Packaging Device with Container with Threaded Neck and Screw Closure Member

The present invention relates to the field of devices for packaging a product, in particular a cosmetic product, having a container provided with a threaded neck, and a closure member that is to be screwed onto the neck.

In order to signal to the user that the closure member is screwed sufficiently, it is known to use signalling means that produce a tactile or audible “click”.

To this end, US20200156831 and EP0780318 teach the use of closure members having a skirt provided with tongues that are capable of deforming elastically when they meet, at the end of screwing, protuberances provided on a shoulder of the container.

U.S. Pat. No. 8,528,759 and FR2572369 describe devices in which the “click” system, with or without tongue, and stop are situated at the end point of the thread, at the base of the neck and of the cap.

JP4509583 describes a device in which the “click” system and the stop are not situated on the threaded neck of the container but at another diameter of the container, different from that of the neck.

EP 0 816 244 describes an assembly comprising a neck of a container for soft drinks and a closure member to be screwed on the neck.

US 2013/004940 depicts a chamber having an opening for collecting a liquid sample and a lid for covering the opening.

US 2017/332767 describes a bottle comprising a body for containing a cosmetic product and a cover comprising a stem with an applicator tip.

GB 2 467 355, US 2009/223922, US 2011/024420, and U.S. Pat. No. 8,091,724 describe a device for packaging a product comprising a container with a threaded neck and a closure member to be screwed on the neck.

GB2203729 describes a container having a threaded neck on which is situated a protuberance and a cap having a thread interruption in which the protuberance is housed during the screwing of the cap onto the container, the protuberance being situated in a non-flexible zone.

US2008110850 discloses a container neck having a thread interruption in which a lug borne by a lid is engaged during the screwing of the lid onto the container, the passage of the lug over the thread of the neck causing deformation of the lid and/or of the neck. This device necessitates thin, flexible walls and is difficult to envisage in the case of rigid materials, such as glass.

In order to manufacture the one or more end-of-travel protuberances on the container, the method for manufacturing the container has to permit small radii of curvature so that the click is emitted with high quality. However, when the container is made of glass, the permitted radii of curvature are too large to allow the formation of such protuberances on the container in a satisfactory manner.

In addition, the presence of one or more end-of-travel protuberances on the shoulder of the container may detract from the attractiveness thereof. These protuberances can also promote the build-up of dirt, which is unattractive and could potentially lead to imperfect closure.

There is a need for a packaging device that is compatible with the production of the container from glass, if desired, allows the user to be informed, if necessary, of the correct closure of the container by generation of a click, and is relatively easy to produce and also attractive.

The present invention meets this need by virtue of a device for packaging a product, in particular a cosmetic product, having:

The device according to the invention makes it possible to block the screwing of the closure member without having to form a protuberance at the base of the neck.

The attractiveness of the container is thereby preserved, and it is possible to avoid the build-up of dirt at the base of the neck.

In addition, the container may be made of glass if desired.

The container may have a plurality of threads each having, on the side of the free end of the neck, a thread starting point.

In the following text, certain features of the thread are specified, it being understood that, in the presence of a plurality of threads, each of these threads may exhibit the features in question.

The thread starting point may have a stopping surface against which the corresponding stop comes to bear, this stopping surface being in particular substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the neck. As a variant, the stopping surface is inclined with respect to the longitudinal axis of the neck.

The screw thread may have, on the side opposite the free end of the neck, a thread end point, and may have a thread interruption between the thread starting point and the thread end point, which, by cooperating with a tongue of the closure member, makes it possible to generate a tactile and/or aural sensation informing the user of the correct closure of the container, as will be specified below.

The thread interruption may be situated between the thread starting point and the halfway point of the height of the thread.

The thread interruption may be angularly spaced apart from the thread starting point by less than 90° around the longitudinal axis of the neck, better still less than 45° around the longitudinal axis of the neck, better still less than 22.5° around the longitudinal axis of the neck.

The thread interruption may have an angular extent, around the longitudinal axis of the neck, of between 5° and 45°, in particular substantially equal to 30°.

The container has, at the base of the neck and around the latter, a shoulder, and the latter may not have a stop that forms a protrusion with respect to the shoulder and against which the closure member comes to bear at the end of the screwing thereof.

The absence of protrusion on the shoulder makes it possible to obtain an attractive container and to limit the risk of dirt build-up, as indicated above. Furthermore, the manufacture of such a container that does not have a protrusion on the shoulder is thus simplified.

The container may be made, at least in part, of glass. Even with a glass container, the invention makes it possible to obtain, at the end of screwing, clear and precise tactile or even also aural perception, affording the user high quality use of the device. The container can in particular be made, at least in part, of drawn glass. It may also be made, at least in part, of moulded glass. As a variant, the container may be made, at least in part, of a polymer, for example of a thermoplastic material.

The container can have a body of generally cylindrical, spherical, prismatic, in particular parallelepipedal, shape, among other possibilities.

The container may or may not be transparent.

The capacity of the container may be between 2 ml and 1000 ml.

The container can be filled with a product, in particular a cosmetic product, for example a mascara, a liquid foundation, a liquid lipstick, an anti-sun product, a hair or makeup-removal lotion, an anti-wrinkle product or a nail varnish, among other possibilities.

In an embodiment in which the container is intended to be filled with a makeup product, such as a mascara or a liquid lipstick, the capacity of the container is preferably between 2 ml and 15 ml, and in particular between 6 ml and 10 ml. It may then be in the form of a bottle combined with an applicator belonging to the closure member, the applicator comprising a gripping element intended to be handled by the user, an applicator member intended to be submerged inside the bottle so as to be loaded with product to be applied and a stem connecting the applicator member to the gripping element.

As a variant, the container may have a greater capacity, in particular of between 15 ml and 1000 ml, for example when it is intended to be filled with another type of cosmetic product, such as a liquid foundation, an anti-sun product, a care product or the like. The closure member may then have a dispensing system, such as a pump, a flip-top cap or the like, or a device for closing off the container, such as a stopper.

The closure member may have one or more stops arranged to come to bear against the one or more thread starting points at the end of the screwing of the closure member onto the neck of the container.

The or each stop may have a surface intended to come to bear against the thread starting point, this surface extending in particular substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the closure member. As a variant, this surface is inclined and extends in particular with the same inclination, relative to the longitudinal axis of the device, as the stopping surface of the thread starting point.

The closure member may have at least one elastically deformable tongue arranged to engage at least partially in the abovementioned thread interruption, during the screwing of the closure member onto the neck of the container, and generate a tactile sensation and/or the emission of an audible click.

Preferably, the angular extent of the tongue around the longitudinal axis of the closure member is greater than or equal to the angular extent of the thread interruption around the longitudinal axis of the neck.

Thus, the tongue may have an angular extent, around the longitudinal axis of the closure member, of between 10° and 55°, and in particular of the order of 30°.

The tongue may be attached to the closure member by only one of its ends. As a variant, the tongue may be attached to the closure member by both of its ends, then forming a bridge of material.

The tongue may have, on the inside, an upstream flank and a downstream flank that are oriented obliquely in the radial direction, the upstream flank engaging first in the thread interruption during the screwing of the closure member, and the downstream flank last, the upstream flank preferably having an inclination relative to the radial direction that is greater than that of the downstream flank. This asymmetric shape of the tongue makes it possible to make the passing of the tongue over the thread more difficult in the unscrewing direction than in the screwing direction. This may make it possible to reduce the risk of accidental opening of the container.

The tongue may in particular have, on its inner surface, at least one protruding relief, for example a boss, the relief being designed to engage in the thread interruption, the relief having an upstream flank and a downstream flank that are oriented obliquely in the radial direction, the upstream flank engaging first in the thread interruption during the screwing of the closure member, and the downstream flank last, the upstream flank preferably having an inclination relative to the radial direction that is greater than that of the downstream flank.

Preferably, the angular extent of the protruding relief, for example of the boss, around the longitudinal axis of the closure member is smaller than or equal to the angular extent of the thread interruption around the longitudinal axis of the neck.

Thus, the protruding relief may have an angular extent, around the longitudinal axis of the closure member, of between 3° and 45°, and in particular around 20°.

The closure member may have a cap arranged to be screwed onto the neck of the container, the cap being able to bear the tongue.

The closure member, in particular the cap, may have an internally threaded mounting skirt, arranged to be screwed onto the neck.

The mounting skirt may be provided with at least one perforation, the tongue being able to extend at least partially into this perforation.

The closure member may have an outer overcap that is disposed around the cap. This overcap may contribute to the attractiveness of the closure member, being for example made of metal or metallized.

The radial displacement of the tongue during the screwing or unscrewing may take place in the thickness of the wall of the cap.

In the presence of an overcap, the device may have, between the cap and the outer overcap, a space allowing the necessary radial displacement of the tongue, if appropriate.