Patent Application
20240041183
The present invention relates to a cosmetic container and, more particularly, to an environmentally friendly cosmetic container.
A conventional container for a lipstick includes a cap and a handle assembly. The handle assembly includes a handle, a cylinder, and a guiding module. The cylinder includes a first section formed with a rectilinear slot and a second section fitted in the handle. The guiding module includes a sleeve and a lining. The lining includes a helical slot. The lining is inserted in the sleeve. The second section of the cylinder is inserted in the sleeve so that they are rotatable relative to each other. A section of the rectilinear slot is in communication with a section of the helical slot of the lining. A lower section of a lipstick is inserted in a cup that includes a boss extending from an external face. The cup is inserted in the second section of the cylinder. The boss is movably inserted in the helical slot and the rectilinear slot. Thus, the cup is translatable along but not rotatable relative to the cylinder. Moreover, the cup is translated relative to the lining when the cup and the cylinder are rotated relative to the lining. Accordingly, an upper section of the lipstick is extended from or into the guiding module. The cooperation of the guiding module with the cup enables extension of the lipstick into or from the cylinder. The lining is made of a plastic material such as polyethylene terephthalate (“PET” or “PETE”) for easy making of the helical slot, and the sleeve is made of metal for adequate strength. Adhesive is provided between the sleeve and the lining to keep the lining in the sleeve. However, the use of the adhesive renders it extremely difficult, if not impossible, to detach the sleeve from the lining. Hence, it is it extremely difficult if not impossible to recycle the sleeve and the lining separately. This is bad for the protection of the environment.
Therefore, the present invention is intended to obviate or at least alleviate the problems encountered in the prior art.
It is the primary objective of the present invention to provide an environmentally friendly cosmetic container that includes a sleeve made of a first material and a lining made of a second material.
To achieve the foregoing objective, the sleeve includes a cutout at an edge, an aperture, and a miniature bar between the aperture and the cutout. The lining includes a stopping block, a guiding block, and a gap between the stopping block and the guiding block. The width of the gap is larger than the width of the miniature bar. The stopping block is inserted in the cutout, the guiding block is inserted in the aperture, and the miniature bar is inserted in the gap when the lining is inserted in the sleeve.
Other objectives, advantages and features of the present invention will be apparent from the following description referring to the attached drawings.
The present invention will be described via detailed illustration of the preferred embodiment referring to the drawings wherein:
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A lower section of a lipstick 16 is inserted in a cup 50 that includes a boss (not shown) extending from an external face. The cup 50 is inserted in the section 34 of the cylinder 30. The boss of the cup 50 is movably inserted in the helical slot 44 and the rectilinear slot 36. Thus, the cup 50 is translatable along but not rotatable relative to the cylinder 30. Moreover, the cup 50 is translated relative to the lining 42 when the cup 50 and the cylinder 30 are rotated relative to the lining 42. Accordingly, an upper section of the lipstick 16 is extended from or into the guiding module 40. The cooperation of the guiding module 40 with the cup 50 enables extension of the lipstick 16 into or from the cylinder 30. The cap 12 is operable to cover the sleeve 41 and hence the lipstick 16.
It should be noted that the lining 42 is made of a material such as plastics for easy making of the helical slot 44, and the sleeve 41 is made of another material such as metal for adequate strength. An external diameter of the lining 42 is properly smaller than an internal diameter of the sleeve 41 to render it easy to detach the lining 42 from the sleeve 41 so that they can be recycled separately. This is good for the protection of the environment. Yet, there is a need for a mechanism to keep the lining 42 in the sleeve 41 when the cosmetic container 10 is in use. The mechanism will be described latter.
The sleeve 41 includes an inward flange 46 extending around an opening (not numbered) in an upper end and an opening 47 in a lower end. An internal diameter of the inward flange 46 is smaller than the diameter of the opening 47.
The sleeve 41 includes a cutout 64 in a lower edge and an aperture 66 in a lower section. The cutout 64 is located properly below the aperture 66. The aperture 66 is separated from the cutout 64 by a miniature bar 65.
The lining 42 is formed with a shoulder 48 adjacent to an upper end, a stopping block 60 at a lower end, and a guiding block 62 adjacent to the lower end. The stopping block 60 is located below the guiding block 62. The stopping block 60 is separated from the guiding block 62 by a gap 61. The width (or “breadth”) of gap 61 is larger than the width (or “breadth”) of the miniature bar 65. The guiding block 62 is formed with a slope 63 at an upper (or “leading”) end.
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The stopping block 60 abuts against the miniature bar 65 to prevent the sleeve 41 from downward movement relative to the lining 42. The guiding block 62 abuts against the miniature bar 65 to prevent the sleeve 41 from upward movement relative to the lining 42. The stopping block 60 abuts against two edges of the cutout 64 and the guiding block 62 abuts against two edges of the aperture 66 to prevent the sleeve 41 from rotation relative to the lining 42. The inward flange 46 is located against the shoulder 48.
In another embodiment, the sleeve 41 is not formed with the aperture 66 and the miniature bar 65. Accordingly, the lining 42 is not formed with the guiding block 62. The sleeve 41 only includes the cutout 64 to receive the stopping block 60 of the lining 42 to prevent rotation of the sleeve 41 relative to the lining 42.
In another embodiment, the sleeve 41 is not formed with the cutout 64, and the lining 42 is not formed with the stopping block 60 accordingly. That is, the sleeve 41 includes only the aperture 66 and the guiding block 62, and the lining 42 includes only the guiding block 62.
The present invention has been described via the illustration of the preferred embodiment. Those skilled in the art can derive variations from the preferred embodiment without departing from the scope of the present invention. Therefore, the preferred embodiment shall not limit the scope of the present invention defined in the claims.
