The present invention relates to a container for dispensing liquid cosmetics. It particularly relates to a cosmetics compact which conveniently stores and dispenses the liquid cosmetic product. The compact may also store other items such as an applicator sponge or mirror.

Most cosmetic compacts contain cosmetic materials in solid, paste or powder form. Compacts for applying more mobile liquid cosmetics are known, but can be cumbersome to use. It can be particularly inconvenient when the liquid cosmetic is stored in a container having a separate removable stopper or cap. This requires the user to set aside or separately hold the stopper when using the compact. This can be messy and inconvenient, as well as risking loss of the stopper.

JP2004208973 describes a cosmetic compact for dispensing a liquid cosmetic product without the need to remove a separate stopper from the liquid cosmetic container, thus reducing the possibility of staining a user's hands. The cosmetic compact comprises a main body having an inner lid, an outer lid and a base connected by a hinge. The base of the compact comprises a recess to contain a cosmetic puff and a further recess as a reservoir for dispensed liquid cosmetics. The liquid cosmetic product is supplied from a tubular container equipped with a pump-type dispenser. The outer lid is coupled with the inner lid so as to enclose the tubular container. A pushbutton of the pump type dispenser is exposed in an opening in the outer lid. On pressing the pushbutton, the liquid cosmetic product is dispensed into the reservoir recess, for uptake on the puff.

JP2004208975 describes an otherwise similar cosmetic compact in which the liquid cosmetic product is automatically dispensed from the tubular container into the reservoir when the lid is opened. Variants include a compact with a pump type dispenser having a nozzle for dispensing the liquid product directly onto a hand held sponge. The nozzle has a separate cover. In another variant, a squeeze-to-empty product container hinges out of the base of the compact and has a dispensing passageway leading to an uptake reservoir which also serves as a recess for storing a removable sponge.

Similarly, GB0614449.7 (Toly Products Ltd) describes a cosmetic case for liquid products in which a stopper for a liquid container is connected to the lid or base of the cosmetic case by a further hinge.

With the continuing development of complex liquid cosmetic formulations, liquid cosmetics can be chemically unstable and sensitive to air/oxygen making them difficult to package and store for sufficient periods without deterioration. For example, small amounts of microorganisms in the cosmetic material tend to flourish when exposed to an abundance of air/oxygen to a point that they overwhelm the cosmetic formula's preservation system. In another case, products such as skin bleaches and self tanners are very sensitive to sunlight (ultra violet rays) causing unwanted discolouration to the product. As the technology in cosmetics particularly in skin care products, forges ahead, sensitive and fragile chemicals have been increasingly been used. Conventional cosmetic cases for holding liquid cosmetics such as that described in JP2004208973, JP2004208975, GB2434631 and also US4343397 and US6536447 do not provide an adequate oxygen barrier for many of the sensitive or fragile cosmetic formulas.

Due to the sensitivity of such cosmetic formulas, air-tight or airless packaging has increasing been used by cosmetic companies to prevent the influx of oxygen or air into the cosmetic product during use. Conventional airless type containers described in FR2905681 (Rexam Dispensing Systems), US2007164053 (Sik, S. D), US6375045 (Hyun K, J) and FR2868709 (Rexam Dispensing Systems) use a pump system and a piston inserted at the bottom of a container or receptacle. During actuation of the pump system, air is taken in through the bottom of the container through a one-way valve as the container evacuates causing the piston to push the cosmetic material out from a dispenser. In EP1226874 (L'Oreal), the container has a supple inner pouch to contain the cosmetic product to be dispensed by an airless pump with a dip tube extending half way down the depth of the pouch. An air space exists between the outer container and the inner supple pouch. During actuation of the pump, air is taken through an inlet into the space. Thus atmospheric pressure causes the inner pouch to compress and reduce in volume as material is exuded from the pump. Although such systems provide a satisfactory airless dispensing system, it still suffers from the disadvantage of the need to have a separate mechanically operated pump to evacuate the contents of the container thereby complicating the manufacturing of cosmetic containers containing such airless systems. Moreover, the design of such airless systems would mean that incorporating them into a cosmetic case typically having a lid hingedly connected to a base containing accessories of the usual kind such as applicator sponge, puff, brush, mirror etc is made more difficult due to the need to allow for the pump mechanism.

A similar arrangement is described in FR2821766 (Airless Systems) comprising a rigid head with an outlet dispensing valve, a supple inner pouch containing the cosmetic pouch and an outer compressible bulb with an air inlet valve. The outer bulb is made from an elastomeric material and form an air space around the inner pouch. The difference between this prior art and EP1226874 (L'Oreal) is that instead of having an airless pump system and dip tube to dispense the product, the inner pouch is compressed to expel the product when the outer bulb is squeezed in the hand. When released, the bulb resumes its original shape by drawing in air through the inlet valve. Thus the outer compressible bulb and the air inlet valve serve as a kind of pump.

A cosmetic case for liquid cosmetics is needed incorporating an airless dispensing system for sensitive cosmetic liquids and having the ability to contain accessories of the usual kind such as applicator sponge, puff, brush, mirror etc and yet still be easily assembled by conventional manufacturing techniques.

Accordingly, the present invention provides a cosmetic compact having a lid hingedly connected to a base, the compact further comprising a container housed in the base to hold liquid cosmetics, in which the container comprises an inner container inside an outer container so as to form an air space between the inner container and outer container, the inner container being in fluid communication with a dispensing head for dispensing the liquid cosmetic and the outer container comprising an air inlet valve, wherein at least one wall of each the inner container and the outer container is flexible so that in use when pressure is applied to the flexible wall of the outer container, the flexible wall of the inner container deforms and expels a portion of the liquid cosmetic characterised in that the flexible wall of the outer container is accessible through a finger hole incorporated in the base of the compact.

Preferably the container for the liquid cosmetic is an airless container. This provides the advantage of the ability to hold liquid cosmetics that are sensitive or fragile to oxygen or air in a convenient cosmetic compact containing the necessary accessories of the usual kind such as applicator sponge, puff, brush, mirror etc without the need to hold/carry a separate container and accessory kit.

The cosmetic compact of the present invention removes the need of any rigid airless pump mechanism connected to the container and incorporated in the cosmetic compact. Such a rigid airless pump mechanism has the disadvantage of increasing the bulkiness of the cosmetic compact and complicating the manufacture of the cosmetic compact. In the present invention, the pump mechanism is provided by the user applying pressure to at least one wall of the outer container.

Further preferred features and aspects of the invention will be apparent from the dependent claims and the following description of an illustrative embodiment, made with reference to the accompanying drawings.

• Fig. 1 is a schematic representation of a cosmetic compact embodying the invention, shown when the lid is closed.
• Fig. 2 is a schematic cross-section through the cosmetic compact along the line I-I, shown when the lid is open.
• Fig. 3 is a schematic cross-section through the cosmetic compact along the line I-I, shown when the lid is closed.
• Fig. 4 is a schematic cross-section through the container along the line IV - IV in Fig. 3,
• Fig. 5 is an embodiment of a cross-sectional shape of the inner container along the line X-X in
• Fig. 4.
• Fig. 6 is a further embodiment of a cross-sectional shape of the inner container along the line X-X in Fig. 4.
• Fig. 7 is a schematic cross-section through the cosmetic compact along the line IV-IV in Fig. 3 when the lid is closed.

The cosmetic compact 1 shown in Fig. 1 comprises a lid 2 and a base 3 connected by hinges 4. The hinges shown are held together by hinge pins 4a. The lid 2 comprises a latch 5 to latch the lid closed against the base, which also can serve as a stopper, as described in GB2434361.

Figs 2 and 3 show cross-sectional views of the cosmetic compact on line 1-1 in Fig. 1, with the lid 2 open and closed respectively. The latch 5 is a flap connected to the lid 2 by a hinge 6. The hinge 6 is shown as a thin flexible web integrally formed with the lid 2. However, other means to connect the latch 5 to the lid 2 by means of a hinge known in the art are permissible.

In the particular embodiment, the latch 5 is shown to comprise a protrusion which cooperates with a dispensing orifice 8 formed in a container 9 housed in the base 3 of the cosmetic compact 1 or formed in a front wall of the lid or base. The protrusion is shaped such that it either snugly fits into the orifice 8 in the front face of the cosmetic compact 1 or is inserted into and held in the orifice 8 by a snap-in arrangement.

The liquid cosmetic product is contained in the container 9 that can be squeezed to expel the product through the orifice 8. As shown in Fig. 4, the container 9 is an airless container comprising an inner container 21 for holding the liquid cosmetic and sealed to a dispensing head 23 for dispensing the liquid cosmetic. The inner container 21 is arranged inside an outer container 20 which is also sealed to the dispensing head 23. The dispensing head 23 is in fluid communication with the dispensing orifice 8 and comprises a one-way valve such as a slit type valve 23a so as to prevent the intake of air or oxygen during and after expulsion of the liquid cosmetic. At least one wall of each inner container 21 and the outer container 20 is flexible so as to render them compressible. In another arrangement, the inner container 21 can be a flexible walled pouch. The outer container 20 comprises an air inlet valve 20a (shown as a simple flap valve. Alternatively, the air inlet valve may be a slit valve or any other suitable form of valve). The inner container is plastically deformable, e.g. formed as a supple pouch. In use, the user applies pressure to at least one flexible wall of the outer container 20 which in turn closes the valve 20a and pressurises the interior of the outer container 20. This in turn causes the inner container 21 to deform and reduce in volume causing liquid cosmetic to be dispensed from the dispensing head 23. When the user releases pressure on the outer container 20, it resumes its original shape and air is drawn in through the inlet valve. Thus the exterior flexible wall of the inner container 21 is always is subjected to atmospheric pressure and is placed under compression when the user squeezes the outer container 20.

The arrangement of the inner container 21 is such that in a maximum expanded configuration, the inner container 21 is of substantially similar cross-section to the interior cross-section of the outer container 20, i.e. the walls of the inner container 21 touch the inner walls of the outer container 20. This provides maximum volume for containment of the liquid cosmetic material by the inner container 21. Equally the height of the inner container 21 can be substantially equal height to the outer container 20 such that their ends touch. Figure 5 and 6 show examples of typical arrangements of the inner container 21 shown in a particularly collapsed (discharged) condition inside the outer container 20. In Figure 5, the inner container 21 is shown as a supple pouch having a plurality of parallel fold lines normal to the page and the pouch is configured as a star-shape in the cross section shown. In Figure 6, on the other hand, two of the walls 21a, 21b of the inner container are collapsible, i.e. formed with a concertina arrangement. Other arrangements of the inner container 21 are possible that provide maximum volume in their expanded state and may also be capable of deforming substantially symmetrically. In order to control the contraction or collapse of the inner container 21, a number of fixing points may be strategically positioned to the outer container 20 so as to define different shapes of contraction of the inner container 21. For example, the inner container 21 may be fixed to the outer container 20 at three points such that as the cosmetic material is exuded from the inner container 21, the inner container 21 assumes a generally triangular shape before collapsing to a three-pointed star shape. Moreover, the container 9 can assume a tubular shape but other shapes are permitted that enables the container to snugly fit in the cosmetic compact 1.

However, the inner container 21 in its expanded state does not have to touch the inner surface of the walls of the outer container 20 and a gap can exist between the containers. In all cases, an air space 22 always exists between the inner container 21 and the outer container 20 as the inner container is discharged so as to allow the proper function of the airless container. The inner and outer container 21 may be made of thermoplastic material that is chemically inert and impermeable to air or oxygen. Typical materials include polyethylene. Moreover, the inner 21 or outer container 20 may limit or prevent the penetration of ultra violet (UV) light, which could otherwise affect certain sensitive cosmetic materials.

The container 9 shown in Figure 7 comprises an assembly of the inner and outer containers 20 and 21 and substantially covers the entire floor area within the base 3. An upper side wall of the container is therefore exposed for application of finger pressure when the lid 2 of the compact 1 is opened. The container assembly 9 has a neck 10 terminating adjacent to the latch 5, to dispense the liquid cosmetic product. The dispensing orifice 8 may be provided in a wider filling plug (not shown) sealingly positioned within the neck 10. The container assembly 9 is held in the base 3 of the cosmetic compact 1 by a snap-in arrangement 11 such that it can be detachably removed from the cosmetic compact 1 when empty, or to substitute one liquid cosmetic product for another. The snap-in arrangement 11 comprises a circumferential ridge 11a on the neck of the container. The ridge 11a snaps into an internal recess in a collar 11b, integrally moulded with or fixed to the base 3 adjacent the latch 5. Many other means to secure the container assembly 9 in the base 3 of the cosmetic compact 1 known in the art are permissible. For example, the container may be held in or beneath a secondary housing or cover which fits in the recess in the base 3 of the cosmetic compact 1 by a snap-in arrangement. A finger access hole may be provided, allowing the upper wall of the container assembly 9 to be squeezed to dispense the cosmetic material.

Alternatively, the container assembly 9 may be permanently held in the base 3 of the cosmetic compact 1 or form part of the base 3. This simplifies the manufacturing process and hence further reduces costs of manufacture. For example the base 3 of the cosmetic compact 1 can be integrally moulded with the container assembly 9 by way of insert moulding. Alternatively, the container assembly 9 can be held in the base 3 by adhesive, ultrasonic welding, or the like. The entire compact may be disposed of and recycled when the container 9 is empty.

The lid 2 and the base 3 of the cosmetic compact 1 can be separately moulded from a single material, for example, injection moulded relatively rigid plastics resin. For ease of manufacture it is preferable that the stopper 5 is integrally moulded with the lid 2.

When the lid 2 is in the closed position as shown in Fig. 3, the latch 5 is shown with its protrusion 7 inserted into the orifice 8 of the container assembly 9 in the base 3 of the cosmetic compact 1. The lid 2 is opened by simply pivoting the latch 5 about its hinge 6 such that the protrusion 7 is withdrawn from the orifice 8. The lid 2 is now able to rotate about the hinges 4 to the open position as shown in Fig. 2. The contents of the container assembly 9 can then be dispensed by pressing on or squeezing the outer container 20. This causes the liquid cosmetic product to be expelled from the orifice 8. As well as squeezing the upper wall of the container assembly 9, a finger hole 14 incorporated in the underside of the base 3 of the cosmetic compact 1 provides a means to squeeze the container assembly from underneath. A cosmetic applicator 13 such as a puff, sponge, etc can be stored in the cosmetic compact 1 above the container 9, as shown in Figs 2 and 3. In addition, a mirror 12 can attached to the underside of the lid 2 as shown in Figs 2 and 3.

An advantage of this arrangement over conventional cosmetic compacts for dispensing a liquid cosmetic product is the provision of an airless container for dispensing liquid cosmetics and the ability to open the lid of the cosmetic compact and the container holding the liquid cosmetic product without needing to provide a separate stopper or cap to the container; the whole being simple to manufacture, having few components. This further provides the ability to compactly combine liquid cosmetic product with an applicator used to apply the liquid product.

The stopper 5 is in fact optional, and therefore can be dispensed with. In that case, any suitable conventional releasable latch mechanism can be used to secure the lid and base closed.