Cosmetic powder appliance

Disclosed is a cosmetic powder appliance. The cosmetic powder appliance includes a powder receptacle including a lower powder receptacle and an upper powder receptacle having a cylindrical section and a stepped section formed at an upper portion of the cylindrical section, in which the stepped section is formed at a center portion thereof with a passage hole, the cylindrical section is detachably coupled to an upper portion of the lower powder receptacle in such a manner that the lower powder receptacle is covered with the upper powder receptacle, a puffer including a puffer head provided at an upper surface of the stepped section and formed at a center portion thereof with an exhaust hole communicated with the passage hole and a puffer cover for covering the puffer head, and a valve unit installed in the puffer head in order to selectively open the passage hole only when the puffer touches a predetermined cosmetic area. The powder stored in the powder receptacle is prevented from being exhausted to an exterior when a user uses the cosmetic powder appliance.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a cosmetic powder appliance, and more particularly to a cosmetic powder appliance including a powder receptacle and a puffer integrally formed with the powder receptacle in order to exhaust powder to a cosmetic area.

2. Description of the Prior Art

If a powder receptacle is fabricated separately from a puffer, it is inconvenienced for users to carry the powder receptacle and the puffer. Korean Utility Model Application No. 2001-26125 discloses a puffer equipped with a powder receptacle, in which the powder receptacle is integrally formed with the puffer so as to allow users to conveniently carry the puffer and the powder receptacle.

FIG. 8is an exploded perspective view illustrating a conventional cosmetic powder appliance,FIG. 9is an assembled perspective view illustrating the conventional cosmetic powder appliance, andFIG. 10is an assembled sectional view illustrating the conventional cosmetic powder appliance.

As shown InFIGS. 8 to 10, the conventional cosmetic powder appliance includes a powder receptacle111, a puffer130coupled to an upper end of the powder receptacle111, and a cap (not shown, see reference numeral71inFIG. 1) coupled to the powder receptacle111in such a manner that the cap may surround the puffer130. An upper portion of the powder receptacle111is opened.

The powder receptacle111includes a lower powder receptacle111aand a middle powder receptacle111bcoupled to an upper end of the lower powder receptacle111aby means of a locking section111cin the form of a strip.

The puffer130includes a puffer head140having a substantially hexagonal sectional shape, and a support section132linearly extending from an underside of the puffer head140.

The puffer head140is formed at a center portion thereof with a guide hole140a, which extends lengthwise along the puffer head140.

A guide pipe133is inserted into a lower end of the guide hole140aand an exhaust port140bhaving a sectional area larger than that of the guide hole140ais formed at an upper end of the guide hole140a.

The puffer130having the above structure is coupled to the powder receptacle111by inserting the support section132into the middle powder receptacle111b.

A puffer cover131is coupled to the puffer head140in such a manner that the puffer head140can be surrounded by means of the puffer cover131.

Hereinafter, an operation of the cosmetic powder appliance having the above structure will be described.

First, the middle powder receptacle111bcoupled with the puffer130is separated from the lower powder receptacle111a, and powder is stored in the lower powder receptacle111a.

Then, the middle powder receptacle111bcoupled with the puffer130is assembled with the upper end of the lower powder receptacle111a.

After that, the user touches a cosmetic area (that is, an area to which powder is applied) by using the buffer130while gripping the lower powder receptacle111a.

If the user touches the cosmetic area by using the buffer130, the powder stored in the lower powder receptacle111ais collected in the exhaust port140bwhile sequentially passing through the middle powder receptacle111band the guide hole140a.

The powder collected in the exhaust port140bis finally exhausted to the cosmetic area through the puffer cover131.

However, according to the conventional cosmetic powder appliance, a powder exhaust path including the guide hole140aand the exhaust port140bis always communicated with the powder receptacle111, so that the powder stored in the lower powder receptacle111may be exhausted to an exterior even if the user does not use the conventional cosmetic powder appliance.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, the present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems occurring in the prior art, and an object of the present invention is to provide a cosmetic powder appliance, in which a powder exhaust path is communicated with a powder receptacle only when a user uses the cosmetic powder appliance.

In order to accomplish the above object, according to the present invention, there is provided a cosmetic powder appliance comprising: a powder receptacle including a lower powder receptacle and an upper powder receptacle having a cylindrical section and a stepped section formed at an upper portion of the cylindrical section, the stepped section being formed at a center portion thereof with a passage hole, the cylindrical section being detachably coupled to an upper portion of the lower powder receptacle in such a manner that the lower powder receptacle is covered with the upper powder receptacle; a puffer including a puffer head provided at an upper surface of the stepped section and formed at a center portion thereof with an exhaust hole communicated with the passage hole and a puffer cover for covering the puffer head; and a valve unit installed in the puffer head in order to selectively open the passage hole only when the puffer touches a predetermined cosmetic area.

According to the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the valve unit includes a lifting member having a lifting plate formed with a plurality of guide slots and a lifting shaft downwardly extending from a center portion of an underside of the lifting plate, a valve plate coupled to a lower end of the lifting plate in parallel to the lifting plate, and an elastic member installed lengthwise along the lifting shaft. The lifting shaft passes through the passage hole, the valve plate is aligned below the passage hole, and the elastic member is installed between a bottom surface of the exhaust hole and the lifting plate.

The guide slots are formed at an outer peripheral portion of the lifting plate and communicated with each other through a cross-shaped connection slot in such a manner that the powder introduced into the exhaust hole through the guide slots is prevented from being concentrated onto a predetermined portion of the puffer cover.

The puffer head includes a diffusing plate installed around the exhaust hole and having an upper surface inwardly inclined towards a center portion thereof in order to allow the powder to be uniformly distributed over the whole area of the puffer cover.

The puffer includes a porous plate having a plurality of pores, which are uniformly distributed, and being interposed between the puffer cover and the diffusing plate in such a manner that the powder diffused through the diffusing plate is prevented from being concentrated onto a predetermined portion of the puffer cover.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described with reference to accompanying drawings.

FIGS. 1 to 3are exploded perspective views of a cosmetic powder appliance according to one embodiment of the present invention,FIGS. 4 and 5are exploded sectional views of the cosmetic powder appliance according to one embodiment of the present invention, andFIG. 6is an assembled sectional view of the cosmetic powder appliance according to one embodiment of the present invention.

As shown inFIGS. 1 to 6, the cosmetic powder appliance according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a powder receptacle10, a puffer30formed at an upper portion of the powder receptacle10, a cap71detachably coupled to the powder receptacle10in such a manner that the cap71surrounds the puffer30, and a valve unit50installed in the puffer30.

The powder receptacle10includes a lower powder receptacle11and an upper powder receptacle20screw-coupled to an upper portion of the lower powder receptacle11. The upper portion of the lower powder receptacle11is opened.

The upper powder receptacle20has a cylindrical section21and a stepped section22formed at an upper portion of the cylindrical section21.

The stepped section22is formed at a center portion thereof with a passage hole22a.

The upper powder receptacle20having the above structure is screw-coupled with the upper end portion of the lower powder receptacle11in such a manner that the upper portion of the lower powder receptacle11is covered with the upper powder receptacle20.

The puffer30includes a puffer head40formed at an upper surface of the stepped section22, a puffer cover31for covering the puffer head40, and a porous plate32interposed between the puffer cover31and the puffer head40.

The puffer head40includes a column section41protruding from the upper surface of the stepped section22and a diffusing plate42formed at an upper portion of the column section41. The diffusing plate42outwardly extends from an outer peripheral portion of the column section41.

The column section41is formed at a center portion thereof with an exhaust hole41acommunicated with the passage hole22a. A spring seat41bis formed at a bottom of the exhaust hole41ain such a manner that the passage hole22ais surrounded by the spring seat41b.

An upper surface of the diffusing plate42is inwardly inclined towards a center portion thereof. Accordingly, a cavity is formed between an upper surface of the diffusing plate42and a lower surface of the porous plate32.

The porous plate32has a plurality of pores32and is made from soft materials, such as sponge.

The puffer cover31is fixed to the puffer head40through a slot formed between the stepped section22and the diffusing plate42. The puffer cover31can be fabricated by using soft materials, such as pure cotton or sponge.

The valve unit50includes a lifting member60, a valve plate51coupled to a lower end of the lifting member60, and a spring52interposed between the lifting member60and the valve plate51.

The lifting member60includes a lifting plate61and a lifting shaft62downwardly extending from a center of a bottom surface of the lifting plate61.

The lifting plate61is formed at an outer peripheral portion thereof with four guide slots61a.

The guide slots61aare communicated with each other through a cross-shaped connection slot61bformed at a center portion of the lifting plate61.

The valve plate51is press-coupled with the lower end of the lifting shaft62in parallel to the lifting plate61.

The spring52is supported on the spring seat41band extends lengthwise along the lifting shaft62.

According to the lifting member60having the above structure, the lifting shaft62passes through the passage hole22a, the valve plate51is disposed below the passage hole22aand the spring52is interposed between the bottom surface of the exhaust hole41aand the lifting plate61.

Hereinafter, an operation of the cosmetic powder appliance according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference toFIG. 7.

First, the upper powder receptacle section20is separated from the lower powder receptacle section11, and powder is stored in the lower powder receptacle section11.

After that, the upper powder receptacle section20is coupled with the lower powder receptacle section11.

In this state, the user touches the cosmetic area by using the puffer30while gripping the lower powder receptacle section11.

Whenever the puffer30touches the cosmetic area, the lifting plate61is pressed towards the lower powder receptacle section11while compressing the spring52.

If the lifting plate61is pressed towards the lower powder receptacle section11, a gap is formed between the valve plate51and the stepped section22. Thus, the powder stored in the lower powder receptacle section11is introduced into the passage hole22athrough the gap.

Then, the powder introduced into the passage hole22ais collected in the exhaust hole41athrough the guide slots61aof the lifting plate61. The powder collected in the exhaust hole41athrough the guide slots61ais widely distributed through the cross-shaped connection slot61b.

The powder collected in the exhaust hole41amay sequentially pass through the cavity formed between the upper surface of the diffusing plate42and the lower surface of the porous plate32and the pores32aof the porous plate32. Finally, the powder is applied to the cosmetic area through the puffer cover31. Herein, the powder collected in the exhaust hole41ais widely distributed through the diffusing plate42and uniformly distributed through the porous plate32.

As mentioned above, according to the present invention, the passage hole22ais opened whenever the puffer30touches the cosmetic area, so that the powder exhaust path is selectively communicated with the lower powder receptacle11when the user uses the cosmetic powder appliance.

In addition, since the guide slots61aformed at the outer peripheral portion of the lifting plate61are communicated with each other through the cross-shaped connection slot61b, the powder introduced into the exhaust hole41athrough the guide slots61acan be prevented from being concentrated onto a predetermined portion of the puffer cover31.

Furthermore, since the upper surface of the diffusing plate42is inwardly inclined towards the center of the diffusing plate42, the powder can be distributed over the whole area of the puffer cover31.

In addition, since the porous plate32having a plurality of pores32ais interposed between the diffusing plate42and the puffer cover31, the powder spread through the diffusing plate42can be prevented from being concentrated onto a predetermined portion of the puffer cover31.

Although the present invention has been described in that the spring52is used as an elastic member, the present invention does not limit the kind of the elastic member. For instance, rubber or silicon in the form of a pipe can be used as the elastic member.

According to the present invention, the passage hole is opened only when the puffer touches the cosmetic area, so that the powder exhaust path is selectively communicated with the powder receptacle only when the user uses the cosmetic powder appliance. Therefore, the powder stored in the powder receptacle can be prevented from being exhausted to the exterior when the user does not use the cosmetic powder appliance.