DEVICE FOR PACKAGING AND DISPENSING A COSMETIC PRODUCT

Abstract

The present application relates to a packaging and dispensing assembly comprising a substantially tubular body obtained from a multilayer complex material, at least one inner layer of which is made from a hydrophilic material, said tubular body having at least one longitudinal end closed by a flat joint between two opposite portions of said tubular body and at which the multilayer material has a free edge directly exposing said layer of hydrophilic material, the assembly being characterized in that the free edges of the flat joint are covered with a strip of an impermeable material extending on both sides of said flat joint, said strip of impermeable material being fixed in an at least watertight manner to the tubular body along the flat joint.

Claims

1. A packaging and dispensing assembly comprising a substantially tubular body obtained from a multilayer complex material, at least one inner layer of which is made from a hydrophilic material, said tubular body having at least one longitudinal end closed by a flat joint between two opposite portions of said tubular body and at which the multilayer material has a free edge directly exposing said layer of hydrophilic material, wherein the free edges of the flat joint are covered with a strip of an impermeable material extending on both sides of said flat joint, said strip of impermeable material being fixed in an at least watertight manner to the tubular body along the flat joint.

2. The packaging and dispensing assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the strip of impermeable material is fixed by heat sealing.

3. The packaging and dispensing assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the strip of impermeable material is a polyethylene strip.

4. The packaging and dispensing assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the strip of impermeable material covers at least the entirety of the flat joint zone of the end of the tubular body.

5. The packaging and dispensing assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the tubular body is made from a sheet of multilayer complex wound on itself, said sheet of multilayer complex material having a longitudinal edge-to-edge joint without an overlap.

6. The packaging and dispensing assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the hydrophilic material is a cellulose material of the paper or cardboard type.

7. The packaging and dispensing assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the multilayer complex material comprises an external layer defining an inner surface of the tubular body that is impermeable at least to water, in particular a polyethylene layer.

8. The packaging and dispensing assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the multilayer complex material comprises an external layer defining an outer peripheral surface of the tubular body that is impermeable at least to water, in particular a polyethylene layer.

9. The packaging and dispensing assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the tubular body has an open end, at the opposite end from the closed end, equipped with a dispensing head.

10. The packaging and dispensing assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein it contains a body hygiene cosmetic product, in particular a product of the shower gel or shampoo type.

11. A method for manufacturing a packaging and dispensing assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein it comprises the steps of: providing a packaging and dispensing assembly comprising a substantially tubular body obtained from a multilayer complex material, at least one inner layer of which is made from a hydrophilic material, and having at least one longitudinal end closed by a flat joint between two opposite portions of said tubular body and at which the multilayer material has a free edge directly exposing said layer of hydrophilic material, applying a strip of impermeable material to a first side of the flat joint along the latter and heat-sealing it to the body on the first side of the flat joint, folding a portion of the strip of material over a second, opposite side of the flat joint, covering the free edges, and heat-sealing it to the body on the second side of the flat joint.

Description

[0031] The invention may be understood better on reading the following description, accompanied by implementation examples thereof, with reference to the appended drawings, in which:

[0032] FIG. 1 is a schematic depiction, in longitudinal section, of the steps in a method for manufacturing a packaging and dispensing assembly according to the invention,

[0033] FIG. 2 is a schematic depiction, in longitudinal section, of an embodiment variant of a packaging and dispensing assembly according to the invention.

[0034] FIG. 1 shows the steps for producing a packaging and dispensing assembly according to the present application.

[0035] The method comprises a first step of providing a packaging and dispensing assembly of the compressible tube 1 type. The compressible tube 1 comprises a substantially tubular body 1a obtained from a multilayer complex material of the Tetrapak® type, one inner layer of which is made from a hydrophilic, cellulose material, in this case cardboard. The multilayer material also comprises a polyethylene upper external layer (forming the outer surface of the tube) and a polyethylene lower external layer (forming the inner surface of the tube).

[0036] Conventionally, said tubular body has a first longitudinal end closed by a flat joint 2 between two opposite portions of said tubular body, and a second, opposite open end equipped with a dispensing head 3 made of plastics material. The flat joint is obtained in a known manner by pinching the tube (optionally with crimping) at its end and heating so as to heat-seal the opposite portions of the tubular body that have been pinched together.

[0037] According to a usual manufacturing method, the multilayer complex material is cut to the desired tube length and has, at its ends, free edges 2a directly exposing said cardboard layer. While the free edge of the second end is protected by the attached dispensing head, the free edge 2a situated at the end closed by the flat joint 2 is exposed to the ambient humidity.

[0038] According to the present application, a strip 5 of impermeable material, in this case a polyethylene strip, is provided, which is intended to be attached to the flat joint so as to cover and protect the free edges. The strip 5 of material has a length substantially equal to the length of the flat joint.

[0039] For this purpose, the strip 5 of material is applied to a first side of the flat joint 2 along the latter and is heat-sealed to the body on the first side of the flat joint 2. A portion of the strip of material 5 is then folded over a second, opposite side of the flat joint, covering the free edges, and is heat-sealed to the body on the second side of the flat joint 2.

[0040] In this way, the strip of material 5 overlaps the flat joint 2 and covers the free edges 2a, the hydrophilic inner layer then being protected from ambient humidity. Preferably, the strip 5 of impermeable material thus covers the entirety of the flat joint zone 2 of the end of the tubular body 1a.

[0041] According to a variant of the method shown in FIG. 2, a strip of material 5′ is attached that has a length greater than the length of the flat joint 2. Consequently, the method comprises an additional step aimed at folding the lateral parts of the strip 5′ that protrude beyond the flat joint over a side of the flat joint 2, the lateral parts being themselves welded to the strip part that has already been welded to the body.