[0001] This invention relates to a container for semidense or liquid cosmetic or pharmaceutical
products combined with an applicator for the said cosmetic or pharmaceutical products,
particularly but not exclusively to a container and an applicator for gels, creams,
emulsions or foams according to claim 1.
[0002] Containers in the form of a sachet designed to contain semidense or liquid cosmetic
or pharmaceutical products are known.
[0003] These sachets are usually sealed and flexible. Also these sachets provide that one
side of the same can be opened.
[0004] The sachet, whether manufactured from paper or plastics material, requires the user
to perform a tearing operation in order to open its openable side.
[0005] Within these sachets there may be housed, for example, throwaway wipes impregnated
with detergent substances or substances for personal hygiene, or pharmaceutical substances
for topical use.
[0006] The tearing operation is usually assisted by the presence of a notch or pre-cut line
close to one edge of the sachet, or a combination of notch and pre-cut line.
[0007] The pre-cut line and the notch create a kind of division in the sachet, that is a
division in which it is possible to distinguish a principal body and an edge.
[0008] When a user wishes to access the contents housed within the sachet, for example the
moist wipe, he must seize the main body with one hand and seize the edge with the
other and effect a tearing operation so as to detach the edge from the said principal
body.
[0009] However the tearing operation is commonly inconvenient and difficult. Sometimes the
tear is imperfect and it is necessary to use scissors or similar instruments to complete
the operation of opening the sachet.
[0010] Furthermore, as soon as the user has completed opening the sachet, it is unavoidable
that the wipe will come into contact with the epidermis of the user's fingers. This
may give rise to contamination of the wipe when the wipe is preimpregnated with pharmaceutical
substances for topical use, with consequences which are easily imagined.
[0011] Furthermore, on completing this operation the user will have soiled hands because
of the product impregnating the wipe and this will result in a necessary operation
of washing the hands, an operation which it is not always possible to perform.
[0012] In the light of the state of the art described, the object of this invention is to
provide a container for semidense or liquid products combined with an applicator for
the said products which are devoid of the abovementioned disadvantages relating to
the known art.
[0013] According to this invention this object is accomplished through a container for semi-dense
or liquid cosmetic or pharmaceutical products combined with an applicator for the
said cosmetic or pharmaceutical products according to claim 1.
[0014] Through this invention it is possible to provide a container for semi-dense or liquid
products combined with an applicator for the said products which reduces or eliminates
the need for the user to touch the applicator of the products during the operation
of opening the container and during the operation using the applicator itself.
[0015] The features and advantages of this invention will be apparent from the following
detailed deseription of an embodiment illustrated by way of a non-restrictive example
in the appended drawings, in which:
- Figure 1 shows a plan view from above of an embodiment of the container combined with
the applicator according to this invention,
- Figure 2 shows a perspective view in partial cross-section of the embodiment illustrated
in Figure 1, at the time when a user is on the point of opening the container.
[0016] With reference to the appended figures, 1 indicates the combination of a container
2 for semi-dense cosmetic or pharmaceutical products (for example gels, foams) or
liquid such products (for example emulsions) with an applicator 3 for the said cosmetic
or pharmaceutical products.
[0017] Container 2 comprises a sheet 4 of substantially polygonal shape. In the particular
embodiment sheet 4 takes the form of a member of rectangular shape.
[0018] Obviously the use of sheet 4 of rectangular shape is only preferred; there is nothing
to prevent the use, for example, of a sheet of circular shape.
[0019] The material of which this sheet 4 is made is for example a peelable flexible layered
material comprising a polyester (PET) film overlain externally on an aluminium (Al)
sheet internally covered by a polyethylene (PE) film with the possible interposition
of a nylon (N) coupling film.
[0020] Applicator 2 comprises a support 5 which is preimpregnated or moistened with the
abovementioned cosmetic or pharmaceutical products.
[0021] As will be seen from the figures, support 5 has a width L1 which is smaller than
or at the limit identical to the width L2 of sheet 4 and also has a height H1 which
is less than or at the limit equal to the width H2 of sheet 4.
[0022] Support 5 may comprise a non-woven fabric belonging to the group of polypropylene
fibres or polyester fibres.
[0023] In this specific embodiment support 5 is associated through a thermal welding operation
(indicated by the thick line in Figure 1) with sheet 4 of flexible material. This
thermal welding operation involves a pair of opposite edges of the support or alternatively
the thermal welding operation is performed along the entire perimeter of support 5.
[0024] Alternatively, support 5 may comprise a non-woven viscose fabric.
[0025] In this specific embodiment support 5 is associated through a bonding operation (indicated
by the thick line in Figure 1) with sheet 4 of flexible material. This bonding operation
involves a pair of opposite edges of the support or alternatively the bonding operation
can be carried out along the entire perimeter of support 5.
[0026] With reference to Figure 2, it will be noted that sheet 4 of flexible material is
bent back on itself along a folding line 6 to enclose support 5 within it.
[0027] In particular, sheet 4 is hermetically sealed through a further heat welding operation
(indicated by a dashed line in the figures) around support 5.
[0028] The thermal welding is carried out along the longitudinal and transverse edges of
sheet 4 in such a way as to define the pair of flaps or lips 7, 8.
[0029] In other words the thermal welding operation corresponding to the transverse edges
of sheet 4 forms a pair of flaps 7, 8 having the dimension D such as to allow the
same to be grasped by a user 9.
[0030] Dimension D of flaps 7 and 8 is substantially less than height H2 of sheet 4.
[0031] This pair of flaps 7, 8 advantageously allows user 9 to open and use container 1
without touching support 5.
[0032] A welding material having a low plasticisation point, such as for example a material
comprising a polyethylene film, is usually used to effect the thermal welding operation
for sheet 4.
[0033] In a preferred embodiment width L1 of support 5 is substantially identical to the
dimension L2 of sheet 4 and height H1 of support 5 is less than height H2 of sheet
4.
[0034] In this situation, and assuming that a support 5 comprising a non-woven fabric belonging
to the group of polypropylene fibres or polyester fibres is used, it is possible to
effect the association of support 5 with sheet 4 and simultaneous sealing of container
1 through a single thermal welding operation.
[0035] This further has the advantage that the cosmetic or pharmaceutical products moistening
support 5 cannot escape from the support itself.
[0036] In use, user 9 seizes flaps 7 and 8 of flexible sheet 4 and exerts a pulling force
along opposite radial directions so as to effect peeling of container 1. Support 5
is exposed and ready to be applied without user 9 having to touch it with his hands.
[0037] In fact, once container 1 is open, user 9 uses the container itself as a supporting
element for support 5.
[0038] In order to satisfy contingent and specific requirements a person skilled in the
art could apply numerous modifications and adaptations and the replacement of components
with other functional equivalents to the preferred embodiment of the invention described
above without however going beyond the scope of the following claims.
1. Container for semidense or liquid cosmetic or pharmaceutical products combined with
an applicator (3) for the said cosmetic or pharmaceutical products, the said container
(2) comprising a sheet of flexible material (4) welded around the same to applicator
(3), the said applicator (3) comprising a support (5) preimpregnated with the said
cosmetic or pharmaceutical products, the said sheet (4) of flexible material being
folded back on itself along a fold line (6) to enclose the said support (5), characterised in that the said support (5) is associated with the said sheet (4) of flexible material and
in that the said sheet (4) is welded in such a way as to form a pair of flaps (7, 8) so as
to permit a user (9) to open and use the said container (1) without touching the said
support (5).
2. Container according to claim 1, characterised in that the said pair of flaps (7, 8) have a dimension (D) such as to permit them to be grasped
by the said user (9).
3. Container according to claim 1, characterised in that the said support (5) comprises a non-woven fabric belonging to the group of polypropylene
fibres or polyester fibres.
4. Container according to claim 3, characterised in that the said the said support (5) is associated with the said sheet (4) of flexible material
by thermal welding.
5. Container according to claim 1, characterised in that the said support (5) comprises a non-woven viscose fabric.
6. Container according to claim 5, characterised in that the said the said support (5) is associated with the said sheet (4) of flexible material
by adhesive bonding.
7. Container according to any of the preceding claims, characterised in that the said sheet (4) of flexible material is constructed of peelable polyethylene.
8. Container according to any of the preceding claims, characterised in that the said support (5) has a width (L1) which is less than the width (L2) of the said
sheet (4) and that the said support (5) has a height (H1) which is less than the width
(H2) of the said sheet (4).
9. Container according to claims 1 to 7, characterised in that the said support (5) has a width (L1) equal to the width (L2) of the said sheet (4)
and that the said support (5) has a height (H1) less than the width (H2) of the said
sheet (4).
10. Container according to claims 2, 8 and 9, characterised in that the said dimension (D) of the said pair of flaps (7, 8) is less than the height (H2)
of the said sheet (4).