BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The following drawings form part of the present specification and are included to further demonstrate certain aspects of the invention. The invention may be better understood by reference to one or more of these drawings in combination with the detailed description of example embodiments presented here. The drawings are not to scale, and certain distances or spacings may be exaggerated to provide clarity. The drawings are examples only. They do not limit the claims.
FIG. 1 is a top view of a container in an open position, in accordance with embodiments of this disclosure.
FIG. 2 is a side view of a container in an open position, in accordance with embodiments of this disclosure.
FIG. 3 is a section side view of a container in an open position, in accordance with embodiments of this disclosure.
FIG. 3A is a section side view of an alternative embodiment of a container in an open position, in accordance with embodiments of this disclosure.
FIG. 4 is a section front view of a container in an open position, in accordance with embodiments of this disclosure.
FIG. 5 is a partial front section view, in accordance with embodiments of this disclosure.
FIG. 6 is a top view of a release lever, in accordance with embodiments of this disclosure.
FIG. 7 is a front view of a release lever, in accordance with embodiments of this disclosure.
FIG. 8 is a side view of a release lever, in accordance with embodiments of this disclosure.
FIG. 9 is a top view of an insert, in accordance with embodiments of this disclosure.
FIG. 10 is a side view of an insert, in accordance with embodiments of this disclosure.
FIG. 11 is a top view of a magnet, in accordance with embodiments of this disclosure.
FIG. 12 is a top view of a container in a closed position, in accordance with embodiments of this disclosure.
FIG. 13 is a side view of a container in a closed position, in accordance with embodiments of this disclosure.
FIG. 14 is a section side view of a container in a closed position, in accordance with embodiments of this disclosure
DESCRIPTION OF ILLUSTRATIVE EMBODIMENTS
Embodiments of this disclosure provide a method and apparatus for containing cosmetic products.
Referring initially to FIGS. 1-4, a cosmetic container 100 comprises a base assembly 101 and a cover member 102. Cover member 102 is shown in an open position in FIGS. 1-3 and is pivotally engaged with base assembly 101 via a hinge 104. FIG. 3 is a side section view taken along section line 3-3 in FIG. 1 and FIG. 4 is a front section view taken along section line 4-4 in FIG. 1. In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1-3 and 4, base assembly 101 comprises an insert 103 engaged with a base member 106 via a snap or friction fit (or other suitable retention methods known by one skilled in the art). In an alternative embodiment shown in FIG. 3A, a base assembly 157 comprises a unitary piece that instead of a separate insert and base member. In the embodiment of FIG. 3A, base assembly 157 is equivalent to the combination of insert 103 and base member 106, with the exception that base assembly 157 is a unitary piece rather than separate components. It will be understood by one skilled in the art that each of the features of insert 103 and/or base member 106 described below may also be integral to base assembly 157 in the embodiment of FIG. 3A.
In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1-4, cover member 102 comprises an aperture 105, a mirror 130 and a magnetic latch 129. Referring additionally to FIGS. 9 and 10, insert 103 comprises a magnetic latch 128, a depression 108, a pair of indentations 109, 110 and a divider 111 between indentations 109, 110. As best shown in FIGS. 1 and 4, a magnet 112 is retained in indentation 109 and a cosmetic or makeup pan or receptacle 113 is attracted to magnet 112 via a magnetic force. In the embodiment shown, a magnet 114 is also retained in indentation 110 and is attracted to a cosmetic or makeup instrument 115 via a magnetic force. In certain embodiments, makeup instrument 115 is a brush or other instrument for applying makeup. In the embodiment shown, makeup receptacle 113 and makeup instrument 115 are comprised of a ferromagnetic material, therefore allowing magnets 112, 114 to retain makeup receptacle 113 and makeup instrument 115. In other embodiments, makeup receptacle 113 and makeup instrument 115 may comprise magnetic material and indentations 109, 110 may comprise ferromagnetic material. In still other embodiments, makeup receptacle 113, makeup instrument 115, and indentations 109, 110 may all comprise magnetic material. Magnet 112 and receptacle 113 can be configured so that the magnetic force attracting the components is suitable to retain receptacle 113, yet allow receptacle 113 to be easily separated via a release lever 116 when the user so desires. A potential advantage of utilizing a magnetic force to retain receptacle 113, as opposed to a friction or snap fit, is that the retaining force should remain consistent even after receptacle 113 has been installed and removed numerous times. In addition, components retained with magnetic force should not require the close dimensional tolerances normally required of components retained by friction or snap fits. Magnets 112, 114 may be retained in indentations 109, 110, respectively, via adhesive, friction fit, or other suitable means known by one skilled in the art.
As shown in the embodiment of FIGS. 1 and 4, release lever 116 is engaged with insert 103. A detailed view of release lever 116 in operation is shown in FIG. 5, and orthographic views of release lever 116 are shown in FIGS. 6-8. In the embodiment shown, release lever 116 comprises an engagement member 117, a release member 118 extending at an angle away from engagement member 117, and a pair of pins 119 that engage insert 103. Referring now to the embodiment shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, insert 103 comprises a slot 125 configured to receive release lever 116. Insert 103 further comprises a pair of channels 126 configured to receive pins 119 of release lever 116 in the embodiment shown.
As shown in FIG. 5, release lever 116 can be slightly rotated about pins 119 so that release member 118 separates makeup receptacle 113 from magnet 112. In the embodiment shown, a user can apply a manual force to engagement member 117 in a direction towards base assembly 107. In the position shown in FIG. 5, a manual force applied in a direction down and to the left will cause release lever 116 to rotate counter-clockwise so that release member 118 lifts up makeup receptacle 113 and separates it from magnet 112 and base assembly 107. In this manner, a user can easily remove makeup receptacle 113 without having to pry or force it away from base assembly 107.
Release lever 116 is configured to allow a user to press down on engagement member 117 rather than pull up directly on makeup receptacle 113 when the user desires to remove makeup receptacle 113. As shown in FIGS. 6 and 8, engagement member 117 is curved to provide a comfortable surface for a user to place his or her finger when utilizing release lever 116. By pressing in a direction towards base assembly 117, rather than prying up directly on makeup receptacle 113, a user should be less likely to break a fingernail. Use of release lever 116 should also require less manual dexterity than prying directly on makeup receptacle 113 with a fingernail. The dimensions of release lever 116 can be configured so that a desired amount of manual force applied by the user is needed to overcome the magnetic force attracting receptacle 113 to magnet 112. As explained above, the use of a magnetic force to retain receptacle 113 provides.
In the embodiment shown in FIG. 11, magnet 112 comprises a notch 177 that receives release member 118. As shown in the front section view of FIG. 4, this configuration allows both release member 118 and magnet 112 to lay flat on insert 103. The configuration shown in FIG. 4 therefore has a reduced cross-sectional thickness as compared to a configuration where release member 118 is placed between magnet 112 and makeup receptacle 113.
Referring now to FIGS. 12-14, base assembly 117 also comprises a depression 108 that aligns with aperture 105 when cover member 102 is in the closed position. In the embodiment shown, depression 108 is curved to receive a cosmetic product such as a lipstick tube 127. In a preferred method, cosmetic container 100 is placed in the open position so that cover member 102 is in the general position shown in FIGS. 1-4. Lipstick tube 127 can then be placed in depression 108 and cover member 102 rotated so that it is placed in the closed position shown in FIGS. 12-14. Aperture 105 is configured so that lipstick tube 127 can partially protrude through aperture 105. Aperture 105 has a width 138 that is less than a diameter 139 of lipstick tube 127 so that lipstick tube 127 cannot pass through aperture 105. Aperture 105 allows a user to see lipstick tube 127 (or another cosmetic product configured to be retained by aperture 105) while lipstick tube 127 is still retained in cosmetic container 100. In this manner, it may be possible for a user to determine if lipstick tube 127 is retained in cosmetic container 100 without opening cover member 102. In addition, a user may be able to determine product information, such as color, about lipstick tube 127 via aperture 105 without opening cover member 102.
As shown in FIG. 14, when cover member 102 is in the closed position, magnetic latch 129 engages magnetic latch 128 to retain cover member 102 in the closed position. It is understood by one skilled in the art that magnetic latches 128 and 129 comprise a combination of ferromagnetic and/or magnetic material so that magnetic latches 128 and 129 are attracted by magnetic force. A user may open cover member 102 by overcoming the magnetic force attracting magnetic latches 128 and 129 together. However, magnetic latches 128, 129 are configured to prevent cover member 102 from inadvertently opening up.
In a preferred embodiment shown in FIGS. 1-3 and 12-14, depression 108 and aperture 105 are proximal to and substantially parallel to hinge 104. In this configuration, depression 108 is distal to magnetic latches 128, 129 which may be preferable in the event that a cosmetic product such as lipstick tube 127 comprises ferromagnetic or magnetic material. Such a configuration reduces the likelihood that lipstick tube 127 (or any cosmetic product retained in depression 108) will be inadvertently withdrawn from depression 108 by a magnetic attraction to magnetic latch 129 while opening cover member. In addition, by placing aperture 105 proximal to and substantially parallel to hinge 104, mirror 130 may be configured to extend substantially across the width of cover member 102. Maximizing the width of mirror 130 should be beneficial to a user by allowing the user to see a larger area when applying cosmetic products.
The above text describes preferred embodiments of the invention. It should be appreciated by those of skill in the art that many changes can be made in the specific embodiments which are disclosed and still obtain a like or similar result without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. For example, other embodiments may comprise more than one makeup receptacle. In still other embodiments, the release lever may be located in a different location such that the release lever is offset to one side of the indentation that retains the makeup receptacle or receptacles.
Patent Application
20080078419
