Removable sieve for cosmetic product containers such as glass jars, and jars equipped with such a sieve
A removable sieve with a rigid annular structure and elastically deformable legs addresses the challenge of secure retention and air evacuation in cosmetic containers, ensuring stable operation despite manufacturing tolerances.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- FR2023014187
- Authority / Receiving Office
- FR · FR
- Patent Type
- Patents
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2023-12-14
- Publication Date
- 2025-12-19
- Estimated Expiration
- 2043-12-14
AI Technical Summary
Cosmetic product containers, particularly glass jars, face challenges in securely holding a sieve in place while allowing easy installation and preventing the 'pop-up' effect of powder during use, due to variable manufacturing tolerances and the need for air escape.
A removable sieve with a rigid annular structure featuring peripheral beads with tangential flats and elastically deformable legs, ensuring secure retention and air evacuation, compatible with varying container dimensions.
The sieve remains firmly in place, preventing powder expulsion and ensuring air escape, maintaining effective operation despite manufacturing variations, and passing vacuum tests.
Smart Images
Figure 00000012_0000 
Figure 00000013_0000 
Figure 00000013_0001
Abstract
Description
Title of the invention: Removable sieve for a cosmetic product container such as a glass jar, and a jar equipped with such a sieve. Technical field of the invention
[0001] The present invention relates to a removable sieve intended to be inserted and held in place tightly in a neck of a cosmetic product receptacle, for example a glass jar. Previous technique
[0002] It is common practice to equip cosmetic product containers with a sieve, particularly when the product is a fine powder. The sieve generally serves to keep the powder within the container while allowing its application by tapping the central sieving area with a large applicator brush. This tapping action causes a small amount of cosmetic powder to rise through the openings in the sieving area, where it can then be picked up by the brush bristles before being applied to the skin (face, forehead, neck). This powder-picking operation can be repeated as long as sufficient powder remains above the sieving area. Any powder not picked up by the brush bristles can then pass back through the openings in the sieving area and return to the container.
[0003] However, the installation of such a sieve poses many design problems either during its positioning, because the powder can suddenly emerge in a cloud through the orifices of the sieving area when mounted in the neck of the container (a highly undesirable "pop-up" effect during filling on the production lines), or during use because the sieve must remain firmly in place in the neck of the container.
[0004] In the specific case of sieve positioning, it is necessary to allow air to pass through when the sieve is pressed and inserted into the neck of the receptacle, particularly when the openings in the sieving area are blocked by a sticker (or equivalent) preventing the powder from escaping. Indeed, the volume of air contained between the upper surface of the powder in the receptacle and the lower surface of the sieve's sieving area before it enters the neck must be able to escape easily and not be unnecessarily pressurized. Therefore, this forced insertion should be as easy as possible, while still allowing the sieve to be held securely once in place to prevent it from detaching from the neck of the receptacle. Adding at least one vent to the bottom of the receptacle can be a solution to this problem, but this complicates the design and manufacture of the receptacle and creates... risks of product leakage and is not possible, for example, in a glass jar.
[0005] It is therefore necessary that the sieve be sufficiently held, but that its "forced" installation not be too constraining during its axial introduction into the opening of the neck, which requires a compromise manifested by a particular design and dimensional tolerances which have not yet been achieved.
[0006] Moreover, in the more specific case of glass jars, it is known that manufacturing tolerances are more difficult to maintain, particularly due to the manufacturing process itself. It is indeed particularly complex to ensure, continuously and repeatedly on a production line, absolutely perfect manufacturing tolerances on glass parts, whether it concerns the internal diameter of the neck (and its upper opening) or, in the case of the presence of an internal radial shoulder, the diameter and / or height of this shoulder (its position relative to the upper rim of the neck and / or the bottom of the jar).
[0007] However, the sieve has dimensional tolerances that are much easier to control over a large quantity of identical parts to maintain because it is most often an element made of plastic material injected into a mold where the cooling of the material used and the shrinkage phenomena are better controlled.
[0008] In practical terms, and to summarize, while it is possible to ensure a manufacturing tolerance of one hundredth of a millimeter for a sieve, particularly with regard to the rigid annular structure that fits into the neck of the jar, it is more complex to be certain that thousands of identical jars produced by a glass-melting process will guarantee the same tolerances from one jar to another. It is therefore possible that a sieve may penetrate the neck of the jar more or less easily and / or remain more or less securely in place depending on the tolerances of the jar itself.
[0009] There is therefore a twofold design problem for sieves used in cosmetic product containers, particularly for glass jars, due to a potential inadequacy between easy installation (forced insertion) and firm retention under tension and rotation to prevent the sieve from unexpectedly coming out of the container. Presentation of the invention
[0010] The present invention aims to remedy these drawbacks by proposing a solution enabling the insertion of a plastic makeup sieve inside a container for cosmetic products, in particular in the neck of a glass jar, and guaranteeing its mechanical strength, its non-rotation during use, its sealing, and this despite variable dimensional tolerances from one receptacle to another, especially in the case of a glass jar.
[0011] To this end, according to a first aspect, the present invention relates to a removable sieve intended to be inserted and held tightly in place in a neck of cosmetic product receptacle, for example a glass jar, and comprising for this purpose at least one rigid annular structure in the form of a circular ring and an internal sieving surface surrounded by said annular structure and provided with a series of orifices through its thickness, the annular structure being provided with at least one peripheral bead having a series of tangential flats locally reducing the diameter of said bead.
[0012] Thanks to this solution, the pop-up effect of expulsion / unexpected loss of cosmetic product powder in the form of a cloud through the orifices is avoided, while allowing air to escape to ensure the operation of the sieve in vacuum leak test of the receptacle.
[0013] The invention is implemented according to the embodiments and variants set out below, which are to be considered individually or according to any technically feasible combination.
[0014] Advantageously, the flats of the first peripheral bead are distributed angularly in a regular manner over its circumference and are preferably in even numbers, advantageously from 4 to 12.
[0015] This solution makes it possible to distribute the stresses of the annular structure on the neck of the container and to provide the "breathing" zones in a homogeneous manner over its entire circumference.
[0016] Preferably, the annular structure is provided with at least one second peripheral bead parallel to the first bead and also comprising a series of tangential flats locally reducing the diameter of said second bead.
[0017] In addition, the flats of the second peripheral bead are regularly distributed angularly around its circumference and are preferably in even numbers, advantageously from 4 to 12.
[0018] According to a particular feature, the flats of the second peripheral bead are angularly offset with respect to the flats of the first peripheral bead.
[0019] This solution allows for better retention of the sieve in the receptacle by a homogeneous distribution of the forces of introduction on the one hand and of attachment on the other hand.
[0020] Preferably, the first and / or second peripheral bead(s) form(s) a continuous cord of material over its / their circumference and have(s) a constant radial thickness and / or height.
[0021] According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the annular structure comprises in its lower part a series of radially elastically deformable legs, each leg being provided with a protuberance projecting outwards.
[0022] Preferably, the legs are distributed angularly and regularly on the circumference of the annular structure and are preferably in even numbers, advantageously from 4 to 12.
[0023] According to a particular embodiment of the present invention, each protuberance has, according to a vertical section passing through a diameter of the annular structure, at least one upper inclined plane directed towards a lower edge of said annular structure.
[0024] Advantageously, each protuberance has, according to a vertical section passing through a diameter of the annular structure, at least one lower inclined plane directed towards an upper edge of said annular structure.
[0025] According to a particularly interesting aspect of the present invention, the sieving surface is of a flexible type and formed from a single piece with an annular structure.
[0026] According to a preferred feature of the present invention, the sieving surface is locally surrounded by a small rigid peripheral border connecting with the annular structure.
[0027] The present invention also relates to a cosmetic product receptacle, in particular a glass jar, having an upper neck into which a removable sieve as described above is inserted and held tightly in place.
[0028] According to a particular feature of the present invention, the inclined upper plane of each protuberance is arranged, when the sieve is assembled in the neck of the receptacle, under a shoulder locally reducing the diameter of said neck. Brief description of the figures
[0029] Other advantages, purposes and features of the present invention will become apparent from the following description, given for explanatory and not limiting purposes, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
[0030] [Fig-1] [Fig. 1] is an exploded perspective view of a first embodiment of a sieve and a receptacle for cosmetic product according to the present invention,
[0031] [Fig.2] [Fig.2] is a vertical cross-sectional view of the sieve and the receptacle of the [Fig.l],
[0032] [Fig.3] [Fig.3] is a perspective view of the sieve in Figures 1 and 2,
[0033] [Fig.4] [Fig.4] is a bottom view of [Fig.3],
[0034] [Fig.5] [Fig.5] is a side view of [Fig.4],
[0035] [Fig.6] [Fig.6] is a detail view B of [Fig.2],
[0036] [Fig.7] [Fig.7] is an exploded perspective view of an alternative embodiment of the [Fig.l],
[0037] [Fig.8] [Fig.8] is a vertical cross-sectional view of the sieve and the receptacle of the [Fig.7]
[0038] [Fig.9] [Fig.9] is a perspective view of the sieve in Figures 7 and 8,
[0039] [Fig. 10] [Fig. 10] is a bottom view of [Fig. 9],
[0040] [Fig.11] [Fig.11] is a side view of [Fig.10],
[0041] [Fig. 12] [Fig. 12] is a detail view B of [Fig. 8], and
[0042] [Fig. 13] [Fig. 13] is a detailed perspective cross-sectional view of [Fig. 9]. Description of the implementation methods
[0043] Figures 1 to 6 represent a first embodiment of a removable sieve 20 installed in a container 10 of powdered cosmetic product in accordance with the present invention to form an assembly 1.
[0044] For information purposes, this description is given on a non-limiting basis, each feature of an embodiment being able to be combined with any other feature of any other embodiment.
[0045] It is also noted from the outset that the figures are not necessarily to scale, in particular dimensional tolerances / assembly clearances, without this affecting their understanding.
[0046] The cosmetic product container 10 is in this case a glass jar manufactured using traditional industrial techniques (melting of the material, pouring into a mold, cooling, demolding, finishing if necessary). It comprises, for this purpose, a base 11 from which rises vertically a circumferential wall having an internal surface 12 and an external surface 13 having at its upper part a neck 14 provided with an external thread 15 and an upper annular rim 16.
[0047] The sieve 20 is preferably made of a single piece of injection-molded plastic such as bio-based and recyclable polypropylene, or an equivalent plastic material. It comprises, firstly, a sieving surface 21 in the form of a thin, uniform disc of plastic material with multiple through holes 22. The through holes 23 may be replaced by a mesh allowing the product to pass through in both directions, particularly when the sieving disc 21 is made of fabric. This sieving disc 21 is surrounded by a rigid annular ring-shaped structure 23 forming a peripheral wall having an upper positioning rim 24 and a lower rim 24b.
[0048] In the case where the sieving disc 21 is significantly more flexible than the annular structure 23, for example when it is made of mesh fabric, a peripheral border 29 that is more rigid than said sieving disc 21 surrounds the latter and forms a bond with the more rigid peripheral wall 23. This type of "mixed" structure is preferably made in one piece.
[0049] The annular structure 23 is provided with a first peripheral rim 25 and a second peripheral rim 26. These peripheral rims 25 and 26 are located between the upper rim 24 and the lower rim 24b and are parallel to each other and perpendicular to the axis XX' of revolution / symmetry of the sieving disk 21 and the peripheral wall 23.
[0050] These two peripheral ridges 25 and 26 protrude externally from the peripheral wall 23 and thus form a prominent cord of continuous or dotted material, each having a constant radial thickness and / or a constant height.
[0051] The first bead 25 comprises a series of tangential flats 27 locally reducing the diameter of said bead, for example from a few tenths of a millimeter to a few millimeters. In the present case, these flats 27 are four in number and are regularly distributed angularly around the circumference of the bead 25, that is to say, they are arranged every 90°.
[0052] The second bead 26 comprises a series of tangential flats 28 locally reducing the diameter of said bead, for example, from a few tenths of a millimeter to a few millimeters. In the present case, these flats 28 are four in number and are regularly spaced angularly around the circumference of the bead 26, that is to say, they are arranged every 90°.
[0053] As can be seen in [Fig.3], the flats 27 of the first bead 25 and the flats 28 of the second bead 26 are angularly offset by 45°. Thus, the peripheral wall 23 has flats arranged every 45° alternating from one bead to the other.
[0054] The sieve 20 can thus be easily placed in the receptacle 10 by positioning it opposite the opening of the neck 14, parallel to the plane defined by the upper annular rim 16, and by pressing along the axis XX' to force it into the neck 14.
[0055] Thanks to the ridges 25 and 26, the sieve 20 remains securely in place in the neck 14 because it is prevented from rotating about the axis XX' and from translating along said axis. This rotational restriction allows for the easy use of a makeup brush, which sweeps across the upper surface of the sieving disc 21 to collect the cosmetic powder. The axial restriction, for its part, prevents the sieve 20 from unexpectedly coming out of the neck 14 of the jar 10.
[0056] The flats 27 and 28 prevent the "pop-up" effect, which tends to cause the powder to suddenly burst out of the orifices 22 when the sieve is placed in the neck 14 of the container 10, resulting in the displacement of the air volume present between the upper surface of the powder and the lower surface of the sieving disc 21. Even if the orifices 22 are blocked, for example by a sticker, the flats 27 and 28 still allow this evacuation of pressurized air between the ridges 25 and 26 and the inner surface of the neck 14, without causing the powder to burst out. product.
[0057] After a series of vacuum tests, the sealing of the system at -800 mbar for one minute with a pot filled with water and a sticker covering the orifices 22 of the sieving disc 21 was successfully observed.
[0058] Figures 7 to 13 represent a second embodiment of a removable sieve 20 installed in a container 10 of powdered cosmetic product according to the present invention.
[0059] In order to simplify the description, the elements identical to those of the first embodiment bear the same references.
[0060] In this variant, as can be seen in particular in figures 8 and 12, the pot 10 has, below its neck 14, a shoulder 17 locally widening its diameter to its bottom 11. This shoulder 17 has a profile having two radii with reversed curvatures making the transition between the substantially axial (vertical) wall of the inside of the neck 14 and the substantially axial wall 12 of the inside of the pot 10.
[0061] As can be seen in particular from Figures 7, 9 and 13, the sieve 20 of this variant comprises, in addition to the ridges 25 and 26 with their respective flats 27 and 28, a series of radially elastically deformable tabs 30, for example four in number, distributed circumferentially at regular intervals around the circumference of the annular structure, i.e. at 90° to each other. These four tabs 30 can be aligned with either of the sets of flats, for example the flats 28 of the ridge 26 in the present case.
[0062] These legs 30 are each made up of a portion 31 of plastic material belonging to the lower part of the peripheral wall 23 surrounded by two slots 32 allowing the radial elasticity of said legs (NB: they can move apart or together radially by a few tenths of a millimeter under the effect of a force oriented preferably perpendicular to the axis XX').
[0063] Each leg 30 also has a protrusion 33 projecting externally from the portion of material 31. More specifically, as can be seen in Figures 9 and 13, each protrusion 33 has, according to a vertical section passing through a diameter of the annular structure 23, at least one inclined upper plane 34 directed towards the lower rim 24b of said annular structure 23. Each protrusion 33 also has, again according to a vertical section passing through a diameter of the annular structure 23, at least one inclined lower plane 35 directed towards the upper rim 24 of said annular structure 23.
[0064] As can be seen in [Fig. 6] and 12, a first radial compensation clearance JB is provided between the outside of the first bead 25 and the inner surface of the neck 14 of the pot 10, so that the sieve 20 can be positioned in said neck 14 of the pot 10 and stay in place. This JB clearance allows for compensation of any dimensional differences (internal diameter) of the pot 10 at the level of its neck 14.
[0065] A second radial centering set JC is provided between the outside of the upper rim 24 of the sieve 20 and the inner surface of the neck 14, when the sieve 20 is positioned in the pot 10.
[0066] As can be seen in [Fig. 12], a third axial clearance JD is provided between the upper part of the protrusion 33 and the shoulder 17, when the sieve 20 is positioned in the pot 10. This clearance JD makes it possible to compensate for any dimensional differences (height relative to the bottom 11) of the pot 10 at the level of its shoulder 17.
[0067] A fourth radial clearance JF is provided between the outside of the second bead 26 and the inner surface of the neck 14, when the sieve 20 is positioned in the pot 10. This clearance JF makes it possible to compensate for any dimensional differences (inner diameter) of the pot 10 at the level of its neck 14.
[0068] Finally, a fifth radial clearance JG is provided between the outside of the protrusion 33 and the inner surface of the neck 14, this clearance allowing the radial movement of the radially elastically deformable legs 30 when the sieve is inserted into the neck 14 of the pot 10.
[0069] The sieve 20 can thus be easily placed in the receptacle 10 by positioning it opposite the opening of the neck 14, parallel to the plane defined by the upper annular rim 16, and by pressing along the axis XX' to force it into the neck 14. This has the effect of radially tightening the elastically deformable tabs 30 which slide axially along the inner surface of the neck 14, thanks in particular to the second inclined face 35. Once the tabs 30 have axially passed the shoulder 17, they spread apart to substantially return to their initial position before the sieve 20 is inserted into the neck 14.The ridges 25 and 26 then bear against the inner surface of the neck 14, while the first inclined face 34 of the protuberance 33 allows the sieve 20 to remain in place axially by bearing against the shoulder 17 and adapting to any differences in the dimensions of the latter due to the manufacturing process of the glass pot 10.
[0070] The sieve 20 is thus immobilized in the neck 14 because it is blocked both against rotation around the axis XX' and against translation along said axis, thanks in particular to the protrusion 33 which hooks under the shoulder 17. The rotational blockage allows for the easy use of a makeup brush, which sweeps across the upper surface of the sieving disc 21 to collect the cosmetic powder. The axial blockage, for its part, prevents the sieve 20 from unexpectedly coming out of the neck 14 of the jar 10.
[0071] As with the first embodiment, the flat surfaces 27 and 28 make it possible to avoid The "pop-up" effect, which tends to cause the powder to suddenly come out of the orifices 22 when the sieve is placed in the neck 14 of the pot 10, causes the volume of air present between the upper surface of said powder and the lower surface of the sieving disc 21 to move. In the event that the orifices 22 are blocked, for example by a sticker, the flats 27 and 28 still allow this evacuation of air under pressure between the ridges 25 and 26 and the inner surface of the neck 14, without causing the product powder to come out.
[0072] It must be clearly understood that the detailed description of the object of the Invention, given solely by way of illustration, does not in any way constitute a limitation, technical equivalents also being included in the scope of the present invention.
[0073] Thus, the shape and dimensions of the peripheral ridges, the radially elastically deformable legs and the inclined surfaces can vary, as can the shape, number and angular distribution of the flats.
[0074] The peripheral structure of the sieve may also include more than two parallel ridges spaced apart from each other.
[0075] Of course, this sieve can be made of materials other than the one indicated, for example other plastics, composite materials, metal (stainless steel, aluminum, zamac, etc.). A bio-based and recyclable material will be preferred.
Claims
Demands
1. Removable sieve (20) intended to be inserted and held tightly in place in a neck (14) of a receptacle (10) for a cosmetic product, for example a glass jar, and comprising for this purpose at least one rigid annular structure (23) in the form of a circular ring and an internal sieving surface (21) surrounded by said annular structure (23) and provided with a series of orifices (22) through its thickness, characterized in that the annular structure (23) is provided with at least one peripheral bead (25; 26) having a series of tangential flats (27; 28) locally reducing the diameter of said bead (25; 26).
2. Removable sieve (20) according to claim 1, characterized in that the flats (27) of the first peripheral bead (25) are distributed angularly in a regular manner around its circumference and are preferably in even numbers, advantageously from 4 to 12.
3. Removable sieve (20) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the annular structure (23) is provided with at least one second peripheral bead (26) parallel to the first bead (25) and also comprising a series of tangential flats (28) locally reducing the diameter of said second bead (26).
4. Removable sieve (20) according to claim 3, characterized in that the flats (28) of the second peripheral bead (26) are regularly distributed angularly around its circumference and are preferably in even numbers, advantageously from 4 to 12.
5. Removable sieve (20) according to claims 2 and 4, characterized in that the flats (28) of the second peripheral bead (26) are angularly offset with respect to the flats (27) of the first peripheral bead (25).
6. Removable sieve (20) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the first and / or second peripheral bead(s) (25; 26) form(s) a continuous cord of material over its / their circumference and have(s) a constant radial thickness and / or height.
7. A removable sieve (20) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the annular structure (23) comprises in its lower part a series of radially elastically deformable tabs (30), each tab being provided with a protrusion (33) making projecting outwards.
8. Removable sieve (20) according to claim 7, characterized in that the legs (30) are regularly distributed angularly around the circumference of the annular structure (23) and are preferably in even numbers, advantageously from 4 to 12.
9. Removable sieve according to claim 8, characterized in that each protrusion (33) has, according to a vertical section passing through a diameter of the annular structure (23), at least one inclined upper plane (34) directed towards a lower edge (24a) of said annular structure (23).
10. Removable sieve (20) according to claim 8 or 9, characterized in that each protrusion (33) has, according to a vertical section passing through a diameter of the annular structure (23), at least one inclined lower plane (35) directed towards an upper edge (24) of said annular structure (23).
11. Removable sieve (20) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the sieving surface (21) is of a flexible type and formed in one piece with the annular structure (23).
12. Removable sieve (20) according to claim 11, characterized in that the sieving surface (21) is locally surrounded by a small rigid peripheral rim (29) connecting with the annular structure (23).
13. Assembly (1) consisting of a receptacle (10) for cosmetic product, in particular a glass jar, having an upper neck (14) into which a removable sieve (20) is inserted and held tightly in place according to any one of the preceding claims.
14. Assembly (1) according to claim 13 where the latter depends on claim 9, characterized in that the inclined upper plane (34) of each protrusion (33) is disposed, when the sieve (20) is assembled in the neck (14) of the receptacle, under a shoulder (17) locally reducing the diameter of said neck.