Cosmetic container

Claim 1

A swivel-action container for selectively propelling and retracting lipstick or the like via an open dispensing end of the container, comprising inner and outer relatively rotatable tubular members having propulsion cam formations, and a carrier member guided within the inner tubular member and having camfollower means tracking cam formations of both tubular members, the outer tubular member being an open-ended sleeve having its cam formation longitudinally along its substantial length and within its bore, the inner tubular member having a slotted cam formation and extending helically along the bore of the outer tubular member and including an actuating handle projecting axially beyond said outer tubular member at the other end, the material of said inner tubular member being compliantly yieldable and having an unstressed generally conical contour over at least a fraction of the axial extent of the cam formation therein, said conical contour extending from a minimum diameter near the handle end to a maximum diameter nearer the dispensing end, said minimum diameter clearing and said maximum diameter exceeding the effective bore diameter of the outer tubular member, and axiallocating means coacting between said tubular members to retain assembly of said members, with said conical contour radially inwardly compliantly deformed into continuous resiliently loaded slidable friction contact with the bore of said outer tubular member; whereby in use of pomade carried by said carrier member, any given carrier-propulsion location is retained, to the point of being effectively locked by driven radially outward forcing of portions of said inner tubular member, in reaction to the force of pomade application.