Compact Case With Cake Retention Pan

Abstract

A cosmetic compact has a pan made from an elastomeric material. The pan is elastically biased to a size that is smaller than a pre-formed cake of cosmetic product. The empty pan is temporarily expanded by applying vacuum to a bottom and sidewalls of the pan. The cake of cosmetic is inserted in the expanded pan and the pan is released from the vacuum. The pan contracts toward the smaller size and thus traps and holds the cake in the compact.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A compact for receiving a cake of cosmetic composition, the cake having a predetermined size, the compact comprising:
 a rigid frame with an upright wall having a top rim, the upright wall defining an upwardly opening chamber;   a pan dimensioned to be received in the chamber, the pan having a floor and a sidewall extending upwardly from the floor to a top end, the floor and the sidewall defining a reservoir with an upwardly directed opening, the reservoir for receiving and holding the cake, the pan made of an elastic material and elastically biased toward the reservoir having a first volume that is smaller than the predetermined size of the cake, and the pan is adapted to be expanded by means for expansion such that the reservoir expands from the first volume to a second volume that is large enough to permit insertion of the cake into the reservoir, and when the pan is released from the means for expansion, the reservoir contracts toward the first volume to securely retain the inserted cake; and   a horizontal flange extending from the sidewall to the upright wall for securing the pan in the chamber such that a clearance is defined at least between the frame and the sidewall sufficient to accommodate expansion of the pan to the second volume of the reservoir.   
     
     
         2 . The compact of  claim 1  wherein the means for expansion are mechanical means. 
     
     
         3 . The compact of  claim 2  wherein the mechanical means are one of an expander and a spreader inserted in the reservoir. 
     
     
         4 . The compact of  claim 2  wherein the mechanical means are an external structure of the pan that can be pulled outwardly. 
     
     
         5 . The compact of  claim 1  wherein means for expansion is a force fit by the cake. 
     
     
         6 . The compact of  claim 1  wherein the flange is integrally formed with and extends outwardly from the top end of the sidewall and is hermetically secured to the top rim of the frame, and the means for expansion is vacuum applied to the chamber. 
     
     
         7 . The compact of  claim 6  wherein the frame has a bottom wall and vacuum is applied to the chamber through at least one of a port in the frame and a port in the bottom wall. 
     
     
         8 . The compact of  claim 6  wherein the frame has an open bottom and a bottom rim of the upright wall of the frame is adapted to hermetically seal against a vacuum source and vacuum is applied to the chamber through the open bottom. 
     
     
         9 . The compact of  claim 8  wherein the vacuum source is selected from one of a vacuum table or a vacuum conveyer belt. 
     
     
         10 . The compact of  claim 6  wherein the flange is hermetically secured to the top rim of the frame by the at least one of friction fit, snap fit, welding, cementing, bi-injection molding, over molding and staking. 
     
     
         11 . The compact of  claim 1  further comprising a cover selectively movable from a closed position covering the opening in the pan to an open position permitting access to the cake through the opening in the pan. 
     
     
         12 . The compact of  claim 1  further comprising a skirt depending from the flange, and wherein the top end of the sidewall is secured to the top rim of the frame by at least one of the flange and the skirt. 
     
     
         13 . The compact of  claim 1  further comprising a skirt depending from the flange and a bead projecting inwardly from the skirt, wherein the pan is secured to the frame by at least one of the flange, the skirt and the bead. 
     
     
         14 . The compact of  claim 1  further comprising a skirt depending from the flange and a bead projecting outwardly from the skirt, wherein the pan is hermetically secured to the frame by at least one of the flange, the skirt and the bead. 
     
     
         15 . The compact of  claim 12  wherein the at least one of the flange and the skirt is adapted to form a seal between the pan and the cover when the cover is in the closed position. 
     
     
         16 . The compact of  claim 6  further comprising at least one vacuum channel in the upright wall, the vacuum channel adapted to facilitate evacuation of air from the chamber. 
     
     
         17 . The compact of  claim 6  further comprising a bottom wall connected to a bottom rim of the frame to close a bottom end of the chamber, and a vacuum port in at least one of the upright wall and the bottom wall through which vacuum may be selectively applied to the chamber. 
     
     
         18 . The compact of  claim 17  further comprising a vacuum channel in at least one of the upright wall or the bottom wall, the channel in fluid communication with the vacuum port and adapted to facilitate evacuation of air from the chamber. 
     
     
         19 . A method for securing a cake cosmetic in a compact case having a frame defining a chamber, the cake having a predetermined size, the method comprising the steps of:
 providing an elastomeric pan in the case, the pan having a floor and a sidewall defining a cake retention reservoir biased toward a first volume smaller than the predetermined size of the cake, the pan adapted such that the reservoir is expandable to a second volume that is large enough to permit insertion of the cake into the reservoir;   providing means for expanding the elastomeric pan from the first volume to the second volume;   using the means for expanding to expand the elastomeric pan from the first volume to the second volume;   inserting the cake into the reservoir; and   releasing the pan from the means for expanding, wherein the reservoir contracts toward the first volume to securely retain the inserted cake.   
     
     
         20 . A compact for receiving a cake of cosmetic composition, the cake having a predetermined size, the compact comprising:
 a rigid frame with an upright wall having a top rim and a bottom rim, the upright wall defining an upwardly opening chamber;   a pan dimensioned to be received in the chamber, the pan having a floor and a sidewall extending upwardly from the floor to a top end, the floor and the sidewall defining a reservoir with an upwardly directed opening, the reservoir for receiving and holding the cake, the pan made of an elastic material and elastically biased toward the reservoir having a first volume that is smaller than the predetermined size of the cake, and the pan is adapted to be expanded by means for expansion such that the reservoir expands from the first volume to a second volume that is large enough to permit insertion of the cake into the reservoir, and when the pan is released from the means for expansion, the reservoir contracts toward the first volume to securely retain the inserted cake; and   means for securing the pan to the frame in the chamber such that a clearance is defined at least between the frame and the sidewall sufficient to accommodate expansion of the pan to the second volume of the reservoir.   
     
     
         21 . The compact of  claim 20  wherein the means for securing is a flange extending outwardly from the pan to the frame. 
     
     
         22 . The compact of  claim 21  wherein the flange extends from the sidewall to the upright wall. 
     
     
         23 . The compact of  claim 22  wherein the flange extends from the top end of the sidewall to the top rim of the upright wall. 
     
     
         24 . The compact of  claim 20  wherein the means for securing is at least one of a stud, a rib, a beam, an arm, a web and a strut. 
     
     
         25 . A pan for receiving a cake of cosmetic composition in a compact, the cake having a predetermined size, the compact having a rigid frame with an upright wall having a top rim and a bottom rim, the upright wall defining an upwardly opening chamber, the pan dimensioned to be received in the chamber, the pan comprising:
 a floor and a sidewall extending upwardly from the floor to a top end, the floor and the sidewall defining a reservoir with an upwardly directed opening, the reservoir for receiving and holding the cake, the pan made of an elastic material and elastically biased toward the reservoir having a first volume that is smaller than the predetermined size of the cake, and the pan is adapted to be expanded by means for expansion such that the reservoir expands from the first volume to a second volume that is large enough to permit insertion of the cake into the reservoir, and when the pan is released from the means for expansion, the reservoir contracts toward the first volume to securely hold the inserted cake.   
     
     
         26 . A pan for holding a cake of cosmetic composition in a cosmetic compact, the cake having a predetermined size, the pan comprising:
 a floor and a sidewall extending upwardly from the floor defining a reservoir with an upwardly directed opening, the reservoir for receiving and holding the cake; and   means for securing the pan in the cosmetic compact;   wherein the pan is made from a shape memory polymer, the pan has a programmed expanded configuration in which the reservoir has a volume that is large enough to allow insertion of the cake having the predetermined size, the pan has a predetermined contracted configuration in which the reservoir has a volume that is smaller than the predetermined size of the cake and the pan changes from the programmed expanded configuration to the predetermined contracted configuration in response to an external stimulus applied to the pan subsequent to insertion of the cake in the reservoir.   
     
     
         27 . The pan of  claim 26  wherein the external stimulus is a change in temperature. 
     
     
         28 . The pan of  claim 27  wherein the change in temperature comprises one of heat or cold applied to the floor and sidewall. 
     
     
         29 . The pan of  claim 27  wherein the change in temperature is provided by at least one of a liquid bath and a gaseous stream. 
     
     
         30 . The pan of  claim 26  wherein the external stimulus is selected from at least one of electricity, magnetism, light, radio frequency, microwave or radiation. 
     
     
         31 . A method for securing a cake cosmetic in a compact case having a frame defining a chamber, the cake having a predetermined size, the method comprising the steps of:
 providing a pan made from a shape memory polymer, the pan having a floor and a sidewall defining an upwardly opening cake retention reservoir, the pan having a predetermined contracted configuration in which the reservoir has a volume that is smaller than the predetermined size of the cake;   programming the pan to have an expanded configuration in which the reservoir has a volume that is large enough to allow insertion of the cake having the predetermined size;   inserting the cake into the reservoir when the pan is in the expanded configuration;   applying an external stimulus to the expanded configuration of the pan to cause the pan to revert toward the predetermined contracted configuration wherein the inserted cake is securely grasped and retained in the reservoir by the contracted configuration of the pan;   providing means for securing the pan in the chamber; and   securing the pan in the chamber.   
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 31  wherein the step of securing the pan in the chamber precedes at least one of the step of programming the pan to have an expanded configuration, inserting the cake into the reservoir and applying the external stimulus. 
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 31  wherein the external stimulus is a change in temperature. 
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 33  wherein the change in temperature comprises one of heat or cold applied to the floor and sidewall. 
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 33  wherein the change in temperature is provided by at least one of a liquid bath and a gaseous stream. 
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 31  wherein the external stimulus is selected from at least one of electricity, magnetism, light, radio frequency, microwave or radiation. 
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 31  wherein the means for securing is a flange extending outwardly from the pan to the frame. 
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 37  wherein the flange extends from the sidewall to the upright wall. 
     
     
         39 . The method of  claim 37  wherein the flange extends from the top end of the sidewall to the top rim of the upright wall. 
     
     
         40 . The method of  claim 31  wherein the means for securing is at least one of a stud, a rib, a beam, an arm, a web and a strut.