Transportable display with tubular receptacles

Abstract

A transportable display which may be used for makeup accessories or other goods is adapted for free-standing table top use or for attachment to a wall, mirror or other surface. The display includes a display panel supporting multiple receptacles for holding, organizing and displaying articles such as lipstick cartridges, mascara cartridges, eyebrow pencils and brush applicators. The receptacles are attached to the underside of the display panel and have accessory openings positioned in flush alignment with display panel openings in the display panel. The receptacles include retainer end portions which cooperate with a base panel for supporting the display for use in a free-standing, upright service position. Suction cups or other attachment devices are removeably attached to the base panel for mounting the display for use in a suspended elevated service position.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] Facial makeup involves application of an assortment of cosmetics including, for example, lipstick, lip gloss, lip liner, mascara, eye shadow, eyebrow pencil, blush, face powder and the like. These cosmetic preparations are applied by makeup brushes including, for example, slender brushes for applying eye liner, small eyebrow brushes for applying gradations, cheek brushes, eye shadow brushes and lipstick brushes. Additionally, eyebrow pencils are used to shape well-defined eyebrow lines. Small cosmetic cartridges contain lipstick, lip gloss and lip liner applied by long, slender brushes similar to an artist's brush. Other cosmetic cartridges have reservoirs which hold liquid eye liner or mascara preparations to be applied by a small brush which extends into the reservoir when the cartridge is closed. Large brushes are used to apply face powder; medium brushes are used to apply blush and/or rouge; and small brushes are used to apply eye shadow.

[0002] Cosmetic cartridges, brush applicators and other makeup accessories are typically placed loosely in vanity drawers or in organizer trays which may be stored in vanity drawers or on a vanity table top. Manual sorting, handling and close inspection of such loosely arranged accessories are required to identify and select a particular cartridge or brush applicator. Moreover, makeup residue such as face powder, blush, eye shadow and eyebrow liner residue is carried on the brushes and is likely to rub off onto other brushes or onto the vanity drawer or tray compartment, thus making it necessary to clean each brush before use.

[0003] Conventional accessory arrangements require either vanity drawer space or table top space which may not be available in all cases. Such conventional enclosure arrangements require handling, sorting and detailed inspection of the accessories to identify a particular brush applicator or cosmetic cartridge. Moreover, some makeup accessories such as a lipstick cartridge and lipstick brush are intended to be used together. Preferably, such complementary items should be grouped together for convenient identification, access, selection and replacement.

[0004] It will be appreciated that storage of cosmetic cartridges and brush applicators in a horizontal vanity drawer or tray usually results in random positioning of the accessories in close contact with each other (with pairing or separate grouping of related accessories unlikely), resulting in some items being hidden from view. For these reasons there is a continuing interest in providing improved vanity racks for organizing and displaying an assortment of cosmetic accessories, particularly for cosmetic cartridges and brush applicators which are commonly used to apply facial makeup. There is a further interest in providing vanity display racks in which makeup accessories may be arranged and displayed for convenient identification and selection without requiring detailed inspection and sorting by hand. Additionally, vanity rack displays which are capable of free-standing, upright service on a vanity table top as well as attachment to a bathroom wall or vanity mirror at an elevated service position are highly desirable.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0005] The present invention provides a transportable display or vanity rack which includes a display panel and multiple receptacles which may be used for holding, organizing and displaying makeup accessories such as lipstick cartridges, mascara cartridges, eyebrow pencils and brush applicators. The display panel includes multiple openings appropriately sized to permit insertion of makeup accessories into a receptacle space below the display panel. The receptacles are attached to the underside of the display panel and have accessory openings positioned in flush alignment with the display panel openings. At least the upper half of each makeup accessory is presented for convenient viewing, identification and selection. The display panel and receptacles may be formed of transparent material for enhancing visibility of makeup accessories contained within the receptacles.

[0006] In the preferred embodiment the receptacles are arranged in one or more rows with retainer end portions of the receptacles in at least one row cooperating with a base panel for supporting the vanity rack in a free-standing, upright service position on a table top. In an alternative embodiment suction cups or the like are removeably attached to the base panel for holding the rack or display on a mirror, wall or other surface in an elevated service position. Thus, the transportable display may be removed from the suction cups for cleaning or for optional placement on a table top for free-standing service and may be returned to the elevated service position on the suction cups when desired.

[0007] Large diameter and relatively small diameter receptacles are arranged in lower and upper rows, respectively, with the small diameter receptacles in the upper rows disposed generally intermediate the large diameter receptacles, thus permitting accessories of one category (for example, brush applicators) to be grouped in the upper row and accessories of another category (for example, cosmetic cartridges) to be grouped in the lower row. This arrangement also permits one or more brush applicators to be closely associated with a particular cosmetic cartridge. The cross-row pairing of a brush applicator which is used only with a particular cosmetic cartridge promotes convenient viewing, identification, selection and replacement. Thus the completeness and availability of a particular makeup ensemble can be determined at a glance and a missing item can be quickly identified and replaced.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

[0008] The accompanying drawing is incorporated into and forms part of the specification to illustrate preferred embodiments of the invention. This drawing, together with the description, serves to explain the principles of the invention by illustrating exemplary embodiments showing how the invention can best be made and used. The drawing should not be construed as limiting the invention to the illustrated and described embodiments. Various advantages and features of the invention will become more readily understood from the following detailed description taken in connection with the appended claims and attached drawing in which:

[0009] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a transportable display rack or vanity constructed according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention;

[0010] FIG. 2 is a right side elevational view of the display of FIG. 1 supported for free-standing upright service on a vanity table top;

[0011] FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the display of FIG. 1;

[0012] FIG. 4 is a rear elevational view of the display of FIG. 1;

[0013] FIG. 5 is a bottom plan view of the display of FIG. 1;

[0014] FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the display of FIG. 1 including typical makeup accessories arranged for convenient identification and selection; and

[0015] FIG. 7 is a side elevational view of a display equipped with suction cups for attachment to an upright glass surface.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0016] Preferred embodiments of the invention are described herein by reference to various examples of how the invention may be made and used. Like reference numerals are used throughout the description and several views of the drawing to indicate like or corresponding parts. In addition, references made to horizontal and vertical planes are intended to describe the orientation of the display rack in the upright, free-standing operative position and also in the upright, elevated position in which the display rack is attached to a wall, mirror or other surface. While the invention is described herein with particular reference to a vanity rack, it will be recognized that the invention is not limited to this particular use.

[0017] As illustrated in FIGS. 1-5 the vanity display rack embodiment 10 includes a display panel 12 and multiple receptacles 14, 16 for holding, organizing and displaying makeup accessories such as lipstick cartridges, mascara cartridges, eyebrow pencils and brush applicators as shown in FIG. 6. The vanity display rack 10 is capable of free-standing table top service (as indicated in FIG. 2) and is optionally capable of attachment to a bathroom wall or mirror (as indicated in FIG. 7).

[0018] The vanity rack 10 is supported in an upright service position on a table top surface 18 as shown in FIG. 2 by a base panel 20 which includes a connecting edge portion 22 and a supporting edge portion 24. The display panel 12 is joined to the base panel 20 along the connecting edge portion 22 and projects angularly with respect thereto. The included angle .O slashed. between the display panel 12 and the base panel 20 is in the range of about 25.degree. to about 35.degree. and preferably is about 30.degree.. In this arrangement the display panel 12 and the base panel 20 define forward and rear boundaries of a receptacle space 26 in which receptacles 14, 16 are received.

[0019] As more clearly shown in FIG. 1 the display panel 12 is intersected by multiple openings 28, 30 appropriately sized to permit insertion of makeup accessories into the receptacle space 26. The receptacles 14, 16 are attached to the underside of the display panel 12 and extend downwardly into the receptacle space 26. The receptacles 14, 16 have tubular sidewalls, preferably in cylindrical form. The cylindrical bore 32 of the large diameter receptacles 14 forms an accessory opening disposed in alignment with the display panel opening 28. Likewise, the cylindrical bore 34 of the small diameter receptacles defines an accessory opening aligned in register with the small diameter display panel openings 30. In this arrangement the accessory openings defined by bores 32, 34 are coincident with the display panel openings 28, 30 and are substantially coplanar with the forward face of the display panel 12. As can best be seen in FIG. 1, the accessory openings defined by bores 32, 34 and the display panel openings 28, 30 are bordered by a common peripheral edge in the form of an ellipse.

[0020] As best seen in FIG. 2 the receptacles 14, 16 depend from the underside of the display panel 12 and project at an acute angle with respect thereto. Preferably, the acute angle is equal to the included angle .O slashed. between the display panel 12 and the base panel 20 with the cylindrical sidewalls of the receptacles extending generally parallel with each other and with the base panel 20.

[0021] Each receptacle includes a retainer end portion 14A, 16A and a connecting end portion 14B, 16B, respectively. The retainer end portions of the receptacles are closed by circular retainer disks 36, 38, respectively. The cylindrical sidewalls of the large diameter receptacles are preferably equal in length. Likewise, the sidewall lengths of the small diameter receptacles are preferably equal. As indicated in FIGS. 2 and 4, the large diameter receptacles are arranged in a first row with the retainer disks 36 disposed substantially in coplanar alignment with each other. Likewise, the small diameter receptacles 16 are arranged in a row with the retainer disks 38 disposed substantially in coplanar alignment with each other. In this arrangement the retainer disks 36 together with the supporting edge portion 24 of the base panel 20 are in coplanar alignment with each other and provide stable support for the vanity rack 10 in an upright service position as shown in FIG. 2.

[0022] The vanity display rack 10 is preferably molded from clear plastic material to form an integral, durable display unit. Molding permits inexpensive manufacturing using a single cavity. Clear plastic is preferred so that makeup accessories contained within the receptacles may be readily viewed through the display panel and receptacle sidewalls. The receptacles are dimensioned appropriately to permit commonly used cosmetic accessories to be inserted into the receptacle pockets, preferably with at least about one-half of each accessory projecting from the receptacle for convenient viewing, identification, selection and replacement as shown in FIG. 6.

[0023] The large diameter receptacles 14 and the relatively small diameter receptacles 16 are arranged along lower and upper rows, respectively, with the small diameter receptacles 16 in the upper row disposed generally intermediate the large diameter receptacles 14 in the lower row, thus permitting makeup accessories of one category (for example, brush applicators) to be grouped in the upper row and accessories of another category (for example, cosmetic cartridges) to be grouped in the lower row. As shown in FIG. 6, this arrangement permits one or more brush applicators 40, 42, 60, 62 and 64 to be supported in the small diameter upper receptacles and closely associated with particular cosmetic cartridges, for example, lipstick cartridges 44, 46 and 48. This cross-row pairing of a particular brush applicator which is used only with a particular cosmetic cartridge promotes convenient viewing, identification, selection and replacement.

[0024] In the embodiment shown in FIG. 6 the vanity display rack can accommodate up to six cosmetic cartridges and five or more brush applicators. However, it should be understood that the rack 10 may be designed to accommodate any convenient number of cosmetic cartridges and brush applicators and that the particular dimensions of the display rack are determined by the size, shape and number of the cartridges and brush applicators to be displayed.

[0025] The preferred display arrangement, in which the cosmetic cartridges are aligned in a row and project from the receptacle pockets as shown in FIG. 6, permits the accessories to be quickly identified by color and/or indicia markings on the containers. Likewise, the brush applicators are easily identifiable since the brush portions are presented upright and projecting from the receptacle pockets. The completeness and availability of the makeup assortment may be determined at a glance and a missing accessory quickly identified and replaced. Moreover, the brush applicators are grouped according to function and are generally separated from each other to avoid contamination of cosmetic residue.

[0026] In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 6 the vanity rack 10 is provided with six large diameter receptacles 14 and five small diameter receptacles 16. The small diameter receptacles are elevated with respect to the large diameter receptacles and in alternating position with the large diameter receptacles and centrally located with respect to each adjacent pair of large diameter receptacles. In this arrangement three small lipstick cartridges 44, 46 and 48 may be received in the first three receptacles and an eyeliner cartridge 50, a mascara cartridge 52 and a lip gloss cartridge 54 received in the remaining three receptacles. Large and medium brushes 56, 58 may be received in the upper receptacle pockets. Similarly, lipstick brushes 60, an eyeliner brush 62 and an eyebrow pencil 64 may be received in the adjoining small diameter receptacle pockets. Note that two or more brush applicators may be placed in a single receptacle pocket.

[0027] As shown in FIG. 7 suction cups 66, 68 may be removeably attached to the base panel 20 for mounting the rack on a vanity mirror 70 or the like. As shown in FIG. 4 the base panel 20 is intersected by retainer slots 72, 74 and 76 dimensioned for releasable coupling engagement with the suction cups. The suction cups include stem portions 78, 80 and suction heads 66, 68 facing rearwardly of base panel 20 for engaging a wall, mirror surface 70 or the like. In this arrangement the retainer slots 72, 74, 76 are slipped onto and are supported by the suction cup stems with the display rack being maintained in an upright, elevated service position as shown in FIG. 7.

[0028] The retainer slots cooperate with the suction cup stems 78, 80 to permit rack 10 to be removed from the mirror surface 70 without disturbing the position of the suction cups. Accordingly, the vanity display rack may be removed for cleaning or for optional placement on the vanity table top 18 for free-standing service (and returned to the elevated service position on the suction cups when desired).

[0029] While the preferred embodiment has been described with particular reference to mounting slots 72, 74, 76 on the stems of suction cups, other mounting supports may be used if desired.

[0030] Although the invention has been described with reference to certain exemplary arrangements, it is to be understood that the forms of the invention shown and described are to be treated as preferred embodiments. Various changes, substitutions and modifications can be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

Claims

What is claimed:

1. A transportable display comprising: (a) a base panel having (i) a major face arranged substantially vertically; (ii) an upper edge; (iii) a lower edge which forms a foot for supporting the display on a substantially horizontal surface; and (iv) means for supporting the display on a substantially vertical surface; (b) a display panel connected to said base panel to define a space which has an upper boundary, a forward boundary and a rear boundary therebetween, said display panel having (i) a front face; (ii) a rear face; (iv) a lower edge; and (v) an upper edge joined with the upper edge of said base panel and extending downwardly and forwardly from said upper edge of said base panel to position said lower edge of said display panel from said base panel so that said display panel defines the forward and upper boundary and said base panel defines the rear boundary of the space between said base panel and said display panel; and (c) a plurality of substantially vertically aligned tubular receptacles, each of which has a substantially closed lower end arranged within said space and an upper end defining an opening in said front face of said display panel.

2. A transportable display as defined in claim 1 wherein said openings are coplanar with said front face of said display panel.

3. A transportable display as defined in claim 1 wherein each tubular receptacle is substantially cylindrical.

4. A transportable display as defined in claim 1 wherein said openings are elliptical in the plane of said front face of said display panel.

5. A transportable display as defined in claim 1 wherein said receptacles comprise a plurality of relatively large diameter receptacles and a plurality of relatively small diameter receptacles arranged in first and second rows, respectively.

6. A transportable display as defined in claim 5 wherein the opening of at least one small diameter receptacle is disposed between the openings of an adjacent pair of large diameter receptacles.

7. A transportable display as defined in claim 1 wherein: (a) each said receptacle includes a retainer end portion; and (b) at least two of said retainer end portions are disposed substantially coplanar with said lower edge of said base panel.

8. A transportable display as defined in claim 1 including: (a) a plurality of receptacles, each of which has an opening of a first size, disposed along a first row in said front face of said display panel; and (b) a plurality of receptacles, each of which has an opening of a second size, disposed along a second row in said front face of said display panel; wherein the openings disposed along the first row are vertically offset with respect to the openings disposed along the second row.

9. A transportable display as defined in claim 1 including: (a) a plurality of receptacles, each of which has an opening of a first size, disposed along a first row in said front face of said display panel; and (b) a plurality of receptacles, each of which has an opening of a second size, disposed along a second row in said front face of said display panel; wherein the openings disposed along the first row are laterally offset with respect to the openings disposed along the second row.

10. A transportable display as defined in claim 1 including a plurality of suction cups removeably attached to said base panel and arranged to detachably secure said base panel to a substantially vertical surface.

11. A transportable display as defined in claim 10 wherein: (i) said base panel has a plurality of retainer slots therein for connecting suction cups to said base; and (ii) each suction cup connected to said base panel includes a stem disposed in one of said retainer slots and a suction head facing rearwardly of said base panel.

12. A transportable display as defined in claim 11 wherein said retainer slots intersect said lower edge of said base panel.

13. A transportable display as defined in claim 1 wherein the display panel, base panel and receptacles are integrally formed of substantially transparent material.

14. A transportable display as defined in claim 1 wherein said display panel and said receptacles are formed of substantially transparent material.

15. A transportable display as defined in claim 1 wherein the angular displacement of said display panel relative to said base panel is in the range of from about 25.degree. to about 35.degree..

16. A transportable display as defined in claim 1 wherein said foot comprises an extension of said base panel which adjoins said lower edge of said base panel and extends in a substantially horizontal direction.

17. A transportable display as defined in claim 1 including a plurality of cosmetic accessories arranged in said receptacles.