EP0635224B1

EP0635224B1 - Base for containers, in particular for cosmetics products, with a movable insertand interchangeable cups

Info

Publication number: EP0635224B1
Application number: EP19940202055
Authority: EP
Inventors: Longin Blachut
Original assignee: LAFFON DESIGN KREE PLAST SpA; LAFFON DESIGN-KREE PLAST SpA
Current assignee: Laffon SpA
Priority date: 1993-07-16
Filing date: 1994-07-14
Publication date: 1999-02-10
Anticipated expiration: 2014-07-14
Also published as: DE69416461T2; IT230359Y1; EP0635224A1; ITMI930580U1; ITMI930580V0; DE69416461D1

Description

This invention relates to a base for containers intended to contain particularly but not exclusively cosmetics products, provided with a movable insert for retaining one or more interchangeable cups in a freely removable manner.

Said interchangeable cups - generally known as pans in this sector - contain cosmetics products such as eye shadow, blusher, lip gloss, rouge powder, face powder, etc.

Said containers could however also be used for containing products of different type, such as parapharmaceuticals or others.

As is well known to the expert to the art the construction of containers in general and/or of cases for containing cosmetics products such as the aforesaid requires the solution of various technical problems.

One of these is the possibility of reutilizing the container once its contained product has been used up, by merely replacing the empty pans, which are available commercially in the form of specific refills for that container.

In this respect, to assure the consumer that the product contained in the refill is original, it is desirable for the pans and the insert incorporated into the container base to comprise precise corresponding locators so that components of different origin cannot be fitted in.

DE-U-9215092 relates to a base for containers having inserts lockable inside the casing according to the preamble of claim 1.

Another technical problem relates to the facility for replacing the pans contained in the container with other pans containing a different cosmetics product or with a different number of modular pans, with ease and without soiling the fingers.

It is also desirable to provide a container with an interior in which the assembled pans form a patten of pleasing appearance and which can be varied.

The general object of the present invention is to solve the aforesaid problems in a simple, economical and functional manner, while at the same time obtaining a container of very flat shape.

Said object is achieved by a container base having the characteristics defined in the claim 1 and dependent claims.

The structural and functional characteristics of the invention and its advantages compared with the known art will be more apparent from the following description, given with reference to the accompanying drawings which show one embodiment of a container base with a movable insert and interchangeable pans formed in accordance with the innovative principles of the invention. In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of the container base according to the invention;

Figure 2 is a section on the plane II-II of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a section on the plane III-III of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a section on the plane IV-IV of Figure 1; and

Figure 5 is an enlarged detail of the section of Figure 4.

With reference to the drawings, the container base of the invention is indicated overall by 10 and in the illustrated example is of rectangular shape and contains a single pan 11 which, according to the invention, is mounted in position in a removable manner by means of a slidable insert 12.

The container base 10, the interchangeable pan 11 and the movable insert 12 could have a shape other than rectangular, this being shown by way of non-limiting example only.

The container base 10 is structurally formed from an outer casing 13 internally housing the insert 12, arranged to retain one or more interchangeable pans 11 in position.

The movable insert 12 is constrained to the casing 13 by two opposing channel-shaped recesses 14 provided externally in the short sides of the insert 12, the recesses 14 being slidingly engaged with complementary guides 15 provided on the inside of the casing 13 (Figure 3).

In this manner the insert 12 can be freely slid forwards and backwards in the directions of the arrow 16 between the two positions shown respectively with full lines and dashed lines (Figure 5). Said two positions are positively determined by a tooth 17 on the casing 13, which snap-engages in

notches

18, 19 in the base of the insert 12.

The insert 12 also comprises an edge 20 which slidingly rests on the top of the front perimetral wall 21a of the casing 13, and an undercut 22 on the opposite side to said edge 20.

In said undercut 22 there engages a first tooth 23 of the pan 11 which on the opposite side to the tooth 23 comprises a second tooth 24 engaging in an undercut 25 provided in the perimetral wall 21 of the casing 13.

The pan 11 is also provided at its top with a perimetral edge 26 which rests on the top of the rear perimetral wall 21b of the casing 13.

From the aforegoing with reference to the figures it is apparent that the pan 11 can be very easily inserted and removed by sliding the movable insert into the two positions determined by the

notches

18, 19.

For this purpose the insert 12 is tapered to define a free space 29 which facilitates the gripping of the pan 11 with a finger during extraction. The pan 11 is extracted by rotation about 30 in the direction of the arrow F of Figure 5, as indicated by dashed lines.

Locators

27 and 28, for example protuberances and recesses, are provided on the base wall of the casing 13 and in the base of the pan 11.

The object stated in the introduction to the description is hence attained.

The shapes of the container base 10 and the relative insert 12 can be different from those shown by way of non-limiting example in the drawings, and the shape and number of pans 11 can also be different.

The scope of protection of the invention is hence defined by the accompanying claims.

Claims

A base for containers intended to contain particularly but not exclusively cosmetics products, of the type comprising an outer casing (13) in which there is mounted an insert (12) for receiving at least one interchangeable cup or pan (11), said insert (12) can slide within said outer casing (13) between two positions, namely a first position in which said cup (11) is locked in the casing (13) and a second position of release in which said cup (11) can be removed, mutual engagement means being provided between the cup (11) and insert (12) and between the cup (11) and casing (13), characterised in that said insert (12) is constrained to the casing (13) by two opposing channel-shaped recesses (14) provided externally in the short sides of the insert (12), the recesses (14) being slidingly engaged with complementary guides (15) provided on the inside of the casing (13), said two positions being determined by a tooth (17) on the casing (13) which snap-engages in notches (18, 19) in the base of the insert (12).
A container base as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that said insert (12) comprises an edge (20) which slidingly rests on the top of the front perimetral wall (21a) of the casing (13).
A container base as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that said mutual engagement means consist of a tooth (23) of the cup (11) which engages in an undercut (22) in the insert (12), and a tooth (24) of the cup (11), on the opposite side to the tooth (23), which engages in an undercut (25) in the rear perimetral wall (21b) of the casing (13).
A container base as claimed in claim 3, characterised in that said cup (11) also comprises on its top a perimetral edge (26) which rests on the top of the rear wall (21b) of the casing (13).