MAGNETIC CLOSURE DEVICE FOR COSMETIC CONTAINERS

Abstract

The invention relates to a magnetic closure device for a cosmetic product container comprising at least one magnet fitted to a portion of the container, and a cap or lid formed of an outer casing receiving at least one insert (8) adapted to establish a magnetic connection with at least one magnet of complementary polarity fitted to a portion of the container. The invention is characterized in that the insert (8) is made of a material charged with magnetic particles and is removably inserted into the casing of the cap or lid. The invention also relates to a container equipped with such a closure device. Figure to be published with the abstract: Fig. 3

Description

Title of the invention: MAGNETIC CLOSING DEVICE FOR COSMETIC CONTAINERS

[0001] The invention relates to a magnetic closure device for a cosmetic product container.

[0002] The term "closure device" here refers to any type of removable closure or protective device intended to be placed over the opening of a container, such as a cap, lid, or cover, regardless of its shape and / or dimensions. The term "container" here describes jars, bottles, and flasks, regardless of their shape, materials, and / or dimensions. Generally speaking, it refers to any type of container holding a cosmetic product. For reference, the definition of a cosmetic product is common to all Member States of the European Union according to Article 2 of the Cosmetics Regulation. This definition is transposed in France into the Public Health Code, pursuant to Article L.5131-1.This definition is reproduced below: "a substance or mixture intended to be placed in contact with the external parts of the human body (the epidermis, hair and scalp, nails, lips, and external genital organs) or with the teeth and the mucous membranes of the mouth, with a view exclusively or mainly to cleaning them, perfuming them, changing their appearance, protecting them, keeping them in good condition, or correcting body odors." A cosmetic product can be a liquid product such as shampoo, perfume, lotion, or makeup remover; a paste such as cream or gel; or a solid product such as lipstick or cosmetic powder.

[0003] Currently, an increasing number of cosmetic product containers include a closure device held in position by a magnetic connection either to the opening of the cosmetic product container or to a cosmetic product outlet such as a push button on a spray pump. For example, FR-B-3 126 404 describes a container lid having magnetic portions that complement the magnetic areas of the container neck. The invention allows for automatic orientation, by rotation, of the lid on the neck to achieve the magnetic connection. EP-B-3 383 757 discloses a threaded internal cap that mounts onto the threaded opening of a container. A fitting lid is designed to be able to rotate and move in translation relative to the internal cap.When the outer lid rotates relative to the inner cap, one or more metal magnets located within the lid attract the cap towards one or more metal components associated with the container. If the various known solutions... While current manufacturing and assembly techniques for the various components of the closure device allow for a magnetic connection between a closure and a container, they do not meet the requirements of new or soon-to-be-applicable regulations and / or standards regarding recycling and environmental protection. Specifically, it is necessary, firstly, to eliminate the use of adhesives, or at least plan to eliminate them in the short term, and secondly, the various components of the container and the closure device must be easily separable for recycling. Currently, however, the magnets in the closure device are not separable from the other components. Indeed, the magnets are glued or welded into an internal insert that is permanently attached to the closure device.Furthermore, the closure device frequently includes a weight, usually metallic, attached to the insert. The weight facilitates the placement and pressure of the cap or lid onto the container. The invention proposes a closure device for cosmetic product containers that is easily recyclable and removable, while controlling costs. Hereafter, the term "cap" will preferably be used to refer to any closure device, whether it be a hood, a cap, or a lid.

[0004] To this end, the invention relates to a magnetic closure device for a cosmetic product container comprising at least one magnet equipping a part of the container, a hood or lid formed of an outer envelope receiving at least one insert adapted to establish a magnetic connection with at least one magnet of complementary polarity equipping a part of the container, characterized in that the insert is made of a material loaded with magnetic particles and is inserted in a removable manner into the envelope of the hood or lid.

[0005] Thus, thanks to the invention, a magnetic insert with a minimum number of parts is available, the magnetic part being formed by the material constituting the insert and not by magnets fixed to the insert. Furthermore, the insert is mounted in a removable manner within a casing of the closure device, which facilitates the separation and therefore the recycling of the components of the closure device.

[0006] According to advantageous, but not mandatory, aspects of the invention, such a magnetic closure device for a cosmetic product container may comprise one or more of the following features:

[0007] At least one area of ​​the insert has a concentration of magnetic particles higher than the rest of the insert.

[0008] At least one area of ​​the insert comprises magnetic particles whose magnetic field is known and oriented.

[0009] The insert comprises at least one area with a high concentration of magnetic particles with a known and oriented magnetic field.

[0010] The insert is a hollow cylinder with an open circular base.

[0011] The area with a high concentration of magnetic particles with a known and oriented magnetic field of the insert is formed by an annular rim surrounding the open base of the insert.

[0012] At least one magnet equipping a part of the container is formed on a circular ring fixed to one end of a sleeve integral with the container, said sleeve surrounding an outlet element for the product contained in the container.

[0013] The insert includes on its outer wall annular grooves ensuring that the insert is held in place in the casing while being removable.

[0014] The ring is of complementary shape and dimensions to those of the rim of the insert.

[0015] The invention also relates to a container equipped with a closure device conforming to any one of the preceding characteristics.

[0016] The invention will be better understood and other advantages thereof will become more apparent upon reading the following description, given solely by way of non-limiting example and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

[0017] [Fig-1] is a perspective view of a cosmetic product container with a magnetic closure device for cosmetic product containers according to one embodiment of the invention,

[0018] [Fig.2] is a perspective view at the same scale as [Fig.1] and from a different angle, of the cosmetic product container without the magnetic closure device,

[0019] [Fig.3] is a larger-scale perspective view of the insert of the magnetic closure device of Figures 1 and 2, shown alone,

[0020] [Fig.4] is a perspective view, from another angle and at another scale, of the insert of [Fig.3], of the magnetic closure device for cosmetic product container, in the pre-assembled position and

[0021] [Fig.5] is a perspective view, from the same angle and at the same scale as [Fig.4] of the elements of the magnetic closure device for cosmetic product container, without the magnetic part of the container.

[0022] The invention applies generally to any cosmetic product container, regardless of its shape, dimensions, and / or constituent materials. Similarly, the type of cosmetic product contained in the container—liquid, solid, or paste—and its method of dispensing have no effect on the invention. Figure 1 illustrates a cosmetic product container 1 equipped with a magnetic closure device for cosmetic product containers, referenced as 2. In this example, the container 1 is a bottle of a liquid cosmetic product, in particular a perfume, equipped with an opening allowing the perfume to be dispensed. Hereafter, the term bottle will be used preferentially. The bottle 1 is, for example, made of glass, polymers, or Made of metal, it is cylindrical with a circular base. Its upper end 3, defining an opening visible in Figures 1 and 2, has a textured design for aesthetic purposes. The central part of end 3 houses a component of the means for dispensing the contents of bottle 1. In this case, it is a push button 4 for a pump, known per se and not visible, which is inserted into the internal volume of bottle 1. This pump dispenses the liquid product, here a perfume contained in bottle 1, by vaporization when a user presses the push button 4. The push button 4 is free to move in both directions along a line parallel to a longitudinal axis A of bottle 1. The push button 4 slides freely within a cylindrical sleeve 5 open at both ends. In the relevant technical field, the sleeve 5 is referred to as a "pump cover" or "sleeve."

[0023] As shown in Figures 2 and 4, the sleeve 5 is equipped, at one end intended to be fixed to the bottle 1, with a flat circular ring 6 extending radially outwards. The ring 6 is de facto an integral part of the end of the sleeve 5 and it ensures the fixing and retention of the sleeve 5 in position on the end 3 of the bottle 1. If the sleeve 5 is made of a material of choice, for example polymer, metal, or wood, the ring 6 is metallic or at least made of a magnetic material over at least a given area. In other words, the ring 6 includes an area forming a magnet of a defined polarity, it being understood that the ring 6 may have several associated magnets or associated magnetic areas, provided that their polarities are known.

[0024] The closure device 2 includes a cap 20 which is intended to protect the operating pusher 4 while preventing any accidental actuation of the latter and being easily removable by a user of the bottle 1. The retention in position of the cap 20 on the end 3 must be optimal.

[0025] As shown in Figures 1, 4, and 5, the hood 20 comprises an outer casing 7 which gives the hood 20 its final shape and appearance. Here, it is a cylinder with a circular base. Alternatively, the shape and / or dimensions of the casing 7 are different. The casing 7 of the hood 20 is made of polymers, composite material, metal, or wood, provided that the material used is non-magnetic or at least limits the propagation of a magnetic field outside the hood 20. In this example, the casing 7 of the hood 20 is a cylinder open at its circular base. The internal volume V20 of the hood 20 is shown in [Fig. 4]. The volume V20 receives an insert 8, shown alone in [Fig. 3].

[0026] The insert 8 has shapes and dimensions complementary to those of the volume of the casing 7 of the cover 20. The insert 8 is generally cylindrical with an open circular base. In fact, the internal volume V8 of the insert 8 defines the volume The useful part of the cover 20 is visible once the insert 8 is in place within the casing 7. A first cylindrical portion 9 occupies the lower part of the insert 8 as seen in [Fig. 3]. This portion 9 has, at its lower free end defining the circular base 90 of the insert 8, a flat annular rim 10 extending radially outwards. The annular rim 10 is integral with the base 90 of the insert 8. The base 90 defines an access opening to the internal volume V8 of the insert 8. A second cylindrical portion 11, smaller in diameter than the cylindrical portion 9, extends from the base 90 towards an upper free end 12 of the insert 8. The free end 12 of portion 11 is closed and flat.

[0027] Peripheral grooves 13 are radially formed on the outer wall of the part 11 and define a means for retaining and locking the insert 8 in position within the casing 7. By virtue of their configurations and / or the nature of the material constituting the insert 8, the grooves 13, which are not identical here, allow the insert 8 to be locked in position within the casing 7 by clipping. In other embodiments not illustrated, the outer wall of the insert 8 is equipped with another means for retaining and locking it in position within the casing 7. This is, for example, a means known per se based on the cooperation of shapes. By way of non-limiting examples, we can mention a quarter-turn screw thread and / or reliefs and / or grooves of complementary shapes to reliefs and / or grooves made on the inner wall of the envelope 7 or a holding and locking by wedging, by self-gripping materials or others.

[0028] The insert 8 is made of a commercially available polymer-based material.

[0029] This material is loaded with magnetic particles. The nature of the magnetic charge depends on the desired magnetic strength. Thus, different magnetic charges will be used, for example, an anisotropic magnetic charge, Neodymium Iron Boron, or Samarium-Cobalt, depending on the desired magnetic power. These particles are introduced and mixed with the constituent material of the insert 8 during a process, known per se, of extrusion / granulation, which yields a mixture called a compound. The compound is then used to produce a product using the technique, known per se, of injection molding.

[0030] Such an injection process makes it possible to produce an insert 8 of more or less complex shapes and / or various dimensions. According to the invention, during injection, not only is the charge of magnetic particles selectively increased in at least one desired area of ​​the insert 8, but the magnetic particles are also oriented according to a defined magnetic field. Thus, during the manufacture of the insert 8, the magnetic polarity and the intensity of the magnetic field of a given area of ​​the insert 8 are defined. The invention produces an insert 8 which, although entirely magnetized, has at least one so-called useful area in which the The magnetized particles are highly concentrated and oriented, thus creating an area where the magnetic field is optimized and controlled. The so-called useful magnetized area of ​​the insert 8 is designed to establish a magnetic connection with a complementary magnetized area of ​​opposite polarity and complementary geometric configuration. Here, the useful magnetized area of ​​the insert 8 is formed by the rim 10, and the complementary magnetized area is formed by the ring 6 of the sleeve 5 attached to the bottle 1. Due to its configuration, dimensions, and the material used—namely, a polymer material loaded with magnetic particles—the insert 8 has sufficient mass that ballast is no longer necessary to optimize the placement and support of the cap 20 on the container 1. Therefore, a part is eliminated in all cases, even if it was optional. The invention thus allows for savings in terms of parts used, production costs, and recycling.

[0031] It should be noted that in the described example, the polarity of the rim 10 of the insert 8 is the inverse of the polarity of the ring 6 of the sleeve 5, thus creating a magnetic connection between the insert 8 and the ring 6 that is all the more effective and easier to establish because the ring 6 and the rim 10 are flat and of similar dimensions, facilitating their mutual support. In another embodiment, other areas of the insert 8 and the sleeve 5 are magnetized with a defined and optimized polarity. These could be, for example, the areas of the cylinder 9 and the sleeve 5 located respectively in the vicinity of the rim 10 and the ring 6. Thus, the magnetic connection is strengthened and / or the positioning and / or orientation of the cover 20 on the sleeve 5 is facilitated.

[0032] As shown in [Fig. 4], the magnetic closure device for the bottle 1 comprises, on the one hand, a cap 20 formed of only two separable elements, namely the insert 8 and the sleeve 7, which are movable relative to the bottle 1, and, on the other hand, the sleeve 5, which is an element fixed to the bottle 1 but separable from it during recycling. The closure is achieved by a magnetic connection strong enough to ensure that the cap 20 remains in place on the sleeve 5 while being easy to break manually to remove the cap 20, without wear of the parts and / or deformation and / or degradation over time, as the number of opening and closing cycles is unlimited.

[0033] Fig. 5 is a view of the hood 20 from its lower face intended to rest on the container 1, i.e. from the open base 90 of the insert 8. The latter occupies the interior of the envelope 7 of the hood 20 over the entire height of the walls with the magnetically charged rim 10 which is flush with the opening of the envelope 7, therefore coplanar with the opening of the hood 20.

Claims

Demands

1. Container (1) cosmetic product container comprising at least one magnet equipping a part (6) of the container (1), a magnetic closure device (2) of the container (1) comprising a cap (20) or lid formed of an outer envelope (7) receiving at least one insert (8) inserted into the outer envelope (7) of the cap (20) and adapted to establish a magnetic connection with at least one magnet of complementary polarity equipping a part (6) of the container (1), characterized in that the insert (8) is made of a material charged with magnetic particles and is removably inserted into the envelope (7) of the cap (20) or lid and in that at least one area (10) of the insert (8) has a concentration of magnetic particles higher than the rest of the insert (8).

2. Container according to claim 1, characterized in that at least one area (10) of the insert (8) comprises magnetic particles whose magnetic field is known and oriented.

3. Container according to claims 1 and 2, characterized in that the insert (8) comprises at least one zone (10) with a concentration of magnetic particles higher than the rest of the insert (8), with a known and oriented magnetic field.

4. Container according to claim 1, characterized in that the insert (8) is a hollow cylinder with an open circular base (90).

5. Container according to claims 3 and 4, characterized in that the area of ​​the insert (8) with a concentration of magnetic particles higher than the rest of the insert (8), with a known and oriented magnetic field, is formed by an annular rim (10) surrounding the open base (90) of the insert (8).

6. Container according to claim 1, characterized in that at least one magnet equipping a part of the container (1) is formed on a circular ring (6) fixed to one end of a sleeve (5) integral with the container (1), said sleeve surrounding an outlet element (4) for the product contained in the container (1).

7. Container according to claims 5 and 6, characterized in that the ring (6) is of complementary shape and dimensions to those of the rim (10) of the insert (8).

8. Container according to claim 1, characterized in that the insert (8) comprises on its outer wall annular grooves (13) ensuring a maintaining the insert (8) in place in the envelope (7) while being removable.

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