JP7854652B2 - Compact container - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a cosmetic compact container in which the inner tray containing the cosmetic product can be replaced.

In cosmetic compact containers, those with replaceable inner trays containing the cosmetic product are widely used. In such replaceable-tray types, a retaining frame is required to hold the tray in place, and this frame is rotatably connected to the main body along with the lid. The retaining frame is held to the main body by an engaging mechanism, such as engaging claws. The inner tray is replaced by releasing the engaging mechanism, raising the retaining frame, and rotating it.

Furthermore, when raising and rotating the retaining frame to replace the inner tray, as disclosed in, for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2, a hole is often made in the bottom of the main body and a pin is used to push the retaining frame up from below. On the other hand, Patent Document 3 discloses a structure in which, when the lid is opened 180 degrees, the base of the retaining frame is pressed by the base of the lid, causing the retaining frame to open and rotate.

Microfilm of Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 62-109009 Japanese Patent Publication No. 2008-12081 Microfilm of Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 63-76205

The method of using pins to push up the retaining frame, as described in Patent Documents 1 and 2, has the problem of being unreliable because pins of a suitable diameter are not always available, leading to situations where one might panic in a pinch. While it is conceivable to enlarge the hole so that the retaining frame can be pushed up with a fingertip, this method results in a noticeable hole, which is aesthetically unpleasing.

Furthermore, whether using a pin or fingertips to push out the contents, the process often involves turning the compact container upside down or tilting it significantly, which is not only cumbersome but also prone to the inner tray falling or the cosmetic product spilling out due to the rotation of the holding frame.

On the other hand, while the method of using the lid to raise the container, as described in Patent Document 3, has the advantage of not requiring a push-up pin, when using a compact container, the lid may be opened wide regardless of whether the inner tray is being replaced. This can cause the retaining frame to unintentionally rise from the main body, resulting in a lack of reliability.

This invention was made to improve this current situation.

The compact container of the present invention is
"It comprises a tray-shaped main body with a peripheral wall and an upward-facing opening that can accommodate a container for cosmetics inside, a retaining frame that overlaps the main body from above to hold the container in a way that prevents it from being removed, and a lid that covers the container and the retaining frame , wherein the main body, the retaining frame and the lid are connected to each other so as to rotate relative to each other with one side as the pivot point."
The retaining frame and the main body are provided with engaging means that engage with each other to hold the retaining frame to the main body, and the retaining frame is provided with a recess for storing an applicator with a bottom plate for storing an applicator .
This is the basic structure.

And in the above basic configuration,
" With the side of the main body and retaining frame furthest from the pivot point facing forward and the side closer to it facing backward,
The applicator housing recess extends across the entire width of the retaining frame at the front of the retaining frame, and the front wall of the applicator housing recess is continuous with the upper surface of the retaining frame,
The aforementioned tray is positioned behind the applicator housing recess.
Furthermore, the engaging means is positioned in front of the applicator housing recess, and the rear wall of the applicator housing recess is set as a finger grip when raising and rotating the retaining frame .
It has the following characteristics.

As an example of an extension of claim 1 , in claim 2 ,
"The engagement means consists of a foot-shaped engaging claw hanging down from the retaining frame and an engaging portion formed on the peripheral wall of the main body."
This is the structure.

The invention of claim 3 is an extension of claim 1 or 2 ,
With the free end away from the pivot point facing forward and the longitudinal direction of the pivot point being the left-right direction,
An operating frame portion, which has a hook piece for releasing the closed state of the lid, is formed at the front end of the main body and in the middle of the left and right sides, so as to fit inside the main body, and the engagement means are provided on both the left and right sides of the operating frame portion.
This is the structure.

The invention of claim 4 is also an extension of claim 1 or 2,
"A horizontally elongated knurled surface is formed on the rear wall of the recess for housing the applicator."
This is the structure.

In the present invention, the retaining frame is raised by inserting a fingertip into the applicator housing recess, which also serves as a finger rest. Therefore, no tool such as a pin is required, resulting in excellent responsiveness and reliability. Furthermore, since there is no need to provide a hole for pushing up in the main body, there is no deterioration in aesthetics. Moreover, since the retaining frame will not rotate unless a fingertip is inserted into the recess, the problem of the retaining frame being raised and rotated unintentionally does not occur.

Furthermore, the retaining frame is raised by placing a fingertip on the upward-opening recess for the applicator , and since the operation of raising the retaining frame can be done with the compact container in a horizontal position and the lid open, the work can be done very easily, and problems such as the inner tray falling or the cosmetic spilling out are completely eliminated.

Compact containers generally come with applicators such as brushes, tips, and puffs, and the retaining frame has a recessed bottom for storing the applicators. However, as in the present invention , using the applicator storage recess as a recess for raising the retaining frame has the advantages of simplifying the structure and ensuring that the aesthetic appearance does not deteriorate.

In the present invention, since the engaging means is positioned in front of the applicator housing recess, the engaging means smoothly disengages when the applicator housing recess is pressed with a fingertip towards the pivot point. Therefore, the retaining frame can be rotated upwards without compromising the usability of the applicator.

As described in claim 2 , forming the engaging claws in a foot-like shape that hangs down from the retaining frame has the advantage of facilitating the elastic deformation of the engaging claws and ensuring secure engagement and disengagement of the engaging means.

In compact containers, the lid is also secured to the main body by an engaging mechanism using engaging claws, and an operating frame section with a hook piece is often provided in the middle of the left and right front end (free end) of the main body. However, in this case, since the operating frame section is recessed into the main body, the parts of the main body on both the left and right sides of the operating section become dead space located in front of the applicator housing recess. The invention of claim 3 makes effective use of the dead space on both the left and right sides of the operating frame section to arrange the engaging mechanism.

By adopting the configuration of claim 4, the user can improve their grip when raising and rotating the retaining frame, and can easily understand that the uneven parts are finger grips for raising the retaining frame.

This figure shows a compact container according to the first embodiment, where (A) is a perspective view with the lid open and (B) is a perspective view with the lid closed. This is a perspective view with the lid and retaining frame open. This is a cross-sectional view with the lid open. (A) is a separated cross-sectional view seen from the IV-IV perspective in Figure 3, and (B) is a cross-sectional view of the closed state seen from the IV-IV perspective in Figure 3. (A) is a VA-VA cross-sectional view of Figure 3 in the closed state, and (B) is a VB-VB cross-sectional view of Figure 3 in the closed state. (A) is a cross-sectional view taken along line VI-VI in Figure 3, and (B) is a cross-sectional view showing the open state (raised state) of the retaining frame. (A) is a perspective view of the second embodiment, and (B) is a perspective view of the third embodiment. (A) is a perspective view of the first reference example , (B) is a cross-sectional view of (A) along B-B, (C) is a cross-sectional view of (B) along C-C, and (D) is a cross-sectional view of the second reference example .

(1) Basic structure of the first embodiment Next, embodiments of the present invention will be described based on the drawings. First, the first embodiment (main embodiment) shown in Figures 1 to 6 will be described. As clearly shown in Figure 2, the compact container of this embodiment comprises a main body 1, a retaining frame 2, and a lid 3, each formed in a rectangular shape in plan view, and these members are connected by a pin 4 at one of the short sides so as to be able to rotate relative to each other. The main body 1, the retaining frame 2, and the lid 3 are all molded products made of synthetic resin such as ABS.

In the following, the terms "front/back" and "left/right" are used to specify direction. The direction of the pivot axis is defined as the left/right direction, and the direction perpendicular to the pivot axis is defined as the front/back direction. For front and back, the side with the free end is considered the front, and the side with the pivot point is considered the rear. For clarity, the directions are clearly indicated in Figure 1(A). While the compact container in this embodiment has a front-to-back elongated shape, a left-to-right elongated shape or a square shape can also be adopted.

As clearly shown in Figure 2, the main body 1 is formed in a shallow tray shape with a front wall 5, a rear wall 6, side walls 7, and a bottom surface (bottom plate). Approximately two-thirds of the rear portion of the bottom surface is designed to accommodate two rows of inner trays 8. Therefore, to position the inner trays 8, horizontal ribs 9 and vertical ribs 10 are formed on the bottom surface. The inner trays 8 are rectangular trays with an upward opening, and contain cosmetic products such as creams or powders.

In this embodiment, the main body 1 has two rows of tray placement areas, front and back. While Figures 1 and 2 show four trays 8, the width of each tray 8 can be arbitrarily set. For example, it is possible to place one tray in each of the front and back areas, or to place one tray 8 and two trays 8 separately in the front and back areas, or to place three or more trays 8 in a single area. Users can select their preferred cosmetics and set them in the compact container.

The retaining frame 2 holds the inner tray 8 in place to prevent it from detaching. Flanges 11a to 11c are formed around its four sides, overlapping the upper surface of the main body 1. A recessed area 12 for accommodating an applicator is formed at the front, with elongated sides and a bottom. The area behind the applicator recess 12 is an opening 13 that exposes the inner tray 8.

The applicator housing recess 12 has a front wall 12a, a rear wall 12b, and side walls 12c. The upper ends of each wall 12a, 12b, and 12c are continuous with the upper surface of the retaining frame 2. The retaining frame 2 further has longitudinal positioning ribs 14 that hang downward from the left and right side flanges 11b. As shown in Figure 4, a flange is also provided at the rear end of the applicator housing recess 12. As shown in Figure 5(B), the positioning ribs 14 are in close contact with or near the side walls 7 of the main body 1.

Figure 3 shows an example of the applicator 15. The illustrated applicator 15 has applicators at both ends, but types with a brush at only one end of the handle, or puffs, can also be used. Naturally, the applicator 15 is selected according to the type of cosmetic product.

As clearly shown in Figure 5(B), the positioning rib 14 and the applicator recess 12 are separate. However, it is also possible to eliminate the positioning rib 14 at the location of the applicator recess 12, and to bring the left and right outer surfaces of the applicator recess 12 into close contact with the side wall 7 of the main body 1.

The inner circumferential portions of flanges 11a to 11c in the retaining frame 2 protrude into the interior of the main body 1, and their inner edges overlap the upper surface of the middle tray 8. The retaining frame 2 also has left and right longitudinal partition bars 17 positioned between the front and rear rows of middle trays 8. These partition bars 17 overlap (or are close to) the rear ends of the front row of middle trays 8 and the front ends of the rear row of middle trays 8 from above. Therefore, the opening 13 is divided into front and rear sections by the partition bars 17. For example, as shown in Figure 4, the partition bars 17 are provided with downward-facing ribs 18 that maintain the spacing between the front and rear rows of middle trays 8.

Furthermore, when a single tray 8 that fits within the tray placement area is placed, or when multiple horizontally oriented trays are placed front to back within the tray placement area, or when multiple rows of vertically oriented trays are placed left to right within the tray placement area, the partition bar 17 does not need to be provided. It is also possible to divide a single tray 8 into multiple storage compartments, allowing different colored or otherwise different cosmetic products to be stored in each compartment.

In this embodiment, corresponding to the two rows of tray placement areas formed in the main body 1, one partition bar 17 is formed in the holding frame 2. However, it is also possible to form three or more rows of tray placement areas in the main body 1. In this case, two or more partition bars 17 are formed in the opening of the holding frame 2.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, the tray placement area of the main body 1 is formed in front and behind sections. However, it is also possible to form the tray placement area in a left-right configuration. In this case, the partition bars 17 will have a front-to-back longitudinal shape. Even in this case, the number and orientation of the partition bars 17 can be arbitrarily set according to the partition configuration of the main body 1.

As shown in Figure 1, the lid 3 has a front wall 19 and side walls 20, and a mirror 21 is attached to its lower surface. As clearly shown in Figures 4, 5, and 6(A), the outer circumference of the flanges 11a to 11c on the retaining frame 2 is located inward from the outer surface of the main body 1. Therefore, the upper surface of the main body 1 has a portion exposed to the outside of the flanges 11a to 11c on the retaining frame 2, and the walls 19 and 20 of the lid 3 overlap this exposed portion.

As can be seen from Figures 2 and 4, bearing portions 22 are provided at both the left and right ends of the rear end of the main body 1. Meanwhile, a pair of left and right bearing brackets 23, overlapping the inner surfaces of the bearing portions 22, are integrally provided at the rear end of the retaining frame 2. Furthermore, a bearing boss portion 24, located between the left and right bearing brackets 23, is integrally provided at the rear end of the lid 3. The bearing brackets 23 and the bearing boss portion 24 are connected to the bearing portions 22 by left and right pins 4.

(2) Lid Closing State Retention Structure For example, as shown in Figures 2 and 4, an operating frame portion 27 is formed in the left and right middle part of the front end of the main body 1, which is horizontally elongated and opens forward and upward, and a hook piece 28 is positioned in the operating frame portion 27 so as to be able to move back and forth and not come off. The hook piece 28 is roughly in the shape of a box that opens to the rear, and a notch portion 29 is formed on the top surface that is rectangular and opens to the rear.

As shown in Figure 4, a forward-facing rib 30 is provided protruding from the lower part of the interior of the operating frame 27. The bottom plate 28a of the hook piece (engagement release device) 28 is inserted from the front into the space formed between the bottom plate 27a of the operating frame 27 and the rib 30. A downward-facing retaining claw 31 is formed at the tip of the bottom plate 28a of the hook piece 28, while a recess 32 is formed in the bottom plate 27a of the operating frame 27 into which the retaining claw 31 fits. Therefore, the hook piece 28 is held in the operating frame 27 in a way that allows it to move back and forth freely and prevents it from coming loose.

As shown in Figure 4, a first engaging claw 33 is provided projecting backward from the lower end of the left-right intermediate portion of the front wall 19 of the lid 3, inclined diagonally downward so as to be inserted into the notch 29 of the hook piece 28. Meanwhile, a first engaging portion 34 is formed on the front inner surface of the operating frame portion 27, into which the first engaging claw 33 engages from below.

The claw portion 33a of the first engaging claw 33 and the first engaging portion 34 are formed in a V-shape (triangle) when viewed from the side. Therefore, when the open lid 3 is closed, the claw portion 33a of the first engaging claw 33 moves forward and then backward due to the elastic deformation of the first engaging claw 33 and the front wall 19 of the lid 3, engaging with the first engaging portion 34 from below. This holds the lid 3 in a closed position.

When the hook piece 28 is pushed backward with the lid closed, the front inner surface of the notch 29 contacts the front surface of the first engaging claw 33. However, because the first engaging claw 33 is inclined diagonally downward, the backward movement of the hook piece 28 pushes the first engaging claw 33 upward. This releases the engagement of the first engaging claw 33 with the first engaging portion 34, allowing the lid 3 to be opened.

When the lid 3 is opened, the claw portion 33a of the first engaging claw 33 rests on the upper surface of the first engaging portion 34, and the lid 3 is held in a slightly open position. In other words, the lid 3 is pushed up by the hook piece 28. Therefore, the user can easily open the lid 3 by placing their fingertip on the front end.

(3) Retaining Frame Closing State Retention Structure As shown in Figures 2, 3, and 6, a second engagement portion 35, which is V-shaped in side view, is provided protruding backward from the inner surfaces on both the left and right sides of the front wall 5 of the main body 1, flanking the operating frame portion 27, as part of the engagement means described in the claim. On the other hand, a notch 36 corresponding to the operating frame portion 27 is formed in the front flange 11a of the retaining frame 2, but there is space on both the left and right sides of the notch 36 inside the main body 1, and a foot-shaped second engagement claw 37 that engages with the second engagement portion 35 is provided protruding downward from the front flange 11a of the retaining frame 2 as an engagement claw that forms part of the engagement means described in the claim.

Since the claw portion 37a of the second engaging claw 37 is formed in a V-shape (triangle) when viewed from the side, when a certain amount of force is applied to the retaining frame 2 from above or below, the second engaging claw 37 can engage with and disengage from the second engaging portion 35 against the elastic deformation of the retaining frame 2.

As described above, applying a certain amount of force to the retaining frame 2 and thereby applying an upward force to the retaining frame 2 can release the engagement of the second engaging claw 37 with the second engaging portion 35. In this embodiment, the applicator housing recess 12 is also used as a finger rest to apply the upward force to the retaining frame 2.

In other words, as shown in Figure 6(B), the user sets the front (inner surface) of the rear wall 12b of the applicator housing recess 12 as a finger rest when the lid is open, and by placing their fingertip 38 on the front surface and pulling (pushing) the retaining frame 2 backward, the engagement of the second engaging claw 37 with the second engaging portion 35 is released, allowing the retaining frame 2 to be raised and rotated. This allows the inner tray 8 to be replaced.

In this embodiment, the applicator housing recess 12 is also used as a finger rest recess , allowing the retaining frame 2 to be raised and rotated without compromising aesthetics . Therefore, a high level of design integrity can be maintained. When the retaining frame 2 is lowered from the raised position and pressed against the main body 1, the second engaging claw 37 elastically deforms and then returns to its original position, thereby holding the retaining frame 2 in a closed position.

Furthermore, since the retaining frame 2 has a frame structure with an opening 13 that penetrates vertically, it can be elastically deformed to narrow the front-to-back width of the opening 13. There is also a slight clearance between the front and rear inner surfaces of the opening 13 and the inner plate 8, and a slight clearance between the front and rear inner plates 8.

Therefore, when a fingertip is placed against the rear wall 12b of the applicator recess 12 and pushed backward, the applicator recess 12 can retract slightly due to the elastic deformation of the retaining frame 2. This also supports the upward rotation of the retaining frame 2. As in the embodiment, providing a pair of second engaging portions 35 and second engaging claws 37 on the left and right sides has the advantage of stabilizing the closed state of the retaining frame 2.

Now, since the retaining frame 2 rotates around the pin 4 as a pivot point, in order to increase the moment (rotational force) on the retaining frame 2, it is preferable that the span (length) from the pin 4 (rotation pivot point) to the fingertip 38 be as large as possible. In this respect, by using the applicator housing recess 12 as a finger rest recess, as in the embodiment, the span (length) from the pin to the fingertip 38 can be made as large as possible, enabling smooth raising and rotating of the retaining frame 2.

When the applicator recess 12 is also used as a finger rest, a person typically places their fingertip 38 on the left-right middle portion of the rear wall 12b of the applicator recess 12. Therefore, as in this embodiment, positioning the second engaging portion 35 and the second engaging claw 37 closer to the operating frame 27 has the advantage of minimizing the distance from the fingertip 38 to the left and right second engaging claws 37, thereby ensuring reliable disengagement of the second engaging claws 37.

(4) Other embodiments and reference examples
Figures 7 and 8 show other embodiments and reference examples . Of these, the second embodiment shown in Figure 7(A) is a modification of the first embodiment, in which a horizontally elongated knurled surface 39 is formed on the left and right middle portion of the front surface of the rear wall 12b of the applicator housing recess 12 in order to improve the grip of the user's fingertips when they place them on the surface.

On the other hand, the third embodiment shown in Figure 7(B) is also a modification of the first embodiment, and in this embodiment, longitudinal protrusions 40 are formed on the upper ends of the left and right intermediate portions of the front surface of the rear wall 12b of the applicator housing recess 12, in order to improve the grip of the fingertips when applying the applicator.

As in these second and third embodiments, forming the uneven portion 39 and the protrusion 40 on the rear wall 12b of the applicator housing recess 12 allows the user to easily understand that the uneven portion 39 and the protrusion 40 are finger grips for raising the holding frame 2.

In the first reference example shown in Figure 8, dedicated finger rest recesses 41 are formed on both the left and right sides of the front flange 11a of the retaining frame 2, flanking the operating frame portion 27. The finger rest recesses 41 are of the form of cutouts with openings at the top and bottom, and a projection 40 for finger rests is formed on the rear edge. In addition, a positioning rib 42 is formed on the front edge of the finger rest recess 41, which overlaps with the front wall 5 of the main body 1.

Furthermore, a foot-shaped second engaging claw 37 is projected downward from the finger-reach recess 41 on the side opposite the operating frame 27, while a second engaging portion 35 is formed on the side wall 7 of the main body 1, into which the second engaging claw 37 engages and disengages. In this embodiment, the user can insert their fingertips (for example, the index finger and middle finger, or the index finger and ring finger) into the projection 40 to pull up the holding frame 2 with two fingers.

In this example , the finger rest recess 41 is far from the pivot point and close to the second engaging claw 37, allowing a strong pulling force from the fingertip to be applied to the second engaging claw 37. Therefore, even if the area of the finger rest recess 41 is small and the gripping area for the fingertip is small, the retaining frame 2 can be raised easily. In this embodiment, it is also possible to raise the retaining frame 2 by placing a finger in the applicator housing recess 12. The finger rest recess 41 can also be formed with a bottomed structure.

As shown in Figure 8(D) as a second reference example , it is also possible to form a second engaging portion 35 on the front wall 5 of the main body 1 by projecting downward from the front end of the finger-grip recess 41. The second engaging portion 35 is an engaging groove, but it can also be formed as a projection similar to that in other embodiments.

The embodiments of the present invention have been described above, but the present invention can be implemented in various other ways. For example, instead of using a hook piece as in the embodiments, a method of opening the lid by hooking a fingertip onto a tab provided at the front end of the lid and pulling it open is also possible.

The present invention is applicable to compact containers. Therefore, it is industrially applicable.

1 Main body 2 Retaining frame 3 Lid 4 Pin 5 Front wall of main body 8 Inner tray 11a-11c Flange of retaining frame 12 Applicator housing recess 13 Opening 15 Applicator 17 Partition bar 27 Operating frame section 28 Hook piece 35 Second engaging part constituting the engaging means 37 Second engaging claw constituting the engaging means 41 Dedicated finger rest recess

Claims (4)

The device comprises a tray-shaped main body with a peripheral wall and an upward-facing opening that allows a container for cosmetic products to be placed inside; a retaining frame that overlaps the main body from above to hold the container in a way that prevents it from being removed; and a lid that covers the container and the retaining frame , wherein the main body, the retaining frame, and the lid are connected to each other so as to rotate relative to each other with one side as the pivot point .
The retaining frame and the main body are provided with engaging means that engage with each other to hold the retaining frame to the main body, and the retaining frame is provided with a recess for storing an applicator with a bottom plate for storing an applicator.
It is a compact container,
The side of the main body and retaining frame furthest from the pivot point is considered the front, and the side closest to it is considered the rear.
The applicator housing recess extends across the entire width of the retaining frame at the front of the retaining frame, and the front wall of the applicator housing recess is continuous with the upper surface of the retaining frame,
The aforementioned tray is positioned behind the applicator housing recess.
Furthermore, the engaging means is positioned in front of the applicator housing recess, and the rear wall of the applicator housing recess is set as a finger grip when raising and rotating the retaining frame.
Compact container. The engagement means consists of a foot-shaped engaging claw hanging down from the retaining frame and an engaging portion formed on the peripheral wall of the main body.
The compact container described in claim 1. With the free end away from the pivot point facing forward and the longitudinal direction of the pivot point being the left-right direction,
An operating frame portion, which has a hook piece for releasing the closed state of the lid, is formed at the front end of the main body and in the middle of the left and right sides, so as to fit inside the main body, and the engaging means are provided on both the left and right sides of the operating frame portion.
A compact container as described in claim 1 or 2 . A horizontally elongated knurled surface is formed on the rear wall of the recess for housing the applicator.
A compact container as described in claim 1 or 2 .