REFILLABLE COSMETIC CASE

Abstract

A refillable compact case having a replaceable cosmetic pan that is inserted through the bottom of the compact case that has a compact base and an attachable compact cover. The compact base has a peripheral body having an inner ledge forming a shaped opening, and a lower wall having a lower rim and an inner wall. The inner ledge and the inner wall form a lower pocket, and the lower rim forms a lower opening. A replaceable cosmetic pan contains a cosmetic material, and has a peripheral wall having an upper peripheral rim that forms a pan opening. The cosmetic pan fits inside a pan cavity of a base closure, which fits into the lower pocket of the compact base. The base closure has a means for removably engaging with the inner wall of the compact base.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a compact case having a refillable pan cosmetic containing a cosmetic material.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Cosmetic materials in the shape of powder or solid are put in cosmetic pans, stored in a compact case. This cosmetic pan is replaceable, and can be inserted into a compact case when full and removable from the compact case when the cosmetic is depleted or when a different cosmetic is desired. Since the compact cases of such a type are highly economical and convenient, these compact cases are in heavy usage.

An example of a compact case having a replaceable cosmetic pan is described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,451,877, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference in its entirety.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides a refillable compact case having a replaceable cosmetic pan that is inserted through the bottom of the compact case.

The present invention provides a compact case comprising: i) a compact base having a peripheral body having an inner ledge forming a shaped opening, and a lower wall comprising a lower rim and an inner wall, wherein the inner ledge and the inner wall form a lower pocket, and the lower rim forms a lower opening of the lower pocket, ii) a compact cover attachable to the compact base, iii) a replaceable cosmetic pan comprising a peripheral wall and a floor configured to contain a cosmetic material, the peripheral wall having an upper peripheral rim that forms a pan opening, the cosmetic pan configured to fit into the lower pocket of the compact base with the upper peripheral rim of the cosmetic pan contacting an under side of the inner ledge of the compact base, and iv) a base closure comprising a peripheral wall and a floor to form a pan cavity for placement therein of the cosmetic pan, the base closure comprising a means for removably engaging the peripheral wall with the inner surface of the inner wall of the compact base when inserting the cosmetic pan into the lower pocket of the compact base with the upper peripheral rim of the cosmetic pan engaged with the under side of the inner ledge of the compact base.

In various embodiments, a seal lid is attached with a hinge to an upper peripheral portion of the lower base.

In various embodiments, the means for removably engaging comprises two or more inner slots formed into the inner surface of the lower wall of the compact base, and two or more pins extending from the outer surface of the peripheral wall of the base closure, the two or more pins engaging the two or more inner slots when the base closure is engaged with the cosmetic base.

In various embodiments, the cosmetic case can include a means for manipulating the removable engagement of the base closure with the compact base between an engaged position and a disengaged position. In various embodiments, the means for manipulating the base closure with the compact base includes an elongated slot formed through the floor of the base closure, for insertion therein and rotation thereof with a straight-edged article or tool between the disengaged position and the engaged position. In some embodiments, the means for manipulating the base closure with the compact base includes a pair of depressions formed into the outside surface of the floor of the base closure, each depression spaced substantially opposite the center of the base closure and toward the peripheral wall, for accommodating the fingertips of a user for exerting a torque force sufficient to rotate the base closure between the disengaged position and the engaged position.

In various embodiments, the compact case further includes a seal lid having a hinge formed along an upper peripheral portion of the lower base, and pivotable about the hinge from an open position to a closed position in confronting engagement with an upper portion of the inner ledge of the lower base.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates a cosmetic case of the present invention is a closed position.

FIG. 2 illustrates the cosmetic case of FIG. 1 in an open position, with a cosmetic pan and base closure in exploded view.

FIG. 3 illustrates a detailed view, taken in FIG. 2, of a retaining slot for removably securing the base closure within a lower pocket of a compact base of the cosmetic case.

FIG. 4 illustrates a sectional elevation view of the cosmetic pan disposed within the base closure.

FIG. 5 illustrates a sectional, side-elevation view of the cosmetic pan shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 6 illustrates a bottom view of the base closure in a disengaged position within the lower pocket of the compact base.

FIG. 7 illustrates the bottom view of the base closure in an engaged position within the lower pocket of the compact base.

FIG. 8 illustrates a partial sectional view through the compact base, illustrating a stub element of the base closure in the disengaged position within the retaining slot of the compact base.

FIG. 9 illustrates a bottom view of another embodiment of a base closure having two fingertip depressions for rotating the base closure within the lower pocket of the compact base.

FIG. 10 illustrates a sectional view of the base closure of FIG. 9 taken through lines 10-10 of FIG. 9.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring to FIGS. 1 through 10, a compact case 1 with structure that is refillable with a replaceable cosmetic pan 30 having a circular shape. However, it is just an example and may be designed in various shapes including a rectangle.

The compact case 1 illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 includes a lower base 10 and an upper cover 20 divided into halves. The lower base 10 and upper cover 20 are open to each other, when they are combined. The upper cover 20 is connected to the lower base 10 at a side by a first hinge 22, consisting of a cover hinge member 23 and a base hinge member 13 and a hinge pin 24 (FIG. 8), so the upper cover 20 can be opened and closed at a clasp securement 19 on the other side, pivoted about the hinge pin of the first hinge 22 with respect to the lower base 10. FIG. 5 shows a sectional, side-elevation view of the cosmetic pan shown in FIG. 1, showing a common hinge 77 for pivotally attaching both the upper cover 20 and a seal lid 70, described later, to the compact base 10.

The compact base 10 has a peripheral body 11 having an intermediate inner ledge 12 forming a shaped opening, and a lower rim 14 and an inner wall 15, wherein the inner ledge 12 and the inner wall 15 forms a lower pocket 16, and the lower rim 14 forms a lower opening 17 of the lower pocket 16. The lower pocket 16 is configured to retain the replaceable cosmetic pan 30.

The replaceable cosmetic pan 30 comprises, and typically consists of, a peripheral wall 31 and a floor 32 configured to contain a cosmetic material, the peripheral wall 31 having an upper rim 33 the forms a pan opening 34. The replaceable cosmetic pan 30 fits into the lower pocket 16, with the upper rim 33 of the peripheral wall 31 of the replaceable pan cosmetic 30 facing, preferably non-contactingly confronting and spaced-apart from, an under side 18 of the inner ledge 12 of the compact base 10. The under side 18 of the compact base 10 serves as a barrier to prevent the cosmetic pan 30 from moving upwardly. The lower pocket 16 has an axial depth sufficient for the cosmetic pan 30 to fit within.

A base closure 50, shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, secures the cosmetic pan 30 within the lower pocket 16 of the compact base 10. The base closure 50 has a peripheral wall 51 and a floor 52, forming a pan pocket 53. The pan pocket 16 retains the cosmetic pan 30, with the floor 32 of the cosmetic pan 30 seated on the floor 52 of the base closure 50. In the illustrated embodiment, the peripheral wall 51 is configured to be inserted through the lower opening 17 and into the lower pocket 16, with the peripheral wall 51 concentrically confronting the inner surface of the inner wall 15 of the compact base 10.

The compact case 1 includes a means for removably securing the base closure 50 to the compact base 10, to removably retain the cosmetic pan 30 within the lower pocket 16. The means for removably securing the base closure 50 includes a pair of stubs 55, shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, extending outwardly from opposite outer surfaces of the peripheral wall 51, and a pair of retaining slots 40, which in detail in FIGS. 3 and 8, formed into the opposite inner surface of the inner wall 15 of the compact base 10, which align and register with the pair of stubs 55 when the base closure 50 is axially inserted into the lower pocket 16 of the compact base 10. The retaining slot 40 has an axial portion 41 that extends axially from the lower rim 14 of the compact base 10 to a distal end, and an arc portion 42 that extends from the distal end of the axial portion 41 to an arc distal end 43. The axial portion 41 extends axially into and along the surface of the inner wall 15 a distance sufficient for the arc portion 42 to be disposed within the inner wall 15.

To engage and secure the base closure 50 to the compact base 10, the stubs 55 are axially aligned with the axial portions 41 of the retaining slots 40. The base closure 50 is first pushed axially into the lower pocket 16 of the compact base 10, until the stubs 55 contact respective stops 45 of the inner wall 15 at the distal end of the axial portions 41. In this position, the base closure 50 is in a disengaged position with the compact base 10, as shown in FIG. 6. Then the base closure 50 is rotated (arrow) about the axial centerline of the base closure 50 with the lower pocket 16 relative to the compact base 10, passing the stubs 55 along the arc portions 42 of the retaining slots 40 to the arc distal end 43, where the base closure 50 is prevented from axial movement within the compact base 10. In this position, the base closure 50 is in an engaged position with the compact base 10, as shown in FIG. 7.

To inhibit rotation of the base closure 50 back towards the distal end 43 of the axial portion 41, a protrusion 44 extends axially into the arc portions 42 that restricts passage of the stub 55 between the distal end of the axial portion 42 and the arc distal end 43 by frictional interference, which can be overcome by applying a sufficient rotational force to the base closure 50.

The means for removably securing the base closure 50 to the compact base 10 can include mating threads or thread segments on the respective inner surface of the inner wall 15 and the outer surface of the peripheral wall 51 of the base closure 50.

The compact case 1 also includes a means for rotating the base closure 50 between the disengaged position and the engaged position, by rotating the stubs 55 of the base closure 50 between the distal end of the axial portions 41 and the arc distal end 43 of the arc portions 42 of the retaining slots 40. In one embodiment, the means for rotating the base closure 50 has an elongated slot 57 formed through the floor 52 of the base closure 50, symmetrically through the center of the base closure 50. The slot 57 enables an implement, such as a straight-edged article or tool, to be inserted into and rotated within the slot 57 to rotate the base closure 50.

In another embodiment, another embodiment of a base closure 50b, shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, has a pair of depressions 67 formed into the outside surface 54 of the floor 52 of the base closure 50, each depression 67 spaced substantially opposite the center of the base closure 50, and toward the peripheral wall 51. The depressions 67 are formed with sufficient area to accommodate the fingertips of a user, and to have a sufficient depth d to allow the fingertips to exert a torque force onto the squared edges of the walls 68 of the depressions 67 that is sufficient to rotate the base closure 50 between the disengaged position and the engaged position.

The compact case 1 also can include a seal lid 70 having an annular seal 72 and a seal sheet 73 disposed within a cavity of the seal rim 72. The seal lid 70 has a hinge 74 formed along an upper peripheral portion of the lower base 10, and pivotable about the hinge 74 from an open position shown in FIG. 5 to a closed position in confronting engagement with an upper portion of the inner ledge of the lower base, as shown in FIG. 1.

Claims

1. A compact case comprising: i) a compact base having a peripheral body having an inner ledge forming a shaped opening, and a lower wall comprising a lower rim and an inner wall, wherein the inner ledge and the inner wall form a lower pocket, and the lower rim forms a lower opening of the lower pocket,ii) a compact cover attachable to the compact base,iii) a replaceable cosmetic pan comprising a peripheral wall and a floor configured to contain a cosmetic material, the peripheral wall having an upper peripheral rim that forms a pan opening, the cosmetic pan configured to fit into the lower pocket of the compact base with the upper peripheral rim of the cosmetic pan contacting an under side of the inner ledge of the compact base, andiv) a base closure comprising a peripheral wall and a floor to form a pan cavity for placement therein of the cosmetic pan, the base closure comprising a means for removably engaging the peripheral wall with the inner surface of the inner wall of the compact base when inserting the cosmetic pan into the lower pocket of the compact base with the upper peripheral rim of the cosmetic pan engaged with the under side of the inner ledge of the compact base.

2. The compact case according to claim 1, wherein a seal lid attached with a hinge to an upper peripheral portion of the lower base.

3. The compact case according to claim 1, wherein the means for removably engaging comprises two or more inner slots formed into the inner surface of the lower wall of the compact base, and two or more pins extending from the outer surface of the peripheral wall of the base closure, the two or more pins engaging the two or more inner slots when the base closure is engaged with the cosmetic base.

4. The compact case according to claim 3, further including a means for manipulating the removable engagement of the base closure with the compact base between an engaged position and a disengaged position.

5. The compact case according to claim 3, wherein the means for manipulating the base closure with the compact base includes an elongated slot formed through the floor of the base closure, for insertion therein and rotation thereof with a straight-edged article or tool between the disengaged position and the engaged position.

6. The compact case according to claim 3, wherein the means for manipulating the base closure with the compact base includes a pair of depressions formed into the outside surface of the floor of the base closure, each depression spaced substantially opposite the center of the base closure and toward the peripheral wall, for accommodating the fingertips of a user for exerting a torque force sufficient to rotate the base closure between the disengaged position and the engaged position.

7. The compact case according to claim 1, further including a seal lid having a hinge formed along an upper peripheral portion of the lower base, and pivotable about the hinge from an open position to a closed position in confronting engagement with an upper portion of the inner ledge of the lower base.