REFILLABLE CONTAINER DEVICE FOR A COSMETIC PRODUCT AND ASSOCIATED REFILL

Abstract

A refill for a container device for cosmetic product that includes a vessel configured to contain such a product, the vessel including a lateral wall. The lateral wall of the vessel has, over at least part of its outside surface, a member made of elastomer material connected to the vessel and which is at least partly in relief in relation to the outside surface of the lateral wall of the vessel. The refill thus formed is able to be held in a casing of suitable shape, by virtue of the members in relief of elastomer material formed on the outside wall of the vessel. The invention also relates to a casing for a cosmetic product container device including a casing and such a refill.

Claims

1-15. (canceled)

16. Refill for a container device for cosmetic product, said refill comprising: a vessel configured to contain the cosmetic product; the vessel comprising a lateral wall having an outside surface; over at least part of the outside surface of the lateral wall of the vessel, the outside surface has a member made of elastomer material connected to the vessel, the member being at least partly in relief in relation to the outside surface of the lateral wall of the vessel.

17. Refill according to claim 16, wherein: the member of elastomer material has been molded onto the casing.

18. Refill according to claim 16, wherein: the vessel has been formed from a plastics material; the casing and the member of elastomer material have been formed together by bi-material injection-molding.

19. Refill according to claim 16, wherein: the elastomer material is a thermoplastic elastomer or a silicone elastomer.

20. Refill according to claim 16, wherein: wherein the elastomer material has a hardness comprised between 20 degrees Shore and 80 degrees Shore.

21. Refill according to claim 16, wherein: wherein the elastomer material has a hardness comprised between 40 degrees Shore and 60 degrees Shore.

22. Refill according to claim 16, wherein: the member of elastomer material is of variable thickness forming a plurality of discrete projections distributed over the outside surface of the lateral wall of the vessel.

23. Refill according to claim 22, wherein: the member of elastomer material extends over a periphery of the lateral wall of the vessel, and forms at least two projections distributed over the periphery.

24. Refill according to claim 22, wherein: the member of elastomer material extends over a periphery of the lateral wall of the vessel, and forms at least three projections distributed over the periphery.

25. Refill according to claim 23, wherein: the member of elastomer material has been molded onto the casing; the member of elastomer material extends in at least two strips over the lateral wall of the vessel; the strips extend from an upper part of the vessel to a bottom of the vessel and continuing over an outside surface of the bottom on which they meet each other.

26. Refill according to claim 23, wherein: the member of elastomer material has been molded onto the casing; the member of elastomer material extends in at least three strips over the lateral wall of the vessel; the strips extend from an upper part of the vessel to a bottom of the vessel and continuing over an outside surface of the bottom on which they meet each other.

27. Refill according to claim 16, wherein: the has a general shape of one of the following: a cylinder of revolution or frusto-conical or right prismatic.

28. Refill according to claim 16, wherein: the vessel has an internal volume comprised between 10 mL and 200 mL.

29. Container device for cosmetic product comprising a refill according to claim 16, the container further comprising: a casing comprising an opening configured to receive a refill, the outside surface of the lateral wall of the vessel of the refill having a clearance in relation to the casing inside surface, except at a location of all or part of the member of elastomer material, such that bearing zones of the member of elastomer material on the casing inside surface are formed.

30. Container device for cosmetic product according to claim 29, wherein: the member of elastomer material is deformed in the bearing zones by compression on the casing inside surface, compared to a configuration that the member of elastomer material adopts when not acted upon externally.

31. Container device for cosmetic product according to claim 29, wherein: casing inside surface is devoid of asperities.

32. Container device for cosmetic product according to claim 29, wherein: casing inside surface is devoid of any of the following asperities: snap-fastening rings, studs, apertures or grooves.

33. Container device for cosmetic product according to claim 29, wherein: the vessel of the refill is filled with a cosmetic product; a shape, dimensions, and a constitution of the member of elastomer material are configured such that a force required for extraction of the refill from the casing is greater than or equal to twice a weight of the refill.

34. Container device for cosmetic product according to claim 29, wherein: the vessel of the refill is filled with a cosmetic product; a shape, dimensions, and a constitution of the member of elastomer material are configured such that a force required for extraction of the refill from the casing is greater than or equal to two and a half times a weight of the refill.

35. Container device for cosmetic product according to claim 30, wherein: the casing is of plastics material, of glass, of stainless steel, of aluminum, or of wood.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0038] In the accompanying drawings, given by way of non-limiting example:

[0039] FIG. 1 shows, in a three-dimensional view, a first example of a refill in accordance with one embodiment of the invention;

[0040] FIG. 2 shows, in a three-dimensional view, a second example of a refill in accordance with one embodiment of the invention;

[0041] FIG. 3 shows, in another three-dimensional view, the refill of FIG. 2;

[0042] FIG. 4 shows, in the three dimensional view, an example of a casing that can be employed to form a cosmetic product container device with a refill in accordance with the invention.

[0043] FIG. 5 shows, in a cross-section view, a cosmetic product container device, namely a pot, formed from the casing of FIG. 4 and from the refill of FIGS. 2 and 3;

[0044] FIG. 6 shows, in a partial view in cross-section, the interaction between the casing and the refill in the container device of FIG. 5;

[0045] FIG. 7 shows, in a similar view to that of FIG. 6, the interaction between the casing and the refill of FIG. 1, in a container device formed with such a refill.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0046] FIG. 1 shows, in a three-dimensional view, a first example of a refill 1 in accordance with one embodiment of the invention. The refill 1 comprises a vessel 2 which is hollow, that is to say of which the shape forms a volume configured to receive a cosmetic product. In the example shown here, the vessel 2 has a cylindrical general shape, which may be right cylindrical or slightly flared (frusto-conical). Any hollow shape can however be envisioned to form the vessel, in particular any right prismatic shape, in particular having a shape that is square, rectangular, pentagonal, hexagonal, octagonal, etc.

[0047] The vessel 2 in particular has a lateral wall 3 and a bottom 4.

[0048] The vessel comprises, in the example shown, an upper rim 5. The rim 5 is formed around an open face 6 of the vessel 2.

[0049] A cosmetic product, for example a cream, may be contained in the volume formed inside the vessel. The open face of the vessel may be covered with a removable cap, for example a plate for protecting the product, for example bearing on the rim 5 and/or on a shoulder 10 formed in the upper part of the vessel. The vessel may also comprise a closure, for example heat-sealed, covering the open face 6 and that has to be removed when the refill is first used. The open face may be clear, directly exposing the product contained in the vessel 2 of the refill, or be equipped with a regulating device, such as a screen, a net, or other device configured for the product to dispense.

[0050] The vessel, in particular the lateral wall 3 of the vessel 2, has, on its outside surface 7 (that is to say the opposite surface of the wall to that forming the inside volume of the vessel 2) a member of elastomer material 8. The member of elastomer material 8 is intimately connected to the vessel.

[0051] Typically, the member of elastomer material may be molded onto the vessel 2.

[0052] Overmolding of the member of elastomer material 8 onto the refill 2 is possible in particular onto a refill formed from plastics material, metal, glass or another material compatible with overmolding.

[0053] When the refill 2 is made from a plastics material, the member of elastomer material and the refill can be formed by bi-material injection molding.

[0054] The elastomer materials usable to form the member of elastomer material all comprise thermoplastic elastomers (TPE) as well as silicone elastomers. The usable materials advantageously have a Shore hardness comprised between 20 degrees Shore and 80 degrees Shore (preferably between 40 and 60 degrees Shore).

[0055] The hardness of the material employed is an important parameter in the optimization of the refill, and is chosen in particular according to the dimensions of the vessel of the refill and according to the material used to form the casing for receiving the refill to form a container device for a cosmetic product (for example a pot).

[0056] The member of elastomer material 8 is in relief relative to the outside surface 7 of the lateral wall 3 of the vessel. In other words, over at least part of the member of elastomer material 8, the latter is proud relative to the outside surface 7 of the lateral wall 3.

[0057] Projections 9 may thus be formed by the member of elastomer material 8. These projections 9 form the parts of the member of elastomer material having a function of holding the refill in a casing, as detailed below with reference to FIGS. 5 to 7. The number, the dimensions, the shape, and the orientation of the projections 9 may vary according to the application considered. More generally, the configurations that can be envisioned for the member of elastomer material are numerous.

[0058] According to a first configuration, shown in FIG. 1, the member of elastomer material 8 passes around the vessel 2. Thus, the member of elastomer material 8 forms a peripheral strip on the outside surface of the lateral wall 3 of the vessel 2. This strip is formed in the upper part of the vessel 2, here, under the rim 5. This strip comprises three projections 9, distributed along the periphery of the vessel bearing said strip. With the exception of the projections 9 which are necessarily in relief relative to the outside surface 7 of the lateral wall 3 of the vessel, the rest of the member of elastomer material (that is to say the band formed around the vessel 2) may be in relief or flush with the outside surface 7. For this, a groove may be formed in the lateral wall 3 to receive said member of elastomer material 8. The distribution of the three projections 9 is preferably regular, that is to say that the projections are equidistant along the strip formed by the member of elastomer material. In the case of a vessel having the shape of a surface of revolution, this is results in a regular angular distribution of the projections 9 relative to the axis of revolution of the vessel 2.

[0059] In this embodiment, the projections 9 have a vertical disposition, that is to say that they form a member in relief having an elongate shape from top (open face 6) to bottom (bottom 4) of the vessel. For a vessel having the shape of a surface of revolution, this results in an orientation of the projections 9 parallel to the axis of revolution of the vessel. More generally, the projections are oriented perpendicularly to a plane materialized by the bottom 4 of the vessel, or if the bottom of the vessel does not materialize a plane (for example if the vessel is substantially spherical or a part of a sphere), the projections are oriented perpendicularly to the open face 6 of the vessel 2.

[0060] The embodiment of FIG. 1 has, among other advantages, the advantage that the member of elastomer material can be very inconspicuous on the vessel. Furthermore, the number of projections formed by the member of elastomer material may easily be adapted, with few modifications to the production tools.

[0061] FIG. 2 and FIG. 3 present a second example embodiment of a refill in accordance with the invention, in two different views. The refill of FIG. 2 and of FIG. 3 essentially differ from that described above with reference to FIG. 1 by the shape of the member of elastomer material 8. Furthermore, the vessel of FIG. 2 and of FIG. 3 does not have a shoulder 10 in the top part. These two differences are independent from each other, the presence or absence of a shoulder on the vessel being independent from the configuration of the member of elastomer material 8.

[0062] In the example embodiment of FIG. 2 and of FIG. 3, the member of elastomer material 8 is configured in vertical strips extending over the outside surface 7 of the lateral wall 3 of the vessel 2. In this case, three vertical strips are formed by the member of elastomer material. The vertical strips are distributed over the outside surface 7 of the lateral wall 3 of the vessel 2, preferably with a regular distribution. In a regular distribution, the vertical strips are equidistant along the periphery of the vessel. In the case of a vessel having the shape of a surface of revolution, this is results in a regular angular distribution of the vertical strips formed by the member of elastomer material 8 relative to the axis of revolution of the vessel 2. In the example shown here, three vertical strips are formed on the outside surface 7 of the lateral wall 3 of the vessel 2.

[0063] The member of elastomer material 8 comprises a projection 9 at the top of each of the vertical strips it forms, that is to say in the vicinity of the open face 6. Just as for the embodiment of FIG. 1, with the exception of the projections 9 which are necessarily in relief relative to the outside surface 7 of the lateral wall 3 of the vessel, the rest of the member of elastomer material (that is to say the band formed around the vessel 2) may be in relief or flush with the outside surface 7.

[0064] Each projection 9 has a so-called horizontal orientation, perpendicular to a vertical orientation as defined above. Thus, each projection has an elongate shape, which extends parallel to a plane materialized by the bottom 4 of the vessel (or materialized by the open face 6).

[0065] Each vertical strip formed by the member of elastomer material on the outside surface 7 of the lateral wall 3 of the vessel 2 continues over an outside surface 11 of the bottom 4 of the vessel 2, on which surface they meet together. In the zone in which said strips meet on the outside surface 11 of the bottom 4, they can form area 12, for example circular, which can comprise text or a logo.

[0066] In the embodiment presented in FIGS. 2 and 3, the member of elastomer material can thus play an important aesthetic role, by having strips that are regular or that form a desired pattern (undulations, shapes evocative of a tree leaf, etc.). The fact that the vertical strips of the member of elastomer material meet makes it possible to have only one member of elastomer material on the vessel, which is advantageous compared with discrete members of elastomer material, in particular when the member of elastomer material is formed by overmolding or bi-material injection molding.

[0067] FIG. 4 shows an example of a casing 13 that can be employed to form a container device for cosmetic product (here, a pot) with a refill 1 in accordance with the invention, for example the refill of FIG. 1 or the refill of FIGS. 2 and 3. The casing designates a member configured to receive a refill and in which the refill will be held. The casing of FIG. 4 is a bottle forming a volume configured to receive the refill 1. The casing 13 comprises a main body 14, of substantially prismatic shape with a square base, of which the lateral faces are slightly convex. As the casing 13 constitutes a visible part of the pot once the latter has been constituted, it has an important aesthetic function. The main body 14 of the casing 13 is surmounted with a neck 15 provided with a screw thread 16 making it possible to fit in place a screw lid (not shown). A shoulder 17 is formed at the mouth of the neck 15. The shoulder 17 is dimensioned so as to be able to receive, bearing thereon, the rim 5 of the vessel 2 of the refill 1.

[0068] The shoulder 17 is optional, it being possible for the refill to bear vertically on other surfaces of the casing, for example the rim 5 of the vessel 2 of the refill 1 can bear directly on the neck 15, or for example in the absence of a rim 5 on the vessel 2 of the refill, the bottom 4 of the vessel can bear on a bottom of the casing, if the latter comprises a bottom. A bottomless casing may be advantageous to facilitate the extraction of the refill.

[0069] It is notable that the casing 13 does not have any asperity at the location of the casing inside surface 18 provided to cooperate with the refill for holding it. By asperity is meant a volume, a member that is hollow or in relief, formed on a surface and of dimensions substantially greater than the possible roughness linked to the material constituting said surface. The casing inside surface 18 comprises in particular no snap-fastening ring, no pin, no aperture or any groove.

[0070] In the casing example shown, the casing inside surface 18 configured to cooperate with the refill for holding it constitutes the inside surface of the neck 15.

[0071] The casing shown in FIG. 4 can be made from glass. Any tint of glass may be employed, in particular transparent, translucent, opaque, colored or not colored.

[0072] The casing may be formed from numerous other materials, according to the appearance sought, the volume, the shape, and the manner of closure desired, etc. In particular, the casing may be of plastics material, wood, metal (such as stainless steel, tinplate, or aluminum).

[0073] In that the casing inside surface 18 does not comprise any asperities for the purpose of snap-fastening, screwing, etc. of the refill, a receptacle of conventional form may be employed, for example a conventional glassware receptacle having a screw, without requiring adaptation other than the addition of dimensions adapted to the refill. The manufacturing cost of the casing (and ultimately of the container device) can thus be reduced, compared with container devices of which the casing has to comprise specific members for fastening a refill.

[0074] FIG. 5 shows, in a cross-section view, a container device, namely a pot, formed from the casing of FIG. 4 and from the refill of FIGS. 2 and 3. The cross-section plane is a diametrical plane of the vessel 2 of the refill, and also forms a plane of symmetry of the casing 13, as shown in FIG. 4 (plane P).

[0075] The pot shown in FIG. 5 thus comprises a casing 13, in the form of a glass receptacle with a thick wall, which forms a volume in which the refill 1 is received. In the example shown the shape of the inside volume of the casing 13 thus matches, with clearance being the only difference, the shape of the outside of the vessel 2 (for example cylindrical or slightly frusto-conical). The depth of this volume is slightly greater than the overall height of the refill, such that the rim 5 of the refill bears on the shoulder 17 formed at the mouth of the neck 15.

[0076] FIG. 6 shows a detailed view of the interaction between the casing and the refill in the pot of FIG. 5, based on the same cross-section plane as that of FIG. 5. FIG. 6 in particular reveals the bearing relationship formed between the rim 5 and the shoulder 17.

[0077] There is an amount of clearance J, for example of the order of 0.5 mm for a pot of cosmetic cream of conventional volume, for example of the order of 60 mL, between the casing inside surface 18 and the outside surface 7 of the lateral wall of the vessel 2. In the example shown, the member of elastomer material 8 is formed flush with the outside surface 7 with the exception of the projections 9 that it forms and which are in relief, projecting, relative to that outside surface 7. Thus, there is the same amount of clearance J between the casing inside surface 18 and the member of elastomer material 8, except at the location of the projections 9. Each projection 9 forms a protrusion relative to the level of the outside surface 7 of the lateral wall 3 of the vessel 2 of a thickness E greater than the clearance J, when the projection is not subjected to an external mechanical constraint, in particular when the projection 9 is not deformed by compression. This free configuration of the projection 9 is represented in dashed line in FIG. 6. In the example shown, the thickness E may be of the order of 1 mm, for example of the order of 0.9 mm.

[0078] In order to insert the refill 1 into the casing 13 until the rim 5 bears on the shoulder 17, it is necessary to deform the projection 9 for it to enter into the casing and for it to come to bear on the casing inside surface 18. When the refill 1 is in the casing 13, the projection 9 thus has a thickness, in relation to the outside surface 17 of the lateral wall 3 of the vessel 2, equal to the clearance J. The projection 9 thus takes up the clearance J and on account of its elasticity applies a bearing force on the casing inside surface 18.

[0079] There are advantageously several bearing projections distributed around the vessel 2, so as to distribute the bearing over the casing inside surface 18, and ensure effective and uniform holding of the vessel 2 in the casing 13. As a matter of fact, each bearing zone, formed at the location of each projection 9, forms a zone ensuring holding of the vessel 2 (and thus of the refill 1) in the casing 13. When a force tending to extract the refill 1 from the casing 13 is applied, a force opposing its extraction is created, by reaction, at the location of the projections, on account of the interaction between each projection 9 and the casing inside surface 18 onto which the projections 9 are compressed. This force is generated by friction of the projection 9 on the casing inside surface 18. So long as the vessel 2 is immobile in the casing 13, this is a so-called dry friction force, of which the intensity is, for each projection 9, at most equal to the coefficient of static friction between the projections 9 multiplied by the force applied between the casing inside surface 18 and the projection 9 due to its compression. When the force tending to extract the vessel from the casing 13 exceeds the sum of the maximum forces of static friction applied at the location of the projections 9, the refill begins to move relative to the casing for its extraction.

[0080] It thus appears that the number of the projections, their dimensions, the elastomer material employed, as well as the material constituting the casing and the surface state of the casing inside surface are parameters which make it possible to modulate the force required for the putting in place and for the extraction of the refill 1. As regards the member of elastomer material, the material it constitutes, the total bearing surface area (sum of the bearing surface areas) between said member of elastomer material and the casing inside surface 18, and the sum of the forces applied on account of the compression of said member of elastomer material are crucial parameters when determining the configuration for the member of elastomer material.

[0081] Whatever the embodiment considered, it is recommended, for a pot of cosmetic product, for the force required for the extraction of the refill to be at least two times greater than the weight of the full refill, for example of the order of two and a half times the weight of the full refill.

[0082] The presence of at least three regularly distributed projections, as in the example shown, furthermore enables the centering of the refill in the casing 13.

[0083] In order to facilitate the putting in place of the refill 1 in the casing 13, the projections 9 have, in the example of FIG. 6, a shape that is domed or beveled in the so-called vertical direction which, furthermore, corresponds to the direction of insertion (and of extraction) of the refill, which enables progressive compression of the projections on insertion of the refill 1 into the casing 13.

[0084] The position of the projections 9, in the upper part of the vessel 2, typically under the rim 5, makes it possible substantially to insert the refill into a casing 13 without effort, and to immobilize it in the casing by compression of the projections 9 at the end of the insertion.

[0085] FIG. 7 shows, in a similar view to that of FIG. 6, the interaction between the casing and the refill of FIG. 1, in a pot formed with such a refill.

[0086] The embodiment of FIG. 7 differs from that shown in FIG. 6 essentially in the configuration of the member of elastomer material 8 and of the projections 9 that it forms. Nevertheless, all the explanations given as to the number of projections, the creation of a holding force by contact on the casing inside surface 18, etc. given with reference to FIG. 6, apply to the embodiment of FIG. 7.

[0087] As can be seen in FIG. 1, the projections 9 of the refill employed in the pot of FIG. 7 have a shape that is elongate vertically, that is to say parallel to the direction of insertion and of extraction of the refill. Just as for the embodiment detailed with reference to FIG. 6, the thickness E formed by the projection 9 in relation to the outside surface 7 of the lateral wall 3 of the vessel 2 is greater than the clearance J between said outside surface 7 and the casing inside surface 18. Thus, each projection 9 of the member of elastomer material 8 is compressed when the refill 1 is in place in the casing 13. In order to facilitate the insertion of the refill 1 into the casing 13, a chamfer 19 is formed on the projection 9.

[0088] On account of the vertically elongate shape of the projection 9, the latter is inserted progressively into the casing 13, which gives rise to a progressive increase in the force necessary for the putting in place of the refill 1 in the casing 13 (since the surface area of contact between the projections 9 of the vessel 2 and the casing inside surface 18 progressively and proportionally increases with the length of projection inserted) until contact is made between the rim 5 and the shoulder 17.

[0089] Although described with reference to two detailed embodiments, the present invention is of course not limited to those embodiments. In particular, the configuration of the elastomer member, of the vessel, and also of the casing may be very different from the configurations described above. For example, the presence of projections on the member of elastomer material is optional, provided that at least part of said member of elastomer material is in relief relative to the outside surface of the casing. Very varied forms of members of elastomer material may be envisioned. Several distinct members of elastomer material may be present on a same refill. The vessel may have varied shapes and constitutions according to the application considered. Similarly, the casing can have varied shapes and constitutions. For example, the casing may be cubic, cylindrical, cubic or parallelepiped, spherical, and may or may not have a bottom, or be provided with an aperture in its bottom to facilitate the extraction of a refill.

[0090] The invention thus developed enables the removable holding of a refill of cosmetic product in a casing in order to form a cosmetic product container device that is aesthetic and refillable by exchanging the refill. The holding is obtained by friction of the member of elastomer material on an inside surface of the casing. The holding means, in particular the elastomer member, may be totally invisible once the pot has been constituted, and be inconspicuous on the refill. The member of elastomer material can also constitute a member for visual or aesthetic differentiation, or for haptic differentiation for the product.

[0091] Furthermore, the casing may have a shape that is simple to produce, since the casing inside surface provided to interact with the member of elastomer material of the refill for holding it does not require the formation of any particular mechanical device. A preexisting receptacle, for example a conventional glassware receptacle, can thus be employed without adaptation as a casing of the cosmetic product container device.