Refillable cup for cosmetic product dispensing container

Description

Technical field of the invention

[0001] The invention relates to a cup for refilling a jar with cosmetic product, such as skincare cream or makeup powder.

[0002] In this case, the jar includes a base that holds the cup containing the cosmetic product. When the cup is empty, simply remove it and place a new one in the base. Technical background

[0003] We are familiar with cosmetic product dispenser jars, which consist of a base that holds a small cup containing a cosmetic product. These jars are sealed with lids. They are refillable. When the cup is empty, it is replaced with another cup filled with a new cosmetic product. This allows us to keep the jar and its lid, which are often made of high-quality materials such as glass, concrete, or wood, and only discard the cup, which is usually made of plastic.

[0004] When the bucket is placed in the base, it can sometimes be difficult to remove for replacement, as the bucket has no accessible surface for gripping. It is, in fact, completely embedded in the base.

[0005] To overcome this drawback, it is known to provide a collar at the top of the cup which rests on the upper edge of the base, allowing the user to grip the cup with their fingernails by the collar.

[0006] However, this collar is thin, and sometimes stuck to the upper edge of the base due to fouling, and the user has to try several times to successfully remove the cup from the base.

[0007] On the other hand, when the bucket is in place in the base, it tends to rotate within the base when the user retrieves product, which is undesirable.

[0008] Document KR102164827 discloses a pot comprising a cup with a collar. Summary of the invention

[0009] The present invention aims to overcome the various drawbacks mentioned above by means of a bucket that can be easily gripped by the user to facilitate both its removal from the base and its placement within the base. This bucket must also be easily moved into its final position within the base.

[0010] This goal is achieved through a cosmetic product dispenser pot according to claim 1.

[0011] Preferred embodiments are specified in dependent claims 2 to 9. Brief description of the figures

[0012] Other features and advantages of the invention will become apparent upon reading the detailed description that follows, for an understanding of which reference should be made to the attached drawings in which: There figure 1 is a perspective view of a pot according to the invention; The figure 2 is an exploded perspective view of the pot; The figure 3 represents the base of the pot; The figure 4 represents the pot's cup; The figure 5 is another view of the pot's cup. Detailed description of the invention

[0013] By convention, the "axial" direction corresponds to the main extension direction of the receptacle, illustrated by the X-axis on the figure 1 and the "radial" direction is orthogonal to the axial direction.

[0014] In the detailed description of the figures that follows, the terms "superior" and "inferior" or "top" and "bottom" will be used without limitation in reference to the axial direction.

[0015] Similarly, the terms "outside or external" and "inside or internal" are used with reference to the radial direction, an outside element being radially further from the X axis than an inside element.

[0016] The jar 1 cosmetic product dispenser shown at Figures 1 And 2 , extends along a principal axis X, and is mainly made up of a base 2 into which a cup 3 is inserted. A lid (not shown) closes the base 2 in a watertight manner by screwing, or by any other conventional means of fixing.

[0017] Cup 3 contains the cosmetic product. Cup 3 is a refillable container and is removable from base 2 so that it can be replaced with a new cup 3 filled with product when the previous one is empty.

[0018] A cosmetic product is, for example, a product such as makeup powder, or a semi-fluid product such as a cream or foundation.

[0019] Base 2 and cup 3 have shapes of revolution around the main X axis. They are hollow and open at the top.

[0020] The cup 3, which is suitable for holding the product, fits inside the base 2.

[0021] Base 2 has a background.

[0022] However, an embodiment in which the base 2 has no bottom falls within the scope of the present invention. In this case, the bottom 10 of the cup 3 will serve as the bottom for the pot 1.

[0023] Bucket 3 as illustrated in Figures 4 and 5 , has a peripheral wall 31 and is open at the top.

[0024] The peripheral wall 31 is surmounted by a flat external shoulder 33 oriented perpendicularly to the X axis. From this external shoulder 33 extends an annular collar 32 oriented parallel to the X axis. This collar 32 extends towards the bottom 10 of the cup 3.

[0025] This collar 32 is continuous all around the upper part of the cup 3. It is located at a distance from the peripheral wall 31 of the cup 3, so as to create a gap 35 between them, the function of which will be specified later in the description.

[0026] This collar 32 has a lower rim 36 of continuous profile extending around the entire perimeter of the collar 32.

[0027] This lower rim 36 has ramps 30 for positioning the bucket 3 in the base 2.

[0028] Preferably the lower rim 36 has two diametrically opposed ramps 30.

[0029] In another example, the collar 32 could include more than two ramps 30.

[0030] The transition from one ramp 30 to the next is achieved via a return 39 positioned at the end of one ramp 30 and at the start of the adjacent ramp 30. Thus, each ramp 30 begins after a return 39, and each ramp 30 ends with a return 39. Each return 39 marks a junction between two ramps 30 so as to form the continuous profile of the outer shoulder 26.

[0031] The inclination of the ramps 30 is directed towards the bottom 10 of the bucket 3, while the inclination of the return 39 is directed towards the outer shoulder 33 of the bucket 3. The ramp 30 and the return 39 thus have opposite slopes.

[0032] The collar 32 has gripping tabs 34, that is to say relatively large areas allowing the user to place their fingers on them to grip the cup 3 well.

[0033] Each area must be large enough to accommodate at least one finger. Preferably, the collar 32 has two diametrically opposed tabs 34. This allows the user to hold the cup 3 with two fingers of the same hand.

[0034] In another example, there could be three or four tabs 34.

[0035] The tabs 34 are delimited mainly on one side by the end of a ramp 30 and its return 34, and on the other side by the edge 11 located between the outer shoulder 33 and the collar 32.

[0036] Base 2 as illustrated in the figure 3The base 2 comprises a reservoir 21 surmounted by a neck 22 having fastening means adapted to cooperate with a lid. Specifically, this consists of an external thread 25 provided around the neck 22, which is adapted to cooperate with an internal thread provided in the lid. More precisely, the neck 22 of the base 2 has a lower annular area 23 for fastening with the lid, as this lower annular area 23 includes the aforementioned external thread 25.

[0037] The neck 22 of the base 2 also has an upper annular area 24 intended to accommodate the collar 32 of the cup 3 when the latter is placed in the base 2.

[0038] This upper annular zone 24 is thinned, meaning that its thickness is less than the thickness of the lower annular zone 23. This results in the creation of an external shoulder 26.

[0039] This external shoulder 26 has a continuous profile which follows the profile of the lower rim 36 of the collar 32. There is therefore a concordance of shape between the lower rim 36 and the shoulder 26, so that the lower rim 36 can rest on the shoulder 26 after the cup 3 has been put into position in the base 2.

[0040] The external shoulder 26 has a plurality of ramps 20 and returns 29, like the lower rim 36. Thus, each ramp 20 ends with a return 29 and starts after a return 29, each return 29 marking a junction between two ramps 20 so as to form the continuous profile of the external shoulder 26.

[0041] When the user mounts the bucket 3 into the base 2, they insert the peripheral wall 31 of the bucket 3 into the cavity of the base 2, and then the ramp 39 of the lower rim 36 comes into contact with the ramp 29 of the outer shoulder 26. To complete the insertion of the bucket 3, the user simply rotates the bucket 3 relative to the base 2 so that the lower rim 36 slides along the shoulder 26 and the ramps 30 and 20, until the tabs 39 of the lower rim 36 of the bucket 3 abut against the tabs 29 of the outer shoulder 26 of the base 2. These stops indicate the end of the mounting of the bucket 3 in the base 2. The bucket 3 is then positioned in the base 2. This insertion and positioning is very easy thanks to the continuous and clean lines. of the collar 32 of the cup 3 and of the neck 22 of the base 2.

[0042] We understand from this description that the insertion of the bucket 3 into the base 2 is done with one hand, by an axial movement of the bucket 3 relative to the base 2, then continues by positioning the bucket 3 in the base 2 by a rotational movement of the bucket 3 relative to the base 2.

[0043] When the cup 3 is positioned in the base 2, the end of the refined upper annular zone 24 is housed in the gap 35 of the cup 3 provided between the collar 32 and the peripheral wall 31 of the cup 3. The collar 32 then externally covers the refined upper annular zone 24. Preferably, the thickness of the collar 32 compensates for the thinning of the upper annular zone 24 so that the collar 32 is flush with the lower annular zone 23. The collar 32 is thus fitted into the upper annular zone 24 of the neck 22.

[0044] Advantageously, the pot 1 includes means for axially locking the bucket 3 in the base 2.

[0045] These means of axially locking the bucket 3 consist, for example, of a rib 28 provided on the upper annular area 24 of the base 2, as illustrated in figure 3 , and capable of positioning itself axially downstream, i.e. above, another rib 38 provided for this purpose in the internal wall of the collar 32 as illustrated in figure 5The ribs 28 and 38 are oriented radially to prevent any axial movement of the bucket 3 relative to the base 2. In other words, the base 2 has an upper rib 28, and the bucket 3 has a lower rib 38, so that the upper rib 28 holds the lower rib 38 in place when the user accidentally raises the bucket 3 along the X-axis. The upper rib 28 acts as a stop against which the lower rib 38 bears during an accidental axial retraction of the bucket 3 relative to the base 2.

[0046] The upper rib 28 acts as a hard point to overcome when effectively removing bucket 3.

[0047] In the example shown, the rib 28 of the base 2 extends from a return 29 of the external shoulder 26 onto the refined upper annular area, and the rib 38 of the cup 3 extends from a return 39 of the lower rim 36, to the reverse of a gripping tab 34. Thus, the fitting of the rib 28 into the gap 35 above the rib 38 takes place only at the end of the assembly of the cup 3 into the base 2.

[0048] In another example, rib 38 could be replaced by a groove into which rib 28 is inserted.

[0049] Advantageously, the pot 1 includes means for locking the cup 3 in rotation within the base 2.

[0050] These means of preventing the rotation of the bucket 3 consist, for example, of a notch 27 provided on the external shoulder 26 of the base 2 as illustrated in figure 3, and suitable for receiving a protrusion 37 provided for this purpose on the lower rim 36 of the collar 32 of the cup 3 as illustrated in figure 4 The notch 27 and the protrusion 37 are each located at the very beginning of the ramp 20, 30, just downstream of a return 29, 39, so that they only engage at the end of the assembly of the bucket 3 in the base 2. After engagement, the bucket 3 is locked in rotation relative to the base 2, in both directions of rotation, because the protrusion 37 comes to rest against the lateral walls defining the notch 27. Thus, the bucket 3 can no longer rotate in the base 2.

[0051] In another example, the notch 27 could be made on the lower rim 36 of the collar 32 of the cup 3, while the protrusion would be provided on the external shoulder 26 of the base 2.

[0052] Preferably, base 2 is made of glass, terracotta, concrete, wood, or metal to ensure an aesthetic effect, and pot 3 is made of aluminum or plastic material.

[0053] The plastic material may be chosen from polypropylene (PP), recycled polypropylene (R-PP), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), recycled polyethylene terephthalate (R-PET), a thermoplastic elastomer (TPE), polyethylene (PE), such as low-density polyethylene (LDPE) and / or high-density polyethylene (HDPE), a composite material, a post-consumer recycled material (PCR and / or a similar material). Preferably, it is recycled or non-recycled polypropylene and / or polyethylene terephthalate.

[0054] Thus, advantageously, all the parts, namely the base 2, the cup 3 and possibly the lid, are made of plastic material chosen from polypropylene and / or polyethylene terephthalate.

[0055] Furthermore, the use of plastic materials, in particular similar plastic materials for the entire pot 1, makes recycling easier.

[0056] In particular, polypropylene and polyethylene terephthalate are two plastics whose recycling cycle is well known.

[0057] Pot 1 can be made using 3D printing.

[0058] In particular, the base 2, the cup 3, and possibly the lid can be produced using 3D printing. This printing process allows for a great deal of freedom in creating these parts, which can feature patterns and shapes that contribute to the aesthetic appeal of the pot 1.

[0059] The configurations shown in the cited figures are only possible examples, in no way limiting, of the invention which on the contrary encompasses variants of forms and designs within human reach, as defined by the attached claims.

Claims

1. A cosmetic product dispensing container (1) designed to hold a cup (3) containing cosmetic product, the container having a central axis X and comprising a base (2) comprising a reservoir (21) topped by a neck (22), the reservoir (21) defining a cavity capable of receiving the cup (3) and being open at the top and capable of being closed by a lid, the neck (22) of the base (2) having a lower annular zone (23) for attachment to the lid (5) and an upper annular zone (24) for attachment to the cup (3), the neck (22) comprising means for axially locking the cup (3) in the base (2) and means for locking the rotation of the cup (3) in the base (2), characterized in that said axial locking means are independent from said rotation locking means.

2. The container (1) according to the preceding claim, characterized in that said axial locking means consist in part of a rib (28) provided on the upper annular zone (24) of the base (2), said rib (28) being oriented radially.

3. The container (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the upper annular zone (24) of the neck (22) is tapered, said lower annular zone (23) being delimited from the upper annular zone (24) by an external shoulder (26) with a continuous profile on which a flange of the cup (3) is able to rest after the cup (3) has been positioned in the base (2).

4. The container (1) according to the preceding claim, characterized in that said means for locking the rotation of the cup (3) consist in part of a notch (27) provided on the external shoulder (26) of the base (2).

5. The container (1) according to one of claims 3 to 4, characterized in that the external shoulder (26) has a plurality of ramps (20) and returns (29), each ramp (20) ending in a return (29), and each ramp (20) starting after a return (29), each return (29) marking a junction between two ramps (20) so as to form the continuous profile of the external shoulder (26).

6. The container (1) according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the notch (27) is provided at the start of the ramp (20) just downstream of a return 29.

7. The container (1) according to one of claims 5 to 6, characterized in that the rib (28) extends from a return (29).

8. The container (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it is made of plastic.

9. The container (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the base (2) is made of glass.