Special receptacle or package – For mixing – Means to manipulate without rupture
Reexamination Certificate
1998-08-31
2001-02-06
Bui, Luan K. (Department: 3728)
Special receptacle or package
For mixing
Means to manipulate without rupture
C206S568000, C215S330000, C215SDIG008
Reexamination Certificate
active
06182822
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an assembly of two elements mounted one on the other nonremovably (under normal conditions of use) and free to rotate one with respect to the other. The invention is most specifically aimed at arrangements of two or more elements which, especially because of their low strength in terms of axial compression, could not be fitted together by conventional snap-fitting. This is the case, in particular, when the body of one or the other of the elements consists of a bellows. The invention is particularly adapted to the production of a mixer of the kind used in the field of hair dyeing, although other applications may be envisaged.
This application claims priority of French Patent Application No. 9710819 which is hereby incorporated by reference.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
The irreversible stoppering of containers, containing, for example, samples for medical use, is known. By way of example, mention may be made of U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,736,859, 4,799,597 or 4,934,547, which describe the nonremovable, except by destruction, attachment of a lid of a beaker used for collecting urine.
Elsewhere, in particular, in the field of packaging, it is frequent, when a first part is to be fitted onto a second so that it is free to rotate, for the parts to be fitted together by the so-called snap-fitting technique. This technique consists in providing a snap-fitting bead on the outer wall of one of the parts, the bead being capable of having one or more snap-fitting lips or rings formed on the inner wall of the other part which pass over them. For this technique, axial pressure is exerted on the part that has the lips, which pressure, by elastic deformation of the part that has the lips, causes the lips to pass over the bead.
This technique, although satisfactory for a great many applications, proves entirely unsuitable when one and/or the other of the parts to be assembled is too flexible in terms of compression. This happens because assembly by conventional snap-fitting could lead to irreversible deformation of one and/or the other of the parts due to the axial thrust it requires.
A closure system of the snap-fitting type is also described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,460,100. This document describes a closure device in which the stopper comprises a snap-fitting lip and a snap-fitting bead, which consist of a continuous rib from which there originates a number of ramps oriented respectively so as to come into mutual engagement as the stopper is rotated with respect to the container. One of the problems associated with a design of this kind stems from the fact that, because of the presence of the continuous rib, the ramps of the stopper cease being in engagement with the ramps of the container when the rib of one is positioned over the rib of the other, which in certain cases may require axial pressure to be exerted on the stopper in order to finish the passage of the snap-fitting lip over the snap-fitting bead.
In WO 96/28321, the snap-fitting lip and the snap-fitting bead are produced in the form of one or more helical screw threads extending over the entire periphery of the neck of the bottle, forming an angle with respect to the plane perpendicular to the axis of rotation. The snap-fitting lip can pass over the snap-fitting bead, essentially, only by screwing. This occurs because such screw threads define on the periphery two or more superposed ribs, which can be passed over only by following the thread. Put another way, almost all of the snap-fitting lip passes over the snap-fitting bead in rotation, following the screw thread from its entry to its exit. It is not possible to pass over a significant part of the snap-fitting bead by an axial movement. Such a design entails a substantial angle of rotation in order to achieve such an assembly.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Thus, an object of the present invention is to provide an assembly of two elements which are mounted so that they can rotate freely one on the other, nonremovably, while requiring appreciably no axial pressure of one on the other in order to fit the elements together.
A particular object of the invention is to allow the snap-fitting lip to pass swiftly and axially over the snap-fitting bead in response only to a small angular rotation of the first element with respect to the second.
Another object of the invention is to provide an assembly that constitutes a device for the extemporaneous mixing of two products.
A further object of the invention is to provide an assembly that is economical, simple to produce and to fit together, and reliable.
Other objects will become apparent in the detailed description which follows.
According to the invention, these objects are achieved by producing an assembly comprising: a first element, one portion of which is provided with a snap-fitting bead; and a second element comprising a snap-fitting lip, capable of passing over the snap-fitting bead so as to allow the second element to be mounted on the first element so that it can rotate freely. According to the invention, the snap-fitting bead and the snap-fitting lip extend respectively in a plane perpendicular to an axis of symmetry of the invention or axis X and each have at least one opening delimited by a first end forming a ramp portion and a second end extending in the plane perpendicular to the axis X, at least one ramp portion of the snap-fitting bead being capable, when the assembly is fitted together, in response to a rotation of the first element with respect to the second element about the axis, of engaging via its respective opening with an associated ramp portion of the snap-fitting lip and of allowing the snap-fitting lip to pass over the snap-fitting bead.
According to the invention, the snap-fitting lip passes over the snap-fitting bead outside of the openings in the bead, by making the straight portions (that is to say the portions oriented in the plane perpendicular to the axis X) of the snap-fitting lip pass “axially” over the corresponding straight portions of the snap-fitting bead in response to the axial tension generated by the engagement of the ramps of the first element with the ramps of the second element via their respective openings.
Advantageously, there is appreciably no angular overlap between the at least one ramp portion and the snap-fitting lip or snap-fitting bead respectively. The snap-fitting lip is, thus, able to pass over the snap-fitting bead in a movement that has an essentially axial component, while keeping the ramp portions in mutual engagement throughout this passage or movement. Advantageously, the openings are oriented along an axis which is not appreciably parallel to the planes respectively containing the snap-fitting lip and the snap-fitting bead, the axis being parallel to a mean axis of the ramp. The angle of rotation necessary for the snap-fitting lip to pass over the snap-fitting bead is thus considerably reduced. Typically, the mean angle formed by the axis of the opening with respect to the plane perpendicular to the axis X is of the order of 20° to 50°, and preferably of the order of 45°.
An arrangement of this kind makes it possible, when fitting the assembly together, for the lip to pass over the snap-fitting bead, essentially by relative rotation of the first element with respect to the second element. The means are inoperative once the assembly has been fitted together, because the portions of the lip and of the bead, which are perpendicular to the axis of rotation, prevent any passage of the lip over the snap-fitting bead in the opposite direction (under normal conditions of use); once the lip has passed over the snap-fitting bead, the ramp portions are oriented away from each other. Producing the snap-fitting lip and the bead in a discontinuous shape makes it possible to keep the ramp portions of the snap-fitting lip in mutual engagement through the event of the lip passing over the snap-fitting bead. Thus, a mere rotation of one of the elements with respect to the other is enough to allow the assembly to be
Bui Luan K.
L'Oreal
Oblon & Spivak, McClelland, Maier & Neustadt P.C.
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