Wet/Dry Compact with Multi-Stage Opening

Abstract

A wet/dry compact that contains a volatile product until a time of use. The wet/dry compact includes an automatically opening hinge assembly that pivotably couples a base at least partially encasing a translucent pot, a rotatable lid assembly, and a pot lid in-line with each other. The automatically opening hinge assembly having interference tabs configured to automatically open and/or close the pot lid assembly when the rotatable lid assembly is opened and/or closed relative to the base. The wet/dry compact includes a solid liner that completely covers an opening of the translucent pot and seals the pot lid assembly to a rim of the translucent pot.

1 . A vessel comprising:
 a pot for holding a product;   a base at least partially encasing the pot and having a pin section arranged integral in an outer wall of the base;   a rotatable lid assembly pivotably coupled to the base and configured to selectively lock to the base, the rotatable lid assembly comprising:
 a lid ring having a hollow section to pivotably couple to the pin section of the base, the hollow section having an interference tab protruding from the external surface of the hollow section; 
 a lid rotatably coupled to the lid ring; 
   a pot lid assembly, interposed between the rotatable lid assembly and the base, pivotably coupled in-line with the rotatable lid assembly and the base and configured to automatically open and/or close when the rotatable lid assembly is opened and/or closed, the pot lid assembly comprising:
 a loop section to pivotably couple in-line with the hollow section and the pin section, the loop section having another interference tab protruding from an outer wall of the pot lid assembly to engage with the interference tab protruding from the external surface of the hollow section when the rotatable lid assembly is opened and/or closed. 
   
     
     
         2 . The vessel of  claim 1 , wherein the interference tab and the other interference tab engage with one another to automatically open the pot lid assembly when the rotatable lid assembly is opened about a predetermined angle relative to the base. 
     
     
         3 . The vessel of  claim 2 , wherein the interference tab protruding from the external surface of the hollow section comprises a planar interference surface intersecting substantially perpendicular to another planar interference surface, and wherein the planar interference surfaces are formed as one unit integral with the hollow section. 
     
     
         4 . The vessel of  claim 3 , wherein the hollow section comprises a cylinder section and the interference tab protrudes from the external cylindrical surface of the cylinder section, and wherein at least one of the planar interference surfaces intersecting substantially perpendicular to one another is formed substantially parallel with a bottom surface of the lid ring. 
     
     
         5 . The vessel of  claim 4 , wherein the at least one planar interference surface formed substantially parallel with a bottom surface of the lid ring is oriented substantially perpendicular to a center axis of the lid ring to interfere with the other interference tab of the pot lid assembly at about the predetermined angle. 
     
     
         6 . The vessel of  claim 2 , wherein the other interference tab protruding from the outer wall of the pot lid assembly generally comprises a planar slip surface opposite another planar slip surface distal to the outer wall of the pot lid assembly and intersecting a planar stop surface at oblique angles for allowing the interference tab to be displaced along the other interference tab, and wherein the planar slip surface opposite another planar slip surface intersecting the planar stop surface are formed as one unit integral with the top lid assembly. 
     
     
         7 . The vessel of  claim 6 , wherein the loop section comprises a first loop opposite a second loop to pivotably couple in-line with the hollow section and the pin section, and wherein the planar stop surface is interposed by the first and the second loops and oriented away from a center axis of the pot lid assembly to interfere with the interference tab of the lid ring at about the predetermined angle. 
     
     
         8 . The vessel of  claim 2 , wherein the predetermined angle is between about 90 degrees and 180 degrees. 
     
     
         9 . The vessel of  claim 2 , wherein the predetermined angle is about a 120 degrees. 
     
     
         10 . A cosmetic compact comprising:
 a base;   a pot to contain a product, the pot at least partially encased by the base disposed about an outer wall of the pot; and   a rotatable lid assembly pivotably coupled to the base and configured to selectively lock to the base, the rotatable lid assembly comprising:
 a lid ring; 
 a lid rotatably coupled to the lid ring; 
   a pot lid, interposed between the rotatable lid assembly and the base, pivotably coupled in-line with the rotatable lid assembly pivotably coupled to the base and configured to automatically open and/or close when the rotatable lid assembly is opened and/or closed; and   a solid liner fixed to a bottom surface of the pot lid configured to be impervious to the product.   
     
     
         11 . The cosmetic compact of  claim 10 , wherein the pot comprises a rim arranged around an opening, and the solid liner completely covers the opening of the pot and seals the pot lid to the rim of the pot. 
     
     
         12 . The cosmetic compact of  claim 10 , wherein the solid liner is over-molded to the bottom surface of the pot lid. 
     
     
         13 . The cosmetic compact of  claim 10 , wherein the solid liner comprises silica gel, rubber, thermoplastic elastomer (TPE), silicone, or neoprene, and wherein the pot lid comprises polypropylene (PP). 
     
     
         14 . The cosmetic compact of  claim 10 , wherein the base, the lid ring, and the lid comprise acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), styrene acrylonitrile (SAN), and/or metal. 
     
     
         15 . The cosmetic compact of  claim 10 , wherein the pot comprises glass or a terpolymer. 
     
     
         16 . The cosmetic compact of  claim 10 , wherein:
 the base comprises a pin section arranged integral in an outer wall of the base;   the lid ring comprises a cylinder section to pivotably couple to the pin section,; and   the pot lid comprising:
 a first loop section opposite a second loop section to pivotably couple in-line with the cylinder section and the pin section;. 
   
     
     
         17 . The cosmetic compact of  claim 16 , wherein:
 the cylinder section comprises an interference tab protruding from the external cylindrical surface of the cylinder section; and   the first loop section opposite the second loop section pivotably coupled in-line with the cylinder section and the pin section comprising another interference tab interposed by the first and the second loop sections, wherein the interference tab is oriented away from a center axis of the pot lid to engage with the interference tab of the lid ring when the rotatable lid assembly is opened a predetermined amount.   
     
     
         18 . A wet/dry compact comprising:
 a base assembly at least partially encasing a pot and having a pin section arranged integral in an outer wall of the base assembly;   a rotatable lid assembly having a cylinder section to pivotably couple to the pin section of the base assembly ;   a pot lid assembly interposed between the rotatable lid assembly and the base assembly, the pot lid assembly comprising a loop section protruding from an outer wall of the pot lid assembly and arranged in-line with the pin section and the cylinder section.   
     
     
         19 . The wet/dry compact of  claim 18 , wherein the cylinder section comprises an interference tab protruding from the external cylindrical surface of the cylinder section, and the loop section comprises another interference tab to interfere with the interference tab of the rotatable lid assembly when the rotatable lid assembly is opened a predetermined angle relative to the base assembly. 
     
     
         20 . The wet/dry compact of  claim 18 , further comprising a solid liner fixed to a bottom surface of the pot lid assembly configured to be impervious to a product contained in the pot. 
     
     
         21 . The wet/dry compact of  claim 20 , wherein the solid liner is over-molded to the bottom surface of the pot lid. 
     
     
         22 . The wet/dry compact of  claim 20 , wherein the pot comprises a rim arranged around an opening, and the solid liner completely covers the opening of the pot and seals the pot lid to the rim of the pot. 
     
     
         23 . The wet/dry compact of  claim 20 , wherein the solid liner comprises silica gel, rubber, thermoplastic elastomer (TPE), silicone, or neoprene, and wherein the pot lid comprises polypropylene (PP). 
     
     
         24 . The wet/dry compact of  claim 18 , wherein the pot at least partially encased by the base assembly comprises a glass or a terpolymer. 
     
     
         25 . The wet/dry compact of  claim 24 , wherein the pot comprises a translucent glass or a translucent terpolymer, the product contained in the pot being visible via an aperture in the base assembly opposite the rotatable lid assembly. 
     
     
         26 . The wet/dry compact of  claim 18 , wherein the predetermined angle is between about 90 degrees and 180 degrees. 
     
     
         27 . The wet/dry compact of  claim 18 , wherein the predetermined angle is about a 120 degrees.