Cosmetic Container

Abstract

Provided is a cosmetic container that prevents caking and permits a container body to be easily filled with a cosmetic powder. The cosmetic container may include a container body that has an opening at an upper side thereof and is capable of storing cosmetic in powder or other such suitable form, an applicator that includes a cap removably attached to the opening of the container body, a base shaft extending from the cap to the container body, and a wand body which is mounted to a tip of the base shaft, wherein a cylindrical joint that has a surface which is an extension in an upward direction of a surface of the container body is provided at the opening of the container body, the cap is removably attached to an upper opening of the joint, and the wand body is disposed higher than an upper surface of the cosmetic powder.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION, BENEFIT CLAIM, AND INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE

This application claims benefit of priority under 35 USC 119(a)-(d) to Japanese Patent Application No. 2017-106355, entitled “Cosmetic Container”, filed 30 May 2017, the content of which is hereby incorporated herein in its entirety by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a cosmetic container capable of storing a cosmetic powder such as eye shadow.

BACKGROUND

In accordance with one embodiment of a cosmetic container for storing a cosmetic, e.g., a cosmetic in powder form such as eye shadow or the like, the cosmetic container might comprise a bottomed cylindrical container body and an applicator attached to the container body. Unlike the compact type of cosmetic container that stores pressed powder, such a cosmetic container can store loose powder which has the advantage of being light-to-the-touch during use, but there is the disadvantage that the cosmetic powder in such case may be prone to scattering.

To prevent this, a constitution might for example be adopted in which an outlet of the container body is closed by a wand body in such fashion that the applicator serves as a plug, as a result of which the cosmetic powder may be prevented from scattering. In such case, the wand body might be disposed in such fashion as to be just above the bottom of the container body when the applicator is attached to the container body, which will be advantageous in that the long brush shaft may make application easier and it may be possible for the cosmetic powder to be used right up to the point at which it is completely depleted.

However, where a cosmetic powder and the applicator are always in contact with each other, there may be concerns about adsorption of cosmetic moisture to the applicator and caking (solidification) of the cosmetic powder due to pressure applied to the cosmetic powder by the applicator. There may also be problems in situations where the cosmetic powder must be filled from a filling hole provided in the bottom surface of the container body, in which case the process of closing the hole following filling might be troublesome.

There is therefore a need for a cosmetic container that prevents caking and makes it possible for a container body to be easily filled with a cosmetic powder.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

The present invention relates to a cosmetic container capable of storing a cosmetic powder such as eye shadow.

To address one or more of the needs described above, one embodiment of the present invention is a cosmetic container that may include a container body, a cylindrical joint, and an applicator.

The container body may have an opening at an upper side thereof and may be capable of storing a cosmetic powder.

The applicator may include a cap removably attached to the opening of the container body. The applicator may further include a base shaft extending from the cap to the container body. The applicator may further include a wand body which is attached to a tip of the base shaft and to which cosmetic powder may be made to adhere.

In some embodiments, the cylindrical joint may be removably attached to the opening of the container body. In some embodiments, the cap may be removably attached to an upper opening of the joint. In some embodiments, the cylindrical joint may have a surface which is an extension in an upward direction of a surface of the container body.

In some embodiments, the wand body may be disposed higher than, and may be prevented from coming in contact with, an upper surface of the cosmetic powder.

In some embodiments, a maximum outer diameter portion of the wand body may engage with a minimum inner diameter position of the joint.

In some embodiments, a part of the joint may enter the container body.

In some embodiments, the joint may have an inner surface which tapers so as to be wider above than below.

In some embodiments, a maximum outer diameter of the wand body may be slightly larger than a minimum inner diameter of the joint.

In some embodiments, the wand body may be in the shape of a bullet, the tip of which has been partially truncated in oblique fashion.

Although the present invention is preferably applied for use with eye shadow or other such cosmetic in powder form, the present invention is not limited thereto, it also being possible to apply the present invention for use with eye shadow or other such cosmetic in liquid, semi-solid, cake, cream, and/or other form.

BENEFIT OF INVENTION

The present invention makes it possible to provide a cosmetic container that prevents caking and permits a container body to be easily filled with a cosmetic powder.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

Many aspects of the invention can be better understood with reference to the following drawings. The components in the drawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the present invention. Moreover, in the drawings, like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the several views.

FIG. 1 shows a cosmetic container 1 according to a first embodiment of the present invention, (a) being a front view thereof, and (b) being a front longitudinal sectional view thereof.

FIG. 2 is a front longitudinal sectional view showing an exploded diagram of cosmetic powder container 1 in accordance with the first embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a wand body 8 according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 4 shows variations on joint 40.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of a cosmetic container according to the present invention is described with reference to the drawings.

First Embodiment

As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, a cosmetic container 1 includes a container body 30 that stores a cosmetic powder 70 such as eye shadow, a joint 40 that is screwed to the container body 30 so as to be joined in integral fashion therewith, and an applicator body 2 that is removably attached to the joint 40.

With continued reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, container body 30 is a bottomed cylinder having an upper end portion of reduced diameter, an opening 34 being formed at an upper end of this reduced-diameter portion 32. On an outer circumferential surface of the reduced-diameter portion 32, a male screw 36 is provided. While there is no particular limitation with respect to the material of the container body 30, a transparent or semitransparent material such as plastic or glass is preferably used since it may enable the color, remaining amount, state, etc., of the cosmetic 70 stored therein to be viewed.

The applicator body 2 includes a cap 4, a base shaft 6 extending from the cap 4 to the container body 30, and a wand body 8 provided at a tip of the base shaft 6. On an inner surface of a lower portion of the cap 4, a plurality of projections 14 utilized during attachment to the joint 40 are provided in a circumferential direction. By causing these projections 14 to ride over a convex portion 46 which projects in annular fashion from an outer circumferential surface of cylindrical body 42 of joint 40, the applicator body 2 may be attached to or detached from the joint 40. Base shaft 6 is of hollow cylindrical shape, and cap 4 is joined in integral fashion to large-diameter base end portion 10 of base shaft 6. Engagement portion 16 of wand body 8 engages with and is secured to tip hole 12 constituting an opening at the tip thereof.

Although it was described above that base shaft 6 in the present example is of hollow cylindrical shape, there is no objection to employment of a columnar base shaft 6 having no hollow portion.

The joint 40 has a cylindrical body 42 that is open at the top, a bottom surface 50 provided with a central hole 52, and an inner surface which tapers so as to be wider above than below. On an outer circumference of the cylindrical body 42, a cylindrical cover portion 44 larger in diameter than the cylindrical body 42 is provided. On an inner circumferential surface of a lower portion of the cover portion 44, a female screw 48 is provided that can be screwed to the male screw 36 of the container body 30. When the female screw 48 of the joint 40 and the male screw 36 of the container body 30 are screwed to each other, the cylindrical body 42 enters the opening 34 of the container body 30, and the hole 52 serves as an inlet/outlet for cosmetic 70.

The inner surface of the cylindrical body 42 is larger in diameter than the base shaft 6, such that when cap 4 is attached to upper opening 56 of joint 40, base shaft 6 enters cylindrical body 42, and wand body 8 engages with hole 52.

With additional reference now to FIG. 3, body portion 18 of wand body 8 is capable of closing hole 52 without a gap, such that wand body 8 serves as a plug of hole 52 to prevent cosmetic 70 from scattering. In this state, tip portion 24 of wand body 8 is disposed so as to be higher than an upper surface of the cosmetic 70 with which the container is filled.

With continued reference to FIG. 3, wand body 8 is in the shape of a bullet, the tip of which has been partially truncated in oblique fashion. Employment of such shape makes it possible, when applying cosmetic 70 to an eyelid or the like, to carry out different types of application with a single wand body 8; for example, cosmetic might first be applied to the entire eyelid using curved portion 20 of large area, cosmetic might then be applied to a location desired to be emphasized using truncated planar portion 22, and cosmetic might be applied to a narrow region using pointed tip portion 24.

Engagement portion 16 is reduced in diameter so as to be capable of engaging with and being secured to tip hole 12. The untruncated body portion 18 has a circular cross section, and a maximum outer diameter thereof is slightly larger than the diameter of the hole 52 of the joint 40. The length of base shaft 6 is chosen so as to cause body portion 18 to be located at a position where it will engage with hole 52 when the cap 4 is attached thereto.

The wand body 8 is not limited to this shape, and may have any shape such as a bullet shape, a spherical shape, a truncated cone shape, a columnar shape, etc., as long as it can be secured to tip hole 12 and made to engage with hole 52 of joint 40. The material of the wand body 8 is preferably a soft material such as nitrile butadiene rubber, urethane, silicone, and/or the like, but it is also possible to use sponge-like substance(s) and/or other such material(s) obtained by foaming any of the foregoing, continuously porous material(s), brush-like material(s), and/or the like.

Operation and Effect

In a state where the applicator body 2, the joint 40, and the container body 30 are threadedly engaged or otherwise attached to each other, the wand body 8 may serve as plug to prevent cosmetic 70 from moving in and moving out, so that the cosmetic 70 does not scatter.

Furthermore, in some embodiments, it is also possible to achieve a situation which is such that the wand body 8 does not come in contact with cosmetic 70 even when cap 4 is attached, making it possible to prevent the wand body 8 from absorbing moisture or the like from cosmetic 79, and/or making it possible to prevent pressure from being applied to/from wand body 8, and this making it possible to prevent caking (solidifying) of cosmetic 70. This may make it possible to prevent deterioration in the feel of the wand body 8 on the skin, and may make it possible to maintain over a long period of time the ability to cause a smooth feeling to be experienced during application of cosmetic powder 70.

To apply cosmetic 70 to the skin or the like, cosmetic container 1 can be repeatedly shaken in such fashion that it is turned upside-down so as to cause cosmetic 70 to adhere to wand body 8. When applicator body 2 is thereafter pulled out therefrom, this will make it possible for it to be used as is for quick application, as a result of which the time required for applying makeup can be reduced. And if, e.g., after this is used up and it is desired that more cosmetic 70 be made to adhere thereto, applicator body 2 may be returned to its original configuration and the cosmetic container may be shaken again several times, as a result of which cosmetic 70 will again be made to adhere to wand body 8. At such time, since hole 52 is closed by wand body 8, cosmetic 70 does not scatter and does not contaminate the surroundings despite the fact cosmetic container 1 is turned upside-down or the like.

Because cylindrical body 42 tapers so as to be wider above than below, it is possible for applicator body 2 to be easily attached thereto and detached therefrom. And when the cap 4 is removed therefrom, cosmetic 70 adhering to the inner surface of cylindrical body 42 naturally returns through hole 52 into container body 30, preventing cosmetic 70 from adhering to base shaft 6 and contaminating the hands or the surroundings.

Applicator body 2 is such that cap 4 serves as a grip, so that the applicator body can be securely grasped not only with the thumb and the index finger but also with the middle finger. In addition, the base shaft 6 is lengthened by an amount corresponding to the length of joint 40, as a result of which a shape enabling easy application is provided.

Where a long and narrow container is filled with cosmetic 70, to prevent scattering of cosmetic 70, it is sometimes the case that a long nozzle may be used or that a filling port is provided at the bottom surface, in which case there may be risk of clogging, and/or it may be necessary to carry out a procedure to close the filling port, which may be troublesome or inconvenient. In contradistinction hereto, cosmetic container 1 in some embodiments of the present embodiment is such that joint 40 and container body 30 are capable of being separated from each other, permitting joint 40 to be attached after cylindrical container body 30 is filled with cosmetic 70, as a result of which the container can be easily filled with cosmetic 70 without scattering. And because it is possible in such embodiments for the joint 40 to be removed, the container can be easily refilled with cosmetic 70.

Variations

While the present invention has been described above in terms of specific embodiments, the present invention is not limited thereto, it being possible to carry out various modifications and variations.

For example, whereas it was described above that the joint 40 is such that the cylindrical body 42 has a bottom surface 50, it is also possible as indicated at the variation on joint 40 shown at (a) in FIG. 4 for the cylindrical body 42a to have a cylindrical shape that is open at the bottom and that tapers so as to be wider above than below.

As another example, as indicated at (b) in FIG. 4, another structure is also possible in which a cover portion 44b is provided at a lower side of the cylindrical body 42b, the cylindrical body 42b having a shape that is tapered in such fashion as to be wider above than below, and the joint 40 being of such shape as to permit it to be attached to the container 30 in such fashion that it can come in contact with the opening 34.

In accordance with another example, as indicated at (c) in FIG. 4, it is possible to employ a configuration such as that indicated at cylindrical body 42c which has cylindrical shape with constant inner diameter.

At cylindrical bodies 42a, 42b, and 42c shown at (a), (b), and (c) in FIG. 4, maximum outer diameter of body portion 18 of wand body 8 is slightly larger than minimum inner diameter of the cylindrical body 42a, 42b, 43c.

EXPLANATION OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

• 1 Cosmetic container
• 2 Applicator body
• 4 Cap
• 6 Base shaft
• 8 Wand body
• 10 Base end portion
• 12 Tip hole
• 14 Projection
• 16 Engagement portion
• 18 Body portion
• 20 Curved portion
• 22 Truncated planar portion
• 24 Tip portion
• 30 Container body
• 32 Reduced-diameter portion
• 34 Opening
• 36 Male screw
• 40 Joint
• 42, 42a, 42b, 43c Cylindrical body
• 44, 44b Cover portion
• 46 Convex portion
• 48 Female screw
• 50 Bottom surface
• 52 Hole (in bottom surface 50)
• 56 Upper opening
• 70 Cosmetic

Claims

1. A cosmetic container comprising:

a container body that has an opening at an upper side thereof and is capable of storing a cosmetic powder;

a cylindrical joint that is removably attached to the opening of the container body and that has a surface which is an extension in an upward direction of a surface of the container body;

an applicator that includes a cap removably attached to an upper opening of the joint, a base shaft extending from the cap to the container body, and a wand body which is mounted to a tip of the base shaft and to which cosmetic powder is made to adhere;

wherein the wand body is disposed higher than and does not come in contact with an upper surface of the cosmetic powder.

2. The cosmetic container according to claim 1 wherein

a maximum outer diameter portion of the wand body engages with a minimum inner diameter position of the joint.

3. The cosmetic container according to claim 1 wherein

a maximum outer diameter of the wand body is slightly larger than a minimum inner diameter of the joint.

4. The cosmetic container according to claim 1 wherein

a part of the joint enters the container body.

5. The cosmetic container according to claim 1 wherein

the joint has an inner surface which tapers so as to be wider above than below.

6. The cosmetic container according to claim 1 wherein

the wand body is in a shape of a bullet, a tip of which has been partially truncated in oblique fashion.