SMALL WALL THICKNESS INJECTED CONTAINER AND SCREW CLOSURE

Abstract

A container (1) comprising: a jar (10) made of at least one injected thermoplastic material and comprising a body (11) having an inner wall (15) defining an opening and an outer skirt (16) concentric with the inner wall and connected thereto, the outer skirt (16) having a radially outer surface with at least one helical thread (31), a closure lid (20) having at least one helical thread (33) for screwing on the outer skirt of the jar.

Claims

1-14. (canceled)

15. A container comprising: a jar comprising a body having an inner wall configured to be an opening and an outer skirt concentric with the inner wall and connected to the inner wall, the outer skirt comprising a radially outer surface with at least one helical thread, the inner wall having a thickness less than 1 mm, wherein the jar comprises at least one injected thermoplastic material; and a closure lid comprising at least one helical thread for screwing on the outer skirt of the jar.

16. The container according to claim 15, further comprising a plurality of reinforcing ribs disposed between the inner wall and the outer skirt.

17. The container according to claim 16, wherein the number of the plurality of reinforcing ribs ranges from 6 to 30.

18. The container according to claim 15, further comprising a transverse annular wall configured to connect the inner wall to the outer skirt.

19. The container according to claim 16, wherein the plurality of reinforcing ribs extend under the annular transverse wall.

20. The container according to claim 18, wherein the inner wall extends above the transverse wall and is configured to be a sealing lip.

21. The container according to claim 15, wherein the body comprises a conical wall connected to the inner wall via a shoulder.

22. The container according to claim 15, wherein the opening has a diameter of a least 5 cm.

23. The container according to claim 15, wherein the closure lid comprises an outer skirt comprising at least one helical thread, wherein the outer skirt is connected to a first annular portion via a transverse wall and is configured to be a first groove opening downward.

24. The container according to claim 23, wherein the inner wall extends above the transverse wall and and is configured to be a sealing lip, and wherein the sealing lip is attached to a radially inner surface of the first groove when the container is closed.

25. The container according to claim 23, wherein the first groove has a substantially inverted U profile in section.

26. The container according to claim 15, wherein the closure lid comprises a second annular portion configured to be a second groove opening upward.

27. The container according to claim 15, wherein the closure lid comprises an injected thermoplastic material.

28. The container according to claim 15, wherein the closure lid comprises a first transverse wall connected to the outer skirt in an axial abutment with a second transverse wall that connects the inner wall to the outer skirt of the jar to prevent further rotation of the lid when the latter is screwed on the jar.

29. The container according to claim 15, wherein the inner wall has a thickness less than 0.7 mm.

30. The container according to claim 16, wherein the plurality of reinforcing ribs extend axially to a distance of less than the height of the outer skirt.

31. The container according to claim 23, wherein the closure lid comprises a plurality of reinforcing ribs extending in the first groove.

Description

[0028] In the appended drawings:

[0029] FIG. 1 is a partial and schematic longitudinal section of a container made in accordance with the invention,

[0030] FIG. 2 is a partial and schematic longitudinal section showing the jar in isolation, and

[0031] FIG. 3 shows a detail of FIG. 1.

[0032] The container 1 shown in the Figures comprises a jar 10 and a corresponding screw closure lid 20.

[0033] The body 11 of the jar 10 has a slightly conical wall 13 enlarging upwards and connecting at a lower end to a bottom 12. The wall 13 connects via a shoulder 14 oriented radially outwards to an inner wall 15 that is substantially cylindrical about the longitudinal axis of the container 1.

[0034] An outer skirt 16 extends coaxially with the inner skirt 15 around the latter and connects thereto via an annular transverse wall 17, that is oriented substantially perpendicularly to the longitudinal axis of the container 1.

[0035] Reinforcing ribs 18 connect the inner skirt 15 to the outer skirt 16. Each rib 18 is oriented radially and extend within the height of the annular groove 19 defined by the inner wall 15 and outer skirt 16.

[0036] As shown, the ribs 18 may extend along the entire height of said groove 19, but in variant embodiments, the height of the ribs may be shorter.

[0037] Preferably, the ribs 18 connect at their upper end to the transverse wall 17, but in variant embodiments, the ribs 18 may be spaced from said wall 17.

[0038] The transverse wall 17 connects to the inner wall 15 at a distance from the top end of said inner wall 15.

[0039] The inner skirt 15 thus defines above the transverse wall 17 a sealing lip 30 that is configured for contacting the closure lid 20, as will be further detailed below.

[0040] The lip 30 gives the upper portion of the jar 10 a h profile in section, as can best be seen in FIG. 3.

[0041] The outer skirt 16 is provided on is radially outer surface with a plurality of helical threads 31.

[0042] These helical threads 31 are angularly spaced from each other.

[0043] The closure lid 20 comprises a central portion 21 that is substantially flat in the example shown and that may be in variant embodiments of different shapes.

[0044] The central portion 21 connects at its periphery to an annular portion 22 defining an annular groove 23 opening upwards.

[0045] The portion 22 is surrounded by another annular portion 24 of a substantially inverted U profile in section, defining an annular groove 25 opening downwards.

[0046] This annular portion 24 connects via a transverse wall 26 to an outer skirt 27 that is provided with a plurality of helical threads 33 on its internal surface.

[0047] The threads 31 and 33 are configured to enable fast screwing of the lid 20 onto the jar 10, by less than a quarter of a turn.

[0048] In the described example, there are five helical threads 31 and as many helical threads 33, the closing being performed by rotating the lid about of a turn.

[0049] The lid 20 comprises reinforcing ribs 36 extending within the groove 25.

[0050] When the lid 20 is screwed on the jar 10, the lower surface of the transverse wall 26 of the lid comes into abutment with the upper surface of the transverse wall 17 of the jar 10, as shown in FIG. 3. The lip 30 then extends within the groove 25 in contact with the lid 20 and seals the container. The ribs 36 are configured so that they do not prevent the insertion of the lip 30 into the groove 25. The length of the ribs 36 is shorter where they connect to the radially inner surface of the groove 25 than where they connect to the radially outer surface of the groove.

[0051] The annular portion 22 may have any appropriate profile for obtaining the desired seal. The wall 40 of the lid separating the grooves 23 and 25 may exhibit as shown in FIG. 3 an annular bead 41 protruding radially outwardly, that presses on the lip 30.

[0052] The jar 10 and lid 20 are both made by injection of a plastics material such as a polyolefin (for example PP) or PET. The container may be made in a transparent or opaque plastics material. The injection of the jar made take place at the middle of the bottom 12.

[0053] The injection is carried out with suitable equipment allowing to make walls of small thickness, typically less or equal to 1 mm. The thickness of the inner wall 15 may be 0.6 mm. The transverse wall 17 and outer skirt 16 may have a same thickness of 0.6 mm, except for the threads 31, which may be thicker.

[0054] The thickness of the conical wall 13 may also be of 0.6 mm.

[0055] The outer skirt 27 of the lid 20 may have a thickness that is larger than that of the central portion 21, as shown. The transverse wall 26 may also be thicker than the central portion 21, but thinner than the outer skirt 27. For example, the thickness of the outer skirt 27 may be about twice than that of the central portion 21.

[0056] The jar 10 may be used as a bowl for holding a cosmetic composition such as a hair product or any other product.

[0057] In a variant, the jar 10 constitutes a refill that is introduced into a base of desired appearance.

[0058] The invention is not restricted to the disclosed embodiments and various changes may be brought to the jar or lid. For example, the jar is made without the sealing lip 30 and the tightness of the closure may be obtained in a different manner.

[0059] The jar 10 may be made without the ribs 18, in which case the thickness of the outer skirt 16 may be increased.

[0060] The lid 20 may have a different shape and be provided for example with a sealing lip configured for contacting a corresponding surface of the jar.