Patent Publication Number: US-10321746-B2

Title: Lip balm and container therof

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims the benefit of the filing date of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/507,276, filed May 17, 2017, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Skin care products, such as lip balm, and other consumable products are typically provided in a container with a removable lid so that the consumer can transport the product and access it as needed. Such removable lids can accumulate residual product on their exterior during handling. Such residual product can easily accumulate dirt or hair if the lid is accidentally dropped. Moreover, many current containers can be inadvertently opened, particularly when in a purse, makeup bag, luggage or the like, such that the lip balm or other consumable product creates a mess. Thus, despite the many variations and improvements over the years in consumer product containers, further improvements are desirable. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Described in the present disclosure is a container assembly for a consumable product, such as a mass of skin protectant material. Such skin protectant material may include lip balm, sunscreen and the like. In this regard, the skin protectant is housed within a first container element. A second container element or lid is connected to the first container element and is moveable between an open position in which the skin protectant is exposed for use and a closed position in which the skin protectant is encapsulated by the container elements. The second container element is biased toward the closed position to help prevent inadvertent opening of the container assembly. In this regard, the container is self-closing. However, the container assembly includes a locking feature that allows the second container element to remain in the open position while the consumer uses the product contained therein. Additionally, the bias of the second container element makes it so that, when the lock produced by the locking feature is overcome, the product is automatically covered without excessive manipulation of the container. Moreover, the container assembly may be provided in a convenient shape for transport. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The features, aspects, and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with regard to the following description, appended claims, and accompanying drawings in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a container assembly according to an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 2  is an exploded view of the container assembly of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3  is a rear perspective view of a top portion of the container assembly of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 4  is a front perspective view of a bottom portion of the container assembly of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 5  is a front perspective view of a further bottom portion of the container assembly of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 6  is an elevational view of the container assembly of  FIG. 1  in a closed configuration. 
         FIG. 7  is an elevational view of the container assembly of  FIG. 1  in an open configuration. 
         FIG. 8  is a perspective view of the container assembly of  FIG. 1  in the open configuration. 
         FIG. 9  is a top view of the container assembly of  FIG. 1  in the open configuration. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     As used herein, the terms “about,” “generally,” and “substantially” are intended to mean that deviations from absolute are included within the scope of the term so modified. 
       FIGS. 1-9  depict a container assembly  10  according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As best shown in  FIG. 2 , assembly  10  generally includes lip balm or another consumable product  20 , a spring biasing member  30 , a first container element  40 , a second container element  50 , and a third container element  60 . Although lip balm  20  is used in a preferred embodiment, it should be understood that various consumable products such as sunscreen, diaper rash products, cosmetic products (e.g., foundation, lipstick and eye shadow) and food materials (e.g., gum and candy) or the like may be used instead of lip balm. 
     The lip balm  20  is preferably formed in a disc shape as shown in  FIG. 2  but may also be arranged in various geometric shapes and sizes. The lip balm may include grooves  26  that extend along opposed broad-sides thereof, as shown in  FIG. 2 . Such grooves  26  terminate at a semicircular shaped shoulder  24 . 
     First container element or inner shell  40  is best shown in  FIG. 4  and is in the form of a hollow half-disc. In this regard, first container element  40  has a semicircular profile and generally includes a body  49  that defines a first half-disc shaped compartment  44 . First compartment  44  is sized to house a first portion  21  of the mass of consumable product  20 . Body  49  of the first container element  40  terminates at an edge  47  which defines an opening to first compartment  44 . Ears  45  extend from such edge  47  at opposite sides of the compartment  44 . Such ears  45  have a semicircular shape and each include a hinge post  42  extending outwardly therefrom. Each hinge post  42  includes a key or male member  43  at an end thereof. A recess  46  extends into body  49  adjacent one of hinge posts  42  and is configured to receive a first arm  31  of biasing member  30 , as described in more detail below. 
     Second container element  50 , also described as intermediate shell or container lid, is best shown in  FIG. 3 . Second container element  50  is in the form of a hollow half-disc. In this regard, second container element  50  has a semicircular profile and generally includes a body  59  that defines a second half-disc shaped compartment  54 . Second compartment  54  is sized to house first container element  40 , as described below. Body  59  of second container element  50  terminates at an edge  57  which defines an opening to second compartment  54 . Ears  55  extend from such edge  57  at opposite sides of compartment  54 . Such ears  55  each have a post opening  51  extending therethrough. Such post openings  51  are sized to receive corresponding hinge posts  42  of first container element  40 . A recess  53  extends into body  59  adjacent one of post openings  51  and is configured to receive a second arm  32  of the biasing member  30 . Locking flanges  56  extend outwardly from opposite broad-sides of body  59  and are configured to correspondingly engage with locking recesses  62  of third container element  60 , described below. In addition, second container element  50  also includes a lever  52  that extends outwardly from a narrow side of body  59  and is positioned adjacent edge  57  of second container element  50 . Such lever  52  can be used by a consumer to help move second container element  50  relative to first container element  40  and can also be used as a stop member, as described below. A depression  58  in body is located adjacent lever  52 . Such depression  58  may also be used as leverage to help a consumer move second container element  50 . 
     Third container element or exterior shell  60  is best shown in  FIG. 5 . Third container element  60  is in the form of a hollow half-disc. In this regard, third container element  60  has a semicircular profile and generally includes a body  69  that defines a third half-disc shaped compartment  64 . Third compartment  64  is sized to house second container element  50 , as described below. Body  69  of the third container element  60  terminates at an edge  67  which defines an opening to third compartment  64 . Ears  65  extend from such edge  67  at opposite sides of the compartment  64 . Each of ears  65  have a keyway or female member  66  extending therein from an interior surface thereof. Such keyways  66  match keys  43  at the end of hinge posts  42  so that when keys  43  are received in keyways  66 , third container element  60  is prohibited from movement relative to first container element  40 . In addition, third container element  60  includes locking recesses  62  that extend into an interior surface of body  69  at opposite broad-sides thereof. Such recesses  62  are positioned adjacent edge  67  and are configured to receive corresponding locking flanges  56  so that locking flanges  56  and recesses  62  combine to form a locking feature that locks second container element  40  to third container element  60 . Other locking features are also contemplated, such as a ball-detent or hook-lever mechanism, for example. 
     When assembly  10  is fully assembled, a first portion  21  of consumable product  20  is disposed within first compartment  44  of first container element  40  so that a second portion  22  of consumable product  20  extends from first compartment  44 , as best shown in  FIGS. 7 and 8 . In this regard, semicircular ears  45  of first container element  40  are received within groove  26  of the lip balm  20  and abut semicircular shoulders  24  thereof so that the lip balm  20  is suspended by ears  45  within first compartment  44 . 
     Second container element  50  is connected to first container element  40  via hinge posts  42 . In this regard, hinge posts  42  extend through post openings  51  of second container element  50 . This allows second container element  50  to rotate about a hinge/pivot axis A defined by hinge posts  42 . Biasing member  30  is preferably a compression spring, as shown in  FIG. 2 . Such biasing member  30  is connected to both first and second container elements  40 ,  50 . In this regard, biasing member  30  is placed over one of the hinge posts  42  and is positioned between first and second container elements  40 ,  50 . A first arm  31  of compression spring extends into recess  46  within body  49  of first container element  40 , and a second arm  32  of biasing member  30  extends into recess  53  within body  50  of second container element  50 . 
     Third container element  60  is positioned over first container element  40  so that first container element  40  is received within third compartment  64  of third container element  60 . Third container element  60  is sized so as to form a gap between an exterior of first container element  40  and an interior of third container element  60 . Such gap or separation between first and third container elements  40 ,  60  is sufficiently large as to be capable of receiving second container element  50  therein. In other words, second container element  50  can be selectively disposed between first and third container elements  40 ,  60 . Third container element  60  is connected to first container element  40  via hinge posts  42 . In this regard, keys  43  at the end of hinge posts  42  are received in respective keyways  66  of third container element  60 . Keys  43  and keyways  66  are configured to prohibit movement of third container element  60  relative to first container element  40 . In particular, third container element  60  is prohibited from rotating relative to first container element  40 . 
     In operation, second container element  50  is moveable from a first position or closed position to a second position or open position. In the closed position, as shown in  FIG. 6 , container elements  40 ,  50 ,  60  together form a circular disc about consumable product  20  so as to form a container having a full-circle profile. Biasing member  30  biases second container element  50  toward the closed position and lever  52  abuts edge  57  of third container element  60  to prevent second container element  50  from over-rotating thereby allowing second container element  50  to maintain a biased first position. 
     When the bias of biasing member  30  is overcome by a user/consumer, for example, by pushing on lever  52 , second container element  50  rotates about the hinge axis A-A toward the second position. In this regard, second container element  50  uncovers consumable product  20  and moves into the gap between first and third container elements  40 ,  60 . As second container element  50  is moved into position between first and third container elements  40 ,  60 , locking flanges  56  abut edge  67  of third container element  60 . Additional pressure by the consumer causes locking flanges  56  to flex body  69  so that body  69  expands laterally allowing locking flanges  56  to enter into third compartment  64 . When locking flanges  56  reach their associated locking recesses  62 , flanges  56  snap into locking recesses  62  and body  69  of third container element  60  flexes back into its original state, thereby locking second container element  50  in the open position. This can occur as container elements  40 ,  50 ,  60  are preferably made from a flexible polymer material. 
     When second container element  50  is in the open position, as shown in  FIGS. 7-9 , lip balm  20  is exposed for the consumer&#39;s use. Once the consumer is done using the lip balm  20 , the consumer can easily move second container element  50  back into the closed position. In this regard, consumer may push on lever  52  in an opposite direction causing locking flanges  56  to be removed from locking recesses  62  and once again causing body  69  to flex laterally outwardly. Once locking flanges  56  clear edge  67  of third container element  60 , the consumer can release lever  52  allowing biasing member  30  to automatically return second container element  50  back to the closed position, whereby container elements  40 ,  50  and  60  completely encapsulate the lip balm  20 . Thus, minimal manipulation of second container element  50  is required to close container assembly  10 . The disc shape of container assembly  10  helps minimize empty space between the container elements  40 ,  50 ,  60  and the lip balm  20 . In addition, the disc shape allows container assembly  10  to be comfortably placed in a pants pocket or sleekly placed within a purse for later use. 
     Although the invention herein has been described with reference to particular embodiments, it is to be understood that these embodiments are merely illustrative of the principles and applications of the present invention. It is therefore to be understood that numerous modifications may be made to the illustrative embodiments and that other arrangements may be devised without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims.