Combination Display, Storage And Dispensing Means

Abstract

The present invention relates to a combination display, storing and dispensing instrumentality, in particular for use in connection with coloring matters, cosmetic, and semisolid and similar plastic masses and applies more specifically to lipstick testing and like makeup equipment, which is generally exposed to view and generally tested when employed in specialty stores on counters thereof and other establishments. Such equipment is of simplified construction and affords after use by successive persons that through separation of the top surface layer of superposed, preferably absorbent sheet material stapled or adhesively maintained in pad formation, the aesthetic outer appearance and ready function of the equipment will be at all times kept in a clean, antiseptic and tidy array.

Description

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It has been found that devices of the aforesaid kind when placed on sales counters become easily soiled, unsightly and disorderly arranged within a short time of use by one or more persons when handling (trying out) and testing lipsticks, makeup sets and the like.

The present invention tends to overcome these and other disadvantages inherent in known devices of this type by the provision of means which contribute to an always clean and pleasing outer operational surface and appearance of such testing or tryout devices, so that any unhygienic handling of the parts of the device may be effectively avoided.

It is one of the important features of the invention to provide means resulting in the construction of an orderly arranged, inexpensive display device for a plurality of shades of lipsticks and similar materials or masses which during handling by one customer may be used by another customer without any disturbance and without being influenced by any nondextrous operation of customers.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide means affording the storage of containers for a lipstick, makeup and like coloring matter within a housing in which such containers or casings may be readily accommodated and substantially protected against damage in a desired position thereof.

Another object of the invention contemplates the provision of means considerably reducing the number of parts of the display device, affording a marked price reduction in the manufacturing process and assembly, and permitting easy handling, even upon unskilled or awkward maneuvering by unskilled persons.

Still a further object of the invention is to provide means conductive to a neat and pleasing presentation of a testing device of the aforesaid type, which has incorporated a pad of disposable wiping material which may bear on its surface any advertising, trade name, brief instructions of use and the like and which upon its discarding after successive employment is automatically capable of restoring and placing in view a new and unused top sheet of the layered sheet formation, which may constitute the uppermost level of surface of the assembly of the equipment.

The present invention is also directed to various uses in industrial and similar areas and can be advantageously applied in connection with other cosmetic manipulations during makeup, mascara, eye shadow and the like during application and their removal or take off.

These and other objects of the invention will become more clear and ensue from the following detailed description of the invention and drawing thereof to which reference will now be made.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an equipment pursuant to the invention shown in exploded view.

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary and enlarged sectional view of a corner of the assembled equipment indicated in FIG. 1, the section being taken along line 2--2 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a view similar to that of FIG. 2, but somewhat modified.

FIGS. 4 and 5 are partial top plan views showing different designs of openings of the top plate of the equipment.

FIG. 6 is a top plan view (partly broken off) and FIG. 7 is an enlarged sectional view taken on line 7--7 of FIG. 6 depicting the invention as applied to a makeup equipment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DISCLOSURE

Referring now more particularly to the drawing there is disclosed in FIG. 1 a piece of equipment or device 10 embodying the invention.

The device 10 has a base housing 11 on which fits and rests a closure or top plate 12 which fits the inside wall 13 at 14. Top plate 12 has a plurality of rows of openings 15 with which register suitably larger openings or holes 16 of a pad 17 which is composed of compressed and superpositioned sheet material, such as a moisture- or grease-absorbent paper 17a and like cellulosic material. This pad may be loosely applied to top plate 12 or may be adhesively or otherwise retained in its position thereon. The pad paper layers are suitably held together by adhesive (not shown) or similar process so that each paper sheet may be removed from the pad as illustrated by sheet 17a in FIG. 2.

FIGS. 4 and 5 indicate various shapes of holes 18, 19 provided in the pads as employable in the invention.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the plates 12, 12a may be shaped for various purposes, e.g., to introduce through relatively larger openings 16 of the overlying pad 17 a lipstick casing 20. This casing 20 has a bottom or rotatable handle piece 21 through which the lipstick proper 22 is displayed within casing 20. Casing 20 and hand piece 21 (the latter only partly if desired) pass through opening 15 of top plate 12, as well as through at least part of the perforated pad 17 whose holes 16 are larger than opening 15 for purposes hereinafter explained.

Handle piece 21 of the lipstick casing abuts with its lower rim 23 against the wall of opening 15 (or may be, in some instance, wedged therein) so that any designation 25, description and other features of the lipstick mass may be perceived. The lipstick 20 may thus be held in its upside down position as seen in FIG. 2, or may be reversed in its holding location for exposing to view the lipstick mass 22.

In FIG. 3 housing 11 is equipped with a somewhat different top plate 12a having struck out or sleeve-shaped projections 26 which pass through corresponding holes 27 of larger diameter (than the outer diameter of sleeve 26) of a pad 17. This sleeve 26 preferably projects somewhat beyond the stack or pad 17 of the layered formation as seen in FIG. 3. Rotatable handle piece 21 abuts by means of its rim 23 against the outer- or uppermost edge 24 and thus prevents, even if the lipstick 22 would be extended to its full length, its tip would not be able to abut the bottom wall 11a as may be easily realized. Sleeve 26 may also be slit lengthwise thereof so as to function as a clip or the like into which the handle piece 21 may be frictionally inserted. Thus lipstick 22 may be located uppermost, projecting beyond its casing, while handle 21 is clampingly and frictionally engaged in the spreadable slit sleeve structure.

FIGS. 6 and 7 depict the accommodation of a plurality of makeup cakes or masses 30 disposed in preshaped recesses 31 of a support plate 32 on the top which is placed and affixed a layered pad formation 35 having punched openings 33. In registry with punched openings 33 of the pad 35 are the recesses 31 of support plate 32. It may be observed that part of pad 35 and in particular if desired, the projecting walls of openings 33 may aid in retaining in position the cake mass 30 in recess 31. It is well understood that after use of a makeup and like application the topmost sheet 35a may be lifted and removed from the remainder of pad 35 as disclosed and indicated by sheet 17a in FIG. 2.

It is also to be noted that perforations or passage means 16 and 27 (see FIGS. 2 and 3) are of sufficiently larger diameters so that the individual sheets of the pad formation easily strip off and pass by means of their perforations the rotatable handle piece 21 alone or handle piece 21 and sleeve-shaped lug or piece 26, as the case may be. It is further to be stressed that the individual protective sheets of the pad may be scored or notched in any desired way in order to be able to obtain smaller test portions of the pad of the testing or display device.

The device according to the invention distinguishes over heretofore known demonstrators or testers in that it is very compact, can be readily moved from counter to counter and can even find use as a storage and makeup kit in the boudoir and like room of the house. It is to be mentioned that the height of the base housing should at least correspond to the length of the lipstick casing and to the length of the fully extended lipstick or mass proper when moved beyond or out of the casing into projecting position.

It is further to be mentioned that the total starting thickness of pad 17 of the separable paper or somewhat tissue layers may approximately correspond to or be less than the height of handle piece 21 or sleeve 26 (FIG. 3).

It can thus be seen that there has been provided according to this invention a combination display, storing and dispensing device which comprises one or more holders for a cosmetic and similar plastic mass retained in said holders, and a pad of separable and pliable sheet material (e.g., paper) located substantially at the level or near said holders (FIG. 7) to form a cover therefor, and passage means provided in said sheet material of said pad providing access openings to said mass, all sheets including the uppermost sheet material being removably attached to the pad forming body for separation from the latter when the pad top surface was used or soiled and for other purposes. The passage means 16 or 27 may be constituted by suitably shaped holes (see also FIGS. 4, 5) having relatively large dimensions to facilitate easy stripping off of the uppermost sheet material relative to and beyond the diameter of said mass holder or holders and/or their handle pieces as aforesaid. The invention herein described has reference to some preferred modes contemplated of carrying out this invention; the scope of patent protection to be granted is defined by the ensuing claims.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A display, storing and dispensing device for a cosmetic mass and the like; comprising one or more holders for said mass, a recessed housing having an open side and accommodating therein said holders in juxtaposition to each other, layer means overlying the open side of said housing and forming a closure therefor, said layer means being composed of a plurality of superpositioned sheets of material, said sheets being retained in pad formation on top of said open side of said housing and being individually separable from the remainder of said formation, so that the surface of the latter may be kept clean and substantially unsoiled upon removal of the uppermost sheet from said pad formation, and passage means passing through said pad formation to achieve access to predetermined mass holder or holders.

2. A device according to claim 1, including a closure plate for covering said open side of said housing, said closure plate having openings terminating in ends in registry with the passage means of said pad formation, each of said passage means being of a diameter greater than that of the ends of the openings of said closure plate, and rim means on said mass holders abutting said ends of said closure plate openings, respectively, and retained by the latter when said holders extend into said housing through said passage means and said openings.

3. A device according to claim 2, wherein the length of said holders, is at least equal to the height of said housing.

4. A device according to claim 2, wherein said holder forms a lipstick casing containing a lipstick mass extensible beyond said casing, the height of said housing being greater than the sum of the length of the lipstick casing and the length of said lipstick mass when in extended position beyond said casing.

5. A display device according to claim 1, including a closure plate on top of said housing, and sleeve-shaped means forming part of said passage means and extending from said closure plate thereabove, the inner diameter of said sleeve-shaped means corresponding approximately to the outer diameter of each of the holders, each of said holders being provided with a handle somewhat larger in diameter than that of said holder, whereby each handle abuts against the outermost edge of said sleeve-shaped means when the holders extend through the latter into said housing.

6. A display device according to claim 5, said sleeve-shaped means being slitted substantially along their length, so that said handle of each holder may be frictionally embraceable by said sleeve-shaped means and fitted into the latter for exposing to view the lipstick mass from the respective holder.

7. A display device according to claim 5, the sheets of said layer means overlying said closure plate forming a pad having a predetermined end edge adhesively fixing and holding said sheets together for ready separation of each sheet from the pad.