Powder Container

Abstract

A powder container includes a container body and first and second insert members. The container body has an inner space for disposal of powder therein. The first insert member has a first surrounding wall inserted fittingly into the inner space, and a first bottom wall formed with at least one through hole. The second insert member has a second bottom wall inserted into the inner space and disposed on the first bottom wall, and a second surrounding wall extending upwardly from the second bottom wall and disposed fittingly and disengageably on the first surrounding wall of the first insert member for blocking passage of the powder to an external environment through the at least one through hole.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims priority of Taiwanese Application No. 100133392, filed on Sep. 16, 2011.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The invention relates to a powder container, more particularly to a powder container having a reusable powder sealing mechanism.

2. Description of the Related Art

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a conventional powder container includes a container body 11 having an inner space for disposal of, for example, face powder 10 therein and an opening 111 in spatial communication with the inner space, a sifter member 12 disposed fittingly in the opening 111 and formed with a plurality of through holes 122 for sifting powder, a one-time plastic film 13 attached removably to the sifter member 12 to seal the through holes 122, and a cover member 14 coupled to the container body 11 for covering the sifter member 12. The sifter member 12 is dish-shaped and defines a receiving space 121 for disposal of a powder puff (not shown) therein. The plastic film 13 prevents clumping of the face powder 10 caused by exposure to ambient moisture, and undesired spilling of the face powder 10 through the through holes 122.

However, attachment of the plastic film 13 to the sifter member 12 has to be done by hand, resulting in a relatively high manufacturing cost. Moreover, since the plastic film 13 cannot be reattached to the insert member 12 after first access to the face powder 10, the face powder 10 may spill from the container body 11 and may clump due to exposure to ambient moisture, which could lead to frequent refilling or replacement of the face powder 10.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Therefore, the object of the present invention is to provide a powder container capable of alleviating the above drawbacks of the prior art.

Accordingly, a powder container of the present invention includes a container body and first and second insert members. The container body has an inner space that is adapted for disposal of powder therein, and an opening that is formed in a top end of the container body and that is in spatial communication with the inner space. The first insert member has a first surrounding wall that is inserted fittingly into the inner space through the opening, and a first bottom wall that is connected to a bottom end of the first surrounding wall and that is formed with at least one through hole. The second insert member has a second bottom wall inserted into the inner space through the opening and disposed on the first bottom wall, and a second surrounding wall extending upwardly from a periphery of the second bottom wall and disposed fittingly and disengageably on the first surrounding wall of the first insert member for blocking passage of the powder to an external environment through the at least one through hole.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent in the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings, of which:

FIG. 1 is a sectional view of a conventional powder container;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an insert member of the conventional powder container, attached with a plastic film;

FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of a first preferred embodiment of a powder container according to the invention;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view to illustrate a closed state of the first preferred embodiment, where a second insert member of the first preferred embodiment is engaged with a first insert member of the same;

FIG. 5 is a bottom view of the first insert member of the first preferred embodiment;

FIG. 6A-6G are bottom views of different modifications of the first insert member of the first preferred embodiment;

FIG. 7 is another sectional view to illustrate an opened state of the first preferred embodiment, where the first and second insert members are disengaged from each other;

FIG. 8 is an exploded perspective view of a second preferred embodiment of the powder container according to the invention; and

FIG. 9 is a sectional view of the second preferred embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Before the present invention is described in greater detail, it should be noted that like elements are denoted by the same reference numerals throughout the disclosure.

As shown in FIGS. 3 to 5, a first preferred embodiment of a powder container according to the present invention includes a container body 2, an insert unit 30, and a cover member 5.

The container body 2 includes a round end wall 21, and an annular side wall 22 extending upwardly from a periphery of the end wall 21 and cooperating with the end wall 21 to define an inner space 24 for disposal of, for example, face powder therein. An opening 23 defined by a top end of the annular side wall 22 is in spatial communication with the inner space 24. The annular side wall 22 is formed with an external thread 61 at a top portion thereof.

The insert unit 30 includes a first insert member 3 and a second insert member 4. The first insert member 3 is in the form of a sifter, and has a first surrounding wall 32 inserted into the inner space 24 through the opening 23, a first bottom wall 31 connected to a bottom end of the first surrounding wall 32 and formed with a predetermined pattern of through holes 311, and a first top wall 33 extending radially and outwardly from a top end of the first surrounding wall 32 and abutting against the top end of the annular side wall 22 of the container body 2. The first surrounding wall 32 includes a main wall body 36 that has opposite outer surrounding surface 361 and inner surrounding surface 362, and a contact wall body 34 that is connected to a top end of the outer surrounding surface 361 of the main wall body 36 and abutting against the annular side wall 22 of the container body 2, such that the first surrounding wall 32 is inserted fittingly into the inner space 24. In this embodiment, the contact wall body 34 is formed with four equiangularly spaced-apart air grooves 35 extending therethrough in a top-down direction. The contact wall body 34 has a height that is equal to half of that of the main wall body 36, and has an outer surface that is textured by such as electrical discharge machining (EDM).

It is worth noting that configuration of the through holes 311 is not limited to such, and may be otherwise in other embodiments (see FIGS. 6A to 6G).

The second insert member 4 has: a second bottom wall 41 inserted into the inner space 24 through the opening 23 and disposed fittingly on the first bottom wall 31 of the first insert member 3; a second surrounding wall 42 extending upwardly from a periphery of the second bottom wall 41, and disposed fittingly and disengageably on the first surrounding wall 32; and a second top wall 43 extending radially and outwardly from a top end of the second surrounding wall 42 and abutting removably against the first top wall 33 of the first insert member 3. In this embodiment, the second surrounding wall 42 has a main wall segment 441, and an annular contact wall segment 442 that protrudes radially and outwardly from the main wall segment 441 and that abuts against the inner surrounding surface 362 of the first surrounding wall 32 of the first insert member 3, such that the second insert member 4 is inserted fittingly and removably in the first surrounding wall 32 of the first insert member 3. The contact wall segment 44 has a height length that is half of that of the main wall segment 441 in the top-down direction. The second bottom wall 41 has an abutment portion 46 extending downwardly and abutting removably against the first bottom wall 31 of the first insert member 3. The second bottom wall 41 and the second surrounding wall 42 define cooperatively a receiving space 47 for disposal of, for example, a powder puff (not shown). The second insert member 4 further has an access wall 45 extending inwardly from the top end of the second surrounding wall 42. In this embodiment, the first and second top walls 33, 43 are integrally connected to each other at an outer peripheral position 431 away from the access wall 45, which serves as a pivot point for lifting the access wall 45 and hence the second insert member 4 from the first insert member 3 so as to enable access to the powder via the through holes 311 (see FIG. 7). After use, the second insert member 4 may be disposed fittingly back on the first insert member 1 to prevent clumping of the powder due to exposure to external moisture and to block passage of the powder to an external environment through the through holes 311.

It should be noted that, in other embodiments of this invention, the contact wall segment 44 may be configured as a plurality of angularly spaced-apart segment blocks protruding radially and outwardly from the main wall segment 441.

The cover member 5 has an upper wall 51 and an annular securing wall 52 extending downwardly from a periphery of the upper wall 51 and formed with an internal thread 62 (see FIG. 4) secured threadedly to the external thread 61 of the annular side wall 22 of the container body 2 for covering the first and second insert members 3, 4.

During assembly of the powder container of this invention, the second insert member 4 is fittingly disposed on the first insert member 5, and cooperates therewith to form the insert unit 30 to be inserted fittingly into the container body 2 through the opening 23. During the insertion of the insert unit 30 into the container body 2, air in the container body 2 is forced out into an external environment via the air grooves 35, which ensures a firm sealing between the container body 2 and the insert unit 30. Next, the cover member 5 is assembled to the container body 2.

As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, the second preferred embodiment of the powder container according to the present invention has a structure similar to that of the first embodiment. The main difference between this embodiment and the previous embodiment resides in that the second insert member 4 is not connected integrally to the first insert member 3 and can be completely separated from the first insert member 3. The second preferred embodiment has the same advantages as those of the first preferred embodiment.

While the present invention has been described in connection with what are considered the most practical and preferred embodiments, it is understood that this invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments but is intended to cover various arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and equivalent arrangements.

Claims

1. A powder container comprising:

a container body having an inner space that is adapted for disposal of powder therein, and an opening that is formed in a top end of said container body and that is in spatial communication with said inner space;

a first insert member having a first surrounding wall that is inserted fittingly into said inner space through said opening, and a first bottom wall that is connected to a bottom end of said first surrounding wall and that is formed with at least one through hole; and

a second insert member having a second bottom wall inserted into said inner space through said opening and disposed on said first bottom wall, and a second surrounding wall that extends upwardly from a periphery of said second bottom wall and that is surrounded fittingly and removably together with said first bottom wall by said first surrounding wall of said first insert member for blocking passage of the powder to an external environment through said at least one through hole.

2. The powder container as claimed in claim 2, wherein:

said first insert member further has a first top wall extending outwardly from a top end of said first surrounding wall and abutting against said top end of said container body;

said second insert member further has a second top wall extending outwardly from a top end of said second surrounding wall and abutting removably against said first top wall of said first insert member; and

said second bottom wall of said second insert member has an abutment portion extending downwardly for blocking passage of the powder to the external environment through said at least one through hole.

3. The powder container as claimed in claim 2, wherein:

said second insert member further has an access wall extending inwardly from said top end of said second surrounding wall; and

said first and second top walls are integrally connected to each other at an outer peripheral position away from said access wall.

4. An insert unit adapted for use with a powder container, the powder container including a container body that has an inner space for disposal of powder therein, and an opening that is formed in a top end of the container body and that is in spatial communication with the inner space, said insert unit comprising:

a first insert member having a first surrounding wall that is adapted to be inserted fittingly into the inner space through the opening, and a first bottom wall that is connected to a bottom end of said first surrounding wall and that is formed with at least one through hole; and

a second insert member having a second bottom wall that is adapted to be inserted into the inner space through the opening and that is disposed on said first bottom wall, and a second surrounding wall that extends upwardly from a periphery of said second bottom wall and that is disposed fittingly and disengageably on said first surrounding wall of said first insert member for blocking passage of the powder to an external environment through said at least one through hole.

5. The powder container as claimed in claim 11, wherein:

said first insert member further has a first top wall extending outwardly from a top end of said first surrounding wall and adapted to abut against the top end of the container body;

said second insert member further has a second top wall extending outwardly from a top end of said second surrounding wall and abutting removably against said first top wall of said first insert member; and

said second bottom wall of said second insert member has an abutment portion extending downwardly for blocking passage of the powder to the external environment through said at least one through hole.

6. The insert unit as claimed in claim 5, wherein:

said second insert member further has an access wall extending inwardly from said top end of said second surrounding wall; and

said first and second top walls are integrally connected to each other at an outer peripheral position away from said access wall.