compact rechargeable case
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- FR · FR
- Patent Type
- Patents
- Current Assignee / Owner
- LOREAL SA
- Filing Date
- 2021-06-28
- Publication Date
- 2026-06-12
Smart Images
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Abstract
Description
Description Title of the invention: Compact rechargeable case SUMMARY In terms of sustainability, refillable packaging is very important because more and more consumers are looking for eco-friendly alternatives. The availability of refillable options is also often more economical. This disclosure relates to refillable powder compacts, such as compact makeup cases. The refillable powder compact has an outer case with a compartment to hold a removable inner tray containing the formulation. The outer case may be made of high-quality materials that can last for an extended period so as not to be discarded or disposed of after the formulation is depleted, and the inner tray may be made of less expensive, lightweight materials that can be replaced with a new tray when the formulation is exhausted. The invention relates to a compact housing, comprising: -a formulation tray having a hollow formed from the top of a vertical wall surrounding a bottom of the tray, and a flange extending outwards from the outside of the wall; - a first frame that rests on the top of the bridle; and - a second frame which supports the formulation tray, in which a gap separates the bottom of the formulation tray from the top of the second frame. In one embodiment, the first frame and the second frame are connected by a hinge which allows the first frame to pivot upwards; and in which the first frame and the second frame are further connected by a clasp. In another embodiment, the compact case includes a lid and a bottom tray, in which the lid and the bottom tray are connected by a hinge and a clasp, and the first frame, the formulation tray and the second frame are enclosed within the lid and the bottom tray. In another embodiment, the tray is made of polyethylene terephthalate, polylactic acid, starch-based resins, polyhydroxyalkanoates, or polycaprolactone. In another embodiment, the flange is connected to the vertical wall by a bend at the top of the wall; in which the bend extends outwards from the top of the wall, then downwards, then outwards to form the flange. In another embodiment, a separation between the bottom of the tray and a top of the second frame is 0.1 mm to | mm. In another embodiment, the tray is a monolithic sheet that has a thickness is substantially uniform, and a flange thickness is similar to a vertical wall thickness. In another embodiment, the gap extends over an entire width and length of the bottom of the formulation tray. In another embodiment, the gap extends over a major part of a width and length of the bottom of the formulation tray; and wherein spring tabs on a top of the second frame come into contact with the bottom of the formulation tray and leave no gap between them. In another embodiment, the second frame supports the formulation tray at one side of the underside of the flange. In one embodiment, the compact unit is easily refilled by the consumer. A wide variety of choices are possible for the refill tray and formulation. In one embodiment, the housing may include a mirror on a hinged frame. The hinged frame can be used to secure the tray in place. In one embodiment, the compact case provides for easy opening and closing mechanisms for the consumer, and provides for the firm holding of the tray during use to allow it to be wiped with a brush or pad. In one embodiment, the refillable compact case can use less plastic for the same amount of volume than conventional non-refillable disposable powder compacts. Using a refillable powder compact with a replaceable tray produces less waste overall and is an environmentally friendly option compared to disposable powder compacts. In one embodiment, the compact housing has a removable vacuum-formed formulation tray that has flanges to support the removable vacuum-formed tray, so that the tray is firmly clamped between a bottom frame and a hinged top frame. In one embodiment, the flanges are positioned at a sufficient height on the tray to create a gap between the bottom of the formulation tray and the base frame. This gap absorbs shocks from impacts, such as a fall. This summary is provided to present a selection of concepts in a simplified form, which are described in more detail below in the detailed description. This summary is not intended to identify key features of the claimed subject matter, nor to be used as an aid in determining the scope of the claimed subject matter. DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The aforementioned aspects and many related advantages of this invention will be more readily appreciated as they are better understood with reference to the following detailed description, when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which: [Fig.1] [Fig.1] is a schematic illustration of a compact case; [Fig.2] [Fig.2] is a schematic exploded view illustration of the compact housing of [Fig.1]; [Fig.3] [Fig.3] is a schematic exploded view illustration of the compact housing of [Fig.1]; [Fig.4] [Fig.4] is a schematic cross-section illustration of the compact housing of [Fig.1]; [Fig.5] [Fig.5] is a schematic illustration of the compact housing of [Fig.1] in an open position for removing the formulation tray; [Fig. 6] [Fig. 6] is a schematic illustration of a variant construction of the base frame used in the compact housing of [Fig. 1]; and [Fig.7] [Fig.7] is a schematic illustration of the background frame of [Fig.6] and a modified top frame. DETAILED DESCRIPTION Figure 1 illustrates an embodiment of a compact case 100. In one embodiment, the compact case 100 can be used to hold makeup, such as a pressed powder bar used for blush, eyeshadow, and the like. In one embodiment, the pressed powder bar is provided in a removable tray that allows the user to replace the tray with a different formulation by changing the tray. A plurality of trays, each with a different formulation, can be made available to the user so that the user can select the tray and formulation to be placed within the compact case 100. In one embodiment, the formulation may include pressed powder bars; however, in other embodiments, the formulation may include ointments, gels, salves, creams, lotions, and the like.In one embodiment, the overall shape of the compact housing 100 is square or rectangular. In another embodiment, the front, rear, right, and left side views of the compact housing are rectangular. However, the compact housing can be made using other shapes, including rectangular, circular, oval, or combinations thereof. In other words, the compact housing 100 and its internal parts can be constructed such that a top and bottom plan view is rectangular, circular, or oval, and side views of the compact housing 100 are rectangular, circular, or oval. oval. Figures 2 and 3 illustrate individual parts used in an embodiment of the compact housing 100. In one embodiment, the compact housing 100 comprises a lid 102, a top frame 104, a formulation tray 106, a bottom frame 108 (or 208), a mirror 110, and a bottom tray 112. Here, the "top" frame and the "bottom" frame can also be referred to as the "first" frame and "second" frame, respectively. In one embodiment, the lid 102 and the bottom tray 112 form a box-shaped container in which the top frame 104, the formulation tray 106, the bottom frame 108 (or 208), and the mirror 110 are enclosed. As a result, the top frame 104, the formulation tray 106, the bottom frame 108 (or 208) and the mirror 110 have a corresponding shape to fit within a box, meaning that they have four sides, including right and left sides, and front and back sides.However, containers of other shapes can be formed, and the top frame 104, the formulation tray 106, the bottom frame 108 (or 208), and the mirror 110 would be formed to fit within the shape of the container. In this application, spatial terms, such as right, left, front, back, top, bottom, and the like, may be used to describe the elements shown in the figures, for example, to describe the relationship of one element to one or more other elements. It will be understood that the spatial terms are intended to encompass different orientations of the apparatus in use or operation, in addition to the orientation shown in the figures. In one embodiment, the lid 102 has a flat, solid top and a shallow rim 116 extending below and around the top of the lid 102. The rim 116 extends from the outermost edge of the flat, solid top. In one embodiment, the lid 102 has a hinge 118 on the rear of the lid 102 that connects the lid 102 to the base plate 112 and allows the lid 102 to open by pivoting. The hinge 118 can be adjusted and secured in a slot 180 on the rear of the base frame 112. In one embodiment, the base plate 112 includes a clasp 122 on its front side. In one embodiment, the clasp 122 functions to keep the lid 102 closed. The lid 102 is opened when upward pressure is exerted on the front of the lid to overcome the resistance of the clasp 122.The clasp 122 can, for example, use any of many snap fasteners such as a flexible tab of reduced thickness material with a rib extending over the front which engages with a corresponding groove on the cover 102. In one embodiment, the top frame 104 has a flat top border 124 surrounding a square opening. A rim 126 extends downwards from the bottom of the rim 124 and perpendicular to it. The rim 126 is placed close to but on the inside of the outermost edges of the rim 124 so that there is an overhang 128 of the rim 124, as seen in [Fig. 4]. The overhang 128 rests on an inner shoulder 130 formed on the upper inner edge of the bottom plate 112, as seen in [Fig. 4]. In one embodiment, the formulation tray 106 has a closed square base 132 with a vertical wall 134 extending perpendicularly to the base 132. In another embodiment, the vertical wall 134 extends around the entire periphery of the base 132, thus forming a hollow 172 in the center of the tray 106, in which this hollow 172 is formed from the vertical wall 134 and the base 132, and has no apex. Any formulation 114 can be provided within the hollow 172, as seen in [Fig. 4]. In one embodiment, the tray 106 has a single hollow. However, in another embodiment, the tray 106 can be created with multiple hollows to provide a variety of different formulation options in a single tray. The tray 106 has an open top to allow access to the tray 106 and the formulation 114 located there from the opening of the top frame 104, after lifting the cover 102. In one embodiment, the tray 104 is manufactured by a vacuum forming process from a single sheet of material. In another embodiment, the tray 104 is formed from a monolithic (one-piece) sheet of material. In one embodiment, the tray 104 may have uniform or similar thicknesses throughout the bottom 132, the wall 134, and the flange 136, excluding bends in the material, which may form thin or thick points. In one embodiment, polyethylene terephthalate (PET) is used for the tray material. In another embodiment, the tray material is any biodegradable material, including polylactic acid, starch-based resins, polyhydroxyalkanoates, and polycaprolactone, for example. In one embodiment, as seen in [Fig.[4], the vertical wall 134 extends from the bottom 132 to the maximum height of the wall, where there is an elbow 138 that turns outwards and horizontally from the general vertical, then downwards or nearly vertically, and then outwards again, generally horizontally, to form a flange 136 extending outwards around the outer periphery of the wall 134 at a height that is approximately in the middle of the wall 134 or higher. In one embodiment, the dimensions of the tray are determined by the dimensions of the top frame 104 and the bottom frame 108, so that the flange 136 is at a height that keeps the bottom of the tray 106 separate from the top of the bottom frame 108. In one embodiment, the flange 136 has a similar thickness to the wall 134 since both are made from the same monolithic sheet. In a . In this embodiment, the flange 136 has a generally horizontal flat surface on the face of the flange 136 and a generally horizontal flat surface on the underside of the flange 136. The outward dimension of the flange 136, that is, the dimension extending away from the wall 134, can be from several millimeters to several centimeters, thus providing an adequate surface to support the flange 106 between the top frame 104 and the bottom frame 108. The flange 136 can be supported downwards by the lower inner side of the rim 124 of the top frame 104 on the bottom frame 108. In one embodiment, although the flange 136 is shown around the entire perimeter of the tray wall 134, the flange may be discontinuous and may be provided only on certain sides of the tray or any sections thereof. In one embodiment, the height of the flange 136 on the tray wall 134 is set to be a height that will leave a gap 168 between the bottom 132 of the tray 106 and the top of the bottom frame 108. In one embodiment, the bottom of the formulation tray 106 rests above, but does not touch, the top edge of the bottom frame 108, thus leaving a gap 168 between the bottom frame 108 and the formulation tray 106, as seen in [Fig. 4]. The gap 168 separates the entire width and length of the bottom of the formulation tray 106 from the top of the bottom frame 108. That is, the gap 168 extends in both the side-to-side and front-to-back dimensions, so that the entire bottom 132 of the formulation tray does not touch the top of the bottom tray 108. In one embodiment, the gap 168 is approximately 0.6 mm. In another embodiment, the gap 168 may be in the range of 0.1 mm to 1 mm or more.In one embodiment, the gap 168 may be approximately 0.1 mm, 0.2 mm, 0.3 mm, 0.4 mm, 0.5 mm, 0.6 mm, 0.7 mm, 0.8 mm, 0.9 mm, 1 mm, or any range using the aforementioned values as the lower and upper limits of the range. In one embodiment, the gap 168 may allow some displacement of the plate 106 to withstand sudden shocks from impacts such as a fall, in order to prevent the pressed powder block from breaking. In one embodiment, the bottom frame 108 is a thin, flat plate that is solid from front to back and from side to side. A recess 140 or a hollow, generally square in shape, may be formed on the upper side of the bottom frame 108, creating a square border 170 around the recess 140. The recess 140 may receive, but not touch, the bottom 132 of the formulation tray 106. A recess 142 may be formed on the underside of the bottom frame 108, leaving a border surrounding the recess 142. In one embodiment, the recess 142 may receive the mirror 110. However, the mirror 110 is optional. In one embodiment of In this design, the bottom frame 108 has one half of a hinge 144 positioned at the rear on the right side and including a slotted groove. A similar hinge is positioned at the rear on the left side, but is not visible. The top frame 104 has the other half of a hinge 146 positioned at the rear and including respective right and left side lugs with openings. The bottom tray 112 then has pockets 178 at the rear on the right and left sides to receive the hinges 144 and 146 of the top frame 104 and the bottom frame 108. The hinge 144 of the bottom frame 108 is, therefore, connected to the hinge 146 of the top frame 104, which allows the top frame 104 to pivot upwards, as illustrated in [Fig. 5].In one embodiment, the same hinge 144 of the bottom frame 108 and the same hinge 146 of the top frame 104 are also connected to the bottom plate 112; Therefore, the bottom tray 108 can also pivot upwards (together with the formulation tray 106 and the top frame 104) from the bottom tray 112. In all cases, hinge mechanisms are provided on the top frame 104 and on the bottom frame 108 to allow the top frame 104 to pivot upwards relative to the bottom frame 108, and to allow the bottom frame 108 to pivot upwards from the bottom tray 112. In addition, the lid 102 is configured to pivot upwards from the bottom tray 112, with hinge mechanisms also present on the lid 102 and the bottom tray 112. In one embodiment, the top of the base frame 108 may have discrete alignment blocks 160 and 162 extending vertically along the top edge 170 of the base frame 108. The alignment blocks 160 and 162 have ninety-degree bends to center the formulation tray 106 relative to the base frame 108. The tops of the alignment blocks 160 and 162 receive the underside of the flange 136. The base frame 108 may also have blocks 164 and 166 extending upward at the front of the base frame 108 to prevent the formulation tray 106 from sliding forward. Similarly, the tops of the blocks 164 and 166 receive the underside of the flange 136.Therefore, the spacer blocks 160, 162, 164, and 166 hold the formulation tray 106 in such a way that the formulation tray 106 rests by the flange 136 on the bottom frame blocks 160, 162, 164, and 166, so that the bottom of the formulation tray 106 does not come into contact with the top of the bottom frame 108, as seen in [Fig. 4]. In one embodiment, having only discrete blocks supporting the underside of the flange 136 can allow for better shock and impact absorption and greater tray flexibility compared to supporting the underside of the flange 136 entirely around the flange 136. However, in one embodiment, the support for the underside of the flange 136 can be made continuous so that the... The entire underside of flange 136 makes contact with a support structure. The dimensions, including height, side-to-side, and front-to-back dimensions, of top frame 104 and bottom frame 108 are based on the dimensions of plate 106, so that the tops of blocks 160, 162, 164, and 166 are aligned with flange 136. Furthermore, the edge 124 of top frame 104 is also configured based on the dimensions of plate 106 and flange 136. As seen in [Fig. 4], the top frame 104, and in particular the underside of the inner rim 124, comes into contact with and can press against the flange 136 of the formulation tray 106. The tray 106, which is supported by blocks on the bottom frame 108, is compressed between the top frame 104 and the bottom frame 108, with the flange 136 absorbing the compressive force. The flange 136 can allow some distortion of the center of the tray 106 due to the material bend 138 at the top of the formulation tray 106. Furthermore, while the formulation tray 106 is held by the flange 136, and the flange 136 is attached in a way that allows distortion, the flange 136 and the bend 138 can provide a spring-like shock-absorbing element that prevents the bread 114 from being dislodged or broken. Furthermore, as illustrated in [Fig. 2], the base frame 108 has a claw 148 on the right side and a claw 150 on the left side. The claws 148 and 150 extend outwards and parallel to the side from the lower edge of the base frame 108, as seen in [Fig. 4]. The top frame 104 has corresponding cutouts 152, 154 at the lower edge of the rim 126 on the respective right and left sides, as seen in FIGURES 3 and 4. The engagement of the cutouts 152, 154 with the claws 148, 150 allows the top frame 104 to interlock with the bottom frame 108. In one embodiment, the claws 148, 150 can also be used to support the bottom frame 108 on the bottom plate 112. In one embodiment, the bottom plate 112 has vertically extending uprights 174 attached to the inner wall of the bottom plate 112.Therefore, the claws 148, 150 rest on the tops of the uprights 174, as seen in [Fig. 4]. Furthermore, an additional space or cavity 176 can be created within the base tray 112 by resting the base frame 108 on raised uprights 174. The cavity 176 can be used to store brushes or applicator pads, for example. In one embodiment, the front side of the bottom frame 108 has a clasp 156 that engages with the front end of the top frame 104 to keep the top frame 104 closed vis-à-vis the bottom frame 108 and thus secure the formulation tray 106. The clasp 156 may be a flexible tab made of a thin material with a rib projecting forward, so that the rib can engage within a slot formed on the inside of the front of the rim 126. The lid 102 has an elongated tab 120 with the corresponding coupling piece for the clasp 122. In one embodiment, the top frame 104 may have a handle 158 for disengaging the top frame 104 from the bottom frame 108. In one embodiment, when the top frame 104 is closed onto the bottom frame 108, the entire assembly of the top frame 104, the formulation tray 106, and the bottom frame 108 can pivot upwards together as a unit to present the mirror 110 attached beneath the bottom frame 108. The bottom tray 112 has a depth to accommodate the combined height of the top frame 104, formulation tray 106, and bottom frame 108. Furthermore, the depth of the bottom tray 112 may also include a lower compartment when the assembly pivots upwards. This lower compartment can be used to hold a sponge / applicator. In one embodiment, with reference to [Fig. 6], an alternative to the base frame 108 is the base frame 208 with spring tabs 210 extending upwards from the top surface of the base frame 208. The spring tabs 210 are flexible so that they can deform at least in the up-down direction to absorb impacts. In the case of the base frame 208, the formulation tray 106 is located above the base frame 208 such that the underside of the bottom 132 of the formulation tray 106 touches and makes contact with the tops of the spring tabs 210. The spring tabs 210 can be formed from a piece of material bent upwards.For example, the flat top surface of the bottom frame 208 can be cut on three sides surrounding each spring tab 210, and the spring tab 210 is bent upwards. In one embodiment, four spring tabs 210 are used, each being placed inwards from each of the four corners of the bottom frame 208. Other parts of the bottom frame 208 can be similar to the bottom frame 108, including in terms of size and shape. For example, the bottom frame 208 has a suitable front clasp that locks with the front of the top frame 104. The bottom frame 208 has a rear hinge that cooperates with the hinges of the top frame 104 and the bottom tray 110 to allow the top frame 104 to pivot upwards relative to the bottom frame 208 and also allows the bottom frame 208 to pivot upwards relative to the bottom tray 112.When the bottom frame 208 replaces the bottom frame 108, the gap 168 is still present between the bottom 132 of the formulation tray 106 and the top of the bottom frame 208. However, in the case of the bottom frame 208, the gap 168 does not extend over the entire width and length of the bottom 132 of the formulation tray 106. In the case of the bottom frame 208, the gap 168 extends over most of the width and length. length of the bottom 132 of the formulation tray 106, the exceptions being the areas of the bottom 132 in contact with the tops of the spring tabs 210 leaving no gap between them. In one embodiment, the base frame 208 does not have the alignment blocks of the base frame 108. In one embodiment, when the base frame 208 is used in the compact housing 100, the flange 136 of the formulation tray 106 is not supported by the base frame 208; instead, the base frame 208 supports the formulation tray 106 by contact through the spring tabs 210. Figure 7 is an illustration showing the bottom frame 208 in a compact housing 200. In one embodiment, a variant of the top frame 204 is used with the bottom frame 208. The top frame 204 has many of the features described in association with the top frame 104. The differences are noted here. The top frame 204 has notches 212 formed in the left side of the downward-projecting rim 126. The notches 212 are intended to receive the tabs 214 on the side of the bottom frame 208, as seen in Figure 6. Therefore, the bottom frame 208 is held on one side of the top frame 204 by means of the tabs 214 and on the opposite side of the bottom frame 208, the clasp 216 locks onto the corresponding side of the rim on the top frame 204, thus allowing the formulation tray 106 to be enclosed between the top frame 204 and the bottom frame 208.In addition, the base frame 208 can be detached from the top frame 204 in order to replace the formulation tray 106 by undoing the clasp 216. As described, the compact housing 100 secures a pressed powder block 114 within the removable formulation tray 106. The top frame 104 and bottom frame 108 clamp the formulation tray 106, retaining the flange 136 of the tray 106. The thickness of the flange 136 is controlled by the resin sheet, which can be adjusted with very tight tolerances. Thus, the formulation tray 106 is firmly fixed within the compact housing 100 without any movement during normal use, while also providing shock absorption to withstand impacts. Similarly, another function of the formulation tray 106 is to protect the pressed powder block 114 under normal shipping, handling, and use conditions. The formulation tray 106 is made of a thin material to be flexible, which will absorb the energy of any external shock and vibration. Furthermore, the parts of the compact housing 100, including the lid 102, the top frame 104, the bottom frame 108, and the bottom tray 112, can be made of durable materials designed for longevity and have higher-quality finishes, resulting in an attractive exterior. The replaceable and disposable formulation tray 106 also offers environmental advantages by due to a much lighter component weight, In one embodiment, the lid 102, the top frame 104, the bottom frame 108 and the bottom tray 112 are made of one or more of acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS), glycol-modified polyethylene terephthalate (PETG) and styrene-acrylonitrile (SAN). While illustrative embodiments have been shown and described, it should be noted that various modifications can be made to them without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.
Claims
Demands
1. Compact housing (100), comprising: a formulation tray (106) having a hollow (172) formed from the top of a vertical wall (134) surrounding a bottom (132) of the tray (106), and a flange (136), the flange (136) being connected to the vertical wall (134) by an elbow (138) at the top of the wall (134); wherein the elbow (138) extends outwards from the top of the vertical wall (134), then downwards, then outwards to form the flange (136); a first frame (104) which presses on the top of the flange (136);and a second frame (108) which supports the formulation tray (106), in which a gap separates the bottom of the formulation tray (106) from the top of the second frame (108), the top of the second frame (108) comprising discrete alignment blocks (160, 162) extending vertically along a top edge (170) of the second frame (108), the alignment blocks (160, 162) having ninety-degree bends to center the formulation tray (106) vis-à-vis the second frame (108), the top of the alignment blocks (160, 162) receiving the underside of the flange (136); the top of the second frame (108) also comprising spacer blocks (164, 166) extending upwards at the front of the second frame (108), the top of the spacer blocks (164, 166) receiving the underside of the flange (136);the alignment blocks (160, 162) and the spacing blocks (164, 166) holding the formulation tray (106) so that the formulation tray (106) rests by the flange (136) on the alignment blocks (160, 162).;
2. Compact case (100) according to claim 1, in which the first frame (104) and the second frame (108) are connected by a hinge which allows the first frame (104) to pivot upwards; and in which the first frame (104) and the second frame (108) are further connected by a clasp (156).
3. Compact housing (100) according to claim 1, comprising a lid (102) and a base tray (112), wherein the lid (102) and the base tray (112) are connected by a hinge (118) and a clasp (122), and the first frame (104), the formulation tray (106) and the second frame (108) are enclosed within the lid (102) and the bottom tray (112).
4. Compact housing (100) according to claim 1, wherein the tray (104) is made of polyethylene terephthalate, polylactic acid, starch-based resins, polyhydroxyalkanoates, or polycaprolactone.
5. Compact case (100) according to claim 1, wherein a separation between the bottom (132) of the tray (106) and a top of the second frame (108) is 0.1 mm to 1 mm.
6. Compact housing (100) according to claim 1, wherein the tray (104) is a monolithic sheet which has a substantially uniform thickness, and a flange thickness (136) is similar to a vertical wall thickness (134).
7. Compact housing (100) according to claim 1, wherein the gap extends over an entire width and length of the bottom (132) of the formulation tray (106).