Abstract:
Case comprising a base, a lid and a tongue connecting the lid to the base. The lid is movable between a closed position in which a reservoir arranged in the base is substantially isolated from the outside and an open position in which the lid is folded down under the base.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention relates to a case, in particular for cosmetic products. 
     Numerous cases are already known of the type comprising: 
     a base having a recessed region forming a reservoir, 
     a lid, 
     a tongue having two opposite ends, one being connected to the base and the other being connected to the lid, 
     first retaining means having a first portion arranged on the base and a second portion arranged on the lid, which portions are to cooperate with one another to keep the lid, relative to the base, in a closed position in which the reservoir is substantially isolated from the outside. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention aims more especially to propose a simple and very inexpensive case which enables the cosmetic product to be preserved without deterioration but which is nevertheless particularly practical to use and which can satisfy a very wide-ranging clientele. 
     To that end, the invention proposes that the device also comprises second retaining means having a first portion arranged on the base and a second portion arranged on the lid, which portions are to cooperate with one another to keep the lid, relative to the base, in an open position permitting free access to the reservoir, the tongue being of a length such that, while remaining connected to the base and to the lid, it enables the lid to be moved between the closed position and the open position. 
     Thus, there is no need for relatively expensive means for the articulation of the lid relative to the base, such as a friction hinge or another analogous device, in order to keep the lid at a distance from the reservoir. In addition, there is no risk that the lid will be mislaid. Such a case can be used both for conventional personal use and as a display means for a demonstration sample which will be discarded when the quantity of cosmetic product has been exhausted. 
     Advantageously, the case has the following supplementary features: 
     the base has an upper portion and a lower portion, the upper portion incorporating the first portion of the first retaining means and the lower portion incorporating the first portion of the second retaining means, 
     the lid has an upper portion and a lower portion, the lower portion incorporating the second portion of the first retaining means and the upper portion incorporating the second portion of the second retaining means, 
     the reservoir is arranged in the upper portion of the base, 
     the open and closed positions of the lid are parallel with one another. 
     Thus, the lid can be folded down under the base, which is especially practical and requires little space. Furthermore, several identical cases can be superposed and thus readily stored or transported in the form of stacks of cases nested inside one another. 
     According to another advantageous feature, the invention proposes that: 
     the upper portion of the lid has a substantially cylindrical outer surface having a specific cross-section and defining the second portion of the second retaining means, 
     the base has, in the lower portion, a recess delimited by a substantially cylindrical inner surface which defines the first portion of the second retaining means and has a cross-section substantially identical to the cross-section of the second portion of the second retaining means, in order to receive that second portion tightly. 
     Such retaining means are particularly simple, inexpensive, sturdy and easy to use. 
     In order to increase the retaining depth without complicating the moulding of the case, the invention proposes that the lower portion of the base be indented in the vicinity of the connecting region between the base and the tongue, the tongue passing through the indentation so formed when the lid is in the open position. 
     In order further to improve the case and in particular the isolation of the reservoir in the closed position, the invention proposes that: 
     the upper portion of the base has a substantially cylindrical outer surface having a specific cross-section and defining the first portion of the first retaining means, 
     the lid has, in the lower portion, a recess delimited by a substantially cylindrical inner surface which defines the second portion of the first retaining means and has a cross-section substantially identical to the cross-section of the first portion of the first retaining means, in order to receive that first portion tightly, and 
     the first retaining means incorporate sealing means defined by a peripheral boss formed on the first portion of the first retaining means and a groove of complementary shape formed in the second portion of the first retaining means. 
     Thus, good sealing of the case can be obtained in the closed position at reasonable cost. The boss and the groove also reinforce the holding of the lid in the closed position. 
     The invention also proposes that the device comprises a cup placed inside the reservoir of the base. 
     That enables the case to be refilled with cosmetic product in a simple manner by changing the cup without changing the case. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The invention will emerge even more clearly from the following description which is given with reference to the appended drawings in which: 
     FIG. 1 illustrates a case according to the invention in the closed position in three-quarter front perspective, 
     FIG. 2 illustrates the case of FIG. 1 in three-quarter rear perspective, 
     FIG. 3 illustrates the case of FIG. 1 in the open position in three-quarter front perspective, 
     FIG. 4 illustrates the case of FIG. 1 in the open position in three-quarter rear perspective, 
     FIG. 5 illustrates the case of FIG. 1 in cross-section, in the closed position, 
     FIG. 6 illustrates the case of FIG. 1 in cross-section, in the open position, 
     FIG. 7 illustrates two identical superposed cases similar to that in FIG. 1, in three-quarter front perspective. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     FIGS. 1 to  6  illustrate a case  1  basically comprising a base  4 , a lid  2  and a tongue  6  which are moulded together in a single piece. 
     The lid  2  comprises a lower portion  2   b  and an upper portion  2   a  which is narrower than the lower portion. The lid has an outer surface  12  which is substantially cylindrical, in this case having a circular cross-section, and which extends in particular in the upper portion  2   a , and an inner surface  14  which is substantially cylindrical, in this case having a circular cross-section, and which extends in particular in the lower portion  2   b . The inner surface  14  of the lid  2  also incorporates, in the lower portion  2   b , a peripheral groove  20  (see in particular FIG.  6 ). 
     The base  4  comprises an upper portion  4   a  having a substantially cylindrical outer surface  16  of circular cross-section and a lower portion  4   b  having an inner surface  18  and an outer surface  30  which are substantially cylindrical and of circular cross-section. The base  4  also comprises, between the upper portion  4   a  and the lower portion  4   b , a substantially flat plate  10  which extends radially and defines in the upper portion  4   a , in a recessed region, a reservoir  24  which is to receive a cup  8  which is filled with cosmetic product and which rests on the plate  10 . In addition, the outer surface  16  of the base  4  incorporates a peripheral boss  22 , which is generally referred to as beading. 
     The outer surface  16  of the base  4  has a diameter which is substantially equal to, and even slightly larger than, the diameter of the inner surface  14  of the lid  2 , in order to insert tightly the upper portion  4   a  of the base, under slight resilient deformation, inside the lower portion  2   b  of the lid. The case is then in a closed position of the case  1 , as illustrated in FIGS. 1,  2  and  5 , in which the base and the lid nest in one another under slight retaining constraint, the lid then covering the reservoir  24 . 
     In that closed position, the beading  22  is inserted tightly into the groove  20  having shapes complementing those of the beading, in order to improve sealing between the inner surface  14  of the lid  2  and the outer surface  16  of the base  4  and therefore the isolation of the reservoir  24  from the outside air. 
     The tongue  6  is pliable and has one end  6   a  fixed to the outer surface  12  of the lid  2  and an opposite end  6   b  fixed to the outer surface  30  of the base  4  in a fixing region  26 . It is sufficiently long to enable the user to raise the lid  2  relative to the base  4 , to cause it to pivot and to bring it below the base  4 , while keeping the lid  2  and the base  4  together. 
     The outer surface  12  of the lid  2  has a diameter which is substantially equal to, and even slightly larger than, the diameter of the inner surface  18  of the base  4 , in order to insert tightly, under slight resilient deformation, the upper portion  2   a  of the lid inside the lower portion  4   b  of the base. The case is then in an open position, as illustrated in FIGS. 3,  4  and  6 , in which the lid and the base nest in one another under slight retaining constraint, the lid  2  being folded beneath the plate  10 . The closed and open positions of the lid  2  are substantially parallel with one another and are offset in a direction which is substantially vertical and perpendicular to the plane of the plate  10 . 
     As illustrated in FIG. 4, the outer surface  16  of the base  4  has an indentation  28  in the vicinity of the fixing region  26  at the lower end of the lower portion  4   b  of the base, in order to permit the passage of the tongue  6 . 
     FIG. 7 illustrates a second case  101  which is identical to that described above and the corresponding elements of which bear a reference increased by  100 . The case  101  is stacked on the case  1 , the upper portion  2   a  of the lid  2  of the case  1  nesting in the lower portion  104   b  of the base  104  of the case  101 . 
     The case is moulded preferably by the injection under pressure of thermoplastic material which is advantageously constituted by high-density polyethylene (HDPE) or polypropylene (PP).