US2245487A

US2245487A - Vanity box or case

Info

Publication number: US2245487A
Application number: US228419A
Authority: US
Inventors: Willis H Machin
Original assignee: Scovill Inc
Current assignee: Scovill Inc
Priority date: 1938-09-03
Filing date: 1938-09-03
Publication date: 1941-06-10
Anticipated expiration: 1958-06-10

Description

June 10, 1941;

' w. H. MACHI N VANITY BOX OR CASE Filed Sept. 5, 1938 1NV.ENTOR M n N w Y B /7 Patented June 10, 1941 UNITED STATE VANITY BOX OR CASE Willis H. Machin, Middlebury, Conn., assignor to Scovill Manufacturing Company, Waterbury, Conn., a corporation of Connecticut Application September 3, 1938, Serial No. 228,419

2 Claims. (01. 220-35) This invention relates to certain improvements in vanity boxes or cases,

The tendency of late is to produce vanity boxes in which the base or the body portion is made of a molded plastic composition or analogous substance and the other parts such as the cover lids, powder well, mirror, spring catches, etc. are preferably made of metal and fitted into this body to complete the box. This type of box calls for a somewhat difierent constructional design in its fabrication from the conventional boxes made entirely of metal.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide a combination plastic body and a metal compartment member fitted into the body in which the body has a top flat plane and a cover of relatively shallow dimension is hinged to the compartment member and designed to rest against the top plane of the body when in closed position.

A further object is to provide a hinge construction for the above type of box, in which the open movement of the cover will be permitted to open onlyfor a predetermined distance so that the mirror carried by the cover shall stand in a position most convenient to the user.

With these objects in view and others not specifically referred to, the invention consists in certain novel parts, arrangements and combinations which will be described in connection with the accompanying drawing, and the novel features pointed out in the claims hereunto appended.

In the drawing:

Fig, 1 is a perspective view of the vanity case constructed in accordance with the present invention, with the two cover lids in open position,

Fig. 2 is a vertical section through the same, taken on the line of 2-2, of Fig. 1, with the cover lids in closed position.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view, slightly enlarged, of the right end view of Fig. 2 to show in clearer detail the hinge construction and cover opening mechanism.

Fig, 4 is a plan view of the body made of molded plastic composition, per se.

Fig. 5 is a diagonal vertical sectional view through one corner of the box showing the means for holding the metal insert in assembled position, the view taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 1.

Referring now to the drawing in which like numerals indicate likeparts throughout the several views, the numeral ill refers to a body which in this case is preferably made of plastic oomposition having its front and back walls out 01f in parallel planes and its longitudinal sidewalls curved and merged smoothly into the top and bottom flat planes of said body, and it is within the purview of this invention to make ornamental shape of the box other than that described and illustrated in the drawing. The central portion of the body I0 is arranged with a hollow to provide a compartment ll into which is fitted a cup shaped container shell l2 having a horizontal integral flange l3 extending outwardly from its upper edge. Within the hollow compartment H of the body Ill projecting from the sidewalls thereof, there is provided a ledge I4 extending around substantially the entire inner periphery of the well (see Fig. 4). The horizontal flange I3 is adapted. to rest upon this ledge M to support the container shell [2 within the compartment II and incidentally to conceal the ledge M from view when the container shell I2 is in assembled position.

From Fig. 4 it will be noted that the ledge [4 has several cut out portions for the purpose of accommodating various of the mechanical units forming a part of the vanity box, such as the means for holding the parts in closed position, etc., as will be described in detail later.

The container shell l2 provides for a loose powder well l5 and is adapted to be sealed by a loose powder cover lid l6 pivoted to a suitable hinge construction I1, provided in the upper surface of the flange l3. This cover lid I6 is held in closed position by means of a spring catch l8 projected up through suitable opening l8a in the flange l3 and accommodated in a cut-out l9 provided in ledge portion M of the body III. This cover lid I6 is preferably cup shape so as to snugly fit into the upper well portion of the container shell l2 to assure a better seal for the loose powder well l5, and also by this particular formation the lid l6 provides a suitable receptacle or pocket Ilia in its upper surface to receive the usual powder puff (not shown) furnished with all vanity boxes.

In order to seal the vanitybox when not in use, a cover 20 is provided having a longitudinal hinge barrel 2| integrally formed along one edge. The cover 20 is hinged to the container shell flange l3 by means of a pair of complemental hinge barrels 22-22 formed up from the edge of said flange l3, disposed above the top plane of the body I0 and spaced to receive the cover hinge barrel 2| therebetween. A hinge pin 23 is inserted through the alined barrels 2| and 22-22 to complete the hinge. The peripheral edge of the cover 20 is formed down with a relatively narrow rim 24 providing a pocket suitable to retain a mirror 25 preferably made of polished metal in order to keep the cover member as thin as possible; the mirror being held in place by several nibs 26 staked inwardly from the free edge of the cover rim 24.

When the coverv is closed the free edge portion of the cover rim 24 rests upon the top surface of the body It) thus extending above the upper plane of the body to the amount only of the cover thickness. The cover 20 is held in closed posi- T: t to tion by means of a catch lug 21 projecting inwardly from the front edge of the cover rim 24 and adapted to be releasably engaged by a spring catch 28 operated by thumb piece 29 projecting througha slot' 30 in the front wall of the body. The spring catch is confined within a recess I911;

formed in the adjacent ledge portion [4 of the body Ill and closed therein by the bridgingefiect of the adjacent flange and powder well wall between the ledge l4. 1 Y .f

The fact that the cover'rests' snugly" upon the upper plane of the body requires that provision be made to raise the cover 29 upon the release of the spring catch 23 a distance sufficient to allow room to permit the operator to insert a thumborufinger there bene'ath.=, This meansis provided by a spring mechanism. disposed in a socket tiforl'ned. in the'ledge' portion [4 of the body le -and operated adjacent the hinge bar"- rel Zloff-the coverill. Thisj'spring mechanism comprises essentially 'a tubular eyelet 32 having its upper exposed end formed into a rounded headti, to operate as a cam 1 for opening the cover 29 and with the opposite end formed with an outwardly flared flange 36, slidably fitted into the socket 3i, The body of .theeyelet 32 is adapt- .ed' to project throughva suitableopeinng 35 pierced through the flanged portion [3 "of the container shell l 2. The openingBt-is of asmaller diameter than thesocket ill in the body I!) and is coaxially disposed there over providing an overhanging shoulder, at the open end of the socket (ii against which. as .a stop the eyelet .fia'nge 34' engages: as best shownin'FigQ. 3. One

end of aspring 36 is fitted within the hollow I portion of the tubular eyelet. 32while the opposite end rests against the base'of the socket 3|. The spring 33 normally urges said eyelet 32 upwardly until thefi'ange 3d meets the stop shoulder immediately surrounding thevopening 35.

' The working principle: of the'above construction is weil:illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3, wherein vrlienthecover'lid Hi is closedfthe eyelet: 32 will be forced'downwa'rdly-v in the socket 3i causing the spring EEVto'be compressed and remain under tensi'on 'nntil up'on'the relea'seof the spring catch 28' tl1e-cover willautomatically be forced open-tea positionsindicatedin Fig.8; This will allow; sufficient room for the operator to insert a .thumb "or, finger underneath and open the cover 28 the remaining distance. 1

In order to retain all the metal parts within -the1 compartment"iii of thebody .li] when in assembled position, the following construction is pro vided. 'The vertical wall ofthe ledge M in each corner is formed with an undercut'slot 31, see Figs. l zand 5. After the container shell '12 is inserted into place within the compartment 1, each corner wall of the powder well is forced outwardly to form external nibs 38 which enter into permanent engagement within the undercut slots 3i, see Fig 5. ;It is here to be understood that in this assembly of the vanity born before the nibbing operation, the spring catch z t andattachedt th nnb piece 29 are first assemble'dfinfiheir respective positions in the body l ii .and ithen the container shell I 2,- assenn bled withthe hingelid I t the cover; 28 and the hinge lid spring catch it areas a unit assembled into the plastic body iii. Thisconstruction afiords a permanent assembly of all the metal parts to the pisses base and prevents any subsequeat tan'p neg with the mechanical arrangements ;of the box.

n Order iq-.- f -ei ie ii isli br i n g l 't determined limit and thus to hold it at the desired angle relatively to the upper plane of the body it, the metal stock of the flange l3 between the

hinge barrels

22, 22 is formed up into a 1ongitudinal arcuate lip 39 which is adapted to embrace a portion of the cover hinge barrel 2|, see Fig. 3. The free edge of the lip 39 extends a sufficient distance above the upper plane of the body iii, to bring the cover 20 to rest as the backof the cover strikes against the edge of the lip, at a position substantially as represented in dotte'd 'o'utlin'e in Fig. 3. By thus serving as a stop ior'the cover 29, the lip also prevents the cover at all times from coming into direct contact with the body Hi, such as to act as a lever to pry the container shell l2 out of its compartment H, or to put any undue strain upon the assembly nibs 33.

While the form of-invention herein shown and describedjembraces a preferred embodiment of the same, it is to be understood that the construction may be varied as to mechanical details-without departing from;the spirit of the invention-and the scope of what is claimed.

What is claimed is:

i. In a vanity box; a body made of a molded product and having a hollow compartment openingin'i'rom theto-p-tplan'e of said body, a ledge portioni'disposed below the top' plane of=said body and projectinginwardly from the walls of said compartment, a container shell fitted into said compartment and having a peripheral flange resting upon-said ledge "portion, a pair of spaced ,1: lied-hinge; barrels formed at the rear edge of s-aidifiange; a'c'over for closin'gisa'id compartment havinga .complementary hinge barrel rolled from the coveriniaterial and fitted between 'said'spaced barrels-a hinge pin connecting said barrels together, and .a lug" formed iand bent outwardly from the edge. of said flange between'said container shell barrels, said lugb'eing'of an arcuate shape in conformity with the cover barreland extended to .a distance" slightly 'above'the top planeof said body, ans edge of said lugadapted .to be engaged byrthestopc-surface of said cover adjacent-the hingeiutoa limit? the opening movement oi the cover and prevent the latter from engaging the top surface of the "body and "act in the manner-era lever. a 1

2.:111a-vanity:box,ea*b'odym'ade of a molded pro ductand -having ia' hollow compartment open-'- nggin -;fIOIli-' the top p'la-ne hf 's'aid' b'ody aledge 1301121011 disposed beIOW'tIie-top'pIane oi? said body and projectin inwardly froniithei walls' o'f said compartment, container shell=fitted iiito said compartment andnaving aliperipheral flange restingiupon-v said ledgeiportion; one' edge of said flange havin an upstanding wall with o'ppos'ite ends formedinto spacedrolledhinge barrels disposed With h r;axes-rabove'the'top plane of said bod-y a di stance substantially orie half" the diameter ;ofsaid barrels; a shallowacup-shaped cover for; closing said com-par,tment-and when" closed designed to have witszcu'pped edge rest upon I the top plane' of ';said=b0 'y, (a; fcomplementary hinge bar-rel ronedfrom: the cover material F and fitted bet eensaid spaced barrels; a hinge pin'connectaia- -b-arre ls together, andia lug formed-from pstandi-ng wall between said? spaced; barawed-outwardly about-said cover hinge o a;position where the lug edge is disposed sl ghtly above the-top planeof said body andcoasts with said cover; to limit the opening moyement ofz thelatter; W I

4 WILLIS H-.'M.AGIHN-"