Patent Publication Number: US-7905238-B2

Title: Drawer-like cosmetic case

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application claims priority to and the benefit of Korean Patent Application No. 20-2007-0007552 &amp; 20-2007-0004031 filed in the Korean Intellectual Property Office on Mar. 12, 2007 &amp; May 8, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     (a) Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a drawer-like cosmetic case which puts cosmetic contents such as powder, foundation, and cake in a drawer-like inner case thereof. More particularly, the present invention relates to a drawer-like cosmetic case which can be automatically opened and closed by means of pushing a front portion of the drawer-like inner case. 
     (b) Description of the Related Art 
     A compact folder has been widely used as a cosmetic case for putting in powder, foundation, and cake or the like. Generally, the compact folder includes a case and a lid hinged to the case, and accordingly, the case may be opened and closed when the lid is opened and closed. The lid may have a mirror mounted inside thereof and the case may have a few separately divided spaces which respectively put at least one cosmetic contents and a puff therein. 
     However, it is inconvenient to carry such a compact folder because it may leak cosmetic contents though a clearance of between the case and the lid. In addition, the leaked cosmetic contents may contaminate the mirror which is mounted inside of the lid, and accordingly, the compact folder may be easily contaminated. 
     Accordingly, a drawer-like cosmetic case has been proposed so as to carry the same without leaking the cosmetic contents. 
     However, it is inconvenient to draw in and out the drawer-like cosmetic case. And also, the drawer-like cosmetic case may be easily opened of itself when it is carried, and accordingly, the drawer-like cosmetic case must have a locking device not to leak cosmetic contents. 
     The above information disclosed in this Background section is only for enhancement of understanding of the background of the invention and therefore it may contain information that does not form the prior art that is already known in this country to a person of ordinary skill in the art. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention has been made in an effort to provide a drawer-like cosmetic case having advantages of being automatically closed and opened by means of lightly pushing the drawer-like inner case in a drawn-in direction. 
     The present invention has been made in an effort to provide a drawer-like cosmetic case having advantages of being convenient to carry the same and prevented from a leakage of the contents. 
     An exemplary embodiment of the present invention provides a drawer-like cosmetic case including an outer case and a drawer-like inner case drawn in or drawn out the outer case, the drawer-like inner case having at least one space for putting cosmetic contents wherein the outer case has a push-pull locking device and a pair of springs for pressing the drawer-like inner case in a drawn-out direction therein and the drawer-like inner case has a hooking member outside thereof such that the hooking member is cooperated with the push-pull locking device. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a drawer-like cosmetic case according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of a drawer-like cosmetic case in which an upper part of a drawer-like cosmetic case of  FIG. 1  is partly cut so as to show an internal structure thereof. 
         FIG. 3  is a schematic side view taken longitudinally along a push-pull locking device of a cosmetic case according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, when a drawer-like inner case is drawn in. 
         FIG. 4A  and  FIG. 4B  respectively schematically illustrates a push-pull locking mechanism of a drawer-like cosmetic case according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, when a drawer-like case is drawn in or out. 
         FIG. 5  is a perspective view of a drawer-like cosmetic case according to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 6  is a perspective view of a drawer-like cosmetic case according to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 7  is a perspective view of a drawer-like cosmetic case in which an upper part of a drawer-like cosmetic case of  FIG. 6  is partly cut so as to show an internal structure thereof. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS 
     Hereinafter, a preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. 
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a drawer-like cosmetic case according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention and  FIG. 2  is a perspective view of a drawer-like cosmetic case in which an upper part of a drawer-like cosmetic case of  FIG. 1  is partly cut so as to show an internal structure thereof. As shown in  FIG. 1 , a drawer-like cosmetic case  1  includes a drawer-like inner case  2  having a space  4  inside thereof, an outer case  6  selectively covering the drawer-like inner case  2 , a mirror supporting plate  10  to be folded on the outer case  6  by a hinged shaft  10 . The mirror supporting plate  8  has a mirror  8   a  mounted inside thereof. The outer case  6  has an opening portion  6   a  at a front portion thereof such that the drawer-like inner case  2  may be drawn in and out, 
     As shown in  FIG. 2 , the outer case  6  has a push-pull locking device  12  disposed therein and the drawer-like inner case  2  has a hooking member  14  integrally mounted on a rear portion thereof. Accordingly, the hooking member  14  is connected with the push-pull locking device  12  when the drawer-like inner case  2  is drawn in the outer case  6 . In addition, the outer case  6  may further include a pair of springs  16  disposed at both sides of the push-pull locking device  12 . The pair of springs  16  functions to elastically press the drawer-like inner case  2  in a drawn-out direction (X-axis direction of  FIG. 2 ) of the drawer-like inner case  2 . The pair of springs  16  may have one end  16   a  fixed at the rear portion of the drawer-like inner case  2  and the other end  16   b  fixed at the rear portion of the outer case  6 . 
     The push-pull locking device  12  includes a guide member  18 , a sliding member  20 , and a pair of gripping members  22 . The guide member  18  is found in a box projected from a rear portion thereof in the outer case  6  and has an opening portion  20   a  in a front portion thereof. The sliding member  20  moves through the opening portion  20   a  along a longitudinal direction in the guide member  18 . The pair of gripping members  22  is elastically mounted on both sides of the front portion of the sliding member  20 . The pair of gripping members  22  grips the hooking member  14  of the drawer-like inner case when the drawer-like inner case is drawn in the outer case  6 . The gripping members  22  are in contact with the inside portions of the guide member  18  when the drawer-like inner case is drawn out the outer case  6 . 
     The sliding member  20  may have one pair of springs  24  respectively disposed at both sides thereof and one pair of stopping sheets  202  respectively disposed at both sides thereof. The pair of stopping sheets  202  defines the movement of the pair of springs  24 . 
       FIG. 3  is a schematic side view taken longitudinally along a push-pull locking device of a cosmetic case according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, when a drawer-like inner case is drawn in.  FIG. 4A  and  FIG. 4B  respectively schematically illustrates a push-pull locking mechanism of a drawer-like cosmetic case according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, when a drawer-like case is drawn in or out. 
     The guide member  18  has a drawn-in path  184  and a drawn-out path  186  connected each other on the bottom surface thereof such that a triggering pin  200  is circulated only in one direction along the drawn-in path  184  and the drawn-out path  186 , in which the triggering pin  200  is formed downward from the bottom surface of the sliding member  20 . The drawn-in path  184  and the drawn-out path  186  respectively have a drawn-in groove  188  and a drawn-out groove  190  and a one-directional inside projection  180  and one-directional outside projection  182 . 
     The sliding member  20  may further include a guide pin  204  formed before the triggering pin  200  downward from the bottom surface thereof. The guide pin  204  may move straightly in a guide slot  192  of the guide member  18  such that the sliding member  20  may not be separated from the guide member  18 . Accordingly, when the pair of springs  24  elastically presses the stopping sheet  202  in a drawn-out direction of the drawer-like inner case  2 , the sliding member  20  may move straightly. 
     In addition, the triggering pin  200  may be moved in one single direction by the one-directional inside projection  180 . In  FIG. 4A  and  FIG. 4B , the triggering pin  200  is circulated in a clockwise direction from the drawn-in path  184  to the drawn-out path  186 . 
     The pair of gripping members  22  is rotationally fixed on the sliding member  20  and may be disposed such that it may be in contact with the inside of the guide member  18  when the hooking member  14  is drawn out. Accordingly, when the triggering pin  200  of the sliding member  20  is passed though the drawn-in path  184  and then is disposed in the drawn-in groove  188  continued with the inside one-directional projection  180 , that is, the drawer-like inner case  2  is drawn in the outer case  6 , the pair of gripping member  22  make narrower to grip the hooking member  14 . 
     Thus, although the elastic force of the both springs  16  pushes the drawer-like inner case  2  outwardly, the drawer-like inner case  2  may be maintained in the outer case  6 . 
     And then, a user pushes the front portion of the drawer-like inner case  2  so that an end portion of the hooking member  14  pushes the sliding member  20  in the guide member  18  and the triggering pin  200  is deviating from the drawn-in groove  188  and shifted on the drawn-out path  184 . 
     At this time, the elastic force of the spring  24  allows the sliding member  20  to be drawn out in which the guide pin  204  is introduced outward along the guide slot  192  as shown in  FIG. 4B  and the gripping member  22  is gone out of in the guide member  18 , and simultaneously, the drawer-like inner case  2  is impelled. 
     As a result, the drawer-like inner case  2  is automatically drawn out from the outer case  6 , the triggering pin  200  of the sliding member  20  is passed through the drawn-out path  186 , gone beyond the outside one-directional projection  182 , and shifted into the drawn-out groove  190 . 
     In addition, if the user pushes the front portion of the drawer-like inner case  2  into the opening portion  6   a  of the outer case  6  when the drawer-like inner case is drawn in as shown in  FIG. 4B , the hooking member  14  pushes the sliding member  20  and accordingly the gripping member  22  are shriveled into the guide member  18  and closed to grip the hooking member  14 . At this time, the triggering pin  200  of the sliding member  20  goes out of the drawn-out groove  190  and is introduced on the drawn-in path  184 , goes beyond the inside one-directional projection  180 , is maintained in the drawn-in groove  188 , as shown in  FIG. 4A . 
     The present invention is not limited thereto, but it may be applied for the various cosmetic cases if the cosmetic cases have a drawer-like inner case. For example, as shown in  FIG. 5 , another cosmetic case  1 ′ may have the mirror supporting plate  10  folded upward and downward on the outer case  6  and rotated in a range of 360 degree based on a folding shaft  11 . 
     In addition, the present invention may be applied for another cosmetic case  1 ″ as shown in  FIG. 6  and  FIG. 7 . 
       FIG. 6  is a perspective view of a drawer-like cosmetic case according to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention.  FIG. 7  is a perspective view of a drawer-like cosmetic case in which an upper part of a drawer-like cosmetic case of  FIG. 6  is partly cut so as to show an internal structure thereof. 
     Another exemplary embodiment shown in the  FIG. 6  and  FIG. 7  is the same as the exemplary embodiment shown in the  FIG. 1  to  FIG. 4  except that another space  4 ′ is provided on the drawer-like inner case  2 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 7 , the space  4 ′ may put makeup preparations such as a puff. 
     As described above, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the cosmetic case may have an outer case and an drawer-like inner case drawn in and drawn out the outer case capable of being automatically drawn in and out the outer case by means of an operation of the push-pull locking device when the user lightly pushes the drawer-like inner case in a drawn-in direction. Thus, it is convenient to carry the cosmetic case and it is prevented from a leakage of the cosmetic contents. 
     While this invention has been described in connection with what is presently considered to be practical exemplary embodiments, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments, but, on the contrary, is intended to cover various modifications and equivalent arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.