Abstract:
A lipstick case includes a cylindrical case body and a tube axially movably mounted in the case body to hold a lipstick. The tube has a vertically sliding groove and a guide groove disposed at two opposite lateral sides of a bottom base block thereof. A limiter device is formed of a holder base, a limiter element, a spring member and a constraint member. The limiter device is fastened to the inside of the case body for guiding and limiting axial movement of the tube relative to the case body.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   1. Field of the Invention 
   The present invention relates to a lipstick holding structure and more particularly, to a lipstick case, which allows the user to pick up the lipstick for service easily through one single press action. 
   2. Description of the Related Art 
   Many different designs of lipstick containers are commercially available.  FIG. 1  illustrates a typical lipstick case  1 . According to this design, the lipstick case  1  comprises a base  12 , an inner tube  13  coupled to the base  12 , and a cap  11  capped on the inner tube  13  and kept in flush with the case  12 . When in use, the cap  11  is removed from the inner tube  13 , and, then, the base  12  is rotated relative to the inner tube  13  to extend the lipstick (not shown) out of the inner tube  13  for application. When using the lipstick, the user must operate the lipstick case  1  with both hands. This complicated operation manner cannot satisfy professional women&#39;s requirement for easy operation with one single hand. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   It is one object of the present invention to provide a lipstick case, which allows the user to pick up the lipstick for service easily through a single press action. 
   To achieve this and other objects of the present invention, the lipstick case is comprised of a case body, a limiter device, and a tube for holding a lipstick. The case body is shaped like a cylindrical tube. The tube is mounted in said case body to hold a lipstick and axially movable in and out of the case body. Further, the tube comprises a tube body holding a lipstick and a base block fixedly provided at the bottom side of the tube body. The base block comprises a guide groove disposed at a first lateral side thereof and a vertical sliding groove disposed at a second lateral side thereof opposite to the first lateral side. The limiter device is adapted for guiding axial movement of the tube relative to the case body and limiting the moving distance of the tube. The limiter device comprises a holder base fixedly mounted inside the case body, a spring member mounted on the holder base and stopped against the bottom side of the base block of the tube, a constraint member upwardly extending from the holder base and coupled to the vertical sliding groove of the base block of the tube, and a limiter element fastened to the holder base and coupled to the guide groove of the base block of the tube. Further, the base block of the tube comprises a guide block disposed at the first lateral side and surrounded by the guide groove and a wedge-like block disposed in the guide groove and spaced above the guide block. The guide block has a V-shaped notch at the top side. The guide groove of the base block of the tube defines a X-region, a Y-region and a Z-region arranged in an order along a counter-clockwise direction. The X-region, the Y-region and the Z-region have different depths in which the depth of the Z-region is greater than the depth of the X-region and the depth of the X-region is greater than the depth of the Y-region. When pressing the lipstick a first time, the tube is forced to extend out of the case body. When pressing the lipstick a second time, the tube is received inside the case body. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  is a schematic exploded view of a lipstick case according to the prior art. 
       FIG. 2  is an exploded view of a lipstick case in accordance with the present invention. 
       FIG. 3  is an enlarged view of a part of the lipstick case in accordance with the present invention. 
       FIG. 4  is a sectional view of a part of the lipstick case according to the present invention, showing the structure of the guide groove. 
       FIG. 5  is a sectional assembly view of the lipstick case according to the present invention. 
       FIG. 6  is a sectional side view of the lipstick case of  FIG. 5 . 
       FIG. 7  is another sectional assembly view of the lipstick case according to the present invention. 
       FIG. 8  is schematic and sectional views of the present invention, showing the status of the lipstick case upon a first press. 
       FIG. 9  is schematic and sectional views of the present invention, showing the status of the lipstick case after a first press. 
       FIG. 10  is a sectional side view of the lipstick case corresponding to  FIG. 9 . 
       FIG. 11  is schematic and sectional views of the present invention, showing the status of the lipstick case upon a second press. 
       FIG. 12  illustrates an operation steps of an alternate form of the lipstick case according to the present invention. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
   Referring to  FIG. 2 , a lipstick case in accordance with the present invention is shown comprised of a limiter device  2 , a case body  3 , a tube  4 , and a lipstick  5 . 
   The limiter device  2  is comprised of a holder base  20 , a limiter element  21 , a spring member  22 , and a constraint member  23 . The holder base  20  has an upright receptacle  201  for accommodating the spring member  22 , and a hole  202  at the periphery. The limiter element  21  is double-end hook made of a resilient wire rod and has a first end portion  211  and a second end portion  212  respectively extended from the two distal ends thereof at an angle. The first end portion  211  of the limiter element  21  is fastened to the hole  202  at the holder base  20 . The constraint member  23  extends upwardly from the border area of the holder base  20  opposite to the limiter element  21  and has a protruding rod  231  perpendicularly forwardly extending from the top end thereof and a bearing block  232  protruded from the back side thereof opposite to the protruding rod  231 . 
   The case body  3  is a tubular member having a closed end and an opened end opposite to the closed end. 
   Referring to  FIGS. 3 and 4  and  FIG. 2  again, the tube  4  is comprised of a tube body  40  and a base block  41 . The tube body  40  is a hollow cylindrical member having two open ends. The diameter of the tube body  40  is smaller than the inner diameter of the case body  3 . The base block  41  is fixedly connected to the bottom side of the tube body  40 . The base block  41  includes a bottom center opening  412  at the center of the bottom side, a rod member  411  downwardly suspending in the bottom center opening  412  and insertable into the spring member  22 , a guide groove  42  vertically disposed at one lateral side, a wedge-like block  421  and a guide block  43  disposed at the same lateral side relative to the guide groove  42  and vertically spaced from each other at a predetermined distance and surrounded by the guide groove  42 , and a sliding groove  47  vertically disposed at an opposite lateral side. The guide block  43  has a V-shaped notch, which defines a first peak  432  and a second peak  433  at the two protruding points of the V-shaped notch and an upper limit end  431  at the recessed bottom end of the V-shaped notch. The first peak  432  defines with the guide groove  42  a first turning point  44 . The bottom end of the guide block  43  defines with the guide groove  42  a second turning point  45 . The base block  41  further has a rib  46  disposed in the guide groove  42  adjacent to the second peak  433  and the top end of the beveled bottom face of the wedge-like block  421 . Further, the guide groove  42  defines a lower limit end  422  at the bottom side. The guide groove  42  has a X-region  423  defined between the first peak  432  and the first turning point  44 , a Y-region  424  defined between the first peak  432  and the second turning point  45 , and a Z-region  425  defined between the lower limit end  422  and the second turning point  45 . The X-region  423 , Y-region  424  and Z-region  425  of the guide groove  42  have different depths in which Y-region  424 &lt;X-region  423 &lt;Z-region  425 . 
   During the assembly process of the lipstick case, as shown in  FIG. 2 , one end of the spring member  22  is inserted into the upright receptacle  201  of the holder base  20 , and the first end portion  211  of the limiter element  21  is inserted into the hole  202  at the holder base  20 . Then, the tube  4  is placed on the limiter device  2  to insert the rod member  411  into the other end of the spring member  22  (according to this embodiment, the spring member  22  is a cylindrical coiled compression spring). The second end portion  212  of the limiter element  21  is hooked in the upper limit end  431  in the guide groove  42  of the base block  41  of the tube  4  (see  FIG. 5 ), and, simultaneously, the protruding rod  231  of the constraint member  23  is forced into the sliding groove  47  of the base block  41  of the tube  4  to secure the tube  4  and the limiter device  2  together. The lipstick  5  is inserted into the tube body  40  of the tube  4 , and, the tube  4  with the limiter device  2  is inserted into the case body  3  to have the holder base  20  be fixedly bonded to the inner surface of the bottom wall of the case body  3  (see  FIG. 6 ). 
   Referring to  FIG. 7 , when the lipstick case is assembled, the double-end hook type limiter element  21  is obliquely disposed at one side within the case body  3  relative to the limiter device  2  and the base block  41  of the tube  4  and is stopped with the periphery thereof against the inside wall of the case body  3 , forcing the second end portion  212  into positive engagement with the guide groove  42 . At this time, the bearing block  232  of the constraint member  23  is stopped against the inside wall of the case body  3 , holding the protruding rod  231  in the sliding groove  47 . 
   When in use, as shown in  FIG. 8 , the user can press the lipstick  5  once. This action forces the tube  4  downwards to compress the spring member  22 , causing the second end portion  212  of the limiter element  21  to move away from the upper limit end  431  along the wedge-like block  421  toward the left side of the rib  46 . When the pressure is released from the lipstick  5 , as shown in  FIG. 9 , the spring member  22  forces the tube  4  upwards, moving the lipstick  5  out of the case body  3  for application. At the same time, due to the effect of the rib  46  in the guide groove  42 , the second end portion  212  of the limiter element  21  is moved to the lower limit end  422 . When pulling out the lipstick  5  for service, an upward pulling force is produced (see  FIG. 10 ). At this time, the second end portion  212  of the limiter element  21  and the protruding rod  231  impart a pressure to the tube  4 , preventing the tube  4  from falling out of the case body  3 . Therefore, the lipstick case of the present invention can sustain a high pulling force. 
   After an application, the lipstick  5  is inserted into the tube body  40  of the tube  4  again (see  FIG. 11 ). At this time, the lipstick is pressed a second time. This press action forces the tube  4  downwards to compress the spring member  22 , causing the second end portion  212  of the limiter element  21  to move upwards along the Z-region  425  and then in the X-region  423  to the upper limit end  431  (see  FIG. 5 ), returning to the former position. 
     FIG. 12  shows operation steps of an alternate form of the present invention, in which a rib  46  is disposed at the junction between each two of the three regions (X-region  423 , Y-region  424  and Z-region  425 ). 
   Although particular embodiments of the invention have been described in detail for purposes of illustration, various modifications and enhancements may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the invention is not to be limited except as by the appended claims.