adjustment element in at least one predefined position, in particular in a release position.

First of all, it is found that the device according to the invention, which can consist of the receiving sleeve and the adjustment element, has a particularly simple structural design. At the same time, the receiving sleeve can serve as an outer shell of the device, by means of which a user can grip and hold the device; on the other hand, the receiving sleeve enables the adjustment element to be movably mounted.

For this purpose, the receiving sleeve has the guide arranged on its inner surface, which guide defines the possibilities of movement of the adjustment element within the receiving sleeve. The guide can move in particular in the vertical or longitudinal direction of the receiving sleeve, ie along a longitudinal axis of the preferably hollow-cylindrical receiving sleeve, so that the adjusting element, when it is movably mounted in the receiving sleeve by means of the guide, can assume a position between the upper opening and the lower opening of the receiving sleeve.

[0016] For this purpose, the adjustment element has at least one guide element, which guide element forms, so to speak, a suitable counterpart for the guide. The guide and the guide element are matched to one another in terms of shape or structure and arrangement in such a way that an operative connection is created between the guide element and the guide when the adjustment element is inserted into the receiving sleeve as intended. Whether this operative connection is already created when the adjustment element is in that opening or in the edge area of that opening of the receiving sleeve through which opening the adjusting element was inserted into the receiving sleeve, or only arises when the adjusting element is limited in one of the two edge areas Central area of the receiving sleeve depends on the specific design of the guide and the guide element; in any case, both cases are included in the concept of the invention. What is essential, however, is that the operative connection between the guide and the guide element leads on the one hand to the adjustment element being mounted in the receiving sleeve—in other words: the adjusting element is prevented from falling out of the receiving sleeve; and on the other hand to the fact that the user can vary the position of the adjustment element in the receiving sleeve.

Of course, the adjusting element and the receiving sleeve are also matched to one another in such a way that a movable mounting of the adjusting element in the receiving sleeve is possible in principle. For example, the adjusting element can be designed in the shape of a disk or cylinder in order to form a bottom of the receiving sleeve that can be displaced in the longitudinal direction of the receiving sleeve.

In order to keep the structure of the device as simple as possible, the adjusting element - ie that element which is detachably connected to the pin when the device is used as intended and which is therefore used to adjust the position of the pin in the device serves - an operating section. By means of this actuating section, the user can manually actuate the adjustment element mounted in the receiving sleeve, in particular shifting or rotating it. The actuating section is also used to manipulate the adjustment element when it is not in the receiving sleeve but outside it, for example during the refilling process. In particular, the user can grip or hold the adjustment element with one hand on the actuating section while the user removes the adjustment element from the receiving sleeve, removes the used pin—including any product residue—from the adjustment element with the other hand and inserts a new pin fastened in or on the adjusting element, and finally reinserts the adjusting element together with the new product pin into the receiving sleeve in order to mount the adjusting element—and thus the new product pin—movably in the receiving sleeve.

In order to be able to fasten the pin to the adjusting element, the adjusting element has a connecting section which enables the pin to be connected to the adjusting element, preferably in a detachable manner. This connection should be realized in such a way that the pin during the intended use of the device according to the invention - especially during the Delivery of the product, such as applying the cosmetic product to the user's skin - remains firmly connected to the adjustment element and its position and/or orientation relative to the adjustment element does not change. At the same time, however, the connection should be such that it can be released in a simple manner if necessary—especially in the course of exchanging a used pin for a new pin.

The pin attached to the adjustment element or connected to the adjustment element in this way can be brought into a desired position by the user by manually actuating the adjustment element mounted in the receiving sleeve by means of its actuating section, the desired position in each case depending on the specific use of the device according to the invention by the user depends.

In any case, the user will want to position the pen in a position in which the device allows dispensing of the product. In the case of a deodorant, this position of the pin—also referred to as the dispensing position—is chosen such that an upper face of the pin protrudes beyond the receiving sleeve so that it can be applied to the user's skin as easily and evenly as possible. However, the user will want to limit that height section of the stick which height section protrudes beyond the receiving sleeve in this dispensing position, in order not to risk damaging or deforming the stick, for example due to excessive force being applied during application to the skin. Depending on the product that is to be dispensed using the device according to the invention, this dispensing position can be selected differently; for example, the dispensing position can be different in the case of dispensing a lipstick than in the case of dispensing a hand cream or a deodorant. Typically, the adjustment element will occupy a position in the middle area or in the edge area of the upper opening when the pen is in the dispensing position.

In addition to the dispensing position, there are also other positions in which the user will want to bring the pen as part of the intended use of the device. In particular, the pin should be capable of being placed in a protective position to protect the product from oxidation, contamination, external force and other environmental influences when the device is not being used to dispense the product. In this protective position, the pin is arranged as far as possible, preferably completely, inside the receiving sleeve. Typically, the adjusting element will assume a position in the edge area of the lower opening when the pin is in the protective position.

In order to improve the handling of the device according to the invention, the guide has at least one holding section in order to lock the adjusting element in at least one predefined position, for example by means of latching, clamping or pressing. The holding section is designed in such a way that a positive and/or non-positive fit is created between the adjustment element and the receiving sleeve as soon as the adjustment element has reached the predefined position. This positive and/or non-positive fit in turn means that a further movement of the adjustment element is opposed by a holding force, which holding force prevents or makes it difficult for the adjustment element to move out of the predefined position. To move the adjustment element from the predefined position to another To transfer position, the user must first overcome the holding force imparting the locking or solve the positive and/or non-positive connection. It is thus possible to lock the adjustment element in certain desired positions in an uncomplicated manner, in particular in a release position, in which release position of the adjustment element the pin assumes the release position, or also in a protective position, in which protective position of the adjustment element the pin assumes the protective position.

This significantly simplifies the handling of the device according to the invention, since it is no longer necessary to hold the pin in the dispensing position during dispensing using finger force; Rather, the user can first bring the pen into the dispensing position by means of the adjustment element, as a result of which the adjustment element is automatically locked in the dispensing position. The product can then be dispensed without the user having to worry about the position of the adjustment element.

Especially in connection with products that are applied directly to the skin, especially in connection with deodorants, this results in a further advantage: by dispensing the product on the skin, a counterforce acting on the pin can arise in known devices, this often leads to the pin being displaced or sagging from the desired dispensing position in the direction of a lower-lying position; subsequent contact with the skin through the upper edge of the receiving sleeve can also result in irritation or injury to the skin and/or in the product previously applied to the skin being removed. The device according to the invention avoids this problem in that the holding force produced by the holding sections prevents the pin from receding from its delivery position. Preferably, the upper edge of the receiving sleeve can nevertheless be rounded off in order to further reduce the risk of injury when the receiving sleeve comes into contact with the skin, for example due to incorrect handling of the device by the user.

By suitably defining several corresponding holding sections in or on the guide, it is also possible to dose the delivery of the product exactly and reproducibly, since the pin protrudes beyond the upper edge of the receiving sleeve with a height section of essentially identical height in every application. In this way, the loss of height associated with the dispensing of the product, which loss of height occurs as a result of the continuous removal of pasty product from the pin, can be compensated for by the pin being moved into a correspondingly higher dispensing position before dispensing. Each of these delivery positions can be defined by a corresponding holding section.

In particular, a plurality of holding sections can be provided in the guide, which define at least one protective position and a plurality of release positions.

The device according to the invention thus combines the advantages known from push-up dispensers and threaded shaft dispensers: The operation for the intended dispensing of the product, for example the application of the product to the skin, is designed due to the movably held adjustment element, which by means of the holding sections in locked in the respective delivery position becomes, as simple as with threaded shaft dispensers; when replacing the pin, however, the tedious turning out and back of the adjusting element mounted on the threaded shaft is no longer necessary, since the adjusting element according to the invention can be actuated directly by the user and easily removed from the receiving sleeve through the lower opening; alternatively, the adjusting element can also be moved in a simple manner to the upper edge of the receiving sleeve and only the pin itself can be removed from the receiving sleeve through the upper opening. With regard to the exchange process, the device according to the invention therefore offers the same advantages as simple push-up dispensers.

In a preferred embodiment of the device according to the invention it is provided that the guide extends from the lower edge of the receiving sleeve in the direction of the upper edge of the receiving sleeve.

Thus, the operative connection between the guide and the guide element can already arise when the adjusting element is inserted through the lower opening into the receiving sleeve - ie already when the guide element reaches the lower edge of the receiving sleeve, and thus the guide. As a result, the adjusting element is immediately movably mounted in the receiving sleeve and no further or deeper insertion of the adjusting element into the receiving sleeve is required. In addition to being very easy to handle, the device according to the invention in this embodiment also makes it possible to use the entire storage volume available in the receiving sleeve for the product stick. Since larger pins can be used in the device according to the invention than in devices with the same overall height, in which the guide does not start at the bottom edge but rather only in the edge area of the lower opening, the pin has to be replaced less often, which in connection with the device according to the invention Device correspondingly less waste.

In a further preferred embodiment of the device according to the invention it is provided that the guide extends up to the upper edge.

In such embodiments, the user can insert the adjusting element either through the lower or through the upper opening into the receiving sleeve or remove it from the receiving sleeve. In particular, it is possible to insert the adjusting element, for example, through the lower opening into the receiving sleeve and remove it from the receiving sleeve through the upper opening, which means considerably easier handling of the device, particularly with regard to replacing the product pin. Then the adjustment element can be introduced into the receiving sleeve through the lower opening closest to the protective position and can be removed again through the upper opening closest to the (last) release position.

In a further preferred embodiment of the device according to the invention, it is provided that the guide has a helical course at least in sections. For example, the guide can have sections with a straight course and sections with a helical course, wherein the sections with a helical course can be provided in particular in the area of the holding sections, and the individual holding sections can be connected to one another by sections with a straight course. In comparison to devices with a rectilinear or linear course, the device of this embodiment already has a certain holding force due to the helical course of the guide, which counteracts a retreat or sagging of the adjustment element when the pin or the adjustment element - for example during the intended release of the product - is exposed to an opposing force. This effect is more apparent with flatter gradients, ie lower pitches, of the helix than with guides with steeper gradients, ie larger pitches. At the same time, slopes that are too flat or pitches that are too low also make the device more difficult to handle, since a corresponding number of revolutions are required to achieve a noticeable advance of the adjustment element, for example from one holding area to the next holding area of the guide.

A pitch of the helical course of the guide is preferably at least 50%, particularly preferably more than 100% or even more than 200%, of a height of the receiving sleeve. A pitch of the helical course of the guide is particularly preferably approximately or exactly 50%, 60%, 70%, 80%, 90%, 100%, 110%, 120%, 130%, 140%, 150%, 160%, 170%, 180%, 190% or 200% of the height of the receiving sleeve.

This imparts a certain holding force, but the handling of the device, in particular during the exchange of the pin, is not made more difficult to an extent that is uncomfortable for the user, since the entire receiving sleeve in terms of its height, i.e. in the direction of its longitudinal axis, with a maximum two full rotations (around 360°) of the adjustment element can be traversed.

In a further preferred embodiment of the device according to the invention, the helical course of the guide extends from the lower edge to an upper half of the inner surface of the receiving sleeve.

It can thus be ensured that the guide can provide a certain holding force in the entire area that is particularly relevant for the positioning of the adjustment element, in order to prevent the adjustment element from sagging to a certain extent when a counterforce acts. At the same time, the guide in the remaining height section of the inner surface - i.e. that section of the inner surface which extends parallel to the longitudinal axis of the receiving sleeve and which lies between the upper end of the helical course of the guide and the upper edge of the receiving sleeve - can, for example, be linear. As a result, the removal of the adjustment element through the upper opening (namely by pulling out the adjustment element) can be made as user-friendly as possible and the structure of the device according to the invention can be kept simple. Particularly in connection with the holding sections of the guide provided according to the invention, this results in particularly user-friendly handling.

In a preferred embodiment of the device according to the invention, the helical course of the guide is connected to the lower edge via an insertion section of the guide. The insertion section does not have to have a helical course. An adjustment force required to move the adjustment element is preferably greater in the insertion section than in the helical course of the guide. As a result, the insertion section limits the mobility of the adjustment element, which is movably mounted in the receiving sleeve, and intuitively signals to the user that a further movement of the adjustment element in the direction of the lower opening will result in a release of the operative connection between the guide and guide element - possibly not desired by the user would lead. If the user wants to move the adjustment element in the insertion section or into the insertion section, he must apply a significantly higher (adjustment) force than in the section of the guide with a helical course, for example if he moves the adjustment element between two guides arranged in the helical course Holding sections shifts. Thus, the transition between the insertion section and the section of the guide with a helical course can also identify a protective position, when it is reached the user no longer needs to move the adjustment element any further in the direction of the lower opening.

Specifically, the insertion section can be formed by a section of a groove (described in more detail below) with a reduced groove width.

[0042] The insertion section preferably has a linear course, at least in sections. This linear progression facilitates the insertion or removal of the adjusting element into or out of the receiving sleeve, which is particularly advantageous because of the higher adjusting force required in the insertion section, which the user has to apply to move the adjusting element. In particular, the linear course can extend at least in sections in the vertical direction.

The insertion section preferably has at least one kink. This kink can serve as a stop for the guide element and signal to the user that a protective position has been reached. In addition, the course of the insertion section caused by the kink further reduces the risk of an unintentional release of the operative connection between the guide and the guide element or the risk of an unintentional removal of the adjustment element from the receiving sleeve.

The insertion section preferably extends from the lower edge via a first point lying on the inner surface of the receiving sleeve to a second point lying on the inner surface of the receiving sleeve, the second point being below the first point in relation to the height direction. This special course of the insertion section, which can have both straight and curved sections, practically eliminates the risk of an unintentional loosening of the operative connection between guide and guide element or the risk of an unintentional removal of the adjustment element from the receiving sleeve. This is because the user first has to move the adjustment element along the helical course of the guide in the direction of the lower opening in order to reach the second point of the insertion section, which second point can define a protective position, for example. In order to reach the lower opening from there and to be able to remove the adjusting element from it, the user would now have to move the adjusting element away from the lower opening again in order to reach the first point which is higher (i.e. closer to the upper opening). This causes the user to Adjustment element - if at all - only deliberately, but certainly not inadvertently removed from the receiving sleeve.

In a further preferred embodiment of the device according to the invention, the guide is formed by at least one groove provided in the inner surface and the guide element protrudes from a casing of the adjustment element. The groove can form a thread in the inner surface of the receiving sleeve; instead of the groove, the guide can also be formed by a groove arranged on the inner surface or by a rail. Correspondingly, the guide element can protrude radially outwards from the jacket of the adjusting element in order to engage in the groove or groove or to engage on the rail for the purpose of establishing the operative connection between guide and guide element. The inner surface of the receiving sleeve preferably has a corresponding groove/groove/rail for each guide element of the adjustment element.

Particularly preferably, the inner surface of the receiving sleeve has two, preferably four grooves, which are offset from one another by 180° when there are two grooves and by 90° when there are four grooves in the inner surface and can each have an identical course. Accordingly, the adjusting element can have two, preferably four guide elements, which are arranged offset from one another by 180° when there are two guide elements and by 90° from one another when there are four guide elements. With such preferred embodiments, it can be reliably avoided that the adjusting element becomes wedged in the receiving sleeve when the adjusting element mounted in the receiving sleeve is moved by the user. If several grooves forming the guide are present, the holding sections of the individual grooves that correspond to one another can each be located at the same height.

The formation of the guide by means of a groove—or, if there are several guide elements, by means of several grooves—represents a particularly elegant and simple realization of the guide. In this way, the desired functionality can be achieved, but the construction of the device according to the invention can nevertheless be kept simple, especially compared to threaded shaft dispensers. In addition, the walls and the base of the groove(s), that is to say the groove walls and the groove base, enable the holding sections to be implemented in a particularly simple, cost-effective and effective manner.

The at least one holding section is preferably formed by a narrowing of the groove and/or by an elevation in a groove bottom of the groove.

In this preferred embodiment of the device according to the invention, the holding force required for locking can be achieved by a section of the groove in which section the groove diameter is dimensioned smaller than in the groove sections adjoining on both sides and this groove diameter is also matched to a diameter of the guide element that between the guide element and the two groove walls a frictional connection (friction) is created when the guide element is moved into this section of the groove. Alternatively or additionally, the holding force required for locking can also be achieved by a section of the groove, in which section the groove depth is dimensioned smaller than in the groove sections bordering on both sides, in order to form the elevation in the groove bottom, and this groove depth also Length of the guide element is matched so that between the guide element and the elevation forming the groove bottom creates a frictional connection when the guide element is pushed onto this elevation of the groove. As a result, the adjustment element can be locked in the position predefined by the holding section in a particularly simple and user-friendly manner, without great effort. In particular in combination with a helical groove at least in the area of the holding section, correspondingly high holding forces can be achieved, which enables a particularly reliable locking of the adjustment element in the respective predefined position - for example the protective position or one of the delivery positions. However, the formation of the holding sections by means of elevations in the groove bottoms requires that the adjustment element has so little play in the receiving sleeve that it is not possible for the adjustment element to avoid the elevation.

In a further preferred embodiment of the device according to the invention, the at least one holding section is formed by a depression in a groove base of the groove.

Analogously to the embodiment described above, in which the locking of the adjusting element is achieved by varying the groove diameter, a holding force can be achieved by varying the groove depth in this preferred embodiment. In particular, the holding force required for locking can be achieved by a section of the groove, in which section the groove depth is greater than in the groove sections bordering on both sides, in order to form the depression in the bottom of the groove, and this groove depth is also matched to the length of the guide element in such a way that that between the guide element and the bottom of the groove of the adjacent groove sections a form fit and / or a force fit is created when the guide element engages in this recess of the groove. This presupposes that the guide element is prestressed in the direction of the groove bottom; For this purpose, the adjustment element can be clamped between the bottom of the groove and a section of the inner surface of the receiving sleeve that is opposite the bottom of the groove. As a result, the adjusting element can be locked in the position predefined by the holding section in a particularly simple and user-friendly manner, without any expenditure of force. A particularly reliable locking of the adjusting element in the respective predefined position—such as the protective position or one of the delivery positions—can be achieved by appropriate design of the depression or the groove base in the groove sections adjoining the depression. By providing a groove base forming a starting slope in the groove sections, which groove sections border on the recess, an exact setting of the propulsion force of the adjusting element required to overcome the frictional connection between the guide element and the starting slope - and thus also the holding force - can be achieved. In the case of a depression designed as a blind hole in the bottom of the groove, it can also be provided that the form fit between the guide element and the sections of the groove bottom forming the wall of the blind hole can only be achieved by manually pulling the guide element out of the blind hole, for example by moving the adjustment element transversely to the longitudinal axis of the receiving sleeve, be overcome can. For this purpose, the adjusting element must be mounted in the receiving sleeve with sufficient play and/or be slightly elastically deformable.

In a further preferred embodiment of the device according to the invention, the groove is open at an end arranged at the lower edge.

This makes it much easier to engage or insert the guide element into the groove and also enables the adjustment element and/or the receiving sleeve to be manufactured from less flexible materials, which gives the device more stability overall and also increases the holding forces that can be achieved. Because the groove is accessible from outside the receiving sleeve in this preferred embodiment, the orientation of the adjusting element—and thus the pin—can also be precisely defined when it is inserted into the receiving sleeve. As a result, the orientation of the adjusting element - and thus of the pin - in the dispensing position (or positions) can also be determined by appropriate choice of the groove course, which is very advantageous in particular when dispensing specially shaped products, such as lipstick.

In a further preferred embodiment of the device according to the invention, the groove is offset at an end facing the upper edge.

Thus, this end of the groove facing the upper edge of the receiving sleeve forms a stop for the guide element, as a result of which the mobility of the adjustment element in the receiving sleeve can be precisely limited. With this preferred embodiment, it is therefore possible to avoid in a particularly reliable manner that the user can injure himself - for example through projections of the adjustment element or a base plate of the pen - when he tries to remove product from a pen that has already been used up (on which there is no longer enough product mass is) applied to the skin. Accordingly, the device also becomes safer to handle. In addition, the mobility of the adjusting element can be limited by the stop of this preferred embodiment in such a way that product residues of the pin, in particular product residues on the base plate of the pin, can be avoided; In other words: the stop can determine the highest dispensing position of the adjustment element or the most exposed dispensing position of the pen, in which dispensing position the user can dispense the product in the pen with as little residue as possible.

In a further preferred embodiment of the device according to the invention, the groove is open at an end facing the upper edge.

[0058] As a result, the adjustment element can be removed from the receiving sleeve through the upper edge, as a result of which the handling of the device can be significantly improved, in particular during the replacement of the pin. In particular, the end of the groove facing the upper edge is arranged on the upper edge of the receiving sleeve.

In a further preferred embodiment of the device according to the invention, a grip area for holding the device by a user is provided on an outer surface of the receiving sleeve. The device therefore does not require any additional structural elements that allow the user to grip and hold the device; the receiving sleeve can therefore serve as the only outer shell of the device. In particular, the user can only operate the device using this gripping area of the receiving sleeve as soon as the pen has been brought into the desired delivery position by means of the adjustment element. Accordingly, this preferred embodiment is characterized by a particularly simple and resource-saving design and correspondingly low production costs.

In order to increase the grip for the user and to make the handling of the device according to the invention safer and easier, the receiving sleeve can have a fluting in the gripping area. This fluting can be formed in particular by a group of parallel grooves or grooves.

In a further preferred embodiment of the device according to the invention, it is provided that the fluting extends from the lower edge in the direction of the upper edge and preferably has an inclined course at least in sections.

In the context of the present application, an oblique course is to be understood as meaning such a fluting course in which the fluting has an acute opening angle with a perpendicular that is normal to the upper or lower edge of the receiving sleeve, approximately with the longitudinal axis of the receiving sleeve includes. As a result, the handle of the device is particularly ergonomic.

In a further preferred embodiment of the device according to the invention, the connecting section is formed by a jacket section of the jacket of the adjustment element. This casing section can extend in the vertical or longitudinal direction of the adjustment element, ie along a longitudinal axis of the preferably hollow-cylindrical adjustment element, and can preferably be formed by a vertical section of the casing encompassing the entire circumference of the casing. This height section can be an upper height section or an upper edge section of the adjustment element facing the upper opening of the receiving sleeve. In particular, the casing section can serve as a border or as a plug-on device for the pin or for the base plate of the pin.

This design of the adjusting element, namely as a sleeve that fits into or into the receiving sleeve, the casing of which forms the connecting portion at least in one section, allows the construction of the device according to the invention to be kept particularly simple and yet extremely user-friendly to handle be ensured. In particular, it is possible in this way to enable the detachable connection between the adjusting element and the pin without additional structural elements.

The casing section preferably has means for producing a bayonet lock, means for producing a snap lock and/or means for producing a plug lock the adjusting element and the pin. In particular, the casing section can be designed in such a way that a bayonet connection, a snap connection and/or a plug-in connection can be established between the pin and the adjustment element.

In this way, the pin can be releasably attached to the adjusting element in a particularly simple and reliable manner, preferably by means of its base plate.

In a further preferred embodiment of the device according to the invention, the actuating section is formed by a handle, which handle is formed by a preferably elongated recess in a base of the adjustment element. In this case, this base can close off the casing of the adjustment element and can be arranged on a lower casing edge of the sleeve forming the adjustment element; alternatively, however, the base can also close off the casing section and thus be arranged between the lower casing edge and an upper casing edge of the adjustment element. The base is preferably arranged in such a way that its depression forming the handle is arranged completely within the casing of the adjustment element.

This preferred embodiment of the device according to the invention is characterized by a handle which is particularly ergonomic and at the same time easy to produce--for example by deep-drawing or thermoforming. In particular, due to its elongate design, the handle enables the simple transmission of propulsion forces from the user's hand to the adjustment element. An outer diameter of the jacket of the adjustment element and a clear inner diameter of the receiving sleeve are preferably matched to one another in such a way that the adjustment element can be easily moved and/or rotated in the receiving sleeve by the user. In particular, if the depression forming the handle is arranged completely inside the jacket of the adjustment element, the adjustment element is also particularly space-saving and compact, so that the space required by the device according to the invention is minimized.

[0070] Particularly preferably, the jacket does not protrude beyond the recess forming the handle and the handle is arranged completely within the receiving sleeve when the adjustment element is in the protective position. As a result, in particular the lower edge of the receiving sleeve (or the upper edge if the upper opening is not closed by a cover) forms a support area, with which support area the device can be set down and stored on a base. In addition to an extremely compact design, this also enables the entire device to be mounted particularly stably on a base.

The indentation in the base forming the handle preferably extends over the entirety or at least over a large part of a diameter of the casing in order to offer the user a grip which is as safe as possible to operate. In contrast to the adjustment element, which to a certain extent forms a bottom of the receiving sleeve, the bottom of the adjustment element is firmly connected to the casing of the adjustment element; Preferably, the bottom and jacket of the adjustment element are made in one piece. In a further preferred embodiment of the invention, the at least one guide element is formed by a projection arranged on the casing of the adjustment element. Preferably, the projection is on the skirt portion and the projection extends radially outward. In concrete terms, the projection can be in the form of knobs or pins.

[0073] Realizing the guide element as a projection protruding from an outer lateral surface of the jacket enables a particularly stable operative connection between the guide element and the guide. In addition, the adjusting element can be locked particularly reliably in the position defined by the holding section by means of such a projection; in particular the nub-shaped projection enables the transmission of high holding forces to the adjustment element. The number, arrangement and dimensioning of the projection and guide or groove are matched to one another; in the case of embodiments of the invention with a plurality of grooves, a plurality of projections are therefore provided in a corresponding arrangement on the adjustment element.

In a further preferred embodiment of the device according to the invention, the adjusting element is (substantially) matched to the receiving sleeve with a precise fit. Depending on the specific implementation of the holding sections, the adjusting element can be mounted in the receiving sleeve with or without play.

This special design of the adjusting element leads to a particularly stable mounting of the adjusting element in the receiving sleeve, since the casing of the adjusting element, which extends concentrically with the inner surface of the receiving sleeve in the longitudinal direction of the receiving sleeve - similar to a piston guided in a cylinder - the orientation of the adjusting element is fixed in the receiving sleeve. The adjusting element preferably rests with its jacket on the inner surface of the receiving sleeve when the adjusting element is movably mounted in the receiving sleeve.

In a further preferred embodiment of the device according to the invention, it is provided that the device also has a cover, which cover can be releasably connected to the receiving sleeve in the area of the upper edge in order to close the upper opening.

The device according to the invention can thus be closed with the cover, in particular when the pin attached to the adjusting element is in the protective position and is arranged completely within the receiving sleeve—again without additional components having to be provided for this purpose. It is sufficient that in the edge area of the upper opening, for example, locking notches are provided on the outer surface of the receiving sleeve, in which locking notches correspondingly arranged locking elements of the cover can engage in order to detachably connect the cover to the receiving sleeve. Alternatively, the latching notches can be provided on the cover and the latching elements can be provided on the outer surface of the receiving sleeve. In the area of the latching notches or latching elements, the receiving sleeve can also have a wall thickness that is less than the thickness of the cover, in order to enable the cover to be arranged flush with the outer surface of the receiving sleeve. In a further preferred embodiment of the device according to the invention, it is provided that the device is free of threaded shafts.

Because the device in this embodiment does not have a threaded shaft, the device also does not require a rotary handle to actuate the same, which keeps the structure of the device according to the invention robust and simple. In addition, reusable devices with threaded shafts typically have the problem of product residues adhering to the threaded shaft, which leads to contamination of these devices. Especially in the case of devices that are to be used to dispense different products, for example different deodorants, the associated cleaning effort represents a considerable disadvantage. This disadvantage can be completely avoided with the device according to the invention; and yet, due to the holding sections according to the invention, holding forces can be achieved which are absolutely comparable to the holding forces occurring in swivel-open dispensers.

In a further preferred embodiment of the device according to the invention, it is provided that the receiving sleeve and/or the adjustment element and/or the cover is made of a composite material, which composite material consists of lignin, natural fibers such as cellulose, flax or hemp, and optionally natural additives.

The production (of parts) of the device from this or other biomaterials or from recycled and/or compostable materials makes the device according to the invention particularly environmentally friendly and resource-saving. The use of the biomaterial “liquid wood” also guarantees the required stability of the device, so that the necessary holding forces can be applied through the interaction of the guide element and the holding sections of the guide. Liquid wood can also be composted in household waste or it can be burned in a CO2-neutral manner, which significantly improves the ecological balance of the device. The term “biomaterial” refers to materials that are based entirely or to a relevant extent on renewable raw materials.

[0082] One of the objects on which the invention is based is also achieved by a system, which system comprises the device according to the invention according to one of the previously described embodiments and a product in the form of a stick, in particular a cosmetic product. The pin can consist of the product that is hardened on the base plate and thus connected to the base plate; the pen can thus contain the product and the base plate.

Since this system includes the device according to the invention, all of the advantages described above can also be achieved here. The product can be, for example, body butter, deodorant, sunscreen, soap, shower soap, shaving soap, shampoo, or the like. The product is preferably a natural cosmetics product. The consistency of the different products dispensed by means of the device can vary. The invention thus also enables the use or application of a refill unit that does not require any packaging and is inserted into the device. The refill unit can consist of the base plate and the one on the base plate cured product consist; This refill unit can be manufactured by the user himself if a suitable mold is used, for example a hollow cylinder with a concave lid. The user can always use the same base plate.

In a preferred embodiment of the system according to the invention, it is provided that the pin is connected to the adjusting element by means of the connecting section, in particular detachably. For this purpose, the base plate of the pin is preferably fastened, in particular detachably, to the connecting section.

The pin can be fastened to the adjustment element, for example, by clamping the base plate carrying the product in the jacket section or the upper edge section of the adjustment element. This type of attachment has the advantage that opposing forces that act on the pin when the product is dispensed cannot loosen the connection between the pin and the adjustment element, but rather reinforce this connection. On the other hand, the connection can be released comparatively easily in the course of replacing the pin, for example by pulling the base plate out of the casing section of the adjustment element. For this purpose, the base plate can have, for example, a cylindrical extension on its underside, which extension can be clamped in the connecting section of the adjustment element. The base plate can be designed or formed on one surface in such a way that the product can be removed from the base plate with as little residue as possible; for example, the surface of the base plate can be convex.

In a further preferred embodiment of the system according to the invention, it is provided that the adjustment element connected to the pin is movably mounted in the receiving sleeve.

Thus, the pen can be transferred from the protective position to one of the release positions, and from the respective release position back to the protective position, in the manner described above. Because of the holding sections of the guide, the adjusting element can be locked in predefined positions—such as the delivery positions and/or the protective position.

The pin is particularly preferably present in the device unpackaged. This increases the packaging efficiency and packaging material can be avoided to a considerable extent.

In a further preferred embodiment of the system according to the invention, the base plate of the pen is made of compostable material. Accordingly, the base plate can be made entirely of biodegradable plastics and consist of renewable raw materials such as starch, cellulose, plant proteins or polylactic acid. In particular, the base plate can be made of a composite material, which composite material consists of lignin, natural fibers such as cellulose, flax or hemp, and optionally natural additives.

Such a system is particularly easy to use in terms of replacing the product, since in particular that part of the system that is used to provide the product in the form of a Refill unit is required, can be provided as an environmentally friendly disposable product. Users who care about the environment therefore do not have to clean the base plate and reuse it to make a new pen - for example by placing the base plate and liquid product in a mold and then allowing the product to harden (leave) on the base plate - but can instead use the base plate dispose of it with a clear conscience and use a provided refill unit with a new base plate.

Brief description of the figures

The invention is described in more detail below using specific exemplary embodiments; show

1 shows a schematic view of a first exemplary embodiment of the device according to the invention with an adjustment element assuming a protective position,

FIG. 2 shows a schematic view of the exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 1 with the adjusting element occupying a dispensing position and

3 shows a schematic view of a second exemplary embodiment of the device according to the invention with an insertion section.

Ways to carry out the invention

The invention is described below by way of example with reference to the embodiment variants shown in the figures. The following statements are therefore exemplary and are intended to present the idea of the invention, but in no way restrict it or even reproduce it conclusively.

1 shows a schematic representation of a first exemplary embodiment of the device according to the invention. The device comprises an essentially hollow-cylindrical receiving sleeve 2 and an adjusting element 5 movably mounted—here already—in the receiving sleeve 2. A pen 1, which consists of a base plate 24 and a product 25—here: a deodorant—hardened on the base plate 24 , is detachably connected to the adjustment element 5 . An upper opening 13 of the receiving sleeve 2 is closed by means of a cover 23, the cover 23 being detachably connected to the receiving sleeve 2 for this purpose. An actuating section 6 of the adjusting element 5 formed by a handle 26 is arranged within the receiving sleeve 2 in such a way that it is accessible to a user from outside the receiving sleeve 2 , namely via a lower opening 12 of the receiving sleeve 2 .

A guide 4 is arranged on an inner surface 3 of the receiving sleeve 2, which guide 4 is formed in the exemplary embodiment shown by four helical grooves 16, each offset by 90°. The four grooves 16 have an identical profile and each extend from a lower edge 10 of the adjustment element 5 in the direction of an upper edge 11 of the receiving sleeve 2. In the exemplary embodiment shown, the grooves 16 do not extend to the upper edge 11, but end already in an upper half 15 of the inner surface 3. At the lower edge 10 are the grooves 16 open; On the other hand, at their end facing the upper edge 11 of the receiving sleeve 2, the grooves 16 are offset (not shown in the figures). The grooves 16 have a pitch which is approximately 200% of a height 21 of the receiving sleeve 2; thus each of the grooves 16 in the inner surface 3 executes approximately half of a full helical turn through 360°. The term "helical" is not interpreted narrowly in the context of the present invention; In particular, the slope of the guide 4 or the grooves 16 can vary in the vertical direction.

The grooves 16 each have a groove bottom 18 and two opposing groove walls 20. Several blind holes 27, ie depressions in the groove bottom 18, are provided in the groove bottom 18 in order to form a holding section 14 of the guide 4 in each case.

The adjusting element 5 has a casing 8 which gives the adjusting element 5 a cylindrical structure. A bottom 22 drawn into the jacket 8 closes off a jacket section 28 extending over the entire circumference of the jacket 8 in the vertical direction 29 , ie in the direction of the lower opening 12 . An elongate recess in this base 22 forms the handle 26, which handle 26 extends over the entire diameter of the jacket 8 in the exemplary embodiment shown here (cf. FIG. 2).

The jacket section 28 forms a connecting section 7 of the adjustment element 5 and enables a detachable connection of the adjustment element 5 to the pin 1 to be established by clamping the base plate 24. For this purpose, the base plate 24 has a cylindrical extension 30 on an underside, which extension 30 is clamped in the jacket section 28. On an upper side facing the product 25, the base plate 24 can be formed in such a way that the product 25 can be removed with as little residue as possible or product residues on the base plate 24 can be avoided.

Four guide elements 9 are provided on the casing 8 of the adjusting element 5, corresponding to the number and arrangement of the grooves 16, which are realized by four knob-shaped projections 17 in the exemplary embodiment shown. These projections 17 protrude from an outer surface of the casing 8 in the region of the casing section 28 and are each offset by 90° from one another. Accordingly, Figure 1 shows only two of these projections 17; however, it is easy to see that the projections 17 are dimensioned in such a way that they engage in the corresponding grooves 16 .

An outer surface 19 of the receiving sleeve 2 forms a grip area for holding the device by a user. In the area of the upper edge 11 or in an edge area of the upper opening 13, locking notches 31 are provided on the outer surface 19 of the receiving sleeve 2, in which locking notches 31 corresponding locking elements 32 of the cover 23 can engage in order to detach the cover 23 from the receiving sleeve 2 connect to.

In addition, the receiving sleeve 2 in the edge area of the upper opening 13 has a peripheral flange 33 arranged on the inner surface 3, which flange 33 has a lateral one Stop for the product 25 of the pin 1 is formed to stabilize the product 25 during delivery.

In order to be able to use the device according to the invention according to the embodiment shown for dispensing the product as intended, i.e. in this case for applying deodorant to the skin, a user can first grasp the handle 26 of the adjustment element 5 with one hand, the pin 1 with his other hand on the connecting section 7 of the adjustment element 5 and then releasably fastens this pin 1 to the adjustment element 5 by pressing the base plate 24 into the adjustment element 5, as a result of which it is clamped in the casing section 28. The user can hold the pin 1 either on the hardened product 25 or on the base plate 24 .

The user inserts the adjustment element 5 connected to the pin 1 , still holding the adjustment element 5 with one hand on the handle 26 , through the lower opening 12 into the receiving sleeve 2 . The user grasps the receiving sleeve 2 with his other hand on its outer surface 19, which outer surface 19 can have a fluting (not shown) to increase the grip. As soon as the adjusting element 5 has been inserted into the receiving sleeve 2 so far that the four projections 17 are positioned around the lower edge 10 of the receiving sleeve 2, the user must turn the adjusting element 5 and/or the receiving sleeve 2 until the projections 17 fit into the on the inner surface 3 arranged at the bottom 10 open grooves 16 engage. As soon as this engagement between the projections 17 and the corresponding grooves 16 or the operative connection between the guide elements 9 and guides 4 has been established, the adjusting element 5 is movably mounted in the receiving sleeve 2 . The length or radial extent of the projections 17 is matched to a depth of the grooves 16 (present outside of the holding sections 14) in such a way that the adjusting element 5 is oversized relative to the receiving sleeve 2; in other words: the adjustment element 5 is clamped in the grooves 16 by means of the projections 17 . This excess is dimensioned in such a way that the adjustment element 5 is secured against automatic movement, ie against falling out, but can nevertheless be easily twisted or displaced in the receiving sleeve 2 by the user.

In order to move the adjusting element 5 mounted in the receiving sleeve 2 further in the receiving sleeve 2 in the direction of the upper opening 13, the user must turn the adjusting element 5 by means of the handle 26 - here: viewed in the vertical direction 29, clockwise . As soon as the projections 17 reach the holding sections 14 of the grooves 16, the projections 17 snap into the blind holes 27 arranged on the respective groove bottom 18 and lock the adjusting element 5 in the position defined by the holding sections 14 due to the form fit between the projections 17 and blind holes 27 . In this position of the adjustment element 5, the projections 17 are received in the groove 16 with their entire length and the adjustment element 5 rests with its casing 8 on the inner surface 3 of the receiving sleeve 2. The friction between the casing 8 and the inner surface 3 imparts an additional holding force, which secures the adjustment element 5 in its position.

[0104] In FIG. 1, the adjusting element 5 is in a protective position; in this protective position, the pin 1 is surrounded by the receiving sleeve 2 over its entire height and is thus largely in front of it Protected against contamination and damage. In order to lock the adjustment element 5 in this protective position, the projections 17 snap into the blind holes 27 of the respective holding section 14 . As can easily be seen from FIG. 1, the grooves 16 also have a holding section 14 in a lower section (closer to the lower opening 12), which lower holding section 14 would also lock the adjusting element 5 in a protective position; However, the protective position selected in FIG. 1 has the advantage that the handle 26 is arranged entirely within the receiving sleeve 2, so that the device can be stored in a stable position on a base.

If the user now wants to use the device to dispense the product 25 as intended, he must turn the adjustment element 5 further by means of the handle 26 - viewed in the height direction 29 - clockwise so that the holding force is overcome and the locking of the adjustment element 5 in the Holding portion 14 is released. For this purpose, the projections 17 and/or the blind holes 27 can have corresponding starting bevels in order to make it easier for the user to move the projections 17 out of the blind holes 27; for example, the projections can be slightly rounded on their outer surfaces and/or the walls of the blind hole can be designed at a slight angle.

The user can then transfer the adjustment element 5 to the next higher holding section 14, where the adjustment element 5 is locked again - this time in a release position, in which release position the position of the pin 1 is selected such that an upper end face of the pin 1 projects beyond the receiving sleeve 2 or protrudes from the upper opening 13 of the receiving sleeve 2, so that the product 25 can be applied to the user's skin as simply and evenly as possible. Due to the locking of the adjustment element 5 in the dispensing position, the counteracting forces acting on the pin 1 that occur during dispensing do not lead to the pin 1 sagging or slipping, so that the user can only hold the device while the product 25 is being dispensed on the outer surface 19 of the Receiving sleeve 2 must hold; manual actuation or fixing of the adjusting element 5 is not necessary during delivery. While the holding sections 14 secure the adjustment element 5, and thus also the pin 1, against vertical slipping when the product 25 is dispensed, the flange 33 of the receiving sleeve 2 stabilizes the pin 1 in the horizontal.

An overall height of the pen 1 is continuously reduced in the course of dispensing the product 25, so that the pen 1 must be brought into a higher dispensing position at the latest after a few applications or dispensing of the product. The distances between the holding sections 14 in each groove 16 are preferably chosen such that in the respective delivery position only a small vertical section of the product 25 protrudes beyond the receiving sleeve 2, so as not to risk damaging or deforming the pin 1, for example due to excessive force being applied during the application to the skin. This height section can be limited to 1.5 to 3.5 cm, for example. The holding sections 14 are preferably spaced apart from one another in such a way that the height of the vertical section of the product 25 projecting beyond the receiving sleeve 2 is approximately constant in every delivery position. After the pin 1 has been brought into the dispensing position which is highest or closest to the upper opening 13 (shown in FIG. 2) and the product 25 has been largely removed by repeated dispensing, the pin 1 must be exchanged. To do this, the user must first remove the adjustment element 5 from the receiving sleeve 2 . In the case of the exemplary embodiment shown, this can be done by turning the handle 26 - when looking at the adjustment element 5 in the height direction - counterclockwise, in which case the user must turn the adjustment element 5 and/or the receiving sleeve 2 in opposite directions until the projections 17 on the lower edge 10 of the receiving sleeve 2 protrude from the grooves 16 and the adjusting element 5 can be pulled out of the receiving sleeve 2. The user can then pull the base plate 24, including any residue of the product 25 adhering to it, out of the casing section 28, clamp a new pin 1 in the casing section 28 on the underside of the base plate 24 using the extension 30 and put the adjusting element 5 together with the new pin 1 back into the Insert receiving sleeve 2 (as described above). The user can lock the adjustment element 5 in a protective position for later use, or in a delivery position for immediate delivery of the product 25 .

From the comparison of Fig. 1 and Fig. 2 is also clearly visible that the adjustment element 5 due to the helical course of the grooves 16 between the protection position shown in Fig. 1 and the last release position shown in Fig. 2 by about rotated 90°. Therefore, in FIG. 1 a cross section of the longitudinal extension of the handle 26 and in FIG. 2 a longitudinal section of the longitudinal extension of the handle 26 can be seen.

[01 10] Fig. 3 shows a second exemplary embodiment, in which the guide 4 is formed by four grooves 16, which grooves 16 extend helically in the vertical direction 29, with this helical course of the grooves 16 each extending over an insertion section 34 of the respective groove 16 is connected to the lower edge 10 of the receiving sleeve 2. Accordingly, the end of the respective groove 16 arranged at the lower edge 10 also forms a lower end of the insertion section 34; an upper end of the insertion section 34 lies directly in front of the helical course of the respective groove 16. Both the lower end and the upper end of the insertion section 34 of the respective groove 16 are open in the exemplary embodiment shown; alternatively, the respective groove 16 can be offset at the lower end of the insertion section 34 .

[01 11] In the insertion section 34, each of the grooves 16 has a groove diameter that is reduced compared to the helical course, so that an adjustment force that the user must apply in order to move the adjustment element 5 in the groove 16 is higher in the insertion section than between the Holding sections 14 of the helical course. For example, the adjustment force required in the insertion section 34 can be twice as high as in the helical course. Alternatively, the desired sluggishness of the adjusting element 5 in the insertion section 34 can also be achieved by a groove depth in the insertion section 34 that is reduced in comparison to the helical course.

[01 12] The insertion section 34 is designed in such a way that it prevents or avoids an unintentional removal of the adjusting element 5 from the receiving sleeve 2 . On the one hand, this is achieved by the above-described sluggishness of the adjustment element 5 in the insertion section 34 . In addition or as an alternative, however, this purpose can also be achieved by a special shaping of the course of the insertion section 34 . In the exemplary embodiment shown, the insertion section 34 has a first longitudinal section that is linear in places and extends parallel to the vertical direction 29 . This is followed by a linear second longitudinal section running orthogonally to the vertical direction 29, which merges into a linear third longitudinal section, however, running transversely to the first and second longitudinal section. The connection to the helical course or section of the groove 16 is finally established by a curved fourth longitudinal section.

[01 13] These four longitudinal sections of the insertion section are each connected to one another via a kink; in particular, the first and the second longitudinal section are connected to one another via a first bend, the second and the third longitudinal section via a second bend, and the third and the fourth longitudinal section via a third bend or deflection. In this case, the first and the second bend in the vertical direction 29 are at the same height and the third bend in the vertical direction 29 is arranged below the first and second bend.

Accordingly, if the user would like to remove the adjustment element 5 from the receiving sleeve 2 through the lower opening 12, the adjustment element 5 would first have to be guided along the helical course in the direction of the lower opening 12 until the projection corresponding to the respective groove 16 17 has arrived in the fourth longitudinal section of the insertion section 34 . The user would then have to transfer the adjusting element - while applying the increased adjusting force - via the third bend into the third longitudinal section, via the second bend further into the second longitudinal section, and finally over the first bend into the first longitudinal section, before the user could move the adjusting element 5 can finally pull out of the lower opening. This - deliberately complicated - guidance of the adjustment element 5 in the insertion section 34 reliably prevents the user from unintentionally removing the adjustment element 5 from the receiving sleeve 2, especially since this requires precise knowledge of the guide path in the area of the insertion section 34 and/or lengthy testing of the permitted adjustment directions were. Each kink will be perceived by the user as a stop, which would also prevent the user from unintentionally removing it.

[01 15] At the same time, the complex insertion section does not pose any difficulty in the manufacture of the device according to the invention, especially since the adjustment element 5 can be inserted into the receiving sleeve 2 by the manufacturer by applying the required adjusting force and can then remain movably mounted in the receiving sleeve 2.

Claims

Claims Device for dispensing a product (25), in particular a cosmetic product, as a pen (1), the device at least

- a receiving sleeve

(2) having one on an inner surface

(3) the receiving sleeve (2) arranged guide (4), as well as

- A in the receiving sleeve (2) movably storable or mounted adjusting element (5), which adjusting element (5) is used to set a position of the pin (1) and at least

- an actuating section (6) accessible from outside the receiving sleeve (2) for manual actuation of the adjustment element (5),

- A connecting section (7) for the detachable connection of the adjustment element (5) to the pin (1), and

- Has a guide element (9), wherein

- by inserting the adjusting element (5) into the receiving sleeve (2), an operative connection between the guide (4) and the guiding element (9) can be established or established, which operative connection mediates the movable mounting of the adjusting element (5) in the receiving sleeve (2), wherein

- by manual actuation of the adjustment element (5) movably mounted in the receiving sleeve (2) by means of the operating section (6), a position of the adjusting element (5) between a lower opening (12) of the receiving sleeve (2) and an upper opening (13) of the The receiving sleeve (2) is adjustable, the lower opening (12) being defined by a lower edge (10) of the receiving sleeve (2), the upper opening (13) being defined by an upper edge (11) of the receiving sleeve (2). and enabling the product (25) to be dispensed, and wherein

- The guide (4) has at least one holding section (14) in order to lock the adjusting element (5) in at least one predefined position. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the guide (4) extends from the lower edge (10) of the receiving sleeve (2) in the direction of the upper edge (11) of the receiving sleeve (2). Device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the guide (4) extends up to the upper edge (11). Device according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the guide

(4) has a helical course at least in sections.

5. The device according to claim 4, characterized in that a pitch of the helical course of the guide (4) is at least 50% of a height (21) of the receiving sleeve (2).

6. Device according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the helical course of the guide (4) extends from the lower edge (10) to an upper half (15) of the inner surface (3) of the receiving sleeve (2). .

7. Device according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the helical course of the guide (4) via an insertion section (34) of the guide (4) is connected to the lower edge (10), with one for moving the adjusting element (5) the required adjusting force in the insertion section is greater than in the helical course of the guide (4).

8. The device according to claim 7, characterized in that the insertion section (34) has a linear course at least in sections.

9. The device according to claim 7 or 8, characterized in that the insertion section (34) has at least one kink.

10. Device according to one of claims 7 to 9, characterized in that the insertion section (34) extends from the lower edge (10) via a first point on the inner surface (3) of the receiving sleeve (2) to a second point on the inner surface (3) of the receiving sleeve (2), the second point being below the first point in the vertical direction (29).

11. Device according to one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that the guide (4) is formed by at least one groove (16) provided in the inner surface (3) and the guide element (9) by a casing (8) of the adjusting element (5) protrudes.

12. The device according to claim 11, characterized in that the at least one holding section (14) is formed by a narrowing of the groove (16).

13. The device according to claim 11, characterized in that the at least one holding section (14) is formed by a recess in a groove bottom (18) of the groove (16).

14. The device according to any one of claims 1 1 to 13, characterized in that the groove (16) arranged at a lower edge (10) end is open.

15. The device according to any one of claims 1 1 to 13, characterized in that the groove (16) is offset at one end facing the upper edge (11).

16. Device according to one of claims 11 to 13, characterized in that the groove (16) is open at one end facing the upper edge (11).

17. Device according to one of claims 1 to 16, characterized in that on an outer surface (19) of the receiving sleeve (2) is provided a grip area for holding the device by a user.

18. Device according to claim 17, characterized in that a fluting is provided in the handle area.

19. The apparatus according to claim 18, characterized in that the fluting extends from the lower edge (10) in the direction of the upper edge (11) and at least in sections has an oblique course.

20. Device according to one of claims 1 to 19, characterized in that the connecting section (7) is formed by a jacket section (28) of the jacket (8) of the adjustment element (5).

21. The device according to claim 20, characterized in that the casing section (28) has means for producing a bayonet, snap or plug-in closure between the adjusting element (5) and the pin (1).

22. Device according to one of claims 20 or 21, characterized in that the actuating section (6) is formed by a handle (26), which handle (26) is formed by an elongated depression in a base (22) of the adjustment element (5). is.

23. Device according to one of Claims 20 to 22, characterized in that the at least one guide element (9) is formed by a projection (17) arranged on the casing (8) of the adjustment element (5).

24. Device according to one of claims 1 to 23, characterized in that the adjustment element (5) is matched to the receiving sleeve (2) with a precise fit.

25. Device according to one of claims 1 to 24, characterized in that the device has a cover (23), which cover (23) in the region of the upper edge (11) is releasably connected to the receiving sleeve (2) to the upper to close the opening (13).

26. Device according to one of claims 1 to 25, characterized in that the device is free of threaded shafts.

27. Device according to one of claims 1 to 26, characterized in that the receiving sleeve (2) and / or the adjusting element (5) and / or the cover (23) is made of a composite material, which composite material made of lignin, natural fibers and optionally natural additives.

28. System comprising the device according to one of the preceding claims and a product (25), in particular a cosmetic product, in the form of a stick (1).

29. System according to claim 28, characterized in that the pin (1) is detachably connected to the adjusting element (5) by means of the connecting section (7).

30. System according to claim 29, characterized in that a base plate (24) of the pin (1) is releasably attached to the connecting portion (7).

31. System according to claim 29 or 30, characterized in that with the pin (1) connected

Adjusting element (5) is movably mounted in the receiving sleeve (2).

32. System according to any one of claims 28 to 31, characterized in that the pin (1) is unpackaged in the device.

33. System according to any one of claims 28 to 32, characterized in that the pin (1) from a base plate (24) and from the on the base plate (24) cured product (25), in particular

cosmetic product.

34. System according to any one of claims 28 to 33, characterized in that the base plate (24) of the pin (1) is made of compostable material.