WO2015111001A1

WO2015111001A1 - Container with double compartments

Info

Publication number: WO2015111001A1
Application number: PCT/IB2015/050522
Authority: WO
Inventors: Alessandro FIORETTO
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2014-01-24
Filing date: 2015-01-23
Publication date: 2015-07-30
Anticipated expiration: 2016-07-24
Also published as: ITPD20140006U1

Abstract

A container comprises a first and a second portion, each adapted to define a respective perimetric wall, and a common base to which the portions are connected, the portions extending in axially opposite directions relative to the common base, so that each defines a respective compartment delimited by one of the portions and by the common base, wherein a respective opening is formed in each of the compartments for dispensing the products. The openings are capped by closure members of the reclosable type, and the thickness of the walls defined by the portions is less than that of the common base.

Description

CONTAINER WITH DOUBLE COMPARTMENTS

DESCRIPTION

The invention relates to a double-compartment container, of the type having the features mentioned in the preamble of the principal claim . There are known containers having two compartments, each provided with a respective lid, for the purpose of containing and allowing the use of two different products by means of a single container.

A first example of these containers is described in US Patent 748,329, which describes a container for salt and pepper having two compartments arranged in vertical alignment, in which the salt and pepper, respectively, are placed.

A further example is described in US Patent 2,611,499, which refers to a glass container, similar to that described above, but in which the base common to both compartments has an irregular shape, thereby creating spaces which can be used to contain the air that is inevitably present in the container.

A further example is described in US Patent Application 2007/0187429, relating to a container in the form of a tube, provided with a cap at each of its two ends for the purpose of dispensing the product present in each of the two compartments into which the tube is divided.

However, these containers are adapted for specific uses (the first for salt and pepper, the second for food products that must be visible when exposed, and the third for gels or other cosmetic products that are typically contained in small bottles), and are not easily adaptable for other uses. In particular, the known containers are found to be unsuitable for containing cleansing products for personal hygiene, such as body cleansers and shampoos.

This is because these products must be kept in containers which are easily squeezable to allow the product to be dispensed, while being sufficiently strong to prevent their breakage if they are accidentally dropped.

The fundamental technical problem of the present invention is therefore that of providing a double-compartment container which is structurally and functionally designed to overcome all the aforementioned drawbacks of the cited prior art.

Within the context of this problem, one object of the invention is to provide a double-compartment container adapted to contain a body cleanser and a shampoo, or other cleansing products which are similar but are intended to meet different requirements.

A further object is to provide a double-compartment container that is easily squeezable for dispensing the product, while still being robust. These objects are achieved with a double-compartment container made in accordance with Claim 1.

Preferred characteristics of the present invention are defined in the dependent claims.

The characteristics and advantages of the invention will be more apparent from the following detailed description of a preferred, but nonexclusive, exemplary embodiment of the invention, illustrated, for guidance and in a non-limiting way, with reference to the attached drawings, in which :

Figure 1 is a sectional side view of a container according to the present invention;

Figure 2 is a partially sectional side view of a container according to the present invention in an alternative embodiment; and

Figure 3 is a top view of the container of Figure 2.

With initial reference to Figure 1, a double-compartment container is indicated as a whole by the reference numeral 100.

The container 100 comprises a first portion 1 and a second portion 2, intended to form respective side walls of the container. The first and second portions are also joined to one another by a common base 3, formed in one piece with the portions 1 and 2. Consequently the portions 1 and 2, together with the base 3, form a pair of compartments CI and C2 which extend on opposite sides of the base 3.

In each portion 1 and 2 there is also formed a respective opening 10 and 20, shown schematically in the drawing, adapted to allow the dispensing of the product present in the compartments CI and C2.

Preferably, the openings 10 and 20 are made at ends of the corresponding compartments opposite the base 3. In other words, the openings 10 and 20 and the base 3 are axially aligned. Preferably, the container 100 has a predominantly axial extension, with its longitudinal axis of extension indicated by the letter X in Figure 1. It may therefore be noted that, according to a preferred embodiment, the openings 10 and 20 are aligned with the axis X.

The container 100 further comprises a pair of reclosable closure members 11 and 12, intended to close the openings 10 and 20 respectively.

Preferably, the caps 11 and 12 are fastened by snap-fitting, or by a threaded connection, or are joined by means of labels or connections to the portions 1 and 2. Additionally, again according to a preferred embodiment, the closure members 11 and 21 each comprise a respective removable tab 12, 22, which can be snap-fitted on to the closure members 11 and 21 so as to simplify the opening and closing of the container. Preferably, the removable tabs 12, 22 are each fastened to the respective closure member by means of a flexible connection, in such a way that the tab remains fixed to the container even after the opening 10 or 20 has been opened.

As can be seen in Figure 1, in the container according to the present invention the walls of the portions 1 and 2 have a lower thickness than that of the base 3, and, in particular, the thickness of the base is at least twice as great as that of the walls.

Thus it is possible to provide low-thickness walls, which are therefore easily squeezable, associated with a thicker base, thereby increasing the robustness of the container structure.

Additionally, according to a preferred embodiment, the container 100 is hourglass-shaped, and therefore has a narrower central part, substantially coinciding with the base 3, making it easier to grasp. Alternatively, the container may have a different shape, such as a cylindrical, squared or elliptical shape. By way of example, Figure 2 shows a variant of the container according to the present invention with a cylindrical shape. Additionally, in the variant of Figure 2, the portions 1 and 2 are made in such a way that the compartments CI and C2 are separable from one another. For this purpose, each portion has a respective half-based 3', 3" which can be joined to one another by suitable connecting means 31, such as a threaded connection, a press-fitting connection, or a snap- fitting connection. The common base 3 is therefore formed by two half- bases and has an overall thickness greater than that of the walls of the portions, in a similar way to the preceding embodiment.

With further reference to Figure 1, the closure members 11 and 12 preferably each have respective flat end surface 13, 23, allowing the container to be placed on a surface, thus increasing its practicality for use.

Preferably, the container 100 is made of plastic material, for example high-density polyethylene (HDPE), polypropylene (PP), or polyethylene terephthalate (PET). This choice of materials also helps to provide the present invention with the requisite characteristics of flexibility and strength.

Thus the invention resolves the problem which was proposed, while providing a number of advantages, including the possibility of using a single container for different products to be used while showering or bathing. In this context, the container is proved to be particularly advantageous when used to contain any type of cosmetic, such as liquid soap, bubble bath, shower gel, shampoo, balm, fluid cream, sun cream or intimate wash, in the two separate chambers.

Claims

1. A container (100) comprising a first (1) and a second (2) portion, each adapted to define a respective perimetric wall, and a common base (3) to which the portions (1, 2) are connected, the portions (1, 2) extending in axially opposite directions relative to the common base (3), so that each defines a respective compartment (CI, C2), each delimited by one of the portions (1, 2) and by the common base (3), wherein a respective opening (10, 20) is formed in the compartments (CI, C2) for dispensing products contained in the compartments (CI, C2), the opening (10, 20) being capped with closure members (11, 21) of the reclosable type, and wherein the thickness of the walls defined by the portions (1, 2) is less than that of the common base (3).

2. A container (100) according to Claim 1, wherein the thickness of the common base (3) is at least double of that of the walls.

3. A container (100) according to Claim 1 or 2, wherein the portions (1, 2) and the common base (3) are formed in one piece.

4. A container (100) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the portions (1, 2) and the common base (3) are formed from plastic material .

5. A container (100) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the openings (10, 20) and the base (3) are aligned with one another along a longitudinal direction of extension (X) of the container (100).

6. A container (100) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the container is hourglass-shaped.

A container (100) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the closure members (11, 21) each comprise a respective removable tab (12, 22) adapted to open and close the openings (10, 20) selectively.

A container (100) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein each closure members (11, 21) comprise a respective flat end surface (13, 23).

A container (100) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the portions (1, 2) are separable from one another.

A container (100) according to Claim 9, wherein the portions (1, 2) comprise connecting means (31) adapted to join respective half- bases (3', 3") of the portions (1, 2).