Toilet – Toilet kit – Powder box and applicator
Reexamination Certificate
1999-11-19
2001-09-04
Wilson, John J. (Department: 3732)
Toilet
Toilet kit
Powder box and applicator
C132S300000, C132S293000, C206S581000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06283129
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
This invention relates to a cosmetic case in which a push piece is integrally formed to a tray installed within a case body.
BACKGROUND ART
A cosmetic case having a tray is disclosed in Japanese Examined Utility Model Publication No.58-36331 (Int. Cl. A45D 33/22). In such a cosmetic case, each rear extremity of a case body, a tray, and a cover is pivotably joined by means of a single hinge. A puff is received in a hollow space between a bottom surface of the case body and the tray. When making up, the tray is opened to pick up the puff after the cover is opened. Then, a cosmetic material contained in the tray is rubbed off with the puff after the puff is picked up and the tray is closed.
At front extremities of the case body, the cover, and the tray, a clasp mechanism is installed to maintain their closed position. The clasp mechanism comprises two pairs of engageable tongues, one is formed at front extremities of the cover and the tray and the other is formed at front extremities of the tray and the case body. The cover closes both of the case body and the tray by engaging each tongue of the clasp mechanism. By such a way, the cosmetic material contained in the cosmetic case is protected. Further, a wedge-shaped push piece having slant surfaces at both upper and lower sides thereof is installed to the case body. When the push piece is pushed, the engagement of the clasp mechanism is released, and the cover and the tray are opened.
The push piece is formed separately from the case body, the tray, and the cover. The push piece is slidably inserted into a recess provided on a front wall of the tray, and the forward end of the push piece projects from a front wall of the case body. When the push piece is pushed in engaging condition of the clasp mechanism, the slant surfaces formed on each of the upper and lower sides of the push piece enter into between the case body and the cover to separate the case body and the cover, and hence release the engagement of the clasp mechanism.
As the push piece of the conventional cosmetic case is formed separately from the case body, the tray, and the cover as described above, in such a structure it is a problem that many parts are required. Further, the assembly of the cosmetic case has become complicated because the push piece is fabricated additionally. Thus, it has been expensive to manufacture the conventional cosmetic case.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
An object of the invention is to provide a cosmetic case, which enables to reduce the number of parts and to simplify the assembly thereof by integrally forming a push piece to a tray.
Another object of the invention is to provide a cosmetic case, wherein good operation feeling of the push piece integrally formed to the tray is assured by a simple structure.
The invention comprises that a case body has a storage cavity therein, a cover is pivotably attached to the case body for opening and closing the case body, a tray is pivotably attached to the case body between the cover and the case body, is stored within the storage cavity and contains cosmetic material therein, a hook mechanism is provided between the case body and the cover for releasing and hooking an engagement of the case body and the cover, a push piece is integrally formed with the tray, both ends thereof is connected to the tray to be able to bend themselves elastically and a central portion thereof projects from the case body being movable by the bending deformation of the both ends, and conversion means is provided for releasing engagement of the hook mechanism by converting a pressure applied to the push piece into a pushing force for lifting up the cover.
When the push piece is pushed, the push piece is pushed in flexibly by the elastically bending deformation of both ends as pivots. By this way, a pressure for releasing the engagement of the hook mechanism can be adjusted freely depending upon the setting of the elasticity of both ends of the push piece, whereby the opening operation of the cover is improved.
Further, a number of parts of the cosmetic case is reduced because the push piece and the tray are formed in one-piece by integrally molding them. Thus, there is no need to assemble the push piece separately. Therefore, the assembly of the cosmetic case can be automated, and then the productivity of the cosmetic case is improved and the manufacture costs are reduced.
The both ends of the push piece comprise a pair of cantilever arms, one end of which is connected to the tray and another end is an free end, and the central portion of the push piece comprises a push button for applying the pressure, which is formed between the free ends of the arms.
The pressure applied to the push button is effected to the free ends of a pair of the arms to bend the arms appropriately and sufficiently. Even if the rigidity of the push piece including the push button and the tray as a whole is set high, the arms can be bent flexibly to obtain the shifting stroke of the push piece sufficiently. By such a way, operation feeling of the push piece can be enhanced. Further, leaning of the push button is prevented in operation, because a pair of arms supports the push button, and therefore, an operation feeling of the push button can be improved.
The arms of the push piece are thinly molded by thinly molding the tray at regions where the arms are formed.
This enables to bend the arms more sufficiently.
The push button of the push piece is made thicker and more rigid than that of the arms.
Thus, the deformation of the push button itself can be prevented when the push piece is pushed in.
The arms of the push piece are formed to the tray by a pair of U-shaped slits which are opposing each other, and the arms are formed to expand from the central portion of the push piece toward the both sides of the tray.
In this case, the push piece is formed in the shape of “&pgr;” by which the structure thereof becomes simple.
The arms of the push piece are formed to the tray by a pair of U-shaped slits, which are facing each other, and the arms are formed within a region of the width of the central portion of the push piece.
Since a distance between the ends of arms attached to the tray can be shortened, free ends thereof can be spaced as long as possible along the tray. By such a way, the width of the push button installed between free ends of the arms is adjusted more freely and it becomes possible to obtain the preferable width of the push button for good operation of the push button.
The conversion means is provided as a slant surface between the cover and the case body, and the slant surface abuts the central portion of the push piece to lift up the cover with respect to the case body in accordance with a movement of the central portion.
In particular, the slant surface is progressively inclined in the direction where a distance between the cover and the case body is narrowed in accordance with a movement of the central portion in a pushing operation.
When the push piece is pushed, the central portion of the push piece abutting the slant surface enters into between the case body and the cover, thereby the engagement of the hook mechanism is smoothly released by lifting up the cover against the case body. At this time, the movement of the push piece caused by the elastic bending deformation of the arms is appropriately guided, and then a pressure applied to the push piece is accurately converted into a pushing force for lifting up the cover. Further, since the conversion means comprises the mere slant surface, the structure thereof becomes simple.
A central portion of the push piece projects from the case body through a cutout section formed to the case body.
By providing the cutout section, the central portion of the push pieceintegrally formed to the tray in the storage cavity of the case body can project appropriately from the case body. Further, a movement of the push piece caused by the elastic bending deformation of the arms can also be guided accurately through the cutout section.
The hook mechanism comprises the first latch forme
Ideshita Yuji
Yuhara Yukitomo
Doan Robyn Kieu
Harness & Dickey & Pierce P.L.C.
Wilson John J.
Yoshida Industry Co. Ltd.
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