WO2023219087A1

WO2023219087A1 - Cosmetic compact container and kit of cosmetic compact container and refill

Info

Publication number: WO2023219087A1
Application number: PCT/JP2023/017492
Authority: WO
Inventors: Marine Roualdes; William Delbove; Julian NOUAUX; Lucia Liu
Original assignee: L'oreal
Priority date: 2022-05-11
Filing date: 2023-04-28
Publication date: 2023-11-16

Abstract

The present invention relates to a cosmetic compact container. The cosmetic compact container comprises a base, a lid assembly, and a seal member. The base comprises a retainer portion for detachably receiving and retaining a refill therein. The lid assembly covers the retainer portion. The lid assembly comprises an outer cylindrical part hinged with the base and an inner cylindrical part disposed inside the outer cylindrical part. The outer and inner cylindrical parts are coaxially arranged along a common axis. The inner cylindrical part is rotatable about the axis relative to the outer cylindrical part within a limited rotation range and is permitted to move slightly relative to the outer cylindrical part in a vertical direction along the axis. The seal member is arranged between the refill received in the retainer portion and the lid assembly. The inner cylindrical part and the base are provided with threads allowing a twist operation of the inner cylindrical part within the limited rotation range so that the twist operation allows switching between a sealed state in which the seal member presses and seals a top circumferential surface of the refill and a released state in which the sealing of the seal member is released. The inner cylindrical part is provided with an operation portion for manually performing the twist operation of the inner cylindrical part. The operation portion is exposed from an opening defined in the outer cylindrical part.

Description

DESCRIPTION

TITLE OF INVNEITON

COSMETIC COMPACT CONTAINER AND KIT OF COSMETIC COMPACT CONTAINER AND REFILL

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001]

The present invention relates to a cosmetic compact container and a kit of the cosmetic compact container and a refill.

BACKGROUND ART

[0002]

A variety of containers have been known as cosmetic compact containers accommodating a cosmetic composition such as foundation.

[0003]

For example, US 5,353,818 discloses a cosmetic compact container wherein a cover is pivotably attached to a case body. Male thread portions of a multiple thread and unthreaded portions are alternately formed on a peripheral wall of a cosmetic container section of the case body. A ring is rotatably attached to the cover and externally fitted to the peripheral wall. The ring has female thread portions of a multiple thread intermittently formed. The female and male thread portions are engageable and disengageable. An inner cover made of an elastic material is attached to the lower portion of the cover so that the inner cover is brought into press contact with an open edge of the peripheral wall. A space is formed between the cover and the inner cover so that the inner cover is elastically deformed and expanded. When the female and the male thread portions are engaged with each other and the ring is rotated to a closed position, the cover approaches the case body so that the inner cover is brought into press contact with the open edge of the peripheral wall. When the temperature within the cosmetic container section is increased, the inner cover is elastically expanded upwards to increase the volume within the cosmetic container section.

[0004]

US 9,220,332 discloses a cosmetic compact having a base, and a lid assembly having a window hingedly connected to the base. The lid assembly and window are movable between open and closed positions. A platform member carries the cosmetic product, and can move in the manner of a float between the base and lid assembly. A cam mechanism on the window in the form of depending lug, cooperates with camming ramps on the platform member. Exteriorly accessible manually engageable grip members connected with the platform member, allow the latter to be rotated with the lid assembly closed.

[0005]

US 2018/0177277 discloses a sealable container for a volatile composition for use in a compact case, having a container having an upper rim and outer thread segments, a seal cover having an annular wall having inner thread segments, and an annular seal disposed between the upper rim of the container and a cover plate of the seal cover. The annular seal has an upper seal member having an upper surface, and a lower seal member that registers with the upper seal member and engages the upper rim of the container when the seal covers the container. The upper seal member includes a means for preventing rotative force applied to the upper surface of the upper seal member when rotating the seal cover to the second rotated position, to be downward onto the lower seal member.

[0006]

US 10,092,081 discloses a compact designed to hold a product and having a lid, an upper housing portion, and a lower housing portion. The upper housing portion and the lower housing portion are twistable relative to one another, with the lid secured to the upper housing portion and twisting therewith. The lid and lower housing portion comprise engaging structures to secure the lid in a closed position when the respective engaging structures are aligned with one another.

[0007]

US 8,678,222 discloses an airtight compact which contains a volatile product until a time of use. The airtight compact includes a translucent and fragile pot partially encased by a base assembly, which has a rotatable lid assembly pivotably coupled to the base assembly. The rotatable lid assembly comprising a liner over-molded to an inner lid that directly seals to a rim of the fragile pot partially encased by the base. The fragile pot may be formed of a translucent glass, which is protected by the base and the rotatable lid assemblies.

[0008]

WO 2008/050926 discloses a cosmetic container which includes a cylindrical lower casing having a holding part for holding cosmetics therein, and a cap coupled to an upper end of the lower casing. The cap includes a disk- shaped inner cap part hinged at one end thereof to the lower casing, and an outer cap part which has the shape of a cylinder having a sidewall and moves up and down while rotating relative to the inner cap part. A coupling space, which is open at an end thereof, is formed in an outer circumferential surface of the lower casing, and a coupling protrusion protrudes from the outer cap part so as to be inserted into the coupling space.

[0009]

US 6,923,335 discloses a case capable of airtightly closing an opening of a mouth of a case body by screwing a lid on the case body; and rotating the lid smoothly in the circumferential direction when the lid is screwed on or unscrewed from the case body. The case including a case body having a mouth, and a lid detachably screwed on the mouth so as to close the opening of the mouth and connected to the case body via an opening and closing hinge so as to pivot in directions of opening and closing the mouth is provided with a rotary ring fitted and held around the mouth so as to rotate in a circumferential direction thereof and connected to the lid via the opening and closing hinge so that the lid rotates together with the rotary ring.

[0010]

For such cosmetic compact containers, it is necessary to seal the refill with a higher degree of airtightness in order to protect the cosmetic composition accommodated in the refill case to prevent its deterioration.

DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION

[0011]

An object of the present invention is to provide a cosmetic compact container and a kit of the cosmetic compact container and a refill, which can seal the refill with a higher degree of airtightness.

[0012]

In order to achieve the above-described object, one aspect of the present invention provides a cosmetic compact container comprising a base, a lid assembly, and a seal member. The base comprises a retainer portion for detachably receiving and retaining a refill therein. The lid assembly covers the retainer portion. The lid assembly comprises an outer cylindrical part hinged with the base and an inner cylindrical part disposed inside the outer cylindrical part. The outer and inner cylindrical parts are coaxially arranged along a common axis. The inner cylindrical part is rotatable about the axis relative to the outer cylindrical part within a limited rotation range and is permitted to move slightly relative to the outer cylindrical part in a vertical direction along the axis. The seal member is arranged between the refill received in the retainer portion and the lid assembly. The inner cylindrical part and the base are provided with threads allowing a twist operation of the inner cylindrical part within the limited rotation range so that the twist operation allows switching between a sealed state in which the seal member presses and seals a top circumferential surface of the refill and a released state in which the sealing of the seal member is released. The inner cylindrical part is provided with an operation portion for manually performing the twist operation of the inner cylindrical part. The operation portion is exposed from an opening defined in the outer cylindrical part.

[0013]

According to one aspect of the cosmetic compact container, a twist angle of said twist operation may be 90° or less, preferably between 45° and 60°.

[0014]

According to one aspect of the cosmetic compact container, the retainer portion may comprise locking structures for locking the refill and allowing the refill to be upwardly removed from the retainer portion.

[0015]

According to one aspect of the cosmetic compact container, the threads may be disposed at intervals in a circumferential direction.

[0016] According to one aspect of the cosmetic compact container, the seal member may be made of a foaming material or a bi-injected soft material.

[0017] According to one aspect of the cosmetic compact container, a peripheral wall of the outer cylindrical part may have the opening which extends in a circumferential direction. The operation portion may comprise a knob arranged outside the peripheral wall of the outer cylindrical part and a connection through the opening and between the knob and the inner cylindrical part. The knob may be slidable along the opening in the circumferential direction so as to rotate the inner cylindrical part about the axis relative to the outer cylindrical part.

[0018]

According to one aspect of the cosmetic compact container, the inner cylindrical part may comprise a top wall. The seal member may have a disk shape and may be attached to a lower surface of the top wall of the inner cylindrical part.

[0019]

According to one aspect of the cosmetic compact container, the lid assembly may function as an inner lid fitted on the retainer portion. The cosmetic compact container may further comprise an outer lid which covers the inner lid. The outer lid may be hinged with the base.

[0020]

According to one aspect of the cosmetic compact container, a hinge structure of the outer cylindrical part and a hinge structure of the outer lid may be displaced with respect to each other in the circumferential direction.

[0021]

According to one aspect of the cosmetic compact container, the outer lid may comprise a snap claw which detachably snap-fits to an engaging portion provided on the outer cylindrical part.

[0022]

According to one aspect of the cosmetic compact container, a top wall of the outer cylindrical part may have the opening. The operation portion may comprise a handle attached to a top wall of the inner cylindrical part which is exposed from the opening. The handle may be tumable about the axis so as to rotate the inner cylindrical part about the axis relative to the outer cylindrical part.

[0023]

According to one aspect of the cosmetic compact container, the handle may be hinged with the top wall of the inner cylindrical part so as to turn upwards and downwards between a laid-down position in which the handle is laid down on an upper surface of the top wall of the inner cylindrical part and a standing-up position in which the handle stands up from the upper surface of the top wall of the inner cylindrical part.

[0024]

According to one aspect of the cosmetic compact container, the cosmetic compact container may further comprise an inner lid fitted on the retainer portion. The inner lid may be hinged with the base. The lid assembly may function as an outer lid which covers the inner lid.

[0025]

According to one aspect of the cosmetic compact container, a hinge structure of the outer cylindrical part and a hinge structure of the inner lid may be displaced with respect to each other in the circumferential direction.

[0026]

According to one aspect of the cosmetic compact container, the seal member may have an annular shape and the inner lid may comprise an annular fitted structure on which the annular seal member is fitted.

[0027]

According to one aspect of the cosmetic compact container, the inner lid may define a puff housing for accommodating a puff.

[0028]

According to one aspect of the cosmetic compact container, the cosmetic compact container may further comprise a mirror attached on an inner surface of the outer lid.

[0029]

Another aspect of the present invention provides a kit of a cosmetic compact container according to any one of the above aspects and a refill. The refill can be detachably mounted in the retainer portion of the base of the cosmetic compact container.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0030]

Non-limiting and representative embodiments of the present invention will be explained in detail below, referring to the attached drawings so that the present invention can be better understood.

[0031]

FIG. 1' is a perspective view of the cosmetic compact container according to a first embodiment.

[0032]

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the cosmetic compact container according to the first embodiment as viewed from an opposite side of FIG. 1.

[0033]

FIG. 3 is a cross-section of the cosmetic compact container according to the first embodiment cut along line A to A¹ shown in FIG. 1.

[0034]

FIG. 4 is a partial cross-section of the cosmetic compact container according to the first embodiment cut along line B to B' shown in FIG. 1.

[0035] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of an outer cylindrical part of the cosmetic compact container according to the first embodiment.

[0036]

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of an inner cylindrical part of the cosmetic compact container according to the first embodiment.

[0037]

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the cosmetic compact container according to the first embodiment in use, in particular, in a state wherein an outer lid has been opened.

[0038]

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the cosmetic compact container according to the first embodiment in use, in particular, in a state wherein a puff has been extracted from a puff housing and a knob has been slid.

[0039]

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the cosmetic compact container according to the first embodiment in use, in particular, in a state wherein an inner lid has been opened.

[0040]

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the cosmetic compact container according to the first embodiment during refilling operations.

[0041]

FIG. 11 is a perspective view of the cosmetic compact container according to a second embodiment.

[0042]

FIG. 12 is a cross-section of the cosmetic compact container according to the second embodiment cut along line C to C shown in FIG. 11.

[0043]

FIG. 13 is a partially cross-section of the cosmetic compact container according to the second embodiment cut along line D to D' shown in FIG. 11.

[0044]

FIG. 14 is a perspective view of the cosmetic compact container according to the second embodiment in use, in particular, in a state wherein a handle has been turned.

[0045]

FIG. 15 is a perspective view of the cosmetic compact container according to the second embodiment in use, in particular, in a state wherein an outer lid has been opened and a puff has been extracted from a puff housing.

[0046]

FIG. 16 is a perspective view of the cosmetic compact container according to the second embodiment in use, in particular, in a state wherein an inner lid has been opened.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

[0047]

Hereafter, the embodiments of the present invention will be described in a detailed manner. The XYZ coordinate system is defined as shown in the drawings, but this is not intended to limit the invention. Both the X-axis and Y-axis directions extend along a horizontal plane and are orthogonal to each other. The Z-axis direction extends along a vertical plane and is orthogonal to each of the X-axis and Y-axis.

[0048]

In the following embodiments, the term “axis O” means a virtual center line extending in the Z-axis direction through the center of the cosmetic compact container, and is not just any axial component. The term “vertical direction” means the Z-axis direction which runs parallel to the axis 0. The term “circumferential direction” means a direction which turns about the axis O. The term “radial direction” means a direction which radiates from the axis O, that is, which is orthogonal to the axis O.

[0049]

A cosmetic compact container and a kit of the cosmetic compact container and a refill will be described below by means of an example.

First Embodiment

(Cosmetic Compact Container) [0050]

A cosmetic compact container 10 according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 10. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the cosmetic compact container 10 according to this embodiment. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the cosmetic compact container 10 according to this embodiment viewed from an opposite side of FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is a cross-section of the cosmetic compact container 10 according to this embodiment cut along line A to A' shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 4 is a partial cross-section of the cosmetic compact container 10 according to this embodiment cut along line B to B' shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 5 is a perspective view of an outer cylindrical part 40 of the cosmetic compact container 10 according to this embodiment. FIG. 6 is a perspective view of an inner cylindrical part 50 of the cosmetic compact container 10 according to this embodiment. FIGS. 7 to 9 are perspective views of the cosmetic compact container 10 according to this embodiment in use. FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the cosmetic compact container 10 according to this embodiment during refilling operations.

[0051]

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the cosmetic compact container 10 comprises a base 20, an inner lid 30 mounted on the base 20, and an outer lid 60 which covers the inner lid 30. The inner lid 30 is hinged with the base 20 and the outer lid 60 is also hinged with the base 20. A hinge structure 44 of the inner lid 30 and a hinge structure 62 of the outer lid 60 are displaced with respect to each other in the circumferential direction. In detail, the circumferential position of the hinge structure 44 of the inner lid 30 is shifted by approximately 90 degrees from the circumferential position of the hinge structure 62 of the outer lid 60.

(Base)

[0052]

Referring to FIGS. 1 to 3, the base 20 comprises a base body 21, a retainer portion 22 for detachably receiving and retaining a refill 80 therein, and a side wall 23 supporting the outer lid 60. The base body 21 has a flat plate shape which is disposed on the horizontal plane. In particular, the base body 21 has a substantially square shape whose comers are rounded in the plane view. The base body 21 defines a circular shaped opening 24 centering on the axis O. The retainer portion 22 has a cylindrical shape extending in the vertical direction. The retainer portion 22 is disposed centering on the axis O and is erected on an upper surface of the base body 21. The side wall 23 has a flat plate shape which is disposed on the vertical plane and extends upwardly from an outer periphery of the base body 21. That is, the lower end of the side wall 23 connects with one side of the square shaped base body 21. The side wall 23 extends above the height level of an upper end of the retainer portion 22. An upper end section of the side wall 23 is provided with the hinge structure 62 which connects one side of the outer lid 60 with the upper end of the side wall 23. The base 20 may be made of any kind of material. The base 20 may be made of at least one material selected from the group consisting of polyethylene (PE), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polypropylene (PP), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) resin, post-consumer recycled material (PCR) based thermoplastics such as PCR-PP, PCR-PET, PCR-ABS, PCR-PE, etc., metal, glass (virgin glass or PCR glass), wood, ceramics, fiber molded, pulp molded, and virgin paper molded laminated materials, or the like. The base body 21, the retainer portion 22, and the side wall 23 are integral with each other to form one piece, but these components may be separate parts to be assembled to compose a base member.

[0053]

The retainer portion 22 includes locking structures for locking the refill 80 and allowing the refill 80 to be upwardly removed from the retainer portion 22. Specifically, the retainer portion 22 has an inner diameter slightly larger than a diameter of the opening 24 of the base body 21 so as to define an annular step for supporting the refill 80. In addition, an inner peripheral surface of the retainer portion 22 defines a stepped surface 25 for supporting a refill cup 81 of the refill 80. The stepped surface 25 extends continuously along the entire inner periphery of the retainer portion 22 and is configured to engage with a locked portion 81a provided on an outer periphery of the refill cup 81. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 10, the retainer portion 22 includes a pair of slits 26 downwardly extending from a top of the retainer portion 22 beyond the stepped surface 25 in the vertical direction, which are spaced from each other in the circumferential direction. A section between the pair of slits 26 functions as a snapping portion 27 capable of swinging in the radial direction. The retainer portion 22 includes two snapping portions 27 which are positioned opposite to each other. That is, there are two pairs of the slits in the retainer portion 22, which are positioned opposite to each other. Each snapping portion 27 is provided with a locking portion 28 for locking the refill cup 81. The locking portion 28 is a protruding portion configured and arranged to engage with the locked portion 81a of the refill cup 81. In detail, the locking portion 28 extends from end to end of a section between the pair of slits 26 in the circumferential direction and is located above the stepped surface 25 in the snapping portion 27. During removing/mounting of the refill 80 from/to the retainer portion 22, the snapping portions 27 swing outwardly so that the locking portions 28 are detached from the locked portion 81a of the refill cup 81.

[0054]

Referring to FIG. 4, the retainer portion 22 is provided with threads 29 on its outer peripheral surface. As shown in FIG. 10, the thread 29 is a ridge extending along the outer periphery of the retainer portion 22 inclining in the vertical direction. The thread 29 has a shorter length than a length of a quarter of the entire outer periphery of the retainer portion 22 and, roughly speaking, the length of the tread 29 is equal to approximately 1/6 to 1/10 of the entire outer periphery of the retainer portion 22. The threads 29 are disposed at intervals in the circumferential direction. In detail, there are four threads 29 on the outer periphery of the retainer portion 22 and the threads 29 are arranged on either side of the pair of slits 26.

[0055]

Again referring to FIGS. 1 to 3, the side wall 23 has a flat plate shape which is disposed on the vertical plane and extends upwardly from an outer periphery of the base body 21. That is, the lower end of the side wall 23 connects with one side of the square shaped base body 21. The side wall 23 extends above the height level of an upper end of the retainer portion 22. The hinge structure 62 is provided on an upper end section of the side wall 23.

(Inner lid/lid Assembly) [0056]

Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, the inner lid 30 is fitted on the retainer portion 22 and covered by the outer lid 60. The inner lid 30 is sandwiched between the base body 21 and the outer lid 60. The inner lid 30 is a lid assembly comprising an outer cylindrical part 40 and an inner cylindrical part 50. The outer cylindrical part 40 is disposed centering on the axis O. The inner cylindrical part 50 is disposed centering on the axis O and inside the outer cylindrical part 40. That is, the outer cylindrical part 40 and the inner cylindrical part 50 are coaxially arranged along the common axis O. The outer cylindrical part 40 engages with the inner cylindrical part 50 by recess-and-proj ection fitting so as to prevent removal of the outer cylindrical part 40 from the inner cylindrical part 50. Thus, the outer cylindrical part 40 and the inner cylindrical part 50 serve as a lid together. Nevertheless, the inner cylindrical part 50 is rotatable about the axis O relative to the outer cylindrical part 50 within a limited rotation range while the inner cylindrical part 50 is permitted to move slightly relative to the outer cylindrical part 40 in the vertical direction. The outer cylindrical part 40 and the inner cylindrical part 50 may be made of any kind of material. The outer cylindrical part 40 and the inner cylindrical part 50 may be made of at least one material selected from the group consisting of polyethylene (PE), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polypropylene (PP), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) resin, post-consumer recycled material (PCR) based thermoplastics such as PCR-PP, PCR-PET, PCR-ABS, PCR-PE, etc., metal, glass (virgin glass or PCR glass), wood, ceramics, fiber molded, pulp molded, and virgin paper molded laminated materials, or the like.

[0057]

A top portion 31 of the inner lid (lid assembly) 30 defines a puff housing 32 for accommodating a puff 90. The puff housing 32 is a cavity defined by a top wall 52 of the inner cylindrical part 50 and a top wall 42 and an erected wall 43 of the outer cylindrical part 40, which are described later. The puff housing 32 is covered by the outer lid 60.

(Outer Cylindrical Part)

[0058]

Referring to FIG. 5, the outer cylindrical part 40 includes a cylindrically shaped peripheral wall 41 extending in the vertical direction, the top wall 42 disposed on an upper end of the peripheral wall 41, and the erected wall 43 erected from the upper end of the peripheral wall 41. The peripheral wall 41 is disposed centering on the axis O. The peripheral wall 41 is provided with an opening 46 to define a sliding slit at its lower end. The opening 46 is a cutout having a recessed shape which is elongated in the circumferential direction. The opening 46 has a shorter length than a length (a dimension in the circumferential direction) of a quarter of the entire outer periphery of the peripheral wall 41 and, roughly speaking, the length of the opening 46 is equal to approximately 1/8 of the entire outer periphery of the peripheral wall 41. That is, the opening 46 extends in a circular arc shape in the plane view and a central angle of the circular arc is 90° or less, more specifically approximately 45°. The peripheral wall 41 is provided with a projection 47 on its inner peripheral surface. The projection 47 is a ridge extending along the inner peripheral surface of the peripheral wall 41 in the circumferential direction. The projection 47 has a flat upper end face and an inclined lower end face.

[0059]

The top wall 42 has a circular flat plate shape which is disposed on the horizontal plane. The top wall 42 defines a circular shaped opening 48 centering on the axis O. Thus, the top wall 42 has an annular shape. The upper surface of the inner circumference of the top wall 42 is inclined downwardly toward the axis O. The erected wall 43 has a cylindrical shape centering on the axis O. The erected wall 43 has the same diameter as that of the peripheral wall 41 and thus an outer periphery of the erected wall 43 is smoothly and continuously connected to the outer periphery of the peripheral wall 41 without any step so as to form a single cylinder together with the peripheral wall 41. The erected wall 43 is provided with an engaging portion 45 on its inner periphery of the erected wall 43. The engaging portion 45 is a projection which is disposed at a location opposite to the hinge structure 62.

[0060]

The outer cylindrical part 40 is provided with a hinge structure 44 by which the inner lid 30 is hinged with the base 20. The hinge structure 44 is formed in the lower end of the peripheral wall 41 and is arranged at a position approximately opposite to the above-mentioned opening 46 in the peripheral wall 41. The hinge structure 44 is provided in a portion of the outer periphery of the base body 21 in the circumferential direction. The hinge structure 44 is located in a position which has been rotated 90 degrees around the axis O from the location of the side wall 23. Thus, when the inner lid 30 is opened and rotated by the hinge structure 44, it is avoided to interfere the inner lid 30 with the side wall 30 of the base 20 and/or the outer lid 60.

(Inner Cylindrical Part)

[0061]

Referring to FIG. 6, the inner cylindrical part 50 includes a cylindrically shaped peripheral wall 51 extending in the vertical direction and the top wall 52 disposed on an upper end of the peripheral wall 51. The peripheral wall 51 is disposed centering on the axis O. The top wall 52 is disposed in the horizontal plane.

[0062]

A seal member 70 is mounted inside the inner cylindrical part 50. The seal member 70 is arranged between the refill 80 and the inner lid 30 so as to seal a top circumferential surface 86a of the refill 80. Specifically, the seal member 70 has a disk shape and is attached to a lower surface of the top wall 52 of the inner cylindrical part 50. The seal member 70 may be retained on the lower surface of the top wall 52 by tightly fitting into the peripheral wall 51 or may fixed onto the lower surface of the top wall 52 by an adhesive. The seal member 70 is made of a foaming material, for example, polyethylene (PE). The material of the sealing member is not limited to foaming PE material. Instead of the foaming material, the seal member 70 may be made of a bi-injected soft material which can be made interference whit rigid plastic after closure for a good airtightness. For example, the soft material includes LDPE, TPE, TPU, Hytrel or similar type like these. The seal member 70 may be made of any kind of material such as elastomer or the like.

[0063]

The peripheral wall 51 is provided with a recessed groove 54 on its outer peripheral surface. The recessed groove 54 extends along the outer peripheral surface of the peripheral wall 51 in the circumferential direction. The recessed groove 54 has a flat upper end face and an inclined lower end face. The recessed groove 54 receives the projection 47 on the outer cylindrical part 40. The cross-sectional shape of the recessed groove 54 is similar to the cross- sectional shape of the projection 47 on the outer cylindrical part 40 but a size of the recessed groove 54 is slightly larger than the size of the projection 47. According to the above- mentioned configurations and arrangements, the inner cylindrical part 50 is rotatable about the axis O relative to the outer cylindrical part 40 while the inner cylindrical part 50 is permitted to move slightly relative to the outer cylindrical part 40 in the vertical direction.

[0064]

The inner cylindrical part 50 is provided with threads 56 on its inner peripheral surface. The thread 56 is a ridge extending along the inner periphery of the peripheral wall 51 inclining in the vertical direction. The thread 56 has a shorter length than a length of a quarter of the entire inner periphery of the peripheral wall 51 and, roughly speaking, the length of the tread

56 is equal to approximately 1/6 to 1/10 of the entire inner periphery of the peripheral wall 51. The threads 56 are disposed at intervals in the circumferential direction. In detail, there are four threads 56 on the inner periphery of the peripheral wall 51. The threads 56 on the inner cylindrical part 50 engage with the threads 29 on the retainer portion 22. These threads 29 and 56 guide the inner cylindrical part 50 relative to the retainer portion 22 in a spiral manner during the inner cylindrical part 50 rotates about the axis O. That is, the threads 29 and 56 engaged with each other allow a twist operation of an inner cylindrical part 50. This twist operation allows switching between a sealed state in which the seal member 70 presses and seals a top circumferential surface 86a of the refill 80 and a released state in which the sealing of the seal member 70 is released.

[0065]

The inner cylindrical part is provided with an operation portion 55 for manually performing the twist operation of the inner cylindrical part 50. The operation portion 55 is exposed from the opening 46 of the peripheral wall 41 of the outer cylindrical part 40. In detail, the operation portion 55 includes a knob 57. The knob 57 is arranged outside the peripheral wall 41 of the outer cylindrical part 40. The knob 57 has a hollow structure having a substantially triangular cylindrical shape. One of the exterior faces of the knob 57 is parallel to one side (a side along the X-direction) of the base body 21 and the other is parallel to another side (a side along the Y-direction) of the base body 21. The back face of the knob 57 facing the outer periphery of the outer cylindrical part 40 is a concave surface gently curving along the outer periphery of the outer cylindrical part 40. The knob 57 connects the peripheral wall 51 of the inner cylindrical part 50 with a connection 58. The connection 58 between the knob

57 and the peripheral wall 51 passes through the opening 46 of the peripheral wall 41 of the outer cylindrical part 40. This connection 58 is movable within the opening 46 of the peripheral wall 41. Thus, the knob 57 is slidable along the opening 46 in the circumferential direction so as to rotate the inner cylindrical part 50 about the axis O relative to the outer cylindrical part 40. The sliding operation of the knob 57 is stopped by hitting the connection 58 to an end of the opening 46. Thus, the movement of the knob 57 is limited within a predetermined range resulting in limiting the rotation of the inner cylindrical part 50 within a certain rotation range. The twist angle of the twist operation is 90° or less, more specifically approximately 45°.

(Outer lid)

[0066]

Referring to FIG. 7, the outer lid 60 includes a lid body 61 having a flat plate shape which is disposed on the horizontal plane. In particular, the lid body 61 has a substantially square shape whose comers are rounded in the plane view. The lid body 61 has a planar shape substantially equal to that of the base body 21. The outer lid 60 is hinged with the side wall 23 of the base 20. The outer lid 60 is provided with an annular projection 63 on an inner surface of the lid body 61. The annular projection 63 defines an area in which a minor M is attached. The mirror M is attached within the annular proj ection 63. This annular proj ection 63 serves as a frame for the mirror M.

[0067]

Referring to FIG. 3, the outer lid 60 is provided with a snap claw 65 as a hook which can detachably snap-fit to the engaging portion 45 provided on the outer cylindrical part 40 when locking. The snap claw 65 projects from the annular projection 63. In addition, the outer lid 60 is provided with retaining projections 66 on an inner surface of the lid body 61. The retaining projection 66 is for retaining the knob 57 so as to prevent the knob 57 from sliding unintentionally when the outer lid 60 is closed. The retaining projection 66 has a shape corresponding to the shape of the exterior face of the knob 57. The outer lid 60 may be made of any kind of material. The outer lid 60 may be made of at least one material selected from the group consisting of polyethylene (PE), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polypropylene (PP), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) resin, post-consumer recycled material (PCR) based thermoplastics such as PCR-PP, PCR-PET, PCR-ABS, PCR-PE, etc., metal, glass (virgin glass or PCR glass), wood, ceramics, fiber molded, pulp molded, and virgin paper molded laminated materials, or the like.

(Refill) [0068]

The refill 80 is detachably mounted in the retainer portion 22. The refill 80 includes a refill case 81 and a refill ring 82 attached to an upper end of the refill case 81. The refill case 81 and the refill ring 82 may be made of any kind of material. The refill case 81 and the refill ring 82 may be made of at least one material selected from the group consisting of polyethylene (PE), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polypropylene (PP), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) resin, post-consumer recycled material (PCR) based thermoplastics such as PCR-PP, PCR-PET, PCR-ABS, PCR-PE, etc., metal, glass (virgin glass or PCR glass), wood, ceramics, fiber molded, pulp molded, and virgin paper molded laminated materials, or the like.

[0069]

The refill cup 81 is a receptacle accommodating the cosmetic composition C and is filled with a cosmetic composition C. The refill cup 81 includes a bottom wall 83 having a circular shape, an inner wall 84 upwardly erected on a periphery of the bottom wall 83, and an outer wall 85 surrounding the inner wall 83 with spacing in the radial direction therefrom. The bottom wall 83 and the inner wall 84 define a cavity to be filled with the cosmetic composition C. A connection portion 85a connecting the inner wall 84 and the outer wall 85 is provided between the lower end of the outer wall 85 and the lower portion of the inner wall 84 so as to define an annular step for engaging the annular step defined in base 20. The outer wall 85 is provided with the locked portion 81a on its outer peripheral surface. The locked portion 81a is an annular protrusion extending continuously along the entire periphery and is configured to engage with the locking portions 25 of the retainer portion 22.

[0070]

The outer wall 85 is provided with a flange portion 86 at its upper end. The flange portion 86 extends outwardly from the upper end of the outer wall 85 in the radial direction and is arranged above the upper end of the retainer portion 22. The flange portion 86 includes a top circumferential surface 86a having an annular shape. The top circumferential surface 86a is located above the height level of a top surface of the refill ring 82. The flange portion 86 is provided with an annular protrusion 86b on its top circumferential surface 86a. The protrusion 86b extends along an outer peripheral edge of the flange portion 86 in the circumferential direction. When the inner lid 30 is closed and then locked by sliding the operation portion 55, the top circumferential surface 86a closely contacts the underside of the seal member 70 and the protrusion is pressed into the underside of the seal member 70 resulting in ensuring airtightness and sealing the refill 80.

[0071]

The refill ring 82 includes an annular top portion 87, a cylinder portion 88 suspended from the outer periphery of the top portion 87, and a taper portion 89 inclined downward from the inner periphery of the top portion 87. The top portion 87 is mounted on the inner wall 84 of the refill cup 81. The cylinder portion 88 is inserted between the inner wall 84 and the outer wall 85 of the refill cup 81. The cylinder portion 88 is secured with the outer wall 85 by recess-and-proj ection fitting. The taper portion 89 extends to the cavity to be filled with the cosmetic composition C. The refill ring 82 can provide a screen such as plastic screen, textile type of mesh capable of transmitting the cosmetic composition C.

[0072]

The refill cup 81 filled with the cosmetic composition C is put on the market separating from the refill ring 82 in the state that the refill cup 81 filled with the cosmetic composition C is sealed with a seal label. The seal label may be made of an aluminum laminated film. The seal label is applied on the top circumferential surface 86a of the flange portion 86 of the refill cup 81 in a such way that it is can be removed from the flange portion 86 of the refill cup 81 with hand.

(Cosmetic composition C)

[0073]

The cosmetic composition C may be made of any kind of cosmetic material. Using the puff 90, the user takes up the cosmetic composition C directly or through the screen over the cosmetic composition C and applies it to the skin. The cosmetic composition C may be in any form such as a liquid form, cream form, liquid creamy foundation, powder form (e.g. hot poured powder, press powder, or loose powder), or solid form. The cosmetic composition C can be distributed by screen or textile mesh provided by the refill ring 82 or by sponge engine filled in the refill cup 81 such as NBR, PU, PET fiber engine, PE fiber engine.

(Use of Kit) [0074]

In use of a kit of the cosmetic compact container 10 and the refill 80, as shown in FIG. 7, a user can open the outer lid 60 by lifting up the outer lid 60 with his/her own hand. At this moment, the cosmetic compact container 10 remains in the sealed state in which the seal member 70 presses and seals the top circumferential surface 86a of the refill 80.

[0075]

Next, as shown in FIG. 8, the user can take the puff 90 out from the puff housing 32 and then the user can operate the knob 57 with his finger to slide the knob 57 toward the side wall 23 of the base 20. Along with the slide movement of the knob 57, the twist operation of the inner cylindrical part 50 is produced by the function of the threads 29 and 56. Resulting in the twist operation, a height level of the inner cylindrical part 50 rises so that the seal between the seal member 70 and the refill 80 is released.

[0076]

Next, as shown in FIG. 9, the user can open the inner lid 30 by lifting up the inner lid 30 with his/her own hand. Once the inner lid 30 has been opened, the user can access the cosmetic composition C filled in the refill cup 81. The user can take up the cosmetic composition C using the puff 90 and can apply it to the skin.

[0077]

After finishing application of the cosmetic composition C, the user can close the inner lid 30 by turning down the inner lid 30 with his/her own hand. Thereafter, the user can operate the knob 57 with his/her finger to slide the knob 57 in a direction where the knob 57 is brought apart from the side wall 23 of the base 20. Along with the slideing movement of the knob 57, the twist operation of the inner cylindrical part 50 is produced by the function of the threads 29 and 56. Resulting from the twist operation, a height level of the inner cylindrical part 50 is lowered so that the seal member 70 presses and seals the top circumferential surface 86a of the refill 80. Thereafter, the user can put the puff 90 into the puff housing 32 and can close the outer lid 60 by turning down the outer lid 60 with his/her own hand.

[0078]

As shown in FIG. 10, when the refill 80 is empty or the cosmetic composition C in the refill cup 81 is expended, the user can replace the empty or expended refill 80 with a new refill 80A which is filled with the cosmetic composition C. In detail, after opening the inner lid 30 in accordance with the above-described steps, the user can push up the underside of the refill cup 81 so that the refill 80 is taken out from the retainer portion 22. Thereafter, the user can insert the new refill 80A into the retainer portion 22 from the upper side of the retainer portion 22. After completing the insertion of the refill 80A, the user can close the inner lid 30 and the outer lid 60 and operate the knob 57 in accordance with the above-described steps.

Second Embodiment

(Cosmetic Compact Container)

[0079]

A cosmetic compact container 100 according to the second embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 11 to 16. FIG. 11 is a perspective view of the cosmetic compact container according to a second embodiment. FIG. 12 is a cross-section of the cosmetic compact container according to the second embodiment cut along line C to C' shown in FIG. 11. FIG. 13 is a partially cross-section of the cosmetic compact container according to the second embodiment cut along line D to D' shown in FIG. 11. FIGS. 14 to 16 are a perspective view of the cosmetic compact container according to the second embodiment in use.

[0080]

Referring to FIGS. 11 to 13, the cosmetic compact container 100 comprises a base 120, an inner lid 160 mounted on the base 120, and an outer lid 130 which covers the inner lid 160. The inner lid 160 is hinged with the base 120 and the outer lid 130 is also hinged with the base 120. A hinge structure 163 of the inner lid 160 and a hinge structure 144 of the outer lid 130 are displaced with respect to each other in the circumferential direction. In detail, the circumferential position of the hinge structure 163 of the inner lid 160 is shifted by approximately 90 degrees from the circumferential position of the hinge structure 144 of the outer lid 130.

(Base)

[0081]

Referring to FIG. 12, the base 120 comprises a base body 121 including a retainer portion 122 for detachably receiving and retaining a refill 180 therein, and a base cover 123 which covers an underside of the base body 121. The base body 121 and the base cover 123 are individual components which are assembled together and joined by ultrasonic welding or the like.

[0082]

The retainer portion 122 has a cylindrical shape extending in the vertical direction and includes locking structures for locking the refill 180 and allowing the refill 180 to be upwardly removed from the retainer portion 122. Specifically, the retainer portion 122 includes a lower cylinder portion 122a extending in the vertical direction and an upper cylinder portion 122b extending in the vertical direction. The lower and upper cylinder portions 122a and 122b are coaxially arranged along the common axis O. The diameter of the lower cylinder portion 122a is less than that of the upper cylinder portion 122b and an upper end of the lower cylinder portion 122a is located inside of the upper cylinder portion 122b. The upper end of the lower cylinder portion 122a connects the inner periphery of the upper cylinder portion 122b via a connection 122c so as to define stepped surface 122d for supporting a refill cup 181 of the refill 180. The stepped surface 122d extends continuously along the entire inner periphery of the retainer portion 122 and is configured to engage with a flange portion 186 provided on an outer periphery of the refill cup 81.

[0083]

The lower cylinder portion 122a includes a pair of slits (not shown in the figure) extending from a lower end to the upper end of the lower cylinder portion 122a in the vertical direction, which are spaced from each other in the circumferential direction. A section between the pair of slits functions as a snapping portion (not shown in the figure) capable of swinging in the radial direction. The retainer portion 22 includes two snapping portions which are positioned opposite to each other. That is, there are two pairs of the slits in the retainer portion, which are positioned opposite to each other. Each snapping portion is provided with a locking portion (not shown in the figure) for locking the refill cup 181. The locking portion is a protruding portion configured and arranged to engage with the locked portion (not shown in the figure) provided on the outer periphery of the refill cup 181. During removing/mounting of the refill 180 from/to the retainer portion 122, the above-mentioned snapping portions swings outwardly so that the above-mentioned locking portions on the snapping portions are detached from the above-mentioned locked portion of the refill cup 181. [0084]

The base body 121 further includes an outer flange portion 124 having an annular shape and an outer periphery portion 125 having a cylindrical shape. The outer flange portion 124 is disposed centering on the axis O and extends outwardly from a lower end of the upper cylinder portion 122b. The outer periphery portion 125 is disposed centering on the axis O and hanges down from an outer periphery of the outer flange portion 124. The base body 121 may be made of any kind of material. The base body 121 may be made of at least one material selected from the group consisting of polyethylene (PE), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polypropylene (PP), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) resin, post-consumer recycled material (PCR) based thermoplastics such as PCR-PP, PCR-PET, PCR- ABS, PCR-PE, etc., metal, glass (virgin glass or PCR glass), wood, ceramics, fiber molded, pulp molded, and virgin paper molded laminated materials, or the like.

[0085]

The retainer portion 122 is provided with threads 129 on its outer peripheral surface. The thread 129 is a ridge extending along the outer periphery of the upper cylinder portion 122b inclining in the vertical direction. The thread 129 has a shorter length than a length of a quarter of the entire outer periphery of the upper cylinder portion 122b and, roughly speaking, the length of the tread 129 is equal to approximately 1/12 to 1/16 of the entire outer periphery of the upper cylinder portion 122b. The threads 129 are disposed at intervals in the circumferential direction. In detail, there are five threads 129 on the outer periphery of the upper cylinder portion 122b.

[0086]

The base cover 123 includes a bottom portion 126, a taper portion 127 extending upwardly from an outer periphery of the bottom portion 126, and an erected portion 128 erected from an upper end of the taper portion 127. The bottom portion 126 has a circular flat plate shape which is disposed on the horizontal plane. The bottom portion 126 defines a circular shaped opening 126a centering on the axis O. That is, the bottom portion 126 has an annular shape centering on the axis O. The taper portion 127 has a shape gradually spreading upward. That is, the diameter of the taper portion 127 becomes gradually larger from its lower end to its upper end. The erected portion 128 has a cylindrical shape extending in the vertical direction. The erected portion 128 is fitted into the outer periphery portion 125 of the base body 121. In addition, the base cover 123 defines a recess 123a in which the hinge structure 144 of the outer lid 130 is positioned. The base cover 123 may be made of any kind of material. The base cover 123 may be made of at least one material selected from the group consisting of polyethylene (PE), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polypropylene (PP), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) resin, post-consumer recycled material (PCR) based thermoplastics such as PCR-PP, PCR-PET, PCR-ABS, PCR-PE, etc., metal, glass (virgin glass or PCR glass), ceramics, fiber molded, pulp molded, and virgin paper molded laminated materials, or the like.

(Inner lid)

[0087]

Referring to FIG. 12, the inner lid 160 includes a lid body 161 sandwiched between the refill 180 and the outer lid 130. The lid body 161 has a plate shape which is disposed centering on the axis O and in the horizontal plane. The lid body 161 is provided with a recessed pocket 164 for receiving a puff 190. The recessed pocket 164 is a depression defined in the central region of the lid body 161 and has a circular shape in the plane view. The recessed pocket 164 defines a puff housing 162 for accommodating the puff 190. The puff housing 162 is a cavity defined by a top wall 152 and an annular projection 159 of an inner cylindrical part 150 of the outer lid 130, which are described later. The puff housing 162 is covered by the outer lid 130. [0088]

The lid body 161 is provided with a peripheral rib 166 at its outer periphery. The peripheral rib 166 has a cylindrical shape centering on the axis O and is hanged downward from the outer periphery of the lid body 161. The hinge structure 163 shown in FIG. 13 for hinging the inner lid 160 with the base body 121 is provided in a portion of the outer periphery of the lid body 161 in the circumferential direction.

[0089]

The lid body 161 is provided with a seal retaining wall 167 for retaining a seal member 170. The seal retaining wall 167 has a cylindrical shape centering on the axis O and hanges down from the lid body 161. The inner diameter of the seal retaining wall 167 is larger than the outer diameter of the recessed pocket 164 and the seal retaining wall 167 encircles the recessed pocket 164 and is spaced apart from the recessed pocket 164 in the radial direction. A space between the outer periphery of the recessed pocket 164 and the inner periphery of the seal retaining wall 167 defines an annular fitted structure 165 on which the annular seal member

170 is fitted

[0090]

The seal member 170 is arranged between the refill 180 and the inner lid 160 so as to seal a top circumferential surface 187a of the refill 180. Specifically, the seal member 170 has an annular shape and is fitted into the annular fitted structure 165. The seal member 170 may be retained in the annular fitted structure 165 by tightly fitting or may be fixed in the annular fitted structure 165 by an adhesive. The seal member 170 is made of a foaming material, for example, polyethylene (PE). The material of the sealing member is not limited to foaming PE material. Instead of the foaming material, the seal member 70 may be made of a bi-injected soft material which can be made interference whit rigid plastic after closure for a good airtightness. For example, the soft material includes LDPE, TPE, TPU, Hytrel or similar type like these. The seal member 70 may be made of any kind of material such as an elastomer or the like.

(Outer lid/lid Assembly)

[0091]

Referring to FIGS. 11 and 12, the outer lid 130 is fitted on the retainer portion 122. The outer lid 130 is a lid assembly comprising an outer cylindrical part 140 and an inner cylindrical part 150. The outer cylindrical part 140 is disposed centering on the axis O. The inner cylindrical part 150 is disposed centering on the axis O and inside the outer cylindrical part 140. That is, the outer cylindrical part 140 and the inner cylindrical part 150 are coaxially arranged along the common axis O. The outer cylindrical part 140 engages with the inner cylindrical part 150 by recess-and-proj ection fitting so as to prevent removal of the outer cylindrical part 140 from the inner cylindrical part 150. Thus, the outer cylindrical part 140 and the inner cylindrical part 150 serve as a lid together. Nevertheless, the inner cylindrical part 150 is rotatable about the axis O relative to the outer cylindrical part 150 within a limited rotation range while the inner cylindrical part 150 is permitted to move slightly relative to the outer cylindrical part 140 in the vertical direction. The outer cylindrical part 140 and the inner cylindrical part 150 may be made of any kind of material. The outer cylindrical part 140 and the inner cylindrical part 150 may be made of at least one material selected from the group consisting of polyethylene (PE), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polypropylene (PP), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) resin, post-consumer recycled material (PCR) based thermoplastics such as PCR-PP, PCR-PET, PCR-ABS, PCR-PE, etc., metal, glass (virgin glass or PCR glass), wood, ceramics, fiber molded, pulp molded, and virgin paper molded laminated materials, or the like.

(Outer Cylindrical Part)

[0092]

The outer cylindrical part 140 includes a cylindrically shaped peripheral wall 141 extending in the vertical direction, the top wall 142 disposed above the peripheral wall 141, and the taper portion 143 connecting an upper end of the peripheral wall 141 to an outer periphery of the top wall 142. The peripheral wall 141 is disposed centering on the axis O. Referring to FIG. 13 , the peripheral wall 141 is provided with a recessed groove 147 on its inner peripheral surface. The recessed groove 147 extends along the inner peripheral surface of the peripheral wall 141 in the circumferential direction. The recessed groove 147 has a flat lower end face and an inclined upper end face.

[0093]

The top wall 142 has a circular flat plate shape which is disposed on the horizontal plane. The top wall 142 defines a circular shaped opening 148 centering on the axis O. Thus, the top wall 142 has an annular shape. The taper portion 143 has a shape gradually spreading downward. That is, the diameter of the taper portion 143 becomes gradually larger from its upper end to its lower end. The outer cylindrical part 140 is provided with the hinge structure 144 which connects one side of the outer lid 130 with the outer flange portion 124 and the outer periphery portion 125 of the base body 121. The hinge structure 144 is located in a position which has been rotated 90 degrees around the axis O from the location of the hinge structure 163 for hinging the inner lid 160 with the base body 121. Thus, when the inner lid 160 is opened and rotated by the hinge structure 163, interfere between the inner lid 160 and the outer lid 130 is avoided.

(Inner Cylindrical Part)

[0094] Referring to FIG. 12, the inner cylindrical part 150 includes a cylindrically shaped peripheral wall 151 extending in the vertical direction, the top wall 152 disposed above the peripheral wall 151, and the taper portion 153 connecting an upper end of the peripheral wall 151 to an outer periphery of the top wall 152. The peripheral wall 151 is disposed centering on the axis O. Referring to FIG. 13, the peripheral wall 151 is provided with a projection 154 on its outer peripheral surface. The projection 154 is a ridge extending along the outer peripheral surface of the peripheral wall 151 in the circumferential direction. The projection 154 has a flat lower end face and an inclined upper end face. The projection 154 is received in the recessed groove 147 in the outer cylindrical part 140. The cross-sectional shape of the projection 154 is similar to the cross-sectional shape of the recessed groove 147 of the outer cylindrical part 40 but a size of the projection 154 is slightly smaller than the size of the recessed groove 147. Due to the above-mentioned configurations and arrangements, the inner cylindrical part 150 is rotatable about the axis O relative to the outer cylindrical part 140 while the inner cylindrical part 150 is permitted to move slightly relative to the outer cylindrical part 140 in the vertical direction.

[0095]

The inner cylindrical part 150 is provided with an annular projection 159 on a lower surface of the top wall 152. The annular projection 159 is disposed centering on the axis O and defines an area in which a minor M is attached. The mirror M is attached within the annular projection 159. This annular projection 159 serves as a frame for the mirror M. The annular projection 159 has a tip end abutting an upper surface of the lid body 161 of the inner lid 160. The diameter of the annular projection 159 is substantially equal to the diameter of the annular seal member 170 so that the annular projection 159 is located right above the annular seal member 170. This arrangement can efficiently transmit the pressing force applied from the inner cylindrical part 150 to the seal member 170 through the annular projection 159.

[0096]

The inner cylindrical part 150 is provided with threads 156 on its inner peripheral surface. The thread 156 is a ridge extending along the inner periphery of the peripheral wall 151 inclining in the vertical direction. The thread 156 has a shorter length than a length of a quarter of the entire inner periphery of the peripheral wall 151 and, roughly speaking, the length of the tread 156 is equal to approximately 1/12 to 1/16 of the entire inner periphery of the peripheral wall 151. The threads 156 are disposed at intervals in the circumferential direction. In detail, there are five threads 156 on the inner periphery of the peripheral wall 151. The threads 156 on the inner cylindrical part 150 engage with the threads 129 on the retainer portion 122. These threads 129 and 156 guide the inner cylindrical part 150 relative to the retainer portion 122 in a spiral manner while the inner cylindrical part 150 rotates about the axis O. That is, the threads 129 and 156 engaged with each other allow a twist operation of the inner cylindrical part 150. This twist operation allows pressing down the inner lid 160 at the annular projection 159 abutting on the upper surface of the lid body 161 or releasing of the pressing of the inner lid. As a result, the twist operation allows switching between a sealed state in which the seal member 170 presses and seals the top circumferential surface 187a of the refill 180 and a released state in which the sealing of the seal member 170 is released. The movement angle in the twist operation is limited to a predetermined angle range and the twist angle of the twist operation is 90° or less, more specifically approximately 60°. The limitation of movement angle in the twist operation is achieved by a difference in length between the recessed groove 147 and the projection 154 or by any other stopper portion.

[0097]

The inner cylindrical part 150 is provided with an operation portion 155 for manually performing the twist operation of the inner cylindrical part 150. The operation portion 155 is exposed from the opening 148 in the top wall 142 of the outer cylindrical part 140. In detail, the operation portion 155 includes a handle 157 which is arranged above the top wall 152 of the inner cylindrical part 150 and is hinged with the top wall 152. The handle 157 is tumable about the axis O so as to rotate the inner cylindrical part 150 about the axis O relative to the outer cylindrical part 140. The handle 157 includes a half-arc shaped grip configured to be easily gripped by a hand. The handle 157 is attached via a hinge structure 158 to the upper surface of the top wall 142 which is exposed from the opening 148. The hinge structure 158 allows the handle 157 to turn upwards and downwards between a laid-down position in which the handle 157 is laid down on the upper surface of the top wall 152 and a standing-up position in which the handle 157 stands up from the upper surface of the top wall 152.

(Refill)

[0098]

The refill 180 is detachably mounted in the retainer portion 122. The refill 180 includes a refill case 181 and a refill ring 182 attached to an upper end of the refill case 181. The refill case 181 and the refill ring 182 may be made of any kind of material. The refill case 181 and the refill ring 182 may be made of at least one material selected from the group consisting of polyethylene (PE), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polypropylene (PP), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) resin, post-consumer recycled material (PCR) based thermoplastics such as PCR-PP, PCR-PET, PCR-ABS, PCR-PE, etc., metal, glass (virgin glass or PCR glass), wood, ceramics, fiber molded, pulp molded, and virgin paper molded laminated materials, or the like.

[0099]

The refill cup 181 is a receptacle accommodating the cosmetic composition C and is filled with a cosmetic composition C. The refill cup 181 includes a bottom wall 183 having a circular shape, an inner wall 184 upwardly erected on a periphery of the bottom wall 183, and an outer wall 185 surrounding the inner wall 183 at a spacing in the radial direction therefrom. The bottom wall 183 and the inner wall 184 define a cavity to be filled with the cosmetic composition C. A connection portion 185a connecting the inner wall 184 and the outer wall 185 is provided between the lower end of the outer wall 185 and the lower portion of the inner wall 184 so as to define an annular step for engaging the inner periphery of the bottom portion 126 of the base cover 123. The outer wall 185 is provided with a protrusion 185b on its inner peripheral surface. The protrusion 185b is an annular protrusion extending continuously along the entire periphery. The outer wall 185 is provided with a flange portion 186 at its upper end. The flange portion 186 extends outwardly from the upper end of the outer wall 185 in the radial direction and is engaged on the stepped surface 123d in the retainer portion 122.

[0100]

The refill ring 182 includes an annular top portion 187, a cylinder portion 188 suspended from the outer periphery of the top portion 187, and a taper portion 189 inclined downward from the inner periphery of the top portion 87. The top portion 187 is mounted on the inner wall 184 of the refill cup 181. The top portion 187 includes the top circumferential surface 187a having an annular shape. When the inner lid 160 and the outer lid 130 are closed and then locked by turning the operation portion 155, the top circumferential surface 187a makes close contact with the underside of the seal member 170.

[0101]

The cylinder portion 188 is inserted between the inner wall 184 and the outer wall 185 of the refill cup 181. The cylinder portion 188 is provided with a flange portion 188a at its lower end. The flange portion 188a extends outwardly from the lower end of the cylinder portion 188 in the radial direction and is engaged with the protrusion 185b on the outer wall 185 of the refill cup 181. Furthermore, the cylinder portion 188 is secured to the inner wall 184 by recess-and-proj ection fitting. The taper portion 189 extends to the cavity to be filled with the cosmetic composition C. The refill ring 182 can provide a screen such as plastic screen, textile type of mesh capable of transmitting the cosmetic composition C.

[0102]

The refill cup 181 filled with the cosmetic composition C is put on the market separating from the refill ring 182 in a state where the refill cup 181 filled with the cosmetic composition C is sealed with a seal label. The seal label may be made of an aluminum laminated film. The seal label is applied on the top circumferential surface of the flange portion 186 of the refill cup 181 in a such way that it is can be removed from the flange portion 186 of the refill cup 181 by hand.

(Cosmetic composition C)

[0103]

The cosmetic composition C may be made of any kind of cosmetic material. Using the puff 90, the user takes up the cosmetic composition C directly or through the screen over the cosmetic composition C and applies it to the skin. The cosmetic composition C may be in any form such as a liquid form, cream form , liquid creamy foundation, powder form (e.g. hot poured powder, press powder, or loose powder), or solid form. The cosmetic composition C can be distributed by screen or textile mesh provided by the refill ring 82 or by sponge engine filled in the refill cup 81 such as NBR, PU, PET fiber engine, PE fiber engine.

(Use of Kit)

[0104]

In use of a kit of the cosmetic compact container 100 and the refill 180, as shown in FIG. 14, a user can lift up the handle 157 and then can operate the handle 157 with his/her hand to turn it in one direction about the axis O. A twist angle of said twist operation is 90° or less, preferably between 30° and 60°. Along with the turning of the handle 157, the twist operation of the inner cylindrical part 150 is produced by the function of the threads 129 and 156. Resulting from the twist operation, a height level of the inner cylindrical part 150 rises so that the seal between the seal member 170 and the refill 180 is released. In addition, the hinge structure 158 of the handle 157 is configured so as to stop turning at a predetermined angle. In detail, the stopping angle of the handle 157 is set to approximately 93 degrees.

[0105]

Next, as shown in FIG. 15, the user can open the outer lid 130 by lifting up the outer lid 130 with his/her own hand and then the user can take the puff 190 out from the puff housing 162. When the outer lid 130 is opened, the peripheral wall 141 of the outer cylindrical part 140 of the outer lid 130 abuts against the edge of the recess 123a in the base cover 123 so that the turning of the outer lid 130 stops in turning at a predetermined angle. In detail, the stopping angle of the outer lid 130 is set to approximately 140 degrees.

[0106]

Next, as shown in FIG. 16, the user can open the inner lid 160 by lifting up the inner lid 160 with his/her own hand. Once the inner lid 160 has been opened, the user can access the cosmetic composition C filled in the refill cup 181. The user can take up the cosmetic composition C using the puff 190 and can apply it to the skin.

[0107]

After finishing application of the cosmetic composition C, the user can close the inner lid 160 by turning down the inner lid 160 with his/her own hand. Thereafter, the user can put the puff 190 into the puff housing 162 and can close the outer lid 130 by turning down the outer lid 130 with his/her own hand. Thereafter, the user can operate the handle 157 with his/her hand to turn it in a reverse direction about the axis O. A twist angle of said twist operation is 90° or less, preferably between 30° and 60°. Along with the turning of the handle 157, the twist operation of the inner cylindrical part 150 is produced by the function of the threads 129 and 156. Resulting from the twist operation, a height level of the inner cylindrical part 150 is lowered so that the seal member 170 presses and seals the top circumferential surface 187a of the refill 180.

[0108]

When the refill 180 is empty or the cosmetic composition C in the refill cup 181 is expended, the user can replace the empty or expended refill 180 with a new refill which is filled with the cosmetic composition C. In detail, after opening the inner lid 160 in accordance with the above-described steps, the user can push up the underside of the refill cup 181 so that the refill 180 is taken out from the retainer portion 122. Thereafter, the user can insert the new refill into the retainer portion 122 from the upper side of the retainer portion 122. After completing the insertion of the new refill, the user can close the inner lid 160 and the outer lid 130 and operate the handle 157 in accordance with the above-described steps.

Effects

[0109]

According to at least one of the above-described embodiments, by operating the operation portion, the seal member presses and seals the top circumferential surface of the refill. Therefore, it is possible to seal the refill with a higher degree of airtightness in order to protect the cosmetic composition accommodated in the refill case to prevent its deterioration.

[0110]

Although preferred embodiments of the present invention have been disclosed for illustrative purposes, those skilled in the art will appreciate that various modifications, additions, and substitutions are possible, without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention as disclosed in the accompanying claims.

Claims

1. A cosmetic compact container comprising: a base comprising a retainer portion for detachably receiving and retaining a refill therein, a lid assembly which covers the retainer portion, wherein the lid assembly comprises an outer cylindrical part hinged with the base and an inner cylindrical part disposed inside the outer cylindrical part, the outer and inner cylindrical parts being coaxially arranged along a common axis, the inner cylindrical part being rotatable about the axis relative to the outer cylindrical part within a limited rotation range and being permitted to move slightly relative to the outer cylindrical part in a vertical direction along the axis, and a seal member arranged between the refill received in the retainer portion and the lid assembly, wherein the inner cylindrical part and the base are provided with threads allowing a twist operation of the inner cylindrical part within the limited rotation range so that a twist operation allows switching between a sealed state in which the seal member presses and seals a top circumferential surface of the refill and a released state in which the sealing of the seal member is released, and wherein the inner cylindrical part is provided with an operation portion for manually performing the twist operation of the inner cylindrical part, the operation portion being exposed from an opening defined in the outer cylindrical part.

2. A cosmetic compact container according to claim 1, wherein a twist angle of said twist operation is 90° or less, preferably between 45° and 60°.

3. A cosmetic compact container according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the retainer portion comprises locking structures for locking the refill and allowing the refill to be upwardly removed from the retainer portion.

4. A cosmetic compact container according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the threads are disposed at intervals in a circumferential direction.

5. A cosmetic compact container according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the seal member is made of a foaming material or a bi-injected soft material.

6. A cosmetic compact container according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein a peripheral wall of the outer cylindrical part has the opening which extends in a circumferential direction, and the operation portion comprises a knob arranged outside the peripheral wall of the outer cylindrical part and a connection through the opening and between the knob and the inner cylindrical part, the knob being slidable along the opening in the circumferential direction so as to rotate the inner cylindrical part about the axis relative to the outer cylindrical part.

7. A cosmetic compact container according to claim 6, wherein the inner cylindrical part comprises a top wall, and the seal member has a disk shape and is attached to a lower surface of the top wall of the inner cylindrical part.

8. A cosmetic compact container according to claim 6 or 7, wherein the lid assembly functions as an inner lid fitted on the retainer portion, and the cosmetic compact container further comprises an outer lid which covers the inner lid, the outer lid being hinged with the base.

9. A cosmetic compact container according to claim 8, wherein a hinge structure of the outer cylindrical part and a hinge structure of the outer lid are displaced with respect to each other in the circumferential direction.

10. A cosmetic compact container according to any one of claims 8 or 9, wherein the outer lid comprises a snap claw which detachably snap-fits to an engaging portion provided on the outer cylindrical part.

11. A cosmetic compact container according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein a top wall of the outer cylindrical part has the opening, and the operation portion comprises a handle attached to a top wall of the inner cylindrical part which is exposed from the opening, the handle being tumable about the axis so as to rotate the inner cylindrical part about the axis relative to the outer cylindrical part.

12. A cosmetic compact container according to claim 11, wherein the handle is hinged with the top wall of the inner cylindrical part so as to turn upwards and downwards between a laid-down position in which the handle is laid down on an upper surface of the top wall of the inner cylindrical part and a standing-up position in which the handle stands up from the upper surface of the top wall of the inner cylindrical part.

13. A cosmetic compact container according to claim 11 or 12, further comprising an inner lid fitted on the retainer portion, the inner lid being hinged with the base, wherein the lid assembly functions as an outer lid which covers the inner lid.

14. A cosmetic compact container according to claim 13, a hinge structure of the outer cylindrical part and a hinge structure of the inner lid are displaced with respect to each other in the circumferential direction.

15. A cosmetic compact container according to claim 13 or 14, wherein the seal member has an annular shape and the inner lid comprises an annular fitted structure on which the annular seal member is fitted.

16. A cosmetic compact container according to any one of claims 8 to 10 and 13 to 15, wherein the inner lid defines a puff housing for accommodating a puff.

17. A cosmetic compact container according to any one of claims 8 to 10 and 13 to 16, further comprising a mirror attached on an inner surface of the outer lid.

18. A kit of a cosmetic compact container according to any one of the preceding claims and a refill which can be detachably mounted in the retainer portion of the base of the cosmetic compact container.