Patent Description:
Devices for packaging a lipstick conventionally have a lipstick distributor mechanism having a proximal part and a rotary distal part, this mechanism being configured such that the rotary movement of the distal part with respect to the proximal part is accompanied by an axial movement of the stick relative to the proximal part, and a case in which said mechanism can be fitted and secured.

The cases found on the market are usually made of plastics material and are not generally intended to be reused.

<CIT>, <CIT>, <CIT>, <CIT>, <CIT>, <CIT> and <CIT>. describe devices for packaging a lipstick, having a distributor mechanism and a protective case made of transparent plastics material.

There is a need to benefit from a device for packaging and applying a lipstick that encourages the user to keep the case in order to reuse it for a new mechanism once the stick has been used up, while being attractive to the consumer.

The invention meets this need by way of a device for packaging a cosmetic product in the form of a stick, according to claim <NUM>.

The use of mineral glass provides durability, and makes it possible to reuse the case without fear of deterioration of its aesthetic appearance, since glass is a material which is difficult to scratch.

Moreover, the case can be cleaned easily, where appropriate.

On account of its weight, the case also provides stability in a vertical position, thereby making it possible to store it vertically with other products or accessories.

The case also makes it possible, when the body is transparent, to see the colour of the stick through the case, without it being necessary to remove the case, thereby saving the user time when they need to choose between several products.

Glass also provides effective protection against UV rays, lateral and axial mechanical pressures, and provides the case with a pleasant cold feel.

The case can be made with exterior dimensions that make it compatible for use on existing display stands.

The mechanism is known per se and includes any system for converting the rotary movement into an axial movement. Numerous mechanisms are provided on the market. Examples of mechanisms, among others, are described in the patents <CIT> and <CIT>.

The glass body has a neck and the case has a ring made of thermoplastic material which is attached and secured to the neck and to which said mechanism is secured. Such a ring makes it possible to manufacture the body with fairly large manufacturing tolerances, while allowing precise mounting of the mechanism on the case.

The ring may have at least two securing tabs on the neck, better still four.

The neck may have at least one positioning relief forming a protrusion on its outer surface, in particular in the form of a tooth, and at least one of the securing tabs of the ring may have a recess for receiving said relief.

At least some of the securing tabs have, on a radially inner face, a snap-fastening tooth, said recess being formed by an interruption in the tooth. The neck may have two diametrically opposite positioning reliefs, two of the securing tabs of the ring having corresponding recesses.

The case preferably has a cover, also referred to as a "cup", which is in particular metallic and designed to be secured to said ring. This cover contributes to the appearance of the case and may also have a function of retaining the ring.

The cover can be secured in various ways.

The securing tabs may have, on their outer face, ribs for retaining the cover, against which the cover bears. The cover may make it possible, by bearing on the tabs, to keep the latter on the neck, thereby making it more difficult to accidentally detach the ring.

The ring may also have at least one relief which is designed to be snap-fastened with at least one corresponding relief of the cover. For example, the tabs of the ring have at least one protruding relief and the skirt of the cover has at least one relief defining at least one housing in which this protruding relief is received; in one example, the skirt of the cover has an end part that is folded on itself next to the inner surface of the cover, in order to define, above this fold, said housing for receiving the relief on the ring. The skirt of the cover may have, above the fold, a shoulder which comes to bear axially against said relief. This should forms, with the fold, the abovementioned housing for receiving the relief. The latter may be formed by a rib moulded in one piece with each tab of the ring. A chamfer may extend below the rib, so as to form a space for accommodating the fold.

The lip of the ring may be completely flat and rest on the top of the annular part of the ring, which may also be flat. In this case, the radially inner edge of the lip of the cover may be at a small distance (for example less than <NUM> measured in the radial direction) from the radially inner edge of the annular part of the ring.

The ring may also have, on its upper surface, a positioning ring that forms an upward protrusion, and the cover may bear, with a radially inner edge, substantially against this rib. Such a rib, situated preferably close to the radially inner edge of the annular part of the ring, improves the centring of the cover on the ring. The fact that the lower edge of the lip of the cover is thus set back from the opening brings about ease of assembly, snap-fastening and centring.

Where appropriate, the positioning rib and the cover have mutual bearing edges that are bevelled in a complementary manner; the positioning rib may in particular have an upwardly and outwardly inclined edge, such that the bearing of the cover on the groove tends to axially retain the edge of the cover against the annular part of the ring. In addition, in this way, the mechanism is allowed to come axially into abutment against the cover before coming into abutment against the ring, this being advantageous when the cover is metallic.

The lip of the cover may have, close to its radially inner edge, an inwardly and downwardly inclined part; this part may advantageous come to bear against the abovementioned positioning rib. Such an inclined part may keep the lip of the cover spaced apart from the annular part of the rib, except for in a contact zone of the lip of the cover with the ring; this contact zone may be defined by a lower edge corner of the inclined part; the latter may come into contact with the positioning rib by way of an upper edge corner. Such limited contact between the cover and the ring makes assembly easier.

The mechanism may have a base, in particular a metallic base, in which the proximal part is received, this base being designed to be snap-fastened on the case. The base may have a tubular skirt provided with securing reliefs designed to be snap-fastened to the ring.

These securing reliefs may be in the form of bosses, the snap-fastening taking place preferably on a radially inner circular edge of the ring.

The glass body is preferably transparent. The body may be made from recycled glass, or glass comprising a certain proportion of recycled glass, for example at least <NUM>%.

A further subject of the invention is an assembly having at least one device according to the invention and a refill mechanism. The two can be packaged together, where appropriate. The refill mechanism may also be packaged separately.

The invention may be understood better from reading the following detailed description of a non-limiting implementation example thereof and from studying the appended drawing, in which.

<FIG> illustrates a packaging device <NUM> according to the invention, having a lipstick mechanism <NUM> and a case <NUM> to which the mechanism can be secured when not being used to apply the lipstick.

In a conventional way, as can be seen in <FIG>, the mechanism <NUM> has a proximal part <NUM> and a rotary distal part <NUM>, which can rotate with respect to the proximal part <NUM> in order to axially move a stick-holder cup, which is not visible here.

The proximal part <NUM> is received in a base <NUM>, visible in <FIG>, for example a metallic base, being for example force-fitted therein and/or snap-fastened therein or the like.

The proximal part <NUM> may be provided with a rotation-prevention relief <NUM> at its end, as illustrated.

The base <NUM> has a gripping part of larger diameter, provided for example with a surface grid as illustrated, and a tubular mounting skirt <NUM> provided with bosses <NUM>, for example three bosses, distributed evenly at <NUM>° from one another about the longitudinal axis of the mechanism. The outside diameter of the skirt <NUM> is for example less than or equal to <NUM>, being for example around <NUM>.

The base <NUM> cooperates with the relief <NUM> such that the proximal part cannot rotation with respect to the base <NUM>.

The case <NUM> has a body <NUM> made of, for example transparent, mineral glass having, as illustrated in <FIG>, a neck <NUM> at its upper end, on which a ring <NUM> made of thermoplastic material, covered with a metallic cover <NUM>, is secured. The body <NUM> is closed at its lower end by a flat bottom.

The neck <NUM> has a collar forming a radially outward protrusion, which defines, around the neck <NUM>, a groove <NUM> into which two diametrically opposite positioning reliefs <NUM> in the form of teeth protrude, only one of these reliefs <NUM> being visible in <FIG>.

The body <NUM> has, for example, below the shoulder at the base of the neck <NUM>, an external cross section that is square with rounded corners.

With reference more particularly to <FIG> and <FIG>, it is apparent that the ring <NUM> has four securing tabs <NUM> that are connected at the top to an annular part <NUM>.

The external contour of this annular part <NUM> is substantially square with rounded corners, and each tab <NUM> is situated at a corner.

Each tab <NUM> has, on is radially outer face, a series of parallel ribs <NUM> extending in respective planes that are oriented perpendicularly to the longitudinal axis of the case, and, on its radially inner face, a snap-fastening tooth <NUM>.

The teeth <NUM> of two diametrically opposite tabs <NUM> are interrupted so as to define recesses <NUM> for the engagement therein of the positioning reliefs <NUM> on the neck <NUM>, as illustrated in <FIG>. These reliefs <NUM>, once they are engaged in the recesses <NUM>, prevent the ring <NUM> from rotating relative to the neck <NUM>.

Slots <NUM> are provided through the annular part <NUM>, for the passage of a mould for moulding the teeth <NUM> during the manufacture of the ring <NUM> by injection moulding.

The cover <NUM> has an outer skirt <NUM> which bears on the ribs <NUM> of the tabs <NUM>, ensuring the retention thereof.

To assemble the case <NUM>, the ring <NUM> can be snap-fastened on the neck <NUM>, then the cover <NUM> is engaged on said ring <NUM>. In a variant, the ring <NUM> is disposed in the cover <NUM> in order to form an assembly as illustrated in <FIG>, and then the latter is snap-fastened on the neck <NUM>.

The annular part <NUM> of the ring <NUM> defines a circular opening <NUM>, the diameter of which is slightly greater than that of the securing skirt <NUM> of the base <NUM>. Thus, the securing skirt <NUM> can be snap-fastened by means of the bosses <NUM> on the edge of this opening <NUM>, as illustrated in <FIG>.

In the variant illustrated in <FIG>, the annular part of the ring has an annular positioning rib <NUM>, which borders the opening <NUM>. This rib <NUM> is formed by injection-moulding with the rest of the ring <NUM>. It may have a radially outer flank <NUM> which is inclined slightly outward and upward.

The cover <NUM> has a lip <NUM> which extends as far as the flank <NUM>. This lip is, for example, formed as one with the rest of the cover <NUM>. It may have a radially inner edge <NUM> which is slightly bevelled, with the same inclination as the flank <NUM>, such that the two have complementary shapes allowing one edge to be fitted in the other.

The thickness t of the rib <NUM> in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the device is preferably, as illustrated, substantially equal to the thickness of the lip <NUM>.

The upper face <NUM> of the lip <NUM> may be situated slightly higher up than the upper face of the rib <NUM>, as illustrated.

In the variant shown in <FIG>, the lip <NUM> of the cover <NUM> has a flat annular part <NUM>, oriented perpendicularly to the longitudinal axis of the device, which is continued by a downwardly and inwardly inclined end part <NUM>.

The end part <NUM> may rest, as illustrated, with one edge corner 58a against the annular rib <NUM> and with another edge corner 58b against the top of the annular part of the ring about the rib <NUM>.

Illustrated in <FIG> is the possibility of realizing the retention of the cover <NUM> by the ring <NUM> in some other way than by friction by means of the ribs <NUM>.

In this example, the tabs <NUM> each have, in the vicinity of their lower edge, a retaining rib <NUM>. Each tab <NUM> has a chamfer <NUM> under this rib <NUM>.

The outer skirt <NUM> of the cover <NUM> may have a thinner lower part <NUM>, which is folded on itself inwardly at its lower end so as to define a fold <NUM> that is positioned under the rib <NUM> in order to keep the cover <NUM> on the ring <NUM>.

The junction between the lower part <NUM> and the rest of the cover <NUM> may define a shoulder <NUM> which comes to bear axially against the rib <NUM>.

In this example, as illustrated, the upper face of the ring <NUM> may be flat, and the lip <NUM> of the cover comes to bear, with its lower face 55a, against the top of the ring.

During the mounting of the cover <NUM> on the ring <NUM>, the rib <NUM> fits in a groove formed between the fold <NUM> and the shoulder <NUM>, ensuring that the cover <NUM> is coupled to the ring <NUM>.

The presence of the chamfer <NUM> frees up a space under the rib <NUM>, which makes it possible to accommodate the fold <NUM>.

The tabs <NUM> of the ring <NUM> bearing on the outer skirt of the cover <NUM> above the rib <NUM> may have an overthickness <NUM> in order to achieve the radial clamping desired between the cover <NUM> and the ring <NUM>. The cover <NUM> may come to bear, as illustrated, with its lower end 51b against a shoulder <NUM> of the body <NUM>, at the base of the neck <NUM>.

To use the mechanism <NUM>, the user withdraws it from the case <NUM>; the elasticity of the plastics material of the ring <NUM> allows the bosses <NUM> to pass over the latter. Next, the user can hold the base <NUM> between two fingers and rotate the distal part <NUM> to extend the stick.

Following use, the mechanism <NUM> is inserted into the case <NUM> until the bosses <NUM> have been snap-fastened to the ring <NUM>.

Once the stick has been used up, the user can change the mechanism <NUM> while keeping the base <NUM> and the case <NUM>.

Of course, the invention is not limited to the examples that have just been described.

For example, the glass body <NUM> may be produced with a shape exhibiting symmetry of revolution.

If necessary, the mechanism <NUM> is produced without the base <NUM>, and it is the proximal part that is configured to be secured directly to the ring <NUM>.

The cover <NUM> may be made of plastics material.

Claim 1:
Device (<NUM>) for packaging a cosmetic product in the form of a stick, in particular lipstick, having:
- a distributor mechanism (<NUM>), having a proximal part (<NUM>) and a rotary distal part (<NUM>), configured such that the rotary movement of the distal part with respect to the proximal part is accompanied by an axial movement of the stick relative to the proximal part,
- a case (<NUM>) having a body (<NUM>) made of, in particular transparent, mineral glass, in which said mechanism can be fitted and secured, the glass body (<NUM>) having a neck (<NUM>) and the case having a ring (<NUM>) made of thermoplastic material which is attached and secured to the neck and to which said mechanism (<NUM>) is secured.