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EP-3974334-B1 - FLIP-CLOSURE COSMETIC-PRODUCT PACKAGING AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURING THEREOF

EP3974334B1EP 3974334 B1EP3974334 B1EP 3974334B1EP-3974334-B1

Inventors

  • MCGRATH, PATRICIA

Dates

Publication Date
20260506
Application Date
20210923

Claims (14)

  1. A cosmetic-product packaging (100), wherein the cosmetic-product packaging (100) is manufactured to be an elongate packaging (102) with a plurality of planar side panels (104 to 110), a first end panel (112) and a second end panel (114); wherein the second end panel (114) is implemented as a lid (116) that is pivotally attached to at least a first planar side panel (104) of the plurality of planar side panels (104 to 110), wherein the lid (116) includes a distal hand-digit-slidable flap panel (116A) that is tuckable into a retaining slot (118) formed on at least a second planar side panel (108) of the plurality of planar side panels (104 to 110); wherein the elongate packaging (102) surrounds an internal region thereof for accommodating one or more cosmetic products that are user-accessible when the distal hand-digit-slidable flap panel (116A) is hand-digit-slid out of the retaining slot (118) to pivot the lid (116) into an open state, characterised in that the first planar side panel (104) is arranged to be reflective for use in application of the one or more cosmetic products, in that these panels are formed from a single sheet of material during manufacture, wherein outer surface of the single sheet of material has a wipe-clean surface coating, wherein the wipe-clean surface coating acts as a water-proof coating to allow for cleaning the outer surface by way of wet cleaning techniques, and in that the distal hand-digit-slidable flap panel (116A) of the lid (116) is provided on its exterior facing surface with a friction-enhancing surface finish that enhances hand-digit frictional grip onto the distal hand-digit-slidable flap panel, wherein the friction-enhancing surface is a sandpaper with friction-enhancing particles.
  2. The cosmetic-product packaging (100) of claim 1, wherein a distal end of the lid (116) is outwardly curved according to a first radius, and the retaining slot (118) is curved to a second radius, wherein the first and second radii are mutually identical, such that the distal end of the lid (116) overlays the retaining slot (118) in a curved manner when the distal end is hand-digit-slid to overlay the retaining slot (118).
  3. The cosmetic-product packaging (100) of claim 1, wherein the elongate packaging (102), in its internal region, includes an internal divider (404) for accommodating in a spatially separated manner the one or more cosmetic products, wherein the internal divider (404) is integral to the plurality of planar side panels (104 to 110), the first end panel (112) and the second end panel (114).
  4. The cosmetic-product packaging (100) of claim 3, wherein the single sheet of material is adhesively bonded in at least a portion of its surface area.
  5. The cosmetic-product packaging (100) of claim 3, wherein the elongate packaging (102) is fabricated from a liquid-absorbent material, and the internal divider (404) separates the one or more cosmetic products to reduce smearing or cross-contamination between the one or more cosmetic products when stored in the cosmetic-product packaging (100).
  6. The cosmetic-product packaging (100) of claim 3, wherein the internal divider (404) defines a plurality of elongate compartments (406, 408) for receiving the one or more cosmetic products.
  7. The cosmetic-product packaging (100) of claim 4, wherein the adhesive bonding is included along an elongate planar side panel of the plurality of planar panels (104 to 110) to provide rigidity to the cosmetic-product packaging (100), and a distal planar panel (404A) of the internal divider (404) is adhesively bonded to a same planar side panel (108) into which the retaining slot (118) is formed.
  8. The cosmetic-product packaging (100) of claim 7, wherein a portion of the internal divider (504) near the lid (116) is devoid of the distal planar panel (504A) that is adhesively bonded to the planar side panel (108) into which the retaining slot (118) is formed.
  9. The cosmetic-product packaging (100) of claim 1, wherein the second planar side panel (702) is arranged to have a compartment (704) thereon for holding one or more disposable wipes.
  10. The cosmetic-product packaging (100) of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of planar side panels (104 to 110) are fabricated from at least one flexible plastics material that transmits electromagnetic radiation in a wavelength range to which a human eye responds but attenuates radiation in an ultra violet (UV) electromagnetic wavelength range.
  11. The cosmetic-product packaging (100) of claim 1, wherein one of the plurality of planar side panels (104 to 110) is arranged to have an elastic strap (708) thereon configured to secure one or more objects therein.
  12. The cosmetic-product packaging (100) of claim 1, wherein the elongate packaging (102) has a length in a range of 10 cm to 18 cm when in a closed state, a first lateral width in a range of 2 cm to 6 cm, and a second lateral width in a range of 1 cm to 3 cm.
  13. A method (800) of manufacturing a cosmetic-product packaging (100), wherein the method includes: (i) manufacturing (802) the cosmetic-product packaging (100) to be an elongate packaging (102) with a plurality of planar side panels (104 to 110), a first end panel (112) and a second end panel (114); (ii) manufacturing (804) the second end panel (114) to be implemented as a lid (116) that is pivotally attached to at least a first planar side panel (104) of the plurality of planar side panels (104 to 110), wherein the lid (116) includes a distal hand-digit-slidable flap panel (116A) that is tuckable into a retaining slot (118) formed on at least a second planar (108) side panel of the plurality of planar side panels (104 to 110), wherein the distal hand digit-slidable flap panel (116A) of the lid (116) on its exterior-facing surface is provided with a friction-enhancing surface finish that enhances hand-digit frictional grip onto the distal hand-digit-slidable flap panel, wherein the friction-enhancing surface is a sandpaper with friction-enhancing particles; (iii) arranging (806) for the elongate packaging (102) to surround an internal region thereof for accommodating one or more cosmetic products that are user-accessible when the distal hand-digit-slidable flap panel (116A) is hand-digit-slid out of the retaining slot (118) to pivot the lid (116) into an open state; and (iv) arranging for the first planar side panel to be reflective for use in application of the one or more cosmetic products, and wherein the plurality of planar side panels (104 to 110), the first end panel (112) and the second end panel (114) are formed from a single sheet of material, wherein outer surface of the single sheet of material has a wipe-clean surface coating, wherein the wipe-clean surface coating acts as a water-proof coating to allow for cleaning the outer surface by way of wet cleaning techniques.
  14. The method of claim 13, wherein the method includes manufacturing a distal end of the lid to be outwardly curved according to a first radius, and the retaining slot (116) to be curved to a second radius, wherein the first and second radii are mutually identical, such that the distal end of the lid (116) overlays the retaining slot (118) in a curved manner when the distal end is hand-digit-slid to overlay the retaining slot (118).

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present disclosure relates generally to cosmetic-product packaging; and more specifically, to flip-closure cosmetic-product packaging. Furthermore, the present disclosure also relates to a method of (namely, method for) manufacturing aforesaid cosmetic-product packaging. BACKGROUND Cosmetic products for human beautification purposes are well known and have been used by humans for thousands of years. Such cosmetic products have more recently been provided to customers in various types of packaging (for example, such as paper packaging, plastics-material packaging, fabric packaging and the like) for providing cosmetic product protection en route from cosmetic products manufactures to eventual customers. However, many customers, namely users, discard the cosmetic-product packaging after purchasing the cosmetic products. Furthermore, such packaging for cosmetic-products either is not transparent and thus results in reduced visibility of the products, or when transparent, exposes the cosmetic products to harmful ultraviolet radiation that may damage them. More recently, there has been a growing concern about adapting human society to a more sustainable utilization of resources, such as more sustainable use of energy and materials, with an emphasis on reducing waste, and in particular, plastics-material waste that can result in plastics-material nanoparticles in rivers and oceans. Therefore, recycling and re-use are important issues for such sustainable utilization of resources used in manufacturing of the cosmetic-product packaging. It will be appreciated that if a packaging of a given cosmetic product is designed to have a use beyond transportation purposes from manufacturer to customer, the user is less likely to discard the packaging. In particular, if the packaging of a cosmetic product can be useful to the user for make-up related purposes, the packaging will not contribute to waste because it will be retained by the user. However, manufacturing a multi-purpose packaging can lead to significantly inflated manufacturing costs and thus is often not adopted by manufacturers. Therefore, there arises a need for a cosmetic-product packaging that not only provides protection for a given cosmetic product when transported from a given manufacturer to a given customer, but aesthetically appeals and is useful to the given customer, for example for adapting to other practical uses, such that the given customer retains and cherishes the cosmetic-product packaging for long-term use, rather than merely discarding the cosmetic-product packaging at an earliest opportunity. Various packages are known from US 624 583 A, US 2007/062956 A1 and US 2 682 988 A. SUMMARY The present disclosure seeks to provide an improved cosmetic-product packaging. The present disclosure also seeks to provide an improved method of (namely, method for) manufacturing a cosmetic-product packaging. Moreover, the present disclosure seeks to provide at least a partial solution to an existing technical problem of wastage and improper waste management of packaging of cosmetic products. An aim of the present disclosure is to provide a solution that at least partially overcomes the aforesaid problems encountered in known art. In one aspect, the present disclosure provides a cosmetic-product packaging according to claim 1. Embodiments of the present disclosure substantially eliminate, or at least partially address, the aforementioned problems in the prior art and allow for a substantial reduction in wastage of resources used in manufacturing the cosmetic-product packaging. Specifically, the cosmetic-product packaging provides a use to the user of the cosmetic-product by acting as a mirror for application of the cosmetic product, thereby encouraging the user does not discard the packaging. Furthermore, as one of the planar side panels is manufactured to be reflective instead of incorporating a mirror into the packaging, the packaging is economical and is also not bulky. Additionally, the present disclosure provides an improved cosmetic-product packaging that is more appealing, durable and useful to users, such that the users retain the cosmetic-product packaging for various purposes, for example, such as storage, transportation and protection of the one or more cosmetic products. Yet additionally, the present disclosure provides an improved cosmetic-product packaging that is easier for handicapped user to employ, when their hand dexterity is at least partially impaired. Optionally, a distal end of the lid is outwardly curved according to a first radius, and the retaining slot is curved to a second radius, wherein the first and second radii are mutually identical, such that the distal end of the lid overlays the retaining slot in a curved manner when the distal end is hand-digit-slid to overlay the retaining slot. Optionally, the elongate packaging is fabricated from at least one of: a paper material, a cardboard material. Optionally, the e