The present invention refers to a box intended in particular to contain fluid cosmetic products.

As known, on the . market there are already containers or boxes specially made for cosmetic products. Such boxes typically comprise a case or box- shaped body that consists of a base and a lid, hinged together at the rear edge .

Normally, the cosmetic product, be it fluid or in another form, is contained in the base of the box, which may or may not be provided with a plurality of distinct compartments suitably shaped according to the kind of cosmetic product. Alternatively, there are known solutions of boxes in which the fluid cosmetic product, or part of it, is inside a suitable container formed in the lid of the box itself or, more specifically, under such a lid.

For example, boxes provided with containers for cosmetic products formed in the respective lid can be combined with packages for tissues of disposable type. Indeed, such tissues generally need to be used together with other detergent and/or hydrating cosmetic products, which are applied to the skin after cleaning carried out through the aforementioned tissues.

In some cases, the box containing the cosmetic product also constitutes the device for opening/closing the package of tissues with which it is combined. In this way, it is possible to simultaneously have, in a single packaging, both tissues and cosmetic product to be used with them. An example of such an embodiment is contained in international patent application N. WO2008/017939 to the same Applicant.

Whilst practical, such an opening/closing device in the form of a box for packets of tissues does nevertheless have some drawbacks, like for example a certain complexity of construction and the possibility of a certain amount of cosmetic product, should the opening/closing device accidentally undergo a given pressure, pouring out inside the package, contaminating the tissues .

The purpose of the present invention is therefore to make a box for fluid cosmetic products, which may or may not be combined with a package for tissues of disposable type, which is particularly simple and cost- effective to product.

Another purpose of the invention is to make a box for fluid cosmetic products that is also particularly simple and intuitive to use.

A further purpose of the invention is to make a box for fluid cosmetic products that avoids the product accidentally coming out when the box itself is not in use .

Yet another purpose of the invention is to make a box for fluid cosmetic products provided with components that ensure that it is completely atoxic, thus making it particularly suitable for use in cleaning new-born babies.

These purposes according to the present invention are accomplished by making a box for fluid cosmetic products, which may or may not be combined with a package for tissues of disposable type, as outlined in claim 1.

Further characteristics of the invention are highlighted by the dependent claims, which are an integral part of the present description.

The characteristics and advantages of a box for fluid cosmetic products according to the present invention will become clearer from the following description, given as an example and not for limiting purposes, referring to the attached schematic drawings, in which:

figure 1 is a perspective view of a first embodiment of a box for fluid cosmetic products according to the present invention;

figure 2 is a perspective view of another embodiment of a box for fluid cosmetic products according to the present invention;

figure 3 is a front view of the box for fluid cosmetic products of figure 1;

figure 4 is a side view of the box for fluid cosmetic products of figure 1;

figure 5 is a front view of a further embodiment of a box for fluid cosmetic products according to the present invention;

figure 6 is a detailed view, partially in section, of a detail of figure 5;

figure 7 is a side view of a first embodiment of a component of the box for fluid cosmetic products according to the present invention;

figure 8 is a side view of another embodiment of a component of the box for fluid cosmetic products according to the present invention;

figure 9 is a plan view from above of the component of figure 8; and

figure 10 is a perspective view of the component of figure 8.

With reference to the figures, a box for fluid cosmetic products according to the present invention is shown, wholly indicated with reference numeral 10.

The box 10, preferably made from plastic material, substantially comprises a base 12 that, at its rear edge, is hinged to a lid 14. The lid 14 is thus provided, at its front edge, with a tab 16 to make it easier to open, as well as with possible fastening means 18, like for example a shaped tooth, which engage with corresponding fastening means 20, for example a slit that snap-couples with the aforementioned shaped tooth, foreseen on the front edge of the base 12.

On the inner surface of the lid 14, in other words the surface facing towards the inside of the base 12 when the box 10 is in closed configuration, at least one container 22 shaped and sized to contain at least one fluid cosmetic product is fixedly connected. The fluid cosmetic product can be selected among a moisturising and/or detergent and/or nutrient product and/or a talc and/or a mixture thereof and/or a derivative thereof.

The container 22 is made from soft, flexible and atoxic sheeted plastic material, and it is provided with at least one flexible spout 23 that defines a duct 24 for dispensing the product contained in it . The flexible spout 23 is provided with at least one pre- prepared folding line 25 (figure 3) that allows it to pass from a first non-operative folded position inside the box 10, kept by the closing of the lid 14, to a second operative position, in which such a flexible spout 23 projects from the perimeter of the open lid 14 T IB2010/000026

to allow the cosmetic product to be dispensed through the relative duct 24 when the container 22 is squeezed. In the non-operative position, like in any duct with flexible walls, the folding of the flexible spout 23 does indeed cause the walls to come together at the pre-prepared folding line 25, with consequent occlusion of the duct 2 .

Preferably, in order to pass from the non-operative position to the operative position, the flexible spout 23 is rotated by about 180° around the pre-prepared folding line 25 with respect to the main body of the container 22. At the side edges of the pre-prepared folding line 25 there can thus be properly designed notches 27 (figures 3 and 9) , the function of which is to make it even easier to rotate or fold up the flexible spout 23.

Being constrained under the inner surface of the lid 14, the container 22 is only accessible after the lid 14 itself is opened for the first time, so as to keep its content integral until it is needed to be used.

The container 22 is thus fixedly connected to the lid 14 through suitable holding means 26, reversible or irreversible. In the illustrated embodiments, the holding means 26 consist of one or more small pins formed on the inner surface of the lid 14 itself and suitable for snap coupling with corresponding holes obtained on the perimeter edge of the container 22. In this way, it is possible for the user to remove the container 22 from under the lid 14, for example when the fluid cosmetic product is finished. Such holding means could nevertheless be represented by equivalent means, as well as be formed on the container 22 instead of on the lid 14, without for this reason departing from the scope of protection of the present invention.

Based on the embodiment shown in figure 1, the box 10 is of the conventional type, in other words with the base 12 provided with a bottom 28 with a flat or curvilinear surface to allow the box 10 itself to contain further objects in addition to the cosmetic product present in the container 22.

Figure 2, on the other hand, shows a second embodiment of the box 10 according to the present invention. Based on this embodiment, the box 10 is configured to be applicable to a generic package C intended in particular to receive tissues of disposable type. For this purpose, the base 12 of the box 10 is equipped at the bottom with a central hole 30 through which the tissues contained inside the package C itself can be taken. Under the base 12 there can thus be fastening means (not shown) , adhesives or of another type, which allow the box 10 to be coupled with the package C in the production step of the latter. Although it is not equipped with the central hole 30, the box 10 shown in figure 1 can in any case also be provided with the aforementioned fastening means so as to be able to be applied, for ease of use, to a package of disposable tissues or to any surface.

As shown in figures 7 to 10, the container 22 is made in the form of a small soft pouch or sachet obtained by heat-coupling two symmetrical half-shells 32 and 34 (figure 8) or else one half-shell 32 and one flat sheet 33 (figure 7) , along the respective perimeter edges . The use of a sheeted material that comprises at least the outer layer of thermoplastic material makes such welding easy.

Inside the pouch 22 there can be one or more different reservoirs 36 and 38, separate from one another but both in connection with the duct 24 formed in the flexible spout 23. In this way it is possible for the pouch 22 to dispense one or more different cosmetic products through the duct 24 of the flexible spout 23. Such dispensing can take place simultaneously, obtaining the mixing of the products, or separately, by the user simply pressing his finger firstly on the reservoirs 36 and/or 38 the pouch 22 and then along the flexible spout 23 of the pouch 22 itself.

The open end of the flexible spout 23 can be provided with a security seal 40 equipped with a pre- prepared breaking line that fixedly connects it to the flexible spout 23 itself, occluding the end of the duct 24 that passes through such a flexible spout 23. The pre-prepared breaking line can be obtained through perforations 42, as' shown in figures 1 and 2, or else it can be made for example with laser incision technology: the sheeted material that forms the flexible spout 23 is cut at the end of the duct 24, which still remains sealed but provided with a security seal 40 that is easy to pull away. The first time of opening of the container or pouch 22 thus takes place when the security seal 40 is pulled away, which thus ensures the integrity of the cosmetic product until it is first used.

Under the inner surface of the lid 14 there is a perimeter edge 44 made in relief. This, as well as making the closing of the lid 14 with respect to the relative base 12 more secure and stable, allows the container or pouch 22 to be properly held under the lid 14 itself in any condition of use.

Based on the embodiments shown in figures 1 and 2, the perimeter edge 44 of the lid 14 has a discontinuity at the flexible spout 23 of the container 22, so as to make it easier for the cosmetic product to come out in the operative position of the flexible spout 23.

On the other hand, based on the embodiment shown in figure 5, the lid 14 is provided with a continuous perimeter edge 44 and there is, under the lid 14 itself and at the flexible spout 23 of the container 22, a ridge 46 that makes it easier for the cosmetic product to come out when such a flexible spout 23 is pressed by the user. In practice, when a certain pressure is exerted on the flexible spout 23, it is interposed between the ridge 46 and the user's finger, in a slightly raised position, so as to make it easier for the cosmetic product to come out from inside the container 22 (see figure 6) .

It has thus been seen that the box for fluid cosmetic products according to the present invention achieves the purposes highlighted earlier. In particular, the presence of the flexible spout allows the amount of product that the user intends to dispense to be dosed with precision: the product can indeed be dispensed even in extremely small doses by simply squeezing the flexible spout itself in a controlled manner. After use, a possible residual amount of product inside the spout can thus be made to go back into the container, thus avoiding contamination of the product itself. The folding up of the spout finally allows the product to be definitively insulated inside the container. In the case of accidental entry of dirt inside the spout, it can be discharged in the way indicated above, in other words by squeezing it out from the spout itself, so as not to contaminate the container and the relative content in any way.

The box for fluid cosmetic products of the present invention thus conceived can in any case undergo numerous modifications and variants, all of which are covered by the same inventive concept; moreover, all of the details can be replaced with technically equivalent elements. In practice, the materials used, as well as the shapes and sizes, can be whatever according to the technical requirements.

The scope of protection of the invention is therefore defined by the attached claims.