[TITLE OF INVENTION]

PACKAGING ASSEMBLY FOR A PRODUCT

[TECHNICAL FIELD]

[0001] The present invention relates to a packaging assembly for a product, in particular, for a product for cosmetics purpose, such as for example, a loose powder foundation or a liquid foundation.

[0002] In the present specification, the term "cosmetic product" or "cosmetic formula" should be understood to mean a formula or a product as defined in European Council and Parliament Regulation 1223/2009 issued on November 30, 2009, which pertains to cosmetic formulas.

[BACKGROUND ART]

[0003] A loose powder foundation is used for a purpose of preventing makeup from coming off for a long time after applying a liquid or cream foundation.

Generally, the loose powder foundation is accommodated in a packaging container with a different structure than the liquid or cream foundations. That is, the packaging container for the loose powder foundation generally includes a container main body having an opening on the top surface, a perforated plate that closes the opening, and a lid that covers the perforated plate. An applicator for applying the loose powder foundation, i.e. a puff, is housed in the space formed between the perforated plate and the lid.

[0004] When applying the loose powder foundation contained in such a container, the user has to first turn the container upside down and shake it up and down the appropriate number of times. This action causes a certain amount of loose powder foundation to fall onto the puff through the micro pores of the perforated plate. After this, the user will return the container to its original orientation, then remove the puff with the loose powder foundation, which is attached to its surface, from the container and apply it to the desired part of the body. However, the conventional containers that require such operations are not very easy to use, and there is room for improvement. In view of these points, a container for a loose powder foundation that does not need to be turned upside down and shaken up and down has been proposed.

[0005] Such an improved container is characterized by comprising a flexible membrane having a large number of pores, arranged so as to cover a top opening of the container body containing the loose powder foundation. At the time of use, by tapping the flexible membrane from above several times with the puff, the user can attach an appropriate amount of loose powder foundation to the puff through the pores of the flexible membrane. However, the improved container for a loose powder foundation still has the following drawbacks. Usually, a separation disc called a "topette" is arranged above the flexible membrane in the container. The puff is placed on this separation disc when not in use. In such a container, a significant amount of loose powder tends to naturally accumulate in the gap between the separation disc and the flexible membrane. This greatly worsens the user's impression or feeling when a lid of the container is opened for use.

[0006] Conventional techniques considered to be somewhat related to the present invention are disclosed in, for example, KR10-2066349, WO2019/164163,

US 10206482, KR101748933, and WO2016/148371. KR10-2066349 discloses a cosmetic container capable of opening and closing a lid while providing a sealing force for a cosmetic content discharge hole. The cosmetic container disclosed in KR10- 2066349 comprises a shoulder cap which is coupled to an upper part of an inner container and has a mesh made of a flexible material. WO2019/164163 discloses a cosmetic product container comprising: a movable frame having an edge on which is formed a spiral protrusion coupled to a screw thread of a container body; and a discharge part formed in the movable frame for discharging the cosmetic product. US10206482 discloses a cosmetic product container comprising: a frame fitted to a container body; and a fiber sheet adhered to either an upper end surface or a lower end surface of the frame. KR101748933 discloses a cosmetic container comprising: a mesh net for covering a surface of contents stored inside a container; and an elevation plate capable of being elevated inside the container; and an elastic member positioned between the elevation plate and a floor of the container. WO2016/148371 discloses a container for a cosmetic product comprising: a mesh net which bonds to an elastic textile material and is positioned on the surface of contents housed in the container. However, these articles, which relate to the prior art, do not fully satisfy the above requirements.

[DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION]

[0007] In view of the above, an object of the present invention is to provide a novel packaging assembly for a product, in particular, a cosmetic product, which can overcome or at least alleviate the problems stated above in relation to the prior art packaging article. In particular, an object of the present invention is to provide a novel packaging assembly for a loose powder product that is easy to use, in particular is not required a troublesome operation of turning the packaging assembly upside down and shaking it up and down, and is less likely to cause unwanted accumulation of a loose powder in the packaging assembly which worsens the user's impression or feeling when using.

[0008] In order to achieve the above-described objects, the present invention provides a packaging assembly for a product, comprising: (i) ajar that accommodates the product, wherein the jar comprises an opening on the top side thereof for taking the product out; (ii) a distributor that is mounted on the jar above the opening thereof, wherein the distributor is intended to be used for distributing a certain amount of the product form the jar to an applicator for applying the product, and wherein the distributor defines a space for accommodating the applicator therein; and (iii) a cap that can be detachably engaged with the jar while completely enclosing the distributor. In the present invention, the distributor comprises: (i) an annular main body comprising: a central axis; and an upper opening and a lower opening, both substantially orthogonal to the central axis, wherein the annular main body further comprises a shoulder in the vicinity of the lower opening, and wherein the shoulder projects inwardly from an inner peripheral surface of the annular main body and extends circumferentially around the central axis; (ii) a ring member that is coupled to the annular main body on the lower opening side thereof; and (iii) an elastic mesh sheet that is sandwiched between the annual main body and the ring member and covers the lower opening of the annular main body, wherein the elastic mesh sheet is stretched by the ring member at a height where it is substantially flush with an upper surface of the shoulder of the annular main body. [0009] In the present invention, the packaging assembly for a product comprises an unique distributor as described above. That is, the distributor comprises: an annular main body with a lower opening and a shoulder in the vicinity thereof; a ring member coupled to the annular main body on the lower opening side thereof; and an elastic mesh sheet for covering the lower opening, which is sandwiched between the annual main body and the ring member. In this innovative packaging assembly, the elastic mesh sheet is stretched or spread by the ring member at a height where it is substantially flush with an upper surface of the shoulder of the annular main body. · As a result of adopting such a characteristic structure, a user can attach or adhere an appropriate amount of a product to an applicator such as a puff through the elastic mesh sheet by only tapping it from above an appropriate number of times with the applicator. Therefore, the packaging assembly according to the present invention is not required a troublesome operation of turning the packaging assembly upside down and shaking it up and down, and thus is easy to use. In addition to this, in the packaging assembly according to the present invention, the elastic mesh sheet is stretched or spread at the height at which the separation disc, which is called a "topette", is to be installed (that is, at the height of the upper surface of the shoulder) due to the presence of the ring member. Therefore, when the separation disc is placed in the packaging assembly, the gap between the elastic mesh sheet and the separation disc can be made as small as possible. As a result, in contrast to conventional articles, the packaging assembly according to the present invention is less likely to cause unwanted accumulation of a product, in particular, a loose powder within the above stated gap in the packaging assembly which worsens the user's impression or feeling when using.

[0010] According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the ring member may have an annular base and an annular ridge that projects upward from an inner edge of the annular base, and the elastic mesh sheet may be stretched by the annular ridge of the ring member at a height where it is substantially flush with the upper surface of the shoulder of the annular main body. In this case, the annular ridge may extend continuously or intermittently along the annular base.

[0011] According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, an upper surface of the annular base of the ring member may press against a lower surface of the shoulder of the annular main body with the elastic mesh sheet in between. Furthermore, according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, an outer peripheral surface of the annular ridge of the ring member may press against an inner peripheral surface of the shoulder of the annular main body with the elastic mesh sheet in between. This makes it possible to achieve a firmer holding and stretching state of the elastic mesh sheet.

[0012] According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the jar may comprise: (i) ajar main body comprising: a top surface defining the opening; an annular side surface extending downward from peripheral edges of the top surface; and an annular guide protruding upward from the top surface and surrounding the opening of the top surface; (ii) a bottom cover closing a bottom opening of the jar main body, wherein the bottom cover includes a hole defined therein; and (iii) a plug member closing the hole of the bottom cover, and the distributor may be received within the annular guide of the jar main body. This makes it possible to achieve a more secure holding state of the distributor.

[0013] According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the ring member of the distributor may be fixed to the annular main body of the distributor by a press fit. Alternately, according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, both the annular main body and the ring member of the distributor may be made of a plastic material, and the annular main body and the ring member of the distributor may be ultrasonic-welded (or heat-welded) to each other. Other welding methods can also be optionally used. This allows a more robust bonding state of the annular main body and the ring member.

[0014] According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the opening of the upper surface of the jar main body may have a square or circular shape.

In particular, it is preferred that the opening of the upper surface of the jar main body has a square shape. This is because the presence of the perimeter of the square-shaped opening makes it possible to provide a stable support surface for the distributor.

[0015] According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the packaging assembly may further comprise the applicator that is accommodated within the space defined in the distributor. In this case, according to a further preferred embodiment of the present invention, the applicator may be accommodated within the space defined in the distributor in the state of being compressed in its thickness direction. This helps to reduce the bulk, especially the height, of the packaging assembly, that is, to achieve a more compact packaging assembly. [0016] According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the packaging assembly may further comprise a separation disc that is detachably disposed over the elastic mesh sheet of the distributor. By providing the separation disc, which can be also referred to as a "topette", it is possible to more reliably prevent unintentional leakage of the product in the jar and unwanted soaking of the product into the applicator.

[0017] According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the packaging assembly may further comprise a sealing sheet that is peelably attached to an upper surface of the elastic mesh sheet of the distributor, and the sealing sheet may, in particular completely, cover the mesh sheet. The sealing sheet can be also referred to as a "label". The sealing sheet will be peeled from the mesh sheet and be discarded when the package assembly is first used. By attaching the sealing sheet to the mesh sheet, it is possible to completely suppress the leakage of the product through the mesh sheet during the transportation and handling thereof before the first use. This further helps improve user's impressions of the package assembly when the user first opens it.

[0018] According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the jar and the cap may be configured such that the cap can be screwed into engagement with the jar. According to an alternative embodiment of the present invention, the jar and the cap may be engaged with other method other than a screwing, such as an interference fitting or a snap fitting. In this alternative embodiment, the cap may be pivotably connected to the jar using a (separate or integral) hinge.

[0019] According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, although not limited to this, the elastic mesh sheet may be made from nylon fibers and polyurethane elastic fibers. In the present invention, the mesh sheet may have any pattern (for example, square, rhombus, hexagon), and the number of meshes may be appropriately changed according to the type of the target product, particularly the particle size of the target product.

[0020] According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the applicator may be a puff, in particular, a compressible puff, and the product may be a cosmetic product, for example, such as loose powder foundation or a liquid foundation. However, the present invention may be used for packaging any product other than cosmetic products. [BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS]

[0021] Non-limiting and representative embodiments of the present invention will now be explained in detail below, referring to the attached drawings.

[0022] FIG. 1 is an external perspective view of a packaging assembly for a loose powder product according to one embodiment of the present invention, wherein a jar and a cap both of which are components of the packaging assembly, are combined with each other.

[0023] FIG. 2 is an external perspective view of a packaging assembly for a loose powder product according to one embodiment of the present invention, wherein the jar and the cap of the packaging assembly, are separated from each other.

[0024] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the packaging assembly shown in FIG. 1 , taken along A- A line in FIG. 1.

[0025] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a lower part of the packaging assembly shown in FIG. 2, taken along B-B line in FIG. 2, wherein an applicator (puff) which is also a component of the packaging assembly, is shown in a natural state.

[0026] FIG. 5 is an exploded view of the packaging assembly for a loose powder product according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0027] FIG. 6 is an external perspective view of a distributor which is also a component of the packaging assembly shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. [0028] FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of the distributor shown in FIG. 6, taken along C-C line in FIG. 6.

[0029] FIG. 8 is an external perspective view of an annular main body, which is a component of the distributor shown in FIGS. 6 and 7.

[0030] FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of the annular main body shown in FIG. 8, taken along D-D line in FIG. 8.

[0031] FIG. 10 is an external perspective view of a ring member, which is a component of the distributor shown in FIGS. 6 and 7.

[0032] FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of the ring member shown in FIG.

10, taken along E-E line in FIG. 10. [0033] FIG. 12 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the jar and the distributor showing how to use the packaging assembly.

[DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS] [0034] Some preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be explained referring to FIGS. 1 to 12. In each Figure, the scale ratio of width, length, height, diameter or the like of each element or feature may not be constant, and may be different from the actual one. It should be noted that in certain Figures, certain elements or features may be drawn larger or smaller than they actually are, for emphasis.

[0035] As used herein, the terms related to the direction such as "upper", "lower", "top", "bottom", "up", "down", "upward", "downward", "above", "below", "right", "left" or the like should be understood in relation to the orientation of an packaging assembly in the Figures, which may or may not match the actual orientation in use.

[0036] FIG. 1 illustrates a packaging assembly 10 for a loose powder product P according to one embodiment of the present invention. In addition to FIG. 1 , as can be also seen from FIG. 2, which shows the state in which the cap (described later) is removed, the packaging assembly 10 comprises a jar 100 that accommodates the loose powder product P, a distributor 200 that is mounted on the jar 100, an applicator 300, in this embodiment a compressible puff, for applying the loose powder product P, and a cap 400 that can be detachably engaged with the jar 100 while completely enclosing the distributor 200. In this embodiment, the jar 100 and the cap 400 are configured such that the cap 400 can be screwed into engagement with the jar 100. In order to archive this, the jar 100 and the cap 400 have respective threads that engage with each other, as described in detail latter. The jar 100 comprises an opening 110 on the top side thereof for taking the loose powder product P out via the distributor 200 (see FIG. 5).

Therefore, the distributor 200 is mounted on the jar 100 above the opening 110 thereof. In this embodiment, the loose powder product P is a cosmetic product, in particular, a loose powder foundation.

[0037] As can be seen from FIGS. 3 to 5, the jar 100 comprises ajar main body 120 with a rectangular parallelepiped shape, a bottom cover 140 closing a bottom opening 128 of the jar main body 120 and including a hole 142 defined therein, and a plug member 160 closing the hole 142 of the bottom cover 140. The product P can be filled inside the jar 100 from the hole 142 of the bottom cover 140, in which case the hole 142 of the bottom cover 140 is closed by the plug member 160 after the filling is complete. The jar main body 120 and the bottom cover 140 can be made from, for example, glycol-modified PET (PETG), while the plug member 160 can be made, for example, from polypropylene (PP). In this embodiment, the jar main body 120 (and thus the cap 400) has a square cross section, while the jar main body 120 (and thus the cap 400) can have various cross sections other than the square. The jar main body 120 (and thus the cap 400) can have, for example, a circular, oval, rhombic, or polygonal cross section.

[0038] The jar main body 120 comprises a top surface 122 defining the above stated opening 110, and an annular side surface 124 extending downward from four peripheral edges 122a of the top surface 122. Furthermore, the jar main body 120 comprises an annular, or cylindrical, guide 126 protruding upward from the top surface 122 and surrounding the opening 110 of the top surface 122. The annular guide 126 is provided integrally with the top surface 122. One 130 of the threads for screw engaging the jar 100 and the cap 400, as described above, is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the annular guide 126. As will be explained in detail later, the distributor 200 is received within the annular guide 126 of the jar main body 120. In this embodiment, the opening 110 of the top surface 122 has a square shape. However, in another embodiment, the opening 110 of the top surface 122 has a circular or any other shape.

[0039] As explained in detail below, the distributor 200 is intended to be used for distributing a certain amount of the loose powder product P form the jar 100 to the applicator 300 for applying the loose powder product P. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the distributor 200 defines a cylindrical space V for accommodating the applicator 300 therein. The applicator 300 is accommodated within this space V defined in the distributor 200 in the state of being compressed in its thickness direction. [0040] As can be seen from FIGS. 6 and 7, the distributor 200 comprises an annular main body 210, a ring member 220 that is coupled to the annular main body 210, and an elastic mesh sheet 230 that is sandwiched between the annual main body 210 and the ring member 220. The annular main body 210 comprises a central axis X, and an upper opening 212 and a lower opening 214. Both the upper opening 212 and the lower opening 214 are substantially orthogonal to the central axis X. The annular main body 210 further comprises a shoulder, or flange, 216 in the vicinity of the lower opening 214. The shoulder 216 projects inwardly from an inner peripheral surface 218 of the annular main body 210 and extends circumferentially around the central axis X. The ring member 220 of the distributor 200 is coupled to the annular main body 210 on the lower opening side thereof. In this embodiment, both the annular main body 210 and the ring member 220 are made, for example, from a polypropylene (PP), and the annular main body 210 and the ring member 220 are ultrasonic-welded (or heat-welded) to each other. Furthermore, other welding methods can also be optionally used. However, in another embodiment, the ring member 220 is fixed to the annular main body 210 by a press fit.

[0041] As can also be seen from FIGS. 6 and 7, the elastic mesh sheet 230 sandwiched between the annual main body 210 and the ring member 220 completely covers the lower opening 214 of the annular main body 210. The elastic mesh sheet 230 is stretched by the ring member 220 at a height where it is flush (or substantially flush) with an upper surface 216a of the shoulder 216 of the annular main body 210. More specifically, as can be seen from FIGS. 8 and 9, the shoulder 216 of the annular main body 210 has the upper surface 216a as stated above. Furthermore, as can be seen from FIGS. 10 and 11 , the ring member 220 has an annular base 222 and an annular ridge 224 that projects upward from an inner edge 222a of the annular base 222. The elastic mesh sheet 230 is stretched by the annular ridge 224 of the ring member 220 at a height where it is flush (or substantially flush) with the upper surface 216a of the shoulder 216 of the annular main body 210. In this embodiment, although not limited to this, the elastic mesh sheet 230 is made from nylon fibers and polyurethane elastic fibers.

[0042] FIGS. 8 and 9 illustrates the annular main body 210 of the distributor 200 in detail. Furthermore, FIGS. 10 and 11 illustrates the ring member 220 of the distributor 200 in detail. As can be seen from FIGS. 8 and 9, the shoulder 216 of the annular main body 210 further includes a lower surface 216b and an inner peripheral surface 216c. Also, as can be seen from FIGS. 10 and 11, the annular ridge 224 of the ring member 220 includes an outer peripheral surface 224a, and the annular base 222 of the ring member 220 includes an upper surface 222b. In the assembled state shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the upper surface 222b of the annular base 222 of the ring member 220 presses against the lower surface 216b of the shoulder 216 of the annular main body 210 with the elastic mesh sheet 230 sandwiched therebetween. Furthermore, in the assembled state shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the outer peripheral surface 224a of the annular ridge 224 of the ring member 220 presses against the inner peripheral surface 216c of the shoulder 216 of the annular main body 210 also with the elastic mesh sheet 230 sandwiched therebetween. As can be seen FIGS. 8 and 9, the annular main body 210 of the distributor 200 further includes an annular flange 210a at the top thereof that projects outward. In the assembled state shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, a top surface 126a of the annular guide 126 of the the jar main body 120 presses against a lower surface of the annular flange 210a of the annular main body 210 of the distributor 200.

[0043] Turning to FIG. 5, the cap 400 is composed of an outer portion 410, an inner portion 420 housed within the outer portion 410, and a circular liner disc 430 attached to a circular inner surface 420a of the inner portion 420. The other 422 of the threads for screw engaging the jar 100 and the cap 400, as described above, is formed on an inner peripheral surface 420b of the inner portion 420 (see FIG. 2). The outer part 410 can be made from, for example, glycol-modified PET (PETG), while the outer part 420 and the liner disc 430 can be made, for example, from polypropylene (PP).

[0044] Continuing the reference to FIG. 5, the packaging assembly 10 further comprises a separation disc 500 also referred to as a "topette". The separation disc 500 can be made, for example, from polypropylene (PP). The separation disc 500 is detachably, that is, non- fixedly disposed over the elastic mesh sheet 230 of the distributor 200, and thus over the upper surface 216a of the shoulder 216. The packaging assembly 10 additionally comprises a sealing sheet 600 also referred to as a "label". The sealing sheet 600 is peelably attached to an upper surface 230a of the elastic mesh sheet 230 of the distributor 200, and completely covers the mesh sheet 230 prior to first use. The sealing sheet 600 will be peeled from the elastic mesh sheet 230 and be discarded when the package assembly 10 is first used.

[0045] The packaging assembly 10 configured as described above is used as follows. When the user first uses the packaging assembly 10, the cap 400 is first removed and then the applicator 300 and the separation disk 500 are further removed from within the distributor 200. Subsequently, the sealing sheet 600 is peeled off from the elastic mesh sheet 230 of the distributor 200 and discarded. The user then taps the elastic mesh sheet 230 from above with the applicator 300 an appropriate number of times. By this operation, the elastic mesh sheet 230 is stretched and the applicator 300 contacts a loose powder product P in the jar 100, as shown in FIG. 12. As a result, an appropriate amount of a loose powder product P adheres to the applicator 300. The user then apply the loose powder product P attached to the applicator 300 to a desired part of the body of herself or another person. Needless to say, at the next time, it is no longer necessary to make an operation of removing the sealing sheet 600. Therefore, from next use, operations other than this are performed in order. After use, first, the separation disk (topette) 500 is repositioned in the distributor 200. Then, the applicator 300 is put back into the distributor 200 and the cap 400 is screw engaged with the jar 100.

[0046] As stated above, the packaging assembly 10 according to one exemplary embodiment of the present invention comprises: the unique distributor 200, which comprises the annular main body 210 with the lower opening 214 and the shoulder 216 in the vicinity thereof; the ring member 220 coupled to the annular main body 210 on the lower opening side thereof; and the elastic mesh sheet 230 for covering the lower opening 214, which is sandwiched between the annual main body 210 and the ring member 220. In this packaging assembly 10, the elastic mesh sheet 230 is stretched by the ring member 220 at a height where it is flush with the upper surface 216a of the shoulder 216. As a result, the user can attach or adhere an appropriate amount of a loose powder product P to the applicator 300 through the elastic mesh sheet 230 by tapping it from above an appropriate number of times with the applicator 300. Therefore, the packaging assembly 10 is not required a troublesome operation of turning it upside down and shaking it up and down, and thus is easy to use. In addition to this, in this packaging assembly 10, the elastic mesh sheet 230 is stretched at the height at which the separation disc 500 called a "topette" is installed (that is, at the height of the upper surface 216a of the shoulder 216) due to the presence of the ring member 220. Therefore, when the separation disc 500 is placed in the packaging assembly 10, the gap between the elastic mesh sheet 230 and the separation disc 500 can be made as small as possible. As a result, the packaging assembly 10 is less likely to cause unwanted accumulation of the loose powder product P within the above stated gap in the packaging assembly 10 which worsens the user's impression or feeling when using.

[0047] Preferred embodiments of the present invention have been explained above referring to the drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to these embodiments, and various modifications and changes may be made to the above- described embodiments without deviating from the gist and scope of the present invention, and such modifications and changes are included in the scope of the present invention.