Abstract:
A casing for at least partially receiving an applicator for cosmetic products. The casing comprises a holder for holding the applicator in the casing and a casing sleeve which at least partially delimits a receiving space for the applicator. The relative position of the holder is adjustable relative to the casing sleeve.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     The invention relates to a casing for at least partially receiving an applicator for cosmetic products, comprising a holder for holding the applicator in the casing and a casing sleeve which at least partially delimits a receiving space for the applicator.  
         [0002]     Casings of the kind set forth in the opening part of this specification are known. With known casings, particularly when they are used for high-viscosity cosmetic products, the problem which arises is that the cosmetic product, in the absence of fluidicity, does not follow the force of gravity so that even tilting or pivoting does not result in the working region of the applicator being appropriately loaded. Therefore it frequently happens that the casing together with the applicator has to be discarded although there is still cosmetic product therein.  
         [0003]     U.S. Pat. No. 5,951,186 discloses a casing with a holder which is axially displaceable with respect to the casing. U.S. Pat. No. 5,002,415 discloses a casing accommodating an applicator and having a bellows arrangement. A holder with a screwthread is known from DE 197 44 181 A1.  
         [0004]     The object of the present invention is to further develop the casing of the kind set forth in the opening part of this specification in such a way that a better yield is achieved even in the case of a cosmetic product of comparatively high viscosity.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0005]     According to the invention that object is attained in that the relative position of the holder is adjustable with respect to the casing sleeve, preferably with a component in a direction transversely with respect to a longitudinal axis of the casing, further preferably in the manner of a pivotal movement.  
         [0006]     In that respect the invention is based on the realisation that, with the relative position of the holder with respect to the casing sleeve, the relative position of a working region on the applicator will also change with respect to the casing sleeve so that what virtually happens is that the working region of the applicator moves towards the cosmetic product which is highly viscous and therefore under some circumstances not capable of flow, or can be moved into the product in order to remove cosmetic product, whereby the yield is overall improved.  
         [0007]     In accordance with an embodiment which is particularly simply preferred, a deformable connecting means is provided between the holder and the casing sleeve. In that case, deformation of the connecting means is involved with adjustment of the relative position of the holder with respect to the casing sleeve, which ultimately results in a relative movement of the working region of the applicator in relation to the cosmetic product. In that way cosmetic product residues can be easily removed.  
         [0008]     Preferably the connecting means has a bellows portion. This structure again involves a configuration of a particularly simple nature of the casing according to the invention.  
         [0009]     The bellows portion in that case may have 1, 2 or more inward bulge portions and/or 1, 2 or more outward bulge portions, wherein the decision in that respect depends on the one hand on the given geometries and on the other hand on the appearance which is sought for the casing.  
         [0010]     The connecting means can be of a contour which is angular or arcuate in section. The decision in that respect will again be taken in particular in consideration of design aspects.  
         [0011]     The connecting means in accordance with the invention can preferably comprise an elastomeric material. That applies not just in relation to the structure with the bellows portion. Rather, in accordance with the invention, the specified elasticity can be the cause of adjustability of the relative position of the holder with respect to the casing sleeve.  
         [0012]     A further preferred embodiment of the invention provides a cover means for at least partially covering the connecting means. Such a cover means can be provided in particular for two reasons. On the one hand, to conceal the connecting means if it is not desired for the connecting means to be visible, for aesthetic reasons. On the other hand however, for example by virtue of coloring, the cover means can also represent information about the color of the cosmetic product.  
         [0013]     The casing can in principle be of any form. In accordance with the invention it is preferably cylindrical or bulbous. In particular, in consideration of the invention, it is also possible to use such casings which, in the region in which the cosmetic product is received, have a bulbous internal space because, even if the cosmetic product is viscous, it can in fact be picked up from the internal space which is increased in size by virtue of the bulbous configuration.  
         [0014]     In accordance with the invention the holder preferably has a screwthread. That structure is advantageous in particular when the applicator is to be held to the casing removably but nonetheless sealingly.  
         [0015]     The most widely varying materials are suitable for the casing. Preferably it comprises thermoplastic material, in particular polyethylene, polypropylene, PVC, polyamide, polyester, PET and ABS.  
         [0016]     Particularly when using plastic materials, the casing is preferably produced by blow molding or by injection blow molding. That provides that the manufacturing costs are particularly low. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0017]     The invention is described in greater detail hereinafter by means of preferred embodiments by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawing in which:  
         [0018]      FIG. 1  is a diagrammatic sectional view of an applicator with a casing in accordance with a first embodiment of the invention, and  
         [0019]      FIG. 2  is a diagrammatic sectional view of a casing in accordance with a second embodiment of the invention. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0020]      FIG. 1  shows a first casing  10  with a casing sleeve  12  and a holding region  14  on which a male screwthread  16  is provided. Disposed between the holding region  14  and the casing sleeve  12  is a bellows portion  18  having four outward bulge portions which are each of an angular contour in section and of which one is identified by way of example by reference numeral  20 . The bellows portion is surrounded by a flexible shrink tube  22  which in color corresponds to the cosmetic product which is to be introduced into the first casing, that is to say in the case of black mascara for example black.  
         [0021]     An applicator  24  comprising POM with a working region  26  in the form of a brush at its free end is held in a holding region  28  of a second casing  30 . A casing sleeve  32  of the second sleeve  30  carries a female screwthread  34  which matches the male screwthread  16  of the first casing. The casing sleeve  32  extends around a receiving space  36  for the applicator  24 . Instead of the brush it is also possible to provide flocked foam or a more pointed brush.  
         [0022]     In the same manner the casing sleeve  12  extends around a receiving space  38  which in other respects is delimited by a bottom  40  of the first casing  10 . The receiving space  38  serves at the same time as a reservoir for a cosmetic product (not shown) of comparatively high viscosity.  
         [0023]     When the applicator  24  is pushed into the first casing and thereupon the screwthreads  16  and  34  are screwed together the working region  26  of the applicator  24  is disposed in the region near the bottom of the first casing  10 . In that situation the holding region  14  serves to hold the applicator  24 . If in that operating position the holding region  28  of the second casing  30  and therewith the holding region  14  of the first casing  10  is pivoted with respect to the casing sleeve  12  of the first casing  10  towards the left in  FIG. 1  (and thus transversely with respect to the longitudinal axis  44  of the casing  12 ), which is readily possible by virtue of the flexibility of the bellows portion  18 , then the working region  26  approaches the casing sleeve  12  of the first casing  10  at the right in  FIG. 1  and can thus pick up cosmetic product which is disposed near the inside wall of the casing sleeve  12 . In that way cosmetic material which is disposed in  FIG. 1  in the bottom right corner of the casing sleeve  12  can be picked up with the working region  26  of the applicator  24 . It will be appreciated that the same also applies for other regions of the internal space  38  of the casing sleeve  12 .  
         [0024]     In comparison with a rigid connection of the holding region  14  to the casing sleeve  12  therefore it is possible for considerably more cosmetic product to be picked up with the working region  26  of the applicator  24  from the internal space  38  of the casing sleeve  12 , and that considerably improves the yield afforded.  
         [0025]     The casing  10 ′ shown in  FIG. 2  differs from the first casing  10  shown in  FIG. 1  only insofar as the bellows portion  18  is replaced by an annular disk  42  of elastomeric material such as for example rubber. The annular disk is glued or fused to the casing sleeve  12  and the holding region  14 . In that way—just as in the case of the structure shown in  FIG. 1 —the holding region  14  can be pivoted towards the left in the view shown in  FIG. 2  with respect to the casing sleeve  10  whereby the left-hand part of the annular disk  42  is compressed whereas the right-hand part is stretched. Accordingly that causes a working region  26  of an applicator  24 , which is disposed in the first casing  10 ′, to move into the bottom right corner of the casing sleeve  12  where it can pick up cosmetic product, even if that product should be of high viscosity.  
         [0026]     Although this is not shown in the drawing, there are further alternatives in regard to the shrink tube  22 .  
         [0027]     For example, instead of the shrink tube, it is possible to use a ring comprising a soft elastic plastic material which is injection molded or extruded and which prior to filling with the cosmetic product is firstly pushed over a mounting tube and then pushed over the holding region  14 .  
         [0028]     Instead, it is also possible for a ring to be applied in a pressure-less condition to the bellows portion  18  in an additional injection molding or casting operation. In that case—as also in all other structures—by way of example a soft flexible plastic material such as for instance silicone is used.  
         [0029]     Finally, instead of the shrink tube  22 , it is also possible to use a slitted ring or an open circular segment with mutually overlapping ends comprising a thermoplastic material.  
         [0030]     Thermoplastic materials, in particular PET, PVC, nylon, polyamide and polyester are considered as the material for the illustrated casing sleeves  12  and  32 , the holding regions  14  and  28  and the bellows portion  18 . The same applies for the applicator  24 . In particular the first casing  10  including the bellows portion  18  and the holding region  14  is most easily to be produced by blow molding.  
         [0031]     The two first casings  10  and  10 ′ are shown in the drawing as being cylindrical. In consideration of the invention, in particular in respect of the bellows portion  18  and the annular disk  42  respectively, they can however also be of a bulbous or conical configuration without the yield being adversely affected thereby.  
         [0032]     The features of the invention which are disclosed in the foregoing description, in the claims and in the drawing can be essential both individually and also in any combinations for implementing the invention in the various embodiments thereof.