US2556473A - Lipstick container - Google Patents

Description

June 12, 1951 H. B. GREENE LIPSTICK CONTAINER Filed March" 16, 1948 II II Illull Patented June 12, 1951 LIPSTICK CONTAINER Howard B. Greene, Cheshire, -C onn., assignor to Metalite, Inc., Meriden, Conn.

Application March 16, 1948, Serial No. 15,135

9 Claims. (Cl. 206-56) This invention has reference to holders 01' containers for lip rouge, lipstick and other cosmetic or stickmaterials, and has for one of its objects the provision of a device of this character of Simplified construction, utilizing few parts and provided with means by which the lip rouge is positively fed or delivered in requisite amounts to its point of application.

The construction of the present holder is such that the same and its contents may be made, if desired; in a thin, pencil-like form, thus providing a relatively small end or tip permitting accurate application of the rouge on the lips. The invention also contemplates the provision of a simple but very effective means by which the rouge contents of the holder is propelled out of or retracted into the body of the holder by simple direct pressure or pull exerted on a rod-like impelling member, the latter preferably but not necessarily forming a portion of the closure cap for the device.

Another object of the invention is to provide, in a structure of this character, means by which a coupling is established between a sliding rouge carrier and a push rod whereby the rod is not only capable of being used for the propulsion of the lip rouge toward an open end of the holder but may also be used to retract the rouge. The invention also contemplates the provision of means by which the sliding movement of the rouge carrier within the holder is limited and said means also serves to disconnect the coupling between the push rod and rouge carrier.

More specifically, the invention includes the provision of a lip rouge-containing chamber or holder in the form of an open-ended tube, with the rouge contained therein and arranged to he slid through the tube toward and out of one of its open ends, the rouge being fitted into a cupshaped carrier within the tube, said carrier being provided at one of its ends with a clip formed with a plurality of spring fingers; and of a cap or closure member arranged to fit over and close either end of the tube, said cap member being formed with an extended part or stem of such diameter that it will fit within the tube behind the cup, the end of the stem being formed with ahead for engagement by the spring fingers to thereby couple the end of the stem to the cup when the stem is inserted within the tube and is urged against the end of the cup. The invention also includes the provision of means, in the form of a groove or recess in the tube, which serves to uncouple the cup from the stem when the cup reaches the end of its retracting movement in the tube.

These and other objects are attained by the invention, a more particular description of which will be hereinafter set forth and pointed out in the claims appended hereto.

In the accompanying drawing, wherein an illustrative embodiment of the invention is disclosed, Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a lip rouge container constructed according to the invention; Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical sectional view through the body of the container, showing a part of the propelling stem or rod in position to urge the rouge carrier toward the forward end of the container; Fig. 3 is a similar sectional view, showing the manner in which the carrier grips the end of the propelling rod; Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the rouge carrier; Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the carrier, taken at right angles to the view of Fig. 4; Fig. 6 is a view looking at the bottom of the rouge carrier; Fig. 7 is a side view of a part of the rouge carrier, showing the use of a washer between the bottom of the carrier and the spring means, and Fig. 8 is a longitudinal sectional view, through a modified form of combined closure cap and propelling rod.

With reference to the embodiment of the invention shown in Figs. 1 to 6 inclusive, l indicates the lip rouge holder or body portion of the container. The same may be made of thin metal, plastic or other suitable material, and in the form shown it is of tubular shape and open at both of its ends. The rear or bottom end of the holder l is indicated at 2 and the forward or top open end through which the lip rouge or other cosmetic dis forced out to position of use, is indicated at 3.

The lip rouge shown at 4 is in stick form and is of the usual soft and plastic nature and is carried in a cup-shaped holder or carrier 5 capable of sliding movement back and forth in the holder I so that the rouge 4 carried by it can be extended to a required degree out of the forward open end 3 of the holder, or else the rouge can be retracted into and protected by the holder The cup-shaped carrier 5, thus constituting a follower for the rouge 4, is formed with a bottom 6 to which a spring clip I isattached by a centrally located rivet 8 or other equivalent fastening means. The spring 1, which is shown as being of fiat, leaf form, can also be produced by being stamped out of the body of the cup or carrier 5', as will be readily understood.

The spring clip I is of wishbone type and includes the two spring arms 9 and It bent substantially as shown in the drawing, and each of these arms is provided with a rounded, laterally projecting terminal portion l2. These terminals [2 are adapted, when the cup or carrier 5 is in its fully retracted position within the container body I, as shown in Fig. 2, to resilientl engage with an annular groove ll formed in the side wall of the body I near the rear end thereof. By ribbing the body i as indicated at l9, said groove is produced. The tendency of the arms 9 and ll! of the spring clip to spring apart or separate, is such that the end terminals l2 of the clip will snap into the groove H and remain therein until force is employed to dislodge them as will be described hereafter.

At I5 is shown the closure cap for the holder, and in the form shown, the same includes a tubular socket portion hi which can be fitted over either open end of the body i, the same being shown in Fig. l as being fitted over the forward open end 3. Formed as an integral extension of the socket portion i l, is a stem or rod [6, which may be either of solid form or made hollow according to its method of manufacture. Said rod or stem 16- constitutes an integral extension of the socket portion I l and it is of such diameter that it may be fitted into the holder or body I behind the cup or carrier 5 for engagement with the spring clip I to thereby couple the end of the rod or stem 18 to the cup or carrier 5 as more clearly shown in Fig. 3.

To facilitate the engagement of the end of the rod or stem it by the spring clip I, said rod or stem is formed with a rounded head or knob ii, the formation of which provides an annular groove or recess l9 extending around the rod or stem below the head or knob ll.

From the foregoing, the operation of the device will be readily understood. In its position of non-use, the device appears as in Fig. 1, at which time the front or forward open end 3 is closed by the cap l5. At this time also, the rouge is retracted into the holder l and the ends :2 of

the spring clip I are in engagement with groove H, thus holding the cup or carrier against any movement axially of the holder 1. When it is desired to propel the rouge to bring its end out of the open end 3 of the holder, the closure cap is removed and the rod or stem portion l6 thereof is manually inserted into the holder behind the cup or carrier 5 as shown in Fig. 2. The arms or spring fingers 9 and it are, at this time, sufficiently spread apart to allow passage of the head I! which is brought up against the bottom of the carrier or cu 5, and when a push is imposed upon the rod or stem l6, it will move the cup or carrier 5 forwardly in a direction toward the end 3 of the holder, and this forward movement of the cup will bring the ends E2 of the spring clip I out of the groove H. As these ends l2 are moved out of the groove H they will be forced toward one another by pressure imposed on them by the inner wall surface 2! of the side wall of the holder or body 5, and as the arms 9 and H] are thus brought toward one another they will embrace the head or knob I! and engage in the groove i9, thus gripping the end portion of the stem l5 and acting to establish a coupling between the end of this rod or stel and the cup or carrier 5. Hence it will be apparent that while the rod or stem l6 and the cup 5 are coupled together as above explained, any manual movement of the rod or stem either toward or away from the open end 3 of the holder or body I, will serve to advance or retract the lip rouge accordingly.

. When it is desired to fully retract the rouge and separate the rod or stem Hi from its coupled engagement with the carrier 5, the rod or stem is pulled rearwardly, or toward the end 2, until the groove 1 l is reached, at which time the arms 9 and H) of the spring clip I will snap into engagement with said groove I I, the arms springing apart in doing so and thus separating to an extent required to free the knobbed end ll of the rod or stem it. It will be further noted that the junction between the socket portion HI and stem it results in the formation of a shoulder i3 which acts as a stop to limit the insertion of the rod or stem 16 into the holder or body I and such stop accordingly determines the extent to which the. rouge will be extended out of the holder.

In the construction of a holder as above described, it might be found desirable to definitely centralize the cup-shaped carrier 5 and maintain it so positioned by means additional to the spring clip I. In such a case, a washer such as shown at 20 in Fig. '7 might be employed. Such a Washer can be located between the bottom of the cup 5 and the top of the spring clip I and it will serve to wipe the inner wall surfaces of the holder clean during the sliding movements of the cup. The washer will also form a tight seal at the bottom open end 2 of the holder and prevent dirt and dust from reaching and contacting with the rouge contents of the holder.

In the embodiment of the invention shown in Figs. 1 to 6 inclusive, the rod or stem 16 is shown as an integral extension projecting from one end of the socket portion i i of the closure cap. A modification of this arrangement is shown in Fig. 8, wherein the rod or stem I6 is shown as being centrally located on the inside of a closure cap I ia. With this arrangement, the cap is telescopically fitted over the holder i when the rod or stem [6 is inserted into the holder I, to couple the end of the rod to the carrier by means of the spring clip I in the manner explained.

While I have herein specifically described the device as being adapted for use in connection with lip rouge and similar cosmetics, it is understood that it may be used for the propulsion and retraction of various other articles or materials in stick form, as well as for brushes, crayons and many other things. Hence, when herein referring to lip rouge I wish to be understood as meaning not only that particular material but any other material or article capable of being used in conjunction with the mechanism herein described and claimed.

What I claim is:

1. A lip rouge container comprising, a tubular body open at both of its ends, a cup slidable within the body and carrying lip rouge, a spring clip at the bottom of the cup, a recess in the wall of the body near one end of the body engaging with said spring clip to normally hold the cup against axial sliding movement within the body, a propelling rod insertable inside of the body to bring one of its ends against the bottom of the cup, said end of the rod shaped to engage with the spring clip to thereby establish a detachable coupling between the end of said rod and the cup, whereby upon imposition of manual force upon the rod the cup may be slid back or forth within the body.

2. A li-p rouge container comprising, a tubular body open at both of its ends, the body having an internal circumferential groove adjacent to one of its open ends, a rouge carrier slidable within the body, said carrier having spring arms adapted to enter the groove in the body and hold the car rier against inadvertent sliding movement, a propelling rod adapted to enter the body behind the carrier and upon the exertion of manual force imposed upon said rod to slide the carrier toward the opposite open end of the body and disengage the spring arms from the groove, the rod having a head portion embraced and gripped by the spring arms when said spring arms are forced out of the groove by the pushing force imposed upon the rod, the gripping of the head portion of the rod by the springarms serving to attach the end of the rod to the carrier whereby the carrier can be slid back and forth within the body by manual movements of the rod.

3. A lip rouge container having a body open at both of its ends, a rouge-carrying cup slidable within the body, an impelling and retracting member consisting of a rod-like element adapted to be inserted in the body behind the cup and manually urged against the cup as a push-rod to force the cup toward one end of the body, cooperating interengaging elements on the rod and cup respectively whereby the exertion of pushing force on the rod against the end of the cup will serve to couple the rod. to th cup, and means adjacent to one end of the body for causing a disengagement of the interengaging elements and for limiting the sliding movement of the cup in a direction toward said end of the body.

4. A lip rouge container of tubular form open at both of its ends, a cup-shaped rouge carrier slidable back and forth within the container, springs at the bottom of the carrier, a groove provided in the side wall of the container near one end of the same with which said springs engage to limit the sliding movement of the carrier, a closure cap having a rod-like end portion for fitment within the container behind the rouge carrier, said rod-like end portion being shaped for gripping interengagement with the springs when the springs are moved out of the groove and forced toward one another by pressure of the wall of the container.

5. A lip rouge container of tubular form open at both of its ends, the container having an inside groove near one of its ends, a slidable cup within the container, said cup having spring means at its bottom, said spring means being adapted to engage the groove and hold the cup against sliding movement, a closure cap having a rod portion provided with a rounded head at one of its ends, said rod portion being adapted for insertion within the container behind the cup and adapted to be gripped by the spring means to couple the rod portion to the cup when manual pressure of the end of the rod against the end of the cup forces the spring means thereon out of the groove.

6. In a lip rouge container as provided for in 8 claim 5 and including a washer at the bottom of the cup between the bottom of said cup and the spring means thereon.

'7. A lip rouge container or the like comprising a tubular open-ended body, lip rouge within the body and adapted to be slid back and forth therein, follower means behind the lip rouge, said follower means including spring fingers normally urged against the inner wall surface of the body, said body having a recess near one end with which said spring fingers engage at one end of the sliding movement of the follower means, a closure cap having a portion adapted to be inserted within the body behind the follower, said portion having an end part adapted to be gripped by the spring fingers only when said spring fingers are located out of the recess in the body.

8. A rouge container or the like comprising, a tubular open-ended body, lip rouge slidable back and forth in said body, a follower at the back end of the lip rouge, a removable closure cap provided at one end with a rod manually inserted into the body and engaged against the follower, means on the follower for gripping the end portion of the rod and coupling the rod to the follower to enable movements of the rod to cause the lip rouge to be moved within the tube, and uncoupling means provided in the body near the rear end of the same for automatically uncoupling the rod from the follower when the rouge is in its retracted position within the body.

9. A rouge container or the like comprising, a tubular open-ended body, a cosmetic cup within the body and slidable back and forth therein, a gripping device attached to the bottom of the cup and provided with spring arms in frictional engagement with the inner face of the wall of the body, an annular groove provided in the wall of the body near one end of the same and into which said spring arms extend when the cup is in its retracted position within the body, a push-member in the form of a rod with a rounded head inserted within the body and engaged by the gripping device to thereby couple the rod to the cup, said spring arms being caused to grip the rounded head of the rod by pressure of the wall of the body upon said arms when the arms are out of the groove in the body.

HOWARD B. GREENE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,090,829 Baldwin Mar. 24, 1914 1,387,063 Matsugaki Aug. 9, 1921

Images