US3124245A - Lipstick container - Google Patents

Description

March 10, 1964 R. B. HoPGooD 3,124,245

LIPSTICK CONTAINER Filed March 12, 1962 l N V ENTO R Pom-PTB. Hapwa ATTORNEY United States Patent Oiiiice 3,124,245 LIPSTIQK CGNTAINER Robert B. Hopgood, Thompson, Conn., assignor, b y

mesne assignments, to Nicholson File Company, Providence, R., a corporation of Rhode Island Fiied Mar. 12, 19%2, Ser. No. 17%,945 7 Claims. (Cl. 20o-S6) My invention relates to lipstick containers or the like and is concerned with improvements in overall construction. This application is a continuation-in-part of my copending application, Serial No. 65,148, tiled October 26, 1960, now abandoned.

It is an object of the invention to provide an improved lipstick container featuring extreme ease of operation without any tendency to rattle and characterized by uniformly light frictional resistance to action, whether it be repulsion or retraction.

Other objects and various further features of novelty and invention will be pointed out or will occur to those skilled in the art from a reading of the following specification in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. In said drawings, which show, for illustrative purposes only, a preferred form of the invention:

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of a lipstick container of the invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged view in perspective, partly broken away and showing details of the carrier part of the container of FIG. l; and

FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of the carrier showing how the polygonal cam-follower projection conforms to the cam slots.

FIGS. 4 and 5 are views generally similar to FIG. 2 but illustrating two modifications.

Brieiiy stated, the invention contemplates an improved overall lipstick container achieved by specific improvements in the construction and nature of the carrier which receives inserted lipstick or the like material to be gradually dispensed for use and retracted when not in use. The carrier features an elongated shape whereby lipstick may be supported wholly independently from those parts of the carrier having to do with propulsion, and the camfollower is so disposed as not only to have easy and consistent coaction with the propulsion cams, but also to continuously resiliently ride a smooth path in the bore of the outer casing. Thus, not only is the carrier constantly stabilized regardless of the actuated condition of the container, but all parts are resiliently loaded against each other to eliminate any tendency to rattle. Ease of action is promoted by employing contacting relatively movable parts of different materials which exhibit an inherent low coeiiicient of friction, such as a metal part in justaposition to a relatively movable thermoplastic (e.g. nylon, acetal such as that known to the trade as Delrin, polycarbonate such as that known to the trade as Lexan, etc.) part.

Referring to the drawings, the invention is shown in application to a lipstick container comprising inner and outer tubular members 11i-11 within which a carrier member 12 is supported for longitudinal movement. The carrier has a cam-follower 13 extending through propulsion cam slots 114-15 in the members 1tl`-11. The propulsion slot 14 is the inner tubular member 10 is straight and extends substantially the full length thereof, and the propulsion slot 15 in the outer tubular member 11 is of spiral shape, as is conventional practice. The members 11i-11 may be in slight radial-Clearance relation, but for ease of action, I prefer that the materials of the two tubular members 11i-11 shall be different and shall be chosen to be such that they may be in constant engagement and exhibit minimum coeiicient of static friction. Thus, the

3,124,245 Patented Mar. 10, 1964 inner tubular member may be of steel or brass and the outer tubular member may be of suitable thermoplastic, such as nylon, Delrin, Lexan, etc., all as more fully discussed in my copending application, Ser. No. 48,444, iiled August 9, 1960.

The inner tubular member in the form shown has an enlarged base 16 which is exposed for actuating purposes, 4and the outer tubular member is shrouded by an outer casing 17 having a lug 1S engaging a localized opening 19 in member 11 so as to retain the assembled relationship and to hold members 11-17 against relative rotation. A bead formation 20 at the upper end of the inner member 10, together with a shoulder of the enlarged base 16, serves to longitudinally retain the sleeve member 11, and a removable closure cap (suggested at 21) is slidably receivable over the described parts to complete the structure.

In accordance with the invention, I provide an improved carrier construction which not only enhances ease of operation but also eliminates rattle in the overall assembly. The carrier is generally elongated and includes a centrally located divider 22 having a central opening 23, so as to define an upper chamber for receipt of lipstick or pomade. The opening 23 facilitates insertion of pomade by `'allowing for expusion of air so that the upper chamber may be completely filled. Integral internal ribs 22 provide enhanced frictional engagement with inserted pomade. The lower part of the carrier may be termed a skirt portion 24 providing an overall length of the carrier exceeding its diameter, thus insuring greater longitudinal stability for orientation of the carrier regardless of instantaneous location along the cams.

In accordance with the invention, the cam-follower 13 is resiliently suspended from the carrier, and this is done in FIGS. 1 to 3 by a so-called horseshoe piercing 2'5 deiining a tongue 26 out of the body of the carrier and providing an integral connection to the follower or camslot-engaging element 13. I prefer that the carrier 12 shall be of a material different from that of the inner tubular member 10 and so selected that in operation these two materials exhibit minimum coeicient of friction. Thus, I prefer that, if the inner tubular member 10 is of metal, such as steel or brass, then the carrier shall be of thermoplastic material, such as nylon, Delrin, Lexan, etc. That being the case, the divider 22 with its opening 23, and tongue 26 and the follower 13 may all be formed in the same single molding operation to create the described iinished part.

In accordance with a further feature of the invention, the effective projection length L (FIG. 2) of the camfollower 13 exceeds the combined thicknesses of the two tubular members 10-11 plus the running clearances between the carrier and the rotatable parts. This enables the outer surface 27 to ride continuously on a smooth path defined by the bore of the outer casing 17. Preferably, this length L sufficiently exceeds said combined thicknesses (and clearances) that the tongue 26 is resiliently stressed inwardly when the assembly of the parts is completed so that there is constant outward resilient loading of the cam-follower against the bore of the outer casing 17. This will be understood by reaction to assure that the carrier 12 will be constantly loaded at its diametrically opposite side against the bore of the inner tubular member 10. In FIG. 1, this is suggested by contact on the left side of the section and by a slight clearance 28 on the right half of the section. This same resilient loading will be understood, additionally, to load the outer tubular member 11 into contact with the bore of the casing 17 on the left side of the section. Thus, such resilient loading resists any tendency of the parts t0 rattle or to become inadvertently dislodged.

In accordance with a further feature of the invention,

the cam-follower projection itself is especially shaped to have a generally polygonal (parallelogram or hexagon) conguration, as best depicted in FIG. 3. Two of the opposed sides of the polygon, say the right and left sides 29--30, are formed to run parallel to the course of one of the cams, such as the straight cam 14 in the inner tubular member. The other two cam surfaces 31-32 are similarly formed but are sloped to conform to the slope of the spiral cam 15 in the sleeve member 11. Thus, regardless of the direction of the container actuation, the cam-follower engagement with each of the two cam slots will be characterized by substantial area of contact rather than essentially point contact, as has characterized previous constructions. This not only means longer life but an unusually smooth-acting propulsion, it being noted that in any propulsion or retraction operation the surfaces 29--30 and 31-32 coact with the cams 14 15 to positively orient and hold the carrier axis parallel to the container axis.

In certain container constructions, one or both ends of the spiral slot 1S are provided with an angular offset, as suggested by the offset 15', schematically shown at the lower end of the spiral in FIG. 3. For this reason, I indicate a preference that the cam-follower 13 be hexagonal, the remaining two parallel surfaces 32E-34 being adapted for substantial area of contact with the offset slot end 15', as will be understood.

In the arrangements of FIGS. 4 and 5, other means are provided for radially resilient suspension of the camfollower means 13. In FIG. 4, two spaced longitudinally extending slits 45t-4I dene a bridge 42 which carries the cam-follower 13 at an intermediate location. The radially projecting extent of cam-follower 13 beyond bridge 42 may be as described at L in FIG. 2, so that, upon assembly, the outer surface of the cam-follower will ride the inner wall of casing 17, there being a resilient radial loading established by slight inward resilient deflection of bridge 42. In FIG. 5, the cam-follower means 13 again projects as described at L (FIG. 2), but it is integrally formed with an unslitted wall portion 43 of the carrier 12, said portion being of suflciently thin section (for the plastic material used) to provide the desired resilient inward deflection for achieving a resilient loading of the cam-follower on the inner wall of casing 17, as will be understood. The described thinner wall section may characterize the entire skirt 24 of the carrier 12" or it may define a locally weakened region surrounding cam-follower 13, as suggested by dashed outline at 43.

It will be seen that I have described an improved lipstick container construction featuring overall simplicity and yet substantially improved action and insurance against rattle. The fact that the cam-follower and its tongue support are located wholly in the lower part of the carrier and are removed from the chamber of pomade support assures that no pomade will ever interfere with the resilient suspension action and also that deflection of the tongue, as during the course of a propulsion or retraction operation, will be ineffective to pump the pomade. Thus, the pomade, once inserted, is fixedly held and is not subjected to any tendency to dislodge.

While I have described the invention in detail for the preferred form shown, it is to be understood that modifications may be made within the scope or" the invention as dened in the claims which follow.

I claim:

1. In a lipstick container, two relatively rotatable tubular members having propulsion cam slots therein, an elongated carrier slidably supported within the bore of the inner tubular member and having a generally centrally located divider establishing at one end an upper cup-shaped opening for insertion of pomade at the other end a lower elongated guide portion, and cam-follower means carried by said lower portion and projecting into both slots, said cam-follower means comprising a radially resilient spring tongue integrally formed with said carrier and including an outwardly extending cam slot engaging element at the free end of said tongue, said carrier being assembled within said tubular members with said camfollower means resiliently loaded outwardly to cause said carrier to ride the bore of said inner tubular member at a location opposite that of said cam-follower, said divider having an opening therein to facilitate pomade insertion, and said cam-follower means being located wholly in the lower part of said carrier removed from the pomade section, whereby any radially undulating movement of the cam-follower suspension will be unimpeded by pomade.

2. In a lipstick container, two relatively rotatable tubular members having propulsion cam slots therein and having a running radial clearance therebetween, said outer tubular member having a smooth outer casing element closing said outer cam slot to effectively define a radially inwardly facing cam groove in said outer tubular member, an elongated carrier slidably supported with a running radial clearance within the bore of the inner tubular member and having a generally centrally located divider establishing at one end an upper cup-shaped opening for insertion of pomade and at the other end a lower elongated guide portion having an integral radially yieldable resilient wall section, and outwardly extending cam-follower means radially resiliently carried by said guide portion and located below the plane of pomade support, the radially outward extent of said cam-follower means exceeding the thickness of the inner tubular member plus the effective depth of said groove plus the total radial clearance between said carrier and said inner tubular member and between said inner and outer tubular members, whereby said cam-follower may be continuously radially outwardly loaded on the smooth bottom of said cam groove to remove all chance of rattle and involuntary dislocation of parts.

3. The container of claim 2, in which said resilient wall section is an elongated bridge established between two angularly spaced elongated slits in said wall, said slits extending short of the axial limits of said guide portion and said cam-follower means being intermediate the ends of said bridge.

4. The container of claim 2, in which said cam-follower means is of generally polygonal cross-section, two parallel sides of the polygon having a slope conforming with the slope of one of said cams, and two other parallel sides of the polygon having a slope conforming with that of the other cam slot.

5. The container of claim 4, in which one of said propulsion slots is formed with a lateral offset at one end thereof, and in which said polygon is a hexagon, the remaining two sides being parallel and oriented to conform with the slope of said offset.

6. The container of claim 2, in which said carrier and cam-follower are of thermoplastic material and the inner tubular member is of metal.

7. The container of claim 2, in which said resilient wail section is a resilient tongue formed out of the body of said carrier, said cam-follower means being formed at the free end of said tongue.

References Cited in the flle of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 272,931 Adams Feb. 27, 1883 1,379,668 Bailey May 31, 1921 2,284,162 McKnight et al May 26, 1942 2,367,457 Book Jan. 16, 1945 2,368,044 Seager et al. Ian. 23, 1945 2,394,961 Auerbach Feb. 12, 1946 2,409,658 Book Oct, 22, 1946 2,935,191 Leshin May 30, 1960 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,124,179 France June 25, 1956

Claims (1)

1. IN A LIPSTICK CONTAINER, TWO RELATIVELY ROTATABLE TUBULAR MEMBERS HAVING PROPULSION CAM SLOTS THEREIN, AN ELONGATED CARRIER SLIDABLY SUPPORTED WITHIN THE BORE OF THE INNER TUBULAR MEMBER AND HAVING A GENERALLY CENTRALLY LOCATED DIVIDER ESTABLISHING AT ONE END AN UPPER CUP-SHAPED OPENING FOR INSERTION OF POMADE AT THE OTHER END A LOWER ELONGATED GUIDE PORTION, AND CAM-FOLLOWER MEANS CARRIED BY SAID LOWER PORTION AND PROJECTING INTO BOTH LOTS, SAID CAM-FOLLOWER MEANS COMPRISING A RADIALLY RESILIENT SPRING TONGUE INTEGRALLY FORMED WITH SAID CARRIER AND INCLUDING AN OUTWARDLY EXTENDING CAM SLOT ENGAGING ELEMENT AT THE FREE END OF SAID TONGUE, SAID CARRIER BEING ASSEMBLED WITHIN SAID TUBULAR MEMBERS WITH SAID CAMFOLLOWER MEANS RESILIENTLY LOADED OUTWARDLY TO CAUSE SAID CARRIER TO RIDE THE BORE OF SAID INNER TUBULAR MEMBER AT A LOCATION OPPOSITE THAT OF SAID CAM-FOLLOWER, SAID DIVIDER HAVING AN OPENING THEREIN TO FACILITATE POMADE INSERTION, AND SAID CAM-FOLLOWER MEANS BEING LOCATED WHOLLY IN THE LOWER PART OF SAID CARRIER REMOVED FROM THE POMADE SECTION, WHEREBY ANY RADIALLY UNDULATING MOVEMENT OF

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