jar

Abstract

A jar (1) comprising an outer glass container (2), a cap (3) associated with the outer container (2), and an inner plastic container (4), the inner container being equipped with a flange (4A) that rests on a surface (2A) of a mouth (5) of the outer container, the mouth (5) being determined by a perimeter wall (5A), the said jar being characterised by the fact that the inner container (4) features, fitted thereonto, a retaining ring (7), the retaining ring (7) being a separate piece from the inner container (4) and featuring at least one outer surface (7A) made of an elastic material and being configured to adapt, by deformation, to the perimeter wall (5A) of the outer container, so as to lock the inner container (4) in the jar (1) in a removable manner.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The present invention relates to a jar.

[0002] In particular, the present invention refers to a refillable jar.BACKGROUND ART

[0003] Commonly known jars, usually made of glass and equipped with a plastic screw-on cap, are used to store cosmetic or medical creams, which can be very expensive.

[0004] Therefore, these jars and their caps have an extremely elegant, eye-catching appearance. The jar and cap may be richly decorated and feature high-quality finishes, including those of a metallic kind.

[0005] When the contents of the jar are finished, both the jar and the cap must be thrown away, resulting in a significant waste of materials.SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0006] The object of the present invention is to provide a jar which is improved with respect to the prior art.

[0007] A further object of the invention is to provide a jar which is refillable.

[0008] This and other objects are achieved by means of a jar according to the technical teachings of the claims annexed hereto.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[0009] Further characteristics and advantages of the invention will become clearer in the description of a preferred but not exclusive embodiment of the jar, illustrated - by way of a non-limiting example - in the drawings annexed hereto, in which: Figure 1 is a simplified exploded axial sectional view of the jar according to the present invention; Figure 2 is a sectional view, taken along section line II-II in Figure 3, of an inner container of the jar according to the present invention, and of the cap thereof (taken along the section line II-II in Figure 4); Figure 3 is a plan view of the inner container in Figure 2 without a cap; and Figure 4 is a top-down plan view of the cap of the inner container in Figure 2. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] With reference to the figures stated, reference number 1 is used to denote, as a whole, a jar.

[0011] The jar 1 comprises an outer glass container 2, a cap 3 coupled with the outer container 2, and an inner container 4 made of plastic.

[0012] In Figure 1, the various constituent parts of the jar are shown separately, in an exploded view, prior to assembly.

[0013] The inner container is equipped with a flange 4A which rests on a surface 2A of a mouth 5 of the outer container when the inner container is lowered into the outer container.

[0014] Specifically, in the above configuration, the flange 4A directly rests on the surface of the mouth 5 of the outer container.

[0015] The mouth 5 is determined by an internal perimeter wall 5A made at the neck 13 of the outer container 2.

[0016] The internal perimeter wall 5A faces the internal of the container.

[0017] The outer container 2 may feature, on the neck 13 thereof, a thread 14 which engages with a corresponding mating thread 15 on the cap 3.

[0018] The cap 3 may feature a gasket 16 configured to rest on and seal at least the flange 4A of the inner container 4.

[0019] To stabilise the inner container 4 when inserted in the outer container 2, the inner container 4 features a retaining ring 7 fitted thereonto.

[0020] The retaining ring 7 is a separate piece from the inner container 4.

[0021] The retaining ring 7 features at least one external surface 7A made of an elastic material and configured to adapt, by deformation, to the perimeter wall 5A of the outer container, so as to secure the inner container 4 in the jar 1 in a removable manner.

[0022] The elastic material of the outer surface 7A is made is preferably TPE or LDPE.

[0023] In this text, 'elastic material' means a material with a Shore A hardness of between 30 and 80 and / or a density of between 0.8 and 1 g / cm 3< and / or a breaking strength of 3 to 10 MPa and / or an elongation at break of 500 to 900%.

[0024] Advantageously, the retaining ring has a rigid core 7B that supports the outer surface 7A made of an elastic material.

[0025] Therefore, the retaining ring 7 is made of two different materials, one for the rigid core 7B and one for its outer surface 7A.

[0026] In this text, the term 'rigid' means that the core 7B is made of a material which is less elastic than that of the outer surface and does not deform significantly when subjected to the workloads imposed by the jar's configuration.

[0027] Advantageously, the core 7B can also be made of a material that is more rigid than the material used for the inner container.

[0028] The material used for the core 7B may be, for example, PP or HDPE.

[0029] Preferably, the core 7B is made of the same material as the inner container 2 and has a thickness SP which is greater than or equal to the thickness SP1 of the wall of the inner container 2.

[0030] Essentially, when the inner container is inserted into the outer container 2, the core 7B does not undergo any deformation resulting from the positioning thereof inside the outer container 2 and from the deformation of the elastic outer surface 7A of the said ring 7.

[0031] Essentially, the presence of the core 7B prevents the forces resulting from the deformation of the external surface 7A in contact with the wall 5A of the mouth 5 of the outer container 2 being transmitted to the inner container (or rather, the wall thereof).

[0032] Even if the core 7B were to transmit radial forces to the inner container 2, from the analysis of Figure 1, it emerges immediately that the combined thickness of the material (i.e. the combined core 7B of the ring 7 and the container wall) that resists such radial forces is greater than the thickness of the wall of the inner container 2 alone.

[0033] This device prevents the wall of the inner container 4 (which can be very thin) undergoing unsightly deformations as a result of the deformation of the external surface 7A of the ring 7 in contact with the wall 5A and of the radial forces caused by such deformation.

[0034] It goes without saying that, thanks to the presence of the ring 7, the positioning of the inner container inside the outer container 2 is extremely stable; the coupling is, in any case, configured to allow removal of the inner container 2 by applying force to the flange 4A.

[0035] Nevertheless, during use, i.e. when taking the substance from the inner container 4, no movement of the inner container 4 occurs with respect to the outer container 2.

[0036] Advantageously, the retaining ring 7 is snap-fitted onto the inner container, preferably by means of the rigid core 7B.For this purpose, the rigid core may feature a tooth D1 that snap-fits onto a counter / mating tooth D2 of the inner container 4 when the ring 7 is resting on a shoulder S of the inner container 4.

[0037] Torsional coupling means, not shown, may also be featured between the ring 7 and the inner container 4.

[0038] Advantageously, the retaining ring 7 is distant form the flange 4A of the inner container 4.

[0039] According to one aspect of the invention, the rigid core 7A and the external surface 7B (and therefore the ring 7) can be made using a bi-injection moulding technique.

[0040] This technique has been found to be extremely advantageous for producing the ring 7, which is subsequently snap-fitted onto (or engaged by an undercut feature with) the inner container 4.

[0041] Figure 2 shows that the inner container 4 may feature a removable cap 8, which couples sealingly with the inner container and is designed to protect the contents thereof when the inner container 4 is used as a refill.

[0042] The cap 8 may be discarded once the refill is fitted in the inner container 2.

[0043] Advantageously, the cap 8 is made of plastic and features a gasket 8A moulded onto a rigid part 8B of the cover by means of a bi-injection technique.

[0044] Advantageously, the material used for the gasket 8A may be the same as that used for the elastic surface 7A of the ring 7.

[0045] The rigid part of the cap 8, meanwhile, may be made of the same material as the inner container 4.

[0046] From an analysis of Figures 2 and 3, it can be noted that the cap has at least two, preferably three L-shaped (from an axial sectional view) hooks 9 configured to engage with corresponding arched windows 10 featured on the flange 4A of the inner container 4.

[0047] Each arched window 10 may have a wider portion 10A and a narrower portion 10B so that each hook can freely penetrate the wider portion, while engaging with the edge of the window when rotated, driven by the rotation of the cap 8 (achieved using, for example, the handgrip 18) at the narrower portion 10B in order to secure the cap 8 to the inner container 4.

[0048] To conclude the description, it must be stressed that the arched window 10 may feature a protrusion 11 that engages (for example, by snap-fitting) with a seat 12 in the cap 8, which is visible near the L-shaped hook 9 when the cap 8 is closed.

[0049] Various embodiments of the innovation have been disclosed herein, but further embodiments may also be conceived using the same innovative concept.

Claims

1. Jar (1) comprising an outer container (2) made of glass, a cap (3) associated with the outer container (2) and an inner container (4) made of plastic, the inner container being provided with a flange (4A) which, when the inner container (4) is inside the outer container (2) rests on a surface (2A) of a mouth (5) of the outer container (2), the mouth (5) being defined by an internal perimeter wall (5A), characterized in that the inner container (4) has, shod on it, a retaining ring (7), the retaining ring (7) being a separate piece with respect to the inner container (4), the retaining ring (7) having at least an outer surface (7A) made of an elastic material, configured to adapt, by deforming, to the perimeter wall (5A) of the outer container (2), so as to removably lock the inner container (4) into the outer container (2), wherein the retaining ring (7) includes a rigid core (7B) supporting the outer surface (7A) made of elastic material, the rigid core (7B) being made of a material which is less elastic than the elastic material of the outer surface (7A) so that it does not deform significantly when subjected to the workloads imposed by the jar's configuration.

2. Jar according to the preceding claim, wherein the retaining ring (7) is snap-attached to the inner container through the rigid core (7B).

3. Jar according to claim 2, wherein the rigid core provides a tooth (D1) that is snap-engaged in a counter-tooth (D2) of the inner container 4, when the ring (7) stops against a shoulder (S) of the inner container (4).

4. Jar according to claim 1, wherein the rigid core (7A) and the outer surface (7B) are made by bi-injection.

5. Jar according to claim 1, wherein the inner container (4) includes a removable lid (8) that tightly couples to the inner container, the lid being configured to protect the inner container (4) content when used as a refill.

6. Jar according to claim 5, wherein the lid (8) is made of plastic and provides a gasket (8A) molded onto a rigid portion (8B) of the cover by bi-injection.

7. Jar according to claim 5, wherein the lid (8) has at least two, preferably three L-shaped hooks (9) configured to engage in corresponding arched windows (10) provided on the flange (4A) of the inner container (4), each arched window (10) providing for an enlarged portion (10A) and a narrowed portion (10B) so that, each hook can freely penetrate the enlarged portion, while being engaged with the edge of the window when it is rotated, dragged by the rotation of the lid (8), at the restricted portion (10B) in order to bind the lid (8) to the inner container (4).

8. Jar according to the preceding claim wherein the arched window (10) provides a protrusion (11) that snap-engage a corresponding seat (12) of the lid (8) close to the L-shaped hook (9), when the lid (8) is closed.

9. Jar according to claim 1, wherein the outer container provides, on a neck thereof (13) a thread (14) that engages with a corresponding counterthread (15) made on the cap (3).

10. Jar according to claim 1, wherein the cap (3) has a gasket (16) configured to rest and seal at least on the flange (4A) of the inner container (4).

11. Jar according to claim 1, wherein the retaining ring (7) is distant from the flange (4A) of the inner container.

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