REFILLABLE CONTAINER

Abstract

A refillable container for a product for oral consumption is provided, the container including: a refill component; a casing having an access opening at a top end of the casing, the casing being configured to removably receive the refill component through the access opening; and a lid movable between a closed position in which the lid occludes the access opening and an open position in which the lid is displaced to reveal the access opening and enable access to the refill unit, the refill component including a rigid cup-shaped body including a bottom wall and a side wall, the cup-shaped body defining an internal receptacle to accommodate the product, and the bottom wall of the cup-shaped body including a downwardly concave portion, such that when the refill component is received inside the casing a compartment is defined between the downwardly concave portion and a bottom wall of the casing.

Claims

1-15. (canceled)

16. A refillable container for a product for oral consumption, the refillable container comprising: a refill unit; a casing having an access opening at a top end of the casing, the casing being configured to removably receive the refill unit through the access opening; and a lid movable between a closed position in which the lid occludes the access opening and an open position in which the lid is displaced to reveal the access opening and enable access to the refill unit, wherein the refill unit comprises a rigid cup-shaped body comprising a bottom wall and a side wall, the rigid cup-shaped body defining an internal receptacle configured to accommodate the product for oral consumption, and wherein the bottom wall of the rigid cup-shaped body comprises a downwardly concave portion, such that when the refill unit is received inside the casing a compartment is defined between the downwardly concave portion and a bottom wall of the casing.

17. The refillable container according to claim 16, further comprising a further access opening formed through the bottom wall of the casing and a further lid movable between a closed position in which the further lid occludes the further access opening and an open position in which the further lid is displaced to reveal the further access opening and enable access to the compartment.

18. The refillable container according to claim 16, wherein the rigid cup-shaped body of the refill unit further comprises a lip portion extending outwardly from an upper edge of the side wall, the lip portion being configured to rest against an edge surface of the access opening at the top end of the casing when the refill unit is received into the casing through the access opening.

19. The refillable container according to claim 16, wherein the rigid cup-shaped body of the refill unit further comprises a connecting portion extending between the bottom wall of the rigid cup-shaped body and the side wall of the rigid cup-shaped body, the connecting portion defining a peripheral boundary of the compartment.

20. The refillable container according to claim 19, wherein the connecting portion abuts the bottom wall of the casing when the refill unit is received into the casing through the access opening.

21. The refillable container according to claim 19, wherein an outer surface of the refill unit is configured to mate with an internal surface of the casing.

22. The refillable container according to claim 21, wherein the internal receptacle comprises a portion having a generally cylindrical shape and the connecting portion has a toroidal shape.

23. The refillable container according to claim 16, wherein the lid is coupled with the casing by a child resistant closure.

24. The refillable container according to claim 23, wherein the lid and the casing are locked together by a latch element provided in the lid that engages a corresponding groove formed in the casing, and the lid is configured such that the latch element is released from engagement with the groove when the lid is rotated relative to the casing into a predefined openable configuration, the lid being movable into the open position when a compressive force is applied on a side surface of the lid when the lid is in the openable configuration.

25. The refillable container according to claim 16, wherein the refill unit further comprises a seal at a top end of the rigid cup-shaped body, the seal being peelable to reveal the internal receptacle.

26. The refillable container according to claim 16, wherein the casing comprises metal or plastic.

27. The refillable container according to claim 16, wherein at least the rigid cup-shaped body of the refill unit further comprises recyclable moulded pulp material or compostable material or biodegradable material.

28. The refillable container according to claim 16, wherein the compartment is configured to receive the product for oral consumption following use of the product for oral consumption.

29. The refillable container according to claim 17, wherein the lid and the further lid differ from one another in at least one of shape, size, and colour.

30. The refillable container according to claim 17, further comprising an indicium on at least one of the lid and the further lid.

Description

[0096] Examples will now be further described with reference to the figures in which:

[0097] FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration of a refillable container comprising a refill unit; a casing and a lid, wherein the refill unit comprises a rigid cup-shaped body and a product for oral consumption;

[0098] FIG. 2 is a schematic illustration of a refillable container comprising a further access opening and a further lid;

[0099] FIG. 3 is a schematic illustration of a refill unit;

[0100] FIG. 4 is a schematic illustration of a detail of another refillable container in accordance with the present invention, wherein the lid is coupled with the casing by a child resistant closure;

[0101] FIG. 5 is a schematic illustration of another view of the refillable container of FIG. 4;

[0102] FIG. 6 is schematic illustration of a detail of another refillable container in accordance with the present invention, wherein the lid is coupled with the casing by a different child resistant closure of ASTM Type IB-slit sides.

[0103] Components of a refillable container 1 in accordance with the present invention are shown schematically in FIG. 1. The refillable container 1 comprises a refill unit 2, a casing 3, and a lid 4. The casing 3 has an access opening 5 at a top end and is adapted to removably receive the refill unit 2 through the access opening 5. The casing 3 is of a pseudo-cylindrical shape, with a cylindrical main body and rounded bevelled top and bottom end portions. The lid 4 depends from the casing 3, to which it is connected through a living hinge 6. In particular, the lid 4 is movable and can be pivoted to reveal the access opening 5. When the lid 4 is in a closed position (not shown), the lid 4 occludes the access opening 5.

[0104] The refill unit 2 comprises a cup-shaped body 7, that defines an internal receptacle. The refill unit 2 contains a product for oral consumption 8 within the internal receptacle. The product for oral consumption 8 is shown as provided in the form of multiple individual permeable pouches.

[0105] The cup-shaped body 7 is rigid and of a cylindrical shape such that an outer surface of the refill unit 2 mates with an internal surface of the casing 3. The refill unit 2 comprises a lip portion 9, which extends outwardly from an upper edge of a side wall of the cup-shaped body 7.

[0106] FIG. 2 shows another view of the refillable container of FIG. 1. As illustrated in FIG. 2, the refillable container 1 comprises a further access opening 11 formed in a bottom wall of the casing 3 and a further lid 11. The further lid 11 depends from the casing 3, to which it is connected through a further living hinge 12. In particular, the further lid 11 is movable and can be pivoted to reveal the further access opening 11 enabling access to a compartment 13, which is defined at the bottom of the refillable container 1 when the refill unit 2 is received inside the casing 3.

[0107] FIG. 3 shows four different schematic views of a refill unit 2 of a refillable container in accordance with the present invention. As described with reference to FIG. 1, the refill unit 2 comprises a cup-shaped body 7 open at a top end. Additionally, the refill unit 2 comprises a seal 14 extending over and occluding the top end of the cup-shaped body 7. The seal 14 is peelable off the cup-shaped body 7 to enable access to the internal receptacle.

[0108] The cup-shaped body 7 comprises a bottom wall 15 and a side wall 16. As described above in connection with FIG. 2, the cup-shaped body comprises a lip portion 9, which extends outwardly from an upper edge of the side wall 16. The seal 14 is adapted to sealably engage the lip portion 9.

[0109] Further, the cup-shaped body 7 comprises a connecting portion 17, which extends between the bottom wall 15 and the side wall 16. In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 3, the connecting portion 17 has a toroidal shape.

[0110] The bottom wall 15 of the cup-shaped body 7 comprises a (downwardly) concave portion 18. When the refill unit 2 is received inside the casing 3 a compartment-the compartment 13 described with reference to FIG. 2-is defined between the concave portion 18 and a bottom wall of the casing 3.

[0111] FIGS. 4 and 5 are schematic illustrations of two views of the casing, lid, and further lid of another embodiment of a refillable container in accordance with the present invention, wherein the lid 4 is coupled with the casing 3 by a child resistant closure 20.

[0112] As shown in more detail in FIG. 4, in an embodiment the child resistant closure 20 may be an ASTM Type IIIAsnap closure. The lid 4 and the casing 3 are locked together by a latch element 40 provided in the lid 4 that engages a corresponding groove 42 formed in the casing 3 (see FIG. 4). In order to gain access to the access opening 5 occluded by the lid 4, the lid 4 needs to be rotated relative to the casing 3 to bring the lid 4 into a predefined openable configuration (see FIG. 5), wherein the latch element 40 becomes disengaged from the groove 42.

[0113] To assist the consumer, an arrow 44 is provided on the lid 4, which becomes aligned with a corresponding arrow 46 provided on the casing 3 when the lid 4 is in the predefined openable configuration. When the lid 4 is in the predefined openable configuration, by applying pressure on the lid 4 the lid 4 can be moved into the open position so as to reveal the underlying access opening.

[0114] FIG. 6 is a schematic illustrations of an alternative child resistant closure of the ASTM Type IBslit sides.

[0115] The lid 4 and the casing 3 are locked together by a one-piece continuously threaded closure 46. Additionally, a locking rib 48 provided in the lid 4 engages a corresponding locking rib 50 in the casing 3, such that rotation of the lid 4 relative to the casing 3 to unscrew the lid 4 off the casing 3 is normally prevented. In order to reveal the access opening occluded by the lid 4, the locking ribs 48 and 50 need to be disengaged from each other. This can be achieved by applying pressure on opposite sides of the lid 4 where the locking ribs 48 and 50 are provided, and then turning the lid 4 counter-clockwise without removing the compressive force off the sides of the lid 4.

[0116] For the purpose of the present description and of the appended claims, except where otherwise indicated, all numbers expressing amounts, quantities, percentages, and so forth, are to be understood as being modified in all instances by the term about. Also, all ranges include the maximum and minimum points disclosed and include any intermediate ranges therein, which may or may not be specifically enumerated herein. In this context, therefore, a number A is understood as A5 percent of A. Within this context, a number A may be considered to include numerical values that are within general standard error for the measurement of the property that the number A modifies. The number A, in some instances as used in the appended claims, may deviate by the percentages enumerated above provided that the amount by which A deviates does not materially affect the basic and novel characteristic(s) of the claimed invention. Also, all ranges include the maximum and minimum points disclosed and include any intermediate ranges therein, which may or may not be specifically enumerated herein.