Packaging unit permitting the storage and the application of a liquid or pasty product to a base

• US 5,906,214 A
• Filed: 02/24/1997
• Issued: 05/25/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 02/23/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: L'Oreal SA
• Original Assignee: L'Oreal SA
• Inventors: Gueret, Jean-Louis H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Manahan, Todd E.
• Application Number:
  US08/805,250
• Time in Patent Office: 820 Days
• Field of Search: 132/218, 132/313, 132/314, 132/315, 132/316, 132/317, 132/294, 401/118, 401/126, 401/127, 401/129, 401/130, 215/242, 215/239, 215/240, 215/241
• US Class Current: 132/314
• CPC Class Codes: A45D 34/045 connected to the cap of the container
• CPC Class Codes: A45D 34/06 in combination with other toiletry or cosmetic articles
• CPC Class Codes: A45D 40/24 Casings for two or more cosmetics
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2577/042 Comprising several inner containers
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 77/0446 the inner and outer containers being rigid or semi-rigid and the outer container being of polygonal cross-section not formed by folding or erecting one or more blanks B65D81/3825 takes precedence

Abstract

A packaging unit which permits the storage and application of a liquid or pasty product to a base includes at least one reservoir containing the product to be applied and an applicator associated with the reservoir. The applicator includes, on the one end, an application element and, on the other end, a gripping member. The application element of an applicator is capable of being accommodated in an associated reservoir and is detachable from the reservoir. A sealing member is provided between the reservoir and its associated applicator to allow the reservoir to be obturated by the associated applicator for an appropriate positioning of the gripping member relative to the reservoir. The reservoir is contained in a shell which provides free access to the opening of the reservoir, the obturation of the reservoir is obtained when the corresponding application element is accommodated in the reservoir by compressing the sealing member of the reservoir by the positioning of the gripping member of the application element along the shell.

Claims

1. A packaging unit permitting the storage and the application of a liquid or pasty product to a base, said packaging unit comprising:

at least one reservoir containing a product to be applied and having a neck member;

an applicator engageable with said neck member of said at least one reservoir, said applicator comprising an applicator element and a gripping member interconnected with said applicator element by a pivot pin, the applicator element being accommodatable in said at least one reservoir into which the applicator element is penetrable through an opening in said neck of said at least one reservoir and being detachable from said at least one reservoir,

a sealing member provided between said at least one reservoir and said applicator element, said sealing member allowing obturation of said at least one reservoir by said applicator element, said obturation being obtained by an appropriate positioning of the gripping member relative to said at least one reservoir; and

a shell within which said at least one reservoir is contained, said shell providing free access to the opening of said at least one reservoir, the obturation of said at least one reservoir being obtained when the applicator element is accommodated in said at least one reservoir by compressing the sealing member of said at least one reservoir by positioning of the gripping member of said applicator element along the shell, at least one of said shell and said gripping member including a compression member to ensure compression of the sealing member.

2. A packaging unit according to claim 1, wherein the product to be applied comprises one of a cosmetic product, a hair product, and a make-up product, and wherein the base for application comprises one of the skin, keratinous fibers, and nails of the user.

3. A packaging unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein said applicator element and gripping element are interconnected at a position located outside the reservoir when the applicator element is accommodated within the reservoir.

4. A packaging unit according to claim 1, wherein said at least one reservoir comprises a single reservoir and said applicator comprises a single applicator.

5. A packaging unit according to claim 1, wherein said at least one reservoir comprises two reservoirs, each of said reservoirs being connected with one said applicator.

6. A packaging unit according to claim 5, wherein said two reservoirs are disposed in a head-to-tail manner inside the shell.

7. A packaging unit according to claim 6, wherein, upon the reservoirs are obturated by the applicator associated therewith, the gripping member of the applicators is disposed in a head-to-tail manner on two opposite sides of the shell.

8. A packaging unit according to claim 5, wherein the two reservoirs are disposed parallel to one another and are aligned in the same direction inside the shell on either side of a median plane.

9. A packaging unit according to claim 8, wherein, upon the two reservoirs being obturated by the applicator associated therewith, the gripping member of each of the said applicators are disposed symmetrically relative to a median plane disposed between the two reservoirs.

10. A packaging unit according to claim 1, wherein the shell comprises two half-shells connected to one another.

11. A packaging unit according to claim 10, wherein the two half-shells are interconnected by a film hinge or are joined by a catch engagement.

12. A packaging unit according to claim 11, wherein inside the shell there is disposed at least one reserve container interchangeable with said at least one reservoir.

13. A packaging unit according to claim 12, wherein said at least one reservoir comprises two reservoirs wherein inside the shell, the axis of one of said two reservoirs is parallel with the axis of one of a second reservoir of said two reservoirs and with the axis of the reserve container.

14. A packaging unit according to claim 1, wherein the shell defines a space in the form of a rectangular parallelepiped and comprises two large parallel sides, said gripping member bearing against a small side of the parallelepiped shell when the at least one reservoir is obturated, and a longitudinal axis of the at least one reservoir being perpendicular to one of the small sides of said shell against which said gripping member bears.

15. A packaging unit according to claim 14, wherein a large side portion of the shell has a mirror positioned thereon.

16. A packaging unit according to claim 1, wherein the shell defines a space in the form of an upright prism comprising two large parallel, substantially triangular sides, said gripping member bearing against one of the sides of the shell when the at least one reservoir is obturated.

17. A packaging unit according to claim 1, wherein said at least one reservoir includes a wiper wiping the applicator element.

18. A packaging unit according to claim 1, wherein said at least one reservoir includes a glove finger having at least one capillary opening, said at least one opening dosing the product onto the applicator element.

19. A packaging unit according to claim 1 wherein, when the applicator is in a position obturating the reservoir, the pivot pin is perpendicular to the large sides of the shell.

20. A packaging unit according to claims 1, wherein the shell is perforated.

21. A package unit according to claim 1 wherein the compression member comprises a stop located on said shell and the zone of the first end of the gripping member bears against said stop when said gripping member is brought to bear against the shell so as to exert a force on the applicator in a direction towards the at least one reservoir.

22. A packaging unit according to claim 21, wherein the stop is T-shaped and wherein in the zone of the first end of the gripping member there are two studs, each of said studs bearing against a respective arm of the T-shaped stop.

23. A packaging unit according to claim 21, wherein the stop comprises a shackle and wherein the zone of the first end of the gripping member has a stud which bears against the web of said shackle.

24. A packaging unit according to claim 1, wherein the gripping member is pivotable about said pin, and wherein at least one of said applicator element and the gripping member includes a restraining member preventing free pivoting of the gripping member relative to the applicator element.

25. A packaging unit according to claim 1, wherein the shell includes at least one projection cooperating with a zone of a first end of a gripping member when the gripping member pivots to eliminate the obturation of the at least one reservoir, so as to lift the applicator element from the at least one reservoir.

26. A packaging unit according to claim 1, wherein the at least one retaining member comprises an elastic clip projecting from the side of the shell along with the gripping member bears in the obturating of the at least one reservoir.

27. A packaging unit according to claim 1, wherein the retaining member comprises a catch engagement member located in proximity with the side of the shell along which the gripping member bears directly between said shell and said gripping member in the course of the obturating of the reservoir.

28. A packaging unit according to claim 1, wherein the at least one reservoir is disposed in a recess of the shell, so as to be extractable via a small side of the shell along which the gripping member of the applicator comes to bear, or via an opposite small side portion of the shell.

29. A packaging unit according to claim 1, wherein the applicator has a telescopic gripping member.

30. A packaging unit according to claim 1, wherein the applicator element includes a stem having an end at which is disposed an applicator component.

31. A packaging unit according to claim 30, wherein the applicator component has a rough surface obtained by being molded together with one of the stem, a brush, a pencil brush, an elastomeric quill, a flocked surface, and a felt member.