Abstract:
The present invention includes a receptacle for a cosmetic or care product although other substances may be used in conjunction with the present application. The receptacle includes a body with a single opening. An insert is secured in the opening and includes a passage for extracting the cosmetic or care product.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]    This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/411,755 filed on Sep. 19, 2002 and U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/412,782 filed on Sep. 24, 2002, the disclosures of which are incorporated by reference herein. 
     
    
     
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    The present invention relates to receptacles, and in particular those for containing a cosmetic or care product.  
           [0003]    The term “cosmetic” is used in the present specification to designate a product as defined in EEC Directive 93/35 of Jun. 14, 1993 amending EEC Directive 76/768.  
           [0004]    There exists a need for receptacles that are easily carried about, for example in a handbag, while offering capacity that complies with consumer requirements.  
           [0005]    In one of its aspects, the present invention seeks to satisfy this need.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0006]    The invention achieves these goals by means of a receptacle having a body provided with at least one opening. An insert is secured in the opening and includes a passage for extracting a substance contained in the receptacle. A closure and/or dispenser member may be mounted on the insert. The receptacle is further characterized by the fact that the body of the receptacle includes a setback in which the opening is situated. Additionally, the closure and/or dispenser member may extend at least in part around the insert in the setback. The insert may form the neck of the receptacle.  
           [0007]    The receptacle body may be made from a plastic, glass, ceramic material or the like.  
           [0008]    The invention makes it possible to reduce the overall size of the receptacle as measured along the axis of its neck. This is in comparison with known prior art receptacles. In addition, in terms of appearance, the present invention broadens the options for making shapes that are original.  
           [0009]    In additional embodiments of the present invention, the receptacle may include a receptacle body made of glass or ceramic, provided with at least one opening, and in particular a single opening. An insert is secured in the opening and includes a passage for extracting a substance contained in the body of the receptacle. The receptacle being further characterized by the fact that the opening is situated in a setback in the body of the receptacle.  
           [0010]    In yet another embodiment of the present invention, the invention may include a receptacle having a body. The body includes a bottom portion, which the receptacle may stand and support itself. An opening may be included in the top portion of the receptacle. An insert is secured in the opening and has a passage for extracting a substance contained in the receptacle. A closure and/or dispenser member is mounted on the insert. The receptacle further characterized by the fact that the receptacle body includes a setback in which the opening is situated. The closure and/or dispenser member extends at least in part around the insert in the setback.  
           [0011]    In each variant of the present invention, the insert and the receptacle body may be made of different materials. By way of example, the insert may be made of a thermoplastic material, in particular a polypropylene, polyethylene, polyethylene, terephthalate material or the like.  
           [0012]    The insert may be attached in various ways in the opening, depending on the nature of the materials constituting the insert and the body of the receptacle. The method of attaching the insert may further depend on the nature of the substance contained in the receptacle.  
           [0013]    The insert may include a shoulder configured to abut against an edge of the opening. The height of the neck may be greater than or less than the depth of the setback. In order to further reduce the overall size of the receptacle and improve its appearance, it may be desirable for the height of the neck to be less than the depth of the setback, in particular when a dispenser member is mounted on the neck.  
           [0014]    The receptacle may include a closure member configured to close the receptacle in leak tight manner, such as a cap. Such a closure member may be connected in various ways to the neck, for example by screw fastening, where the neck includes an outside thread.  
           [0015]    The receptacle may also include a dispenser member such as a pump or a valve.  
           [0016]    In an additional embodiment of the present invention, the setback extends along a longitudinal axis which extends transversely to the axis of the neck, for example perpendicularly to the axis of the neck. The setback may present a cylindrical surface having its generator lines substantially perpendicular to the axis of the neck. The setback may also present a surface that is not cylindrical, in particular when the setback is in the form of a cup. The depth of the setback may be greater than 2 millimeters (mm), or indeed greater than 5 mm or even 10 mm.  
           [0017]    The receptacle may contain a substance in the form of a cosmetic or a care product.  
           [0018]    Additional features that may be included with the present invention is a method of manufacturing a receptacle. The method being characterized in that it includes the following steps. First, making a receptacle body with a setback and an opening situated in the setback. Second, connecting an insert to form the neck of the receptacle in the opening. The receptacle body may be made of glass, ceramic or the like, by blow-molding.  
           [0019]    The present invention also provides, independently of or in combination with the above, a receptacle having a glass or ceramic body presenting a setback.  
           [0020]    A neck is provided along an axis X extending between a first end and a second end. The neck may be axially situated and level with a wall defining the setback. The neck may extend over substantially its entire height inside the setback. The neck and the body may be made as a single piece. The term “substantially its entire height” is used to mean at least 50% of its height, preferably 75%, and more preferably 90%. The neck may also extend entirely inside the setback.  
           [0021]    The neck may extend from the bottom of the setback. In a variant, the neck may extend from a region of the setback that does not correspond to the bottom of the setback.  
           [0022]    In an additional embodiment of the present invention, the setback extends along an axis that extends transversely to the axis of the neck, for example perpendicularly to the axis of the neck. The setback may present a cylindrical surface having generator lines that are substantially perpendicular to the axis of the neck, with a director line that is optionally circular. Such a configuration of the setback makes the neck easier to unmold when making the receptacle by blow-molding.  
           [0023]    The setback may also present a surface that is not cylindrical, in particular when the setback is in the form of a cup. The depth of the setback in the receptacle may be greater than 2 mm, or indeed even greater than 5 mm, or 10 mm.  
           [0024]    The receptacle may contain a cosmetic or a care product.  
           [0025]    The receptacle may include a closure member configured to close the receptacle in a leak tight manner, such as a cap. Such a closure member may be attached to the neck in various ways, for example by screw fastening. In this instance, the neck may then include an outside thread.  
           [0026]    The receptacle may also include a dispenser member such as a pump or a valve. The closure or dispenser member may extend over the setback. Nevertheless, in order to reduce the overall size and improve the appearance of the receptacle, it may be desirable for the closure or dispenser member to extend entirely inside the setback.  
           [0027]    Another feature of the present invention provides a method of manufacturing a receptacle out of glass, ceramic, or the like. The method includes the following steps. First, making a preform with a mold comprised of two parts configured to form the neck of the receptacle. Second, blow-molding the preform to form the body of the receptacle. The body including a setback configured to enable the neck to be unmolded by moving apart the two above-mentioned mold parts. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0028]    The invention will be better understood on reading the following detailed description of non-limiting embodiments of the invention and on examining the accompanying drawings, in which:  
         [0029]    [0029]FIG. 1 is a front, perspective view of a receptacle constituting a first embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0030]    [0030]FIG. 2 is a front, perspective view of the embodiment of FIG. 1 after removing the dispenser member mounted on the neck;  
         [0031]    [0031]FIG. 3 is a top, elevational view of the receptacle shown in FIG. 2;  
         [0032]    [0032]FIG. 4 is a side, elevational, cross-sectional view of the receptacle shown in FIG. 1;  
         [0033]    [0033]FIG. 5 is a side, elevational cross-sectional view of another embodiment of the receptacle shown in FIG. 2, fitted with a closure member;  
         [0034]    [0034]FIG. 6 is a front, perspective view of another embodiment of a receptacle in accordance with the present invention;  
         [0035]    [0035]FIG. 7 is a front, perspective view of the receptacle shown in FIG. 6, after removing the dispenser member;  
         [0036]    [0036]FIG. 8 is a front, elevational, cross-sectional view of the receptacle of FIG. 7;  
         [0037]    [0037]FIG. 9 is a front, perspective view of another embodiment of the receptacle of the present invention;  
         [0038]    [0038]FIG. 10 is a side, elevational, cross-sectional view of the receptacles of FIG. 9;  
         [0039]    [0039]FIG. 11 is a front, perspective view of another embodiment of the receptacle of the present invention;  
         [0040]    [0040]FIG. 12 is a side, elevational, cross-sectional view of the receptacles of FIG. 9 and FIG. 11;  
         [0041]    [0041]FIG. 13 is a front, perspective view of another embodiment of the receptacle of FIG. 2;  
         [0042]    [0042]FIG. 14 is a side, elevational, cross-sectional view of the receptacle of FIG. 13;  
         [0043]    [0043]FIG. 15 is a side, perspective, exploded view showing the receptacle of FIG. 13 together with mold elements used in making it;  
         [0044]    [0044]FIG. 16 is a side, elevational, cross-sectional side view of another embodiment of the receptacle of FIG. 13;  
         [0045]    [0045]FIG. 17 is a die, elevational, cross-sectional view of another embodiment of the receptacle of FIG. 8;  
         [0046]    [0046]FIG. 18 is a die, elevational, cross-sectional view of another embodiment of the receptacle of FIG. 10;  
         [0047]    [0047]FIG. 19 is a cross-sectional view showing respective variants of the receptacles of FIG. 12. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0048]    FIGS.  1  to  4  show a receptacle  10  having a body  11  and a neck  12 . The neck  12  is provided with a passage  13  for delivering the substance contained in the body  11 , e.g. a perfume.  
         [0049]    The body  11  may be made as a single molded piece. For example, a molding of an inorganic material such as crystal, or quartz glass, or the like may be employed. Other materials could also be used for making the body  11 , such as, porcelain, earthenware, or indeed organic material, e.g. a thermoplastic material. The body  11  is provided with an opening  14  which may be circular.  
         [0050]    The body  11  is also made with a setback  17  which extends between two raised portions  18  of the body  11 . Each of the two raised portions are capable of containing a substance.  
         [0051]    In the example described, the opening  14  is situated in the bottom of the setback  17 . The center of the opening  14  being situated in a midplane M of the receptacle. The midplane M being perpendicular to the longitudinal axis Z of the setback  17 . The setback  17  presents a surface which is cylindrical having a generator line parallel to the axis Z, and a director line that is circular or otherwise. The depth d of the setback  17  as measured between the bottom thereof and a plane W perpendicular to the axis X and tangential to the body  11  may be, for example, greater than or equal to 10 mm. The distance y between the free end of the neck  12  and the plane W, still measured along the axis X may be greater than or equal to 5 mm.  
         [0052]    The neck  12  may be formed by an insert  20  which is fixed in the opening  14 . The insert  20  may be made of the same material as the body  11  of the receptacle, or in a variant it may be made of a different material. Specifically, the insert  20  may be made of a plastic material, while the body  11  of the receptacle is made of glass or of ceramic.  
         [0053]    In the example described, the insert  20  has a shoulder  21  which bears against the wall of the body  11  around the opening  14 . The insert  20  may be secured to the body  11  in various ways, including a force-fit, by adhesive, by heat sealing, or the like. The method of securing the insert optionally being selected as a function of the nature of the substance with which the receptacle is to be filled.  
         [0054]    A dispenser member  30  may be fitted in the setback  17  and fixed on the neck  12 , as can be seen in FIG. 1. The dispenser member  30  may include a cover  35  provided with a dispenser orifice  31  and a pushbutton  32 . The pushbutton  32  being movable relative to the cover  35 , in order to actuate a mechanism that is not visible, such as a pump mechanism. Each time the pushbutton  32  is pressed down, the substance contained within the receptacle may be expelled through the dispenser orifice  31 .  
         [0055]    It is also possible to secure an insert  20  in the opening  14  of the body  11  of the receptacle where the insert  20  is of sufficient length to cause the neck to project out from the insert  17 , as shown in FIG. 5.  
         [0056]    The insert  20  may include an outside thread  41  making it possible, for example, to screw on a closure member  50 , such as a cap. As shown, the cap may include a sealing lip  51  that is configured to bear against the inside surface of the neck.  
         [0057]    Naturally, the body of the receptacle can be made having still further shapes without going beyond the ambit of the present invention.  
         [0058]    For example, FIGS.  6  to  8  show a receptacle whose overall shape is generally that of a cube. As can be seen in FIGS. 7 and 8, the body  11  of the receptacle has a setback  17  whose section in a plane perpendicular to its longitudinal axis Z is generally rectangular. Two opposite longitudinal grooves  61  may be formed in the bottom of the setback  17 .  
         [0059]    On examining FIG. 7, it can be seen that the body  11  presents steps  62  in each of its faces  65  into which the setback  17  opens out longitudinally. The depth of the steps  62  corresponds to the thickness of a wall  69  of the cover  35 . The grooves  61  serve to engage, by snap-fastening, fixing tabs (not shown) of the dispenser member  30 .  
         [0060]    The body  11  of the receptacle shown in FIGS. 9 and 10 has a flat bottom  68  extending upwards by a side wall  66  that is in the form of a portion of a sphere that is truncated on top.  
         [0061]    In this embodiment, the setback  17  is generally in the form of a cup, being defined by an upwardly concave wall  67  and provided in its bottom with an opening  14 . Opening  14  receives a threaded insert  20  that is to constitute the neck of the receptacle and onto which a closure member  50  may be screwed.  
         [0062]    In the embodiment of FIGS. 9 and 10, the height of the neck  12  may be less than the depth of the setback  17 .  
         [0063]    In all of the embodiments described above, the axis X of the neck  12  is vertical when the receptacle is standing on a horizontal plane surface. Nevertheless, a different configuration is possible without going beyond the ambit of the present invention.  
         [0064]    By way of example, FIGS. 11 and 12 show a receptacle having a setback  17  whose bottom extends parallel to a longitudinal axis Z which is not horizontal and which is perpendicular to the axis X of the neck  12 . The setback  17  may extend at one end to the top face  78  of the body  11  of the receptacle and at its opposite end to the front face  79  thereof.  
         [0065]    The neck  12  may have an annular bead  75  serving to secure a valve or a pump  70 . The valve or pump may include a pushbutton  71  provided with a dispenser orifice (not shown) and a dip tube  72 .  
         [0066]    In the embodiments of FIGS.  1  to  12 , the neck of the receptacle is constituted by a separate insert that is secured in the opening  14 . This configuration may be changed without going beyond the ambit of the present invention. In particular, as shown in FIGS. 13 and 14, the neck  12  and the body  11  of the receptacle can be made as a single piece. A wall  9  of the body  11  defines the setback  17 . The neck  12  extends along an axis X that is vertical in the example described, between a first end  17 , and a free second end  8 . The first end  17  is level with the wall  9 .  
         [0067]    In the example described, the neck  12  extends from the bottom of the setback  17 , the center of the opening  14  being situated in a midplane M of the receptacle. The midplane M being perpendicular to the axis of another region of the wall  9  of the setback. The setback  17  presents a surface that is cylindrical, having generator lines parallel to the axis Z. The distance D between the wall  9  and the plane W, which is perpendicular to the axis X and tangential to the body  11 , as measured along the axis X, may be greater than or equal to 5 mm. The height H of the neck measured along the axis X between the ends  7  and  8  of the neck may be less than 5 mm, for example. In this embodiment, the neck  12  extends entirely inside the setback.  
         [0068]    In order to make the receptacle of FIGS. 13 and 14, it is possible to begin, as shown in FIG. 15, by forming a preform using a ring mold. The ring mold may include two parts  23  and  24  which are assembled together to make the neck  12  of the receptacle. This mold also has a punch  25  configured to form the passage  13  through the neck  12 . The preform is then transferred to a finishing mold. The finishing mold having two parts  26  and  27 , into which it is blow-molded so as to form the body  11  of the receptacle. The neck  12  is unmolded by separating the parts  23  and  24  of the ring mold. The presence of the setback  17  allows the parts  23  and  24  to be moved apart.  
         [0069]    The neck  12  made integrally with the body  11  may, in a variant as shown in FIG. 16, extend above the setback  17  by a height h measured along the axis X between the plane W and the free end  8  of the neck. The total height of the neck as measured between the ends  7  and  8  of the neck  12  along the axis x is depicted as H in the figure. The ratio h/H is less than or equal to 0.5, which means at least 50% of height of the neck  12  extends inside the setback.  
         [0070]    The receptacles of FIGS. 8, 10, and  12  include respective inserts  20  fixed in the opening  14  of the body  11 .  
         [0071]    [0071]FIGS. 17, 18, and  19  show receptacles corresponding respectively to those of FIGS. 8, 10, and  12 . Each having a neck  12  that is made integrally with the body  11  of the receptacle as contrasted with having an insert. These receptacles may be made using the method of manufacture illustrated by FIG. 15.  
         [0072]    The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above. In particular, the body of the receptacle may present shapes other than those described without going beyond the ambit of the present invention. Additionally, the setback or the insert placed in the opening of the receptacle may be configured with various shapes. Where appropriate, the insert may be made integrally with an element of a dispenser mechanism. Also, the closure and/or dispenser members may present shapes other than those shown.  
         [0073]    Throughout the description, including in the claims, the term “comprising a” should be understood as being synonymous with “comprising at least one” unless specified to the contrary.