U.S. patent application number 16/856024 was filed with the patent office on 2020-10-29 for cosmetic container.
This patent application is currently assigned to YOSHIDA INDUSTRIES CO., LTD.. The applicant listed for this patent is YOSHIDA INDUSTRIES CO., LTD.. Invention is credited to Yumiko Hori.
Application Number | 20200337435 16/856024 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 1000004783632 |
Filed Date | 2020-10-29 |
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United States Patent
Application |
20200337435 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Hori; Yumiko |
October 29, 2020 |
COSMETIC CONTAINER
Abstract
A cosmetic container that is suitable for being made compact and
that does not leak when inverted, even when low-viscosity cosmetics
are contained therein, and which allows the cosmetics to be
reliably oozed when used. The cosmetic container includes a
container body for containing a liquid cosmetic, the container body
having an upwardly open opening therein, an outer lid for sealing
the opening in the container body and a plate-shaped pad that
vertically partitions the interior of the container body. The pad
is made of felt. The maximum amount of the cosmetic in the
container body is such that, when the container body is upright so
that the opening in the container body faces vertically upward, the
liquid level of the cosmetic is below the bottom surface of the
pad.
Inventors: |
Hori; Yumiko; (Tokyo,
JP) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
YOSHIDA INDUSTRIES CO., LTD. |
Tokyo |
|
JP |
|
|
Assignee: |
YOSHIDA INDUSTRIES CO.,
LTD.
Tokyo
JP
|
Family ID: |
1000004783632 |
Appl. No.: |
16/856024 |
Filed: |
April 23, 2020 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A45D 34/04 20130101;
A45D 2200/1018 20130101; A45D 40/26 20130101; A45D 2200/05
20130101; A45D 40/0068 20130101 |
International
Class: |
A45D 34/04 20060101
A45D034/04; A45D 40/00 20060101 A45D040/00; A45D 40/26 20060101
A45D040/26 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Apr 26, 2019 |
JP |
2019-085949 |
Claims
1. A cosmetic container, comprising: a container body for
containing a liquid cosmetic, the container body having an upwardly
open opening therein; an outer lid for sealing the opening in the
container body; and a plate-shaped pad that vertically partitions
an interior of the container body, wherein the pad is made of
felt.
2. The cosmetic container according to claim 1, wherein a maximum
amount of the cosmetic in the container body is an amount such that
a surface of the liquid cosmetic contained in the container body is
below a bottom surface of the pad in a state in which the container
body is upright, so that the opening in the container body is
directed vertically upward.
3. The cosmetic container according to claim 2, wherein a mark
indicating a position of the surface of the liquid cosmetic
corresponding to the maximum amount of the cosmetic is provided to
the container body.
4. The cosmetic container according to claim 1, further comprising
a pad moving mechanism that moves the pad returnably downward when
the upper surface of the pad is pressed downward.
5. The cosmetic container according to claim 4, wherein the pad
moving mechanism includes a movable frame configured to be slidable
with respect to an inner surface of the container body and a fixed
frame disposed above the movable frame, the movable frame includes
a spring that is compressed between a bottom surface of the
container body and a lower surface of a frame portion that holds a
periphery of the pad, and the lower surface of the fixed frame
contacts an upper surface of the movable frame when the spring is
in the restored state to stop the movable frame at a predetermined
vertical position.
6. The cosmetic container according to claim 5, wherein the spring
is a leaf spring.
7. The cosmetic container according to claim 5, wherein the spring
is a coil spring having a spiral axis extending in a vertical
direction.
8. The cosmetic container according to claim 1, wherein the pad is
made of plastic fibers thermally welded to each other along an
outer periphery of the pad.
9. The cosmetic container according to claim 1, further comprising
a frame body mounted on the container body and having an annular
portion of double-ring construction, the two rings facing each
other in a vertical direction, wherein the pad is disposed between
the two rings of the annular portion, and a cut-out for inserting
the pad between the rings is formed in at least one of the rings of
the double-ring structure.
10. The cosmetic container according to claim 1, further comprising
a frame attached to the container body and having an annular frame
formed thereon, and the periphery of the pad is welded to the
frame.
11. The cosmetic container according to claim 1, wherein the pad
has a thickness of at least 1 mm but not more than 3 mm, and a
porosity of at least 70% but not more than 90% as determined by a
WET (v/v) method, and the viscosity of the cosmetic stored in the
container body is at least 1 cs but not more than 1000 cs.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application claims priority pursuant to 35 U.S.C.
.sctn. 119 from Japanese Patent Application No. 2019-085949, filed
on Apr. 26, 2019, the content of which is incorporated herein by
reference in its entirety.
BACKGROUND
Technical Field
[0002] The present invention relates to cosmetic container, in
particular, a cosmetic container for storing a cosmetic made of a
low-viscosity fluid.
Related Art
[0003] Some cosmetics are applied using a puff or a finger. As a
cosmetic container for accommodating this type of cosmetic, there
is that which includes a bottomed container body that can be
hermetically sealed by an outer lid, and an inner lid in which a
screen made of a mesh material is disposed. By pushing the screen
toward the bottom of the container body the cosmetic is exuded onto
the surface of the screen. For example, if one holds down the
screen with a puff, the cosmetic is transferred to a puff. The user
then takes up the exuded cosmetic with the puff or with the
fingers.
[0004] In addition, in a cosmetic container that stores cosmetics
designed to be applied using a puff, the puff is often stored in a
space between the screen and the lid in the container body.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Problem to be Solved by the Invention
[0005] Cosmetic containers for storing cosmetics to be applied
using puffs or fingers are required to ensure that the cosmetic
contained therein does not leak out when the container is inverted
and that the cosmetic can be reliably oozed.
[0006] However, some cosmetics such as lotions have a very low
viscosity (e.g., 1000 cs or less) and are almost liquid. As a
result, when a low-viscosity cosmetic is contained in a cosmetic
container with an inner lid in which a screen is disposed as
described in JP 2016-220871A, when the cosmetic container is
inverted, the cosmetic leaks through the mesh of the screen.
[0007] In addition, when puffing a low-viscosity cosmetic, the
cosmetic readily passes through the mesh of the screen and it is
difficult to obtain an appropriate amount. For this reason,
cosmetics having a low viscosity have conventionally often been
stored in bottles and the like. That is, in the case of using
cosmetics having a low viscosity in a puff, a container for storing
the puff is required besides the bottle for the cosmetic
itself.
[0008] JP 2017-2026A describes an impregnated material for
impregnating a cosmetic having a viscosity of about 1,000 to 7000
cs. Therefore, it is conceivable to provide a low-viscosity
cosmetic impregnated into an impregnated material such as a sponge.
However, in this case, it is not possible to replace only the
cosmetic and it therefore becomes difficult to provide the cosmetic
at a lower cost. Moreover, even if the replenished cosmetic is
provided in a state of being impregnated into the impregnated
material, a long time is required to impregnate the impregnated
material with the cosmetic, and it becomes difficult to provide the
replenished cosmetic at reduced cost.
[0009] Conceivably, the user could replenish or refill a cosmetic
container that has been emptied or nearly emptied. But this
refilling imposes a burden on the user to impregnate the cosmetic,
and the cosmetics cannot be replenished or refilled quickly or
easily. Of course, in a case in which the cosmetic is provided in a
state of being impregnated into the impregnated material, an
impregnated material capable of impregnating the entire amount of
the cosmetic is required in addition to the cosmetic. That is, the
volume of the impregnated material increases, and the size of the
cosmetic container in which the impregnated material is contained
also increases as a result. As the size of the cosmetic container
increases, the portability of the cosmetic container decreases. On
the other hand, if the cosmetic container is made smaller, the user
can then carry only a small amount of cosmetic.
[0010] Furthermore, the impregnated material described in JP
2017-2026A assumes that it will be impregnated with a cosmetic
having a viscosity greater than 1000 cs. Accordingly, if
impregnated with a cosmetic having a lower viscosity, then, like
the mesh material, the cosmetic may drip from the impregnated
material when the container is inverted.
[0011] It is an object of the present invention to provide a
cosmetic container that is suitable for being made compact, which
does not leak when inverted when containing cosmetics of low
viscosity, and enables the cosmetic to be oozed reliably when in
use.
Solution to the Problem
[0012] To achieve the above-described object, the present invention
provides a cosmetic container including a container body for
containing a liquid cosmetic, the container body having an upwardly
open opening therein, an outer lid for sealing the opening in the
container body, and a plate-shaped pad that vertically partitions
the interior of the container body. The pad is made of felt.
[0013] A maximum amount of the cosmetic in the container body may
be an amount such that a surface of the liquid cosmetic contained
in the container body is below a bottom surface of the pad in a
state in which the container body is upright, so that the opening
in the container body is directed vertically upward. Moreover, a
mark indicating a position of the surface of the liquid cosmetic
corresponding to the maximum amount of the cosmetic may be provided
to the container body.
[0014] The cosmetic container may be provided with a pad moving
mechanism that moves the pad returnably downward when the upper
surface of the pad is pressed downward.
[0015] The pad moving mechanism may include a movable frame
configured to be slidable with respect to an inner surface of the
container body and a fixed frame disposed above the movable frame.
The movable frame includes a spring that is compressed between a
bottom surface of the container body and a lower surface of a frame
portion that holds a periphery of the pad, and the lower surface of
the fixed frame contacts an upper surface of the movable frame when
the spring is in the restored state to stop the movable frame at a
predetermined vertical position. The spring may be a leaf spring,
or a coil spring having a spiral axis extending in a vertical
direction.
[0016] The pad may be made of plastic fibers thermally welded to
each other along an outer periphery of the pad. The cosmetic
container may further include a frame body mounted on the container
body and having an annular portion of double-ring construction, the
two rings facing each other in a vertical direction, wherein the
pad is disposed between the two rings of the annular portion, and a
cut-out for inserting the pad between the rings is formed in at
least one of the rings of the double-ring structure. Alternatively,
the cosmetic container may further include a frame attached to the
container body and having an annular frame formed thereon, with the
periphery of the pad welded to the frame.
[0017] The pad has a thickness of at least 1 mm but not more than 3
mm, and a porosity of at least 70% but not more than 90% as
determined by a WET (v/v) method.
[0018] Preferably, the viscosity of the cosmetic stored in the
container body is at least 1 cs but not more than 1000 cs.
Effects of the Invention
[0019] The present invention provides a cosmetic container that is
suitable for being made compact and which does not leak when
inverted when containing cosmetics of low viscosity, and enables
the cosmetic to be oozed reliably when in use.
[0020] Other advantages and effects of the present invention will
become apparent from the following description.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0021] FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a cosmetic
container according to an embodiment of the present invention.
[0022] FIGS. 2A-2C are drawings illustrating an assembled state and
a structure of the cosmetic container according to the
embodiment.
[0023] FIG. 3A-3B are drawings illustrating a frame constituting an
inner lid included in the cosmetic container according to the
embodiment.
[0024] FIG. 4A-4B are drawings illustrating a variation of the
inner lid.
[0025] FIG. 5A-5C are drawings illustrating injection molding of
the inner lid according to a variation.
[0026] FIG. 6A-6B are drawings illustrating a cosmetic container
according to another embodiment of the present invention.
[0027] FIG. 7A-7B are drawings illustrating a cosmetic container
according to another embodiment of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0028] Embodiments of the present invention are described below
with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings
referenced in the following description, the same or similar parts
may be denoted by the same reference numerals and redundant
description omitted. In some drawings, reference numerals from
other drawings may be omitted for simplicity.
[0029] Cosmetic Container
[0030] Given here as an embodiment of the present invention is a
cosmetic container containing cosmetic consisting of a liquid with
a very low viscosity (e.g., 1 to 1000 cs), and which can be used by
transferring the cosmetic to a puff. FIG. 1 is a perspective view
of the cosmetic container 1 according to the embodiment,
disassembled into its constituent components. As illustrated in
FIG. 1, the cosmetic container 1 has a bottomed, stepped
cylindrical container body 2, an outer lid 3 that seals an opening
in the container body 2, and an inner lid 4 that is detachably
mounted on the container body 2. Here, the direction in which the
cylindrical axis 100 of the stepped cylindrical container body 2
extends is defined as the vertical direction, and the respective up
and down directions are relatively defined assuming that the bottom
of the container body 2 is at the bottom. In addition, the vertical
direction of the outer lid 3 and the inner lid 4 and the position
where the cylindrical axis 100 penetrates are defined based on the
state of being mounted on the container body 2. That is, even if
the outer lid 3 and the inner lid 4 are taken out of the container
body 2, the vertical direction and the penetrating position of the
cylindrical axis 100 are unchanged. The structure of the container
body 2, the outer lid 3, and the inner lid 4, which together
constitute the cosmetic container, are described below.
[0031] The container body 2 has a stepped cylindrical external
shape while at the same time maintaining a constant inner diameter
from the upper end 25 to the inside of the bottom (hereinafter, a
bottom surface 26), such that there are no steps on the inner
surface 24 of the container body 2. That is, the container body 2
consists of a lower region that is formed thick and an upper region
that is thinned. The thickened lower region is used as a cosmetic
container portion 21, and a coaxial cylindrical neck portion 22
thinned with respect to the container portion 21 is formed as a
single unit with and above the container portion 21. A male screw
is 23 is formed on the outer periphery of the neck portion 22.
[0032] The outer lid 3 has a flat bottomed cylindrical shape with
the top part as the bottom (hereinafter referred to as the top part
31). On the inner surface of the outer lid 3, a female screw 32
that engages the male screw 23 of the neck portion 22 is formed.
The inner lid 4 is composed of a vertically flattened cylindrical
frame 41 having a bottom and a flange 42 at the upper end, and a
disc-shaped pad 10 made of felt disposed at the lower end side of
the frame 41. The frame 41 has a portion (hereinafter, a bottom 44)
formed in an annular shape by a downwardly open opening 43. The pad
10 is mounted on the bottom 44 of the frame 41, and the upper
surface 11 and the bottom surface of the pad 10 are exposed upward
and downward, respectively, through the opening 43 in the bottom 44
of the frame 41.
[0033] As is well known, felt is not a woven fabric but a fabric
obtained by compressing fibers into a thin plate shape. Felt is
characterized in that the fibers are irregularly bonded, the
strength and elongation have no directionality, and the thickness
and the porosity (the ratio of the volume of the voids to the total
volume) can be easily adjusted. In the cosmetic container 1
according to the embodiment, the container body 2, the outer lid 3,
and the frame 41 are formed by plastic injection molding.
[0034] FIGS. 2A-2C illustrate the container body 2, the outer lid
3, and the inner lid 4 that constitute the cosmetic container 1,
the detailed structure of the cosmetic container 1, and the state
of containment of the cosmetic 5 in the container body 2. FIG. 2A
illustrates a state in which the inner lid 4 is mounted in the
container body 2 and FIG. 2B illustrates a state in which the outer
lid 3 is mounted on the container body 2. FIG. 2C is a longitudinal
sectional view of the cosmetic container 1 along a plane including
the vertical direction.
[0035] As illustrated in FIG. 2A, when the inner lid 4 is mounted
in the container body 2, the lower surface of the flange 42 of the
inner lid 4 (indicated by reference numeral 46 in FIG. 2C) contacts
the upper end of the container body 2 (reference numeral 25 in FIG.
2C). As a result, the inner lid 4 is prevented from falling into
the container body 2. As a structure for preventing the inner lid 4
from falling into the container body 2, besides providing the
flange 42 on the inner lid 4, for example, an appropriate
structure, such as a protrusion for supporting the lower end of the
inner lid 4, can be provided to the inner surface 24 of the
container body 2. Then, once the inner lid 4 is mounted in the
container body 2 and the outer lid 3 is mounted to the neck portion
22 of the container body 2, as illustrated in FIG. 2B, the cosmetic
container 1 achieves a flat cylindrical appearance.
[0036] As described above, the frame 41 of the inner lid 4 is a
vertically flattened cylinder, the lower end of which has the
opening 43 therein and forms the bottom 44 that upwardly and
downwardly exposes the upper surface 11 and the lower surface 12,
respectively, of the pad 10. As illustrated in FIG. 2C, the
cosmetic 5 is contained in the space between the lower surface 12
of the pad 10 and the bottom surface 26 of the container body 2 in
the container portion 21 of the container body 2. The maximum
amount of the cosmetic 5 stored in the container portion 21 of the
container body 2 is such that, when the cosmetic container 1 is
upright with the bottom surface 26 of the container body 2 facing
down, a liquid level 51 of the cosmetic 5 is set so as not to
contact the lower surface 12 of the pad 10. Note that, in the
container body 2, the upper surface 11 side of the pad 10 serves as
a puff storage location.
[0037] Packing 33 is installed inside the top part 31 of the outer
lid 3. When the outer lid 3 is mounted on the container body 2 by
the female screw 32 formed on the inner surface of the outer lid 3
and the male screw formed 23 on the neck portion 22 of the
container body 2, the lower surface 34 of the packing 33 presses
against the upper surface 45 of the flange 42 of the inner lid 4
and the lower surface 46 of the flange 42 presses against the upper
end 25 of the container body 2, thereby sealing the container body
2 and preventing evaporation of the cosmetic 5.
[0038] The inner surface 24 of the container body 2 and the outer
peripheral surface 47 of the frame 41 of the inner lid 4 press
against each other, so when the cosmetic container 1 is inverted
while the outer lid 3 is not sealed, the cosmetic 5 does not leak
through the contact interfaces (24 and 47, 25 and 46) between the
inner lid 4 and the container body 2.
[0039] The frame 41 of the inner lid 4 has a structure for securely
holding the pad 10, and leakage of the cosmetic 5 from the inner
surface side of the frame 41 via the outer peripheral surface 13 of
the pad 10 is also prevented. FIGS. 3A-3B illustrate the structure
of the frame 41. FIG. 3A is a perspective view of the frame 41 from
above, and FIG. 3B is a perspective view of the frame 41 from
below. The holding structure for the pad 10 in the frame 41 is
described in greater detail below with reference to FIG. 2C and
FIGS. 3A-3B.
[0040] As described above, the frame 41 is a vertically flattened,
bottomed hollow cylinder with a bottom 44 facing downward, with the
opening 43 formed in the center of the bottom. As illustrated in
FIGS. 2C and 3A-3B, the bottom 44 has a double-ring structure with
two rings facing each other vertically across a gap 48. The pad 10
is disposed between the rings at the bottom 44 of the double-ring
structure. As illustrated in FIG. 3A, an upper bottom portion 441
is formed in an annular shape, and a lower bottom portion 442 has
cut-outs 49 formed by cutting out portions as illustrated in FIG.
3B. As a result, as illustrated in FIG. 2C, the bottom 44 has a
C-shaped vertical cross-sectional shape in a region where the
cut-outs 49 are not formed. In these regions where the vertical
cross-sectional shape of the bottom 44 is C-shaped, the peripheral
portion of the pad 10 between the upper surface 11 and the lower
surface 12 of the pad 10 is held in a compressed state between the
upper and lower bottom portions 441, 442.
[0041] It should be noted that, in the frame 41 of the cosmetic
container 1 according to the embodiment, the cut-outs 49 are formed
at two positions opposite each other and symmetrical about the
cylindrical axis 100. The pad 10 is bent slightly when mounted in
the frame 41 and may be slid into the gap 48 with the upper bottom
portion 442 through the cut-out 49 in the lower bottom portion 442
of the frame as indicated by the blank arrow in FIG. 3B.
[0042] Amount of Cosmetic; Method of Taking Out Cosmetic
[0043] In the cosmetic container 1 of the embodiment having the
above-described configuration, the pad 10 is made of felt. Unlike a
screen made of a mesh material the pad 10 made of felt does not
bend much, and if the load is smaller than the yield stress the
surface is merely dented and compressed when pressed; if the load
is released, the pad 10 returns to its original shape. In the
cosmetic container 1 according to the embodiment, the porosity and
the thickness of the pad 10 are set according to the viscosity of
the cosmetic 5 contained in the container portion 21, so that the
cosmetic 5 impregnated from the lower surface 12 of the pad 10 can
be oozed from the upper surface 11 of the pad 10. Moreover, even if
the cosmetic container 1 is inverted, the pad 10 remains
impregnated with the cosmetic 5 and the cosmetic 5 does not leak
from the upper surface 11 of the pad 10.
[0044] As a procedure for taking out the cosmetic 5 from the
cosmetic container 1 according to the embodiment, first, the lower
surface 12 of the pad 10 is brought into contact with the cosmetic
5 by inverting the cosmetic container 1 or the like. As a result,
the cosmetic 5 is impregnated into the felt pad 10 by capillary
action. Then, the upper surface 11 of the pad 10 is pressed
downward with a puff or the like to compress the pad 10. As a
result, the cosmetic 5 impregnated into the pad 10 oozes out onto
the upper surface 11 side of the pad 10 and the cosmetic 5 is
transferred to the puff.
[0045] Maximum Amount of Cosmetic
[0046] Note that in other instruments that use felt (such as
felt-tip pens, alcohol lamps, etc.), one end of the rod-shaped wick
made of felt is always in contact with the ink or alcohol fuel. As
a result, the ink taken up into the wick by capillary action is
transferred to the paper surface at the other end of the wick, or
the alcohol fuel taken up by the wick volatilizes and burns at the
other end of the wick. In contrast, in the cosmetic container 1
according to the embodiment, it is assumed that the pad 10 made of
felt is not in contact with the cosmetic 5 except when the cosmetic
5 is being used, at which time the pad 10 is temporarily
impregnated with the cosmetic 5. In the case of a felt pen or an
alcohol lamp, if the ink or alcohol fuel is not continuously
supplied to the wick, the ink may fade or the flame may be
extinguished. However, with the cosmetic container 1, the pad only
needs to be pre-impregnated with an amount of cosmetic sufficient
for a single use. Further, the pad 10 has an extremely large area
for taking up the liquid compared to the rod-shaped wick, so that
the cosmetic 5 impregnated into the pad 10 is quickly evaporated.
Therefore, if the cosmetic 5 is constantly in contact with the pad
10, the cosmetic 5 contained in the container portion 21 will
evaporate while being impregnated into the pad 10, and there is a
possibility that the amount of the cosmetic 5 will decrease even
before use.
[0047] Therefore, when the cosmetic container 1 according to the
embodiment is stood upright so that the opening in the container
body 2 faces vertically upward, the liquid level 51 of the cosmetic
5 is below the lower surface 12 of the pad 10. That is, in the
cosmetic container 1 according to the embodiment, the maximum
amount of the cosmetic 5 in the container portion 21 is limited. In
order to limit the amount of the cosmetic 5 in the container
portion 21, conceivably a mark such as a scale may be provided to
the inner surface 24 of the container portion 21 at the height of
the liquid level 51 when the container portion 21 is filled with
the maximum amount of cosmetic 5. Alternatively, the user may be
made aware that the liquid level 51 of the cosmetic 5 is to remain
below the lower surface 12 of the pad 10 when replenishing or
replacing the cosmetic 5 by including a warning to that effect in
the user manual or at some suitable place on the cosmetic container
1. Refills may be provided that are always in the maximum amount or
less. In any case, it is sufficient that a predetermined amount or
more of the cosmetic is not put into the container portion 21.
[0048] Porosity and Thickness of Pad
[0049] As described above, in the cosmetic container 1 according to
the embodiment, the porosity and thickness of the pad 10 is set
according to the viscosity of the cosmetic 5. As a result, the
cosmetic 5 stored in the container portion 21 can be taken out from
the upper surface 11 of the pad 10 while at the same time the
cosmetic 5 in the container portion 21 does not leak from the upper
surface 11 of the pad 10 even when the cosmetic container 1 is
inverted. A method of setting the porosity and thickness of the pad
10 according to the viscosity of the cosmetic 5 is described
below.
[0050] Cosmetic Taking-Out Performance
[0051] The essential function required of the cosmetic container 1
is to enable taking-out of the cosmetic 5 contained in the
container portion 21 from the upper surface 11 of the pad 10. In
order to evaluate the ease of taking out the cosmetic 5 (i.e.,
cosmetic taking-out performance) from the cosmetic container 1
according to the embodiment, multiple cosmetic containers 1 were
prepared using various types of liquids having different
viscosities and pads 10 having different porosities and
thickness.
[0052] The porosity of the pad 10 is obtained from an equation
according to a known WET (v/v) method. The WET (v/v) method can
determine the porosity more accurately by taking into consideration
differences in specific gravity according to differences in the
material of the fiber constituting the pad 10. If A is the dry mass
of the pad 10, B is the saturated water content of the pad 10, and
p is the specific gravity of the fiber used for the pad 10, then
the porosity WET (v/v) can be found by the following equation:
WET(v/v)=[(B-A)/{(A/.rho.)+(B-A)}].times.100(%).
Note that the pad 10 used for evaluating cosmetic taking-out
performance is made of polyester (PET) and low-melting polyester
(LPET).
[0053] The relation between viscosity and liquid taking-out
performance of the liquid contained in the container portion 21
using cosmetic containers 1 of different types of pads 10 was
examined. Specifically, first, the cosmetic container 1 was
inverted for 1 minute with the liquid contained in the container
portion 21 to impregnate the pad 10 with the liquid. Next, in a
state in which the cosmetic container 1 was stood upright, a puff
was pressed three times against the pad 10 to transfer the liquid
to the puff and a cosmetic taking-out test was performed. The
difference in mass of the puff before and after transferring the
liquid represented the mass of the liquid transferred to the puff.
The cosmetic taking-out test was performed three times for each
combination of type of pad 10 and type of liquid used, and the
average value of the mass of the liquid at each time was used as
the test result.
[0054] TABLE 1 below shows the results of the cosmetic taking-out
test.
TABLE-US-00001 TABLE 1 PAD LIQUID POROSITY WET THICKNESS SILICONE
OIL (v/v)(%) (mm) WATER ETHANOL 1 cs 500 cs 1000 cs 70 1 0.204
0.688 0.508 0.178 0.085 2 0.269 0.671 0.493 0.086 0.042 3 0.206
0.679 0.510 -- -- 75 1 0.223 0.984 0.574 0.161 0.169 2 0.283 0.861
0.646 0.134 0.071 3 0.287 0.974 0.643 0.091 -- 80 1 0.204 1.028
0.895 0.182 0.257 2 0.264 1.034 1.009 0.223 0.071 3 0.301 0.897
1.089 0.191 -- 85 1 0.308 1.166 0.972 0.241 0.266 2 0.343 1.334
1.145 0.269 0.108 3 0.300 1.155 1.201 0.219 0.094 90 1 0.495 1.373
1.475 0.476 0.306 2 0.378 1.307 1.342 0.386 0.228 3 0.387 1.179
1.380 0.241 0.222
[0055] As shown in TABLE 1, water, alcohol, and three types of
silicone oils were prepared as liquids having different
viscosities. In addition, the viscosities of water and alcohol are
given as kinematic viscosities at 25.degree. C. of 0.893 cs and
1.373 cs, respectively. The three types of silicone oils have
viscosities of 1 cs, 500 cs, and 1000 cs, respectively.
[0056] From the test results shown in TABLE 1, it was found that
when the cosmetic container 1 is inverted for 1 minute and the pad
10 having a thickness of 3 mm and a porosity of 80% or less is
impregnated with a liquid having a viscosity of 1000 cs, the liquid
did not seep into the pad 10 sufficiently and the liquid could not
be oozed from the upper surface 11 of the pad 10. Further, it was
confirmed that a liquid having a viscosity of 500 cs cannot be
oozed from the pad 10 having a porosity of 70% and a thickness of 3
mm, while it was confirmed that all the liquids could be oozed from
the pads 10 having a porosity of 70% to 90% provided that the
thickness of the pad was 2 mm or less. It was confirmed that the
greater the porosity of the pad 10 or the thinner the thickness of
the pad 10, the more readily the liquid was impregnated into the
pad 10 and the more readily the liquid could be oozed.
[0057] Inverted Leak Test
[0058] Some cosmetics are made to be used on the go. Therefore, a
cosmetic container 1 meant to be portable must also be capable of
preventing the cosmetic 5 from leaking even if the cosmetic
container 1 is inverted (i.e., leakage prevention). Therefore, in
order to evaluate the leakage prevention of the cosmetic container
1 according to the embodiment, a variety of cosmetic containers 1
containing various liquids of different viscosities and having the
pads 10 of different porosities and thicknesses were prepared and
the various cosmetic containers 1 were inverted to perform an
inverted leak test for checking the degree of leakage of the
liquid.
[0059] As to the specific procedures of the inverted leak test,
first, 15 g of liquids having different viscosities were stored in
the container portion 21 in various cosmetic containers 1 having
different types of pads 10. Next, the cosmetic containers 1 were
inverted, and after it was confirmed that the liquid was
impregnated into the pad 10 by capillary action, the inverted state
was maintained for one week. Then, after the test, it was visually
confirmed whether or not the liquid had leaked to the neck portion
22 side in the container body 2.
[0060] Results of the inverted leak test are shown in TABLE 2
below.
TABLE-US-00002 TABLE 2 PAD LIQUID POROSITY WET THICKNESS SILICONE
OIL (v/v) (%) (mm) WATER ETHANOL 1 cs 500 cs 1000 cs 70 1 x x x
.smallcircle. .smallcircle. 2 .smallcircle. .smallcircle.
.smallcircle. .smallcircle. .smallcircle. 3 .smallcircle.
.smallcircle. .smallcircle. .smallcircle. .smallcircle. 75 1 x x x
.smallcircle. .smallcircle. 2 x x x .smallcircle. .smallcircle. 3
.smallcircle. .smallcircle. .smallcircle. .smallcircle.
.smallcircle. 80 1 x x x .smallcircle. .smallcircle. 2 x x x
.smallcircle. .smallcircle. 3 .smallcircle. .smallcircle.
.smallcircle. .smallcircle. .smallcircle. 85 1 x x x .smallcircle.
.smallcircle. 2 x x x .smallcircle. .smallcircle. 3 .smallcircle.
.smallcircle. x .smallcircle. .smallcircle. 90 1 x x x
.smallcircle. .smallcircle. 2 x x x .smallcircle. .smallcircle. 3
.smallcircle. x x .smallcircle. .smallcircle.
[0061] As can be seen from TABLE 2, the prepared pads 10 and the
liquids are the same as those shown in TABLE 1. From the results of
the inverted leak test, it was found that, in the case of a liquid
having a viscosity of 1 cs or less, when the thickness of the pad
10 was 2 mm or less and the porosity is 70% or more, liquid leaked
from the upper surface 11 of the pad 10 in less than a week. In
contrast, when the thickness of the pad 10 was 3 mm and the
porosity was 80% or less, it was found that no liquid leaked.
[0062] In the cosmetic taking-out test described above, the
cosmetic container 1 was inverted for one minute in order to
impregnate the pad 10, but no liquid leaked from any of the pads 10
in the one minute. Therefore, if an ordinary cosmetic container is
temporarily inverted when the cosmetic 5 is taken out, then
depending on the viscosity of the cosmetic 5 it is only necessary
to use a pad 10 having a thickness of 1 mm or more and 3 mm or less
and a porosity of 70% or more and 90% or less. That is, in order to
make the cosmetic container 1 according to the example suitable for
storing cosmetic 5 having a viscosity of 1 cs or more and 1000 cs
or less, it is sufficient to set the thickness and the porosity of
the pad 10 to a range of 1 mm or more and 3 mm or less and 70% or
more and 90% or less, respectively. Doing so provides the cosmetic
container 1 according to the embodiment from which the cosmetic 5
can be reliably taken out and from which the cosmetic 5 does not
leak through the pad 10 even when the cosmetic container 1 is
inverted.
[0063] In the cosmetic container 1 according to the embodiment,
various cosmetics 5 having different viscosities can be stored in
the cosmetic container 1 having the same shape by simply changing
the porosity and the thickness of the pad 10. That is, various
cosmetic 5 can be provided in essentially a single type of cosmetic
container 1. Moreover, in the cosmetic container 1 according to the
embodiment, the bottom 44 of the frame 41 constituting the inner
lid 4 has a double-ring structure and cut-outs 49 are formed in the
lower bottom portion 442, and the frame 41 is formed so that the
pad 10 can be freely attached and detached. Therefore, the cosmetic
container 1 according to the embodiment can accommodate cosmetics 5
having a viscosity of 1 cs to 1000 cs simply by switching among
pads 10 having different thicknesses and porosities, and is thus
extremely versatile. Moreover, high versatility makes the cosmetic
container 1 less expensive. As a result, the cosmetic 5 can be
provided at lower cost. In addition, various cosmetics 5 can be
stored or displayed in the same cosmetic container 1, and the
cosmetic 5 can be stored or displayed in a uniform and pleasing
manner.
Other Embodiments
[0064] Felt
[0065] Although in the cosmetic container 1 according to the above
embodiment the pad 10 is made of plastic fibers made from PET and
LPET, alternatively the pad 10 may be made of plastic fibers of
nylon, acrylic, etc., and of course the pad 10 may be formed of
felt using natural fibers. If the pad 10 is made of a plastic fiber
felt, the fibers on the outer peripheral surface 13 of the pad 10
may be thermally welded to each other. By so doing, while the
cosmetic 5 impregnated into the pad 10 spreads out in the radial
direction of the pad 10, leakage from the outer peripheral surface
13 of the pad 10 is blocked, and the leakage of the cosmetic 5 can
be more reliably prevented. Further, since the pad 10 is generally
obtained by cutting it out from one large piece of felt, if the
felt is cut using a laser beam (laser cutting), the cutting out of
the pad 10 and the welding of the fibers along the outer peripheral
surface 13 can be performed simultaneously.
[0066] Forming the Inner Lid
[0067] If the pad 10 is made of plastic fibers, the frame 41 of the
inner lid 4 can be injection molded with the pad 10 as an insert
member. By so doing, the pad 10 can be inserted between the rings
of the bottom 44 of the double-ring frame 41 at the same time the
frame 41 is formed. Moreover, even if the pad 10 is cut by a method
other than laser cutting, the fibers on the outer peripheral
surface 13 of the pad 10 can still be thermally welded
together.
[0068] FIGS. 4A, 4B illustrate an inner lid 104 obtained by
injection molding the frame 41 using the pad 10 as an insert
member. FIG. 4A is a perspective view of the inner lid 104 as
viewed from above, and FIG. 4B is a perspective view of the inner
lid 104 as viewed from below. As illustrated in FIG. 4A, like the
inner lid 4 of the cosmetic container 1 according to the embodiment
illustrated in FIG. 1, the inner lid 104 is a vertically flattened
hollow cylindrical frame 41 with an annular bottom having a
double-ring structure 441, 443 formed on the lower end side and the
flat pad 10 arranged between the rings 441, 443 of the double-ring
structure. However, as illustrated in FIG. 4B, the inner lid 104
does not have a cut-out (reference numeral 49 in FIG. 3B) in the
bottom ring 443 of the double-ring structure.
[0069] FIGS. 5A, 5B, 5C illustrate a procedure for forming the
inner lid 104 illustrated in FIGS. 4A, 4B. First, as illustrated in
FIG. 5A, a flat pad 10 is arranged in a mold 61, 62. Then, as
illustrated in FIG. 5B, the molds (61, 62) are closed and the
molten plastic is injected into the cavity 63. When the molded
product is ejected from the molds 61, 62, the inner lid 104
illustrated in a vertical sectional view in FIG. 5C is obtained. In
the inner lid 104, the peripheral region of the pad 10, that is,
the outer peripheral surface 13 and the peripheral portion of the
upper and lower surfaces 11, 12 are welded to the plastic
constituting the frame 41 in the gap 48 formed between the rings
441, 443 of the double-ring structure. As a result, in the cosmetic
container 1 provided with the inner lid 104, leakage of the
cosmetic 5 via the contact interface 60 between the peripheral
region of the pad 10 and the frame 41 is securely blocked.
Alternatively, note that the bottom 44 need not have a double-ring
structure, and only the lower bottom 443 may be provided, in which
case the outer peripheral surface 13 and the peripheral portion of
the lower surface 12 of the pad 10 are welded to the lower bottom
443.
[0070] Method of Impregnating the Pad with Cosmetic
[0071] The cosmetic container 1 according to the embodiment may be
provided with a mechanism for impregnating cosmetic 5 to the pad 10
while in the upright state. Schematically, referring to FIG. 2C,
the mechanism moves the pad 10 returnably downward so as to be able
to return the pad 10 to its initial state, and brings the lower
surface 12 of the pad 10 into contact with the liquid level 51 of
the cosmetic 5. FIGS. 6A, 6B and FIGS. 7A, 7B illustrate vertical
sections of cosmetic containers 101, 201 provided with a mechanism
for moving the pad 10 downward (hereinafter referred to as a pad
moving mechanism). The cosmetic containers 101, 201 illustrated in
FIGS. 6A, 6B and FIGS. 7A, 7B have an opening 112, 212 at the
bottom 111, 211 and have a pad moving mechanism constituted by a
frame fixed to the upper side of the container body 2 (hereinafter
referred to as a fixed frame 110, 210) and a frame on which the pad
10 is mounted that moves the pad 10 in the vertical direction (a
movable frame 120, 220).
[0072] In the cosmetic container 101 illustrated in FIGS. 6A, 6B,
the pad moving mechanism is constituted by the fixed frame 110 and
the movable frame 120 provided with leaf springs 121. FIG. 6A
illustrates the arrangement of the movable frame 120 when the
cosmetic 5 is not used, and FIG. 6B illustrates the arrangement of
the movable frame 120 when the pad 10 is impregnated with the
cosmetic 5. As illustrated in FIG. 6A, the fixed frame 110 is a
single piece of molded plastic, and is detachably mounted on the
container body 2. The fixed frame 110 has a vertically flattened
hollow cylindrical shape. A flange 113 is formed at the upper end,
and an opening 112 for exposing the upper surface 11 of the pad 10
is formed at the center of the bottom 111. That is, the fixed frame
110 has the same shape as the frame 41 constituting the inner lid 4
of the cosmetic container 1 illustrated in FIG. 1. When the fixed
frame 110 is mounted on the container body 2, the lower surface 114
of the flange 113 contacts the upper end 25 of the container body 2
so as not to fall into the container body 2. The bottom 111 of the
fixed frame 110 has a single-ring structure and no pad 10 is
attached to the bottom 111.
[0073] The movable frame 120 is a single piece of molded plastic,
having a frame-shaped portion (hereinafter referred to as a pad
mounting frame 124) in which a peripheral wall surface 123 is
erected upward and contacts an outer peripheral surface 13 of the
pad 10 around the periphery of an annular bottom 122 supporting
from below the peripheral portion of the lower surface 12 of the
pad, and leaf springs 121 projecting downward from the pad mounting
frame 124. The pad 10 is fixed in the pad mounting frame 124 by an
appropriate method (adhesion, welding, or the like), and the leaf
springs 121 are formed at equal angular intervals around the
circumference of the bottom 122 of the pad mounting frame 124. In
the movable frame 120 illustrated here, the leaf springs 121 are
formed at four locations 90.degree. apart. The lower ends of the
leaf springs 121 contact the bottom surface 26 of the container
body 2.
[0074] When using the cosmetic 5, the pad 10 is pressed downward as
the puff or the like is contacted against the upper surface 11 of
the pad 10. As a result, as illustrated in FIG. 6B, the pad
mounting frame 124 of the movable frame 120 moves downward
compressing the leaf springs 121. When the lower surface 12 of the
pad 10 contacts the liquid level 51 of the cosmetic 5, the pad 10
is impregnated with the cosmetic 5 and the cosmetic 5 is
transferred from the upper surface 11 of the pad 10 to the puff.
When the cosmetic 5 has been transferred, the pressing force on the
pad 10 may be released. As a result, the pad mounting frame 124 is
moved upward by the restoring force of the leaf springs 121, the
upper end 125 of the pad mounting frame 124 contacts a lower end
115 of the fixed frame 110, and the pad mounting frame 124 returns
to its initial state illustrated in FIG. 6A. The leaf springs 121
of the movable frame 120 are adjusted so that the upper end of the
pad mounting frame 124 contacts the lower end of the fixed frame
110 when in a restored state in which the leaf springs 121 are not
compressed downward or expanded upward. Further, the outer
peripheral surface 116 of the fixed frame 110 presses against the
inner surface 24 of the container body 2, so that the fixed frame
110 does not readily fall out of the container body 2 even when
pushed from below. That is, even if the upper end 125 of the pad
mounting frame 124 contacts the lower end 115 of the fixed frame
110 in a state in which the leaf springs 121 are compressed, the
fixed frame 110 does not separate upward from the container body
2.
[0075] In the cosmetic container 201 illustrated in FIGS. 7A, 7B,
the pad moving mechanism is constituted by the fixed frame 210 and
the movable frame 220 to which coil springs 221 are attached. With
respect to the cosmetic container 101 illustrated in FIGS. 6A, 6B,
the only difference is that the leaf springs 121 are replaced by
the coil springs 221.
[0076] FIG. 7A illustrates the state of the movable frame 220 when
the cosmetic 5 is not used, and FIG. 7B illustrates the state of
the movable frame 220 when the pad 10 is impregnated with the
cosmetic 5. As illustrated in FIG. 7A, the fixed frame 210 is the
same as that illustrated in FIGS. 6A, 6B. Coil springs 221 having
vertical spiral axes are attached to the lower end of the pad
mounting frame 222 of the movable frame 220, which is similar to
that illustrated in FIG. 6A, 6B. As illustrated in FIG. 7B, when
the upper surface 11 of the pad 10 is pressed downward, the coil
springs 221 are compressed between the pad mounting frame 222 and
the bottom surface 26 of the container body 2 and the pad 10
contacts the liquid level 51 of the cosmetic 5. Then, when the
pressing force on the pad 10 is released, the pad mounting frame
222 is moved upward by the restoring force of the coil springs 221
and returns to its initial state as illustrated in FIG. 7A.
[0077] In the cosmetic containers 101, 201 illustrated in FIGS. 6A,
6B and FIGS. 7A, 7B, the pad mounting frames 124, 222 of the
movable frames 120, 220 may be configured so as to hold the pad 10
by the same structure as the frame 41 illustrated in FIGS. 3A-3C or
the bottom 44 of the double-ring structure of the inner lid 104
illustrated in FIGS. 5A-5C.
[0078] In the cosmetic containers 101, 201 illustrated in FIGS. 6A,
6B and FIGS. 7A, 7B, the pad moving mechanism is composed of fixed
frames 10, 210 and movable frames 120, 220. However, for example,
the flange 42 need not be provided on the inner lid 4 of the
cosmetic container 1 illustrated in FIG. 1 or the inner lid 104
illustrated in FIGS. 4A, 4B and a spring mechanism such as a leaf
spring 121 or a coil spring 221 may be provided to the lower bottom
portions 442, 443 of the inner lids 4, 104, so that the inner lid
4, 104 itself can be moved downward so as to be able to return.
[0079] The container body 2 may be formed of a light-transmissive
material, so that a mark indicating the maximum amount of the
cosmetic 5 can be provided on the outer surface of the container
body 2. Alternatively, a mark provided on the inner surface 24 of
the container body 2 can be ascertained from the outside. Further,
if the container body 2 is formed of a light-transmissive material,
the cosmetic 5 in the container body 2 can be visually observed, so
that amount of the cosmetic 5 remaining in the cosmetic container 1
can be ascertained accurately without turning over or shaking the
cosmetic container 1. When the cosmetic 5 is colored, the container
body 2 may be formed of a colorless and transparent
light-transmissive material, such that the color of the cosmetic 5
can be visually recognized from the outside and the cosmetic 5 can
be stored or displayed in a pleasing manner.
[0080] Although the cosmetic containers 1, 101, 201 according to
the above-mentioned embodiment are flat and cylindrical, other
shapes, such as a rectangular tube shape, are possible provided
that the outer lid 3 for sealing the container body 2 and the inner
lid 4 on which the pad 10 is mounted 4 and a configuration
corresponding to the movable frame 120, 220 are provided. The inner
lid 4 can be omitted if an annular projection for supporting the
pad 10 is formed on the inner surface 24 of the container body
2.
* * * * *