WO2015161799A1

WO2015161799A1 - A container for cosmetics

Info

Publication number: WO2015161799A1
Application number: PCT/CN2015/077198
Authority: WO
Inventors: Jennifer Cheng
Original assignee: Newchic Enterprises Limited
Priority date: 2014-04-22
Filing date: 2015-04-22
Publication date: 2015-10-29
Also published as: HK1212544A2

Abstract

A container (100) for use in storing cosmetics products, the container (100) including: at least one platform (130,140) configured for storing a cosmetics product; a housing including a first housing members (110) movably attached to a second housing member (120), said first and second housing members (110,120) being configured for movement relative to each other between at least a first configuration in which the at least one platform (130,140) is substantially enclosed between the first and second housing members, and, a second configuration in which the at least one platform (140) within the housing is exposed; and wherein the at least one platform (130,140) and at least one of the first and second housing members (110,120) form at least a portion of a peripheral edge surface of the container (100); wherein the peripheral edge surface is provided with convex curvature in a direction of from the first housing member (110) towards the second housing member (120); wherein a normal displacement between an axis normal to the peripheral edge surface formed by the at least one platform (130,140) and an axis normal to peripheral edge surface formed by the at least one housing member (110,120) is less than the normal displacement between the axes of the at least one platform (130,140) and the at least one of the first and second housing members (110,120).

Description

A Container for Cosmetics

Technical Field

The present invention relates to compacts for cosmetics， makeup and the like.

Background of the Invention

Existing cosmetics compacts are typically provided with one or more compartments that are pre-filled with cosmetics or makeup products. Unfortunately， when one of the cosmetics products within the compact has been used up， there is no way to replace or replenish it and the customer has no choice but to wastefully throw the entire cosmetics compact away and purchase a new one.

A further problem with existing cosmetics compacts is that the selection of cosmetics products that are pre-filled in to existing cosmetics compacts tend to be fixed. Accordingly， this lack of flexibility in choice does not satisfactorily accommodate the needs of a wide section of the consumer market.

Summary of the Invention

The present invention seeks to alleviate at least one of the above-described problems.

The present invention may involve several broad forms. Embodiments of the present invention may include one or any combination of the different broad forms herein described.

In a first broad form， the present invention provides a container for use in storing cosmetics products， the container including：

at least one platform configured for storing a cosmetics product；

a housing including a first housing member movably attached to a second housing member， said first and second housing members being configured for movement relative to each other between at least a first configuration in which the at least one platform is substantially enclosed between the first and second housing members， and， a second configuration in which the at least one platform within the housing is exposed； and

wherein the at least one platform and at least one of the first and second housing members form at least a portion of a peripheral edge surface of the container； wherein the peripheral edge surface is provided with convex curvature in a direction of from the first housing member towards the second housing member； wherein a normal displacement between an axis normal to the peripheral edge surface formed by the at least one platform and an axis normal to the peripheral edge surface formed by the at least one housing member is less than the normal displacement between the axes of the at least one platform and the at least one of the first and second housing members.

Preferably， the at least one platform may be configured for releasable engagement with at least one cosmetics tray in which a cosmetics product is disposed therein.

Preferably， an aperture or abatement may be disposed in the at least one platform configured to enable passage of a finger at least partially therethrough and into contact with the at least one cosmetics tray when releasably engaged with the at least one platform so as to urge the cosmetics tray out of releasable engagement with the at least one platform.

Preferably， the releasable engagement may include at least one of frictional engagement， snap-fitting engagement， adhesive engagement， magnetic engagement， and， a hook and loop type fastening engagement.

Preferably， the at least one platform may include at least one recess configured for releasable engagement with the at least one cosmetics tray in which the cosmetics product is disposed therein.

Preferably， a shape contour of the at least one recess may be configured to substantially complement a shape contour of the cosmetics tray to which it is configured for releasable engagement.

Preferably， the present invention may include a plurality of platforms configured for releasable engagement with the at least one cosmetics tray in which a cosmetics product is disposed therein.

Preferably， the plurality of platforms may be movable relative to each other between at least a first expanded configuration in which cosmetics trays that are releasably engaged with the plurality of platforms are exposed to allow access to cosmetics products within the cosmetics trays， and， a second compacted configuration in which the plurality of cosmetics trays are able to be enclosed within the first and second housing members.

Preferably， the plurality of platforms maybe movable relative to each other by at least one of a slidable movement and a rotational movement.

Preferably， the present invention may include a mirror， said mirror being substantially enclosed between the first and second housing members when the first and second housing members are arranged in the first configuration， and， said mirror being exposed when the first and second housing members are arranged in the second position.

Preferably， the present invention may include a light source， said light source being substantially enclosed between the first and second housing members when the first and second housing members are arranged in the first configuration， and， said light source being exposed when the first and second housing members are arranged in the second position.

Preferably， the light source may be positioned substantially on a periphery of the mirror.

Preferably， the present invention may include a battery unit configured for powering the light source.

Preferably， the battery unit may include a rechargeable battery unit.

Preferably， the present invention may include an electrical input interface via which the rechargeable battery unit may be able to be recharged by an external power source.

Preferably， the container may further include a photovoltaic cell in communication with the battery unit， for recharging said battery unit.

Preferably， the present invention may include indicia indicative of a brand or logo disposed on an outer surface of the housing， said indicia being formed at least partially from a light transmissive matedal so as to enable illumination of the indicia by a light source emitting light through the light transmissive material.

Preferably， the at least one platform maybe configured for releasably engaging with at least one cosmetics tray having at least one of the following standardised sets of dimensions in accordance with approximate ranges of：

(a) length of around 19.5-20.5mm， breadth of around 17.5-18.5mm， and depth of around 6.5-7.5mm； and

(b) length of around 41.5-42.5mm， breadth of around 27.0-28.0mm， and depth of around 6.5-7.5mm.

Preferably， the at least one platform may be configured for releasably engaging with at least 3 cosmetics trays each having a standardised set of dimensions of length of 19.5-20.5mm， breadth of 17.5-18.5mm， and depth of 6.5-7.5mm， and， with at least 2 cosmetics trays each having a standardised set of dimensions of length of 41.5-42.5mm， breadth of 27.0-28.0mm， and depth of 6.5-7.5mm.

Preferably， the platform may be configured for releasably engaging with at least 5 cosmetics trays each having a standardised set of dimensions of length of 19.5-20.5mm， breadth of 17.5-18.5mm， and depth of 6.5-7.5mm， and， with at least 1 cosmetics tray having a standardised set of dimensions of length of 41.5-42.5mm， breadth of 27.0-28.0mm， and depth of 6.5-7.5mm.

Preferably， the present invention may include a power unit for use in powedng a mobile telephone device， the power unit including：

a DC power source； and

an electrical-interfacing module configured for electrically-interfacing the power source with the mobile telephone device whereby power from the power source is able to supply power to the mobile telephone device for operation thereof.

Preferably， the DC power source may include the battery unit for powering the light source.

Preferably， the electrical-interfacing module may be configured for delivering power from the power source to a rechargeable battery of the mobile telephone via a charging port of the mobile telephone so as to effect charging of the rechargeable battery of the mobile telephone.

Preferably， the electrical-interfacing module may include an output jack disposed on the container， the output jack being configured for receiving a first end of a power cable via which power can be delivered from the power source to the mobile telephone connected to a second end of the cable， so as to effect powering of the mobile telephone.

Preferably， the cosmetics tray may be configured for use with the container of the broad forms of the present invention described herein and may include at least one of the following standardised sets of dimensions in accordance with approximate ranges of：

(a) length of 19.5-20.5mm， breadth of 17.5-18.5mm， and depth of 6.5-7.5mm； and

(b) length of 41.5-42.5mm， breadth of 27.0-28.0mm， and depth of 6.5-7.5mm.

In a further broad form， the present invention provides a computerised system for ordering a cosmetics product disposed in a cosmetics tray， the cosmetics tray being configured for releasable attachment with at least one platform of a cosmetics container， the computerised system comprising a computer processor communicably coupled to a customer interface via a communication system， wherein the computer processor is configured to：

(i) receive a customer purchase order inputted via the customer interface for the cosmetics product disposed in the cosmetics tray defined in terms of at least one purchase order parameter； and

(ii) automatically process a purchase transaction via the computer processor based on the received purchase order；

whereby the computer processor is configurable to automatically communicate via the communication system a delivery order instruction to effect delivery of the purchased cosmetics product disposed in the cosmetics tray to the customer in response to the processed purchase transaction.

Preferably， the computer processor may be configured to：

(i) receive a customer search request for the cosmetics product disposed in the cosmetics tray based on at least one search parameter of the search request， the customer search request being inputted via the customer interface；

(ii) automatically process the customer search request to determine availability of at least one cosmetics product disposed in the cosmetics tray which closely matches the received customer search request； and

(iii) automatically communicate an availability status of a cosmetics product disposed in the cosmetics tray based on the customer search request back to the customer for output to the customer via the customer interface.

Preferably， the at least one search parameter may include at least one of a brand of the cosmetics product， a type of the cosmetics product， a colour of the cosmetics product， a texture of the cosmetics product， a price of a cosmetics product， and a set of standardised dimensions of a cosmetics tray in which the cosmetics product is disposed.

Preferably， the customer interface maybe configured for operation on at least one of a smartphone and a personal computer.

Preferably， the customer interface may be configured for operation as a software application or as an interactive web site interface accessible via the World Wide Web on at least one of the smartphone and the personal computer. Typically， the communication system may include the Internet.

Preferably， the cosmetics container may include the container of any one of the broad forms of the present invention described herein.

In a further broad form， the present invention provides a method of ordering a cosmetics product disposed in a cosmetics tray， said cosmetics tray being configured for releasable attachment with at least one platform of a cosmetics container， the method being operable using a computerised system comprising a computer processor communicably coupled to a customer interface via a communication system， wherein the method includes the steps of：

(i) receiving a customer purchase order inputted via the customer interface for the cosmetics product disposed in the cosmetics tray， the customer purchase order being defined in terms of at least one purchase order parameter； and

(ii) automatically processing a purchase transaction via the computer processor in response to the received purchase order；

Preferably， the computer processor maybe configured to：

(i) receive a customer search request for a cosmetics product disposed in a cosmetics tray based on at least one search parameter of the search request， the customer search request being inputted via the customer interface；

(ii) automatically process the customer search request to determine availability of at least one cosmetics product disposed in the cosmetics tray which closely matches the at least one search parameters of the customer search request； and

Preferably， the customer interface maybe configured for operation as a software application or as an interactive web site interface accessible via the World Wide Web on at least one of the smartphone and the personal computer.

In a further broad form， the present invention provides a device including：

an input interface configured for receiving a mood information；

a processor communicably connected to the input interface， the processor being configured for selecting， in response to the received mood information， at least one makeup/cosmetics application plan from a plurality of makeup/cosmetics applications plans matching said mood information；

an output interface communicably connected to the processor， wherein the output interface is configured for outputting the at least one makeup/cosmetics application plan selected by the processor.

Typically， the mood information may be based upon at least one of a mood of a person， an appearance or other measurable characteristics of a person or environment， an event or theme. Typically， the mood information may include predefined categories of moods such as a “happy” ， “sad” ， “fun” ， “festive” ， “business” and typically the input interface may be configured with a means for selecting from these predefined categories of moods as the mood information. Also typically， the mood information may be at least partially based upon sensing of one or more physiological characteristics of a person such as but not limited to a person′s heart rate， skin temperature， posture， blood pressure， complexion， blink rate， pupil dilation. Also typically， the appearance of the person may include a type and appearance of a person′s clothing or accessories being worn or to be worn by the person which may be entered into the input interface or sensed by the input interface. Typically the appearance or other characteristic of the environment may include information as to whether the environment is indoors or outdoors， a particular geographic location of the environment， information concerning whether the environment is a relatively dark or light setting， a temperature and humidity of the environment and so on. Typically， mood information which may be based upon an event or a theme may include predefined categories -for instance， “home” ， “office” ， “party” ， “wedding” ， ‘funeral” and so on and typically the input interface may be configured with a means for selecting from these predefined categories of event or theme based moods as the mood information.

Typically， the makeup/cosmetics application plan may include at least one or a combination of makeup/cosmetics products which may be suggested for application to the person. Typically， the makeup/cosmetics application plan may also include instructions regarding how to apply the one or more makeup/cosmetics products to the person in seeking to achieve an aesthetic appearance. Preferably， the makeup/cosmetics application plan includes use of at least one makeup/cosmetics product that is provided in a cosmetics tray wherein the cosmetics tray is configured for use with at least one of the broad forms of the present invention described herein including the container for storing cosmetics

Typically the mood information may be manually entered into the input interface， or， may be automatically sensed by the input interface. Typically， the input interface may include a user-interactive touchscreen， a keypad or voice detection input interface disposed on the device. Typically， the input interface may include a sensor configured for sensing the physiological characteristics of a person and/or the appearance of the person or environment. For instance， the sensor may include an image acquisition device and a processor configured for acquiring information indicative of a visual appearance or visual characteristics of the person and/or the environment and the processor may be configured for processing such sensed information based upon a predefined algorithm or predefined methodology to determine the mood information based upon such information.

Alternatively， the input interface， processor and/or output interface may be disposed on an external device (such as a mobile phone， computing device or the like) which may be communicably connected to the device via a wired or wireless communication link. For instance， the external device may include a smartphone having a software application resident on the smartphone which is operable on the smartphone such that the smartphone may be configured to provide functionality of the input interface， the processor and/or the output interface of the broad form of the present invention.

In a further broad form， the present invention provides a device including：

an input interface configured for receiving a mood information；

an output interface communicably connected to the processor， wherein the output interface is configured for outputting a purchase order of at least one makeup/cosmetics product associated with the selected makeup/cosmetics application plan.

Preferably， the one or more makeup/cosmetics products associated with the determined makeup/cosmetics application plan includes a makeup/cosmetics product disposed in a tray wherein the tray is configured for use with at least one of the broad forms of the present invention described herein including the container for storing cosmetics.

In a further broad form， the present invention provides at least one of a watch， a mobile phone case， a wearable accessory， a handbag， and a purse having a recess disposed therein for releasably receiving a tray having a makeup/cosmetics product disposed therein， the tray being configured for use with at least one of the broad forms of the present invention described herein.

Preferably， the recess may be shaped and dimensioned to substantially complement a three dimensional contour of the cosmetics tray.

Preferably， the present invention may include a securement mechanism configured for selectably securing the cosmetics tray within the recess.

In a further broad form， the present invention provides a device for depositing a substance on to a deposition surface， the substance being configured for application as a makeup/cosmetics product to a region of a person′s body， the device including：

an input interface configured for receiving an input indicative of the substance to be deposited；

a processor configured for selecting， in response to the received input， at least one ingredient from amongst a plurality of ingredients comprising the substance to be deposited on to the deposition surface； and

a deposition means having one or more receptacles for storing the plurality of ingredients， and for depositing on to the deposition surface the at least one ingredient selected by the processor as comprising the substance.

Preferably， the deposition surface may include a tray configured for use with any one of the broad forms of the present invention described herein. For instance， the tray may be configured for releasable attachment in a container for storing cosmetics. Typically the container for storing cosmetics may include a cosmetics compact. Also typically the container for storing cosmetics may be as in accordance with one of the broad forms of the present invention described herein.

Typically， the makeup/cosmetics product may include at least one of an eye shadow， foundation， mascara， lipstick， primer， lip gloss， lip liner， concealer， face powder， blush， bronzer， and a nail polish substance.

Typically， the plurality of ingredients may include at least one ingredient configured as a colour carrier. Typically， the plurality of ingredients may include at least one ingredient configured as a pigment.

Typically， the device may include a means for mixing the at least one ingredient before deposition of the at least one ingredient comprising the substance on to the deposition surface. Alternatively， the at least one ingredient may be deposited on to the deposition surface separately. Typically the at least one ingredient may be deposited as layers on the deposition surface.

Typically， the deposition device may include at least one of an inkjet-type printer and a 3D-type printer deposition mechanism configured for depositing the at least one substance in to the tray.

Advantageously， the present invention seeks to provide an environmentally-friendly alternative to existing cosmetics compacts which are typically disposed of when the cosmetics product stored therein have been used up. In contrast， in the present invention， when a cosmetics product has been used up， the customer may conveniently purchase a refill cosmetics tray containing the same cosmetics product as a replacement， thus alleviating unnecessary wastage. Moreover， the present invention may accommodate storage of an array of cosmetics trays each containing various cosmetics products which may be conveniently customised to suit the specific requirements and preferences of the customer. In contrast， existing cosmetics compacts do not lend themselves to such ease of customisation by a user.

Advantageously， the inclusion of an aperture or abatement in the platform which is sized to allow passage of a finger at least partially therethrough， may provide a notable advantage over the prior art in that the user′s finger may conveniently be used to dislodge the cosmetics tray out of engagement with the platform of the container without requiring use of a stylus or other specially designed tool to disengage the cosmetics tray. Moreover， it is inconvenient for a user to carry a stylus or specialist tool for dislodging the cosmetics tray from the platform， and the ability to use one′s finger to disengage the cosmetic tray assists in alleviating this inconvenience. Furthermore， the novel inclusion of an aperture or abatement in the platform which allows passage of a finger at least partially therethrough provides an additional advantage in reducing the per unit cost of production of the container as less material is utilised in forming the container. Yet a further advantage is provided by inclusion of the aperture or abatement in the platform in that it may allow for improved circulation of air within the container thereby alleviating unwanted accumulation of moisture within the container which may compromise the quality of the cosmetics products stored therein. Yet a further notable advantageous of the present invention is the ergonomic shape and contour of which lends itself to being held more snugly， comfortably and firmly in the palm of a user′s hand in comparison to existing cosmetics compacts.

Also advantageously， the present invention provides a notable improvement over the prior art in that the cosmetics tray may not only be releasably engaged with the platform in the container by way of frictional engagement (which may deteriorate in effectiveness over time due to wear and tear of the container in use) . In contrast to the prior art， the present invention may provide at least one alternative and/or additional releasable engagement mechanism such as a snap-fitting engagement mechanism， an adhesive engagement mechanism， a magnetic engagement mechanism， and， a hook and loop type fastening engagement mechanism in substitution for or to complement the frictional engagement of the cosmetics tray to the platform of the container.

Advantageously， the present invention provides a computerised system and method for customers to conveniently search for and to purchase refill cosmetics trays containing cosmetics products therein where the cosmetics trays are compatible for use with the container of the present invention. Notable advantages of this computerised system and method provided to customers may include：

(a) it may be implemented by way of a software application or interactive web site accessible using a World Wide Web browser that is operable on a smartphone or laptop computer for ease of access by customers；

(b) it may provide a centralised platform to screen out unauthorised vendors and to thereby ensure quality control is maintained；

(c) it may provide a centralised platform to screen out products that do not conform to the standardised sets of dimensions compatible for use with the container of the present invention. This ensures that customers utilising the computerised system are not provided with irrelevant search results which may otherwise be encountered utilising existing purchasing platforms such as Amazon or Ebay； and

(d) it may allow for registration of customer details in order to utilise the system and such details may be utilised for targeted marketing by authorised vendors such as cosmetics companies and the like for instance to conveniently sell excess inventory， or to market new products to customers.

Brief Description of the Drawings

The present invention will become more fully understood from the following detailed description of a preferred but non-limiting embodiment thereof， described in connection with the accompanying drawings， wherein：

Figures l (a) -l (e) depicts a left-side view， top view， right-side view， front view and bottom view respectively of a first embodiment container for storing cosmetics with the housing arranged in a first closed configuration；

Figure 2 depicts a top view of the first embodiment container for storing cosmetics with the housing arranged in a second opened configuration and cosmetics trays releasably engaged with recesses of the container；

Figure 3 depicts a front view of the first embodiment container for storing cosmetics with the housing arranged in a second opened configuration；

Figure 4 depicts a perspective view of the first embodiment container for storing cosmetics with the housing arranged in the second opened configuration and with the releasably engageable cosmetic trays removed from their corresponding recesses；

Figure 5 depicts a top view of the first embodiment container for storing cosmetics with the housing arranged in the second opened configuration and with the releasably engageable cosmetic trays removed from their corresponding recesses；

Figure 6 depicts a network configuration according to an embodiment of the invention；

Figure 7 (a) and (b) depicts a perspective schematic representation of an embodiment of a container in accordance with the invention in a closed and partially opened configuration respectively；

Figure 7 (c) and (d) depicts a perspective schematic representation of a further embodiment of a container in accordance with the invention in a closed and partially opened configuration respectively； and

Figure 8 (a) and (b) depict a schematic representation of a side view of the outer peripheral surface of an embodiment of container in accordance with the present invention with an example of preferred peripheral surface in comparison with a container without the preferred peripheral surface.

Figure 9 depicts a functional block diagram of a further embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 10 depicts a functional block diagram of yet a further embodiment of the present invention.

Preferred Embodiments of the Invention

Preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be described herein with reference to the Figures l (a) to 8 (b) .

In a first embodiment， the present invention is provided in the form of a cosmetics compact (100) for storing an array of cosmetics products. The cosmetics compact (100) includes a housing comprising top housing member (110) and a base housing member (120) that are hingedly coupled together and which may be selectably rotated around the hinge (115) so that the housing is arranged in either a closed configuration (as depicted in Fig. l (a) to Fig. l (e) ) whereby the contents of the cosmetics compact (100) substantially enclosed between the top and bottom housing members (110， 120) ， and， an opened configuration (as depicted in Fig. 2 to Fig. (5) ) whereby the contents of the cosmetics compact (100) are exposed for use. Conveniently， the housing is suitably sized and dimensioned， and， includes a suitably shaped contour so as to be ergonomically held in the palm of a user′s hand. This is a notable advantage over existing cosmetics compacts which tend to be poorly suited for being held in the palm of the user′s hand. Other advantages of such an arrangement are discussed below in reference to Figure 8 (a) and (b) .

The cosmetics compact (100) also includes a first platform (130) and a second platform (140) each being configured for releasable engagement with an array of cosmetics trays (160) filled with varying cosmetics products. The first platform (130) is fixed atop the base housing member (120) whilst the second platform (140) is mounted so as to be laterally slidable relative to the first platform (130) above the first platform (130) . A sliding tray (150) is located underneath that first platform (130) which can be selectably moved relative to the first platform (130) . The sliding tray (150) defines a compartment which may be conveniently used for storing sponges， brushes， or any other cosmetics aids to assist in the application of cosmetics products. In alternative embodiments of the present invention， the sliding tray (150) may comprise of a single compartment without a divider depending upon design choice. The sliding tray compartment may also be configured for storing perfume， mascara and eye-liner products which may come in modular receptacles that are configured to neatly complement a space contour within the tray compartment.

Both the first and second platforms (130， 140) can be compactly housed within the cosmetics compact (100) when the second platform (140) is slid neatly into position atop the first platform (130) and the top housing member (110) is then rotated into the closed configuration with the base housing member (120) .

The first and second platforms (130， 140) each include an array of rectangular-shaped recesses (170) of varying sizes which are configured to releasably engage with cosmetics trays (160) having cosmetics products disposed in them. In particular， the recesses (170) are shaped and dimensioned to substantially complement the shape contours of corresponding cosmetics trays (160) that are releasably received in the recesses (160) .

Each cosmetics tray (160) is configured so as to be releasably engaged within a recesses (170) by way of frictional engagement， snap-fitting engagement， adhesive engagement， magnetic engagement， and， a hook and loop type fastening engagement or any combination of these mechanisms. Embodiments of the present invention may also include protective flaps which are rotatably mounted to the first and second platforms so as to selectably cover over the cosmetics trays. The protective flaps can be rotated away from the trays to expose the cosmetics for use. The protective flaps can be formed from a transparent plastic material which enables the contents of the cosmetics trays to be viewable even when covered over by the protective flaps.

In this preferred embodiment， the cosmetics trays are provided in two different standardised sizes having approximate dimension ranges as follows：

I. length of 19.5-20.5mm， breadth of 17.5-18.5mm， and depth of 6.5-7， 5mm； or

II. length of 41.5-42.5mm， breadth of 27.0-28.0mm， and depth of 6.5-7， 5mm，

Furthermore， the first and second platforms (130， 140) are configured to accommodate different layouts of cosmetics trays (160) . Specifically， the first platform (130) includes a layout of recesses (170) that are configured to releasably engage with 5 cosmetics trays each of length of 19.5-20.5mm， breadth of 17.5-18.5mm， and depth of 6.5-7.5mm， and， with 1 cosmetics tray of length of 41.5-42.5mm， breadth of 27.0-28.0mm， and depth of 6.5-7.5mm. In contrast， the second platform (140) includes a layout of recesses (170) that are configured to releasably engage with 3 cosmetics trays each having length of 19.5-20.5mm， breadth of 17.5-18.5mm， and depth of 6.5-7.5mm， and， with 2 cosmetics trays each having length of 41.5-42.5mm， breadth of 27.0-28.0mm， and depth of 6.5-7.5mm

It should be noted that the standardised sets of dimensions of the cosmetics trays (160) that are used， as well as the unique recess layouts upon the first and second platforms (130， 140) for accommodating varying combinations and sizes of cosmetics trays (160) ， have been statistically and mathematically calculated based on a combination of factors including a minimum number of different cosmetics products that may statistically be required by a customer in conventional usage when applying cosmetics， whilst at the same time， mathematically calculating a maximum optimal storage capacity that may be provided for each cosmetics tray based on a statistical rate and statistical frequency of usage of different types of cosmetics products by customers.

As shown in the Figs 4 and 5， a series of apertures are cut-out of each of the first and second platforms which are sized and dimensioned to substantially allow a user′s finger to partially poke through the apertures in order to come into contact with the cosmetics trays (160) engaged in the recesses (170) so as to urge the cosmetics trays (160) out of engagement with the recesses (170) ， for instance， when the cosmetics products in the cosmetics trays (160) have been used up and require replacing. The feature of the releasable engagement of the cosmetics trays (160) provides a convenient mechanism for customers to selectively replace only the used up cosmetics products without having to throw away the cosmetics compact and purchase an entirely new cosmetics compact. The feature of the releasable engagement of the cosmetic trays also allows customers the ability to flexibly customise the combination and amounts of cosmetics products that are stored within the cosmetics compact (100) which is not the case with certain existing cosmetics compacts.

A mirror (180) is also provided on an inward-facing surface of the top housing member (110) . The mirror (180) is concealed from view when the top and base housing members (110， 120) are rotated together into the closed configuration as shown in Figs. l (a) - (e) . A series of LEDs (not shown) are arranged at spaced intervals around a periphery (185) of the mirror and are covered by an opaque material through which diffuse light from the LEDs may pass when the LEDs are powered on. A switch is also located on the periphery (185) of the mirror which is configured to selectably control switching of the LEDs on and off. The switch could be a simple on-off switch， or， could be a dimming switch to controllably dim the output of the LEDs. A power circuit is located in a cavity between the mirror (180) and the top housing member (110) . The power circuit includes a rechargeable battery unit for powering the LEDs and any other electronic elements within the cosmetics compact. The mirror (180) could be configured as a touch-sensitive actuator interfaced with the power circuit in order to controllably switch the LEDs on and off. The circuit also includes a USB-compatible electrical input interface (190) via which the rechargeable battery unit is able to be recharged by an external power source. In certain embodiments， a docking station is provided within which the cosmetics container can be stowed when not in use to recharge the battery unit within the cosmetics container. The docking station could for instance include a USB-compatible interface which may be configured to complement the USB-compatible electrical input interface (190) located on the cosmetics container. The docking station is configured for delivering suitably regulated electrical power from a mains power supply to the rechargeable battery of the cosmetics container via the USB-compatible electrical interface.

Those skilled in the art will appreciate than in other or alternate embodiments， the battery may be non-rechargeable， and may be a replaceable dry-cell type battery. Further， in other or alternate embodiments， in the case of the battery being a rechargeable battery， the cosmetics container may include a photovoltaic cell incorporated therein， such that the battery may be recharged by sunlight or another applicable light source.

A decorative logo (200) is inset in to an outward-facing surface of the top housing member (110) . The material forming the logo (200) is an opaque material and is able to be illuminated by light emitted from another LED that is located in the cavity between the top housing member (110) and the mirror (180) . This further LED may be powered by the same power circuit that powers the LEDs located on the periphery of the mirror (180) . The illuminated logo feature can be readily customised to the specifications of a third party (e.g. a cosmetics brand) and licensed for use by the third party cosmetics brand company.

Referring now to Fig. 6 of the drawings， a further embodiment of the present invention in the form of a computerised system (400) is provided for searching and ordering replacement cosmetics products when cosmetics products in the cosmetics compact (100) run out. The cosmetics products that can be searched and ordered utilising the computerised system (400) are disposed in cosmetics trays (160) which conform to the standardised dimensions that are compatible for use with the cosmetics compact (100) of preferred embodiments of the present invention.

The computerised system (400) comprises a computer processor which is in communication via the Internet with a multitude of software application interfaces (402) operable on the smartphones of the various customers (401) . In use， the customers (401) are able to search or browse for cosmetics products that are available for purchase via the computerised system (400) by inputting a browse or search request via the smartphone application interfaces (402) . The search request will consist of one or more search parameters such as a preferred cosmetics brand， a product type (e.g. eyeliner， lipstick， foundation etc) ， a colour or shade， a texture， or a price range of a cosmetics product required. Alternatively and/or additionally the search parameter could be based upon a particular facial feature or body party that the customer is seeking to beautify (e.g. eyes， eyebrows， eyelashes， lips， cheeks， etc) . The search parameter may also specify the specific dimensions of the cosmetics tray in which the replacement cosmetics product is required. Upon receiving the search request， the computer processor (404) automatically processes the customer search request to determine availability of any cosmetics products which closely match the received customer search request and then automatically communicates an availability status of the cosmetics product back to the customer for output to the customer via the smartphone application interface (402) .

Thereafter， the customer (401) may conveniently effect a purchase of a replacement cosmetics product if available by entering a purchase order via the smartphone application interface (50) . Upon receiving the purchase order via the Internet， the computer processor (404) is programmed to automatically effect processing of the purchase transaction and to automatically communicate a delivery order instruction to effect delivery of the purchased cosmetics product to the customer utilising the services of a third party delivery service. A notification of completion of the purchase and an estimated date of delivery is also able to be communicated back to the customer for display via the smartphone application.

The computerised system may also be configured such that the software application interface operable on the smartphone may present a browsable or searchable selection of predetermined “looks” which the customer may desire to emulate. By selecting any given look via the software application interface， the computerised system may be further configured to automatically present the customer with a predetermined combination of cosmetics or makeup products which it will be necessary for the customer to purchase in order to emulate the selected look. The software application interface may be further configured to present instructional information in the form of text， images or video to the customer which may instruct the customer regarding appropriate techniques for applying the purchased combination of cosmetics or makeup to achieve the look.

In certain embodiments of the present invention， cosmetics brand companies which advertise cosmetics products in various electronic or hardcopy publications including magazines， catalogues may seek to display a computer readable barcode or QR code next to their product advertisements whereby the customer may conveniently utilise the smartphone software application to scan the barcode or QR code and automatically place an order for the advertised cosmetic products via the smartphone application. This ease and reliability of ordering cosmetics products via the computerised system which does not currently exist within this specific industry may provide a compelling incentive for cosmetics companies to seek to supply their cosmetics products to customers via the computerised system which in turn provides further opportunities by which to generate additional licensing revenue streams from such cosmetics companies.

Cosmetics products sold via the computerised system (400) are restricted to only cosmetics products which are provided in cosmetics trays (160) which are compatible with the standardised sets of dimensions of cosmetics trays (160) that may be used with the cosmetics compact (100) of embodiments of the present invention. Cosmetics products sold via the computerised system (400) are also restricted only to authorised vendors to ensure that the quality control in the cosmetics products sold is maintained at a high standard. By providing a centralised and exclusive purchasing platform by which customers are able to purchase compatible standardised cosmetics trays， customers may benefit in terms of the assured quality control and compatibility of cosmetics products sold via the system. In contrast， where customers use existing online purchase web sites such as Amazon and Ebay to purchase cosmetics products， such sites do not provide a high level of certainty of quality or compatibility of the cosmetic products sold， and， such existing web sites generally swamp the customer with a list of irrelevant search results for incompatible or sub-standard cosmetics products which ultimately wastes the customers valuable time in reviewing.

In use， various revenues streams may be generated through use of the computerised system. For instance， authorised vendors may be required to pay a commission fee per unit of products sold via the system. Alternatively， customers may be required to register to use the purchasing platform and this may involve submitting key customer information which can then be on-sold to authorised vendors for the purposes of performing targeted marketing to such customers.

Referring to Figure 7 (a) and Figure 7 (b) ， there is shown a perspective schematic representation of an embodiment of a container (700) in accordance with the invention in a closed configuration. The container， in the present exemplary embodiment， includes first， second and third platforms (710) ， (720) and (730) . Whilst embodiments of the invention include other features， for explanatory purposes the present embodiment and operability thereof， is described in reference to relative motion or movement between platforms (710) ， (720) and (730) .

As shown Figure 7 (b) ， the first platform (710) and second platform are moveable relative to each other in a translational arrangement so as to provide an opened configuration， within the place as defined by axes X and Y. The first platform (710) and the second platform (710) are moveable relative to each other in a linear arrangement in the direction as denoted by the axis X. The second platform (720) and the third platform (730) are also moveable relative to each other in a translational arrangement， within the place as defined by axes X and Y. However， the second platform (720) and the third platform (730) are moveable relative to each other in a linear arrangement in the direction as denoted by the axis Y.

As will be appreciated and understood by those skilled in the art， such translational relative motion may be in any direction in the plane X-Y， and relative movement between adjacent platforms may not necessarily be in the same direction as between pairs of other adjacent platforms. As such， a container in accordance with the present invention may provide a combination of such translational movement， which may be orthogonal to other translational movement， or be at an alternate angle whilst movement remains in the same plane. Accordingly， the present invention is non-restrictive in the movement of platforms or other features of the invention.

Referring to Figure 7 (c) and Figure 7 (d) ， as shown there is a perspective schematic representation of a further embodiment of a container (750) in a closed configuration， whereby again for illustrative purposes the container (750) is depicted as including first， second and third platforms (760) ， (770) and (780) . Again whilst embodiments of the invention include other features， for explanatory purposes the present embodiment and operability thereof， is described in reference to relative motion or movement between platforms (760) ， (770) and (780) .

In the present further explanatory embodiment， the platforms (760) ， (770) and (780) are moveable with respect to each other in the plane as defined by axes X and Y， and wherein the movement between the platforms (760) ， (770) and (780) is rotational movement in the plane X-Y and about a common axis of rotation Z. As is shown in Figure 7 (d) ， relative rotational movement between platform (760) and platform (770) allows the container (750) to be moved to an at least partially opened configuration.

As will be appreciated and understood by those skilled in the art， the movement as provided between elements or features of the present invention is not restrictive and may be translational relative movement with a plane， or in other or alternate embodiments may be translational movement within a different plane.

Further， such movement， may be rotational movement with a same plane about a common axis of rotation， or may be about different axes of rotation. Still further， there may exist more than one axis of rotation about which rotational movement is provided， and such more than one axes may be parallel or non-parallel to each other.

As will be understood and appreciated by those skilled in the art， the drawings and representations as shown and discussed in reference to Figures 7 (a) - (d) are schematic representations and are explanatory in relation to some features of embodiments of the present invention， and infer no specific geometric or sizing parameters， and must be viewed as non-restrictive and only exemplary examples.

Referring to Figure 8 (a) ， there is shown a schematic example of a container (800) including a plurality of platforms (810) ， (820) and (830) located adjacent to each other. In this example， the platforms (810) ， (820) and (830) are used solely as an illustrative example， and may be equally be equated to other portions of a container. In this example， the platforms (810) ， (820) and (830) are provided with translational movement relative to each other in the direction as denoted by the X axis.

As is shown， when a user wishes to displace platform (810) relative to platform (830) ， a force F is applied to each of platforms (810) and (830) ， which creates a force-couple system of magnitude M ＝ F x d， d being the normal (perpendicular) displacement between the lines of action of the forces F. Thus， a turning moment M is created， which gives rise to rotation and hence instability. Furthermore， in order to counteract the turning moment M created， an opposite moment must be applied to prevent free motion of the container (800) . Thus， as will be understood， a user of the container， would typically be required to apply increased manual dexterity and often use both hands to operate such a device.

As will be appreciated and understood， a container such as that for carrying of cosmetic articles， often will require use in environments which are not conducive to increased manual dexterity or equal effort from two-handed use， and without a table upon which the container may be placed during opening. For example， a portable cosmetic compact device as provided by the present invention， may be used in environments such as trains whereby at times for stability and safety reasons a user may be required to at least party hold a hand rail with one hand， and any effort required by such a hand should be minimal for safety reasons. Other examples of environments where such a container may be used include taxis， buses and private motor vehicles， which to not typically have a platform such as a table or the like upon which a container may be supported during opening or closing thereof. Furthermore， a suitably sized container whereby the container may be located in the hand of a user， allows ease of use in different operational environments， and substantially allows ease of hand operability.

Referring to Figure 8 (b) ， a schematic representation of an embodiment of a container (850) according to the present invention is shown. Similarly as described with reference to Figure 8 (a) ， the container includes a plurality of platforms (860) ， (870) and (880) located adjacent to each other. Again， in this example， the platforms (860) ， (870) and (880) are used solely as an illustrative example， and may be equally be equated to other portions of a container.

The container has a peripheral edge surface (890) ， which is collectively formed from the edge surfaces of platforms (860) ， (870) and (880) . As is shown， the peripheral edge surface is provided with curvature which， in addition to any cosmetic or ergonomic advantages， provides advantages during opening and closing of the container (850) over the container as described with reference to Figure 8 (a) and the associated operational issues as discussed.

As shown， the curvature as provided to the peripheral edge surface (890) of the container (850) causes forces G， G1 and G2 to be applied normally (perpendicular) to the peripheral edge surface (890) ， which directs the line of action of associated forces to have a reduced displacement therebetween， As will be noted， when a force-couple system is applied between platforms (860) and (880) so as to effect relative movement therebetween， the displacement between the lines of action is d1， and hence the turning moment is M1 ＝ G x d1. Similarly， when forces G and G2 are applied to platforms (870 and (880) respectively so as to cause relative translational movement therebetween， the turning moment M2 ＝ G x d2 is created. As will be understood by those skilled in the art， the forces as represented by G， G1 and G2 represent resultant forces normal to the curvature， and there may exist components of such forces in the horizontal and vertical directions.

As will be understood， the curved peripheral edge surface (890) as provided by the container (850) of Figure 8 (b) provides significant reduction in turning moment be reducing the displacement between lines of action dudng opening and closing of the container (850) ， in comparison with a container of Figure 8 (a) ， thus providing advantages for user in environments as discussed above， whereby minimal effort by both hands is beneficial， and whereby there does not exist any platform or table upon which to support the container during operation. A reduction in turning moment advantageously provides increased stability. Furthermore， a suitably sized container whereby the container may be located in the hand of a user， allows substantially single-handed operability or nominal additional support from the other hand in some embodiments， by the urging of a user′s thumb and fingers towards each other， and a reduced turning moment by a reduced force-couple system reduces the propensity of the container to rotate and flip out of the hand of a user.

Other advantages of the curvature as provided in embodiments of the invention as described， also include ease of gripping and holding of the container， as a suitably sized container allows the finger of a user to cud around the peripheral edge surface， which allow for more steadfast holding of the container， which again in particular environments whereby there may be motion， jolts， impacts and the like， such as on trains， buses， taxis and automobiles. Accordingly， a container with a suitably curved surface provides ease of maintaining the device within a hand of a user， and reduces the propensity of the container to be dropped by a user during transit. As will be understood by those skilled in the art， the embodiments as depicted are examples of containers of the present invention， and any geometry as depicted in the examples is not to be considered limiting.

In exemplary embodiments of the present invention， the cosmetics container when arranged in a closed configuration could have an a length in the range of about 92mm to 96mm and an approximate length of 94mm for example， a width in the range of about 76mm to 82mm and approximately 78mm for example， and a depth in an arrange of about 40mm to 44mm and approximately 42mm for example. The indicia representing the logo on the outer surface of the top housing member could fit within an area of approximately 27mm by 26mm by way of example.

Those skilled in the art will appreciate that whilst the container according to the present invention had been described in reference to cosmetic products， in particular make-up type products and the storage there of， such a container may also be applicable for other make-up products， such as performing arts make-up， stage make-up， and make-up for camouflage type applications.

The container according to the present invention， in some embodiments lends itself to manufacture utilising polymeric materials， and may be formed by polymer forming processes， such as injection molding. In other or alternate embodiments， polymeric materials may be used for the manufacture of the container， which require post-processing or other manufacturing processes and techniques.

The material or combination of materials from which the container may be formed is not limited to particular polymeric materials， and may include polymer and co-polymer materials， mixed polymer blends， thermoset and thermoplastic polymers. Composite materials may also be utilised including fibre/polymer materials， metal matrix composites， ceramic matrix composites and the like.

Alternatively， metal or metal alloys may be utilised in the manufacture of the container， including stainless steel， aluminum and metal alloys. The surface of the material may be polished， mat， knurled at least partially for increased grip and traction， or anodized， by way of example. Suitable manufacturing processes may be utilised depending upon the material and application.

In other embodiments， the container may be formed by crystal-like materials or materials providing a crystal effect， such as polished polymethyl-methacrylate (PMMA) or the like.

The geometry and sizing of the container as described above is that of exemplary embodiments， and cannot be considered restrictive. In other or alternate embodiments， the geometry， sizing and proportions may be provided so as to provide a container of a different sizing such as reduced height or length， depending upon the application of the device and requirements thereof.

Surface finishes may be provided to the container， including texture， surface treatment for grip， polished for reflectiveness， and material veneers and print such as timber， animal skin print or the like may be applied to the container either integrally or as a post-applied application.

Adornments may also be applied to portions of the container， such as diamantes， crystals， adornments and the like， which may be protruding from the surface of the container， recessed within the container， or combinations thereof. In other embodiments， the container appearance may be customizable， and suitable customisation members provided for use thereof. In other embodiments， decorations may be applied which may be in the guise of a protective case， analogous to that for protection of portable telecommunications devices such

In certain embodiments， the cosmetics container includes a power unit of suitable voltage for supplying emergency power to an external device such as a mobile telephone， an IPad or any other mobile communication device so as to power the external device for emergency communication. In the exemplary embodiments， the power includes a DC power source (e.g. for simplicity the rechargeable battery unit that powers the light source) and is housed in the sliding tray (150) of the container. The power unit also includes am electrical-interfacing module configured for electrically interfacing the power source with the mobile telephone whereby power from the power unit is able to either directly power the mobile telephone， or， to charge a rechargeable battery of the mobile telephone. The electrical-interfacing module includes a USB-compatible output jack accessible via an outer surface of the cosmetics container such that one end of a power cable may be connected to the USB-compatible jack with a second end of the power cable being suitably configured for electrical interconnectivity with the mobile telephone to deliver power to the mobile telephone.

In a further embodiment depicted in Fig. 9， a device is provided which includes an input interface (510) ， a processor (500) ， and an output interface (520) communicably connected together via a communication link (530) . The input interface is configured for receiving a mood information， the processor which is communicably connected to the input interface， is configured for selecting， in response to the received mood information， at least one makeup/cosmetics application plan from a plurality of makeup/cosmetics applications plans matching said mood information. The output interface communicably connected to the processor is configured for outputting the at least one makeup/cosmetics application plan selected by the processor.

The mood information may be based upon at least one of a mood of a person， an appearance or other measurable characteristics of a person or environment， an event or theme. Typically， the mood information may include predefined categories of moods such as a “happy” ， “sad” ， “fun” ， “festive” ， “business” and typically the input interface may be configured with a means for selecting from these predefined categories of moods as the mood information. Also typically， the mood information may be at least partially based upon sensing of one or more physiological characteristics of a person such as but not limited to a person′s heart rate， skin temperature， posture， blood pressure， complexion， blink rate， pupil dilation. Also typically， the appearance of the person may include a type and appearance of a person′s clothing or accessories being worn or to be worn by the person which may be entered into the input interface or sensed by the input interface. Typically the appearance or other characteristic of the environment may include information as to whether the environment is indoors or outdoors， a particular geographic location of the environment， information concerning whether the environment is a relatively dark or light setting， a temperature and humidity of the environment and so on. Typically， mood information which may be based upon an event or a theme may include predefined categories -for instance， “home” ， “office” ， “party” ， “wedding” ， ‘funeral” and so on and typically the input interface may be configured with a means for selecting from these predefined categories of event or theme based moods as the mood information.

The makeup/cosmetics application plan may include at least one or a combination of makeup/cosmetics products which may be suggested for application to the person. Typically， the makeup/cosmetics application plan may also include instructions regarding how to apply the one or more makeup/cosmetics products to the person in seeking to achieve an aesthetic appearance. Preferably， the makeup/cosmetics application plan includes use of at least one makeup/cosmetics product that is provided in a cosmetics tray wherein the cosmetics tray is configured for use with at least one of the broad forms of the present invention described herein including the container for storing cosmetics

The mood information may be manually entered into the input interface， or， may be automatically sensed by the input interface. Typically， the input interface may include a user-interactive touchscreen， a keypad or voice detection input interface disposed on the device. Typically， the input interface may include a sensor configured for sensing the physiological characteristics of a person and/or the appearance of the person or environment. For instance， the sensor may include an image acquisition device and a processor configured for acquiring information indicative of a visual appearance or visual characteristics of the person and/or the environment and the processor may be configured for processing such sensed information based upon a predefined algorithm or predefined methodology to determine the mood information based upon such information.

In other embodiments of the present invention a is provided including an input interface， a processor， and an output interface that are communincably connected together via a commuication link. The input interface is configured for receiving a mood information either manually entered by a user or automatically sensed using a sensor. The processor communicably connected to the input interface is configured for selecting， in response to the received mood information， at least one makeup/cosmetics application plan from a plurality of makeup/cosmetics applications plans matching said mood information. The output interface is configured for outputting a purchase order of at least one makeup/cosmetics product associated with the selected makeup/cosmetics application plan.

The one or more makeup/cosmetics products associated with the determined makeup/cosmetics application plan includes a makeup/cosmetics product disposed in a tray wherein the tray is configured for use with at least one of the embodiments of the present invention described herein including the container for storing cosmetics.

In a further embodiments of the present invention， a watch， a mobile phone case， a wearable accessory， a handbag， and a purse are provided having suitably shaped and dimensioned recesses disposed therein for releasably receiving a tray having a makeup/cosmetics product disposed therein. The tray is configured for use with the container for storing a makeup/cosmetics product as described herein.

A securement mechanism is provided on the watch， mobile phone case， wearable accessory， handbag and purse in the form of a latching mechanism or the like which is configured for selectably securing the cosmetics tray within the recess.

In other embodiments of the present invention a device as depicted in Fig. 10 is provided for depositing a substance on to a deposition surface， the substance being configured for application as a makeup/cosmetics product to a region of a person′s body. The device includes an input interface (610) configured for receiving an input indicative of the substance to be deposited； a processor (600) configured for selecting， in response to the received input， at least one ingredient from amongst a plurality of ingredients comprising the substance to be deposited on to the deposition surface； and a deposition means (620) having one or more receptacles for storing the plurality of ingredients， and for depositing on to the deposition surface the at least one ingredient selected by the processor as comprising the substance.

The deposition surface may include a tray configured for use with any one of the broad forms of the present invention described herein. For instance， the tray may be configured for releasable attachment in a container for storing cosmetics. Typically the container for storing cosmetics may include a cosmetics compact. Also typically the container for storing cosmetics may be as in accordance with one of the broad forms of the present invention described herein.

The makeup/cosmetics product may include at least one of an eye shadow， foundation， mascara， lipstick， primer， lip gloss， lip liner， concealer， face powder， blush， bronzer， and a nail polish substance.

The plurality of ingredients may include at least one ingredient configured as a colour carrier， Typically， the plurality of ingredients may include at least one ingredient configured as a pigment.

The device may include a means for mixing the at least one ingredient before deposition of the at least one ingredient comprising the substance on to the deposition surface. Alternatively， the at least one ingredient may be deposited on to the deposition surface separately. Typically the at least one ingredient may be deposited as layers on the deposition surface.

The deposition device may include at least one of an inkjet-type printer and a 3D-type printer deposition mechanism configured for depositing the at least one substance in to the tray.

In embodiments of these present invention described herein the makeup/cosmetics plans comprising makeup/cosmetics products and instructions for applying the makeup/cosmetics products may be defined by users and uploaded to a server as part of a library of such makeup/cosmetics plans. The library of makeup/cosmetics plans may be accessible and searchable via a software application running on a smartphone or other communication device with the library being resident on the device itself or accessible and searchable from a remote server for instance via an Internet connection. Alternatively the library of makeup/cosmetics application plans may be resident and searchable on a storage media disposed in a container for storing cosmetics. Each of the user-defined makeup/cosmetics application plans may be categorized according to a particular mood category for ease of searchability by users seeking suggestions for applying makeup/cosmetics corresponding to a particular mood. The makeup/cosmetics applications plans may be further tagged with user-ratings and searchable by such user-ratings.

In embodiments of the present invention it is envisaged that a sensor may be utilised in a container for storing cosmetics wherein the sensor may be configured for automatically detecting when a particular makeup/cosmetics product being stored in the container is depleted to a threshold level. The sensor is communicably connected with a processor disposed in the container which is configured for processing and automatically transmitting a purchase order for the particular makeup/cosmetics product to a vendor via a computerised system such as described in embodiments above. The processor could for instance be transmit the purchase order to the vendor via an Internet connection for purchase of makeup/cosmetics products in trays configured for use with the container for storing cosmetics in accordance with embodiments of the present invention， or trays configured for storage in a wearable accessory， mobile phone case， purse and the like.

Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the invention described herein is susceptible to variations and modifications other than those specifically described without departing from the scope of the invention. All such variations and modification which become apparent to persons skilled in the art， should be considered to fall within the spirit and scope of the invention as broadly hereinbefore described. It is to be understood that the invention includes all such variations and modifications. The invention also includes all of the steps and features， referred or indicated in the specification， individually or collectively， and any and all combinations of any two or more of said steps or features.

The reference to any prior art in this specification is not， and should not be taken as， an acknowledgment or any form of suggestion that that prior art forms part of the common general knowledge.

Claims

A container for use in storing cosmetics products， the container including：

at least one platform configured for storing a cosmetics product；

a housing including a first housing member movably attached to a second housing member， said first and second housing members being configured for movement relative to each other between at least a first configuration in which the at least one platform is substantially enclosed between the first and second housing members， and， a second configuration in which the at least one platform within the housing is exposed； and

wherein the at least one platform and at least one of the first and second housing members form at least a portion of a peripheral edge surface of the container； wherein the peripheral edge surface is provided with convex curvature in a direction of from the first housing member towards the second housing member； wherein a normal displacement between an axis normal to the peripheral edge surface formed by the at least one platform and an axis normal to the peripheral edge surface formed by the at least one housing member is less than the normal displacement between the axes of the at least one platform and the at least one of the first and second housing members.
A container as claimed in claim 1 wherein the at least one platform is configured for releasable engagement with at least one cosmetics tray in which a cosmetics product is disposed therein.
A container as claimed in claims 1 or 2 including an aperture or abatement is disposed in the at least one platform configured to enable passage of a finger at least partially therethrough and into contact with the at least one cosmetics tray when releasably engaged with the at least one platform so as to urge the cosmetics tray out of releasable engagement with the at least one platform.
A container as claimed in any one of the preceding claim wherein the releasable engagement includes at least one of frictional engagement， snap-fitting engagement， adhesive engagement， magnetic engagement， and， a hook and loop type fastening engagement.
A container as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the at least one platform includes at least one recess configured for releasable engagement with the at least one cosmetics tray in which the cosmetics product is disposed therein.
A container as claimed in claim 5 wherein a shape contour of the at least one recess is configured to substantially complement a shape contour of the cosmetics tray to which it is configured for releasable engagement.
A container as claimed in any one of the preceding claims including a plurality of platforms configured for releasable engagement with the at least one cosmetics tray in which a cosmetics product is disposed therein.
A container as claimed in claim 7 wherein the plurality of platforms are movable relative to each other between at least a first expanded configuration in which cosmetics trays that are releasably engaged with the plurality of platforms are exposed to allow access to cosmetics products within the cosmetics trays， and， a second compacted configuration in which the plurality of cosmetics trays are able to be enclosed within the first and second housing members.
A container as claimed in claim 8 wherein the plurality of platforms are movable relative to each other by at least one of a slidable movement and a rotational movement.
A container as claimed in any one of the preceding claims including a mirror， said mirror being substantially enclosed between the first and second housing members when the first and second housing members are arranged in the first configuration， and， said mirror being exposed when the first and second housing members are arranged in the second position.
A container as claimed in any one of the preceding claims including a light source， said light source being substantially enclosed between the first and second housing members when the first and second housing members are arranged in the first configuration， and， said light source being exposed when the first and second housing members are arranged in the second position.
A container as claimed in claim 11 wherein the light source is positioned substantially on a periphery of the mirror.
A container as claimed in claims 11 or 12 including a battery unit configured for powering the light source.
A container as claimed in claim 13， wherein the battery unit is a rechargeable battery unit.
A container as claimed in claim 14 including an electrical input interface via which the rechargeable battery unit is able to be recharged by an external power source.
A container as claimed in claim 14， wherein the container further includes a photovoltaic cell in communication with the battery unit， for recharging said battery unit.
A container as claimed in any one of the preceding claims including indicia indicative of a brand or logo disposed on an outer surface of the housing， said indicia being formed at least partially from a light transmissive material so as to enable illumination of the indicia by a light source emitting light through the light transmissive material.
A container as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the at least one platform is configured for releasably engaging with at least one cosmetics tray having at least one of the following standardised sets of dimensions in accordance with approximate ranges of：

(a) length of around 19.5-20.5mm， breadth of around 17.5-18.5mm， and depth of around 6.5-7.5mm； and

(b) length of around 41.5-42.5mm， breadth of around 27.0-28.0mm， and depth of around 6.5-7.5mm.
A container as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the at least one platform is configured for releasably engaging with at least 3 cosmetics trays each having a standardised set of dimensions of length of 19.5-20.5mm， breadth of 17.5-18.5mm， and depth of 6.5-7.5mm， and， with at least 2 cosmetics trays each having a standardised set of dimensions of length of 41.5-42.5mm， breadth of 27.0-28.0mm， and depth of 6.5-7.5mm.
A container as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the platform is configured for releasably engaging with at least 5 cosmetics trays each having a standardised set of dimensions of length of 19.5-20.5mm， breadth of 17.5-18.5mm， and depth of 6.5-7.5mm， and， with at least 1 cosmetics tray having a standardised set of dimensions of length of 41.5-42.5mm， breadth of 27.0-28.0mm， and depth of 6.5-7.5mm.
A container as claimed in any one of the preceding claims， including a power unit for use in powering a mobile telephone device， the power unit including：

a DC power source； and

an electrical-interfacing module configured for electrically-interfacing the power source with the mobile telephone device whereby power from the power source is able to supply power to the mobile telephone device for operation thereof.
A container as claimed in claim 21 wherein the DC power source includes the battery unit for powering the light source.
A container as claimed in claims 21 or 22 wherein the electrical-interfacing module is configured for delivering power from the power source to a rechargeable battery of the mobile telephone via a charging port of the mobile telephone so as to effect charging of the rechargeable battery of the mobile telephone.
A container as claimed in claim 23 wherein the electrical-interfacing module includes an output jack disposed on the container， the output jack being configured for receiving a first end of a power cable via which power can be delivered from the power source to the mobile telephone connected to a second end of the cable， so as to effect powering of the mobile telephone.
A cosmetics tray having a cosmetics product disposed therein， said cosmetics tray being configured for use with the container as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 24 and including at least one of the following standardised sets of dimensions in accordance with approximate ranges of：

(a) length of 19.5-20.5mm， breadth of 17.5-18.5mm， and depth of 6.5-7.5mm； and

(b) length of 41.5-42.5mm， breadth of 27.0-28.0mm， and depth of 6.5-7.5mm.
A computerised system for ordering a cosmetics product disposed in a cosmetics tray， the cosmetics tray being configured for releasable attachment to at least one platform of a cosmetics container， the computerised system comprising a computer processor communicably coupled to a customer interface via a communication system， wherein the computer processor is configured to：

(i) receive a customer purchase order inputted via the customer interface for the cosmetics product disposed in the cosmetics tray defined in terms of at least one purchase order parameter； and

(ii) automatically process a purchase transaction via the computer processor based on the received purchase order；

whereby the computer processor is configurable to automatically communicate via the communication system a delivery order instruction to effect delivery of the purchased cosmetics product disposed in the cosmetics tray to the customer in response to the processed purchase transaction.
A computerised system in accordance with claim 26 wherein the computer processor is configured to：

(i) receive a customer search request for the cosmetics product disposed in the cosmetics tray based on at least one search parameter of the search request， the customer search request being inputted via the customer interface；

(ii) automatically process the customer search request to determine availability of at least one cosmetics product disposed in the cosmetics tray which closely matches the received customer search request； and

(iii) automatically communicate an availability status of a cosmetics product disposed in the cosmetics tray based on the customer search request back to the customer for output to the customer via the customer interface.
A computerised system as claimed in claim 27 wherein the at least one search parameter includes at least one of a brand of the cosmetics product， a type of the cosmetics product， a colour of the cosmetics product， a texture of the cosmetics product， a price of a cosmetics product， and a set of standardised dimensions of a cosmetics tray in which the cosmetics product is disposed.
A computerised system as claimed in any one of claims 26 to 28 wherein the customer interface is configured for operation on at least one of a smartphone and a personal computer.
A computerised system as claimed in any one of claims 26 to 29 wherein the customer interface is configured for operation as a software application or as an interactive web site interface accessible via the World Wide Web on at least one of the smartphone and the personal computer.
A computerised system as claimed in any one of claims 26 to 30 wherein the communication system includes the Internet.
A computerised system as claimed in any one of claims 26 to 31 wherein the cosmetics container includes the container in accordance with any one of claims 1 to 25.
A method of ordering a cosmetics product disposed in a cosmetics tray， said cosmetics tray being configured for releasable attachment to at least one platform of a cosmetics container， the method being operable using a computerised system comprising a computer processor communicably coupled to a customer interface via a communication system， wherein the method includes the steps of：

(i) receiving a customer purchase order inputted via the customer interface for the cosmetics product disposed in the cosmetics tray， the customer purchase order being defined in terms of at least one purchase order parameter； and

(ii) automatically processing a purchase transaction via the computer processor in response to the received purchase order；

whereby the computer processor is configurable to automatically communicate via the communication system a delivery order instruction to effect delivery of the purchased cosmetics product disposed in the cosmetics tray to the customer in response to the processed purchase transaction.
A method in accordance with claim 33 wherein the computer processor is configured to：

(i) receive a customer search request for a cosmetics product disposed in a cosmetics tray based on at least one search parameter of the search request， the customer search request being inputted via the customer interface；

(ii) automatically process the customer search request to determine availability of at least one cosmetics product disposed in the cosmetics tray which closely matches the at least one search parameters of the customer search request； and

(iii) automatically communicate an availability status of a cosmetics product disposed in the cosmetics tray based on the customer search request back to the customer for output to the customer via the customer interface.
A method as claimed in claim 34 wherein the at least one search parameter includes at least one of a brand of the cosmetics product， a type of the cosmetics product， a colour of the cosmetics product， a texture of the cosmetics product， a price of a cosmetics product， and a set of standardised dimensions of a cosmetics tray in which the cosmetics product is disposed.
A method as claimed in any one of claims 33 to 35 wherein the customer interface is configured for operation on at least one of a smartphone and a personal computer.
A method as claimed in any one of claims 33 to 36 wherein the customer interface is configured for operation as a software application or as an interactive web site interface accessible via the World Wide Web on at least one of the smartphone and the personal computer.
A method as claimed in any one of claims 33 to 37 wherein the communication system includes the Internet.
A method as claimed in any one of claims 33 to 38 wherein the cosmetics container includes a container in accordance with any one of claims 1 to 25.
A computer processor configured for use in accordance with the method of claims 33 to 38.
A customer interface configured for use in accordance with the method of claims 33 to 38.
A device including：

an input interface configured for receiving a mood information；

a processor communicably connected to the input interface， the processor being configured for selecting， in response to the received mood information， at least one makeup/cosmetics application plan from a plurality of makeup/cosmetics applications plans matching said mood information；

an output interface communicably connected to the processor， wherein the output interface is configured for outputting the at least one makeup/cosmetics application plan selected by the processor.
A device as claimed in claim 42 formed as part of at least one of a container for storing cosmetics， a mobile telephone and， a mobile computing device.
A device as claimed in claim 43 where in the container for storing cosmetics includes a container as claimed in accordance with any one of claims 1 to 24.
A device as claimed in any one of claims 42 to 44 wherein the input interface includes at least one of：

(a) an input device configured for receiving manually entered mood information；

(b) a sensor configured for sensing the mood information.
A device as claimed in any one of claims 42 to 45 wherein the mood information includes at least one of：

(a) a sensed or manually entered indication of a physiological chacteristic associated with a person；

(b) a sensed or manually entered indication of an appearance associated with a person；

(c) a sensed or manually entered indication of a theme of an event or occasion； and

(d) a sensed or manually entered indication of an environmental characteristic.
A device as claimed in any one of claims 42 to 46 wherein the makeup/cosmetics application plan includes at least one of a selection of one or more makeup/cosmetics products to be applied to the person and instructions for applying the one or more makeup/cosmetics products to the person.
A device as claimed in any one of claims 42 to 47 wherein the makeup/cosmetics application plan includes use of a makeup/cosmetics product disposed in a cosmetics tray wherein the cosmetics tray is configured for use with the container of claims 1 to 24.
A device including：

an input interface configured for receiving a mood information；

a processor communicably connected to the input interface， the processor being configured for selecting， in response to the received mood information， at least one makeup/cosmetics application plan from a plurality of makeup/cosmetics applications plans matching said mood information；

an output interface communicably connected to the processor， wherein the output interface is configured for outputting a purchase order of at least one makeup/cosmetics product associated with the selected makeup/cosmetics application plan.
A device as claimed in claims 49 wherein the one or more makeup/cosmetics products associated with the determined makeup/cosmetics application plan includes a makeup/cosmetics product disposed in a tray wherein the tray is configured for use with the container of any one of claims 1 to 24.
A watch having a recess disposed therein for releasably receiving a tray having a makeup/cosmetics product disposed therein， the tray being configured for use with the container of any one of claims 1 to 24.
A mobile phone case having a recess disposed therein for releasably receiving a tray having a makeup/cosmetics product disposed therein， the tray being configured for use with the container of any one of claims 1 to 24.
A wearable accessory having a recess disposed therein for releasably receiving a tray having a makeup/cosmetics product disposed therein， the tray being configured for use with the container of any one of claims 1 to 24.
A device for depositing a substance on to a deposition surface， the substance being configured for application as a makeup/cosmetics product to a region of a person’s body， the device including：

an input interface configured for receiving an input indicative of the substance to be deposited；

a processor configured for selecting， in response to the received input， at least one ingredient from amongst a plurality of ingredients comprising the substance to be deposited on to the deposition surface； and

a deposition means having one or more receptacles for storing the plurality of ingredients， and for depositing on to the deposition surface the at least one ingredient selected by the processor as comprising the substance.
A system as claimed in claim 53 wherein the deposition device includes at least one of an inkjet-type printer and a 3D-type printer deposition mechanism configured for depositing the at least one substance in to the tray.