Abstract:
A cosmetic case has two sections which may be carried either separately or together. One section has several indentations for cosmetic compositions and has a lid with a mirror. The other section is in the form of a container having a cover. The container includes several compartments for cosmetic applicators. The two sections are slidably attached to and detached from one another.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0002]    The present invention relates generally to containers, and, more particularly, to cosmetic cases designed to be carried in a woman&#39;s purse or handbag. 
         [0003]    2. Description of the Related Art 
         [0004]    The art in the field of cosmetic cases is extremely well developed, there being so great a variety of such cases as to be difficult to precisely number. Generally speaking, some cases are intended for carrying cosmetic compositions of the compressed-powder type. Typically, such cases have mirrored lids for the convenience of a user applying the cosmetic therewithin. Other cases are designed to carry cosmetic applicators, such as lipstick or eyeliner. 
         [0005]    The consequence of this great variety is that a women often has to carry several different cosmetic cases at the same time. The present invention is intended to remedy this problem by providing both kinds of case in one having two sections which may optionally be separated from one another. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0006]    Accordingly, the present invention is a cosmetic case comprises two sections which may be attached to or detached from one another by sliding one section relative to the other. Each of the two sections includes a component which, together, enables them to be readily connected to or disconnected from one another. 
         [0007]    The first section has a base and a lid. The base includes a plurality of indentations for cosmetic compositions, which typically are in the form of compressed powders. The base may also include an elongated indentation for storage of a cosmetic applicator, such as an eyebrow pencil. The inside surface of the lid, which closes onto the base, may also include a mirror. 
         [0008]    The second section is a container having a face and an end, and an L-shaped cover which forms the end and a portion of the face. Within the second section is a plurality of compartments, separated from one another by partitions. The compartments are accessible when the cover is opened, and may be used for storing cosmetic applicators. 
         [0009]    The present invention will be described in greater detail below, with frequent reference being made to the following drawings. 
     
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0010]      FIG. 1  is a plan view of the front side of the cosmetic case of the present invention; 
           [0011]      FIG. 2  is a plan view of the top side of the cosmetic case; 
           [0012]      FIG. 3  is a plan view of the top side of the cosmetic case when fully opened; 
           [0013]      FIG. 4  is a plan view of an alternative base for the cosmetic case; 
           [0014]      FIG. 5  is a plan view of the right side of the cosmetic case; 
           [0015]      FIG. 6  is a plan view of the left side of the cosmetic case 
           [0016]      FIG. 7  is a plan view of the front side of the cosmetic case when the upper and lower sections are partly separated from one another; 
           [0017]      FIG. 8  is a plan view of the bottom side of the cosmetic case; and 
           [0018]      FIG. 9  is a plan view of the bottom side of the cosmetic case with cover and bottom plate removed. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
       [0019]    Turning now to these figures,  FIG. 1  is a plan view of the front side of the cosmetic case  10  of the present invention. The cosmetic case  10  has an upper section  12  and a lower section  14 , which may be kept together, as shown in  FIG. 1 , or may be separated from one another and used and transported separately. 
         [0020]    The upper section  12  has a lid  16  which closes onto and latches to a base  18  with latch  20 . Referring to  FIG. 2 , a plan view of the top side of the cosmetic case  10 , lid  16  is attached to base  18  at hinge elements  22 . 
         [0021]      FIG. 3  is a plan view of the top side of the cosmetic case  10  with lid  16  fully opened. As may be observed, lid  16  is attached to base  18  at hinge elements  22  by means such as axle pins  24 , and is swingingly opened and closed thereabout relative to the base  18 . 
         [0022]    Base  18  has a selected number of indentations, such as indentations  26 ,  28 ,  30 , each for containing a predetermined amount of a cosmetic composition, which may take the form of a compressed powder. On the inner surface of the lid  16 , which faces the indentations  26 ,  28 ,  30  when the lid  16  is closed, is a mirror  32 . Latch  20  on the lid  16  has a catch member  34  which lodges beneath catch member  36  in indentation  38  in base  18  to snappingly engage lid  16  in a closed condition when desired. 
         [0023]      FIG. 4  is a plan view of an alternative base  40  which may be used instead of base  18  as shown in detail in  FIG. 3 . Base  40 , which is interchangeable with base  18 , also has hinge elements  22 , catch member  36  and indentation  38 . Base  40  further has indentations  42 ,  44  for predetermined amounts of cosmetic compositions, and indentation  46 , which is elongated and provided to store a make-up pencil or other applicator. It should be understood that the base can be designed to have a variety of differently sized and shaped indentations from those of bases  18 ,  40 . 
         [0024]      FIG. 5  is a plan view of the right side of the cosmetic case  10 , that is, a view taken from the right of that shown in  FIG. 1 . Lower section  14  of cosmetic case  10  has a cover  48  with a thumb indentation  50  to facilitate opening. Front and rear walls  52  have grooves  54  along their uppermost edges, while the front and rear of the bottom of base  18  of upper section  12  has flanges  56  with heads  58 , the latter fitting into grooves  54  to permit the upper section  12  and lower section  14  to be slidingly connected to one another as will be shown below. 
         [0025]      FIG. 6  is a plan view of the left side of the cosmetic case  10 , that is, a view taken from the left of that shown in  FIG. 1 . Left side wall  60  of base  18  acts as a stop when upper section  12  and lower section  14  are being slidingly connected to one another. Seen in phantom in  FIG. 6  through left side wall  60  are grooves  54  in the front and rear walls  52  of lower section  14  and heads  58  on flanges  56  on the front and rear of the bottom of base  18  of upper section  12 . Left side wall  60  of base  18  aligns the upper section  12  and lower section  14 , as shown in  FIG. 1 , when the two sections  12 ,  14  are slidingly connected to one another. 
         [0026]      FIG. 7  is a plan view of the front side of the cosmetic case  10  when the upper section  12  is partly separated from the lower section  14 . Cover  48  is shown in a partly opened condition compared to that shown in  FIG. 5 . 
         [0027]      FIG. 8  is a plan view of the bottom side of the cosmetic case  10 . Cover  48  is hingedly connected to bottom plate  62  so that it may swing thereabout for opening and closing as shown in  FIG. 7 . Together, cover  48 , side walls  52  and bottom plate  62  form a bottom surface of the cosmetic case  10 . 
         [0028]      FIG. 9  is a plan view of the bottom side of the cosmetic case  10  with cover  48  and bottom plate  62  removed. Within lower section  14  are several partitions  64  which form, with the bottom plate  62 , several compartments  66 , accessible when cover  48  is opened, for various cosmetic applicators. Catch member  68  enables cover  48 , which has a correspondingly shaped indentation not shown, to be snappingly closed. 
         [0029]    The present cosmetic case  10  may be fashioned, except, of course, for mirror  32 , from polymeric resin (plastic) materials, such as polystyrene, by injection molding in any of a variety of desired colors. 
         [0030]    Modifications to the above would be obvious to those of ordinary skill in the act, but would not bring the invention so modified beyond the scope of the appended claims.