CONTAINER FOR COSMETIC PRODUCTS IN GENERAL, FOR COSMETIC PRODUCTS FOR THE EYES AND LIPS IN PARTICULAR

Abstract

A container for cosmetic products, fitted with a hollow base body (2), a refill bottle (4) for the cosmetic product packaged in the container (1), a wand (12,12a) for applying the cosmetic product and a lid (3,3a) for closing said bottle (4). In this way, a container structure is obtained for cosmetic products of the modular type with separate elements, mutually coupled when the container is assembled in use and reciprocally separable for the replacement of damaged elements and for the refill of the depleted cosmetic product.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The present invention relates to a container for cosmetic products in general, particularly for cosmetic products for eye and lip care.

[0002] The field of the invention is that of containers for cosmetic products, such as mascara for the eyes, formed by an outer casing and an inner part for containing the cosmetic, usually in the liquid or paste state.

[0003] The container forming the outer casing represents the part of the package through which the product is presented and described for the qualities that make it attractive, interesting and desirable to purchase. For this reason, the packaging project assumes a commercially essential role in the field of cosmetics for eyes and lips, with economic repercussions that significantly affect the production cost and sales price of these items.

[0004] Known packages for products of this type, however, have the drawback of being of the disposable type, being made of a container whose outer casing substantially forms a single piece with the inner part containing the cosmetic. For this reason, the creative effort and the charges involved in producing a package with a pleasant and captivating appearance are neutralized and definitively lost when the cosmetic product it contains is depleted.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0005] The main object of the present invention is to provide a container for cosmetic products in general, and for the eyes and lips in particular, which, unlike similar containers known in the art, can be recovered and therefore used again.

[0006] The invention also has the object of providing a container of the type described above, which can be reused after the initial cosmetic has been fully consumed, with rapid and very simple operations.

[0007] A further object of the invention is to provide a container of the type described, which is suitable for being repeatedly disassembled each time the cosmetic product is fully depleted and subsequently assembled, each time restoring the starting package.

[0008] These and other objects are accomplished through the container of claim 1. Preferred embodiments of the container of the invention will be apparent from the remaining claims.

[0009] Compared with the traditional embodiments of the sector, the container of the invention offers the advantage of being able to be recovered, thus allowing it to be reused.

[0010] The container of the invention also has the advantage of being able to be reused after the initial cosmetic has been fully consumed, with rapid and very simple operations.

[0011] According to a further advantage, the container of the invention is formed by a set of parts or components which are all separable from each other. In this way, the container of the invention is suitable for being repeatedly disassembled each time the cosmetic product is fully depleted and subsequently reassembled, allowing the starting package to be restored each time.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0012] These and other objects, advantages and features result from the following description of some preferred embodiments of the container of the invention shown, by the way of non-limiting example, in the figures of the attached drawing sheets.

[0013] In these:

[0014] FIGS. 1 to 3 show the container of the invention in front view, in overall perspective view and in longitudinal section, respectively;

[0015] FIG. 3A is a sectional view of detail A of FIG. 3;

[0016] FIG. 4 is an exploded view of the container of FIG. 1;

[0017] FIG. 4A shows an exploded view of the container 1 and the replacement of the refill from the top of the capsule 3;

[0018] FIG. 4B shows an exploded view of the container 1 and the replacement of the refill from the bottom of the capsule 3a;

[0019] FIG. 5 shows the base body of the container of FIG. 1;

[0020] FIG. 6 shows the refill bottle of the container of FIG. 1;

[0021] FIG. 7 is a sectional view of the detail of the mouth of the bottle of FIG. 6;

[0022] FIG. 8 is a sectional view of the scraper plug of the container of FIG. 1;

[0023] FIG. 9 is a sectional view of the wand with mascara applicator of the bottle of FIG. 1, with top insertion version;

[0024] FIG. 9A is a sectional view of the wand with mascara applicator of the bottle of FIG. 1, in the version with insertion of the wand into the lid (or cap) of the container from below;

[0025] FIGS. 10 and 10A are sectional views of the lid of the container of FIG. 1 with insertion of the wand from the top;

[0026] FIG. 10B is a sectional view of the lid of the container of FIG. 1 with insertion of the wand from the bottom;

[0027] FIGS. 11-11A, 12-12A, 13-13A and 14-14A show embodiment variants of the container of the previous figures.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0028] The container of the invention, indicated as a whole with the numeral 1 in FIGS. 1 to 3, has a substantially cylindrical conformation consisting of a hollow base body 2, closed at the mouth by means of a lid 3, which is also hollow.

[0029] As better shown in FIG. 4, a bottle 4 or refill containing the cosmetic product, represented in the example by a mascara for the eyes, is housed inside the cylindrical base body 2 of the container 1.

[0030] According to the invention, the bottle 4 is introduced inside the base body 2 passing through the mouth 5 of the latter and is fixed in this position by screwing the external thread 6 of the bottle 4 onto the thread 7 provided inside the mouth 5 of the base body 2 of the container 1.

[0031] Above the external thread 6, the refill bottle 4 has a protruding neck 8, in turn provided with an external thread 9 arranged in a position contiguous or close to the external thread 6. The neck 8 of the bottle 4 also provides a mouth 10, which defines the seat for the scraper plug 11 of the mascara, taken from the same bottle 4 by means of the wand 12.

[0032] As better shown in FIGS. 3A and 8, the scraper plug 11 has an upper mouth 13 and a lower mouth 14, suitable for receiving the stem 15 of the wand 12, bearing the applicator 16 for the mascara (FIG. 9).

[0033] On the upper mouth 13 of the scraper plug 11 is an external protruding cols lar 18 suitable for housing, with a reversible snap connection and with the scraper plug 11 assembled in use, in a corresponding groove 19, provided inside the mouth 10 of the neck 8 of the bottle 4 (FIG. 7).

[0034] The wand 12 illustrated in FIG. 9 has, at the end of the stem 15 opposite the mascara applicator 16, a head 20 fitted with an external ribbing 21 suitable for engaging by means of force, or by means of a reversible thread, or with a mechanical, bayonet, magnetic/bayonet type coupling or similar, with the inner wall 22 of the hollow cylindrical lid 3 of the container 1. A cap 23 is provided to close the lid 3 from the top, once the wand 12 has been inserted into it from above (FIG. 10). The mouth 24 of the lid 3, opposite the one closed by the cap 23, has an internal thread 25, suitable for engaging with the corresponding external thread 9 of the neck 8 of the mascara refill bottle 4 (FIGS. 3A and 10A).

[0035] Advantageously, moreover, the lid 3 of the container 1 of the invention has an inner transverse wall 26, which defines an upper chamber 27 housing the head 20 of the wand 12 and a lower chamber 28 corresponding to the portion of the cavity provided with the thread 25. A hole 29 is also provided on the wall 26 to allow passage of the stem 15 of the wand 12 for the mascara.

[0036] In the variant of FIG. 9A, the head 20 of the wand 12a has an external ribbing 21 and an internal ribbing or thread 21a, suitable for engaging with said external thread 9 of the neck 8 of the bottle 4. In turn, the lid 3a of FIG. 10B has an internal thread 30. In the coupling, the external ribbing 21 of the wand 12a engages with the internal ribbing 30 of the lid 3a, which allows replacement of the wand 12a from the bottom of the lid 3a.

[0037] In the container 1 of the invention, the lid 3 and the wand 12 inserted in the lid 3 are then closed on the base body 2 by its internal thread 25 engaging with the external thread 9 of the neck 8 of the bottle 4. The scraper plug 11 is in turn housed inside the mouth 10 of the neck 8 of the bottle 4 and slidably receives the stem 15 of the wand 12 for the mascara. The head 20 of the wand 12 instead has a reversible snap engagement inside the hollow lid 3 of the container 1.

[0038] Assembly of the container of the invention is therefore carried out with the following operations, performed in succession:

[0039] the mascara refill bottle 4 is inserted into the hollow base body 2, passing through the mouth 5 of the latter and performing a removable or reversible coupling, by screwing the respective threads 6 and 7 on to each other;

[0040] the scraper plug 11 is locked in the mouth 10 of the neck 8 of the bottle 4, engaging with the external collar 18 of the scraper 11 in the groove 19 of the same mouth 10;

[0041] the wand 12 for the mascara is inserted into the lid 3,3a of the container 1, locking the ribbing 21 of the head 20 of the wand 12 against the inner wall 22 of the same lid 3;

[0042] the stem 15 of the wand 12 bearing the applicator 16 is subsequently introduced into the bottle 4, passing through the mouths 13 and 14 of the scraper plug 11 and traveling up until interference of the internal thread 25 of the lid 3 of the container 1 with the corresponding external thread 9 of the neck 8 of the bottle 4.

[0043] With the reverse operations, the depleted bottle 4 is freed from the base body 2 of the container 1, so that it can be replaced with a new bottle full of mascara.

[0044] From the above description, it can readily be understood how the container of the invention has a modular structure, that is obtained by the reciprocal composition of elements separate from each other and which, for this reason, can be easily replaced and disposed of.

[0045] Modifications can be made to the invention as described above in order to produce further variants, also included in the following claims. Thus, for example as illustrated in FIGS. 11-11A, 12-12A, 13-13A and 14-14A, the base body 2 and the lid 3 of the container 1 could have any shapes, even with different patterns. Furthermore, the scraper plug 11 could be omitted, leaving instead only the body 2, the lid 3, the bottle 4 and the wand 12.

[0046] The reciprocal connection solutions between the various components could also be different from those illustrated, while remaining within the scope of reversible or removable type couplings, such as snap, spring, bayonet, magnetic or mechanical reversible joints or closures. The arrangement of the threads could also be different from that described above, with inversion between internal/external.

[0047] All kinds of materials can be used to produce the components of the container of the invention, for instance plastic, or a metal such as aluminum, glass, wood and combinations thereof. The parts of the container can also be coupled to without the need for the use of glues, but by exploiting the described reversible connection systems, so as to allow replacement of the empty or damaged parts only.

Claims

1. A container for cosmetic products, having a modular structure with distinct elements, mutually coupled to form a container assembled in use and mutually separable for replacing damaged elements and for refilling depleted cosmetic product, said elements comprising: a hollow base body; a refill bottle for holding the cosmetic product; a wand for application of the cosmetic product; a lid for closing said refill bottle, and a scraper plug for slidably receiving a support stem of said wand; wherein said base body is provided with a mouth fitted with an internal thread, and further wherein said refill bottle (4) has an external thread configured and arranged for engaging with the internal thread of said base body; and wherein above said external thread, the refill bottle has a protruding neck, and further wherein said protruding neck includes an external thread and a mouth.

2. The container according to claim 1, wherein said wand has a head joined to said support stem.

3. The container according to claim 2, wherein said head of the wand is provided with an external thread suitable for engaging, by means of force, with an inner wall of a hollow cylindrical lid.

4. The container according to claim 3, wherein said hollow cylindrical lid has a mouth provided with an internal thread, that is configured and arranged for engaging with said external thread of the neck of the refill bottle.

5. The container according to claim 4, wherein said hollow cylindrical lid also has an inner transverse wall, which defines an upper chamber configured and arranged for housing said head of the wand, and a lower chamber.

6. The container according to claim 5, wherein a hole is provided in said inner transverse wall, wherein said hole is configured and arranged to allow the passage of said support stem therethrough.

7. The container according to claim 3, wherein said hollow cylindrical lid has an internal thread that is configured and arranged for engaging with said external thread of the head of the wand.

8. The container according to claim 7, wherein said wand has an internal thread configured and arranged for engaging with said external thread of the neck.

9. The container according to claim 1, wherein said scraper plug is arranged inside said mouth of the refill bottle.

10. The container according to claim 9, wherein said scraper plug has an upper mouth and a lower mouth, suitable for receiving the support stem of the wand, and further wherein a scraping edge is provided on an inner surface of the lower mouth.

11. The container according to claim 8, wherein a groove is provided inside the mouth of the neck of the refill bottle and said scraper plug has, at said mouth, an external protruding collar that is configured and arranged for being received within said groove.

12. A method for assembling the container according to claim 2, wherein comprising the steps of: closing the lid on the hollow base body by coupling of the internal thread of the lid with the external thread of the neck of the refill bottle, and reversibly engaging the head of the wand inside the lid of the hollow case bods.

13. A method for assembling the container according to claim 4, comprising the step of: closing the hollow cylindrical lid on the hollow base body by coupling of the internal thread of the hollow cylindrical lid with the external thread of the neck of the refill bottle, wherein the wand is engaged reversibly inside the hollow cylindrical lid.

14. The method according to claim 12, further comprising the following steps: inserting the refill bottle into the hollow base body of the container, by passing the refill bottle through the mouth of the base body and performing a removable or reversible coupling, by screwing the external thread of the refill body and the internal thread of the hollow base body to each other; locking the scraper plug into the mouth of the neck of the bottle, by engaging an external collar of the scraper in a groove of the mouth of the neck; inserting the wand into a hollow cylindrical lid of the container, by locking ribbing of the head of the wand against an inner wall of the hollow cylindrical lid, screwing the wand for the cosmetic product, from below, to the inside the hollow cylindrical lid of the container; and subsequently introducing the stem of the wand which carries an applicator into the bottle by passing the stem through the scraper plug.