US2849170A - Powder box - Google Patents

Description

Allg 26, 1958 v J. F. Roos ET AL 2,849,170

POWDER BOX Filed Jan. 31,' 1957 l l t l l l f l l l l 5 l INV NTORS %ta www 44,/

BY 4 M2 TTF/VEV POWDER BOX Jacob Frederick Roos, Liverpool, and Albert Smith, Heston, England, assignors to Coty, Inc., New York, N. Y., a corporation of Delaware Application January 31, 1957, Serial No. 637,455

6 Claims. (Cl. 229-43) This invention relates to boxes or containers for holding powder, for example of the kind used for cosmetic and toilet purposes, or any other kind of powder or similar material. The invention has for its object to provide, in or for the lid or closure of such a box or container, simple and efficient sealing means which will obviate, or substantially so, the escape of the loose powder therefrom after the manufacturers seal has been broken.

One form of powder box to which the invention has reference is formed in two separate parts, one a base portion or body containing the powder, and the other a slipon lid or cover having a skirt or flange which fits over the side walls of the body. As supplied lled by the manufacturer, the body of such a box is usually closed or sealed at the top by a cellulose or paper film, or in other manner, and which closure has to be removed when access to the contents is desired. Once such a seal is broken, the lid of the box is not in itself capable of preventing entirely the escape of loose powder due to the fact that suficient clearance must be provided between the skirt of the lid and the body to permit of the ready removal and replacement of the lid as and when necessary without any undue pumping action occurring. Thus, in the opening and closing and carrying of a powder box a certain amount of powder is spilled and unavoidably wasted. Further, the nuisance of soiled clothing resulting therefrom is obvious.

Broadly, the invention consists in forming or providing within the lid of a powder box or container, an inner cap component or cover adapted to fit closely on or over the rim of the body portion to seal same, such inner component being so positioned within the lid as to effect sealing of the body portion when the lid is in fully closed position or nearing such closed position.

Thus arranged, the inner cap or cover in no way interferes with the removal and replacement of the lid, but functions effectively to prevent the escape of loose powder between the skirt portion of the lid and the wall of the box body. As illustrated, such inner cap is so formed as to direct flying powder particles back into the body rather than toward the side walls where the powder might possibly escape.

The invention will be further understood from the following description and drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a longitudinal, cross-sectional view of a powder box consnucted according to the instant invention;

Figure 2 is a similar view with the cover and body portions separated;

Figure 3 is a similar view illustrating the act to apply the cover to the body;

Figure 4 is an elevational view of the inner cap of this invention;

Figure 5 is a plan view of the inner cap; and

Figure 6 is a modified embodiment.

Referring now to Figures l to 5 inclusive, the powder box includes the usual body comprising fioor 10 to which is secured the powder container 11. Container 11 is formed with cylindrical side wall 12 and is provided with 2,849,170 Patented Aug. 26, 1958 2 a central opening 13 by which the container is initially lilled before the floor 1i) is secured thereto. As is further conventional, container 11 is provided with a paper or cellulose film 14 which serves as a top seal.

As in the case of the box body, the cover 1S assumes conventional form apart from the provision of the inner cap 16, the details of which will be hereinafter described. Cover 15 is formed with the usual top wall 15a and is further provided with the usual cylindrical skirt or flange 17 which slips over and embraces the side wall 12 in the closed position of the box.

As was above set forth, the skirt 17 has a somewhat loose fit over the side wall 12 so as to avoid an excessive air pumping or compressive action. closing and opening of a powder box of the present type generally causes powder particles to fly about by virtue of the compression of air.

In order to eliminate the above inconvenience, which has existed for many years, there is provided an inner cap insert 16 which may be fabricated of plastic film or the like. Cap insert 16 is formed with a dome 18 irnmediately below which is the substantially annular, concavo-convex side wall 19 followed by a depending circumferential skirt 20. Preferably, the paper surface of dome 18 is adhesively secured to the underside of the cover 15 while the skirt 20 is secured to the inside surface of cover skirt 17. As a result, the concavo-convex wall portion 19 provides a cushioning effect since it is free of any portion of the cover. Portion 19, it will be observed, extends substantially diagonally from the top wall 15a to the skirt 17, such diagonal disposition providing the circumferential space or chamber 19a between portion 19 and the top wall 15a.

The action of the improved box will be apparent from Figure 3 where it will be observed that the cap insert 16 begins to embrace the body side wall 12 shortly after the cover is applied to the body and before the cover has so fully embraced the body as to eifect a high degree of air compression. Of course, it will be understood that the advantages of this invention are realized only after the film 14 has been punctured by the user since there is otherwise no danger of flying powder particles.

Assuming now that the film 14 has been so punctured, and when the user returns the cover 15 as above described, such action will create some turbulence within the box. However, the powder particles, instead o-f being permitted to escape through the annular space 21, will be directed upwardly against the underside of insert 16 including the convex surface of portion 19 and will not only be thus diverted from the space 21 but will be directed back into the box body through the punctured top.

It will be observed that the spacing 21 is adequate to permit facilitated application of the cover 18 until the skirt 20 contacts the side wall 12 and effects firm sealing. Thus, in the closed position of the box illustrated in Figure l, the skirt 20 seals the space 21 from above and prevents undesirable powder leakage. The facilitated application results from the fact that the skirt 20, while flat and somewhat decreasing the internal diameter of cover 15, terminates short of the bottom edge of the cover skirt 17 so that the full internal diameter of cover 15 is initially applied over the body side wall 12.

In Figure 6 is disclosed a modified embodiment wherein the inner cap 25 is formed from an upper ring 26 extending to the top wall of the cover, and a lower ring 27 between which is clamped the extreme circumferential edge of the planar web or film 28 which is likewise of thin plastic o-r paper material 28 having vertical resiliency by virtue of its free or floating disposition between the upper and lower rings apart from its clamped circumferential edge. Lower ring 27 functions as does the skirt 20 of the cap insert 16.

Nevertheless, the

In both of the above embodiments, the resilient inner cap has free or oating circumferential edge portions which tend to seal themselves well against the upper lip of the body so as to effect a good seal therewith. In the rst embodiment such edge portions are the annular portion 19 while in the second embodiment they are found immediately adjacent the clamped edge of the lm 28. In either case such edge portions are inwardly spaced from the top wall of the coverkso as to provide a cushioned seal against the top lip of the body.

There has been shown what is now considered a preferred embodiment of the invention but it is obvious that numerous changes and omissions may be made without departing from its spirit.

What is claimed is:

l. The combination with a container body having a circumferential side wall terminating in an upper lip, of a closure cover therefor, said cover comprising a top wall, a circumferential skirt depending from said top wall, and an insert of flexible material flxedly disposed in said cover and having at least circumferential edge portions thereof inwardly spaced from circumferential edge portions of said top wall, the eXtreme edges of said circumferential edge portions of said insert being connected to said circumferential skirt and forming a closed chamber under said top wall, said extreme edges normally resting against said upper lip in the closed position of the container.

2. The combination with a container body having a circumferential side wall terminating in an upper lip, of 30 a closure cover therefor, said cover comprising a top wall, a circumferential skirt depending from said top wall, and an insert of exible material fixedly disposed in said cover, said insert comprising an annular portion extending substantially diagonally from said top wall of the cover to said skirt thereof, the extreme edges of said annular portion being connected to said circumferential skirt and forming a circumferential closed chamber between said annular portion and said top wall, said extreme edges normally resting against said upper lip in the closed position of the container.

3. A device according to claim 2 and including a circumferential skirt on said insert, said skirt being integral with said annular portion and secured to said cover skirt below said `annular portion.

4. A device according to claim 3 and including a top wall on said insert and forming a dome with said annular portion, said top wall being secured to the underside of the cover top wall.

5. A device according to claim 4 and wherein said annular portion is concavo-convex with the convex side thereof downwardly directed.

6. A device according to claim 5 and wherein said insert circumferential skirt is at and decreases the internal diameter of said cover so as to more firmly embrace said body side wall, said insert skirt terminating short of the lower edge of said cover skirt so as to permit facilitated application of said cover over the body side wall.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,560,675 Wheeler July 17, 1951 FOREIGN PATENTS 579,380 France July 3l, 1924 809,647 Germany Aug. 2, 1951

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