Patent Publication Number: US-4840510-A

Title: Container with brush and fluid metering unit for fluid type cosmetics

Description:
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a container equipped with a brush to be used for fluid type cosmetic products such as fluid type rouge, manicure liquid, etc., wherein fluid type cosmetic products are pushed out of the container and are supplied to the brush furnished outside the container. 
     In a conventional container with a brush used for fluid type cosmetic products, a cap is furnished that is separate from the container. To use this product, the brush has to be inserted into the container and dipped in the fluid cosmetic product so that the latter attaches to the brush. Then, the brush has to touched to the periphery of the container opening in order to reduce or adjust the quantity of the fluid attached to the brush for proper use of the cosmetic product. 
     In practical use of such conventional containers with separate brushes, it is often troublesome to insert and withdraw the brush into and from the container. In such case, the container may fall down unless the brush and the container are each held separately by different hands when the brush is inserted and withdrawn, and this means much inconvenience for the users. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The purpose of the present invention is to provide a container equipped with a brush for fluid type cosmetic products, in which the above-mentioned defects are completely eliminated. 
     In order to attain such purpose, the container with brush based on the present invention comprises a housing unit, where the fluid type cosmetic product such as fluid type rouge, manicure liquid, etc. are contained, and an outlet, from where said fluid type cosmetic product is to be discharged, and these two units are connected with each other through a passage. Further, a brush is furnished outside said container so that the fluid type cosmetic product is supplied through the outlet. A pushing unit is provided, which can be moved forward and backward from the direction perpendicular to said passage with respect to said outlet and which is moved by a means such as a spring in the return direction. The pushing unit is pushed from outside the container and is entered into said passage, whereby the fluid type cosmetic product within said passage is pushed toward said outlet so that the brush is fed with the cosmetic product. This enables the user to push the pushing unit forward while making herself up, and the troublesome handling of the container and the brush by different hands is eliminated. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of the container with brush, where fluid type rouge is contained. 
     FIG. 2 is a plan of the block unit furnished with a passage. 
     FIG. 3 is an enlarged perspective view of the guide unit. 
     FIGS. 4 (a)-(c) are schematic sectional views to the explain the operation of the pushing unit and the shut-off unit. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     As shown in FIG. 1, the container 1 of approximately cylindrical shape includes a large-diameter unit 1a and a small-diameter unit 1b, which are separated from each other by a partition wall 1c but are connected through a through-hole 2. A part of the peripheral surface (upper portion as shown in FIG. 1) is formed somewhat flat. On the other hand, a cylinder body with one closed end 3 is inserted and fixed within said large-diameter unit 1a along said partition wall 1c, and a through-hole is furnished on this body to match with the through-hole 2. The inner space of this cylinder body is used as a housing unit or cosmetics reservoir 4. Within this housing unit or reservoir 4, a piston 5 with an O-ring (unnumbered) on its periphery is arranged so that it can slide freely within the cylinder. By means of this piston 5, the interior of said housing unit 4 is shut off from the through-hole 2, and the fluid type rouge (not shown) is contained within said housing unit thus shut off. 
     Within the large-diameter unit 1a, a block unit 7 having approximately cylindrical shape is inserted and fixed along the open end of said cylinder body 3, and this body is furnished with a passage body 6, leading substantially along the axial direction toward the housing unit 4. The passage 6 is formed in such manner as to have its height (width) reduced at the center, and a step 7a is arranged on lower inside surface of the housing unit 4 at the reduced portion 6a. On the other hand, the upper inside surface of the housing unit 4 is positioned approximately at the same height as that of the step 7a. As is evident from FIG. 2, a rectangular concave portion 8 is provided around the counterflow passage 6 of the block unit 7, and a square-shaped through-hole 9 is arranged to provide a passage from the concave portion 8 to the reduced portion 6a. Round holes 10 and 11 are furnished on both sides of said concave portion 8 at the through-hole 9 and its portion lower than the seal ring 12 is approximately formed in an &#34;L&#34; shape. On the periphery of the large-diameter unit 1a, a through-hole 14 is arranged which is positioned to face the concave portion 8 and is sized smaller than that portion. Said pushing unit 13 is pushed toward the return direction from the passage 6 by resilient force of the coil springs 15 and 16 mounted in round holes 10 and 11 respectively, and its upper end is exposed through the through-hole 14. Since the projection 13a at both upper ends of said pushing unit 13 is stopped by the edge of said through-hole 14, the pushing unit is prevented from falling away from said large diameter unit 1a. On the L-shaped lower portion of said pushing unit 13, a shut-off unit 17 of approximately L-shape is mounted movably and is prevented from falling off. Said shut-off unit 17 contacts with the wall surface of said through-hole 9 with adequate friction, and its lower surface is arranged in such manner that it is at the same height as the upper surface of the step 7a. The clearance between the upper surface of said shut-off unit 17 and the lower center surface of the pushing unit 13 is designed to be equal to the clearance between the lower surface of the pushing unit 13 and the upper surface of the step 7a. 
     At the end of the housing unit 4 of the block body 7, a covering 19 having U-shaped section and provided with an outlet 18 is fixed, and the base of a guide 21 is secured on this covering 19. As is clearly understood from FIG. 3 the guide 21 is approximately in the shape of a conical cylinder, and four notches 21a are furnished from the tip toward the base with the same spacings between them. A brush 22 is mounted on said guide 21 as if it covers the latter, and the base of the brush 22 is pressed together and fixed on the base of said guide 21. A stationary cover 23 is inserted and fixed between the large-diameter unit 1a and the block body 7 from the tip of the brush 22 so that only the tip of the brush protrudes from it. A cap 24 is removably mounted on this fixed cover 23. 
     On the other hand, a movable body 25 is longitudinally inserted into the small-diameter unit 1b of the container 1, and the operating unit 25a of the movable body 25 is protruding from the slit 26, which is formed on the flat surface of the small-diameter unit 1b. A brush 27 to be used for corrections of make-up is fixed at the end of the partition wall 1c of said movable body 25. When said operating unit 25a is moved along said slit 26, the brush 27 comes out of the opening of the small-diameter 1b. 
     Next, explanation will be given on the feeding of the fluid type rouge (not shown), contained in the housing unit 4 of the above-mentioned embodiment, to the brush 22. 
     When the pusing unit 13 is pushed against the resilient force of the coil springs 15 and 16, the lower portion of said pushing unit 13 enters into the reduced portion 6a of the passage 6. In this case, the shut-off unit 17 does not enter into the reduced portion 6a and remains at the same position as shown in FIG. 1 because an idle space exists between the upper surface of the shut-off unit and the lower center surface of said pushing unit 13 and also because friction force against the wall of the through-hole 9 and specific gravity of the fluid type rouge is considerably large. When the lower end of said pushing unit 13 moves to the position at the same height as that of the step 7a, no idle space is maintained any more and said shut-off unit 17 is pushed by said pushing unit 13, moving so that the lower ends of both units 14, and 17 are kept at the same level. (See FIG. 4 (a).) Accordingly, the fluid type rouge within the reduced portion 6a is stopped from moving toward the housing unit 4 and is pushed toward the outlet 18 as said pushing unit 13 and said shut-off unit 17 enter there. The same quantity of fluid type rouge as that of the rouge, pushed by the above movement, is supplied to the brush 22 through said outlet 18. In this case, the fluid type rouge is not totally supplied to the base of the brush 22 through said outlet 18, but it is gradually sent toward the tip of the brush 22 through the guide 21. Thus, steady and adequate feeding of fluid type rouge to the brush 22 is assured. The pushing operation of the fluid type rouge is completed when said pushing unit 13 and the lower end of said shut-off unit 17 reach the lower surface of said reduced portion 6a. (See FIG. 4 (b).) Thus, the supply to the brush of fluid type cosmetics does not return to the housing unit, and the cosmetic material is supplied on a steady and secure basis for supplying a constant quantity of the material. 
     When the pushing force on the pushing unit 13 is released, said pushing unit 13 retreats from the reduced portion 6a into the block body 7 by the force of coil spring 15 and 16. As shown in FIG. 4 (b), there exist an idle space between the lower surface of the upper portion of the shut-off unit 17 and the upper surface of the lower end of said pushing unit 13. Accordingly, said shut-off unit 17 does not move until no more idle space is held there. (See FIG. 4 (c).) As the result, negative pressure is created in the reduced portion 6a after said pushing unit 13 begins to retreat, and the fluid type rouge enters into said reduced portion 6a smoothly from the housing unit 4. Further, when the pushing unit 13 retreats, the shut-off unit 17 moves along with said pushing unit 13 and is returned to the standby status as shown in FIG. 1. 
     In this way, adequate quantity of fluid type rouge is supplied to the brush 22 through the outlet 18 each time the pushing unit 13 is pressed, and the pushing operation of said pushing unit 13 can be performed by the finger of the hand which is holding the container 1. 
     When the brush 27 is pushed out of the container 1 by operating the operating unit 25a, it can be used as a brush for correction of the make-up. 
     It should be understood that the present invention is not limited to the description on the above-mentioned embodiment and that many changes and modifications may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the appended claims, that it is applicable to any type of cosmetic products such as rouge, manicure liquid, etc. if they are of fluid type and that the small-diameter unit 1b with the brush 27 is not always necessary. Furthermore, it is possible to supply the fluid type cosmetics to the brush 22 through the outlet 18 only by the forward and backward (or in and out) movement of the pushing unit 13 even when the shut-off unit 17 is not provided. Also, the passage 6 may be of any shape, if it lies between the outlet 18 and the housing unit 4 and if it can pass the fluid type cosmetic products. In other words, the passage 6 includes the portion, where the fluid type cosmetic is held between the outlet 18 and the housing unit 4. 
     As it is evident from the above description, the present invention offers a container to feed the fluid type cosmetic product to the brush by simple construction and easy operation, and the invention provides useful effects and convenience for the user such as the elimination of the troublesome separate handling of the container and the brush.