Patent Publication Number: US-2020288840-A1

Title: Cosmetics container and cosmetics kit including the same

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     1. Field 
     The disclosure of the present patent application relates to the storage and transport of cosmetics, and particularly to a portable cosmetics container and a cosmetics kit including the portable container as well as a wide variety of cosmetic items. 
     2. Description Of The Related Art 
     Both personal users of cosmetics and cosmetics professionals, such as makeup artists, make use of a wide variety of different cosmetic items, such as, for example, lipsticks, eyebrow pencils, foundations, mascara and the like. In addition to the cosmetics applied directly to the recipient, a wide variety of different applicators and tools are used, such as brushes, makeup blenders, sponges, mirrors and the like. Since the working surface of a dressing table is flat and relatively large, there is not a general need for the cosmetics products to be small in size or to be capable of being stored together in a make-up bag or the like. However, when away from the home or a professional environment, carrying and organizing such a large number of items becomes problematic. 
     A personal user of cosmetics may carry the personal cosmetics products in a handbag or in a separate pouch (i.e., a make-up bag) within a larger handbag. However, it is often difficult to locate a required individual cosmetics product within the handbag or make-up bag, particularly when other personal items are also carried in the handbag. Furthermore, conventional cosmetics products intended primarily for use in a home environment are relatively large, with each product having its own packaging, some of which is intrinsic to the product&#39;s use and some of which is protective. Thus a relatively large handbag is required to carry a full complement of cosmetics products. Additionally, some conventional cosmetics products require protective outer packaging (e.g., caps on lipsticks and pencils), which need to be stored while the product is in use. 
     Professional users of cosmetics, such as professional makeup artists, alleviate such difficulties by carrying and organizing their cosmetic products in large cases, often similar to tackle boxes. Such cases, however, are utilitarian in use and do not give consideration to size or weight, thus making them difficult to transport and store. Further, such cases typically include rows or racks of individual trays for storing different cosmetics, but these trays are meant for general usage and are not designed to conform precisely to the shapes of particular cosmetics products. Thus, the products are often held very loosely, resulting in accidental breakage and spills of the cosmetics. Further, such carrying cases typically use standard full-size cosmetics products and, as such, do not fully cater to the need to provide a compact package which allows a user to access each cosmetics product separately while also retaining the remaining cosmetics products securely in stored positions. 
     Although there are cosmetics packs on the market which combine different cosmetics products, such as, for example, blushes, eyeshadows, highlighters and powder, thus eliminating some extraneous packaging, such cosmetics packs only assemble together standard cosmetics products. Since cosmetics products are inherently highly personalized to the particular user, and are sold in unnecessarily large sizes, such cosmetics packs are not likely to contain the entire set of cosmetics products desired by an individual and also continue to suffer from the problem of difficult transport and storage. Thus, a cosmetics container and a cosmetics kit including the same solving the aforementioned problems is desired. 
     SUMMARY 
     The cosmetics container is a portable device for storing and organizing cosmetics and cosmetic-related items, such as brushes, pens, pencils and the like. The cosmetics container includes an inner portion and an outer portion. The inner portion has opposed upper and lower ends and includes a longitudinally extending panel, an upper retaining portion, a plurality of longitudinally stacked drawers, and a lower segment. The upper retaining portion is mounted on an upper end of the longitudinally extending panel and has a corrugated surface defining a plurality of longitudinally extending recesses, which are adapted for releasably holding a plurality of cosmetic pens. The plurality of longitudinally stacked drawers are releasably secured to the longitudinally extending panel and are adapted for removably receiving a variety of different cosmetic and cosmetic-related items. The lower segment is mounted on the lower end of the longitudinally extending panel. 
     The outer portion has a central passage formed therethrough which is adapted for removably receiving the inner portion. The outer portion includes a plurality of longitudinally stacked annular plates, with a plurality of semi-cylindrical shells each pivotally secured between adjacent ones of the plurality of longitudinally stacked annular plates to define a plurality of releasably covered chambers therewith. 
     A hollow cap may be releasably secured to the upper end of the inner portion for removably receiving a cosmetic blending sponge. The lower segment may include a cosmetic pencil sharpener. Further, a surface of the longitudinally extending panel may be at least partially mirrored, such that when at least a portion of the plurality of longitudinally stacked drawers are removed, the mirrored surface is revealed. 
     The cosmetics container may be provided with a wide variety of cosmetic items, and cosmetics-related items, to provide a portable cosmetics kit. As a non-limiting example, the plurality of longitudinally stacked drawers of the inner portion may be used to hold makeup brushes, makeup containers or color pallets, at least one set of false eyelashes and a container of eyelash adhesive. As a further non-limiting example, the plurality of releasably covered chambers of the outer portion may be used to hold a set of cosmetic mini-pens having different foundation grades, a set of lipstick mini-pens having a variety of colors and grades, a set of lip liner mini-pens having a variety of colors and grades, a set of mascara mini-pens having a variety of colors and degrees, a set of eye liner mini-pens having a variety of colors and grades, a set of eyebrow mini-pens having a variety of colors and grades, a set of nail lacquer mini-pens having a variety of colors and grades, a set of contour mini-pens having a variety of colors and grades, a set of concealer mini-pens having a variety of colors and grades, a set of artificial eyelash strips, a set of makeup containers or pallets having a variety of different colors and shades, a container of cosmetic powder, a container of makeup remover, beaded elastic hair ties, makeup masks, a plurality of cotton swabs, a container of hand gel, one or more empty bottles or containers, eyelash adhesive, acetone or nail polish remover, fixer spray and/or a remover pen. 
     These and other features of the present invention will become readily apparent upon further review of the following specification. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a cosmetics container. 
         FIG. 2  is a partially exploded view of the cosmetics container. 
         FIG. 3A  is a partially exploded, partial view of an inner portion of the cosmetics container. 
         FIG. 3B  is a perspective view of an upper retaining portion of the inner portion of  FIG. 3A . 
         FIG. 4A  is a top view of a pair of drawers of the inner portion of the cosmetics container. 
         FIG. 4B  is a top attachment view of the pair of drawers of  FIG. 4A . 
         FIG. 4C  is a perspective view of the pair of drawers of  FIG. 4A . 
         FIG. 5A  is a top view of another pair of drawers of the inner portion of the cosmetics container. 
         FIG. 5B  is a top attachment view of the pair of drawers of  FIG. 5A . 
         FIG. 5C  is a perspective view of the pair of drawers of  FIG. 5A . 
         FIG. 6A  is a top view of another pair of drawers of the inner portion of the cosmetics container. 
         FIG. 6B  is a top attachment view of the pair of drawers of  FIG. 6A . 
         FIG. 7  is a partial perspective view of the inner portion of the cosmetics container. 
         FIG. 8  is a perspective view of the outer portion of the cosmetics container. 
         FIG. 9  illustrates a set of cosmetics and cosmetic-related items that may be stored in the cosmetics container to provide a cosmetics kit. 
     
    
    
     Similar reference characters denote corresponding features consistently throughout the attached drawings. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     The cosmetics container  10  is a portable device for storing and organizing cosmetics and cosmetic-related items, such as brushes, pens, pencils and the like. As best seen in  FIGS. 1, 2 and 3A , the cosmetics container  10  includes an outer portion  12  and an inner portion  14 . The inner portion  14  has opposed upper and lower ends  60 ,  62 , respectively, and includes a longitudinally extending panel  34 , an upper retaining portion  18 , a plurality of longitudinally stacked drawers  20 ,  22 , and a lower segment  68 . As shown in  FIG. 2 , the plurality of longitudinally stacked drawers may include drawers of different types. In the non-limiting example of  FIG. 2 , sets of drawers  20 ,  22  are provided, shown here as being visually distinct with respect to one another for purposes of organization, however, it should be understood that any suitable number of drawers may be used, and that any desired visual separation or distinction between drawers (or sets of drawers) may be used. 
     As best shown in  FIG. 3A , the upper retaining portion  18  is mounted on an upper end  64  of the longitudinally extending panel  34  and has a corrugated surface defining a plurality of longitudinally extending recesses  26 , which are adapted for releasably holding a plurality of cosmetic pens  24 . In  FIGS. 3A and 3B , it should be understood that the number and type of cosmetic pens  24  are shown for exemplary purposes only. Similarly, it should be understood that the corrugated surface of upper retaining portion  18  may be varied in size, shape and relative dimensions, dependent upon the particular types of pencils or pens held thereby. A hollow cap  16  may be releasably secured to the upper end  60  of the inner portion  14  for removably receiving a cosmetic blending sponge  70 , as shown in  FIG. 3A . It should be understood that hollow cap  16  is shown for exemplary purposes only, as is cosmetic blending sponge  70 , and that each may be varied in overall contour, size and relative dimensions. 
     As discussed above, it should be understood that the plurality of longitudinally stacked drawers may be varied in both number and division. In  FIG. 2 , two sets of drawers  20 ,  22  are shown for exemplary and illustrative purposes, with set  20  being divided into two pairs of drawers  28 A,  28 B, and with set  22  being divided into four pairs of drawers  30 A,  30 B,  30 C,  30 D. Each individual drawer is shown as having a semi-cylindrical contour, with each pair of drawers defining a cylindrical shell. However, it should be understood that the drawers may have any desired shape, size or relative dimensions. As shown in  FIGS. 4A-6B , the plurality of longitudinally stacked drawers are releasably secured to the longitudinally extending panel  34  and are adapted for removably receiving a variety of different cosmetic and cosmetic-related items. The plurality of longitudinally stacked drawers may each be secured to the lateral edges of panel  34  by a resilient snap connection, frictional engagement, or any other suitable method of releasable attachment. 
     It should be understood that the plurality of longitudinally stacked drawers may be used to contain any desired cosmetic item or cosmetic-related item. In the non-limiting example of  FIGS. 4A, 4B and 4C , drawers  30 ,  32  of the pair  28 A each contain a respective makeup brush  36 ,  38 . Each drawer in pair  28 A and each drawer in pair  28 B may include a different type, size or style of makeup brush. In the further non-limiting example of  FIGS. 5A, 5B and 5C , drawers  40 ,  42  of the pair  30 A each contain a respective makeup container or pallet  40 ,  42 . Each drawer in pair  30 A, as well as any or all of pairs  30 B,  30 C,  30 D, may include a different type, color, shade or style of makeup. In the additional non-limiting example of  FIGS. 6A and 6B , drawers  48 ,  50  of the pair  30 B contain, respectively, a tube of eyelash adhesive  52  and a set of false eyelashes  54 . 
     The lower segment  68  is mounted on the lower end  66  of the longitudinally extending panel  34  and, as shown in  FIGS. 2 and 3 , may include a cosmetic pencil sharpener  71 . Further, as shown in  FIG. 7 , a surface  72  of the longitudinally extending panel  34  may be at least partially mirrored, such that when at least a portion of the plurality of longitudinally stacked drawers are removed, the mirrored surface  72  is revealed. A light source  76 , such as a light emitting diode or the like, may be mounted in the top surface of lower segment  68  for use with the mirrored surface  72 . Additionally, a light source  74  may also be provided on a lower surface of one of the drawers (shown as one of the drawers  20  in the non-limiting example of  FIG. 7 ). A rechargeable battery for powering light sources  74 ,  76  may be received within lower segment  68 , with charging thereof being implemented by connection to an external power source through port  78 , which may be a universal serial bus (USB) port or the like. 
     As shown in  FIGS. 2 and 8 , the outer portion  12  has a central passage  82  formed therethrough, which is adapted for removably receiving the inner portion  14 . In  FIG. 8 , the central passage  82  is shown as being cylindrical, matching the substantially cylindrical inner portion  14  of the non-limiting example of  FIGS. 1 and 2 . It should be understood that the overall contouring and relative dimensions of central passage  82  (and the outer portion  12  itself) may be varied, dependent upon the contouring and relative dimensions of inner portion  14 . 
     The outer portion  12  includes a plurality of longitudinally stacked annular plates  84 ,  86 ,  88 ,  90 ,  92 ,  93 ,  94 , with a plurality of semi-cylindrical shells  80 A,  80 B,  80 C,  80 D,  80 E,  80 F,  80 G,  80 H,  801 ,  80 J,  80 K,  80 L each pivotally secured between adjacent ones of the plurality of longitudinally stacked annular plates  84 ,  86 ,  88 ,  90 ,  92 ,  93 ,  94  to define a plurality of releasably covered chambers therewith. For example, shell  80 A is pivotally secured at an upper inner end  100  to plate  84 , and at a lower inner end  102  to plate  86 , allowing shell  80 B to swing from the covered position of  FIG. 2  to the open position of  FIG. 8  and back again. 
     The cosmetics container  10  may be provided with a wide variety of cosmetic items, and cosmetics-related items, to provide a portable cosmetics kit, such as the cosmetics and cosmetic-related items discussed above. As a further non-limiting example, the plurality of releasably covered chambers of the outer portion  12  may be used to receive a further set of items  104 , as shown in  FIG. 9 , which may include a set of cosmetic mini-pens having different foundation grades  106 , a set of lipstick mini-pens having a variety of colors and grades  108 , a set of lip liner mini-pens having a variety of colors and grades  110 , a set of mascara mini-pens having a variety of colors and degrees  112 , a set of eye liner mini-pens having a variety of colors and grades  114 , a set of eyebrow mini-pens having a variety of colors and grades  116 , a set of artificial eyelash strips  118 , a set of makeup containers or pallets having a variety of different colors and shades  120 , a container of cosmetic powder  122 , a container of makeup remover  124 , beaded elastic hair ties  126 , makeup masks  128 , a plurality of cotton swabs  130 , a container of hand gel  132 , one or more empty bottles or containers  134 , eyelash adhesive  136 , acetone or nail polish remover  138 , fixer spray  140  and/or a remover pen  142 . Further, it should be understood that a wide variety of mini-pens and mini-pencils beyond the non-limiting examples given above may also be included in the cosmetics kit, including but not limited to a set of nail lacquer mini-pens having a variety of colors and grades, a set of contour mini-pens having a variety of colors and grades, and/or a set of concealer mini-pens having a variety of colors and grades. 
     It is to be understood that the cosmetics container and cosmetics kit including the same are not limited to the specific embodiments described above, but encompasses any and all embodiments within the scope of the generic language of the following claims enabled by the embodiments described herein, or otherwise shown in the drawings or described above in terms sufficient to enable one of ordinary skill in the art to make and use the claimed subject matter.