[Title of Invention]

CONTAINER WITH A ROTATABLY MOUNTED TOP FOR DISPENSING A SOLID COSMETIC PRODUCT

[Technical Field]

Field of the invention

The present invention relates to a container for packaging and dispensing of a solid cosmetic or care product.

The invention more particularly concerns, but is not limited to, containers comprising a hollow base and a top for holding the solid product. The top is rotatably mounted on the hollow base of the container to present the solid product to a surface of application including skin, face, lip, eyelashes, hair, nail etc.

[Background Art]

Background of the invention

Known cosmetic containers have covers/tops which need to be removed from the container before using the product, there are increased chances of losing the cover. If the cover is lost, the containers cannot be used for a longer time as the product will get deteriorated due to contact with air. This generates waste and increases the costs for buying a new cosmetic container.

U.S. Pat. Application No. US2015037082 discloses a container comprising a top holding a solid product and configured to rotate inside a hollow base. A transversal cross-section of the top has a circular shape. The top can be rotated through 180 degree in one direction about an axis C to open the container and through 180 degree in opposite direction about the axis C to close the container. Nevertheless, a rather limited amount of product is actually available to consumers. Indeed, the product height is limited by the movement of the top into the base.

It is an object of the invention to offer consumers more products in a miniaturized container.

It is an object of this disclosure to provide a container for packaging and dispensing a solid product with novel way to use. It is a further object of this disclosure to provide a container for packaging and dispensing a solid product that address current challenge in way to use of molded balms, such as comfort to use even upon initial application.

It is a further object of this disclosure to provide a container for packaging and dispensing a solid product that is involves no waste or material to be recycled.

[Disclosure of Invention]

Object and summary of the invention

According to one aspect, the invention provides a container for packaging and dispensing of a solid cosmetic or care product, the container comprising:

a hollow base elongated along a central longitudinal axis of the container;

a top mounted on the hollow base, the top is rotatably mounted inside the hollow base about a rotation axis C perpendicular to the longitudinal axis X of the container;

the top comprising a support structure which secures the product,

when the top is rotated in a first direction to bring the container to a closed position, the product faces towards a bottom end of the hollow base; and

when the top is rotated in a second direction opposite to the first direction to bring the container to an open position, the product faces away from the hollow base,

wherein a transversal cross-section of the top has the shape of a polygon comprising more than 3 sides and the axis of rotation C of the top is arranged on a diagonal of the polygon.

Thanks to the invention, the container is simple to manufacture. Furthermore, thanks to the position of the rotation axis, it develops a new way to use. It addresses current challenges in new ways to reveal molded solid products, such as balm.

Moreover, due to the specific position of the rotation axis on the diagonal of the polygon, the container can be both miniaturized and contain solid product having a shape well elongated along the X axis.

Whatever the polygon should be, the product can always protrude from the base more that it could if the axis of rotation were arranged another way, and though still rotate into the base.

Let's take a case of a square for the polygon. The solid product can protrude from the base of a height equal to half of the length of the diagonal of the square and though still rotate in a cubic base. On the opposite, if the rotation axis is arranged on a medium line of the square, the solid product cannot protrude of more than half of the length of a side of the square and rotate in a cubic base. So, the specific position of the rotation axis according to the invention contributes to save space inside the container, in order to allow more cosmetic product to be accommodated in the container and offered to the consumer.

The container according to the invention is totally innovative for a new generation of solid cosmetic products.

According to another aspect, the invention provides a method for attaching a product to the top of the container described above, wherein the method comprises of following steps:

a) filling a desired shaped mold by pouring a hot liquid product,

b) cooling the desired shaped mold by passing it through a cooling chamber so that the liquid product solidifies into a solid product,

c) pulling out the solid product,

b) getting the solid product attached to the support structure of the top.

According to another aspect, the invention provides a method for manufacturing a container described above, wherein the method comprises of following steps:

a) providing a base comprising grooves arranged on a side wall near a top end of the hollow base,

b) providing a top with a solid product attached to the support structure, the top including guiding means to guide its rotation, the guiding means being configured to travel in the groove arranged on the base,

c) assembling the guiding means in the grooves.

These methods of manufacturing are easy to implement.

Main definitions

A "polygon" is a closed plane figure bounded by outer segments.

According to the invention, each outer segments of the polygon can be straight or can deviate from a straight reference segment of a maximum deflection f measured perpendicular to the side of a straight reference segment of length a. The straight reference segment joins the two ends of the outer segment of the polygon. The maximum deflection is 20 % x a, where a is the total length of the side.

Preferably, a polygon according to the invention is a regular polygon. A regular polygon is a polygon inscribed in a circle and of which all outer segments have the same length and all the angles are identical.

Regular polygon can be chosen among square, pentagon, hexagon, heptagon, octagon, enneagon, decagon, hendecagon for example.

A "diagonal" joins two non-consecutive peaks of a polygon. A polygon has several diagonals. The longest diagonal is the main diagonal.

A "transversal cross-section" is a cross section perpendicular to the longitudinal axis (X) of the container.

A "polyhedron" is a solid whose faces are all polygons as defined above.

Preferred embodiments

According to further advantageous aspects of the invention, the dispensing head comprises one or several of the following features taken in isolation or in any technically possible combination:

- The diagonal is the longest diagonal of the polygon. So, more space is saved and the shape of the product can be more elongated that when the rotation axis is not the longest diagonal.

- The polygon comprises between 4 and 12 sides, and preferably 4 sides. So, the rotation of the top is easier and more fluid.

- The base and the top define an interior hollow space having the shape of a polyhedron, and preferably the shape of a cube. The shape of the interior space and the shape of the polygon are advantageously complementary, in order to save space.

- The height of the container in the closed position is shorter than the length of a diagonal of the polygon. This proportion takes part of the specific advantage of the invention.

- The support structure is formed in one piece along with the top. The container is cheaper and easier to manufacture. - The product is a lip balm, a lip sticks, an eye balms foundation or any such molded products. A wide range of cosmetic products might be packaged in the container according to the invention.

- The product has the shape of a pyramid. The base of the pyramid being a square, no space is lost for a pleasant exterior shape of the cosmetic product.

- The base further comprises a side wall and an open top end and the top is rotatably mounted on the side wall near the top end of the base. So, the top is easier to grip and better balanced.

- The top is a single piece design with a stepped fulcrum. Such geometry is easy to manufacture.

- The base is provided with double groove design. A groove is needed for the axis of rotation, another one for the handle. The arrangement is convenient.

- The support structure comprises a gripping mechanism. So, it is easier for the consumer to turn the top.

[Brief Description of the Drawings]

Brief description of the drawings

The invention can be better understood on reading the following description of non-limiting embodiments thereof, and on examining the accompanying diagrammatic drawings, in which: - - Figure 1 is a perspective view of a container in a closed position according to an embodiment of the present invention,

- Figure 2 is a perspective view of a container of FIG. 1 in a between open position,

- Figure 3 is a first perspective view of a container of FIG. 1 in a position of use,

- Figure 4 is a second perspective view of a container of FIG. 1 in a position of use,

- Figure 5 is a third perspective view of a container of FIG. 1 in a position of use,

- Figure 6 is a perspective view of a container of FIG. 1 in a position of use without product,

- Figure 7 is a first perspective view of the top of a container of FIG. 1 , - Figure 8 is a second perspective view of the top of a container of FIG. 1 without product,

- Figure 9 is a third perspective view of the top of a container of FIG. 1 ,

- Figure 10 is a perspective view of the base of a container of FIG. 1, - Figure 11 is a top view of an example of bullet of product P,

- Figure 12 is a side view of the bullet of figure 11.

- Figure 13 is a top view of the top of the container of FIG. 1

[Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention]

Detailed description of the drawings

Figure 1 shows an example of a container according to the invention. In this example, the cosmetic container is of cube-shaped the compact type but it could be of another suitable shape without departing from the scope of the invention.

Container 1 comprises a hollow base 2 and a hollow top 3. The container 1 is elongated along a central longitudinal axis X. The top 3 holds a solid product P.

Figure 13 shows a transversal cross-section of the top 3. This cross-section is polygonal and the axis of rotation C of the top 3 is arranged on a diagonal of the polygon. This polygon is a distorted square having distorted sides 40, 41, 42 and 43. The rotation axis C is arranged on the diagonal of the distorted square. The length of the diagonal is preferably between 2 cm and 6 cm, and more preferably between 3 cm and 4 cm.

The distorted square has sides 40, 41, 42 and 43 that deviates from a straight squared geometric reference surface delimited by straight lines 50, 51, 52 and 53 of a maximum deflection f measured perpendicular to the middle of each side of 10 % x a. This deflection being inferior to 20 % x a, the distorted square is a polygon according to the invention.

In a preferred embodiment, the container 1 is formed from the Polypropylene

(PP) material. In an alternate embodiment, the container 1 can be formed from any other suitable polymeric material or any other option available.

As shown in FIG. 2, the top 3 holding the solid product P is configured to rotate inside the hollow base 2. The hollow base 2 is elongated along the central longitudinal axis X. The top 3 is mounted on the hollow base 2 and is able of rotating about an axis C substantially perpendicular to the central longitudinal axis X. The top 3 can be rotated through 180 degree in one direction about the axis C to open the container 1 as shown FIG. 3 to FIG. 5 and through 180 degree in opposite direction about the axis C to close the container 1 as shown FIG. 1. It would not be beyond the scope of the present disclosure that the top 3 can be turned through less than or greater than 180 degree in one direction to expose the solid product P from a top end of the hollow base 2 to bring the container 1 to an open position and can be turned through less than or greater than 180 degree in reverse direction to enclose the solid product P within the hollow base 2 to bring the container to a closed position.

As shown in FIG. 6 to FIG. 8, the top 3 comprises a support structure 4 which secures a solid product P to the top 2.

The hollow base 2 comprises a side wall 6, an open top end 8 and a bottom end

10. The bottom end 10 is closed. The top 3 comprises a closed end 12, an open end 14 and a side wall 16. The top 3 is pivotally mounted on the side wall 6 near the top end 8 of the hollow base 2 so that the top 3 can be rotated inside the hollow base 2.

The top 3 is provided with a diametrically opposed pair of rotation means on an outer surface of the wall 16 of the top 3. In one embodiment and as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, rotation means of the top 3 includes a diametrically opposed pair of lugs/pins/protrusions 18 on an outer surface of the rim 16 which are configured to be disposed within a corresponding pair of apertures/holes/grooves 19 present in the side wall 6 near the top end 8 of the hollow base 2 to allow the top 3 to rotate/turn within the hollow base 2.

The top 3 also comprises a handle 15 on the outer surface of the rim 16 which can be grasped by a user's hand to turn the top 3 within the hollow base 2.

The base 2 comprises side indentation 29 complementary to the handle 15 to lock the top in the opened or closed position.

The support structure 4 is a unique piece with the top 3. This unique single piece design has degassing channels 20 which are debossed features. They are built in so that during pushing the top 3 onto the molded product P the air channels are free for easy molding.

Post molding the gripping mechanism for products is designed at 3 levels, a slit boss groove ring 21 at a tilted angle in the center, vertical gripping ribs 22 on the sides to interlock with product P while cutting through it to create pressure and grip. This interlocking is further enhanced by curved undercut 23 internal designs; this undercut 23 has been designed on the side walls 16. So, it becomes more prominent after molding shrinkage of some materials such as polypropylene. This enhances the holding of the product P by the curved undercut of the closed end 12.

The holding of the product P and degassing (air removal) can be carried out without a hole in the base 3 as the degassing / air removal system comprises:

- Degassing channels 20 which are debossed features of channels for air removal (vent lines) without any hole in base 2. On the opposite, classic lipstick or bullet pick systems have holes to remove air.

- Slit boss groove ring 21 for increased anchorage,

- Design built in curved undercut 23, the undercut 23 becomes more prominent after molding shrinkage of PP material. This enhances the holding of the product by the curved undercut 23.

Figures 9 and 10 illustrate how the anchorage of base and top is designed to be very strong.

Figure 9 shows the double groove 19 design with a strengthening rib 17.

Figure 10 shows the fulcrum design of the protrusion 18 with step 13 to avoid:

- cross movement,

- bulging of top 3 on the base 2,

- double engagement with the top 3.

The locking mechanism described in figure 10 comprising the double groove 19 design with a strengthening rib 17 is very unique assembly with protrusion 18 in the figure 9.

It is a double groove pillar supported design in the base 2 and the correlating assembly of protrusion 18 with differential locking formed on the fulcrum which interlocks on the double groove 19 design and a strengthening rib 17.

Figure 11 and Figure 12 show an example of the bullet of the product P designed for lip product. It is designed like a pyramid with slopping curves 31 on faces 32 and rounded off edge 33 at the top. This sort of design has proven to have the benefit of being placed between lips and applies lip balm in one stroke on top and bottom lip both with more coverage area. This design can be enhanced further for pin point application of other products as well.

When consumer intends to use the product P and open the container 1, he/she has to hold the projecting handle 15 from the top 3 and move axial to disengage from the side locks built on the handle 15 with engagement on the base 2. At 180° axial movement, this same handle 15 helps to lock back the top 3 in an open position.

When consumer intends to close the container 1, he/she has to hold the projecting handle 15 from the top 3 and move axial to disengage from the side locks built on the handle 15 with engagement on the base 2. At 180° axial movement opposite to the opening direction, this same handle 15 helps to lock back the top 3 in a closed position.

Of course, the invention is not limited to this shape of the product or of the container, base and top shown on the figures.