Device for packaging a product comprising constituents which must be stored separately and mixed just before use of the product

• US 6,021,892 A
• Filed: 06/09/1998
• Issued: 02/08/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 06/20/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: L'Oreal SA
• Original Assignee: L'Oreal SA
• Inventors: Baudin, Gilles
• Primary Examiner(s): Sewell, Paul T.
• Assistant Examiner(s): BUI, LUAN KIM
• Application Number:
  US09/093,342
• Time in Patent Office: 609 Days
• Field of Search: 206/219, 206/220, 206/221, 206/222, 206/568, 215/6, 215/10, 215/DIG. 8, 222/129, 222/145.5, 222/145.6
• US Class Current: 206/221
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 81/3211 coaxially and provided with means facilitating admixture
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 215/08 Mixing

Abstract

A device (1) for the extemporaneous mixing of N constituents (A, B) has N compartments (2a, 2b), each having a first end (22a, 22b) and a second end (24a, 24b) on the opposite side to the first, each of the first and second ends being surmounted by a neck (22a, 24a; 22b, 24b) delimiting an opening (12). (N-1) intermediate obturators (14) separate each compartment in a detachable manner from the compartment or compartments which are adjacent thereto when the N compartments are placed on one another. An actuator (18) is provided for ejecting the (N-1) intermediate obturators (14) for effecting the mixing of N constituents, and first end obturators (8) and second end obturators (9) are provided for obturating the end openings of the first compartment (22a) and of the N^th compartment (24b). One of the first or second end obturators has an opening (26) for the dispensing of the mixture. The first and second ends of any of the N compartments can receive any of the said obturators.

Claims

1. A device for mixing N constituents, wherein N is greater than 2, comprising:

N aligned compartments, each of the compartments having opposite first and second ends, each of the first and second ends of each said compartment being surmounted by a neck delimiting an opening, wherein adjacent ones of the compartments have facing pairs of the openings;

(N-1) removable intermediate obturators sealing the facing pairs of openings;

(N-1) connecting elements detachably connecting adjacent ones of the compartments;

an actuator mounted for ejecting said intermediate obturators from the openings for mixing of constituents in said compartments; and

first and second end obturators respectively obturating opposite end openings of opposite end ones of said compartments, one of said first and second end obturators having a dispensing opening for dispensing the mixed constituents,

wherein the first and second ends of any of the N compartments are configured to receive any of said end obturators and said connecting elements.

2. A device according to claim 1, wherein said actuator comprises (N-1) actuating stems, each of said actuating stems having one end in contact with one of said intermediate obturators, and another end positioned to receive and transmit an axial displacement of the actuator.

3. A device according to claim 2, wherein each of the intermediate obturators comprises a stopper.

4. A device according to claim 3, wherein each said stopper is joined to the first end of one of said the actuating stems.

5. A device according to claim 3, wherein said actuator further comprises one of said end obturators having an axially deformable zone to provide the axial displacement.

6. A device according to claim 1, wherein said connecting elements each comprises:

a transverse partition;

first skirts extending on one side of the transverse partition; and

second skirts extending on an opposite side of the transverse partition, the second skirts having an internal diameter larger than an external diameter of the first skirts, so as to define two oppositely oriented annular zones on opposite sides of the transverse partition, one of the zones receiving the neck of a first compartment, the other of the zones receiving a neck of a second compartment adjacent to the first compartment.

7. A device according to claim 6, wherein each of the connecting elements further comprises a third skirt for the mounting one of the intermediate obturators, said third skirt being coaxial with the first skirt and the second skirt, and having a diameter smaller than a diameter of the first skirt.

8. A device according to claim 6, wherein each of the compartments comprises a body connecting the first end thereof to the second end thereof, each of the connecting elements comprising a cover skirt with an external diameter substantially identical with an external diameter of the body of the compartments connected thereby.

9. A device according to claim 5, wherein the axially deformable zone is an annular zone.

10. A device according to claim 9, wherein said one of said end obturators having an axially deformable zone has a dispensing nozzle including said dispensing opening.

11. A device according to claim 1, wherein said dispensing opening is obturated by a cap that can be cut off.

12. A device according to claim 1, wherein all of said compartments are identical.

13. A device according to claim 1, wherein there are up to four of said compartments.

14. A device according to claim 12, wherein the constituents are selected from the group consisting of hair dyes, oxidants, perfumes and hair conditioning agents.