Patent Publication Number: US-6698590-B2

Title: Package for a suncream

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a package and in particular to a package for a suncream. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention has been developed primarily for use with suncreams or other forms of sun screening creams and will be described hereinafter with reference to that particular application. It will be appreciated that the invention is not limited to that field of use and is also applicable to other skin care products. In this regard it should be noted that the term “suncream” as used herein is intended to include any preparation intended for application to the skin of humans and which has: 
     a sun screening factor; or 
     the ability to reduce the intensity of ultraviolet (UV) radiation that would otherwise be incident upon the skin; or 
     a soothing or healing effect to skin which has become “sun burnt” or otherwise damaged due to exposure or over exposure to UV of other radiation. 
     Accordingly, this term encompasses after sun preparations, sun blocking creams, barrier creams or the like, whether or not these are intended for direct use as a suncream or whether contained within a cosmetic preparation. 
     Hitherto, sun creams or other skin care products have been packaged in conventional plastic or glass bottles to provide a convenient transportable reservoir of the cream. Often such bottles will carry information about the sun protection factor (SPF) offered by the cream or product contained within. The person or persons intending to use the cream as an impediment against skin damage caused by the sun&#39;s rays, and more particularly by TV radiation, can use this information as a guide to the level of protection offered to their skin by the cream. However, SPF information is neither readily understood nor properly used by a significant percentage of the population and does not provide anything other than rudimentary information on the circumstances in which the cream will be beneficial. 
     DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION 
     It is an object of the present invention, at least in the preferred embodiment, to overcome or substantially ameliorate one or more disadvantages of the prior art. 
     According to a first aspect of the invention there is provided a package for a suncream, the package defining a cavity for containing the suncream and display means for providing a person with an indication of the intensity of UV radiation incident upon the package. 
     Preferably, the display means indicates to the person that ambient conditions warrant the application of the cream to the person&#39;s skin. 
     According to another aspect of the invention there is provided a package for containing a suncream, the package including display means for indicating to a person that one or more predetermined ambient conditions warrant the application of the cream to the person&#39;s skin. 
     Preferably, the predetermined ambient conditions include the intensity of the UV radiation incident upon the package. In other embodiments, however, the predetermined ambient conditions include the temperature of the package. 
     More preferably, the package is a bottle which includes a base and at least one sidewall extending upwardly from the base to define a cavity for containing the suncream. Even more preferably, the sidewall includes an opening for allowing selective removal of the suncream from the cavity and being selectively closed by a lid. More preferably, the lid is rotatably mounted to the sidewall for movement between an open and a closed configuration. 
     In a preferred form, the display means is located on one or more of the following: the sidewall; the base; and the lid. 
     Preferably, the display means includes a region of photochromic material which changes colour in response to the intensity of the UV radiation incident upon the region. In other embodiments, however, the display means includes a region of thermochromic material which changes colour in response to the temperature of the region. 
     Preferably, the display means includes a multi-coloured strip located adjacent the region for indicating which of the colours taken by the region correspond to a high intensity of UV radiation. 
     Alternatively, the region includes the lid, wherein the sidewall, at least adjacent the opening, is coloured to correspond with the colour of the lid when a high level of UV radiation is incident thereupon. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     A preferred embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: 
     FIG. 1 is a side view of a bottle according to the invention; 
     FIG. 2 is a side view of an alternative bottle according to the invention; 
     FIG. 3 is a side view of a further alternative bottle according to the invention; 
     FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a satchel according to the invention; and 
     FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a tube according to the invention. 
    
    
     PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION 
     Referring to FIG. 1 there is illustrated a bottle  1  including a base  2  and a continuous sidewall  3  extending upwardly from the periphery of base  2  to a neck  4 . The neck defines an opening  5  which is selectively blocked by a lid  6 . Base  2  and sidewall  3  define a cavity for containing a suncream or the like which a person selectively applies to their skin to reduce the harmful effects of the suns rays. As discussed above, these harmful effects are predominantly due to UV radiation and, accordingly, suncream is intended to be translucent or opaque to such radiation. 
     Typical suncreams include active ingredients such as zinc oxide, titanium dioxide, octyl methoxy cinnimate, octyl crylene, butyl methoxy dibenzoylmethane, methoxy benzophenone, phenylbenzimidazole-5-sulphonic acid to create between the sun and the skin a barrier to UV radiation. Other active ingredients are known to those in the art. Moreover, some suncreams utilise a combination of the above or other ingredients. 
     Bottle  1  is formed from plastics material and preferably from high density polyethylene (HDPE). Other bottles are produced from other plastics such as: low density polyethylene (LDPE); high density polypropylene (HDPP); low density polypropylene (LDPP); PET (Recycled plastic); or PVC. It is also known to package suncreams in glass or other bottles. 
     In the FIG. 1 embodiment, the HDPE is mixed prior to moulding with a photochromic dye that is responsive to the intensity of ultraviolet radiation incident thereupon. Sufficient dye is included to ensure that the colour of the resultant package, as perceived by a person, varies with the intensity of the UV radiation incident upon the bottle. Accordingly, bottle  1  provides an indication to a person that ambient conditions warrant the application of the suncream. 
     Referring now to FIG. 2, where corresponding features are denoted by corresponding reference numerals, there is illustrated an alternative bottle  10 . Bottle  10  is a conventional plastics bottle which includes an adhered label  11  having a photochromic region  12 . Disposed adjacent to region  12  is a colour placard  13  which includes a plurality of discreet segments of colours which correspond to the colour indicated by region  11  when subject to different respective intensities of ultraviolet radiation. Label  11  also includes explanatory indicia indicating which of the colours in the respective segments correspond to a high level of radiation and as such when the suncream should be applied. For example, when the colour of the region corresponds to the colour of a particular segment the indicia may advise that persons with fair skin should apply the suncream to any exposed skin, while correspondence with a different segment may advice that any person would be advised to apply the suncream. 
     In some embodiments either label  11  is removable or region  12  and placard  13  are removable. In further embodiments label  11  is removably attached to neck  4  by a cord or, alternatively, it includes an aperture which receives neck  4 . In other embodiments label  11  is maintained in engagement with bottle  10  by way of shrink wrap. 
     Another alternative bottle  20  is shown in FIG.  3 . Bottle  20  includes a base  21  and a sidewall  22  extending upwardly from the base to define an opening  23 . Opening  23  is selectively closed by a lid  25 . Base  21  and sidewall  22  are produced from HDPE, while lid  25  is produced from HDPE including a photochromic dye. Moreover, base  21  and sidewall  22  are coloured to correspond to the colour of lid  23  when subject to a high level of UV radiation. Again, this indicates to a person that the UV radiation levels are sufficiently intense to warrant the use of the suncream included within bottle  20 . 
     In other forms, it is only the portion of sidewall  22  immediately adjacent lid  23  that is coloured to correspond to the colour of lid  23  when subject to a high level of UV radiation. As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art from the disclosure herein, any portion of the bottle, including the lid, can include photochromic material of the kind which will provide a perceptible colour change to a person upon variation in the intensity of UV radiation. 
     Packages other than bottles can also embody the invention. For example, a satchel  30 , such as that used for the sale of small quantities of suncream or for promotional purposes, is illustrated in FIG.  4 . Satchel  30  includes two opposed frangible sidewalls  31  and  32  which are heat welded or crimped together to enclose the suncream. Sidewall  31  includes a photochromic dye, while sidewall  32  is coloured such that when the colour of the two sidewalls correspond it indicates that use of the suncream enclosed in the satchel is warranted. 
     The photochromic dye is included integrally within sidewall  31 . In other embodiments, however, the photochromic dye is included within a layer of material that is laminated to sidewall  31  and not sidewall  32 . 
     In an alternative embodiment both sidewalls include photochromic dye. 
     The invention is equally applicable to packages such as tubes or lined cardboard containers. By way of example, a tube  40  embodying the invention is illustrated in FIG.  5 . Tube  40  includes a sidewall  41  which extends between a flattened end  42  defined by a heat weld  43  and a cylindrical end  44  defining a threaded opening (not shown). The opening is selectively covered by a lid  45  for preventing inadvertent dispensing of the suncream contained within the tube. 
     Sidewall  41  is impregnated with a photochromic dye that is responsive to the intensity of ultraviolet radiation incident thereupon. Sufficient dye is included to ensure that the colour of the resultant package, as perceived by a person, varies with the intensity of the UV radiation incident upon the tube. 
     In some embodiments the display means changes colour in response to different temperatures. In one of these embodiments the package contains an after sun lotion and the region is intended for placement against the skin of a person. Once removed from the skin, if the region takes a predetermined colour this indicates to the person that the lotion should be applied to their skin. 
     Although the invention has been described with reference to particular examples it would be appreciated by those skilled in the art that it may be embodied in many other forms.