Abstract:
The packing device has a cap insidely containing a cover provided with a seal corresponding to a bearing surface of the body of the packing device. The body forming lateral studs cooperates with protruding bearing surfaces formed by lugs defined by the cap.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to packing devices having an oval or approximately oval shape in cross-section and which include a cap which has to be easily removed from the packing device while providing perfect tightness with the body of the packing device supporting it, whereby the product contained therein is maintained sheltered from the atmosphere. 
     Packing devices of this shape are used in particular in the field of perfumery and pharmacy, but until now their tightness is not perfect because sealing was only provided by rubbing seals. Actually, the oval shape of both the body and the cap of the packing device is such that closing is provided by merely sliding the cap with respect to the body. 
     The present invention provides a new packing device of a general oval shape, ensuring the tightness by means of a seal maintained under pressure. 
     The packing device of the invention is applicable in a particularly interesting manner for containing cosmetics and similar products which have to be protected against oxidation due to exposure to air and which may should soil clothing or the inside of a bag upon leaking from the packing container. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     According to the invention, the oval-shaped packing device which has to be closed in a tight manner comprises a body and a cap, the cap containing a cover inside thereof provided with a seal corresponding to a bearing surface of the body, this body forming lateral studs cooperating with protruding bearing surface formed by lugs defined by the cap, whereby the seal is compressed onto the bearing surface when the protruding bearing surface is retained by the studs. 
     Various other features of the invention will become more apparent from the hereafter detailed description. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     Embodiments of the invention are shown by way of non limiting examples in the accompanying drawings, wherein: 
     FIG. 1 is a side elevation view of the packing device of the invention; 
     FIG. 2 is a partial elevation cross-sectional view substantially taken in the axial direction of the device of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along line III--III of FIG. 2; 
     FIG. 4 is an elevation view partially broken away corresponding to FIG. 1 but rotated about 90° with respect to FIG. 4; 
     FIG. 5 is an elevation cross-sectional view illustrating a first embodiment of the packing device of the invention; 
     FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VI--VI of FIG. 5; 
     FIG. 7 is a diagrammatic cross-sectional view illustrating a detail of embodiment; 
     FIG. 8 is an elevation view, partly in cross-section, illustrating a variant; 
     FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view taken along line IX--IX of FIG. 8; 
     FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of another variant; 
     FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view taken along line XI--XI of FIG. 10; 
     FIG. 12 is an elevation cross-sectional view showing still another variant; 
     FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view taken along line XIII--XIII of FIG. 12; 
     FIG. 14 is a perspective view illustrating a detail of embodiment; 
     FIG. 15 is a cross-sectional view of another variant; 
     FIG. 16 is a half cross-sectional view illustrating a characteristic position; 
     FIG. 17 is a perspective view illustrating a detail of a junction of two parts of the device of the invention; 
     FIG. 18 is an elevation cross-section view of a further variant. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     The packing device to which the invention applies includes a body 1 for containing various products, for example a cosmetic product, and the body 1 can be associated with a control means 2, for example a knurled knob, for axially displacing a product 3 (FIG. 2) which can be make-up, a lipstick, a deoderant product or other similar products. 
     The body 1 is formed to have a cross-section which is substantially oval as illustrated in FIG. 3 and is formed, at least in its upper portion, with portions 1a, 1b from which protrude studs 4 the function of which is explained thereafter. The upper portion of the body 1 forms also a bearing surface 5 for a seal 6 which is encased inside a cover 7. 
     The drawings shown that the seal 6 defines advantageously a groove 8 surrounding the bearing surface 5 of the body 1. 
     Moreover, the drawings show that the cover 7 comprises a turned down edge 7a acting as a holding element for the seal 6 and bearing against the studs 4 when the body 1 is closed by the cover. 
     The cover 7 has the same oval shape as the body 1 but can be realized in a different material or at least in a different color when it is desired that the packing has a particular appearance. 
     The top of the cover 7 is formed with a joining piece 9 with an inner groove 10. The joining piece 9 forms a tubular member for a tubular portion 11 having a circular section, with an outer diameter corresponding to the inner diameter of the joining piece 9. 
     The tubular portion 11 is formed with a retaining ridge 12 or other latching projections to be forcibly introduced inside an inner groove 10 provided in the joining piece 9. 
     The tubular portion 11 is formed integrally a unit with a cap 13 having an outer wall which is of an oval cross-section for corresponding exactly to the body 1 and so as to be flush with the body 1. 
     In a similar way as for the cover 7, the cap 13 can be made of material different to that of the body 1, or have another color or a different texture. 
     In order to provide a good connection between the cover 7 and the cap 13, the cap 13 is advantageously formed with a shoulder 14 against which the top of the cover 7 will abut when the tubular portion 11 is latched inside the joining piece 9 via the retaining ridge 12. 
     At its base, the cap 13 defines two diametrically opposite lugs 15 having at their base protruding portions 16 corresponding to the bottom portion of the studs 4 formed by the body 1. 
     FIG. 4 shows that the studs 4 and the protruding portions 16 define matching ramps 4a, 16a and preferably also a latching protrusion 17. 
     In addition to the hereabove features, abutments 18, 19 are formed on top of the cover 17 and are disposed in such a manner that the inner wall of the cap 13 will bear against the abutments 18, 19 when the cap 13 is rotated about a certain angle with respect to the body 1, this angle being at least equal to that providing for disengagement of the protruding bearing surfaces 16 from the studs 4. 
     In practice, the above rotation angle can be in the order of 30° to 45°. 
     When the various parts have been manufactured, the seal 6 is enclosed inside the cover 7, then the cover 7 is itself engaged between the lugs 15 of the cap 13 up to the moment when the tubular portion 11 is latched inside the joining piece 10. 
     In order to put the cap 13 in position, it is presented as shown in FIG. 3 so that it forms an angle with respect to the body 1 so that the latching protrusions 17 are angularly off-set with respect to the studs 4. 
     FIG. 3 shows that the abutments 18, 19 permit a guiding of the cap 13 with respect to the body 1 in order to have a correct presentation of the cap 13 with respect to body 1. 
     The cap 13 is then rotated with respect to the body 1 so that the protruding bearing surfaces 16 are engaged underneath the studs 4, the matching ramps 4a, 16a assisting in clamping the cap 13 onto the body 1. 
     The effect of the clamping action is to strongly apply the seal 6, and particularly its groove 8, against the bearing surface 5 of the body 1, thereby providing complete tightness between the body 1 and cover 7 and, consequently, an isolation of the product contained therein from the ambient atmosphere. 
     When the cap 13 is made of a synthetic resin having a certain degree of flexibility, it is also possible to put the cap 13 and the cover 7 in position by a simple sliding motion, the lugs 15 being resiliently deformed as the lugs 15 run over the studs 4. 
     In order to have an access to the product contained in the body 1, it suffices to slightly rotate the cap 13 with respect to the body 1 in order to bring it to the position shown in phantom line in FIG. 3, the effect of which it to disengage the protruding bearing surfaces 16 from the studs 4 and then to permit an extraction of the cap 13 from the cover 7 and from its seal by a simple axial sliding motion of the cap 13 with respect to the body 1 without deteriorating the product contained therein. 
     According to another embodiment of the invention, the body 1 has a bearing portion 5 for a seal 6 which forms also the cover for the body 1 while housing the bearing portion 5. The seal 6 is covered by the cap 13 to which it is connected by any appropriate means, for example by snap-in members. 
     FIG. 17 shows that the cap 13 can be provided inside with sockets 20 having a collar 21, and that the seal 6 can be provided with corresponding fingers 22 with a retaining ring 23. By engaging the seal 6 inside the cap 13, the retaining rings 23 of the fingers 22 are latched by the collars 21 inside the sockets 20, thereby fixedly joining the two parts together. 
     In FIGS. 5 to 7, a stirrup 24 is placed via its transverse arm, preferably of a small width, in an opening 25 of the cap 13 and, possibly, of the seal 6. Arms 24a of the stirrup 24 bear against flanks of the seal 6 and of the body 1 and are formed with a snap-in groove 26 for each of the studs 4 of the body 1. The bottom portion of the studs 4 is advantageously buldging, the effect of which is to displace the stirrup 24 in direction of the arrow f1 when it covers the stud, and consequently to clamp the seal 6 on the bearing surface 5 of the body 1. In order to disengage the cap 13, it suffices to displace the stirrup 24 in either direction of the arrow f2 in order to free the studs 4. 
     In FIGS. 8 and 9, the seal 6 forms a cradle 27, and the arms 24b of the stirrup 24 are latched by a pin 24 1  maintained inside the cradle 27. In this embodiment, the cap 13 is slotted in order to encase the pin 24 1 . By rotating, the arms 24b of the stirrup 24, the arms 24b will escape from the studs 4, whereby the opening of the body 1 is possible. 
     In FIGS. 10 and 11, the top of the cap 13 is formed substantially in the shape of a cylinder and is partially covered by a cylindrical sector 28 formed by the stirrup 24, and the arms 24c of the stirrup 24 are articulated on pins 29 engaged inside holes of the seal 6 and the cap 13. As in the previous embodiment, the end of the arms 24c of the stirrup 24 cooperate with a stud 4 of the body 1. In order to disengage the cap 13, its suffices to tip the stirrup 24 in either direction, whereby the arms 24c of the stirrup 24 can free the studs 4. The device is advantageously made of a relatively rigid resin for the stirrup 24, for example polystyrene, and flexible resins for the cap 13 and seal 6, for example polyethylene. 
     In FIGS. 12 to 14, the cap 13 forms side lugs 30 having an upper portion 30a which protrudes from the bottom portion of a housing 31, so that the lugs 30 can slightly pivot. 
     As in the previous embodiments, the lugs 30 which are in some way similar to the above described stirrup arms are formed with a snap-in groove 26 for each stud 4 of the body 1. If the resiliency of the constituent material of the cap 13 is not sufficient, a resilient element 32 is provided for bearing against the flanks of the upper portion 30a of the lugs 30, possibly via portions of the seal 6. 
     The variant of FIGS. 15 and 16 illustrates an embodiment according to which the cap 13 is formed with at least two dovetail slots 33 inside of which are disposed sliding lugs 34 defining the housing 26 which is used for encasing each of studs 4 when the seal 6 is sufficiently compressed. 
     In FIG. 18, a push-piece 35 having arms 36 formed with lugs 37 encasing the studs 4 extends through the cap 13. The arms 36 bear, via a rigid portion 36a, on the top portion of the seal 6 while they are, themselves, flexible. By exerting pressure on the push-piece 35, the effect is to pivot the lugs 37 in order to disengage the lugs 37 from the studs 4. The push-piece 35 protrudes from the cap 13 via an opening 38 of the latter, and the cap 13 is connected to the seal 6 as explained with reference to FIG. 17, via the sockets 20 inside which the fingers 22 are nested and latched. 
     In this embodiment, it is advantageous that the body 1 is surrounded by an envelope 39 to which it is connected by snap-in rings.