Cosmetic containers

Abstract

To provide a cosmetic container that is less susceptible to quality deterioration due to oxidation and has excellent light-blocking properties. [Solution] The cosmetic container 1 comprises an inner bottle 2 having a double-walled structure and a cylindrical outer bottle for housing the inner bottle 2. The double-walled structure has an inner container 20 for housing the contents and an outer container 22 having a cylindrical body that is positioned to cover the inner container 20, and the inner container 20 and the outer container 22 are detachable from each other. An aluminum vapor-deposited layer 24 is provided so as to cover an area of ​​approximately 80% or more of the outer surface area of ​​the outer container 22.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a cosmetic container.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, there is known a double container in which an inner container for containing contents is mounted inside an outer container, the contents are caused to flow out while reducing the volume of the inner container, and air is sent into the space between the outer container and the inner container so that the outer container is not deformed from its original shape when the outflow operation of the contents is completed (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] The double container of Patent Document 1 is formed by blow molding a parison composed of a resin inner layer forming the inner container and a resin outer layer forming the outer container, and since the contents in the inner container are less likely to come into contact with air (airless), it is advantageous in that quality deterioration due to oxidation is less likely to occur. However, the light shielding property of the container is not considered.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to solve the above problems and provide a cosmetic container in which quality deterioration due to oxidation is less likely to occur and which has excellent light shielding properties.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] Item 1. A cosmetic container comprising an inner bottle having a double container and a cylindrical outer bottle for accommodating the inner bottle, The double-walled container comprises an inner container for containing contents and an outer container having a cylindrical body that is positioned to cover the inner container, and the inner and outer containers of the container body are detachable from each other. A cosmetic container in which an aluminum vapor-deposited layer is provided to cover more than 80% of the surface area of ​​the outer periphery of the outer container. Section 2. The cosmetic container according to item 1, wherein when a 0.1% retinol solution is placed in the inner container of the double-walled container and the cosmetic container is continuously exposed to natural light for 56 days, an aluminum vapor-deposited layer is provided such that at least 65% by mass of retinol remains compared to the measurement start date. Section 3. The cosmetic container described in item 1, wherein the inner container deforms while the outer container maintains its shape, and the internal space of the inner container decreases. Section 4. The cosmetic container according to item 1, wherein the aluminum vapor-deposited layer is provided in contact with the transparent resin layer which is the outermost layer of the body of the inner bottle. Section 5. The cosmetic container according to item 1, wherein the inner container and the outer container are double-walled containers formed by blow molding. Section 6. The cosmetic container according to claim 1, further comprising a pump attached to the mouth of the inner bottle and configured to dispense the contents of the inner container. Section 7. The cosmetic container according to claim 6, wherein the pump comprises a pump body and a mounting cap that is attached to an inner bottle and is continuous with or connected to the pump body, and an aluminum vapor-deposited layer is provided as the inner or outer layer of the pump body, the mounting cap, or both thereof. Section 8. The cosmetic container according to item 1, further comprising a cap having an engaging cylindrical portion that engages with the mouth of the outer bottle. Section 9. The cosmetic container according to item 8, wherein an aluminum vapor-deposited layer is provided as the inner or outer layer of the cap. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0007] [Figure 1] A schematic perspective view of a cosmetic container according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] Figure 1 is a simplified vertical cross-sectional view of the inner bottle. [Figure 3] Figure 1 is a schematic front view of the inner bottle container body. [Figure 4] (A) A roughly vertical cross-sectional view of the container body in Figure 3, and (B) a partially enlarged cross-sectional view of the part of circle A in Figure 4(A). [Figure 5] Figure 1 is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view of the pump section. [Figure 6] A graph showing the retinol retention rate over time for samples 1-3. [Figure 7] A schematic cross-sectional view of an embodiment of a pump, in which an aluminum vapor-deposited layer is provided on the outer layer of each part of the pump. [Figure 8] A schematic cross-sectional view of an embodiment of a cap, in which an aluminum vapor-deposited layer is provided on the outer layer of the cap. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0008] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the attached drawings.

[0009] As shown in Figures 1 to 3, a cosmetic container 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises an inner bottle 2, a cylindrical outer bottle 3 for housing the inner bottle 2, a pump 4 attached to the mouth 2a (Figure 3) of the inner bottle 2, and a cap 5 that engages with the outer bottle 3 and covers the pump 4. The cap 5 comprises a substantially rectangular top portion 5a, a cylindrical body portion 5b extending substantially vertically from the top portion 5a, and an engaging cylindrical portion 5c that engages with the mouth 3c of the outer bottle 3 via a connecting member 6. The cap 5 can be formed from synthetic resin.

[0010] As shown in Figure 3, the inner bottle 2 comprises a mouth portion 2a, a cylindrical body portion 2b, and a substantially square bottom portion 2c. The mouth portion 2a is a cylindrical (preferably cylindrical) portion having an open end 2d. The mouth portion 2a is equipped with an engaging portion 2a1 to which the pump 4 can be attached.

[0011] The body part 2b is continuous with the mouth part 2a and is disposed adjacent to the mouth part 2a on the side away from the open end 2d of the mouth part 2a. The body part 2b has an outer diameter larger than that of the mouth part 2a. The bottom part 2c is continuous with the body part 2b and closes the lower end of the body part 2b. The body part 2b may have a shape with a substantially constant outer diameter toward the bottom part 2c, or may have a shape with a reduced outer diameter toward the bottom part 2c. In the present embodiment, the cross section of the body part 2b is a square shape with rounded corners, but it may also be circular.

[0012] As shown in FIGS. 4(A) and (B), the inner bottle 2 of the cosmetic container 1 has a double container composed of an inner container 20 for containing the contents and an outer container 22 having a cylindrical body portion disposed so as to cover the inner container 20. The space 23 between the inner container 20 and the outer container 22 is an air passage. An aluminum vapor deposition layer 24 is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the outer container 22 in contact with the transparent resin layer 25 while being sandwiched by the transparent resin layer 25. The transparent resin layer 25 may be, for example, an acrylic resin, but is not limited thereto. The aluminum vapor deposition layer 24 may cover only the body portion of the outer container 22, but covering not only the body portion but also the bottom can enhance the light shielding property more. In the present embodiment, the aluminum vapor deposition layer 24 can be visually recognized from the outside through the transparent resin layer 25 which is the outermost layer of the body portion 2b of the inner bottle 2 of the cosmetic container 1.

[0013] The content of aluminum in the aluminum vapor deposition layer 24 is preferably 95% by mass or more, 96% by mass or more, 97% by mass or more, 98% by mass or more, or 99% by mass or more in terms of mass ratio. The aluminum vapor deposition layer 24 may contain one or more other substances such as silicon, iron, and copper.

[0014] In this embodiment, the inner bottle 2 is a double container in which an inner container 20 and an outer container 22 are formed by blow molding. A method for manufacturing such a double container is known and is described, for example, in JP-A-2000-263637 and JP-A-2002-187294. More specifically described, between split molds that have been opened, a laminated parison in which an outer layer parison that forms an outer container 22 coated with an aluminum vapor deposition layer 24 and an inner layer parison that forms an inner container 20 are laminated in a peelable manner is disposed, and then the mold is closed. Next, a pressure fluid is introduced by piercing a blow nozzle into the side surface of the parison, and the inner bottle 2 can be formed by blow molding a laminated peel hollow molded product in which an outer layer having shape retention and a deformable inner layer are laminated in a peelable manner.

[0015] When the inner container 20 and the outer container 22 are configured to be separable from each other, an intake hole for introducing outside air between the inner container 20 and the outer container 22 and an outside air introduction hole that communicates the outside of the cosmetic container 1 with the intake hole can be appropriately provided at a location such as the mouth portion 2a, and such a configuration is known.

[0016] The aluminum vapor deposition layer 24 can be formed after blow molding a resin such as a polyolefin resin (for example, polypropylene) that constitutes the outer container 22.

[0017] In a particular embodiment shown in Figure 4(B), the inner container 20 consists of a polyethylene (PE) layer 20a, an adhesive layer 20b, and an ethylene vinyl alcohol copolymer (EVOH) layer 20c from the inside out. The adhesive layer 20b includes, for example, maleic anhydride-modified polyethylene. The outer container 22 consists of a polypropylene (PP) layer. Part of the outer container 22 may be made of recycled material; for example, the outer container 22 may be composed of a recycled polypropylene layer extending in the longitudinal direction of the inner bottle 2 and two polypropylene layers extending in the longitudinal direction of the inner bottle 2, sandwiching the recycled polypropylene layer. Because air can pass through the space 23 between the inner container 20 and the outer container 22 covered by an aluminum vapor-deposited layer 24 sandwiched between transparent resin layers 25, the inner bottle 2 is detachable between the ethylene vinyl alcohol copolymer (EVOH) layer 20c and the outer container 22. By adopting this configuration, when the space 23 between the inner container 20 and the outer container 22 is depressurized during use of the cosmetic container, the inner container 20 deforms while the outer container 22 maintains its shape, and the internal space of the inner container 20 decreases, making it less likely for the quality of the contents inside the inner container 20 to deteriorate due to oxidation.

[0018] The resins constituting the inner container 20 and the resins constituting the outer container 22 are selected to be resins that do not adhere to each other, and resins used in conventionally known laminated peel-off structures can be selected. For example, if the outer container 22 is polypropylene, low-density polyethylene or ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer can be selected for the inner container 20, and if the outer container 22 is high-density polyethylene, ethylene-propylene copolymer or ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer can be selected for the inner container 20. In order to improve properties such as heat resistance, decorative properties, and gas barrier properties, layers of known resins that satisfy these required properties can be added to make the outer layer itself a multilayer structure, or the inner layer itself a multilayer structure.

[0019] Because a layer or film containing aluminum has light-shielding properties, providing an aluminum vapor-deposited layer 24 on the body 2b and bottom 2c of the inner bottle 2 prevents or reduces the deterioration of the quality of the contents contained in the inner container 20 of the inner bottle 2, such as lotions, emulsions, serums, facial cleansers, and cleansing agents, due to light exposure. The aluminum vapor-deposited layer 24 is advantageous because it has the highest light-shielding properties compared to painting with aluminum-containing paint, painting with colored paint mixed with aluminum, and aluminum vapor deposition. Furthermore, by providing the aluminum vapor-deposited layer 24 only on the inner bottle 2 and not on the outer bottle 3, the design freedom of the outer bottle 3 is increased, and the aesthetic appearance of the cosmetic container 1 can be improved.

[0020] The larger the area of ​​the aluminum vapor-deposited layer 24 covering the outer circumferential surface of the outer container 22, the higher the light-blocking ability of the light passing through the inner container 20. The aluminum vapor-deposited layer 24 is provided on the outer circumferential surface of the outer container 22 such that it covers about 80% or more of the area of ​​the outer circumferential surface of the outer container 22. More preferably, the aluminum vapor-deposited layer 20 covers about 90% or more, 95% or more, or 100% of the area of ​​the outer circumferential surface of the outer container 22. Also preferably, the aluminum vapor-deposited layer 24 covers the entire circumference of the outer circumferential surface of the outer container 22. The aluminum vapor-deposited layer may also be called an aluminum vapor-deposited film.

[0021] Returning to Figure 2, the cylindrical outer bottle 3 for housing the inner bottle 2 may be formed from a transparent synthetic resin or from a colored synthetic resin. Specific designs may be applied to enhance the aesthetic appearance of the cosmetic container 1. Even if an aluminum vapor-deposited layer 24 is provided on the outer circumference of the outer container 22 of the inner bottle 2, housing the inner bottle 2 in the outer bottle 3 prevents the aluminum vapor-deposited layer 24 from being visible during distribution and / or use.

[0022] Figure 5 is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view of one embodiment of the pump shown in Figure 1. The pump 4 is configured to discharge the contents of the inner container 20 of the inner bottle 2. The pump 4 is attached to the mouth 2a of the inner bottle 2 and is configured to suck and discharge the contents of the inner container 20. In this embodiment, the pump 4 comprises a pump body 4a and a mounting cap 4b that is attached to the inner bottle and is continuous with or connected to the pump body 4a. The pump body 4a comprises an insertion part 4a1 that is inserted into the inner container 20, a piston part 4a2, and a pump mechanism part 4a3. The pump body 4a and the pump mechanism part 4a can be formed from synthetic resin.

[0023] The pump body 4a is configured to discharge the contents sucked up through the insertion part 4a1 from a nozzle 4a4 provided on the piston part 4a2 by sliding the piston part 4a2 to operate the pump mechanism in the pump mechanism part 4a3. This configuration is well known.

[0024] The mounting cap 4b engages with the mouth 2a of the inner bottle 2 (particularly the mouth 2a of the outer container 22). More specifically, the inner circumferential surface of the mounting cap 9b is provided with a female threaded portion (not shown), and the outer circumferential surface of the mouth 2a of the inner bottle 2 is provided with a male threaded portion. By screwing the female threaded portion and the male threaded portion together, the mounting cap 4b can be attached to the mouth 2a of the inner bottle 2.

[0025] By attaching the cap 5, it is possible to prevent the piston portion 4a2 from being unintentionally pressed and the contents from being dispensed.

[0026] The cosmetic container 1 of the present invention shown in Figure 1 has a double container in which the inner bottle 2 consists of a removable inner container 20 and an outer container 22. When the cosmetic container 1 is used, the inner container 20 deforms while the outer container 22 maintains its shape, reducing the internal space of the inner container 20. Furthermore, an aluminum vapor-deposited layer 24 is provided to cover an area of ​​approximately 80% or more of the outer surface area of ​​the outer container 22. As a result, it is possible to reduce the deterioration of the quality of the contents inside the inner container 20 due to oxidation, and also to improve light shielding, making it difficult for the contents to deteriorate in quality due to light.

[0027] In the cosmetic container 1 of this invention, preferably, an aluminum vapor-deposited layer is provided such that when a 0.1% retinol solution is placed in the inner container of the double-walled container and the cosmetic container is continuously exposed to natural light for 56 days, at least 65% by mass of retinol remains compared to the measurement start date. Natural light includes light in the entire visible light spectrum from 380 nm (violet) to 780 nm (red), as well as small amounts of ultraviolet light (less than 380 nm) and infrared light (greater than 780 nm). This configuration makes it possible to more reliably prevent the deterioration of the quality of the contents in the inner container 20 due to light over time.

[0028] Although one embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and various modifications are possible as long as they do not depart from the spirit of the present invention.

[0029] In one embodiment of the above invention, the inner bottle 2 of the cosmetic container 1 is configured such that the inner container 20 contracts as the contents are dispensed, so that even if the contents decrease, the liquid level of the contents hardly changes. On the other hand, the present invention is also applicable to a double-walled container in which air enters the inner container 20 as the contents are dispensed, preventing the inner container 20 from contracting.

[0030] In the embodiment shown in Figure 2, the inner circumferential surface of the engaging cylindrical portion 5c of the cap 5 engages with the upper outer circumferential surface of the connecting member 6, and the outer circumferential surface of the mouth portion 3c of the outer bottle 3 engages with the inner circumferential surface of the connecting member 6 that is relatively lower than the upper part, thereby engaging the mouth portion 3c of the outer bottle 3 and the engaging cylindrical portion 5c of the cap 5 via the connecting member 6. However, the connecting member 6 may be omitted, and the engaging cylindrical portion 5c of the cap 5 and the mouth portion 3c of the outer bottle 3 may be in contact and engaged.

[0031] In addition to the aluminum vapor-deposited layer 24 provided on the outer circumferential surface of the outer container of the inner bottle of the cosmetic container, the pump 4 may also be provided with an aluminum vapor-deposited layer 24. More specifically, the aluminum vapor-deposited layer may be provided as an inner or outer layer of the pump body 4a, the mounting cap 4b, or both. This configuration enhances the light-shielding ability of light entering the inner bottle 2 from around the mouth 2a of the inner bottle 2, further reducing the likelihood of deterioration of the contents' quality due to light. Figure 7 shows an embodiment in which, in the pump 4 shown in Figure 5, the aluminum vapor-deposited layer 24 is provided on the entire outer surface of the pump body 4a and the mounting cap 4b in contact with them. Alternatively, the aluminum vapor-deposited layer 24 may cover only a portion of the outer surface of the pump body 4a and the mounting cap 4b. Furthermore, when the aluminum vapor-deposited layer 24 is considered as part of the pump 4, the aluminum vapor-deposited layer 24 is not the outermost layer, and a transparent resin layer, such as the transparent resin layer 25 described above, may be provided on the outside of the aluminum vapor-deposited layer 24. Alternatively, the aluminum vapor-deposited layer 24 may cover the inner surface of the pump body 4a and / or the mounting cap 4b.

[0032] In addition to the aluminum vapor-deposited layer 24 provided on the outer circumferential surface of the outer container of the inner bottle of the cosmetic container, the cap 5 may also be provided with an aluminum vapor-deposited layer 24. More specifically, the aluminum vapor-deposited layer 24 may be provided as an inner or outer layer on the top 5a, the cylindrical body 5b, or both of these parts of the cap 5. This configuration enhances the light-shielding ability of light entering the inner bottle 2 from around the mouth 2a of the inner bottle 2, further reducing the likelihood of deterioration of the contents' quality due to light. Figure 8 shows an embodiment of the cap 5 in which the aluminum vapor-deposited layer 24 is provided on the entire outer surface of the top 5a and cylindrical body 5b in contact with the top 5a and cylindrical body 5b of the cap 5. Alternatively, the aluminum vapor-deposited layer 24 may cover only a portion of the outer surface of the top 5a and cylindrical body 5b of the cap 5. Furthermore, when the aluminum vapor-deposited layer 24 is considered as part of the cap 5, the aluminum vapor-deposited layer 24 is not the outermost layer, and a transparent resin layer, such as the transparent resin layer 25 described above, may be provided on the outside of the aluminum vapor-deposited layer 24. Alternatively, the aluminum vapor-deposited layer 24 may cover the top 5a and / or the inner surface of the cylindrical body 5b of the cap 5. [Examples]

[0033] Example 1: Manufacturing of cosmetic containers As samples of cosmetic containers, we prepared the following three types of cosmetic containers. Sample 1: A model with an inner bottle and an outer bottle, without an aluminum vapor-deposited layer (also referred to as an outer bottle without vapor deposition and an inner bottle without vapor deposition). Sample 2: A cosmetic container comprising an inner bottle and an outer bottle, with an aluminum vapor-deposited layer on the outer surface of the inner bottle (also referred to as outer bottle without vapor deposition and inner bottle with vapor deposition). Sample 3: A glass bottle colored brown (also called a brown bottle)

[0034] Example 2: Light Irradiation Test The inner bottles of each sample 1-3, prepared in Example 1, were placed near a window for 56 days so that they were exposed to eastward sunlight from the window. A 0.1% retinol solution was placed in the inner bottles, and the remaining retinol percentage was measured using HPLC. The remaining retinol percentage is the ratio when t0 (retention time of the elution peak) is set to 1. The composition of the 0.1% retinol solution is shown in Table 1. BG is butylene glycol, and the amount of trisodium citrate was adjusted so that the pH of the resulting retinol solution was approximately 7.

[0035] The results are shown in Table 2 and Figure 6. In cosmetic containers without an aluminum vapor-deposited layer on the inner bottle (Sample 1), the decomposition of retinol over time was significant. In the brown bottle (Sample 3), the deterioration of the retinol solution quality was prevented more effectively than in Sample 1, but the cosmetic container with an aluminum vapor-deposited layer on the inner bottle (Sample 2) was able to suppress the change in retinol to a lower degree than in the brown bottle (Sample 3). In particular, in Sample 2, exposure to east-facing sunlight from a window resulted in the retention of over 94% by mass of retinol after 8 days of irradiation and over 90% by mass after 15 days of irradiation. [Table 1] [Table 2] [Explanation of Symbols]

[0036] 1... Cosmetic container, 2... Container body, 3... Outer bottle, 4... Pump, 5... Cap, 20... Inner container, 22... Outer container, 24... Aluminum vapor-deposited layer.

Claims

1. A cosmetic container comprising an inner bottle having a double-walled structure, and a cylindrical outer bottle for housing the inner bottle, The double-walled container comprises an inner container for containing contents and an outer container having a cylindrical body positioned to cover the inner container, and the inner container and the outer container are detachable from each other. A cosmetic container in which an aluminum vapor-deposited layer is provided to cover approximately 80% or more of the surface area of ​​the outer periphery of the outer container.

2. The cosmetic container according to claim 1, wherein an aluminum vapor-deposited layer is provided such that when the cosmetic container is exposed to natural light for 56 consecutive days with a 0.1% retinol solution placed in the inner container of the double-walled container, at least 65% by mass of retinol remains compared to the measurement start date.

3. The cosmetic container according to claim 1, wherein the inner container deforms while the outer container maintains its shape, and the internal space of the inner container decreases.

4. The cosmetic container according to claim 1, wherein the aluminum vapor-deposited layer is provided in contact with the transparent resin layer which is the outermost layer of the body of the inner bottle.

5. The cosmetic container according to claim 1, wherein the inner container and the outer container are double-walled containers formed by blow molding.

6. The cosmetic container according to claim 1, further comprising a pump attached to the mouth of the inner bottle and configured to dispense the contents of the inner container.

7. The cosmetic container according to claim 6, wherein the pump comprises a pump body and a mounting cap that is attached to an inner bottle and is continuous with or connected to the pump body, and an aluminum vapor-deposited layer is provided as the inner or outer layer of the pump body, the mounting cap, or both thereof.

8. The cosmetic container according to claim 1, further comprising a cap having an engaging cylindrical portion that engages with the mouth of the outer bottle.

9. The cosmetic container according to claim 8, wherein an aluminum vapor-deposited layer is provided on the inner or outer layer of the cap.

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