Modular container for holding ventilation-sensitive commodities

The present invention is in the field of containers for holding ventilation-sensitive commodities, and more particularly containers that can be nested by stacking. An object of the invention is a modular container composed of a plurality of modules sequentially stacked and assembled successively into each other.

The packaging of ventilation-sensitive commodities is made somewhat problematic because of this sensitivity. Such commodities can be foodstuffs such as gassy liquid, or cosmetics and/or therapeutic products for example. These commodities are often held inside a hermetically closed container which allows them to be stored until they are consumed. Such containers in particular are formed by molding plastic material, such as blow molding or a similar molding technique. However, the consumption of the commodities after the container is opened may be extended over time, resulting in the risk of alteration of the commodity held in the container until it is emptied.

For this reason modular containers have been proposed that are comprised of a plurality of similar elementary containers assembled by sequentially stacking them into each other. Such a modular container is generally of an overall cylindrical conformation; the elementary containers that comprise it have a recessed base, in particular conical in shape, in order to receive by nesting a neck of complementary shape of an adjacent container. The assembly of the elementary containers two by two is accomplished, for example, by a flange, by a screwing means fitted at the end of their neck, or by nesting units cooperating respectively at the base and at the neck of the elementary containers. Reference can also be made to the documents EP1321370 (PICI, A), WO02/12077 (RAMJAN, RAMAN), DE 10232578 (CANAK M.), WO0236444 (NICHE EDGE Ltd), GB2303114 (JONATHAN DEREK & ROBINSON), FR818908 (VEREINIGTE LAUSITZER GLASWERKE AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT), which describe such modular containers.

One difficulty to be overcome is in the quick and reliable assembly of the elementary containers to each other. Indeed, the assembly methods must be easy to implement so that it does not constitute a totally unacceptable constraint for the consumer, while still being strong enough to make this assembly reliable. Moreover, these methods of assembly must be performed while taking into account the manufacturing constraints in molding elementary containers, while avoiding their resulting bulkiness that could interfere with the desired contact of the wall of the necks against the wall of the bases. Finally, this assembly must ensure the centering and successive strictly aligned extension of the elementary containers, without the risk of offsetting one elementary container from another that could result from the effect of the efforts made by the consumer to accomplish this assembly, in order to preserve an aesthetic, continuous line for the modular container.

More particularly, it was proposed in EP1321370 to provide the elementary containers with complementary stacking ribs in relief that extend peripherally respectively from their neck and their base. The stacking ribs in relief are ring shaped and are made to cooperate by axial thrust exerted by the user. Such axial thrust causes a radial deformation of the peripheral wall of the containers in order to permit the axial passage of one of the ribs inside the other rib. According to one variant, the stacking ribs are arc-shaped while being constructed as a bayonet type connection device.

Such arrangements do not achieve satisfactory ergonomics because of the efforts the user must make to assemble the elementary containers to each other, and/or movements the user must make to assemble and separate the elementary containers. Moreover, the methods used to assemble the elementary containers do not achieve a firmness that can provide a satisfactory overall sturdiness to the container, particularly when a bayonet type connection device is used. Furthermore, the assembly methods used result in significant stresses on the walls of the elementary containers, which are detrimental to the durability of the container and more particularly to the durability of the elementary containers that comprise it. These stresses make it impossible to ensure a strict centering of the elementary containers in each other, and as a result alter the aesthetic line of the container. These stresses also work against an ease of manipulation of the elementary containers in assembling them together. Finally, the ergonomics of the container is a deterrent for the user either because of the sense of fragility of the container, the walls of the elementary containers having to be malleable enough to enable their deformation, or because of the axial effort that the user must exert to counter the deformation of the revolution wall of the elementary containers, which is strong in this case. Although the variant consisting of using a bayonet type device can make the assembly of the elementary containers easier, it requires clearance in order to limit the stresses related to their assembly, which is not satisfactory because of the resulting slack between the elementary containers thus assembled.

The purpose of the present invention is to propose a modular container comprised of a plurality of elementary containers stacked sequentially into one another, which offers a satisfactory solution to the difficulties described above. More particularly, the present invention seeks to allow an assembly and separation of the elementary containers with each other that is ergonomic and limits the stresses exerted on the revolution wall of the elementary containers, while still ensuring the reliability of the assembly thus obtained, the durability of the container both structurally as well as with respect to preserving its overall aesthetic line, irrespective of potentially very numerous repeated operations of assembly and separation of the elementary containers. The present invention also seeks to propose such a container whose offered advantages do not detract from its competitiveness, particularly by making it possible to achieve it at lower cost.

The modular container of the present invention is comprised of a plurality of elementary containers stacked sequentially into one another. The elementary containers comprise a recessed base of a revolution conformation to receive a neck of a similar structure. Cooperating nesting elements are made respectively on the base and on the neck of the elementary containers, in order to constitute means of assembling the elementary containers with each other.

According to the present invention, such a modular container is primarily recognizable in that the nesting elements associate peripheral ramps in nested cooperation, which are able to assemble the elementary containers with each other by rotation of their axial junction, and end-of-travel stops of said rotation in snap-on cooperation, which constitute locking means of the assembly in rotation of elementary containers with each other and which can prevent a spontaneous reverse rotation.

The assembly means associate axial nesting elements of the elementary containers, which are formed by the ramps, and radial nesting means of the elementary containers by elastic deformation, which are formed by the stops. These stops are in snap-on cooperation at the end of turning travel of the elementary containers with respect to each other in order to lock the assembly obtained by the axial nesting elements. These arrangements are such that the assembly of the elementary containers can be obtained by a freely turning movement with no stresses on them and particularly on their wall due to their axial junction. Such a movement is easily performed by the user without effort that could generate stresses on the revolution wall of the elementary containers. This absence of stresses preserves the container and ensures an ideal centering of the elementary containers with respect to each other, and as a result ensures that the aesthetic line of the modular container is obtained and preserved. The rotation movement achieving a centering and an axial junction of the elementary containers is achieved by their snapping on to each other by means of the stops, in order to lock their axial junction and prevent their spontaneous separation by reverse rotation. The surfaces of the stops in snap-on cooperation can be limited and freely made irrespective of the methods of axial junction by rotating the elementary containers, which makes it possible to adapt them in accordance with the desired effort to be employed by the user in assembling the containers, and/or in accordance with the desired sturdiness of the walls of the elementary containers. Thus the designers can easily adapt the structure and/or the sturdiness of the stops irrespective of the sturdiness of the revolution wall of the elementary containers.

Preferably, the stops are integrated into the ramps and are in snap-on cooperation with them by snap-on in reaction to an elastic deformation of the nesting elements. These arrangements are such that the snap-on nesting of the elementary containers results from an elastic deformation of the nesting elements, while preserving the revolution wall of the elementary containers which is excluded from such elastic deformation. The result is that the revolution wall of the elementary containers can be sturdy because there is no need for its deformation, its resistance to deformation being independent of the means of assembly of the elementary containers with each other.

More particularly, the nesting elements are elastically deformable indifferently by means of the ramp and/or the stop of which they are a part, respectively, in order to reduce as much as possible the stresses exerted on the revolution wall of the elementary containers during their assembly, or conversely, during their separation.

The ramps are made respectively recessed and/or projecting indifferently on one and/or the other of the base and/or the neck of the elementary containers.

The stops are made respectively recessed and/or projecting indifferently on one and/or the other of the ramps respectively assigned to the base and/or to the neck of the elementary containers. The cooperation surface between the stops is advantageously spherical or similar.

The stops have a restricted surface area compared to the total area of contact between two assembled elementary containers. The arrangement of placing stops in cooperation by means of spherical surfaces is obtained, for example, from the forming of stops respectively as spherical dome and cup, or in a similar way as a cylinder or equivalent. Such spherical shape gives the stops a cam arrangement that can progressively cause the elastic deformation used for locking the assembly of elementary containers to each other. The result is ease of manipulation for the user and a limitation of stresses that can be applied to the revolution wall of the elementary containers.

Over all, the nesting elements associate at least one male nesting element and/or at least one female nesting element which are made indifferently in the base and in the neck. The nesting elements and the elementary container that comprise them are advantageously of a single molded piece, the nesting elements being advantageously integrated by molding into the elementary container either in a single molding operation or by over-molding. The molding operations are for example injection molding or blow molding operations. One advantage of forming the stops by over-molding is in the easy dissociation between the respective materials forming the elementary container and the stops that it comprises. Such dissociation makes it possible to adapt, from the choice of the appropriate material, the sturdiness of the revolution wall of the elementary containers and the malleability of the stops to promote snap-on ease while still providing said snap-on with enough resistance to obtain the locking of the assembly obtained between the elementary containers.

When a plurality of nesting elements and/or a plurality of ramps and stops integrated in one of these nesting elements are used, the respective male and female arrangement of the nesting elements, ramps and/or stops are to be considered individually. The female nesting element is preferably made in the base in order to form a recess for receiving the male nesting element that is made in the neck, although this distribution does not prejudge the male or female nature of the ramp or ramps and of the stop or stops respectively integrated into the nesting elements. More particularly, the male and female nesting elements can be respectively provided with one or more ramps and stops which are indifferently projecting or recessed not only from one to the other of the nesting elements, but also from one to the other for the same nesting element.

More specifically, at least one male nesting element is made to project on the neck and integrates into its section at least one ramp and at least one stop, while at least one female nesting element is formed from a recess that receives the projection made in the base, and includes in the periphery at least one additional ramp and at least one additional stop which cooperate respectively with the ramp and with the stop. The cooperating ramps are respectively arranged indifferently as female ramp for receiving the other male ramp. The cooperating stops are respectively arranged indifferently at female stop for receiving the other male stop. These male and female arrangements of ramps, as well as stops, are preferably combined for the same ramp or the same stop.

The nesting elements and the elementary container that comprises them are advantageously of a single piece and are formed by molding at the same time. The stops can be formed indifferently by molding at the same time with the nesting elements and/or can be added thereto by gluing, welding, over-molding or other similar joining technique. However, to improve production it is preferable to form the nesting elements, composed of the ramp and the stop, at the same time by molding with the container.

The cooperating stops are formed by additional snap-on reliefs that are made indifferently at the end of the ramps for a tangential connection of the elementary containers between each other with respect to their revolution conformation, and/or by snap-on reliefs made indifferently on the axial and/or peripheral faces of the nesting elements, and particularly ramps, for a radial connection of the elementary containers to each other.