Doubling up

On the closures front, French supplier Isola has patented an original concept: a serving carafe that lights up from the inside so it can be used as a table lantern. The stopper, traditionally made of cork and wood, is fitted with a hermetically sealed borosilicate glass tube containing LEDs. The light can be controlled from the outside thanks to a mechanism passing through the stopper that is activated by pressing a flexible cork membrane on the top. The tube can be dismantled to recharge the battery via USB cable. Called Solentra, the decanter is sold empty, allowing it to bypass fill level standards. The same capsule system will eventually be available for full bottles. In that case, the tube will be used to package complementary ingredients, such as spices for an infused rum, fruit syrup for a vodka, and other offers in keeping with the trend for home mixology.

Gestures made easy

HCP Packaging was working on an inclusive, on-the-go product when it developed the all-plastic Twist Tottle. A fun little container (30 ml) for fluid cosmetic formulas, it features an integrated closure system with a pencil-like head enabling “guided” dispensing through an orifice equipped with a reducer. The container can be opened and closed with a single hand, by pushing on a small tab created via injection molding. This differs from the gesture used with screw caps and eliminates the risk of losing the closure. Designed to help users with fine motor difficulties, this packaging can come with a safety click to indicate that it has been properly closed or opened.

Adding tech to the mix

Nuon Medical has brought technical sophistication to application through closure mechanisms. This company specializes in tools meant to enhance the effectiveness of cosmetic treatments using a variety of technologies: blue light with an antibacterial effect, red light to stimulate collagen production, a vibrating massaging element, thermal processes to heat or cool the skin, electric microcurrents, devices for using pulsed electromagnetic fields, and so on. These are associated with specific packaging. For example, the cap on a jar of cosmetic cream offers light therapy, heating and massage functions. When titled, it reveals an integrated applicator. The whole unit is screwed to the jar via a ring, ensuring both aesthetic appeal and secure closure. The applicator cap can be reused on other jars to meet criteria for recyclability. The battery can be recharged wirelessly.

Ensuring inviolability

Closures can also be fitted with a tamper-evident function. In keeping with the luxury codes for its 1999 Single Cru cognac, Martell sheathed the crystal stopper of a crystal decanter (Waltersperger) in a textile cord sealed with wax. The project was entrusted to Seram (Neyret). The team at the supplier’s Madagascar workshop first hand-tied the four heaving knots and numerous other stopper knots with the aim of creating a symmetrical and identical visual result on all the bottles. One of the challenges was to find a way to pour the seal wax without it dripping down the bottle, and without having to pull on the cord at the same time, which would have required the work of two people in Martell’s bottling unit. To facilitate this operation, Seram designed a small zamak receptacle which holds the cords in place before they are filled with wax.

On a final note, solutions can also be disarmingly simple. For example, the T-Scent room fragrance dispenser from Supercap (Crealis) features a cap made entirely of wood, allowing the fragrance to diffuse naturally in the air. Perhaps not a function, but an added benefit.

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Source: Formes de Luxe – Closures & Stoppers Go Beyond Primary Functions‍

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