Patent Application
20100307521
1. Field of the Invention
Embodiments of the present invention generally relate to an ergonomic container for consumer products. More particularly the invention relates to an ergonomic container that provides a product and an applicator therefor in a compact and portable manner. The container of the present invention provides product and an applicator in a single package to facilitate carrying and ready use and at the same time giving the user an ergonomically placed applicator which gives the user an indication of its presence and/or absence.
2. Description of the Related Art
The cosmetic industry generally uses cosmetic cases to store cosmetic compositions. Conventional packages are in the form of jars and compacts of varying sizes, or in the form of dispenser pens.
Typically, a cosmetic container comprises a base member for holding a given quantity of products and a cover. The cover may be connected with the base by way of respective mating threads, i.e. in the manner of a jar and lid, or pivotally attached to one another at one cooperating edge thereof, i.e., in the manner of a clam, snap-fit or by way of hinge. Further, in some containers there is also provided an applicator, however, the applicator is mostly in contact with the bulk product. Alternatively, there may be provided a separate compartment for storage of an applicator which is generally present below the receptacle in containers such as compacts or jars.
In case of cosmetic jars, the provision of an applicator results in a bulkier package as the applicator in jars is provided in a separate compartment present in the top of the container. This type of jar results in hindered portability of the container as it becomes bulkier for storage in a woman's purse or like carrying means. Moreover, such an arrangement of an applicator is generally present when the cosmetic preparation is in powder form, however, when the cosmetic preparation is of a creamy nature, as is the case with eyebrow liner, rouge and the like, the necessary applicator brush or like means is generally carried in a separate container, thus adding to the space required in a woman's purse.
In conventional cosmetic compacts the applicator is typically stored touching the bulk product which results in easier contamination of the product and therefore, is undesirable by the user. There are also present cosmetic compacts in which a separate compartment is present in the form of a pull-out drawer or a slidable tray below the receptacle. There are also present containers in which the compartment containing the applicator is present below the receptacle and engaged by way of hinge. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,709,232 to Sheffler et al., discloses a cosmetic jar and applicator storage device having a body providing a pair of back-to-back shallow recesses retaining a cosmetic substance and an applicator respectively, wherein the cover means storing the applicator is attached to the body by way of a hinge. Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 6,378,533 to Roman discloses a cosmetic storage device having a pivotable pull-out applicator storage device.
However, all the above packages are cumbersome to use. As the actual number of separate individual pieces increases in such containers which in turn increases the number of steps for application by the user. The user has to first open the container, then open the compartment containing the applicator and then apply the product, and during application the user has to take care of all the pieces of the container. Similarly, closing the container is also a cumbersome task for a user. Moreover, the applicator in such compartments is so placed that the user has to use her nails for pulling out the applicator which may result in breaking of nails while taking out the applicator.
Moreover, these devices are not intuitive for the consumer to know whether the applicator has been returned to its compartment and may result in the applicator being lost by the user. Further, the presence of a separate tray or a compartment in the container disturbs the aesthetics of the overall products.
Therefore there is a need for a package that provides an applicator in a manner that the overall aesthetics of the product remain unchanged and at the same time the applicator is easily accessible to the user. There is also a need for a container with an applicator placed in an ergonomic and user-friendly manner. Ease of manipulation and use of the applicator is also important to thereby reduce the possibility of it being inadvertently dropped or misplaced by the user.
It is also desirable that the applicator is kept in isolation when not in use so as to minimize inadvertent contamination as a special care is required in certain products such as while applying cosmetic material to the face, especially to sensitive skin and areas around the eyes.
In today's fast world, consumers look for easy-to-use packages. Therefore, easy access, manipulation and use of the applicator is important and hence, the need of a container with storage space in which the applicator is placed in an ergonomic manner without disturbing the overall aesthetics of the package.
The present invention generally is an ergonomic container with an applicator. The container provides the product and an applicator therefor in a single package to facilitate carrying and ready use and at the same time giving the user an ergonomically placed applicator having easy access. Further, the ergonomic container also gives visual indication of the presence or absence of the applicator.
The ergonomic container of the present invention may be used for storage of consumer products wherein the term consumer products is intended to include cosmetic, cosmeceutical and care products. A few examples include but are not limited to lip colour, concealer, primer, tint product, cream product, mousse or gel product, powder compositions in the form of a pressed powder, a cake, hot pour pasty product, for example face powder, eye shadow, rouge, foundation, blush, cake mascara, and the like or skin care and regimen product. The container of the present invention may also be used for storing paint products.
According to an embodiment of the invention there is provided an ergonomic container with an applicator which provides easy one-hand access of the applicator. Further, the container of the present invention helps in reminding/visually indicating to the user to replace the applicator in its place after usage.
According to an embodiment of the invention there is provided an ergonomic container that is simple in structure and at the same time convenient to use, retaining essentially the desirable aesthetics of the conventional container.
According to yet another embodiment of the invention, the ergonomic container comprises a cover, a receptacle and at least one applicator. The cover of the container comprises a body having at least one side wall, a top wall and at least one housing for receiving the at least one applicator. The housing in the cover is formed by the presence of a cavity extending through the at least one side wall, said housing having an aperture. Further, the applicator gripping portion is visible in the cavity when the applicator is disposed through the aperture. The receptacle of the container comprises of a body wherein the body has at least one sidewall and a base for holding the product, said base having at least one recess for holding/storing the product. Further, the at least one applicator comprises a gripping portion and an applicator portion. Further, the presence of the applicator in the cover completes the form of the cover thereby maintaining the aesthetics of the container and giving the user a cue to put back the applicator after using it. The receptacle and cover may be connected by a complimentary thread arrangement, or by a hinge, a pin, a snap, a hook or any other suitable means to open and close the container. The interior or exterior surface of the cover of the container may comprise a mirror.
According to yet another embodiment of the invention the at least one housing in the cover of the ergonomic container may be parallel to the longitudinal axis of the cover such that the presence of the applicator in the housing completes the form of the cover. Alternatively, the at least one housing in the cover of the ergonomic container may be parallel to the transverse axis of the cover such that the presence of the applicator in the housing completes the form of the cover. Alternatively, the at least one housing in the cover of the ergonomic container may be disposed at an inclined angle in the cover such that the presence of the applicator in the housing completes the form of the cover.
According to yet another embodiment of the invention the gripping portion of the applicator further comprises a plurality of gripping formations. The gripping formations can have any suitable dimensions, and form any suitable pattern. The gripping formations provide for better grip and ergonomy in handling in the applicator. The applicator may further be telescopic. Further, the applicator may be fitted in the housing by way of a locking means wherein the locking means may be a snap, a magnet or a button or any other suitable means.
According to yet another embodiment of the present invention a locking means may be provided in the cover and base of the receptacle to prevent opening of container when not in use. The locking means may comprise of a fastener piece on the cover that engages a fastener unit on the base for securing the cover to the receptacle. Further, any suitable locking means such as a complimentary threaded arrangement, a snap, a magnet or a button may be provided to secure the container.
According to yet another embodiment of the invention the applicator is stored in the housing and is slid out of the housing for usage. During use, the user takes out the at least one applicator through the aperture in the cover by help of gripping formations formed on the applicator, then he/she opens the cover of the container to access the product. Post usage, the user closes the container and is reminded to replace the applicator through the exposed aperture in the at least one housing so as to complete the form of the container.
According to yet another embodiment of the invention the ergonomic container may be a kit with the base of the receptacle having a plurality of recesses for retaining products. Accordingly, the cover of the container has a plurality of housings for retaining the applicators therefor in a single package.
According to yet another embodiment of the invention the ergonomic container comprises a cover, a receptacle and at least one applicator. The cover comprises a body having at least one side wall and a top wall. The receptacle comprises a body, wherein the body has at least one sidewall and a base, said base having at least one recess for holding/storing the product and at least one housing, wherein the housing is formed by the presence of a cavity extending through the at least one side wall, said housing having an aperture. Further, the applicator comprises a gripping portion and an applicator portion, wherein the at least one applicator is retained in the at least one housing present in the receptacle of the container and wherein the aperture in the housing is disposed so as to make the applicator gripping portion visible in the cavity.
According to yet another embodiment of the invention the at least one housing in the receptacle may be parallel to the longitudinal axis of the receptacle such that the presence of the applicator in the housing completes the form of the receptacle. Alternatively, the at least one housing in the receptacle may be parallel to the transverse axis of the receptacle such that the presence of the applicator in the housing completes the form of the receptacle. Alternatively, the at least one housing in the receptacle may be disposed at an inclined angle in the receptacle such that the presence of the applicator in the housing completes the form of the receptacle.
According to yet another embodiment of the invention the gripping portion of the applicator further comprises a plurality of gripping formations. The gripping formations can have any suitable dimensions, and form any suitable pattern. The gripping formations provide for better grip and ergonomy in handling in the applicator. The applicator may further be telescopic. Further, the applicator may be fitted in the housing by way of a locking means wherein the locking means may be a snap, a magnet or a button or any other suitable means.
According to yet another embodiment of the present invention a locking means may be provided in the cover and base of the receptacle to prevent opening of container when not in use. The locking means may comprise of a fastener piece on the cover that engages a fastener unit on the base for securing the cover to the receptacle. Further, any suitable locking means such as a complimentary threaded arrangement, a snap, a magnet or a button may be provided to secure the container.
According to yet another embodiment of the invention the applicator is stored in the housing in the receptacle and is slid out of the housing for usage. During use, the user takes out the at least one applicator through the aperture in the receptacle by help of gripping formations formed on the applicator, then he/she opens the cover of the container to access the product. Post usage, the user closes the container and is reminded to replace the applicator through the exposed aperture in the at least one housing in the receptacle so as to complete the form of the container.
According to yet another embodiment of the invention the ergonomic container may be a kit with the base of the receptacle having a plurality of recesses for retaining products. Accordingly, the receptacle also has a plurality of housings for retaining the applicators therefor in a single package.
According to yet another embodiment of the invention the housing being integrally formed with the cover or the receptacle utilizes the maximum area available and at the same time reduces the material costs involved in making the container. Also, the housing for storage of applicator being in one of the cover or the receptacle gives the manufacturer the freedom of either giving a screw-threaded mechanism or a hinge-mechanism or any other suitable mechanism for closing the container.
According to yet another embodiment of the invention there is also provided a container that comprises relatively fewer separate components thereby keeping the manufacturing cost low. As a consequence, highly functional and aesthetically pleasing containers are realized, with low overall manufacturing cost, and use of minimal quantities of plastic raw material.
According to yet another embodiment of the invention, the container when in the form of a pen such as a cosmetic pen, the housing for storage of applicator may be integrally formed with the cover or the receptacle of the pen. The aperture for storage of the applicator may be formed in alignment with the lateral axis of the pen or the transverse axis of the cover of the pen.
According to an embodiment of the invention the container may be in the form of jars or pens/dispensers having an easy access to applicators.
In accordance with yet another embodiment of the invention the container of the present invention therefore provides easy access to the applicator and at the same time provides for better portability of the applicator and the product.
These and further aspects which will be apparent to the expert of the art are attained by the ergonomic container in accordance with the main claim.
So that the manner in which the above recited features of the present invention can be understood in detail, a more particular description of the invention, briefly summarized above, may be had by reference to embodiments, some of which are illustrated in the appended drawings. It is to be noted, however, that the appended drawings illustrate only typical embodiments of this invention and are therefore not to be considered limiting of its scope, for the invention may admit to other equally effective embodiments.
To facilitate understanding, identical reference numerals have been used, where possible, to designate identical elements that are common to the figures. It is to be noted, however, that the appended drawings illustrate only typical embodiments of this invention and are therefore not to be considered limiting of its scope, for the invention may admit to other equally effective embodiments.
Further, as shown in
Further, the gripping portion 103a of the applicator 103 may be provided with a plurality of gripping formations such as projections, rings, ridges, ribs, embossments, depressions, grooves, or any other suitable gripping structures. The gripping formations can have any suitable dimensions, and form any suitable pattern. As shown in
During use, the user holds the container 100 in one hand and is able to pull out the applicator 103 from the cover 101 which is visible from the outside by using a finger of the same hand. The applicator 103 is therefore placed ergonomically in the container 100 and provides for a one-hand operation. The user then opens the cover 101 of the container 100 in a usual manner to access the product, thereby decreasing the steps for application by the user. After usage, the user closes the container 100 in a usual manner and the aperture 104 in the cover 101 gives a visual cue to her to replace the applicator 103 in its place and thereby complete the form of the container 100.
Further, as shown in
Further, the gripping portion 203a of the applicator 203 may be provided with a plurality of gripping formations such as projections, rings, ridges, ribs, embossments, depressions, grooves, or any other suitable gripping structures. The gripping formations can have any suitable dimensions, and form any suitable pattern. As shown in
During use the user holds the container 200 in one hand and is able to pull out the applicator 203 from the receptacle 202 which is visible from the outside by using a finger of the same hand. The applicator 203 is therefore placed ergonomically in the container 200 and provides for a one-hand operation. The user then opens the cover 201 of the container 200 in a usual manner to access the product, thereby decreasing the steps for application by the user. After usage the user closes the container 200 in a usual manner and is visually guided to put back the applicator 203 through the exposed aperture 204 in the housing as the aperture 204 is exposed and the form of the container 200 is incomplete unless the applicator 203 is put back in place.
As the housing is integrally formed in the cover or the receptacle of the container, the maximum area available is being utilized and at the same time helps in reducing the material costs involved in making the container. Also, the housing for storage of applicator being in one of the cover or the receptacle gives the manufacturer the freedom of either providing a screw-threaded mechanism or a hinge-mechanism for closing the container. Moreover, the ergonomic container of the invention container comprises relatively fewer separate components thereby keeping the manufacturing cost low. As a consequence, highly functional and aesthetically pleasing containers are realized, with low overall manufacturing cost, and use of minimal quantities of plastic raw material.
Depending upon the cosmetic material being used, a variety of sizes and shapes of the applicator can be utilized. The applicator portion may be constructed of a porous or non-porous rubber, fabric mesh, felt material, foamed polymers or sponge material. Further the applicator could have any suitable shape depending on the kind of application required. It could have a shape other than round such as flattened brushes.
The ergonomic container of the present invention may be of any shape such as square, rectangular, circular polygonal or any suitable shape, such that the cover and the receptacle having identical configuration of varying depths. Further, the container may be in the form of jars, as well as pens, tubes or any other suitable structure such that the housing for storage of applicator may be integrally formed with the cover or the receptacle of the container providing easy access to the applicator as well as better portability of the applicator and the product.
The ergonomic container of the present invention may be a kit with the base of the receptacle having a plurality of recesses giving options of products and accordingly the cover or the receptacle has a plurality of housings for retaining the applicators therefor in a single package. The ergonomic container of the present invention thus provides a container which gives the user a range of products and applicators therefor in a single package and at the same time giving the user a simplified and user-friendly interface to interact with the package.
The container of the present invention can be used to store a wide variety of consumer products such as cosmetic, cosmeceutical and care products as well as paint products. A few examples of these products may be pressed powder, a cake, hot pour pasty product, face powder, eye shadow, rouge, foundation, concealer, primer, blush, cake mascara, lip colour, tint product, cream product, mousse or gel product, and the like or skin care and regimen product as well as paint products.
All components of the ergonomic container could be fabricated in a generally conventional manner using any suitable polymer material such as ABS, SAN, etc while any reflective material could be used as mirror.
Although the above description and drawings show the case being circular, the shapes and profile cross section thereof are not limited to the same. The case of the present invention may be of any suitable shape such as square, rectangular, circular, cylindrical, polygonal.
While the foregoing is directed to embodiments of the present invention, other and further embodiments of the invention may be devised without departing from the basic scope thereof, and the scope thereof is determined by the claims that follow.
