Naturally Biodegradable Cup for Powdered Cosmetics

Abstract

A biodegradable cosmetic empty is provided, made from molded fiber for the direct receipt and containment of powder cosmetic via compaction to form a cosmetic pan. The embodiments of the invention present a variety of structural principles that prevent product buckling during compaction, protect against damage to the cosmetic during use, and allow easy use of the pan in cosmetic palettes. The implementation of the claimed invention will dramatically reduce plastic and metal waste in the cosmetic industry. The molded fiber must derive from virgin, cellulosic fibers to prevent contamination of the cosmetic.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD OF INVENTION

Biodegradable products and cosmetics.

CROSS-REFERENCED/RELATED APPLICATIONS

N/A

PRIORITY CLAIM TO EARLIER DATE

N/A

DESCRIPTION OF INVENTION DRAWINGS

FIG. 1: illustrates the forces at play between two surfaces in a fixed fit model. In the Diagram, A is the male part and B is the female part. The walls of B exert a force (F_f) on the walls of A. When the walls have no draft angle (left) the full force is exerted horizontally (F_f= F_h). However, when the draft angle is non-zero, there is a vertical component (F_v) to F_f such that F_v > 0. This force promotes the ejection of the male part from the female.

FIG. 2: presents a perspective view of the hexagonal design (1a) of the biodegradable empty.

FIG. 3: presents a front view of (1a).

FIG. 4: presents a perspective view of the circular design (1b) featuring the large-face stabilizing groove (8).

FIG. 5: presents a front section view of (1b) filled with cosmetic.

FIG. 6: presents a perspective view of a square, multi-compartmented design (1c) featuring a lip adapted for fixed fit integration (5b).

FIG. 7: presents a blown out view of (1a) interacting with generic clamp (9) to demonstrate a method for securing the container lip (5a) via pinching.

FIG. 8: presents a blown out view of (1c) interacting with generic box (10) to demonstrate a method for securing the container lip (5b) via adapted fixed fit.

FIG. 9: illustrates the force of friction between the wall of the molded fiber container (4) and the pressed powder pellet (6). The force of friction exerted by the textured surface on the pellet (F_t) is much higher than that exerted by a smooth surface (F_s).

FIG. 10: illustrates how the lip of the molded fiber empty reduces the shear force (F_a) on the walls of the container during the powder compaction process, distributing them more evenly (B) and preventing buckling of the container wall.

DESCRIPTION OF INVENTION

This invention is a makeup container or “empty” made from molded fiber (1), the base of the container (3) transitions via rounded corners (7) into drafted walls (4) that terminate in an outward-facing lip (5). The empty may be a single compartment (FIGS. 2, 4) or feature multiple compartments joined together (FIG. 6). The container receives the direct compression of cosmetic powder (6) into its compartment (2) up to or just below the plane of the lip (FIGS. 5, 7, 8). The compacted cosmetic powder itself will hereafter be referred to as a “pellet.”

Molded fiber was selected for this product due to its low environmental impact and superior adaptability. Its adaptability allows it to be engineered into shapes and structures that maximize the strength of the container, even though molded fiber is a very thin packaging material. Crucially, molded fiber is highly resilient, so it does not permanently deform or crack under the pressure conditions necessary for cosmetic powder compaction. It is commonly believed and asserted in the cosmetic industry that high rigidity and resilience (unless compensated by wall thickness) are both necessary properties of an empty.

However, the claimed invention defies this widespread industry belief. Despite molded fiber possessing a minimum degree of rigidity, the fiber’s extreme resilience allows it to withstand the compaction process without damage. This unexpected result of molded fiber’s resilience allows the molded fiber to make an effective cosmetic pan. Among the different types of molded fiber materials, thermoformed molded fiber, especially, is the most effective material for cosmetic pans due to its high strength, capability of precise structural features, low draft angle requirements, and minimal part volume constraints.

Cellulosic fiber is preferred because of its superior structural integrity. Natural sources of cellulosic fiber are preferred including but not limited to bagasse, bamboo fiber, wood fiber, coconut fiber, or wood fiber. These starting materials are obtainable from the waste of agro-industrial processes, decreasing the environmental cost of procurement. It is very important that any source of fiber be highly pure since chemical transfer from the fiber to the cosmetic via the binding agent is possible. The inclusion of any detectable contaminants not approved for cosmetic use by the FDA constitutes a potential hazard to the consumer.

Molded Fiber pans are more susceptible to forces causing flexion of their walls (4) than their metal counterparts. In extreme cases, this can cause cracking, chipping, or expulsion of the cosmetic powder from the pan (loss of pan integrity). For this reason, previous cosmetic companies have actively avoided using molded fibers in pans. We found that this problem is countered by texturing the interior surface of the molded fiber (FIG. 9). This textured surface on the inside of the empty creates a rough face for contact with the cosmetic powder (6). The compaction of the cosmetic powder forms it into a single pellet with rough edges complementary to the surface of the empty (FIG. 5). This interface between the textured surface and the pellet increases the friction between the powder and the empty, decreasing the likelihood of expulsion or damage to the cosmetic (FIG. 9). The textured pellet-empty interface allows a wider scope of draft angle, corner reinforcement, and compatible powder formulations better than a smooth pellet-empty interface.

In addition to increasing surface friction between empty and pellet, the integrity of the pan is further improved by the interaction of the molded fiber empty with the binding agent included in the powder mix. Because the molded fiber is made from interwoven strands of cellulose, it is porous. Surprisingly, this property improves the integrity of the pan by allowing the binding agent to permeate the layers of the cellulosic fiber during compaction. This permeation-based strength is another unexpected reason molded fiber empty’s are able to hold cosmetic powders despite the cosmetic industry dismissal of molded fiber’s feasibility in making cosmetic pans.

This creates a three-phase model for superior adhesion of the pellet within the pan. The outer phase includes only molded fiber, allowing it to maintain its rigidity and clean feel. The second phase is constituted by molded fiber permeated with the binding agent. Their interaction forms a thin liquid-solid colloidal matrix that better maintains the dispersion forces between the cellulosic fibers of the empty and the carbon or silicone chains of the binding agent. The binding agent in the pellet itself (third phase) interacts with the binding agent in the second phase via dispersion forces to chemically bind the pellet to the empty. Importantly, this model makes no use of toxic adhesives, relying on the same binding agents employed in typical pressed powder manufacture.

The ideal binding agent mixture includes a high percentage of low-viscosity molecules that are able to permeate the molded fiber. Some such molecules include various myristic and palmitic acid derivatives, the 250-mer of polyisobutene, or a low-viscosity dimethicone. Natural oils such as jojoba oil or sunflower oil are also effective. Waxes and sterols, which naturally occur in many oils, are also desirable in binding agents, since their active groups can increase intermolecular cohesion within the pan. If a cosmetic formulation requires a low concentration of binding agent or one that has an unsuitably high viscosity, a “priming” step may be included. This step involves lightly spraying the inside of the empty with a binding agent prior to compaction.

Despite the remarkable benefits molded fiber’s permeability has for pan integrity, it also presents a problem for manufacturing due to unwanted staining of the product. The fibers naturally trap the highly pigmented cosmetic powder, producing a staining effect if the powder comes in contact with an unintended area of the cup. This requires the formulation of custom molds and handling protocols to maintain product quality.

Increasing the affinity of the powder for the molded fiber empty compensates for the manufacturing limitation of molded fiber requiring non-zero draft angles. Draft angles are required in molded fiber production, though thermoformed molded fiber technology is able to achieve low single-digit angles in some cases. Optimizing draft angles for each design proved crucial since low draft angles stabilize the pan against lateral forces without compromising the makeup pellet’s affinity for the empty. Although draft angles as high as 30 degrees were found to form stable pans under limited conditions, minimal angles, ranging from 0-5 degrees, were preferred. These minimal draft angles are achievable with thermoformed molded fiber, which was a major factor in its selection for this invention.

The structure of the invention was further stabilized by rounding all corners of the pan (7). The minimum bend radius that maintained the strength of the bend was selected. The bend at the base was selected from a range of 0.1-3 mm, in which 3 mm also represents half the height of the cup. Minimizing bends allowed the structural features to mesh more closely. This was especially crucial for the walls of the container (4), because of their role in maintaining pan integrity. Furthermore, the surface area of both the base (3) and walls (4) were kept low to minimize the risk of flexion of those faces. High area surfaces were strengthened by implementing grooves (8) into its face (FIG. 4).

The lip (5) is necessary to maintain structural integrity and allow incorporation into a makeup palette or compact. This important feature is critical for lowering the rigidity requirement of the empty. Molded fiber is much more able to withstand forces perpendicular to its face. However, forces parallel to the face of molded fiber can cause it to buckle. By introducing the lip, no forces are applied to the edge of the molded fiber, which is its weakest point (FIG. 10). The lip can also function as a way to secure the pan according to a variety of models (FIGS. 7, 8). Design iterations 1a and 1b feature a lip that is held in place by a clamping mechanism in which two surfaces, one above and one beneath “sandwich” the lip, thus preventing the pan from moving (FIG. 7). The lip can also form an outer edge to separate and cushion the pellet, making the pan amenable to a fixed fit model (FIG. 6). In this iteration (1c), the lip curves down to become perpendicular to the base (3), the lip can then press out on the sides of a box or other container (10), holding the pan in place (FIG. 8). This form of lip takes advantage of the natural cushioning properties of molded fiber to absorb lateral forces, allowing the lip to flex without distorting the pan.

The most ideal form of the invention is a hexagonal shape (1a), which minimizes the surface area of each of the cup walls without sacrificing storage efficiency. However, a hexagonal shape is not the only form molded fiber can take to provide sufficient rigidity for a pressed-powder cosmetic cup. Further testing has shown that other geometric shapes like circles (1b), ovals, squares (1c), rectangles, and triangles are sufficiently strong to serve as cosmetic cups for this inventions’ purposes. However, supplementing these shapes with grooves (8) or other divots to break up high-area surfaces is recommended to maintain the strength of the pan. Pans with multiple subdivided compartments (FIG. 6) offer a useful variation of the invention to include multiple cosmetic formulations or colors in one pan. In a multi-compartment pan, each subdivision shares at least one lip with another compartment, improving the economy of space.

Claims

1. A naturally biodegradable cup for holding pressed-powder cosmetics.

2. A naturally biodegradable cup made out of biodegradable molded fiber material for holding pressed-powder cosmetics.

3. The naturally biodegradable cup according to claim 2, wherein the biodegradable substance comprising the cup is a thermoformed molded fiber material.

4. The naturally biodegradable cup according to claim 2, wherein the cup’s interior has subdivided compartments.

5. The naturally biodegradable cup according to claim 2, wherein the biodegradable substance comprising the cup is a thermoformed molded fiber material and one surface-side of the cup is a textured surface.

6. A naturally biodegradable cup made out of biodegradable thermoformed molded-fiber material for holding pressed-powder cosmetics, where one surface-side of the cup is textured, and the cup’s body includes a range of one to eight side-walls in which the length of any side-wall is greater than the height of the cup.

7. The naturally biodegradable cup according to claim 6, wherein the cup’s interior has subdivided compartments.

8. The biodegradable cup according to claim 2, wherein the cup comprises a molded fiber body including: A bottom-base, walls projecting out from the bottom-base at a draft angle between 0-30 degrees, an outward-facing lip away from the center of the cup, and an open-ended top-side of the container opposite the bottom-base.

9. The biodegradable cup according to claim 2, wherein the cup comprises a thermoformed molded fiber body in the shape of a hexagon, including: A bottom-base, walls projecting out from the bottom-base at a draft angle between 0-30 degrees, an outward-facing lip away from the center of the cup that runs within 20 degrees of parallel to the base of the cup for the purpose of securing the cup in the palette, and an open-ended top-side of the container opposite the bottom-base.

10. The biodegradable cup according to claim 2, wherein the cup comprises a molded fiber body including: A bottom-base, walls projecting out from the bottom-base at a draft angle between 0-30 degrees, an outward-facing lip away from the center of the cup that curves perpendicular to the base of the cup to resist lateral pressure, and an open-ended top-side of the container opposite the bottom-base.

11. The biodegradable cup according to claim 2, wherein the cup comprises a molded fiber body including: A bottom-base, walls that are 1-15 mm in height projecting out from the bottom-base at a draft angle between 0-30 degrees, an outward-facing lip away from the center of the cup, and an open-ended top-side of the container opposite the bottom-base.

12. The biodegradable cup according to claim 2, wherein the cup comprises a molded fiber body including: A bottom-base, a range of three to eight side-walls projecting out from the bottom-base at a draft angle between 0-30 degrees in which the length of any side is greater than the height of the cup, an outward-facing lip away from the center of the cup, and an open-ended top-side of the container opposite the bottom-base.

13. The biodegradable cup according to claim 2, wherein the cup comprises a molded fiber body including: A bottom-base, walls projecting out from the bottom-base at a draft angle between 0-30 degrees terminating in an outward-facing lip away from the center of the cup, and an open-ended top-side of the container opposite the bottom-base where the open-ended top forms a polygon in which the length of the radius of the tangentially inscribed circle is greater than the height of the cup.

14. The biodegradable cup according to claim 2, wherein the cup is a molded fiber body in a geometric shape selected from the group consisting of a hexagon, a square, a rectangle, a triangle, a circle, an oval, a pentagon, a heptagon, and an octagon, and where said cup includes: A bottom-base, walls projecting out from the bottom-base at a draft angle between 0-30 degrees, an outward-facing lip away from the center of the cup, and an open-ended top-side of the container opposite the bottom-base.