US1765726A - Vanity case - Google Patents

Description

June 24, 1930. I JOHNSON 1,765,726

wmnw CASE Filed Sept. 19, 1927 ATTORNEY.

Patented June 24, 1930 FRITZR. JOHNSON, F PROVIDENCE, RHODE: ISLAND PATIENT OFFICE VANITY CASE Application filed September 19, 1927. Serial No. 220,377.

In the development of the vanity case as an article of personal adornment as well as a convenient toilet accessory, and particularly in the development of the so-called watch case or thin-edge type of vanity case, the hinge as the important service element of the Vanity case, has been the subject of much experimentation, and various expedients have been devised in the effort to provide a form of 10 hinge and hinge mounting which would possess sufiicient strength to withstand the strain of repeated opening and closing without however sacrificing anything of compactness and attractiveness. That is to say, the

1 problem has been to provide a sturdy hinge mounting which, however, would not require a corresponding sturdiness of case construction andhence result in a vanity case, which on account of its size, could not be conveniently carried in the pocket or handbag or on account of its appearance would not possess that daintiness necessary to its use as an article of personal adornment. I

To the end, therefore, of providing a commercially practicable'vanity case which will solve the foregoing problem, I have devised my present invention. According to it, the casing forming members are of the usual concavo-convex type, but instead of attempting to hingedly connect these members directly to each other, as is nowusually done, I form the hinge connection not only as a distinct and separate connection but one which car ries out the watch case type efieot, and in fact constitutes the knife like edge or bead of the I case. Functionally, therefore, my novel I hinge connection is at once both a hinge and a knife-edge beading for the case. Structurally, it takes the form of a channeled ring which 40 is so shaped as to permit it to be rolled over I upon the bottom forming member of the case and to present at once both a sharply-defined relatively thin edge or bearing extending H about the periphery of said bottom member and a mounting for one part of the hinge element, permitting such part to be assembled on said bottom member without the necessity of soldering or otherwise fastening it directly to the bottom member itself. In

'50 other words, the hinge mounting ring carries one of the hinge parts and is itself rolled over the periphery of the bottom member of the case. This provides a strong and serviceable hinge connection which is practically free of all liability of becoming sprung, and: admits of better gauge stock being used in the construction of the casing forming members themselves, thus resulting in a sturdier case.

In addition to these advantages, my case also involves certain features of merit in respect to the manufacture and assembly thereof and to the ornamental aspects, as will appear more fully hereinafter. As illustrative of the principles involved,.I shall describe and show in the'accompanying specification and drawings a form of case which I have found satisfactory in actual use and well adapted to the requirements of manufacture. This showing, however, is illustrativerath'er than limiting, as I recognize that various modifications in the actual structure illu trated are possible and may be desirable according to circumstances.

In these drawings:

Fig. l is a top view of a vanity case inaccordance with my invention, showing the case closed.

Fig. 2 is an edge View of such closed case.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary detail view of the hinge mounting ring removed from the bottom-forming member of the case.

' Fig. 4 is a detail view of the hinge itself, removed.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged section thr ugh the case.

Fig. 6 is a detail View of the case ornament, shown in Fig. 1, removed.-

.; Fig.7 is an edge View of the case, partly opened, to expose the interior thereof and Fig. 8 is an enlarged detail section through the rim of the case when closed.

The case comprises a cover member 1 and a bottom member 2. These members, when shaped to form, are concavo-convexin section and may be made of sheet stock. The cover member is of less diameter than thebottom memberand swings down thereover and has a snap fit at its edge therewith. This member is provided with a substantially vertically dis posed annular rim or flange 3 and with a horizontally extending finger nail operating portion 4.

The two members are hingedly connected to each other by a special form of hinge and hinge mounting. As here shown, such connection comprises a channeled hinge ring (detailed in Fig. 3) which is shaped to permit it to be rolled over the edge of the bottom member 2, said edge being slightly shouldered as indicated at 5 (Fig.8) to receive the'downward outer edge 6 of said ring.

Prior to assembly on the bottom member 2,

the hinge ring, in section, presents an inner substantially vertically disposed wall 7 an nularly shouldered as at 8 and connected by the substantially horizontally disposed wall or web 9 with the downturned outer edge 6, (see Fig. 8) the portions 6 and 9 at their juncture presenting the knife edge 10.

When rolled over the edge of the bottom forming member 2 of the case, however, the hinge ring is slightly deformed, in that the wall 7 is forced into an upwardly and inward- .ly inclining position. and the wall 9 into a downwardly and outwardly inclining posi-.

side of the bottom member 3. This disposesthe inner wall 7 of the ring in proper position to frictionally receivethe depending annular flange 3 of the cover member when said cover member is swung over upon the bottom memher, the portions 3 against one another efiective to hold them closed against anything but an intentional separating pressure. If desired, this inter locking engagement may be augmented by providing the portion 3 with'slight recesses 3 and the portion 7'with slight'protuberances 7 or vice versa, adapted to interengage with each other when the case is closed (see Fig. 8)

The sharply defined outer edge of the hinge ring therefore constitutes both a thin or watch-case type edge 1.0 and a strengthening and reinforcing beading for the rim of the bottom member. The web or connecting portion 9 of the ring is utilized as the mounting or anchoring portionforone ofthe parts of the two-part hinge, here shown' as the leaf 11. This'leaf is inserted through a vertical slot-12 (Fig. 3) in said web 9, and is anchored thereto by means of the upturned flange 13. The other leaf of the hinge is indicated at 14 and is anchored over the adj acent'edge portion of the cover member, as by means of the and 7 having a snap fit flanges 15 which are inserted through suitable slots formed in the cover member and clinched therein, as appears in Fig. 1. Both leaves are formed with the usual rolled pintle sockets to receive the pintle 16. I

By this construction of hinge and hinge mounting, I not only obtain a strong and reliable hinge connection but the hinge ring itself constitutes a relatively thin beading for the edge of the bottom member 2 in addition to itsfunctionas the independent hinge carrying member of the case.

The bottom member may carry the usual retainer for. powder or rouge compact, and the cover member may carry the usual mirror 17 ,with appropriate backings as at 18 and 19 and retaining bezel 20. 9

One or both of the casing members may be ornamentally' embellished in any suitable manner, as bythe ornament 21 which is here shown as applied to the outer face of the cover 1. This ornament may be of any shape, size or color, and as here shown is a simple stamping of conventional heart design col- 'ored in contrast to the material of the case proper. It is applied to the case as a separate and independent piece, the cover being slightly depressed as shown at 22 (Fig. 5) to receive it and to allow it to lie substantially flush therewith Preferably the cover is pierced adjacent said depression by one or more slots adapted to receive depending tongues or prongs 23 formed'on the inner side of the ornament and which prongs,

when inserted through said ;slots, and

clinched over on the inner face of the cover member,'serve to fasten the ornamental piece on the cover. 7

Various modifications in the construction of my invention may obviously be resorted to if within the limits of the appended claim. 7

\Vhat I therefore claim and desire'to secure by Letters Patent is A hinged container comprising ooncavoconvex top and bottom casing members proportioned to overlie one another'when the container is closed, a single annular hinge ring affixed to said bottom member and presenting an inner wall against which the edge of the top member isadaptedto abut when the container is closed, said wall'extending outwardly of the container as a downwardly and outwardly inclined, portion. following the general curvature of the top member and substantially co-planar therewith and terminating'at the edge of the bottom-member in a sharply bent downwardly: and rearwardly inclined attaching portion'overlaplping said bottom member, and ahinge disposed interiorly of said container and an chored to sald rmg and to said top member respectiv y 'R JOHNSON

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