US20120187023A1

US20120187023A1 - Cosmetics container

Info

Publication number: US20120187023A1
Application number: US12/929,446
Authority: US
Inventors: Reginald Wells
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2011-01-26
Filing date: 2011-01-26
Publication date: 2012-07-26

Abstract

An attractive housing is circular in configuration with a base and a cover and a knob on the cover that may be gripped to open the cover. The interior of the container includes a chamber defining a plurality of receptacles that are removable from the base and replaceable. Each receptacle may contain a different kind of cosmetic such as powder, make-up, mascara, lipstick, and others. A portion of the base that receives the receptacles may be a separately installed holder that may be removed to reveal a portion of the chamber that may be used to store other items such as other implements as well as money or other valuables.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a cosmetics container. In the prior art, generally speaking, cosmetics containers are known. Consumers may purchase powder puffs, and containers of make-up having individual receptacles containing blush, lipstick, mascara, and other types of make-up that are employed by women in enhancing their visual appearance. A need has developed, however, for an all-encompassing cosmetics container that within an attractive housing contains a number of differing types of make-up so that in a single container a person can carry with them virtually everything they need to make themselves up to enhance their visual appearance. It is with this thought in mind that the present invention was developed.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a cosmetics container. The present invention includes the following interrelated objects, aspects and features:
(1) In a first aspect, the present invention is contemplated to include an aesthetically attractive housing that is circular in configuration having a base and a cover and a knob on the cover that may be gripped to open the cover by pivoting it about a hinge. When the cover is pivoted to the open position, the interior of the container is revealed.
(2) If desired, the underside of the cover may be polished to create a mirror or alternatively a mirror may be mounted thereon. Within the base a chamber defines a plurality of receptacles that are removable from the base and replaceable.
(3) Each receptacle may contain a different kind of cosmetic such as powder, make-up, mascara, lipstick, and others. If desired, one or more of the receptacles may be used to store applicators such as for powder (a brush) or for mascara. If desired, the portion of the base that receives the receptacles may be a separately installed holder that may be removed as well to reveal a portion of the chamber thereunder that may be used to store other items such as other implements as well as money or other valuables. In this way, the inventive cosmetics container can be of great assistance to a person who would prefer to organize their cosmetics in one convenient location while also providing a location to store valuables so that they are not detected by a potential thief.
Accordingly, it is a first object of the present invention to provide a cosmetics container.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide such a container including an aesthetically pleasing, generally circular housing having a cover that may be pivoted between open and closed positions.
It is a still further object of the present invention to provide such a container in which an internal chamber receives a holder that includes recesses to hold receptacles designed to hold cosmetics and implements for their application.
These and other objects, aspects and features of the present invention will be better understood from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments when read in conjunction with the appended drawing figures.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of the present invention.

FIG. 2 shows a front view of the present invention.

FIG. 3 shows a rear view of the present invention.

FIG. 4 shows a side view of the present invention.

FIG. 5 shows a view from the other side of the present invention.

FIG. 6 shows a top view of the present invention.

FIG. 7 shows a bottom view of the present invention.

FIG. 8 shows a front side perspective view of the present invention with the cover in the open position.

FIG. 9 shows a top view of the base of the present invention with the cover open.

FIG. 10 shows a top view similar to that of FIG. 9, but with the pair of centrally located receptacles replaced by a single circular receptacle.

FIG. 11 shows a cross-sectional view along the line 11-11 of FIG. 9.

FIG. 12 shows a cross-sectional view along the line 12-12 of FIG. 10.

SPECIFIC DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

With reference first to FIGS. 1-7, the outer appearance of the present invention, in preferred embodiments, is shown. The present invention is generally designated by the reference numeral 10 and includes a lid 11, a base 13, and a knob 17 on the lid 11 that may be gripped to facilitate pivoting of the lid 11 with respect to the base 13. The lid 11 is mounted for pivoting by virtue of a hinge 16 (FIGS. 9 and 10) and the lid includes a catch 18 (FIG. 8) that is received within an opening 25 (FIGS. 8-10) to facilitate releasable latching of the lid 11 in the closed position shown in FIGS. 1-5 in particular. A button 15 (FIGS. 1 and 2, for example) may be pushed to release a latching mechanism (not shown) to release the catch 18 and permit the user to grip the knob 17 and pivot the lid 11 about the hinge 16 to the open position shown in FIGS. 8-10 in particular.
The container 10 preferably has a flat bottom 19 (FIGS. 7 and 11-12) so that it may sit on a flat surface.
With more particular reference now to FIGS. 8-12, the lid 11 has an underside 21 that may be polished to provide a mirror surface to serve as a mirror that may be viewed by the user when applying cosmetics. Alternatively, a separate mirror (not shown) may be adhered to the surface 21.
With further reference to FIGS. 8-12, the base 13 has a holder 23 with recesses 26, 28, 30, 32 and 34 therein (FIG. 9, in particular). As best seen in FIG. 9, in a first embodiment of the present invention, the recess 26 removably retains receptacle 27. The recess 28 removably retains receptacles 29 and 31. The recess 30 releasably retains the receptacle 33. The recess 32 releasably retains the receptacles 35, 37 and 39. And, the recess 34 releasably retains the receptacles 41 and 43.
In an alternative shown in FIG. 10, the receptacles 41 and 43 which are semi-circular in configuration are replaced with a single circular receptacle 45.
Each of the receptacles 29, 31, 33, 35, 37, 39, 41, 43 and 45 may be filled with a desired cosmetic such as lipstick, make-up, powder, blush and/or mascara. One or more of the receptacles may be employed to hold implements such as brushes to apply blush, powder, make-up or mascara.
With reference to FIGS. 11 and 12, it is seen that the base 13 has a chamber 47 beneath the holder 23. The chamber 47 may be accessed by gripping the holder 23 and removing it from the face 13. In the preferred embodiment, the holder 23 is held in place through the frictional interaction of its peripheral wall 42 with respect to the internal wall 46 of the base 13. Thus, this frictional interaction must be overcome to remove the holder 23 from the base 13 to gain access to the chamber 47. The chamber 47 may be utilized to store implements used to apply cosmetics or it can also be used to store other items such as keys, credit cards, money or other valuables.
The inventive container 10 may be made of any suitable plastic or metal material with an eye toward economy of manufacture while maintaining the desired strength.
As such, an invention has been disclosed in terms of preferred embodiments thereof which fulfill each and every one of the objects of the invention as set forth hereinabove, and provide a new and useful cosmetics container of great novelty and utility.
Of course, various changes, modifications and alterations in the teachings of the present invention may be contemplated by those skilled in the art without departing from the intended spirit and scope thereof.
As such, it is intended that the present invention only be limited by the terms of the appended claims.

Claims

1. An improved container, comprising:

a) a base and a lid on said base movable to allow access to a chamber in said base;

b) a holder removably received in said base, said holder including a plurality of upwardly open recesses;

c) a receptacle removably received in each of said recesses, each receptacle having a periphery shaped at least in partial conformance with a recess in which it is received;

d) said chamber in said base terminating at a bottom interior surface of said base, said holder having a lower exterior surface spaced from said bottom interior surface of said base to form a sub-chamber.

2. The improved container of claim 1, wherein said base is generally circular.

3. The improved container of claim 1, wherein said lid is hingedly mounted on said base and may pivot between open and closed positions.

4. The improved container of claim 3, wherein said lid has an undersurface comprising a mirror.

5. The improved container of claim 1, wherein at least one of said recesses has arcuate walls.

6. The improved container of claim 1, wherein a plurality of said recesses have arcuate walls.

7. The improved container of claim 5, wherein at least one of said recesses has a circular periphery.

8. The improved container of claim 7, wherein said circular periphery recess removably receives a circular periphery receptacle.

9. The improved container of claim 7, wherein said circular periphery recess removably receives two semi-circular periphery receptacles.

10. The improved container of claim 3, wherein said lid includes a catch releasably engageable with a latch in said base to releasably lock said lid in a closed position.

11. The improved container of claim 1, wherein said holder includes at least four arcuate-walled recesses.

12. The improved container of claim 11, wherein an arcuate-walled receptacle is removably received in each of said arcuate-walled recesses.

13. The improved container of claim 1, wherein each of said receptacles stores a cosmetic chosen from the group consisting of powder, blush, lipstick and mascara.

14. The improved container of claim 12, wherein each of said receptacles stores a cosmetic chosen from the group consisting of powder, blush, lipstick and mascara.

15. The improved container of claim 1, further including a knob mounted on said lid, said knob being gripped to open said lid.

16. The improved container of claim 3, further including a knob mounted on said lid, said knob being gripped to open said lid.

17. An improved container comprising:

a) a generally circular base and a lid hingedly mounted on said base and pivotable between open and closed positions to allow access to a chamber in said base, said lid having an undersurface comprising a mirror;

c) a receptacle removably received in each of said recesses, each receptacle having a periphery shaped at least in partial conformance with a recess in which it is received, each of said receptacles storing a cosmetic chosen from the group consisting of powder, blush, lipstick and mascara;

18. The improved container of claim 17, wherein a plurality of said recesses have arcuate walls.

19. The improved container of claim 17, wherein said lid includes a catch releasably engageable with a latch in said base to releasably lock said lid in a closed position.

20. The improved container of claim 17, wherein said holder includes at least four arcuate-walled recesses and an arcuate-walled receptacle is removably received in each of said arcuate-walled recesses.