Abstract:
A modular cosmetic system for storing cosmetic items in an organized fashion. In particular, a device and system that is configured to interchangeably fit modular boxes. Each modular box can be removably arranged inside the trays, permitting a user to customize the structure of their cosmetic system. The modular cosmetic system includes nine different sized modular boxes for holding different products. This allows for the creation of a unique, adjustable box to store a variety of different makeup products and the like.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
   The invention relates to a modular cosmetic system for storing cosmetic items in an organized fashion. In particular, an improved device and system is disclosed that is uniquely configured to interchangeably fit modular boxes. This construction advantageously allows the creation of a unique adjustable box and/or tray system for organizing and storing makeup and the like. 
   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   Containers are commonly designed to hold and store cosmetic products. Covered and uncovered containers are known for holding cosmetics and jewelry. Boxes containing a hinged cover are known, allowing a plurality of tiered and fixed sized and shaped compartments to move forward when the cover is opened. Soft pouches are known for storing makeup, including multiple pouches having zippers. Containers for storing makeup seek to organize the cosmetic products, allow the user to have easy access to each product, protect and preserve the products, while not taking up too much space. 
   Most containers for storing these products are rigid and do not allow adjustment. Boxes with hinged covers contain predetermined sized and shaped inner tray and therefore the interior space for storing and accessing cosmetics is limited. Due to the foldout tray mechanism the box may be heavy. Moreover, if a product does not fit into the predetermined sized and shaped tray, the tray and compartments cannot be altered. 
   Soft zippered pouches are primarily for travel and are designed to hold a small amount of products. These pouches do not allow organization, as all of the products are stored together in one bag. While the addition of one or two separate zippered pouches may aid in organization, it still does not provide complete organization, as items are commonly lost towards the bottom of the pouch. 
   Acrylic open boxes constructed in compartmental form allow the storing of products. These open boxes generally come in a pre-formed structure with immovable open compartments. These compartments usually are sized to fit popular products. They do not allow storage of non-commonly sized products. 
   There are twenty-eight (28) basic cosmetic categories including blush brushes, eyebrow brushes, eyelash brushes, eyeliner brushes, eyeshadow brushes, fan or bronzer brushes, powder brushes, concealer, eyebrow pencil, eyelash curler, eyeliner pencil, eyeliner powder, eyeshadow, foundation, glitter, kleenex, lipstick, lipstick liner, mascara, moisturizer, pencil sharpener, powder/bronzer, powder puff, primer, Q-Tips, rouge, sponges and tweezers. Each cosmetic category generally has its own specific shape and size. Most prior art cosmetic storage containers can only store a limited categories of cosmetics because of the fixed sized and shaped of the compartments. 
   Therefore, there is a need for a cosmetic organizer and storage system that utilizes different tray options for storing various cosmetic products of different shapes and sizes, and allowing the creation of a customized system with interchangeable modular boxes on selective tray(s) for organization and storage. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention is a modular system for storing cosmetic items in an organized fashion. The cosmetic system is uniquely configured to interchangeably fit modular boxes and allows the creation of a unique, adjustable box to store makeup and the like. The modular boxes of the cosmetic system vary in size and height giving a user visual access to all items stored in the modular boxes. 
   The cosmetic storage system of the present invention comprises a tray and at least one modular box. The tray has a base, first, second, third and fourth walls. The walls extend upward from the base defining an internal area. The base of the internal area has parallel, equally spaced apart, grooves. 
   Each modular box comprises a support base, four walls and four legs. The four walls extend upward from a first side of the support base defining an internal storage area and an outer footprint. The four legs extend from a second side of the support base of the modular box. Each leg may be located at each corner of the support base of the modular box and fit within the dimensions of the footprint. Each leg of the modular box is sized to fit within the grooves on the base of the tray. The footprint and position of the legs of each modular box is correspondingly sized to be multiples of the spacing between the grooves. The plurality of modular boxes can be selectively and removably arranged within the internal area. The modular boxes can be square, rectangular or any other shape and preferably the footprints and legs position correspond to the groove spacing. In the preferred embodiment the system includes a set of nine different sized modular boxes each specifically designed and sized for the twenty-eight basic cosmetic categories. Each modular box may be used separately and independently and can be mixed and matched to fit within the internal area of the tray for a customized configuration. Each modular box may also further comprise a magnet that is capable of creating a magnetic force with the base of the tray. 
   The tray may include a drawer tray. The tray may include a tissue box holder or dispenser and/or a pencil sharpener. The pencil sharpener may be removable. The tray may include handles for portability. 
   The tray may contain a lid member for covering the tray and the modular boxes. 
   The tray may contain an aperture for a mirror. The aperture is internally threaded to cooperatively engage a correspondingly sized threaded handle of the mirror. The mirror may be detachable from the system. The mirror may be lighted. 
   The tray may be made from any material, e.g. plastic, metal, wood or covered with fabric. 
   In another embodiment of the present invention the modular system of the present invention comprises at least two trays abutting each other and at least one modular box. The two abutting trays share a common wall, with the two trays in a two-tiered configuration. The second tier of the tray is on an elevated platform. The common wall extends higher than the other walls to allow for the two-tiered configuration. This embodiment of the modular system further comprises an open compartment abutting the two trays. This embodiment may include a tissue holder or dispenser, drawer tray and/or a pencil sharpener. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     A preferred embodiment of the present invention has been chosen for purposes of illustration and description and is shown in the accompanying drawings forming a part of the specification wherein: 
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the tray of the cosmetic storage system of the present invention. 
       FIG. 2A-2I  are perspective views of the modular boxes of the present invention. 
       FIG. 3  is a perspective view of another embodiment of the present invention, the two-tiered tray of the present invention. 
       FIG. 4  is a perspective view of the two-tiered tray and modular boxes of the present invention. 
       FIG. 5  is a perspective view of the two-tiered tray assembled with the modular boxes of the present invention. 
       FIG. 6  is a top view of the two-tiered tray assembled with the modular boxes of the present invention. 
       FIG. 7  is a perspective view of the tray shown in  FIG. 1  showing various combinations of modular boxes of the cosmetic storage system of the present invention. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
   With reference to the drawings, wherein the same reference number indicates the same element throughout, there is shown in  FIG. 1  a perspective view of the tray  40  of the cosmetic storage system of the present invention. As shown in  FIG. 1  the tray  40  has a base  41 , a first wall  42 , second wall  43 , third wall  44 , fourth wall  45  and handles  47 . The walls extend upward from the base  41  defining an internal area  50  surrounded by a circumferential edge  51 . The base  41  has parallel, equally spaced apart grooves  6 . The grooves  6  extend from the second wall  43  to the fourth wall  45 . The tray may include handles  47 . The handles  47  allow portability to the storage system. The tray  40  may include a drawer tray  48  below the base  41 . The drawer tray  48  has a handle  49 . 
   As shown in  FIGS. 2A-I , the modular boxes  20  comprise a support base  14 , a first wall  15 , a second wall  16 , a third wall  17 , a fourth wall  18 , and four legs  19 . The first wall  15 , second wall  16 , third wall  17 , and fourth wall  18  extend upward from a first side of the support base  14  defining an internal storage area  21  and an outer footprint  52 . Each leg  19  extends from a second side of support  14  of the modular box  20 . Each leg  19  may be located at each corner of the support base  14  of the modular box  20  and within the dimensions of the footprint  52 . Each leg  19  of the modular box  20  is sized to fit within the grooves  6  of the base  41  of the tray  40 . The footprint  52  and position of each leg  19  of each modular box  20  is correspondingly sized to be multiples of spacing between the grooves  6 .  FIGS. 2A-I  show the nine modular boxes  20 . As shown in  FIGS. 2A-D  the modular boxes  20  may be square in shape, with varying wall heights. These modular boxes  20  are suitable for storing various sizes of long, thing cosmetic items such as applicator brushes, eyebrow pencils, mascara wands, and eye shadow. As shown in  FIG. 2E-I  the modular boxes are rectangular in shape, with varying wall heights and dimensions. These modular boxes  20  are suitable for storing smaller sized cosmetic items such as lipstick tubes, eye shadow pans and compacts. Each modular box  20  may be used separately and independently. The heights of the modular boxes are sized to enable a user to see and access all the products stored within. 
   If the grooves are spaced at a distance of D, the footprint  52  dimension of the modular boxes  20  may be nD by mD, where n and m can be any whole numbers. In the preferred embodiment, the grooves are 1¾″ and the modular boxes as shown in  FIGS. 2A-I  may be sized as follows: ¾″×¾″, 3½″×3½″, 3½″×4, 3½×4¾″, 3½″×7″, etc. 
     FIGS. 3-4  shows another embodiment of the present invention, the two-tiered tray  25  of the present invention. The two-tiered tray  25  comprises two trays  30  &amp;  31 , each similar to tray  40  shown in  FIG. 1 , abutting each other and at least one modular box  20 . The two abutting trays  30  &amp;  31  share a common wall  4 , with the two trays  30  &amp;  31  in a two-tiered configuration. The second tier  31  is on an elevated platform. The first, second and fourth walls  7 ,  8  &amp;  9 , respectively, extend upward from the base  32  defining an internal area  34 . The base  32  of the internal area  34  has parallel, equally spaced apart grooves  33 . The common wall  4  extends higher than the other walls  2 ,  3  and  5  of the tray  30  to allow the two-tiered configuration. This embodiment of the modular system  25  further includes an open compartment  10  abutting the two trays  30  &amp;  31  and sharing a common wall with each of the trays  30  &amp;  31 . The open compartment  10  may be sized to accept a tissue box, holder or dispenser. Below the elevated platform of the second tier tray  31  can be a slot for inserting a pencil sharpener  12 . The pencil sharpener  12  may be removable. The two-tiered tray  25  further comprises an open compartment  11  sharing common walls  45  &amp;  43 . The open compartment  11  may be sized to accept a drawer. 
     FIG. 5  is a perspective view of the two-tiered tray  25  assembled with the modular boxes  20  of the present invention.  FIG. 5  shows the second tier  31  further comprising an aperture  13 . The aperture  13  is sized to cooperatively engage a correspondingly sized handle of a mirror  22 . The mirror  22  may be detachable from the second tier tray  31 . The handle of the mirror  22  may be bendable and removable to facilitate transport of the system. The mirror  22  may be lighted.  FIG. 5  further shows the various modular boxes  20  with the legs  19  fit within the grooves  6  of the first tier tray  30  and within the grooves  33  of the second tier  31 . Each modular box  20  is fit within the grooves  33  and abuts the other modular boxes  20  within the same tier. 
   The legs  19  of modular boxes  20  can be placed into grooves  6 , with no attachment to the tray. Even without any attachment, the internal area  50  defined by the four walls prevent the modular boxes from tipping over and secure them. The legs  19  of the modular boxes and the grooves  6  in the tray can have magnetic elements for secured attachment (not shown). Grooves  6  and legs  19  may be also be secured to each other with a tongue &amp; groove configuration (not shown). 
     FIG. 6  is a top view of the two-tiered tray assembled with the modular boxes of the present invention. 
     FIG. 7  is a perspective view of the tray shown in  FIG. 1  showing various combinations of modular boxes of the cosmetic storage system of the present invention. 
   The features of the invention illustrated and described herein are the preferred embodiments. Therefore, it is understood that the appended claims are intended to cover unforeseeable embodiments with insubstantial differences that are within the spirit of the claims.