Packaging kit for packaging lubricants and method for filling capillaries thereof

Abstract

To provide a device for packaging a lubricant that safely carries clean oil and allows the lubricant to be easily identifiable without confusion, while minimizing deterioration of the lubricant over time.SOLUTION: The present invention relates to a packaging device for packaging a lubricant, comprising a hollow capillary tube (1) intended to contain a lubricant (2). The capillary tube has, on one hand, a first opening (10) closed by a piston (3) adapted to cooperate with a movable rod (4) longitudinally movable within the capillary tube (1), and has, on the other hand, a second opening (11) through which the lubricant (2) is free to flow when pressure is applied to the piston (3) by means of the movable rod (4).SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a device for packaging lubricants for timepieces.

[0002] The present invention relates to the field of tools for fine mechanics, in particular tools for watchmakers, more particularly tools for the lubrication of timepieces (e.g. wristwatches, pocket watches) or timepieces. [Background technology]

[0003] The lubrication of a timepiece is an essential operation and there are few tools available for it apart from automatic oilers, oil containers and means of packaging the various oils used. However, some of these tools, such as the packaging means, are not suited to the needs of the watchmaker, especially in terms of the volume of the packaging bottles and the amount used by the watchmaker.

[0004] The packaging methods used in the prior art generally use too much lubricant for the operator, causing the lubricant to remain in the bottle for a long period of time. This leads to suboptimal storage of the lubricant over time after the bottle is opened, leading to deterioration of the lubricant's properties, which implies losses if the remaining lubricant in the bottle becomes unusable and must be discarded. Also, watchmakers sometimes use screwdrivers to remove small amounts from the bottle, which can contaminate the lubricant in the bottle and accelerate its deterioration. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In particular, an object of the present invention is to solve the various problems of the prior art as described above.

[0006] In particular, the present invention aims to provide a device for packaging lubricants for the watchmaker's intervention that allows clean oil to be safely carried and easily identifiable without confusion, while minimizing degradation of the lubricant over time. Currently, there is no good, compact way to do this.

[0007] The present invention further provides the watchmaker with a device for packaging very small amounts of lubricant. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] To this end, the invention relates to a packaging device for packaging a lubricant, comprising a hollow capillary tube intended to contain the lubricant, said capillary tube having, on the one hand, a first opening closed by a piston configured to cooperate with a movable rod longitudinally movable within said capillary tube, and, on the other hand, a second opening through which the lubricant is free to flow when pressure is applied to said piston by means of said movable rod.

[0009] Other preferred variants of the invention have the following characteristics: The capillary tube is made of glass. - said piston is made of wax or polymer material; The movable rod is made of a plastic material. The length of the capillary is in the range of 20 mm to 150 mm. The inner diameter of the capillary is in the range of 0.6 mm to 2 mm. - The capillaries have colored locators. the length of the capillary is greater than the sum of the length of the movable rod and the length of the piston;

[0010] The invention further relates to a lubrication kit comprising a device for packaging the lubricant according to the invention and plugs to be placed in each opening of the capillary tubes to keep them sealed during transport.

[0011] The present invention further relates to a method for filling a capillary tube of a packaging device for packaging a lubricant according to the invention, the method comprising the steps of: - providing a capillary tube having a first opening and a second opening; - forming a colored locator adjacent said first opening; - introducing 0.02 ml to 0.1 ml of lubricant into the capillary tube through the first opening; - inserting a piston through the first opening of the capillary tube; Optionally, placing plugs to block the first and second openings of the capillary tube.

[0012] Other characteristics and advantages of the invention will become apparent from a reading of the following detailed description, given by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0013] [Figure 1] 1 is a top view of a capillary tube of a packaging device according to the present invention; FIG. [Figure 2] 1 is a top view of a packaging device used in accordance with the present invention; FIG. [Figure 3] 1 is a cross-sectional view of a capillary tube of a packaging device according to the present invention. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is a diagram of a packaging kit for a device according to the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0014] FIG. 1 is a schematic top view of a packaging device according to the present invention.

[0015] As shown in Figure 1, the device for packaging a lubricant 2 comprises a hollow capillary tube 1 intended to contain the lubricant 2. The capillary tube 1 has, on the one hand, a first opening 10 closed by a piston 3 and, on the other hand, a second opening 11 free for the flow of the lubricant 2. The piston 3 is associated with a rod 4 longitudinally movable within the capillary tube 1 so as to allow the lubricant 2 to be expelled through the second opening 11 free when pressure is applied to the piston 3 by means of the rod 4.

[0016] The lubricant 2 contained in the packaging device can be either an oil or a grease.

[0017] The capillary tube 1 receiving the lubricant 2 is made of glass, this material providing an inert packaging device for the lubricant 2 contained in the capillary tube 1.

[0018] The piston 3 is made of synthetic or natural wax or polymer material. The piston 3 must occupy the volume of the capillary where it is located so that when pressure is applied, the lubricant 2 does not pass through to the back side of the piston 3. Such a piston also ensures that the capillary is only opened once and used once.

[0019] According to the invention, the rod 4 is made of a plastic material, which must be strong enough to be able to exert sufficient pressure on the piston 3. To make the rod 4 easy to handle, the width of the head 40 is greater than the width of the rod 4. After use, the rod 4 can be reused in other capillaries, unlike the capillary 1.

[0020] The length of the capillary tube 1 is within a range of 20 mm to 150 mm, and the inner diameter of the capillary tube 1 is within a range of 0.6 mm to 2 mm. Thanks to these dimensions, the capillary tube 1 can hold 0.02 ml to 0.1 ml of lubricant, which is much less than the amount held in a commonly used bottle, which holds 2 ml. Therefore, it is easy to understand that, thanks to the extremely small volume present in the capillary tube 1, all currently used lubricants can be used for a relatively short period of time without deterioration of their quality / properties.

[0021] According to the invention, the capillary tube has a colored locator 5 near the first opening 10. The locator 5 allows the operator to quickly identify where the piston 3 is located and thus to directly position the capillary tube 1 in the correct orientation.

[0022] The lubricant 2 may also be colored to help the operator identify the correct lubricant to use. In fact, during the assembly and maintenance of a timepiece, a watchmaker or operator uses many lubricants or greases, each with specific properties depending on where they are placed in the timepiece. It is therefore convenient for the watchmaker or operator to be able to quickly identify the category of lubricant used using a color code. Therefore, the lubricant may be colored green, blue, purple, or red to quickly and visually identify the category of lubricant used.

[0023] According to a particularly advantageous aspect of the invention, the length L of the capillary tube 1 is greater than the sum of the length Lt of the rod 4 and the length Lp of the piston 3. Such a configuration ensures that the lubricant 2 is discharged over almost the entire length of the capillary tube 1, leaving only a small portion of the lubricant 2 in the last millimeter or so of the capillary tube 1 in order to avoid using lubricant that may have been contaminated by the wax piston.

[0024] These features make it possible to obtain a packaging device for the lubricant 2 that is very small in volume, has a space-saving structure, and allows the oil to be used for a relatively short period of time without deterioration.

[0025] The invention further relates to a packaging kit comprising a packaging device according to the invention and plugs 6 to be placed in each opening of the capillary tubes 1 to keep the capillaries sealed during transport.

[0026] As a result, the packaging device can be sold in packs of 10 or more packaging devices. Dividing the lubricant into smaller portions in this manner makes it easier to fill the oil container, avoids contamination (e.g., from using a screwdriver to remove the lubricant from the bottle), and keeps the lubricant fresh (avoiding holding a bottle that was opened several years ago).

[0027] With this device, the watchmaker can drain all the lubricant from the oil reservoir each time the capillary is opened, and use this amount over the course of a week with the oil pick.The watchmaker can then use a new capillary each week, ensuring that he is working with the same quality lubricant.

[0028] The present invention further relates to a method for filling a capillary tube 1 of a packaging device according to the invention, said method comprising the steps of: - providing a capillary tube 1 having a first opening 10 and a second opening 11; - forming a colored locator 5 near the first opening 10; - introducing a volume in the range of 0.02 ml to 0.1 ml into the capillary tube 1 through the first opening; - inserting a piston 3 through the first opening 10 of the capillary tube 1, - optionally placing plugs 6 to block the first and second openings 10, 11. [Explanation of symbols]

[0029] 1. Capillary 2. Lubricants 3 pistons 4 rods 5 Locators 6 plugs 10 First opening 11 Second opening 40 head

Claims

1. A packaging kit comprising a packaging device for packaging a lubricant, a movable rod (4) and a plug (6), said packaging device comprises a hollow capillary tube (1) intended to contain a lubricant (2), The movable rod (4) is longitudinally movable within the capillary tube (1); The capillary tube has, on the one hand, a first opening (10) that is closed by a piston (3) that is configured to cooperate with the movable rod (4), and, on the other hand, a second opening (11) through which the lubricant (2) is free to flow when pressure is applied to the piston (3) by means of the movable rod (4), the plugs (6) are disposed in the first and second openings (10, 11) of the capillary tube (1), respectively, to seal the capillary tube (1) during transport; The length (L) of the capillary tube (1) is greater than the sum of the length (lt) of the movable rod (4) and the length (lp) of the piston (3). A packaged kit characterized by:

2. The capillary tube (1) is made of glass. The packaging kit of claim 1 .

3. The piston (3) is made of wax or polymer material The packaging kit of claim 1 .

4. The movable rod (4) is made of plastic material. The packaging kit of claim 1 .

5. The length of the capillary tube (1) is in the range of 20 mm to 150 mm. The packaging kit of claim 1 .

6. The inner diameter of the capillary tube (1) is in the range of 0.6 mm to 2 mm. The packaging kit of claim 1 .

7. The capillary (1) has a colored locator (5) The packaging kit of claim 1 .

8. A method for filling capillary tubes (1) of a packaging kit according to claim 1, comprising the steps of: providing a capillary tube (1) having said first opening (10) and said second opening (11); forming a colored locator (5) near said first opening (10); introducing 0.02 ml to 0.1 ml of lubricant (2) into the capillary tube (1) through the first opening (10); and inserting the piston (3) through the first opening (10) of the capillary tube (1), and placing the plug (6) to block the first and second openings (10, 11) of the capillary tube (1). A method characterized by:

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