Information
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Patent Grant
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6814237
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Patent Number
6,814,237
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Date Filed
Thursday, March 7, 200223 years ago
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Date Issued
Tuesday, November 9, 200420 years ago
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Inventors
-
-
Examiners
Agents
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CPC
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US Classifications
Field of Search
US
- 206 581
- 206 823
- 206 373
- 206 764
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International Classifications
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Abstract
A cosmetic holder is a band made of cloth, such as elastic, with a plurality of loops sized for holding and securing the cosmetic items such that a user may quickly locate, remove from the holder, use, and return to the holder a desired cosmetic item. The size of the loops is dependent on which cosmetic items are to be stored and organized. The cosmetic items ideally include a cap and a body, and the loops are sized for securing the cap. The cosmetic holder may include a covering that covers the lateral portions of the band and may cover the portion of the loops through which the cosmetic item extends to permit insertion of the cosmetic items to a proper extent. The surface or covering of the cosmetic holder may include information or aesthetic decoration. A clip may be included for securing the cosmetic holder.
Description
This application claims no priority.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to carrying cosmetics, and particularly to a cosmetic holder for carrying and organizing cosmetics thereby providing ease in locating a particular cosmetic item from a selection when the ability to see the cosmetics or concentrate fully on finding a particular cosmetic may be hindered.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Cosmetics come in all shapes and sizes, and are ubiquitous in the lives of many people including stage performers, field news reports, and many of ordinary women. Often times, cosmetics are applied in situations where the person is unable to devote their full attention to applying the cosmetic, or makeup. For instance, a news reporter in a vehicle rushing to the site of a new story may be applying makeup while looking out the window watching the action of the story unfold. Another instance is when a woman is putting on lipstick as she drives to work. Still another instance is when a stage performer has marred their makeup while coming off stage, and the makeup must be re-touched (corrected) before going back on stage in a short period of time.
In the event the person desiring to put on makeup is unable to devote their full attention to locating and applying the cosmetic item, each of the cosmetics ideally is located easily. As is the more common case, a purse or makeup bag will contain a number of lipsticks, eyeliners, lip-glosses, lip-balms, and other cosmetic items. The person who is, for instance, operating a motor vehicle and is simultaneously searching for a lipstick in a purse will oftentimes grab the first one that is found in a bag, examine it, determine it is not the desired lipstick, put it back, and reach for another until finding the desired lipstick (or other cosmetic item). Oftentimes, the cosmetic items are strewn about within a woman's pocketbook or purse, along with a variety of other things carried in the purse. The other items in the purse make it more difficult to find the desired, loose cosmetic, as well as the loose cosmetics make finding the other items in a purse or pocketbook more difficult to quickly locate without requiring a great share of a person's attention.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, a cosmetic holder including a band with at least two loops sized for cosmetic items and securing the cosmetic items within the cosmetic holder is disclosed. The cosmetic holder may be comprised of cloth, and preferably elastic cloth where the cosmetic items are secured such that a user may simply remove or insert the cosmetic items, and where the cosmetic items otherwise remain secured. The loops may be sized for different sized cosmetic items. The cosmetic items ideally include a cap and a body, and the loops are sized for securing the cap.
The cosmetic holder may include a covering, and the covering may cover the lateral portions of the band and may cover the portion of the loops through which the cosmetic item extends. In such an embodiment, the cosmetic items may be inserted into the loops of the cosmetic holder, and the covering may permit insertion of the cosmetic items to a proper extent. The covering may be of a variety of materials, such as cloth or leather.
The cosmetic holder may include information on the surface of the cosmetic holder. The information may include identifying information of the cosmetic item secured therein, identifying information as to source or origin of the cosmetic holder, or identifying information as to source or origin of the cosmetic item. The cosmetic holder may include aesthetic decoration on the surface of the cosmetic holder. The cosmetic holder may include a clip for securing the cosmetic holder.
In accordance with a second aspect of the present invention, in combination with cosmetic items where one of the cosmetic items includes a cap and a body, a cosmetic holder including an elastic band with at least two loops, the loops sized for cosmetic items and securing cosmetic items within the cosmetic holder, the cosmetic items being secured such that a user may simply remove or insert the cosmetic items but the cosmetic items otherwise remain secured, the loops being sized for securing said cap, is disclosed. The cosmetic holder of the combination may include a covering that covers the lateral portions of the band and covers the portion of the loops through which the cosmetic item extends, where the cosmetic items are inserted into the loops of the cosmetic holder, and where the covering permits insertion of the cosmetic items such that the cap is secured and the body may be easily removed for using the cosmetic item. The cosmetic holder of the combination may include information on the surface of the cosmetic holder. The cosmetic holder of the combination may include aesthetic decoration on the surface of the cosmetic holder.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
In the drawings,
FIG. 1
is a perspective view of a first embodiment of a cosmetic holder of the present invention;
FIG. 2
is a top plan view of the first embodiment of the cosmetic holder of the present invention;
FIG. 3A
is a perspective view of a second embodiment of a cosmetic holder of the present invention; and
FIG. 3B
is a perspective view of the second embodiment of a cosmetic holder of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Referring to
FIG. 1
, a first embodiment of a cosmetic holder
10
of the present invention is depicted. The cosmetic holder
10
secures a plurality of cosmetic items
14
. The cosmetic holder
10
comprises a band
12
with a generally one-piece construction made of elastic or another type of cloth whereby the cosmetic items
14
may be secured as to allow the deliberate insertion or removal of the cosmetic item
14
from the cosmetic holder
10
while retarding or preventing the accidental removal of the item
14
.
The band
12
is formed so as to have a plurality of loops
32
, each loop sized for the cosmetic items
14
(see FIG.
2
). At least two loops
32
are provided as a minimum, while a maximum is determined primarily by the utility to a user based upon the size of the cosmetic holder
10
and number of cosmetics items
14
carried. Generally, the band
12
would include from three to seven loops as it is believed this is the range of number of items the most common user would carry. As depicted, the cosmetic items
14
may be lipstick
16
, lip-gloss
18
, lip-liner
20
, and eyeliner
22
. This list is meant to be exemplary and non-exclusive, as other cosmetic items may be secured (such as mascara).
The loops
32
are appropriately sized for the various cosmetic items
14
. Generally, lipsticks
16
, for instance, are within a narrow range of diametrical size. Lip-liner
20
and eyeliner
22
are also, generally, within a narrow range of diametrical size. The preferred material for the loops
32
is elastic cloth so that the slight variance in size of cosmetic items of a particular type is rendered generally irrelevant.
The ideal cosmetics items
14
for the cosmetic holder
10
are cosmetic items
14
with a two-piece body construction comprised of a cap
26
and a body
28
wherein the body
28
contains the makeup to be applied, and the cap
26
protects the makeup from physical or environmental damage. The cosmetic item
14
is inserted into a loop
32
such that the cap
26
is secured in the loop
32
. In this manner, the body
28
may be removed for using and applying the cosmetic while the cap
26
remains secure.
The contents or makeup of cosmetic items
14
are identifiable by the exterior of the cosmetic item
14
. The body
28
of a lipstick
16
has a bottom end
34
to which a label or identifying insignia is affixed. The body
28
of a lip-liner
20
or an eyeliner
22
has a band of color on its exterior designating both what the item
14
is (i.e., eyeliner
22
) and what color the item
14
is.
In use, the holder
10
has a plurality of cosmetic items
14
secured therein as inserted by the user of the holder
10
. When a user desires a particular item
14
, the entire holder
10
and the items
14
may be located easily in a purse or pocketbook, and the holder
10
organizes the items
14
. A user may glance at the items
14
in the array as secured so as to scan across the identifying information of the items
14
. This allows a user to avoid fumbling through a purse or makeup bag for a particular item
14
. Instead, the user is able to quickly locate by feel all desired makeup items
14
without looking away from, for example, a roadway upon which the user is driving. Then, the items
14
may be held up for selecting the desired item
14
, often with a quick glance. The body
28
of the desired item
14
then may be removed from the cap
26
and holder
10
, while the cap
26
remains secure. Once the makeup or cosmetic has been applied, the body
28
may be returned to the holder
10
and cap
26
.
In an embodiment of the present invention depicted in
FIGS. 3A and 3B
, the cosmetic holder
10
may include an outer covering
50
. The covering
50
is a generally cloth material that is attached to the loops
32
of the holder
10
. Alternatively, the covering
50
may be leather or another material. The covering
50
covers the lateral portions and the bottom of the band
12
, the bottom of the band being the portion through which the cap
26
of the cosmetic items
14
extends. The covering
50
provides a utility and an aesthetic to the holder
10
. The utility of the covering
50
is that the covering
50
is designed so that a cap
26
of a cosmetic item
14
is not pushed through the loop
32
entirely, thereby preserving the ability of the body
28
to be easily removed. The aesthetic of the covering
50
is that covering
50
may by decorated with a design
40
(such as tie-dyed, or plaid, or colors) or a logo, such as a brand or trade name
38
.
Furthermore, the aesthetic appeal and style of the cosmetic holder
10
may be enhanced or based upon the covering
50
or the band
12
. Different holders
10
could be made for different seasons and decorated as such. In addition, the holders
10
could be made for different styles, such as a holder
10
for more formal events which require formal wear and items with similar cachet, or a holder
10
for other casual events, such as a baseball game or outing. The loops
32
and band
12
of the holder
10
could be decorated, or the covering
50
could be decorated.
The loops
32
may include a window (not shown) into which identifying information may be inserted. Alternatively, other means may be provided on the loops
32
for identifying information, or the means may be provided on the covering
50
. The covering
50
, if provided, or the loops
32
may also provide space for or be used for a design, identifying information of the makeup or the manufacturer, a logo, or a fashion designer's name.
It should be noted that certain changes could be made to the cosmetic holder
10
. For example, a clip
36
could be added for securing the holder
10
to a particular portion of a purse or makeup bag. The arrangement of the loops
32
need not be in a line as is depicted in the
FIGS. 1
,
2
,
3
A, and
3
B, instead being any other different arrangement, such as being in two rows, or in an arrangement whose configuration of loops
32
for eyeliner
22
or lipstick
16
are differently configured.
While the invention has been described with respect to specific examples including presently preferred modes of carrying out the invention, those skilled in the art will appreciate that there are numerous variations and permutations of the above described systems and techniques that fall within the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.
Claims
- 1. In combination with cosmetic items, one of said cosmetic items including a cap and a body, a cosmetic holder comprising:an elastic band including at least two loops, said loops sized for cosmetic items, and said loops thereby securing said cosmetic items within the cosmetic holder, wherein said cosmetic items are secured such that a user may simply remove or insert said cosmetic items wherein said cosmetic items otherwise remain secured, wherein said loops are sized for securing said cap; wherein said cosmetic holder further comprises a covering wherein said covering covers only the lateral portions of the band and the portion of the loops through which the cosmetic item extends, wherein cosmetic items are inserted into said loops of the cosmetic holder, and wherein said covering permits insertion of the cosmetic items such that the cap is secured and the body may be easily removed for using the cosmetic item.
- 2. The combination of claim 1 wherein said cosmetic holder further includes aesthetic decoration on the surface of the cosmetic holder.
- 3. The combination of claim 1 wherein said cosmetic holder is comprised of cloth.
- 4. The combination of claim 3 wherein said cloth is elastic cloth.
- 5. The combination of claim 1 said cosmetic holder is comprised of leather.
- 6. The combination of claim 1 wherein said loops are sized for different sized cosmetic items.
- 7. The combination of claim 1 further including a clip for securing said cosmetic items.
- 8. In combination with cosmetic items, one of said cosmetic items including a cap and a body, a cosmetic holder comprising:an elastic band including at least two loops, said loops sized for cosmetic items, and said loops thereby securing said cosmetic items within the cosmetic holder, wherein said cosmetic items are secured such that a user may simply remove or insert said cosmetic items, wherein said cosmetic items otherwise remain secured, wherein said loops are sized for securing said cap; wherein said cosmetic holder further comprises a covering wherein said covering covers only the lateral portions of the band and the portion of the boos through which the cosmetic item extends, wherein cosmetic items are inserted into said loons of the cosmetic holder, and wherein said covering permits insertion of the cosmetic items such that the cap is secured and the body may be easily removed for using the cosmetic item; wherein said cosmetic holder includes information on the surface of the cosmetic holder.
- 9. The combination of claim 8 wherein said information includes one or more of the following: identifying information of the cosmetic item secured therein; identifying information as to source of origin of the cosmetic holder; or identifying information as to source or origin of the cosmetic item.
US Referenced Citations (11)