US2399997A

US2399997A - Compact

Info

Publication number: US2399997A
Application number: US557321A
Authority: US
Inventors: Alfred A Flaster
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1944-10-05
Filing date: 1944-10-05
Publication date: 1946-05-07
Anticipated expiration: 1963-05-07

Description

I y 1946- A; A. FLAS'TER- 2,399,997

COMPACT Filed 00L; 5, 1944 ALFRED A. rmsn-vz INVENTOR.

Arm 44 flvnuuq Patented May 7, 1946 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE i '2,s99,99r;

common 7 Alfred A. Fla-ster, New York, .(Y. Application October 5, 1944, Serial 557,321

6Claims. (01. 132-583) This invention relates to compacts, i. e. cases containing powder, a powder puff and a mirror.

Generally, compact cases are formed of a container and a cover therefor, the container accommodating powder and puff while the cover holds the mirror. The container portion of'the compact is made in two different styles as follows.

The most widely used type has a cloth sifter or screen-like fabric secured in the container tohold the powder, the powder puff lying between the sifter and the mirror. This typeofcompact has the severe disadvantage that powder leaks through the sifter in excess of the desired quantity so as to saturate the puff and on saturation thereof, as well as by working its way around the puff to the top thereof, to spread over the face of the mirror to cloud and obstruct the same.

The other, somewhat improved but also more expensive type of compact has a container portion'including two sections, the lower containing loose powder and in place of a sifter, a tightly fitted metal cover or partition cooperating with a felt washerto prevent leakage. This partition is slightly depressed to serve as support for a powder puff lying between the partition'and the mirror.

This type is superior to the first-mentioned type in that leakage of powder from the lower section of the container is prevented; yet, whenever the pull is saturated with powder it will still cloud the mirror. 7

Another disadvantage of this type of compact resides in that when the compact is opened only for use of the mirror, e. g. during the application of lipstick or just to check the appearance of the face, the pull, due to the smoothness of the metal surface of the partition, is liable to slide off the partition and drop out of the case. These disadvantages have tended to offset the improvement made in regard to prevention of powder leakage so that this second type of compact, being more expensive than the first without sufiicient advantages to justify the added expense, has not found a universal market.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a compact which eliminates the various disadvantages enumerated above, and which is free from powder leakage, clouding of the mirror, or the danger of the puff dropping out of the case.

A further object of the invention is to provide a compact which while eliminatin the drawbacks of compacts as heretofore provided, and having other advantages, can be made sufficiently simple and inexpensively as to be available for widespread use.

Other objects, and the manner in which the may have a circular or polygonal contour.

the following compact with a marginal metal portion, approximately of inverted L-section, with a groove in the top of the inverted L; arrange a felt-washer inside this marginal portion and a sifter covering powder held "in place by saidfelt washer; place the puff so that its circumferential portion rests on said felt-washer, the puff thus lying above but spaced from, said sitter; provide a hinged intermediate cover or partition having an outward bulge so as to accommodate the top of the puff, this cover or partition having one projection fitting into the groove arrangedin the toppart of the inverted L-section, and a second projection abutting against the inverted L-section and pressing down on the circumferential edge of the puff, so as to serve as a double seal, the mirror being mounted in the case cover as usual but due to the arrangement of the partition or intermediate cover above the puff, being shielded alforming partthereof an embodiment of my invention is illustrated diagrammatically in vertical section by way of example.

Referring to the drawing, l is the compact case which may consist of metal, plastic or the like and 2 is a cover which may be hinged to the case and may be fitted inside with a mirror 3. 4 is a marginal insert, e. g. a ring of angular cross section, one flange of which 5 may extend substantially in parallel with the circumferential case wall 6, while the other flange 1 may fit in the case opening in contact with the wall 6 and may be formed with an annular groove 8.

9 is the partition, which may be hinged to the case wall 6 and is'formed near its circumferential edge ID with two concentric, annular projections I3 is a gasket of felt or similar material encircling the powder compartment [4, and I5 is a puff formed and dimensioned so as to fit tightly in the powder compartment and its wall 5.

As shown in the drawing, the circumferential portion l6 of the pufi is forced down on the felt gasket 13 by the inner projection l2 of the partition so as to establish, in conjunction with the projection H and the groove 8, a tight doubleseal all around the powder compartment. In this manner the powder H which is contained in the compartment HS underneath the sifter I 8 and which may pass through the sifter and into con tact with the bottom of the puiT, is safely prevented from seeping through into the space Ma above the pufi. This has the two-fold advantage that not only is the powder prevented from ever reaching and clouding the mirror, but, moreover, the powder is also prevented from reaching and adhering to, the top part of the puff which thus remains free from any powder and when gripped during removal and use of the puff, will not expose hand and clothing of the user to undesirable contact with powder but will safeguard hand and clothing against any powder stains.

I wish it to be understood that I do not desire to be limited to the details shown and described, for obvious modifications within the scope of the appended claims will occur to a person skilled in the art.

Iclaim:

l. A compact comprising in combination, a cover portion and a container portion, said container portion including a marginal insert, a gasket inside said insert adapted to support the circumferential edge of a puff, a groove in the top of said insert, and an intermediate cover having one projection fitting into said groove, and a sec- 0nd projection overlying and abutting against the side of said insert and adapted to force the circumferential edge of the puff onto said gasket.

2. A compact comprising in combination, a cover portion holding a mirror, and a container portion, said container portion including a marginal insert, a gasket inside said insert, a sifter held between the container bottom and said gasket, a puff adapted to rest on said gasket, a groove in said insert, and an intermediate cover having one projection fitting into said groove, and. another projection overlying and abutting against the side of said insert and bearing on said puff, whereby a double-seal seals the container from the cover portion so as to prevent powder from reaching the face of the mirror.

3. In a compact, a container portion, a cover portion, an inner Wall in said container portion, a gasket adjoining said inner wall and adapted to support the circumferential edge of a puff, an intermediate cover for sealing said container portion arranged intermediate said container and cover portions, a projection on said intermediate cover overlying and abutting against the top of said wall, and a second projection on said intermediate cover overlying and abutting against the inner side of said wall and adapted to force said edge on said gasket.

4. \A compact comprising in combination, a cover portion and a container portion, a marginal insert in said container portion, a gasket inside said insert adapted to support the circumferential edge of a puiT, a groove in the top of said insert, and an intermediate cover arranged intermediate said container and cover portions and having one projection fitting into said groove, and a second projection overlying and abutting against the side of said insert and adapted to force the circumferential edge of the puff on said gasket, said groove and said gasket cooperating with said projections to form a double seal whereby to prevent powder from escapin to said cover portion and to the space between the pufi and said intermediate cover, respectively.

5. A compact comprising in combination, a container portion, a cover portion and an intermediate cover portion arranged intermediate said container and cover portions, said container portion including a marginal insert, a gasket inside said insert adapted to support the circumferential edge of a puff, a marginal portion on said intermediate cover having a sealing face bearing on the top of said insert, and a projection on said intermediate cover having a sealing face abutting against the side of said insert, and an additional sealing face bearing on the circumferential edge of the puff to force the same onto said gasket, whereby regardless of wear of the puff edge a multiple seal is maintained so as to prevent powder from escaping from the container portion.

6. A compact comprising in combination, a container portion, a cover portion having a mirror,

and an intermediate cover portion arranged intermediate said container and cover portions, said container portion including a marginal insert, a gasket inside said insert adapted to support the circumferential edge of a puff, a sifter held between the container bottom and said asket, a marginal. portion on said intermediate cover having a sealing face bearing on the top of said insert, and a projection on said intermediate cover having a sealing face abutting against the side of said insert, and an additional sealing face bearing on the circumferential edge of the putt to force the same onto said gasket, whereby the puff is prevented from coming in contact with loose powder, regardless of wear of the puff edge a multiple seal is maintained so as to prevent powder from the puff from escaping from the container portion, and consequently clouding of the mirror is eliminated.

ALFRED A. FLASTER.