COSMETIC CONTAINER WITH A LID

Abstract

A cosmetic container includes a base, a lid assembly and a pin. The base includes a cutout in an edge. The lid assembly includes a lug extending in the cutout and including an aperture. The aperture includes two terminal portions and a reduced portion between the terminal portions. The pin includes two ends extending in the base and a middle section movable between the first and second terminal portions of the aperture via the reduced portion of the aperture.

Claims

1. A cosmetic container comprising: a base comprising a cutout in an edge; a lid assembly comprising a lug extending in the cutout and comprising an aperture comprising two terminal portions and a reduced portion between the terminal portions; and a pin comprising two ends extending in the base and a middle section movable between the terminal portions of the aperture via the reduced portion of the aperture.

2. The cosmetic container according to claim 1, wherein the lug comprises at least one protuberance extending from an internal face, thereby providing the reduced portion of the aperture.

3. A cosmetic container comprising: a base comprising a cutout in an edge; a lid assembly comprising a lug extending in the cutout and comprising an orifice; a sleeve extending in the orifice and comprising an aperture comprising two terminal portions and a reduced portion between the terminal portions; and a pin comprising two ends extending in the base and a middle section movable between the terminal portions of the aperture via the reduced portion of the aperture.

4. The cosmetic container according to claim 3, wherein the sleeve comprises at least one protuberance extending from an internal face, thereby providing the reduced portion of the aperture.

5. The cosmetic container according to claim 4, wherein the sleeve comprises at least one bump extending from an external face, wherein the bump abuts against an internal face of the lug, thereby providing the at least one protuberance.

6. A cosmetic container comprising: a base comprising a cutout in an edge; a lid assembly comprising a lug extending in the cutout and comprising an orifice; a sleeve extending in the orifice and comprising an aperture comprising a first terminal portion, a second terminal portion, a middle portion, a first reduced portion between the first terminal portion and the middle portion, and a second reduced portion between the second terminal portion and the middle portion; and a pin comprising two ends extending in the base and a middle section movable between the middle portion of the aperture and the first terminal portion of the aperture via the first reduced portion and movable between the middle portion of the aperture and the second terminal portion of the aperture via the second reduced portion of the aperture.

7. The cosmetic container according to claim 6, wherein the lug comprises two protuberances extending from an internal face, thereby providing the first and second reduced portions of the aperture.

8. The cosmetic container according to claim 7, wherein the sleeve comprises two bumps extending from an external face, wherein the bumps abut against an internal face of the lug, thereby providing the protuberances.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0010] The present invention will be described via detailed illustration of four embodiments referring to the drawings wherein:

[0011] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a cosmetic container according to the first embodiment of the present invention;

[0012] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the cosmetic container in another position than shown in FIG. 1;

[0013] FIG. 3 is a top view of the cosmetic container shown in FIG. 1;

[0014] FIG. 4 is an exploded view of a lid assembly of the cosmetic container shown in FIG. 2;

[0015] FIG. 5 is a bottom view of the lid assembly shown in FIG. 4;

[0016] FIG. 6 is a perspective view of an internal lid of the lid assembly shown in FIG. 4;

[0017] FIG. 7 is a side view of a sleeve of the cosmetic container shown in FIG. 1;

[0018] FIG. 8 is a cut-away view of the cosmetic container shown in FIG. 1;

[0019] FIG. 9 is a side view of the cosmetic container shown in FIG. 1;

[0020] FIG. 10 is an enlarged partial view of the cosmetic container shown in FIG. 9;

[0021] FIG. 11 is a side view of a sleeve of a cosmetic container according to the second embodiment of the present invention;

[0022] FIG. 12 is a side view of a lug of an internal lid of a cosmetic container according to the third embodiment of the present invention; and FIG. 13 is a side view of a lug of an internal lid of a cosmetic container according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

[0023] Referring to FIG. 1, a cosmetic container includes a box 10, a lid assembly 30 and a sleeve 40 according to a first embodiment of the present invention. The box 10 and the lid assembly 30 are preferably in circular configurations.

[0024] Referring to FIG. 2, the box 10 includes a wall 20 extending from a base 11. An internal face 21 of the wall 20 and an upper face (not numbered) of the base 11 together provide a space (not numbered) for containing a cosmetic product such as blush.

[0025] The base 11 includes a cutout 16 in an edge and two passageways 14 on two opposite sides of the cutout 16. The cutout 16 is in communication with the passageways 14.

[0026] The lid assembly 30 includes a lug 34 extending from a lower face. The lug 34 includes an aperture 35.

[0027] The lug 34 is located in the cutout 16 after the sleeve 40 is inserted in the aperture 35. There is a pin 15 including a middle section inserted in the sleeve 40 and two ends of the pin 15 are inserted in the passageways 14 (FIG. 3). Thus, the lid assembly 30 is pivotally connected to the base 11.

[0028] Referring to FIG. 4, the lid assembly 30 includes an internal lid 31, an external lid 50, a mirror 60, a ring 61 and a panel 63. The internal lid 31 is an annular element with three stems 33 extending from an upper face. The lug 34 extends from a lower face of the internal lid 31.

[0029] The external lid 50 includes an annular portion 64 formed between an external wall 52 and an internal wall 55, a roof 53 extending on the internal wall 55, a space 57 in the internal wall 55 below the roof 53, three arched slots 54 cut in the annular portion 64, an upper groove 51 above the annular portion 64, and a lower groove 56 below the annular portion 64. The upper groove 51 is in communication with the lower groove 56 via the arched slots 54.

[0030] The mirror 60 is located in the space 57. The mirror 60 is attached to a lower face of the floor 53 by adhesion for example.

[0031] The ring 61 includes three bores 62 corresponding to the stems 33. The ring 61 is located in the upper groove 51. The internal lid 31 is located in the lower groove 56. The stems 33 extend in the upper groove 51 from the lower groove 56 via the arched slots 54. The stems 33 are fitted in the bores 62. Adhesive can be used to firmly attach to the stems 33 to the ring 61. Thus, the external lid 50 is rotatable relative to the combination of the internal lid 31 with the ring 61. The panel 63 is attached to the external lid 50 by adhesion for example. The panel 64 covers and protects the connection of the stems 33 to the ring 61.

[0032] Referring to FIGS. 2, 5, 8 and 9, there is a mechanism for locking the external lid 50 of the lid assembly 30 to the wall 20 of the box 10, i.e., for keeping the cosmetic container closed. For example, the locking mechanism includes three ridges 58 extending from an internal face of the internal wall 55 and three tracks 24 extending from an external face 23 of the ring 20.

[0033] Preferably, the ridges 58 are evenly located along the internal face of the internal wall 55, i.e., separated from one another by a same distance 59. Each of the ridges 58 includes a recess 581.

[0034] Preferably, the tracks 24 are evenly located along the external face 23 of the wall 20, i.e., separated from one another by a same distance 25. Each of the tracks 24 includes a lower face including a slant face 27 at a first end and a horizontal face 26 at a second end.

[0035] The locking mechanism further includes three stops 28 and three bosses 29. Each of the stops 28 is located below a corresponding one of the tracks 24, at the first end. Each of the bosses 29 is located below a corresponding one of the tracks 24, between the first and second ends.

[0036] The external lid 55 is rotatable to the wall 20 in a sense of direction as indicated by an arrow head 65 (FIG. 1) so that an upper face of each of the ridges 58 slides along the lower face of a corresponding one of the tracks 24, toward the second end from the first end. Then, each of the stops 28 stops a leading end of a corresponding one of the ridges 58, and each of the bosses 29 enters the recess 581 of a corresponding one of the ridges 58, thereby precisely keeping the ridges 58 beneath the tracks 24. The upper face of each ridge 58 contacts the lower face of the corresponding track 24. Thus, the lid assembly 30 is locked to the box 10.

[0037] The external lid 55 is rotatable to the wall 20 in another sense of direction as indicated by an arrow head 64 (FIG. 1) so that an upper face of each of the ridges 58 slides along the lower face of a corresponding one of the tracks 24, toward the first end from the second end. Each boss 29 leaves the recess 581 of the corresponding ridge 58. Finally, the upper face of each ridge 58 is away from the lower face of the corresponding track 24. Thus, the lid assembly 30 can be lifted from the box 10.

[0038] Referring to FIG. 6, the lug 34 includes two slits 36 cut in an internal face. The slits 36 are in communication with the aperture 35.

[0039] Referring to FIG. 7, on an external face, the sleeve 40 includes two primary protuberances 42 and four secondary protuberances 43 for example. The primary protuberances 42 are located opposite to each other.

[0040] The sleeve 40 is an elastic element made of polymer, elastomer, Styrene butadiene styrene block copolymer (SBS), styrene-ethylene-butene- styrene (SEBS) or polyamide (PA).

[0041] Referring to FIGS. 9 and 10, the primary protuberances 42 are inserted in the slits 36 as the sleeve 40 is located in the aperture 35 so that the sleeve 40 is not rotatable relative to the lug 34. Two bumps 44 extend from an internal face of the sleeve 40 as the primary protuberances 42 abut against the internal face of the lug 34. The bumps 44 divide the aperture 41 into two terminal portions 45 and 46 and a reduced portion 47. The terminal portions 45 and 46 are in communication with each other via the reduced portion 47 so that the middle section of the pin 15 is movable between the terminal portions 45 and 46 via the reduced portion 47.

[0042] The middle section of the pin 15 extends in the terminal portion 45 of the aperture 41 when the lid assembly 30 is locked to the base box 10. The middle section of the pin 15 is movable in the terminal portion 46 of the aperture 41 when the lid assembly 30 is not locked to the base 11. There is proper friction between the middle section of the pin 15 and the sleeve 40 to keep the middle section of the pin 15 in a desired angle in the sleeve 40. Thus, the lid assembly 30 is kept on or away from the base 11. The primary protuberances 42 and the secondary protuberances 43 absorb vibration during pivoting of the lid assembly 30 relative to the box 10, thereby reducing noise.

[0043] Referring to FIG. 11, there is a sleeve 40 of a cosmetic container according to a second embodiment of the present invention. The second embodiment is identical to the first embodiment except for that the sleeve 40 includes four bumps 441 instead of two bumps 44. Accordingly, the aperture 41 is divided into two terminal portions 45 and 46, a middle portion 48, a reduced portion 47 between the terminal portion 45 and the middle portion 48, and another reduced portion 47 between the terminal portion 46 and the middle portion 48.

[0044] The middle section of the pin 15 extends in the terminal portion 45 of the aperture 41 when the lid assembly 30 is in a first position relative to the box 10. The middle section of the pin 15 extends in the terminal portion 46 of the aperture 41 when the lid assembly 30 is in a second position relative to the box 10. The middle section of the pin 15 extends in the middle portion 48 of the aperture 41 when the lid assembly 30 is in a third position relative to the base 11. The third position is located between the first and second positions.

[0045] Referring to FIG. 12, there is a cosmetic container according to a third embodiment of the present invention. The third embodiment is identical to the first embodiment except for that the sleeve 40 is made in one piece with the lug 34.

[0046] Referring to FIG. 13, there is a cosmetic container according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention. The fourth embodiment is identical to the third embodiment except for including only one bump 44 instead of two.

[0047] Advantageously, the middle section of the pin 15 is movable between the terminal portions 45 and 46 of the aperture 41. Therefore, the pin 15 is protected from bending, and the lug 34 and the portions of the base 11 on two opposite sides of the cutout 16 are protected from excessive stress.

[0048] The present invention has been described via the illustration of the embodiments. Those skilled in the art can derive variations from the embodiments without departing from the scope of the present invention. Therefore, the embodiments shall not limit the scope of the present invention defined in the claims.