Container and method for producing same
Patent Information
- Application Number
- PCT/EP2026/054107
- Authority / Receiving Office
- WO · WO
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Priority Date
- 2025-02-20
- Filing Date
- 2026-02-16
- Publication Date
- 2026-08-27
Smart Images
Figure EP2026054107_27082026_PF_FP_ABST
Abstract
Description
[0001] Container and method for manufacturing the container
[0002] The present invention relates to a container, in particular a bottle, for a cosmetic composition, in particular a hair care product, with a base surface extending substantially perpendicular to a longitudinal axis and a circumferential wall extending around a circumference of the base surface and parallel to the longitudinal axis.
[0003] Containers of the type mentioned above are well-known for storing cosmetic compositions. A crucial characteristic of such containers is their dimensional stability, as this influences both their functionality and aesthetic appeal, as well as their subsequent industrial processing and / or handling. For cosmetic compositions, such as hair dyes or shampoos, it is essential that the containers retain their shape even under changing environmental conditions, such as temperature fluctuations or pressure variations. High dimensional stability ensures that containers are not deformed, or only reversibly deformed, during use. A dimensionally stable design is also crucial when using containers that rely on pressure to dispense their contents.Deformed containers can make dosing the product difficult or lead to uneven application results, which can result in an unsatisfactory user experience, especially for the consumer.
[0004] GB 2443807 A discloses a molding device and a method for molding a plastic container. The container has a rim to define the container opening, a side wall, and a bottom comprising a relatively rigid central base and a one-piece, annular, and relatively flexible section, wherein the bottom can be moved from a first lowered position to a second raised position to compensate for pressure fluctuations in the container. The container can be made of a material such as PET or PEN. The container can be manufactured, in particular, by a method comprising injection molding a preform, which is heated and placed in a mold cavity to form the plastic container from the preform by blow molding.
[0005] US 2017 / 0081104 A1 describes a plastic container with a side wall and a flexible section of the bottom. The flexible section of the bottom deflects when the sealed plastic container is subjected to a differential pressure. The deflection of the flexible part of the bottom causes a change in the internal volume of the container and thus a reduction in the differential pressure. The container is manufactured by injection molding and may have an inner and an outer plastic layer as well as a core layer between the inner and outer plastic layers.
[0006] It is an object of the present invention to provide a container of the type mentioned at the outset for a cosmetic product, which is designed to maintain a substantially dimensionally stable external shape, particularly under changing environmental influences, for example, pressure fluctuations. In particular, it is an object of the present invention to provide a container which is designed to offer an improved user experience.
[0007] The present invention solves this problem by means of a container having the features of independent claim 1. Preferred embodiments of the invention are specified in the dependent claims.
[0008] According to one aspect of the present invention, a container for a cosmetic composition, in particular a hair care product, is provided with a base surface extending substantially perpendicular to an axial direction and a circumferential wall extending around a circumference of the base surface and parallel to the axial direction. The base surface comprises an inner region and an outer edge region, the outer edge region extending around an outer circumference of the base surface. The inner region is movably connected to the outer edge region of the base surface via a circumferential, flexible section such that the inner region is deflectable relative to the outer edge region of the base surface in an axial direction parallel to the longitudinal axis.
[0009] The inner area is deflectable relative to the outer edge, similar to a membrane. The container's structural design utilizes a "swing-bottom" technology, allowing deformations to occur locally in a defined section of the bottom surface to prevent deformation in other areas of the container, particularly those that influence its external appearance. This facilitates the application of design elements to the container's entire wall through printing or labeling.
[0010] According to the invention, the inner area is arranged axially offset from the outer edge of the base surface, parallel to the longitudinal axis. In such embodiments, the outer edge of the base surface can, in particular, provide the base of the container. Since the inner area is axially offset from the outer edge of the base surface, the latter can be deflected axially over a predetermined range without impairing the stability of the container.
[0011] According to the invention, the base surface is designed to effect a volume change of the container of 3% to 8%, in particular 5% to 6%, by deflecting the inner area relative to the outer edge area, in order to compensate for pressure differences and prevent deformations in other areas of the container body. The base surface, in particular the inner area, the flexible section, and the outer edge area are preferably made of a thermoplastic material. The flexible section preferably has a technical effect similar to a film hinge. Preferably, the flexible section of the base surface extends over an angular range of 360° around the longitudinal axis.
[0012] The local deformability of the base surface is particularly suitable for maintaining a manufacturing-defined, three-dimensional shape of the container under varying pressure differentials. These differentials can be caused, in particular, by temperature differences, atmospheric fluctuations, or similar factors. Preferably, the inner area of the base surface is designed to deflect depending on the pressure differentials acting between an inner and an outer area of the container.
[0013] The container is preferably sealable by means of a closure element in a substantially fluid-tight manner, and in particular in a substantially gas-tight manner. In certain embodiments, the inner area of the bottom surface is designed to deflect depending on a pressure difference between an inner area of the fluid-tight sealed container and an outer area of the fluid-tight sealed container.
[0014] According to advantageous embodiments, the container comprises a container body with an inner area for receiving the cosmetic composition, which can be sealed in a fluid-tight manner.
[0015] In an advantageous embodiment, the inner area of the base surface is designed to be deflected axially parallel to the longitudinal axis between a first axial position and a second axial position. In an advantageous embodiment, the circumferential wall and / or the base surface comprises a multilayer structure of at least two layers made of thermoplastic materials, wherein at least one of the layers contains at least polyethylene as a component.
[0016] In an advantageous embodiment, the flexible section of the base surface comprises a curved first section directly adjacent to the outer area, a substantially straight second section directly adjacent to the first section, and a curved third section adjacent to the second section. The third section has a curvature opposite to that of the first section. The second section is preferably arranged at an angle of 20° to 70°, and particularly at an angle of approximately 50°, with respect to the base surface.
[0017] In an advantageous embodiment, the inner area of the base extends over 60% to 70%, and in particular over 62% to 66%, of the base area. The outer edge, the flexible section, and the inner area of the base are preferably dimensioned such that the outer edge provides a stable base for the container, and the area of the deflectable inner section is of a suitable size to effect a sufficient change in the volume of the container with a comparatively small axial deflection of the inner section relative to the outer edge, preferably such that the stability of the container is not impaired by the bulging of the inner section.
[0018] In an advantageous embodiment, the extensive wall and the outer edge area of the base surface constitute an essentially dimensionally stable three-dimensional structure.
[0019] In an advantageous embodiment, the container has a container body that is rotationally symmetrical with respect to the longitudinal axis. A further aspect concerns a method for manufacturing the container described above by means of extrusion blow molding.
[0020] The following description of the figures explains further aspects, features, and advantages of the present invention in detail with reference to an exemplary embodiment. These figures show:
[0021] Fig. 1 shows a container according to one possible embodiment in a sectional view;
[0022] Fig. 2 shows a detailed view of the bottom section of the container of Fig. 1;
[0023] Identical or corresponding elements in the drawing figures are provided with the same reference symbols.
[0024] Figure 1 shows a sectional view of an exemplary container 1 according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention. As indicated in Figure 1, the container 1 can be designed as a vessel, in particular in the shape of a bottle. The container 1 is manufactured from a thermoplastic material, preferably by means of extrusion blow molding.
[0025] The vessel or container 1 has a container body 3 with an inner area I for receiving the liquid composition, in particular the hair care product. The container body 3 extends along a longitudinal axis L and comprises a circumferential wall 5 arranged around the longitudinal axis L, a bottom surface 7 extending substantially in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis L, and a neck section 9 forming a conical section of the container body 3 with an outlet opening 8.
[0026] The circumferential wall 5 can, in particular, as shown in Fig. 1, essentially correspond to the lateral surface of a cylinder. In the illustrated embodiment, the bottom surface 7 has a circular cross-section. The bottom surface 7, the circumferential wall 5, and the neck section 9 of the container body 3 are made of the same thermoplastic material.
[0027] The container 1 is fluid-tight, and in particular gas-tight, sealable. For this purpose, fastening means 11 are provided on the neck section 9 for attaching a closure element. In the illustrated embodiment, the fastening means 11 are designed in a conventional manner as external threads 10, which extend circumferentially around a substantially cylindrical section of the neck section 9. The external thread 10 extends by at least one full turn, i.e., over an angular range of at least 360° around the longitudinal axis L of the container 1. In the illustrated embodiment, the external thread 11 comprises approximately 1.5 thread turns; thus, the external thread 10 extends over an angular range of approximately 540° around the longitudinal axis L of the container 1.
[0028] The closure part, which can be designed as a cap or similar, has further fastening means corresponding to the fastening means 11, in particular a correspondingly dimensioned internal thread with a thread profile and thread pitch corresponding to the external thread 10 of the container 1.
[0029] The container body 3 is dimensionally stable in the sense that, due to its inherent elasticity, it is designed to return to its original, manufacturing-defined shape after deformation caused by use. Furthermore, the container body 3 is designed to maintain a dimensionally stable external shape even under uniformly acting forces, such as those caused, for example, by a pressure difference between the inner region I of the container body 3 and an outer region A. Such pressure differences can arise, in particular, due to temperature differences or be caused by transport, a change in altitude, and / or a change in atmospheric pressure in the outer area of the vacuum-sealed and, in particular, filled container 1.
[0030] The bottom section of the container body 3 is designed to be flexible, at least in sections, particularly to compensate for such pressure differences. With respect to the gas phase within a container 1 filled with liquid and vacuum-sealed as intended, such pressure differences can be, in particular, more than 100 mbar (100 hPa), in particular more than 200 mbar (200 hPa), and up to 500 mbar (500 hPa) relative to the external pressure. The flexibility of the bottom section allows for the equalization of internal and external pressure, so that the three-dimensional shape of the container 1, determined by the manufacturing process, is maintained and, in particular, the circumferential wall 5 extends over a cylindrical section of the container body 3 with essentially no deformation.
[0031] Figure 3 shows the bottom section of the container body 3, or the container 1, in greater detail in the area of the bottom surface 7. The bottom surface 7 comprises an outer edge region 71, which, together with the surrounding wall 5, determines the structural integrity of the container 1, or container body 3, particularly with regard to deformations. The outer edge region 71 of the bottom surface 7 extends over the entire outer circumference of the bottom surface 7. An inner region 73 of the bottom surface 7 is connected to the outer edge region 71 of the bottom surface 7 via a circumferential, flexible section 72. The flexible section 72 is formed by a section with reduced wall thickness, which extends along a circumference of 360° around the longitudinal axis L.The flexible section 72 is preferably designed to be flexible and can be produced, in particular, by stretching the curing thermoplastic during manufacturing, especially with the aid of a punch that is inserted, for example, axially along the longitudinal axis L into a mold. The technical effect of the flexible section 72 can essentially correspond to that of a film hinge. The inner region 73 is arranged offset from the outer edge region 71, so that the base of the container 1 is determined by the outer edge region 71. The inner region 73 is arranged axially offset from the outer edge region 71 of the base surface 7 parallel to the longitudinal axis L, such that the stability of the container 1 is not impaired by axial deflections of the inner region 73.
[0032] The flexible connection of the inner region 73 to the outer edge region 71, provided by the surrounding flexible section 72, allows axial deflection of the inner region 73 relative to the outer edge region 71 in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis L, for example, as a result of the aforementioned pressure differences. As shown particularly in Fig. 2, the deformations caused by such pressure differences are essentially localized to the area of the base surface 7, in particular to the inner region 73 of the base surface 7, which, starting from a rest position R, o Depending on the pressure difference, it can be deflected similarly to a membrane between a first axial position P1 and a second axial position P2.
[0033] The deflection of the inner area 73 between the first axial position P1 and the second axial position P2 causes a volume change AV of the container of 3% to 8%, in particular 5% to 6%.
[0034] As shown particularly in Fig. 2, the flexible section 72 has a curved first section 721, directly adjacent to the outer region 71 of the base surface 7 in a radial direction, i.e., in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis L, a second section 722, which is essentially straight and directly adjacent to the first section 721, and a curved third section 723, also adjacent to the second section 722. The third section 723 has a curvature opposite to that of the first section 721. The second section 722 is arranged at an angle W of 20° to 70°, particularly at an angle W of approximately 50°, with respect to the base surface 7. In preferred embodiments, the container body 3 is a body of revolution, which is rotationally symmetrical with respect to the longitudinal axis L.
[0035] The container 1 is made of at least one layer of a thermoplastic material. In possible embodiments, the thermoplastic material contains polyethylene as a component. In an advantageous embodiment of the container body 3, the circumferential wall 5 and / or the base surface 7 comprise a multilayer structure of at least two layers made of thermoplastic materials, wherein at least one of the layers contains polyethylene as a component.
[0036] The container 1 is preferably manufactured by means of extrusion blow molding. Typically, a preform is extruded and bias-molded in a mold. For example, the flexible section 73 of the bottom surface 7 can be produced by inserting a punch axially parallel to the longitudinal axis L into the mold during extrusion blow molding.
[0037] The foregoing description discloses the invention with reference to specific embodiments. However, the components, elements, and processes described therein may be modified within the scope of the attached claims without departing from the subject matter of the present invention. Accordingly, the description and drawings are to be understood as illustrative but not limiting.
Claims
P a t e n t a n s p r ü c h e 1. Container (1) for a cosmetic composition, in particular hair care product, with a base surface (7) extending substantially perpendicular to a longitudinal axis (L) and a circumferential wall (5) adjoining it, extending around a circumference of the base surface (7) and parallel to the longitudinal axis (L), characterized in that the base surface (7) comprises an inner region (73) and an outer edge region (71), wherein the outer edge region (73) extends around an outer circumference of the base surface (7) and the inner region (73) is movably connected to the outer edge region (73) of the base surface via a circumferential, flexible section (72) such that the inner region (71) is deflectable relative to the outer edge region (73) of the base surface (7) in an axial direction parallel to the longitudinal axis (L), characterized in thatthat the inner region (73) is arranged offset in the axial direction parallel to the longitudinal axis (L) relative to the outer edge region (71) of the base surface (7), wherein the base surface (7) is designed to effect a volume change of the container (1) of 3% to 8%, in particular 5% to 6%, by deflecting the inner region (73) relative to the outer edge region (71).
2. Container (1) according to claim 1 , characterized in that the flexible section (72) of the bottom surface (7) extends over an angular range of 360° around the longitudinal axis (L).
3. Container (1) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the inner area (73) of the bottom surface (7) is designed to be deflected depending on pressure differences between an inner area and an outer area of the container (1).
4. Container (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the inner area (73) of the bottom surface (7) is designed to be deflected in an inaxial direction parallel to the longitudinal axis (L) between a first axial position (P1) and a second axial position (P2).
5. Container (1 ) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the circumferential wall (5) and / or the bottom surface (7) comprises a multilayer structure of at least two layers made of thermoplastic materials, wherein at least one of the layers contains at least polyethylene as a component.
6. Container (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the flexible section (72) of the bottom surface (7) has a curved first section immediately adjacent to the outer area (71), a second section immediately adjacent to the first section, which is essentially straight, and a curved third section adjacent to the second section, wherein the third section has a curvature opposite to a curvature of the first section.
7. Container (1) according to claim 6, characterized in that the second section is arranged with respect to the bottom surface (7) at an angle (W) of 20° to 70°, in particular at an angle (W) of about 50°.
8. Container (1 ) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the inner area (73) of the bottom surface (7) extends over an area of 60% to 70%, in particular over an area of 62% to 66% of the bottom surface (7).
9. Container (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the circumferential wall (5) and the outer edge region (73) of the bottom surface (7) constitute a substantially dimensionally stable three-dimensional structure.
10. Container (1) according to one of the preceding claims with a container body (3) that is cylindrically symmetrical with respect to the longitudinal axis (L).
11. Method for producing a container according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the container is produced by means of extrusion blow molding or extrusion blow molding.