GB2088333A - Holder for lipstick - Google Patents

Abstract

A holder for a lipstick or the like has a tubular body 5 in which a lipstick carrier 3 is movable longitudinally by means of preferably two diametrically opposed lugs 10 which move in slots 7 in cooperation with helical grooves 18 in a rotatable sleeve 19. Each slot 7 has a recess 13 defined by projections 11, 12 serving to hold the lugs 10 to support the carrier 3 in a predetermined axial position of the tubular body 5, preferably a display position for the lipstick 2. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Holder for lipstick or other soft solid material This invention relates to a holder for lipsticks or other soft solid material.

Holders for cosmetic sticks such as lipsticks or similar soft solid materials are generally provided with transparent covers so that the lipstick is visible through the cover even though the lipstick is fully retracted in the holder. Covers for the lipstick holder may be completely transparent with a fancy design applied thereto or may be opaque over a substantial portion of its length with a transparent "window" at the closed end thereof.

Such covers are well known.

Even though the lipstick may be fully retracted into the holder it is usually preferred that while not in use the lipstick is located in the holder in a display position. Consequentially it is desirable to provide suitable means for holding the lipstick in this display position.

Attempts at solving this problem are known from the disclosures in U.S. Patent Nos.

3,335,853 and 3,515,493. However, none of these solutions has been found to be satisfactory.

With cosmetic sticks of soft solid material and lipsticks in particular, it is important that when the lipstick is put on display for sale, or indeed when a lipstick holder has laid in the bottom of a handbag for some time, for example, it is important that when the holder is picked up it must immediately appeal to the user's eye. This cannot happen if the inside of the transparent cover is smeared with lipstick. This smearing on the inside of the transparent cover and indeed the damage done to the surface of the lipstick can easily occur as a result of accidental twisting of the mechanism for moving the lipstick in the holder or by jarring of the holders during transportation from the manufacture to a wholesaler or retailer, should the holders be other than in an upright position.

According to the present invention there is provided a holder for a cosmetic stick, including a tubular body having a cup for holding the cosmetic stick, which is movable longitudinally within the tubular body, a lug extending radially from the cup into a longitudinal slot in the tubular body, the slot having a recess therein arranged to receive and hold the lug for supporting the cup in a predetermined axial position of the tubular body.

The cup of the holder preferably has a pair of lugs extending radially therefrom. The lugs are diametrically opposed.

Preferably, in a holder for a cosmetic stick in accordance with the present invention the recess is defined between two projections extending into the slot from one side wall of each slot.

Conveniently each slot can be provided with two pairs of projections defining said recess in predetermined locations.

In an alternative embodiment each slot is provided with a series of projections and the recess is defined between any two of the projections.

Preferably each slot is of an L-shaped configuration and the tubular body comprises a sleeve. Conveniently, the sleeve is enclosed by a freely rotatable sleeve having one or more helical grooves in its inner peripheral surface, which grooves receive the lugs of the cup member.

An embodiment of the present invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings which shows a part-sectional side elevational view of a holder with the lipstick located in a display position.

Referring now to the drawing, a holder 1 for a lipstick bullet 2 or other soft solid material includes a cylindrical cup or godet 3 adapted for up and down movement in the direction of the longitudinal axis 4 of the holder. The godet 3 is movable within an inner sleeve 5 which forms a part of the body 6 of the holder 1. The sleeve 5 is provided with diametrically opposite L-shaped slots only one of which is shown with the reference numeral 7.

The major portion of the L-shaped slots extends in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis 4 to an open end 8. The bottom or closed end of the L-shaped slot 7 has a tranversely extending portion 9.

The godet 3 which receives the lipstick bullet 2 is provided with a pair of godet drive dogs or lugs 10 (only one of which is shown).

Base portions 1 5, 1 6 of the holder have a recess therein having the same cross sectional dimensions as the internal diameter of the hollow sleeve 5 so that when the godet 3 is in its fully retracted position and the lug 10 is located within the transverse portion 9 of the slot 7, bottom 1 7 of the godet lies within the base portion 16, and the lipstick is totally within the holder.

The lugs 10 extending radially outwardly from the godet 3 are sufficiently long to extend through the sleeve 5 and into two helical grooves 1 8 one for each lug provided in the inner peripheral surface of an outermost sleeve 19.

The sleeve 1 9 sits freely on a shoulder 20 of base portion 1 5. At the opposite end of the sleeve 1 9 there is provided an annular groove 21 which receives an annular radially outwardly extending flange 22 defining a shoulder 23 loosely abutting shoulder 24 of the groove 21 on the sleeve 19. In this manner, the sleeve 19 is freely rotatable about the sleeve 5, but retained against helical movement relative to sleeve 5.

Located within the slot 7 are at least one pair of projections 11, 1 2 which restrict the width of the slot. The lugs 10 which have a diameter substantially equal to the width of the groove 18 is shown located in the space 1 3 between the projections 11, 12. This space between the projections is so arranged as to hold the lugs with little or no movement in the direction of the longitudinal axis 4. While only a pair of projections 11, 12 are shown in the drawing other pairs of projections may be provided in the slot 7 on either side of the slot and even within the laterally extending portion 9. If necessry, a series of projections may be provided side by side each spaced one from the other with the spacing discussed above to form a ratchet effect for the lug along the slot 7.The series of projections can be three or more such projections.

The lipstick holder shown in the drawing has been shown without a cover in order that the drawing should be clear. However, it is intended that the cover may be of any conventional type having an internal diameter substantially identical to the external diameter of base portion 1 5 so as to form a tight fit with the external surface 25 of base portion 1 5 so that the cover is held in position by the friction between the inner surface of the cover and the external surface 25 of the base portion 1 5.

In order to move the godet 3 within the sleeve 5 the body portion 1 6 is held firmly and the sleeve 1 9 is twisted or vice versa. As the sleeve 1 9 is twisted the lugs 10 have the tendency to move along the groove or grooves 18. However, since the lugs 10 are also held by the slot 7 this movement is translated into a vertical movement up or down along the slot 7.

Assuming it is wished to move the lipstick bullet from the display position illustrated in the drawing to an extended usable position, the sleeve 1 9 is twisted and the lug 10 is forced past the projection 11 and moves upwardly in the drawing along the groove 1 8 until the desired position is reached. In another embodiment a further pair of projections similar to the projections 11, 1 2 is provided in this extended usable position.If it is required that the godet 3 be located in its fully retracted position then the sleeve 1 9 is wound in the opposite direction and the lugs 10 move downwardly, in the drawing, along the slot 7 past the projections 11, 12 to the bottom of the slot 7 whereupon a final twist of the sleeve 1 9 causes the lugs 10 to move into the lateral portion 9 of the slot 7. As indicated above projections similar to those numbered 11, 12 are provided in this lateral portion 9 so that the lugs 10 can be locked in this position. In this fully retracted position the lipstick bullet 2 will be completely within the holder 1.

The various parts of the holder 1 may be formed of a resilient plastics material although any other suitable resilient material may be used.

However, the advantage with the plastics material is that the holder is very light in weight and inexpensive to manufacture.

Claims (9)

1. A holder for a cosmetic stick, including a tubular body having a cup for holding the cosmetic stick, which is movable longitudinally within the tubular body, a lug extending radially from the cup into a longitudinal slot in the tubular body, the slot having a recess therein arranged to receive and hold the lug for supporting the cup in a predetermined axial position of the tubular body.

2. A holder as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the cup member has a pair of lugs extending radially therefrom.

3. A holder as claimed in Claim 2, wherein the pair of lugs are diametrically opposed.

4. A holder as claimed in any one of the preceding Claims, wherein the recess is defined between two projections extending into the slot from one side wall of each slot.

5. A holder as claimed in Claim 4, wherein each slot is provided with two pairs of projections defining said recess in predetermined locations.

6. A holder as claimed in Claim 4, wherein each slot is provided with a series of projections and the recess is defined between any two of the projections.

7. A holder as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein each slot is of an L-shaped configuration.

8. A holder as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the tubular body is enclosed by a freely rotatable sleeve.

9. A holder as claimed in Claim 8, wherein the freely rotatable sleeve has one or more helical grooves in its inner peripheral surface, said lugs of the cup member extending into said groove or grooves.

1 0. A holder for a cosmetic stick substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawing.