AU722296B3 - A wearable sunscreen container - Google Patents

Description

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR A PETTY PATENT Name of Applicant: Actual Inventor: Address for Service: SANDRA JANE ROBERTS SANDRA JANE ROBERTS CULLEN CO., Patent Trade Mark Attorneys, 240 Queen Street, Brisbane, QId. 4000, Australia.

Invention Title: A WEARABLE SUNSCREEN CONTAINER Details of Associated Provisional Applications: The following statement is a full description of this invention including the best method of performing it known to me: A WEARABLE SUNSCREEN CONTAINER TECHNICAL FIELD This invention relates to containers for sunscreens.

BACKGROUND ART It is well established that a great number of people, unwittingly or otherwise over expose themselves to the sun.

Often the over exposure is not detected at the time because the sun does not feel hot enough to damage the skin. In fact sun damage is caused by ultraviolet radiation (UVR), which is not seen or felt.

Unprotected exposure to UVR can lead to conditions of sunburn, skin aging and cancers.

Whilst no sunscreen product gives complete protection from UVR the best means of protection is to use an approved sunscreen, to minimise time in the sun between 10am and 3pm, to wear clothes that cover the skin, to wear of a broad brimmed hat or cap and sunglasses, and to stay in the shade as much as possible, with sunscreens being an important element of these protection precautions.

Most sunscreens are water resistant and the recommended type of sunscreen for use in Australia is broad spectrum SPF30+ sunscreen.

It is recommended that the sunscreen be applied generously and evenly on clean dry skin at least 20 minutes before going outside so as to leave a light film of sunscreen on the skin.

Sunscreen should be applied every two hours of exposure, or, more often if it has been wiped, washed or sweated off.

Children are particularly vulnerable to skin damage caused by UVR and whilst efforts are being made to educate them at an early age, sunburns are a regular occurrence if children are not adequately supervised and encouraged to take sensible precautions, particularly in terms of the regular application of sunscreens when their skin is exposed.

It is one object of the present invention to provide a device which will inform and encourage users, in particular younger users, to make regular applications of sunscreens.

Even with adequate education and encouragement children and adults alike often find themselves in a situation where they have wandered away or otherwise are remote from sunscreens.

It is a further aspect of the present invention to provide a container for a source of sunscreen which can be worn by the user.

Further aspects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the ensuing description.

DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided the combination of a container having attachment means and a hinged lid mounting a timepiece wherein the interiors of the container accommodate a supply of sunscreen.

The internal surfaces of the lid can be provided with a mirror surface.

The mirror surface can be provided by a reflective membrane.

The container can be provided with a peripheral lip so that when the lid closes on the lip a seal is created between the lip and the lid.

The sunscreen supply can be a gel based sunscreen.

The gel can contain what is commonly known as glitter or, can be coloured.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Aspects of the present invention will now described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which; Figure 1 is a perspective view of a device in accordance with one possible embodiment of the present invention, and Figure 2 is a sectional view of the device taken at 11:11 of figure 1, and Figure 3 is a plan view of a sunscreen "pack" in accordance with one possible embodiment of the present invention.

With respect to the drawings the present invention can provide a device which is a combination of a container generally indicated by arrow 1 having a wrist strap 2, a hinged lid 3 mounting a time piece such as a watch 4 the interiors of the container being adapted to accommodate a supply of sunscreen.

The internal surfaces of the lid can be provided with a mirror like under surface The mirror like surface can be provided in the form of a reflective membrane with a resilient backing which acts as a seal on a peripheral lip 6 of the container so that when the lid 3 closes on the lip a seal is created between the lip and the lid.

In a possible alternative the sunscreen can be supplied in tubs 7 and the interiors of the tubs containing sunscreen can be sealed off when the lid makes contact with the upper peripheral lips of the tubs 7.

As an original or on-going supply "pack" a number of the tubs may be provided on a backing strip 8 or the like as illustrated by figure 3.

Some sunscreens are gel based. Gels are water-miscible, viscous preparations which contain no oil. They are used for the application of water-soluble treatments to body surfaces and have the advantage over acqeous solutions of maintaining skin contact for longer periods.

Bearing in mind that one of the objectives of the present invention is to encourage and educate younger people (who it is generally accepted get 80% of their lifetime sun exposure before the age of 18), a gel based sunscreen provides scope for the addition of fashionable additives such as glitters and colouring popular with young females.

The sunscreen of the present invention can be provided in a tubs or other containers 6 designed to be a neat fit within the interiors of the container.

It is envisaged that several varieties of sunscreen with different additives can be produced to provide a range of choices for the user.

The varied supply of sunscreen can be supplied with the container at purchase and from retail or other outlets on an ongoing basis.

It is also envisaged that the time piece attached to the lid of the device may incorporate an alarm or visual signal means to remind the wearer that the re-application of sunscreen is appropriate having regard to the period of exposure.

Whilst one means of attaching the container of the present invention to the wearer is a wrist strap as illustrated it is envisaged that other forms of attachment to clothing items bags or the like may include plastics, clips or the like.

Aspects of the present invention have been described by way of example only and it will be appreciated that modifications and additions thereto may be made without departing from the scope thereof, as defined in the appended claims.

Claims (3)

1. The combination of a first container having an interior, attachment means, a hinged lid mounted timepiece and a membrane with a resilient backing attached to an inner side of the hinged lid, wherein the interior of the first container is adapted to accommodate a removable second container such that when the hinged lid of the first container is closed, the membrane seals an aperture in the second container.

2. The combination of claim 1 wherein a surface of the membrane is provided with a mirror surface.

3. The combination of claim 1 or claims 2 wherein the attachment means is a wrist strap. DATED this 25' day of May 2000 SANDRA ROBERTS By her Patent Attorneys CULLEN CO.