WO2021175433A1

WO2021175433A1 - Container with hinged lid and pressure relief valve

Info

Publication number: WO2021175433A1
Application number: PCT/EP2020/055914
Authority: WO
Inventors: Marine Roualdes; Lionel Drugeon
Original assignee: L'oreal
Priority date: 2020-03-05
Filing date: 2020-03-05
Publication date: 2021-09-10
Also published as: FR3107887B1; KR20220116022A; CN115135197A; JP2023512568A; FR3107887A1

Abstract

A container (3) comprising: • a body (10), • a lid (11), connected to the body by a hinge (12), the lid comprising: • a sealing gasket (21) made of an elastomeric material configured to contact a corresponding surface (85) of the body when the lid is closed, • a release valve (40) integral with the sealing gasket (21), configured to release air under pressure in the container.

Description

Container with hinged lid and pressure relief valve

The present invention relates to containers comprising a body and a lid connected to the body via a hinge.

The invention relates more particularly but not exclusively to containers that are configured to be used as refill in cosmetic compacts, the container being accommodated in a case provided with a cover.

These containers should be capable of being stored in a relatively sealed condition to prevent the escape of volatile compounds from the cosmetic product they contain.

Some containers do not close in a completely hermetic manner and must be packaged in sealed pouches during storage.

Others, as the one disclosed in KR20-0478096, are provided with sealing means to hermetically close the container. The latter comprises in this document a lid that is provided with a spring biased valve comprising an actuation lever. When the user lifts the lever to open the container, the valve is forced open and air may enter the container. At rest, the valve is maintained in closed configuration by the spring. Such a container is relatively complex to manufacture and operate.

KR200354451 discloses a cosmetic compact having a lid provided with a release valve that is snap fastened into an opening of the lid.

There remains a need for a container that can provide the desired sealing in closed configuration while obviating some or all of the drawbacks of the prior art detailed above.

Exemplary embodiments of the invention relate to a container comprising: a body, a lid, connected to the body preferably by a hinge, the lid comprising: o a sealing gasket made of an elastomeric material configured to contact a corresponding surface of the body when the lid is closed, o a release valve integral with the sealing gasket, configured to release air under pressure in the container. The invention enables to manufacture the container more easily while preventing undesired pressure build up inside the container. The air under pressure may escape at any time through the release valve without the need for a complex lever mechanism. Moreover, the release valve is simple to manufacture as it can be molded in one operation with the gasket.

Thanks to the invention, the gasket may be configured to provide good sealing contact with the body of the container, thus allowing in some circumstances long storage of the product without the need to package the container in a sealed pouch before use. If necessary, the container may still be packaged in a sealed pouch to improve even further the seal.

The valve preferably comprises at least one slot closed at rest and opening under pressure of the air in the container. This slot may be less than 3mm long. Preferably, there is only one slot. The slot may be cut mechanically after the molding operation of the valve. The gasket is preferably made of TPE (thermoplastic elastomer).

The valve preferably has a dome concave toward the inside of the container. The dome shape may force the valve to act as a one way valve, allowing passage of air under pressure from the inside of the container to the outside but blocking to some extent the passage of air from the outside towards the inside if the latter is at a lower pressure that the outside.

The lid preferably comprises a support connected to the hinge and a sealing assembly fixed to the support, comprising said gasket. The support may define a housing for receiving an applicator pad.

The sealing assembly may comprise a mounting ring fixed to the support and a bottom plate connected to the mounting ring via the annular gasket. The bottom plate preferably comprises an opening in which the valve extends, said opening preferably being circular. The diameter of such opening may lie in the range 6 to 10mm. The valve may comprise a thicker rim portion that may be flush with a lower external surface of the bottom plate. The apex of the dome may be coplanar with an upper external surface of the bottom plate.

The bottom plate may have a recess facing the inside of the container. The valve may extend only partially within said recess. The valve is preferably off centered.

The lid may comprise a tongue configured to snap fasten onto a corresponding relief of the body.

The body preferably houses a cosmetic product, such as a foundation. The cosmetic product may be a liquid that impregnates a porous substrate. The invention also relates to a cosmetic compact comprising a base configured to accommodate the container of the invention, and a cover. The container may serve as a refill, being removed and replaced by a new one once empty.

The cover is preferably hinged to the base around a rotation axis that is perpendicular to the rotation axis of the hinge of the container.

Further advantages of the invention will become apparent upon reading the detailed description in view of the accompanying drawings, in which:

- Figure 1 is a perspective view of an example of a cosmetic compact made in accordance with the present invention, in the closed configuration,

- Figure 2 shows the compact of Figure 1 in the open configuration,

- Figure 3 shows the compact with the cover removed,

- Figure 4 shows the container in isolation,

- Figure 5 is a bottom view of the sealing assembly,

- Figure 6 is a cross section along VI- VI of Figure 5, and

- Figure 7 shows a detail of Figure 6.

The cosmetic compact 1 shown in Figures 1 and 2 comprises a base 2 defining a housing for receiving a container 3 containing a cosmetic product (not shown).

The compact 1 is provided with a cover 4 that is connected to the base 2 via a hinge 9. The cover 4 may carry on its internal face a mirror 6, as shown.

The container 3 constitutes a refill that may be removed from the base 2 and replaced by a new one.

To this purpose, the base 2 is hollow so that the user may access the bottom of the container 3 to push it out of the base 2, when the cover 4 is open.

As shown in Figure 4, the container 3 may be provided on its periphery with grooves 8 and the base 2 with corresponding tongues (not shown) that snap fasten into said grooves when the container 3 is inserted into the base.

The base 2 may be provided with a latch 7 that maintains the cover 4 in the closed position until the latch is depressed, as is usual for this kind of product.

The container 3 comprises a body 10 and a lid 11 that is connected to the body 10 via a hinge 12. The lid 11 is provided opposite the hinge 12 with a tongue 13 that is configured to snap fasten into a corresponding groove of the body 10 when the lid 11 is closed.

The container 3 is received in the base 2 in a predefined angular orientation thanks to recesses 80 and 81 of the base 2 into which the hinge 12 and the tongue 13 are inserted, respectively. The orientation of the container 3 is such that the rotation axis of the lid 11 and of the cover 4 are perpendicular.

In this way, once the cover 4 is pivoted rearwardly, the user may open the container 3 by pivoting the lid 11 sideways, as shown in Figure 2.

As shown in Figure 3, the lid 11 comprises a cup shaped support 14 that defines a housing 15 for receiving an applicator pad 82 that the user may grasp with his fingers to apply the product.

The support 14 comprises a top wall 16 that covers part of the housing 15 to maintain the applicator pad 82 therein during the handling of the compact 1 with the cover 4 open.

The lid 11 comprises a seal assembly 20 underneath the support 14 and that is shown in isolation in Figures 5 to 7.

The seal assembly 20 comprises an annular gasket 21 extending between a top mounting ring 22 and a bottom plate 23.

The mounting ring 22 and the bottom plate 23 are made of a same relatively rigid plastics material such as polypropylene (PP), while the gasket 21 is made of an elastomeric material such as a thermoplastic elastomer (TPE).

The mounting ring 22, the bottom plate 23 and the gasket 21 are preferably made by a dual injection process, the elastomeric material being molded onto the other material after injection of the latter.

As shown in Figure 7, the mounting ring 22 comprises on its external periphery an annular ridge 24 that is configured to snap fasten into a corresponding groove of the support 14. The mounting ring 22 may be fixed onto the support 14 in any other manner, for example may be glued or welded to the support 14.

The bottom plate 23 has a central recess 27 that is delimited by a peripheral region 28, the outside diameter of which is less than the outside diameter of the gasket 21. The gasket 21 is sandwiched between top 30 and bottom 31 portions of the peripheral region 28.

The gasket 21 connects to an inner side 84 of the mounting ring 22.

The gasket 21 has an external surface 34 that is configured to contact in a tight manner the body 10 when the lid 11 is closed.

The external surface 34 may be slightly convex in cross section, as shown in Figure 7, or may be provided with any other profile configured for the obtention of the desired seal, such as an annular boss.

The gasket 21 may be provided on its internal surface 37, opposite the external surface 34. When the lid 11 is closed, some air remains trapped in the container 3 due to the tightness of the contact between the gasket 21 and its corresponding seat 85 on the body 10.

The retaining force of the snap engagement of the tongue 13 on its corresponding relief of the body 10 is quite weak and would not prevent the pressure of the air trapped in the container 3 to force the lid 12 to open were the container 3 not provided with a release valve 40 in accordance with the invention.

The release valve 40 extends in a corresponding opening 41 of the bottom plate 23 and has a dome 60 that is concave towards the inside of the container 3. The dome 60 connects at its periphery to a thicker rim portion 61 that may be flush with the external surface of the bottom portion 31, as shown.

The apex 87 of the dome 60 may be substantially coplanar with the external surface 86 of the top portion 30 and central region of the bottom plate 23, as shown in Figure 6.

The release valve 40 comprises a slot 43 that extends through the top portion of the dome. This slot 43 remains closed as long the pressure inside the container 3 does not exceed a predetermined value. The dome 60 will deform in response to pressure build up in the container 3, and the slot 43 will open, thus allowing the air under pressure to escape to the outside.

The release valve 40 is preferably made of the same elastomeric material as the gasket 21 during said dual injection process.

The opening 41 is close to the peripheral region 28 and the release valve 40 connects to the portion of the gasket 21 that is sandwiched between the top 30 and bottom 31 portions of the peripheral region 28. In this manner, the elastomeric material can easily flow during the dual injection process in the area of the opening 41 for molding the release valve 40.

The wall of the bottom plate 23 is chamfered where it connects the recess 27 to the bottom portion 31 of the peripheral region 28. The valve 40 extends partially within the recess 27.

As shown in Figure 5, the bottom plate 23 comprises a raised semicircular portion 68 that surrounds the portion of the valve 40 that is radially interior to the circular outline of the recess 27. The semicircular portion 68 is also chamfered, in continuity with the chamfer of the peripheral region 28. The injection point of the bottom plate 23 may be located at the center thereof.

The bottom plate 23 may be provided with a gate 50 for the injection of the elastomeric material during the dual injection process.

This gate 50 may be situated on the bottom portion 31 of the peripheral region 28 opposite the release valve 40. The diameter of the opening 41 may lie in the range 6 to 10mm, being for example of 8mm.

The diameter of the dome 60 is less than that of the opening 41 by 2mm for example.

The invention is not restricted to the disclosed embodiment and encompasses numerous variants. For example, the lid 11 may be made differently. The seal assembly 20 may be connected differently to the applicator pad support 14.

Claims

1. A container (3) comprising: a body (10), a lid (11), connected to the body by a hinge (12), the lid comprising: o a sealing gasket (21) made of an elastomeric material configured to contact a corresponding surface (85) of the body when the lid is closed, o a release valve (40) integral with the sealing gasket (21), configured to release air under pressure in the container.

2. The container of claim 1, the valve (40) comprising at least one slot (43) closed at rest and opening under pressure of the air in the container.

3. The container of claim 2, the slot (43) being less than 3mm long.

4. The container of claim 2 or 3, being only one slot (43).

5. The container of any one of claims 1 to 4, the gasket (21) being made of TPE (thermoplastic elastomer).

6. The container of any one of claims 1 to 5, the valve (40) having a dome (60) concave toward the inside of the container (3).

7. The container of any one of claims 1 to 6, the lid (12) comprising a support (14) connected to the hinge (12) and a sealing assembly (20) fixed to the support (14), comprising said gasket (21).

8. The container of claim 7, the sealing assembly (20) comprising a mounting ring (22) fixed to the support (14) and a bottom plate (23) connected to the mounting ring (22) via the annular gasket (21).

9. The container of claim 8, the bottom plate (23) comprising an opening (41) in which the valve (40) extends, said opening (41) preferably being circular.

10. The container of any one of claims 8 and 9, the bottom plate (23) having a recess (27) facing the inside of the container, the valve (40) extending only partially within said recess (27).

11. The container of claim 6 and any one of claims 8 to 10, the valve (40) comprising a thicker rim portion (61) that is preferably flush with a lower external surface of the bottom plate, the apex of the dome (60) preferably being coplanar with an upper external surface of the bottom plate.

12. The container of any one of the preceding claims, the valve (40) being off centered.

13. The container of any one of claims 1 to 11, the lid (11) comprising a tongue (13) configured to snap fasten onto a corresponding relief of the body (10).

14. The container of any one of claims 1 to 12, the body (10) housing a cosmetic product.

15. A cosmetic compact comprising a base (2) configured to accommodate the container of any one of claims 1 to 13, and a cover (4).