SYSTEM COMPRISING A CONTAINER AND VISUAL MEANS ABLE TO EXPRESS A PLURALITY OF VISUAL STRUCTURES

• US 20130122817A1
• Filed: 07/08/2011
• Published: 05/16/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/08/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Societe Lotoise D'Evaporation
• Original Assignee: Societe Lotoise D'Evaporation
• Inventors: Pivaudran, Mathieu
• Granted Patent: US 9,485,011 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/41.2
• CPC Class Codes: A45D 2034/007 with special decorative arrangements or form
• CPC Class Codes: A45D 2200/053 Transparent containers
• CPC Class Codes: A45D 2200/056 Reciprocating pumps, i.e. with variable volume chamber wherein pressure and vacuum are alternately generated
• CPC Class Codes: A45D 2200/057 Spray nozzles; Generating atomised liquid
• CPC Class Codes: A45D 34/04 Appliances specially adapted for applying liquid, e.g. using roller or ball
• CPC Class Codes: A45D 44/005 for selecting or displaying personal cosmetic colours or hairstyle
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 11/0005 Components or details of single units wherein the flow is effected by a pump B05B11/1042
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 11/0037 Containers for several components B05B11/0078
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 11/10 Pump arrangements for transferring the contents from the container to a pump chamber by a sucking effect and forcing the contents out through the dispensing nozzle
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 33/0004 Personal or domestic articles
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0035 provided on the surface of the light guide or in the bulk of it
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/006 to produce indicia, symbols, texts or the like
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0073 Light emitting diode [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/26 at least one of which is mobile

Abstract

A system in the technical field of rigid or semi-rigid packaging for cosmetic or pharmaceutical products, is intended to generate visual expressions on a plurality of packagings on the basis of information provided by an outside creator (5). This system includes a master station (4) able to emit control data (2_COM) on the basis of the information provided by the outside creator (5) via a command interface (4a) and to transmit an electronic instruction signal (2_INS), dependent on these control data (2_COM), to a remote server (2); and includes intermediate communication devices (6) able to receive, by long-distance communication, the instruction signal (2_INS) received by the remote server (2) and to transmit, by short-distance radiofrequency communication, the instruction signal (2_INS) to a telecommunication unit (16) of a container (12).

Claims

1. A system intended to generate visual expressions on a plurality of packagings on the basis of information provided by an outside creator (5), comprising a master station (4), a remote server (2), a plurality of intermediate communication devices (6) and a plurality of packagings (10),

wherein each packaging (10) comprises a container (12) intended to substantially hermetically receive some contents (14) in a fluid state and for cosmetic or pharmaceutical use, with the container (12) comprising an outer and peripheral wall (24) having a face (26) visible from the outside of the container (12) and delimiting an enclosure (28) able to substantially hermetically receive the contents (14) in a fluid state, an opening (30) being arranged in the outer and peripheral wall (24) to deliver the contents (14) in the fluid state, and removable means (34) for closing the opening (30);

with the packaging also comprising, integrated in the container (12) and without any physical, chemical or electronic contact with the contents (14), telecommunication means (16) able to receive at least one electronic instruction signal (2INS), control means (48) able to emit a plurality of control signals, dependent on the electronic instruction signal (2INS) received by the telecommunication means (16), visual means (42) able to express a plurality of visual structures (22) in response to the plurality of control signals established by the control means (48) and arranged outside the enclosure (28) delimited by the wall (24) of the container (12) so as to express the plurality of visual structures (22) through the visible face (26) of such wall (24);

characterized in that the master station (4) is able to emit control data (2COM) on the basis of the information provided by the outside creator (5) via a command interface (4a) and to transmit the electronic instruction signal (2INS), dependent on these control data (2COM), to the remote server (2); and

in that each intermediate communication device (6) is able to receive the instruction signal (2INS) from the remote server (2) and to transmit, by short-distance radiofrequency communication, the instruction signal (2INS) to the telecommunication means (16) of the container (12).

2. A system according to claim 1, wherein the packaging (10) comprising at least one sensor (50, 52, 54), integrated in the container (12) with or without a physical, chemical or electronic contact with the contents (14);

the sensor (50, 52, 54) being able to deliver context-sensitive information to the control means (48);

the control means (48) being able to receive context-sensitive information from the sensor (50, 52, 54) and to emit the plurality of control signals according to such context-sensitive information too.

3. A system according to claim 2, wherein the sensor (50, 52) is not in physical, chemical or electronic contact with the contents (14) and makes it possible to measure a physical quantity relative to the state of the container (12) and/or the environment surrounding the container (12).

4. A system according to claim 1, wherein the sensor (50, 52) is selected among a list comprising:

a temperature sensor, a light waves sensor, a sound waves sensor, an accelerometer, an electromagnetic waves sensor, an electric sensor, a contact sensor.

5. A system according to claim 2, wherein the sensor (54) is in physical, chemical or electronic contact with the contents (14) and so arranged as to enable the control means (48) to determine when the quantity of contents (14) in a fluid state is smaller than a predetermined value.

6. A system according to claim 5, wherein the sensor (54) comprises a body (54a) and a measuring head (54b), with the body (54a) of the sensor (54) being at least partially embedded in the lower portion of the container (12) and the measuring head (54b) of the sensor (54) leading to the inside of the enclosure (28) delimited by the outer and peripheral wall (24).

7. A system according to claim 1, wherein the visual means (42) comprise a light source (46) able to emit light rays in response to the control signals and the outer and peripheral wall (24) comprises at least a transparent layer (24a) liable to transmit light longitudinally within the thickness thereof;

the light source (46) being positioned opposite an end edge of the outer and peripheral wall (24) so that the light rays emitted by the light source (46) propagate through such end edge and longitudinally within the transparent layer (24a) and at least partially diffuse outside the container (12) so as to express a visual structure (22).

8. A system according to claim 7, wherein the peripheral wall (24) comprises at least one optical element (47) able to refract, reflect or disperse at least a part of the light rays emitted by the light source (46) to the outside of the outer and peripheral wall (24).

9. A system according to claim 7, wherein the wall (24) comprises, outside at least a portion of the transparent layer (24a), a coating creating one or several pattern(s) expressing one or several visual structure(s) (22).

10. A system according to claim 9, wherein the coating is selected among an opaque coating and a coating reflecting toward the inside of the transparent layer.

11. A system according to claim 1, wherein the visual means (42) comprise a conducting wire (62) and a thermochromic coating (64);

the conducting wire (62) being deposited onto a layer of the wall (24) of the container (12) and covered with the thermochromic coating (64);

the control means (48) being able to emit a plurality of control signals for generating an electric current in such conducting wire (62) so as to cause a change in the colour of the thermochromic coating (64).

12. A system according to claim 1, wherein the thermochromic coating (64) covers the whole layer of the outer and peripheral wall (24) of the container (12).

13. A system according to claim 7, wherein the visual means (42) comprise at least two light sources (46) able to respectively emit first light rays and second light rays of different colours in order to successively or simultaneously express different visual structures (22) in response to the control signals.

14. A system according to claim 1, wherein the two light sources (46) are so arranged that the first light rays and the second light rays at least partially overlap inside the outer and peripheral wall (24).

15. A system according to claim 1, wherein the visual means (42) comprise a display screen able to express at least one visual structure (22) corresponding to a picture and/or a text, on the basis of the control signals.

16. A system according to claim 1, comprising sound emitting means so arranged as to express a plurality of sound structures, dependent on the control established by the remote server (2), upon receiving the plurality of the control signals established by the control means (48).

17. A system according to claim 1, also comprising a photovoltaic solar module (72) without any physical, chemical or electronic contact with the contents (14);

the photovoltaic solar module (72) being able to produce electric power from the solar radiations and to provide the telecommunication means (16), the control means (48) and the visual means (42) of the packaging (10) with electric power.

18. A system according to claim 1, also comprising contents (14) in the fluid state and for a cosmetic or pharmaceutical use.

19. A system according to claim 18, wherein the contents (14) is a cosmetic product.

20. A system according to claim 1, wherein the intermediate communication device (6) is able to receive, by long-distance communication, the instruction signal (2INS) from the remote server (2).

21. A system according to claim 1, wherein the intermediate communication device (6) is able to communicate with a long-distance communication peripheral for receiving the instruction signal (2INS) from the remote server (2).

22. A system according to claim 1, wherein the intermediate communication device (6) is able to transmit the instruction signal (2INS) to the telecommunication means (16) of the container (12) through a communication protocol selected among:

Bluetooth, UWB, Zigbee, Wifi, infrared or the like.