Abstract:
Method and machine ( 10 ) for producing capsules of cosmetic products, preferably lipsticks. The method includes a step of introducing ( 2000 ) a base volume of a cosmetic product into a melting and preparing the machine to melt and prepare cosmetic products, and a subsequent step of injecting ( 2020 ) a predetermined and melted portion of the base volume of cosmetic product by injecting elements ( 160 ) of the machine ( 10 ) into a containment capsule ( 200 ) of the predetermined portion of the base volume of cosmetic product; the containment capsule and the predetermined portion of cosmetic product making up a semifinished product of the cosmetic product designed to be subjected to subsequent steps of working and morphological processing before its final use by an user.

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
       [0001]    The present invention relates to the cosmetic field and, in detail, concerns a machine for producing capsules of cosmetic products. The present invention also concerns a method for producing capsules of cosmetic products. In detail, such cosmetic products are lipsticks. 
       KNOWN ART 
       [0002]    Referring particularly to cosmetic products such as lipsticks or lip glosses or even lip salves, it is known that they are currently produced according to a method briefly described hereinafter, particularly referring to  FIG. 1 . First of all a bulk, or base volume, of lipstick preparation produced according to predetermined technical specification based on a color set, is introduced (block  1000 ) into an opening or inlet of a lipstick preparing machine which primarily melts the afore said bulk (block  1010 ). 
         [0003]    The bulk could be molten in a specific melter fluidically connected to the machine. 
         [0004]    Subsequently, the molten bulk is injected through nozzle-like injecting means into a plastic sleeve or coating (block  1020 ), preferably made of silicone, having the final shape of the lipstick. The final shape of the lipstick tube is obtained by injecting the molten bulk into the plastic sleeve or coating. In detail, the inner surface of the plastic sleeve or coating is designed so as not to adhere to the bulk material, thereby allowing the bulk to be subsequently separated from the sleeve or coating without damaging the outer surface of the lipstick tube, which is required for aesthetic reasons to be free of surface damages. 
         [0005]    In detail, the known machine is provided with a plurality of sleeves or coatings on a circular rotating surface within respective housings angularly spaced along a circumference; a new coating is placed step by step in front of the nozzle-like injecting means by the rotation (block  1030 ) of this circular surface. 
         [0006]    The bulk injected within the sleeve or coating must then be cooled (block  1040 ); conversely, it would not be able to maintain the shape provided by the sleeve itself, and the process leading to create the commercially sold “lipstick” could not carry on. 
         [0007]    At this point, mechanical gripping means grasp the rear part of the lipstick tube (block  1050 ) by extracting the tube itself from the sleeve or coating and introduce it into the final plastic support, the latter typically comprising a first portion, or cap, and a second portion or main body provided with a roto-translating support controlled by a rotating ring having, in turn, a plurality of helically arranged grooves in which respective pins of the roto-translating support are engaged; the lipstick tube is introduced on this support by mechanically countering (block  1060 ). 
         [0008]    At the end of the latter step, the lipstick tube is subjected to a visual quality control (block  1070 ), that is manually made by human; if that quality control is positive, the lipstick can be led to the subsequent packaging steps, to a possible additional quality control step, and finally to the destination of the lipstick to the commercial market. 
         [0009]    However, the producing technique hitherto described is characterized by some disadvantages. In particular the Applicant noticed that, on the one hand, the cost of the plastic support is part of the cost of the lipstick; in particular, the lower the cost of the product itself, i.e. the actual lipstick tube, the greater the percentage cost fraction of the support, preferably made of plastic. Often, in fact, medium or even medium-high quality lipsticks are substantially inaccessible or not purchased by the average public because of their retail cost largely due to primary and secondary packaging. 
         [0010]    Furthermore, the Applicant noticed that the disposal of the lipstick support, preferably made of plastic, at the end of the use is not environmentally friendly: in fact, it is typically made of materials, or coated with paints or other coatings, which are not biodegradable. 
         [0011]    Furthermore, the Applicant has found that there is an excessive waste of not used products, such as lipsticks and lip glosses, with their packaging with respect to those actually required by the market. 
         [0012]    Nevertheless, the Applicant has observed that the quality control performed by the human being is slow and expensive, as well as not always reliable. However, such quality control has a substantial impact on productive costs of the lipstick. 
         [0013]    Finally, the current producing methods and machines are not able to substantially reduce the working times of the machine itself. 
         [0014]    Therefore, the Applicant conceived a producing machine for capsules of lipstick able to solve the above described drawbacks. 
         [0015]    Similarly, therefore, the Applicant conceived a method for producing capsules of lipstick able to solve the above described drawbacks. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0016]    According to the present invention a method for producing capsules of cosmetic products, preferably lipsticks, is obtained, said method comprising the steps of: 
         [0017]    introducing a base volume of a cosmetic product into a melting and preparing machine to melt and prepare cosmetic products, 
         [0018]    providing at least one containment capsule, comprising at least one open cavity adapted to contain a predetermined amount of cosmetic product of less than 20 g and provided with at least one thermally conductive portion; 
         [0019]    melting at least one portion of said base volume of the cosmetic product; 
         [0020]    injecting said predetermined amount of said molten cosmetic product into said containment capsule; 
         [0021]    sealing said containment capsule ( 200 ) containing said predetermined amount of cosmetic product; said containment capsule ( 200 ) and said predetermined amount of cosmetic product making up a semifinished product of said final cosmetic product adapted to be used by a user; 
         [0022]    said semifinished product being intended to undergo subsequent steps of working and shape transformation in order to become a final cosmetic product, before being finally used by a user. 
         [0023]    Advantageously, the sealing step comprises a step of sealing the cavity of said capsule by a lid or tongue operating to isolate said predetermined amount of cosmetic product. 
         [0024]    Preferably, the method further comprises a step of introducing at least one empty containment capsule into an orifice or container of the melting and preparing machine. 
         [0025]    Conveniently, the method further comprises a step of extracting said containment capsule filled with the predetermined amount of cosmetic product from the machine. 
         [0026]    Preferably, a base volume of cosmetic product comprises a mixture of oils, waxes and pellets of colored or pigmented and/or pearlizing material mixed with a base composition having homogeneous consistency; said base composition further comprising at least one of the following excipients: gloss modifiers, wetting agents or humectants, vitamins, fruit extracts, sunscreens, as well as conserving agents such as preservatives and/or antioxidants. 
         [0027]    According to the present invention, it is further implemented a machine for producing capsules of cosmetic products; such a machine comprises a container configured for containing a base volume of a cosmetic product and melting means to melt said base volume of said cosmetic product; said machine comprising a container for said base volume of said cosmetic product and injecting means configured to inject a predetermined portion of said volume base of cosmetic product into said containment capsule, said capsules being able to comprise a predetermined portion of said base volume of cosmetic product and making up a semifinished cosmetic product able to receive additional working steps before use. 
         [0028]    Advantageously, such a machine is configured to carry out a plurality of injection cycles of said predetermined portion of base volume of cosmetic product in a sequential and predetermined way. 
         [0029]    Advantageously, every injection cycle comprises an injection of a mass of cosmetic product lower than, or equal to, 20 g. 
         [0030]    Advantageously, the machine further comprises a sealing stage of said containment capsule. 
         [0031]    Advantageously, said machine is designed so that said sealing stage of said containment capsule occurs downstream of said injection. 
         [0032]    Advantageously, said sealing stage occurs a predetermined time after said injection. 
         [0033]    Advantageously, said sealing stage comprises heat-sealing means. 
         [0034]    Advantageously, said sealing stage of said containment capsule takes place under controlled atmosphere inside a container designed so as to prevent macrocontaminants from entering into said capsule. 
         [0035]    Advantageously, said sealing stage comprises a container for a plurality of tongues which are able to be applied on an opening of said capsule and handling means configured for picking up a tongue at a time from said container and positioning it at said opening of said capsule. 
         [0036]    Advantageously, the machine object of the present invention comprises handling means to handle said at least one capsule between said injecting means and said sealing stage through an at least partially linear translation and/or a rotation. 
     
    
     
       DESCRIPTION OF THE ATTACHED FIGURES 
         [0037]    In the present description, the Applicant illustrates a preferred, non-limiting embodiment of the invention, by referring to the appended figures, wherein: 
           [0038]      FIG. 1  is a block diagram of a producing process of known lipsticks; 
           [0039]      FIG. 2  is a schematic illustration of a machine for producing capsules of cosmetic products according to the present invention; 
           [0040]      FIG. 3  is a flow diagram of a producing process of capsules of cosmetic products according to the present invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0041]    Referring to  FIGS. 2 and 3 , the present invention describes a producing machine and a method thereof to produce capsules of cosmetic products, preferably lipsticks. Therefore, by way of example and without restrictive intent, the present description will address to the description of a machine and a process in which the cosmetic product is a lipstick. 
         [0042]    In detail, the machine comprises a first vessel  100  where a base volume of a cosmetic product, in particular a lipstick, is poured in, being in detail produced in compliance with color, texture and predetermined material specifications (this operation corresponds to the block  2000  of the block diagram of  FIG. 3 ). Preferably, the bulk or base volume is produced from a mixture of oils, waxes and/or colored (pigmented) and/or pearlizing material mixed together so as to form a base compound having a homogeneous consistency. The base compound can be further characterized by gloss or texture modifiers, wetting agents or humectants, vitamins, fruit extracts, sunscreens, as well as conserving agents, such as preservatives and/or antioxidants. 
         [0043]    Also, the bulk or base volume can comprise several pigments, active ingredients or pearls. 
         [0044]    The first vessel can be enclosed within first heating means  101  which allow maintaining the basic compound to a temperature suitable to carry out the rest of the process described hereinafter. 
         [0045]    Optionally stirring means  105 , able to keep the base preparation moving inside the vessel so as to advantageously keep unchanged its homogeneity, can be provided inside the first vessel. 
         [0046]    A feed line, feeding an additional heating container  120  through a flow control valve  110  of a known type, extends from the first container or vessel. The additional heating container  120  is heated by second heating means  130 , although preferably not limited to the electric type, supplied by a supplying source  140  which can be, in use, the same supplying the first heating means. A melting action of the base preparation of the cosmetic product is carried out and/or maintained by the first and second heating means (this operation corresponds to the block  2010  of the block diagram of  FIG. 3 ). 
         [0047]    The first and/or second heating means are preferably intended, although not exclusively, to lead the base preparation up to a temperature of about 100° C., or anyway a temperature able to prevent the cosmetic product from solidifying, even partially, because this may cause the homogeneity of the preparation to be damaged or the feed line of the herein described machine to become blocked or clogged, either alternatively or in combination one with the other. 
         [0048]    The feed line extends from an additional heating container  120  with a duct  150  feeding at least one dispensing nozzle or head  160  which is configured to allow a sub-portion of the base volume of lipstick preparation to be injected into one or more containment capsules  200  of semifinished cosmetic products. The injection operation corresponds to the block  2020  of the block diagram of  FIG. 3 . 
         [0049]    The capsules  200  are positioned below the dispensing nozzle or head  160  by handling means advantageously comprising a conveyor belt  190 , and they come from a capsule dispenser  195  designed so as to collect a plurality of capsules queuing up or forming a line in order to arrange them neatly on the conveyor belt by known handling means. The conveyor belt  190  in mechanically connected with an actuator comprising either a continuous feed motor or a stepper motor designed so as to be able to move forward said conveyor belt  190  forward of a predetermined length at each cycle (this operation corresponds to the block  2030  of the block diagram of  FIG. 3 ). 
         [0050]    Clearly, the conveyor belt of the present invention must not necessarily be present; it can be replaced by equivalent handling means of the capsules, if theoretically equivalent, such as a rotating disc on which the capsule is rested or introduced in a supporting recess and moved from here to the sealing stage that will be better described in the following description. 
         [0051]    Each capsule  200  comprises a body shaped as a cup or bowl, i.e. delimited by one or more side walls (depending on the fact that the plan section of the capsule is defined by a continuous or broken line) and by a base portion; the base portion and the side wall define an inner cavity or inner volume of the capsule and an upper opening allowing the cosmetic product to be introduced. The capsule  200  is made of one or more layers of material, so that the inner surface is able to hold a cosmetic product without significantly altering its properties, and in particular it is designed to hold a cosmetic product greatly heated with respect to the room temperature, without being damaged. In particular, the capsule  200  does not take the final form of the lipstick tube, typically having an use end obliquely cut on one side or on both sides, and its inner surface roughness or shape do not correspond to the negative of the final shape of the lipstick when ready to be used. Therefore, advantageously, the inner finishing of the capsule  200  can also be of mediocre quality with respect to that required in the silicone sleeve of the known art, thus bringing many advantages to the production economy of the capsule itself. 
         [0052]    The capsule  200  is provided with at least one thermally conductive, i.e. not insulating, portion. Preferably the containment capsule  200  is provided with an aluminum portion, preferably the containment capsule is provided with at least the base portion and the side wall made of aluminum. 
         [0053]    Alternatively, the base portion and the side wall of the containment capsule could be made of a thermally conductive plastic material, without departing from the protection scope of the present invention. 
         [0054]    In detail a data processing unit, electrically connected with the flow control valve  110  and/or with opening/closing means to pen/close said dispensing nozzle or head  160 , advantageously allows adjusting the feed flow of the base preparation into the capsule  200  according to an intermittent feeding cycle, in which times and doses are adjusted according to a predetermined criterion modifiable by the user also depending on the feed speed of the conveyor belt. Advantageously, the operating speed of the machine and particularly also the feed speed of the conveyor belt, can be set by user interface means of known type and electrically connected with said data processing unit. By slowing the feed speed of the conveyor belt and therefore increasing the time between the filling of the capsule  200  and the subsequent sealing thereof, the cosmetic product can partially solidify or anyway increase its viscosity before being sealed. 
         [0055]    In detail, each capsule being designed to enable a lipstick tube to be obtained at a later time, for each filling cycle of the capsule  200 , the nozzle or dispensing head dispenses an amount of cosmetic product less than or equal to about 20 g, so that the amount of wasted product in the subsequent preparation of the lipstick tube is minimal. 
         [0056]    The cosmetic product, once introduced into the capsule  200 , tends to cool by itself, and is not strictly necessary to provide the machine with cooling means in order to allow the content of the capsule to rapidly solidify. 
         [0057]    Therefore, the cosmetic product introduced into the capsule  200  is a semifinished product and is not intended to be directly used by the users. In the case of lipstick, in fact, the capsule  200  is not shaped to allow the user to use the lipstick, and would not even be able to provide a semi-finished product that meets the quality and aesthetic requirements which are traditionally associated with the lipstick tube sold in stores. 
         [0058]    After the injecting step, the conveyor belt carries the filled capsules  200  below a sealing station or stage  170 ,  180 ,  220  comprising a vessel  170  containing a plurality of sealing tongues  210  for the capsules  200 . In detail, the size of the sealing tongues is at least equal to the opening of the capsule  200 . 
         [0059]    Furthermore, handling means  180  of said tongues, designed to pick up a tongue at a time from said vessel  170  and place it above an upper opening of said capsule  200 , are provided (this operation corresponds to the block  2040  of the block diagram of  FIG. 3 ) so as to allow the tongue to be firmly sealed on the capsule body during the sealing stage  220 . The inside environment of the capsule is therefore hermetically insulated from the outside environment in order to allow the cosmetic semifinished product to be conveniently preserved for a long time under suitable preserving conditions. Although in the attached figures the sealing stage is shown as separated from the handling means, this illustration is not to be considered as restrictive because it is actually possible to provide for the use of integrated handling and sealing means. 
         [0060]    The sealing stage  220  performs a heat sealing operation of the tongue on the capsule body which is performed, more specifically, along a closed perimeter (block  2050  of the block diagram of  FIG. 3 ). 
         [0061]    Optionally, starting from the nozzle  160  towards the welding station  220 , the operation of filling, of positioning the tongue over the opening of the capsule  200  and the sealing of the tongue itself can take place under controlled environmental conditions, in order to ensure the absence of macro-contaminants within the capsule. Advantageously, in this case the machine object of the present invention will comprise an envelope for at least part of its components in order to obtain the afore said controlled atmosphere. 
         [0062]    The so-made capsules are then moved towards a storage warehouse where they are packed in cardboard boxes or else packages able to hold a plurality of capsules and then shipped to the retail distribution network (this operation corresponds to the block  2060  of the block diagram of  FIG. 3 ). 
         [0063]    In light of the foregoing description, the advantages given by the hitherto described method and machine are clear. In particular, the present invention provides the public with a semifinished lipstick which is contained in a simple pod or capsule rather than in an expensive packaging, thereby cutting the selling cost due to the packaging itself, i.e. the plastic support for the lipstick tube. 
         [0064]    The transformation of the lipstick capsule into a ready-to-use product will then be carried out by the user. Therefore, the plastic or metal support of the lipstick tube, once purchased, can be reused. Moreover, the lipstick capsule or pod can be made of a biodegradable material and should not meet the requirements of the highest non-adherence to the product that must be met by the silicone sleeve of known type, since the capsule or pod should not define the shape of a final product but, instead, is only intended to contain—under the best possible preserving conditions—the semifinished product until the time when it will be molten. 
         [0065]    The cooling step of the bulk is no longer of primary importance since once introduced in the capsule, it is sufficient to provide for the sealing of the latter to have a guarantee of integrity of the product, letting the bulk contained therein to cool by itself. 
         [0066]    The machine and method object of the present invention allow the environmental pollution to be reduced because, when the lipstick tube has been used up, the user no longer has to throw the plastic support but will only have to melt the bulk lipstick contained in the capsule. 
         [0067]    Further, the ability of selling capsules containing a small amount of lipstick allows the lipstick producing company to put on the market even lipsticks with colors or materials not widely purchased, or otherwise special, in a more cost-effective way. This also means greater choice for end users, who can more easily find particular colors of lipstick in retail cosmetic stores, colors that otherwise would not be convenient to be purchased by the store itself, which would be in danger of having a large amount of lipstick of particular colors prone to remain unsold and a substantial investment due in large part to the cost of the plastic support. 
         [0068]    Finally, through the method described hitherto, an aesthetic quality assessment of the future lipstick tube is a task that can be left to the end user; in other words, the method and the machine of the present invention should not take into account, tout court, a quality control of the shape of the semifinished product. 
         [0069]    Lastly, it is evident that variations, additions and modifications obvious for a person skilled of the art can be applied to the method and machine object of the present invention, without thereby departing from the protection scope provided by the enclosed claims.