Patent Publication Number: US-2012024747-A1

Title: Travel Make-Up Container, Travel Moisturizer Container and Other Travel Containers

Description:
RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application claims benefit of U.S. provisional patent application No. 61/369,246 filed Jul. 30, 2010 by Ellen Germain for “Travel make-up container, travel moisturizer container and other travel containers.” 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention relates generally to containers, especially travel-size containers for eye cream, travel-size containers for moisturizer, travel-size containers for (cosmetic) cleanser, travel-size containers for (cosmetic) toner and travel-size containers for sunscreen. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Existing approaches for transporting and using make-up such as eye cream and moisturizer while traveling (such as traveling by airplane, in an automobile, by train, etc.), generally tend to involve small travel-size clear containers, use of which may present certain inconveniences to a traveler. For example, she may want to apply the contents of the travel size container in front of a wall mirror, but a wall mirror may be inaccessible to her or she may prefer not to spend time in a space in which a wall mirror is available (such as an airplane lavatory). At one time, in previous decades, hard-cased “train cases” were in use with a mirrored interior panel but such hard-cased luggage pieces are less popular today. Conventionally travelers (and consumers away from home such as at their desks at work) have choices that they may not like, such as bringing a portable mirror or foregoing use of a mirror. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present inventor has considered the above-mentioned problems, and has invented a mirrored container, especially a refillable travel-size container, wherein the container presents an outward-facing mirrored surface into which a traveler transporting the container may look when the traveler is applying, to the traveler&#39;s face, product that had been contained inside the container. 
     The invention in a preferred embodiment provides a hollow container, comprising: a hollow container section (such as, e.g., a hollow container section suitable for containing a cream); a top (such as, e.g., a flip-top; a disk top; a screw-off top; etc.) that cooperates with the hollow container section and closes the hollow container section (such as a top that closes the hollow container section and keeps the cream inside); and a mirror wherein the mirror is outwards-facing, such as, e.g., inventive containers wherein the mirror is on a bottom surface of the container section; inventive containers wherein the mirror is on a side surface of the container section; inventive containers wherein the container section is clear at least on a bottom part and the mirror is disposed inside the container section, in the bottom part of the container section, with the mirror facing outwards through the clear bottom of the container section; inventive containers wherein the mirror is a mirrored bottom section of the hollow container section; and other inventive containers; an inventive container wherein the container section is of a travel-size (such as, e.g., a container section that has a height selected from the group consisting of less than 5 inches tall; less than 4 inches tall; less than 3 inches tall; less than 2 inches tall and less than 1 inch tall); an inventive container wherein the container section holds about 3 ounces; and other inventive containers. 
     The invention in another preferred embodiment provides a travel-size container, comprising: a container section of a travel-size; and, a mirrored surface that faces outwards with respect to the container section and is integral with or affixed to the container section; such as, e.g. inventive containers comprising a mirrored bottle, and other inventive containers. 
     Also in another preferred embodiment the invention provides a cosmetics container comprising: a container section; an exit channel through which a cosmetics product having a cream consistency passes out of the container section; and a mirror wherein the mirror is outwards-facing, such as, e.g., inventive cosmetics containers wherein the mirror is integral with the container section; inventive cosmetics containers having a set of dimensions that is travel-sized; inventive cosmetics containers wherein the container section holds about 3 ounces of a cosmetics product of cream consistency. etc. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The invention may be appreciated with reference to the figures submitted herewith, without the invention being limited thereto. 
         FIG. 1  is a side view of an exemplary inventive mirrored container  100 . 
         FIG. 2  is a bottom view of the inventive mirrored container of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view of an exemplary inventive mirrored container  200 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     In the inventive examples shown in  FIGS. 1-2 , a container  100  comprises a container section  1  (such as, e.g., a container section that contains a cream product such as eye cream, moisturizer, sunscreen, etc.) and a mirrored bottom  2 . In  FIG. 3 , the inventive container  200  comprises a container section  11  and a mirrored side  22 . 
     It should be appreciated that in the figures, neither the shape nor any dimension as illustrated is limiting. For example, the mirrored bottom  2  ( FIG. 2 ) is not required to be oval, and could be non-curved such as rectangular, square, etc. 
     Preferably the container  100 ,  200  is travel-size, such as about 3 inches tall. 
     Preferred examples of a container section  1 ,  11  for use in the invention are, e.g., a clear container section about 2 cm tall with a clear screw-top cap having diameter about 3.5 cm; a 3-ounce clear plastic dispensing bottle with disk top (such as, the clear dispensing bottle with disk top, 3 oz, sold by Sprayco, Detroit, Mich.). 
     A preferred example of a top  3 ,  33  of the container  100 ,  200  is a twist on cap having a tab on the side of the top (such as a tab that says “press”), and when the tab is pressed, the top of the cap opens to reveal a small rectangular space (about ¼ to ¼ inch) to allow the contents (such as moisturizer, sunscreen, etc.) to come out of the container section  1 ,  11 . Another preferred example of a top useable in the invention is a clear plastic covering shaped according to the container&#39;s shape and that covers an opening (in the container) through which a product (such as a cosmetic product) enters and exits. 
     A user such as a traveler uses an inventive container  100  as follows. She opens the top  3  of the container  100  and expels cream product onto her fingertip for intended application to her face. Before she applies the cream product, she closes the top  3 , and faces the mirrored bottom  2  of the container  100  towards her so that she is looking into the mirrored bottom  2  as she applies the cream product to her face. 
     A user who is a consumer uses an inventive container  200  as follows. She opens the top  33  of the container  200  and expels cream product onto her fingertip for intended application to her face. Before she applies the cream product, she closes the top  33 , and faces the mirrored side  22  of the container  200  towards her so that she is looking into the mirrored side  22  as she applies the cream product to her face. 
     Preferably the inventive container is refillable by the user who is a consumer, by refilling done at-home by the user transferring a quantity of product (such as a cream product, a sunscreen product, etc.) from a larger-sized container into the inventive container which is to be used away from home. 
     In some embodiments, an inventive container is made by adhering a separate mirror to a container section during manufacture. 
     In other embodiments, an inventive container is made by forming the mirrored section integrally as part of the container section. 
     Examples of a process for making a mirrored surface in the invention are, e.g., a vacuum metallizing process (such as a vacuum metallizing process onto glass, a vacuum metallizing process onto plastic, etc.); an electroplating process; a chrome painting process; etc. For use making inventive articles, vacuum metallizing is preferred due to being more cost effective and environmental than electroplating or chrome painting plus also being useful to accomplish mirroring at a much higher volume and with a quicker turnaround. 
     Examples of making a mirrored surface for use in the invention are, e.g., silver bottoming a clear container on an interior side; lining an interior of a clear container with a silver foil insert; dipping an exterior of a non-clear container into a bath (such as, e.g., a chroming bath, a silvering bath, etc.); polishing a surface of a metal container to a mirror finish. 
     In  FIGS. 1 and 3 , the inventive containers are shown with the tops  3 ,  33  in a closed state. It is readily appreciated that a top of an inventive container (such as, e.g., tops  3 ,  33 ) are manipulated between a closed state (as shown in  FIGS. 1 and 3 ) to an open state (not shown). 
     Preferably a top of an inventive container covers an orifice (not shown) that is sized and shaped that the container section (such as container section  1 ,  11 ) is refillable at-home by a consumer transferring a cream or other product from a larger container into an inventive container. 
     A preferred example of use of the invention is by a traveler while traveling such as on airplane travel, while traveling in an automobile, when traveling by train, etc. Another example of use of the invention is by someone who is away from home such as while at a workplace to which he or she ordinarily commutes (such as, e.g., by a businesswoman sitting at a desk at work). 
     The invention may be further appreciated with reference to the following examples without the invention being limited thereto. 
     Example 1 
     In this example, the inventive container has a twist-on cap with a press tab. The user after getting the contents (such as moisturizer, sunscreen, etc.) out, presses down on the top of the cap to make sure that it is sealed, turns the bottle over, and looks into the mirror on the bottom to accurately place the contents (e.g., moisturizer, etc.) on specific areas of the face. 
     Example 2 
     In this example, an inventive eye cream container has a twist on top (without the small opening of the twist-on cap with a press tab of Example 1). The user takes out the desired amount of cream, closes the top completely, turns the container over and applies the cream using the mirror on the bottom. 
     Example 3 
     In this example, an inventive container includes a descriptive word (such as, e.g., moisturizer) printed on the container (such as, e.g., vertically down the outside of the container). 
     Example 4 
     In this example, an inventive container is in a kit (such as in a small zippered clear pouch, which may or may not include other containers). 
     Example 5  
     Vacuum Metallizing 
     In this example, an inventive product (such as, e.g., the products of  FIGS. 1-3 ) is made by mirroring a container according to a vacuum metallizing process, wherein the vacuum metallizing process is performed within a vacuum in which a metal is vaporized which vaporized metal is applied to glass or plastic to produce a very thin coat of metal. 
     By “metallizing” herein, what is meant is the coating of metal onto non-metallic objects. By metallizing, a reflective coating can reach, e.g., 98% reflectivity. 
     Vacuum metallizing is a common process used to produce a chrome look for a plastic article. 
     Examples of coating materials are, e.g., aluminum, silver, chromium, etc. 
     Example 5A 
     Before metallization, the piece to be coated is washed and base-coated to ensure a smooth finish to coat-over. 
     The piece to be coated is placed inside a vacuum chamber on a rotating rack. A vacuum is created in the chamber and the metallizing material (such as, e.g., aluminum, silver, chromium, etc.) is then heated until it evaporates. The vaporized metal bonds to the piece, making a thin coating onto the piece. 
     After the metallizing, a protective top coat (such as, e.g., a protective top coat used in automotive manufacturing, etc.) is applied. 
     Example 6 
     In this example, an inventive container includes reflective material on two exterior surfaces (such as two exterior sides comprising one side having a round-shaped magnifying mirror and another side having a round-shaped ordinary mirror). 
     Example 7 
     In this example, the inventive container is provided with a pump and a nozzle alongside the pump, and the container is not required to be opened in order for contents of the container to exit. 
     It will be appreciated that variations and modifications from the embodiments set forth above may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention, and that such modifications are to be considered within the present invention.