U.S. patent application number 10/537910 was filed with the patent office on 2006-01-19 for cosmetic applicator.
Invention is credited to Hyo-Soon Shin.
Application Number | 20060010632 10/537910 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 32501336 |
Filed Date | 2006-01-19 |
United States Patent
Application |
20060010632 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Shin; Hyo-Soon |
January 19, 2006 |
Cosmetic applicator
Abstract
The present invention relates to a cosmetic applicator. The
cosmetic applicator comprises a rod and a brush. The applicator is
formed with a fixing portion pressed to be flat at a lower end of
the rod into which the brush is fixedly inserted. Since the brush
has a flat face defined by the fixing portion, a region that
requires delicate operation can be easily cosmeticized. Further,
even when the brush is caused to enter and be withdrawn from a
container with a small mouth, it is possible to prevent the brush
from being curved outward or bristles of the brush from being
entangled. Moreover, since the fixing portion is formed in the rod
itself, there is no need for an additional means for making the
brush in a flattened shape. Thus, the number of components for the
cosmetic applicator can be reduced while an effect of application
of cosmetics is further improved. Accordingly, production costs of
the cosmetic applicator can be lowered and productivity thereof can
also be enhanced.
Inventors: |
Shin; Hyo-Soon; (Seoul,
KR) |
Correspondence
Address: |
MAYER, BROWN, ROWE & MAW LLP
1909 K STREET, N.W.
WASHINGTON
DC
20006
US
|
Family ID: |
32501336 |
Appl. No.: |
10/537910 |
Filed: |
March 26, 2003 |
PCT Filed: |
March 26, 2003 |
PCT NO: |
PCT/KR03/00596 |
371 Date: |
June 8, 2005 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
15/191.1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A45D 2033/001 20130101;
A46B 9/021 20130101; A46B 2200/1046 20130101; A45D 34/042
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
015/191.1 |
International
Class: |
A46B 3/00 20060101
A46B003/00 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Dec 9, 2002 |
KR |
10-2002-0077939 |
Claims
1. A cosmetic applicator, comprising: a brush (7) consisting of a
plurality of bristles (8); a fixing portion (6) with a hole (5)
formed at one end thereof so that the brush (7) is inserted into
the hole; and a rod (4) coupled to the fixing portion (6) to
support the fixing portion (6), wherein the fixing portion (6) is
made of a plastic material and formed to be flat through a pressing
process, thereby securing the brush (7) inserted into the hole (5)
in a flattened shape.
2. The cosmetic applicator as claimed in claim 1, wherein the rod
(4) is made of plastic synthetic resin, and the fixing portion (6)
is formed integrally with an end of the rod (4).
Description
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] The present invention relates to a cosmetic applicator, and
more particularly, to a cosmetic applicator, wherein a lower end of
a rod of the cosmetic applicator into which a brush is fixedly
inserted is pressed flat together with the brush so that an upper
end of the brush is secured to the pressed lower end of the rod and
the brush has a flat face, whereby when cosmetics are applied to
predetermined regions of the human body by using the brush, the
flat face of the brush allows cosmetics to be easily applied to
regions of the human body requiring delicate operation, and
distortion of the shape of the brush can be prevented when the
brush is inserted and withdrawn from a container for containing the
cosmetics.
BACKGROUND ART
[0002] As for the different kinds of cosmetics usually used, there
are solid cosmetics such as lipstick, cheek color and eye shadow,
and liquid cosmetics such as lip gloss and nail polish. Upon use of
such cosmetics, an applicator in the form of a brush is generally
used.
[0003] As an example of an applicator used for applying solid
cosmetics such as lipstick, cheek color and eye shadow, a cosmetic
applicator 10 comprising a rod 14 used as a grip, an application
brush 17 and a coupling member 19 for fixing the brush 17 to the
rod 14 as shown in FIG. 5 has been used.
[0004] Here, the coupling member 19 is formed in the form of a
cylinder made of a metallic material. The rod 14 is fixedly
inserted into one end of the coupling member 19 and the brush 17 is
fixedly inserted into the other end thereof. The other end of the
rod 14 with the brush 17 inserted thereinto is pressed flat by
means of a press machine, not shown. At this time, the brush 17
becomes flat so that a lower end surface thereof takes the shape of
a straight line. Since the brush 17 is fixedly connected to the rod
14 via the coupling member 19 and is simultaneously maintained in a
flat state, when cosmetics are applied using the cosmetic
applicator 10 constructed as above, the cosmetics can easily be
applied to a desired region without departure from the region by
means of the flat face of the brush 17.
[0005] When a solid lipstick or a powdered cheek color or eye
shadow is applied by using the cosmetic applicator, only the brush
17 comes into contact with the contents of the cosmetics. Thus, the
coupling member for fixing the rod 14 and the brush 17, which is
made of a metallic material such as aluminum or copper, is not
influenced by the contents of the cosmetics. However, when liquid
cosmetics are applied by using the cosmetic applicator 10, the
coupling member 19 comes into contact with the liquid cosmetics.
Thus, there is a problem in that a chemical reaction between the
metallic coupling member 19 and the liquid cosmetics occurs and
accordingly harmful effects may occur due to contamination of the
cosmetics.
[0006] An applicator for applying liquid cosmetics such as lip
gloss and nail polish for solving the problem is a cosmetic
applicator 20 comprising a cylindrical rod 24 formed integrally
with or coupled to a grip 23, and a brush 27 fixedly inserted into
a lower end of the rod 24, as shown in FIG. 4. The rod 24 is made
of synthetic resin so that the rod does not react with the liquid
cosmetics even through it comes into contact therewith, thereby
allowing easy makeup application.
[0007] Further, since liquid cosmetics such as lip gloss and nail
polish may become solidified upon contact with outside air, the
liquid cosmetics are contained in a container 22 with a mouth
through which only a minimum amount of the cosmetics is exposed to
the outside air. Accordingly, the rod 24 is constructed to be
elongated so that a lower end surface of the brush 27 fixedly
inserted into the rod 24 comes into contact with a bottom surface
of the container 22 when the rod 24 is accommodated in the
container 22, and to have a diameter by which the rod can be
inserted and withdrawn from the container 22 through the mouth of
the container. When the blush 27 is smeared with the liquid
cosmetics through repeated lifting and lowering of the rod 24, the
cosmetic applicator 20 is withdrawn from the container 22 and used
for applying the cosmetics to a desired region of the human
body.
[0008] However, in the cosmetic applicator 20, since the brush 27
is fixedly inserted into the lower end of the cylindrical rod 24,
the brush 27 has a circular cross-section in the same manner as the
rod 24. Further, since the state where the brush 27 is fixedly
inserted into the lower end of the rod 24 corresponds to a state
where an upper portion of the brush 27 is secured to the interior
of the rod 24, a gap is produced between the portion of the brush
27 placed in the rod 24 and an inner periphery of the rod 24.
Therefore, when a user applies makeup using the cosmetic applicator
20 while exerting excessive force on the cosmetic applicator, there
is a problem in that the brush 27 is extensively spread and departs
from a desired region to which the cosmetics will be applied. The
round brush is convenient by nature for use in application to a
wide region without minute depiction. However, if lip gloss is
applied to user's lips by using the cosmetic applicator 20, there
is a problem in that bristles of the brush are excessively spread
and depart from the user's lip lines and thus the lip gloss is
applied to other, unwanted regions of facial skin.
[0009] Moreover, since the brush 27 should be smeared with the
liquid cosmetics whenever the cosmetic applicator 20 is used, the
brush should be caused to repeatedly inserted and withdrawn from
the container 22. At this time, some of the bristles 28 defining an
outer face of the brush 27 repeatedly come into contact with the
mouth of the container 22, and thus, there is a problem in that the
bristles become curved outward, entangled or fall out. Further,
when the liquid cosmetics are applied by using the cosmetic
applicator with the bristles 28 of the brush curved outward, there
is a cumbersome problem in that a region in addition to the desired
region is smeared with the cosmetics due to the outwardly curved
bristles and thus the cosmetics adhering to the undesired region
should be removed and the liquid cosmetic should be correctly
applied again to the desired region.
SUMMARY OF INVENTION
[0010] The present invention is conceived to solve the
aforementioned problems. An object of the present invention is to
provide a cosmetic applicator, wherein a lower end itself of a rod
into which a brush is fixedly inserted is pressed flat so that the
brush has a flat face, whereby cosmetics can be easily applied to
margins of a region where the cosmetics are to be applied, contact
of the brush with a mouth of a cosmetic container is reduced so
that bristles of the brush are prevented from being curved outward
or entangled, and an additional means is not required for
flattening the brush so that the components of the cosmetic
applicator are simplified and productivity thereof can be
enhanced.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
[0011] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a state where a
cosmetic applicator according to the present invention is separated
from a container;
[0012] FIG. 2 is a perspective view taken along line A-A in FIG.
1;
[0013] FIGS. 3a and 3b are perspective views showing states where
the cosmetic applicator according to the present invention is used;
and
[0014] FIGS. 4 and 5 are perspective views of conventional cosmetic
applicators.
[0015] Explanation of reference numerals for designating main
components in the drawings
[0016] 1: Cosmetic applicator
[0017] 2: Container
[0018] 3: Grip
[0019] 4: Rod
[0020] 5: Hole
[0021] 6: Fixing portion
[0022] 7: Brush
[0023] 8: Bristles
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0024] A cosmetic applicator 1 for achieving an object of the
present invention comprises a brush 7 formed of a plurality of
bristles 8, a fixing portion 6 having one end formed with a hole 5
into which the brush 7 is fixedly inserted, and a rod 4 that is
coupled to and supports the fixing portion 6. The fixing portion 6
is made of a plastic material and formed to be flat through a
pressing process so as to secure the brush 7, which is inserted
into the hole 5, in a flattened shape. Thus, the brush 7 allows
cosmetics to be easily applied. Further, since the brush 7 is
secured to the fixing portion 6 to be flat, the bristles 8 of the
brush 7 are prevented from being curved outward or entangled even
though the brush 7 is inserted or withdrawn from a container 2 with
a small mouth. Accordingly, damage to the brush 7 can be
avoided.
[0025] Preferably, the rod 4 is made of plastic synthetic resin and
the fixing portion 6 is formed integrally with the rod 4 at an end
thereof so as to secure the brush 7 in the flattened shape. Thus,
since an additional fixing member for securing the brush 7 in the
flattened shape is not required, production costs can be lowered
and productivity thereof can be enhanced by simplifying the
components of the cosmetic applicator. Moreover, since the plastic
synthetic resin is used as a material for the rod 4, contamination
of liquid cosmetics and harmful effects resulting therefrom can be
prevented even when the rod 4 comes into contact with the liquid
cosmetics.
[0026] Hereinafter, the cosmetic applicator of the present
invention for specifically achieving the object will be described
with reference to the accompanying drawings. Particularly, an
embodiment of the cosmetic applicator of the present invention
which is used for liquid cosmetics will be described by way of
example.
[0027] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a state where the
cosmetic applicator 1 according to the present invention is
separated from the container 2. The cosmetic applicator comprises a
grip 3 for use in opening and closing the container 2 with liquid
cosmetics contained therein, the rod 4 protruding from the bottom
of the handle 3, and the brush 7 formed at a lower end of the rod
4.
[0028] The rod 4 is formed in the form of a cylinder such that it
has a predetermined length for enabling the rod to be inserted into
the container 2 and smeared with the liquid cosmetics and has a
diameter smaller than that of the mouth of the container 2. The
longitudinally perforated hole 5 is formed within the rod 4 so that
the brush 7 is fixedly inserted into an end of the rod through the
hole. The grip 3 detachably coupled to the container 2 to open and
close the container 2 is formed integrally with or separately from
the other end of the rod.
[0029] Further, the rod 4 is made of plastic synthetic resin that
does not chemically react with the liquid cosmetics such as nail
polish or lip gloss liquid upon contact therewith.
[0030] In addition, the rod 4 is a means for lifting or lowering
the brush 7 so that the brush 7 can be smeared with the liquid
cosmetics. The shape of the rod in cross section is not limited to
a circular shape but may be formed in a variety of shapes such as a
rectangle or an ellipse.
[0031] The brush 7 consists of the plurality of bristles 8 and is a
means for applying the cosmetics to desired regions of the human
body while being smeared with the liquid cosmetics contained in the
container 2. An upper end of the brush is fixedly inserted into the
end of the rod 4 through the hole 5 in such a manner that a lower
portion of the brush 7 protruding outside the rod is preferably
about 0.5 cm to 2 cm in length when the upper end of the brush 7 is
fixedly inserted into the hole 5 of the rod 4. In a case where the
brush 7 is intended to be used for lipstick or powdered eye shadow,
the brush 7 may be formed to be longer in length. Further, the
brush 7 consists of fibers or bristles made of synthetic resin with
good liquid-holding and storing properties.
[0032] When the brush 7 is fixedly inserted into the open hole 5 of
the rod 4 as described above, a force is exerted on an outer
periphery of the lower end of the rod 4 by a press machine of a
cosmetic applicator manufacturing machine, not shown, so that the
lower end of the rod can be plastically deformed and pressed flat
so as to form the fixing portion 6. At the same time, the upper
portion of the brush 7 that is inserted into the hole 5 of the
fixing portion 6 is pressed together therewith. Thus, the bristles
8 of the brush 7 are densified and secured while being in close
contact with an inner periphery of the rod 4. At this time,
according to the configuration of the press machine, not shown, the
rod 4 may be pressed at the outer periphery of the rod 4 in a fore
and aft direction so that the fixing portion 6 takes the shape of a
straight line in cross section, or in both the fore and aft and
right and left directions so that the fixing portion 6 takes the
shape of a rectangle in cross section.
[0033] Therefore, the brush 7 fixed in the flattened shape by the
fixing portion 6 formed integrally with the rod 4 allows the
cosmetics to be easily applied to a wide region, or even a narrow
region or a region that requires delicate operation by means of
distal ends or side faces of the bristles 8, in view of the nature
of the cosmetic applicator 1 taking the flattened shape. Since the
upper portion of the brush 7 is maintained in the pressed state by
means of the fixing portion 6, the bristles 8 of the brush 7
protruding below the rod 4 are prevented from being outspread and
thus makeup can be easily applied.
[0034] Next, states where the cosmetic applicator 1 constructed as
above are used will be described with reference to the accompanying
drawings.
[0035] FIG. 3a is a perspective view showing a state where the
cosmetic applicator 1 of the present invention is used for applying
liquid cosmetics such as a lip gloss to lips. The lip gloss is
applied to a relatively wide region of the lips by using a flat
face of the brush 7, while lip lines are drawn by using a side edge
of the brush 7. Since the brush 7 are in close contact with one
another by the fixing portion 6 of the rod 4, the bristles 8 of the
brush 7 are not outspread. Thus, makeup can be easily applied.
[0036] FIG. 3b is a perspective view showing a state where the
cosmetic applicator 1 is used for applying mail polish to a nail.
Since the brush 7 is supported by the fixing portion 6 of the rod 4
and takes the shape of a straight line in cross section, the
bristles 8 of the brush 7 are uniformly outspread when the nail
polish is applied to the nail by means of the flat face of the
brush 7. Thus, the nail polish can be uniformly applied to the
nail. Further, since the fixing portion 6 supports the upper
portion of the brush 7, the nail polish can be easily applied even
upon changing the force exerted on the applicator by a user or even
to regions of nails to which it is difficult to apply nail
polish.
[0037] Meanwhile, since the liquid cosmetics are contained in the
container 2 with the relatively small mouth, the cosmetic
applicator 1 should be frequently inserted and withdrawn from the
container 2 through the mouth in order to cause the brush of the
applicator to be smeared with the cosmetics. Since the brush 7 of
the cosmetic applicator 1 is in close contact with the fixing
portion 6 of the rod 4, the brush 7 pressed to be in the flattened
state barely comes into contact with the mouth of the container 2
even though the applicator 1 is frequently inserted and withdrawn
from the container 2 with the small mouth. Thus, the bristles 8 are
prevented from being curved outward or entangled. Accordingly,
distortions of the shape of the bristles 8 can be avoided.
[0038] According to the cosmetic applicator of the present
invention, since the fixing portion is formed by pressing the lower
end of the rod to which the brush is secured so that the lower end
becomes flat, the brush has the flat face by means of the pressed
fixing portion and the bristles of the brush are densified and come
into close contact with the inner periphery of the fixing portion.
Therefore, there is an advantage in that when cosmetics are applied
to a desired region of the human body, the cosmetics can be easily
applied to regions requiring delicate operations by using the brush
with the flat face obtained by means of the fixing portion.
[0039] Further, since the rod of the cosmetic applicator of the
present invention is made of plastic synthetic resin, it does not
chemically react with liquid cosmetics such as lip gloss and nail
polish as well as solid cosmetics such as lipstick and eye shadow
even though it comes into contact therewith. Thus, the occurrence
of harmful effects is avoided when the cosmetics are applied to a
skin. Since the brush is formed in the flattened shape by pressing
the lower end itself of the rod to which the brush is coupled
rather than by using an additional fixing member, the components of
the cosmetic applicator can be simplified and the effects of
applying the cosmetics can be enhanced. Accordingly, productions
costs of the cosmetic applicator can be lowered and productivity
thereof can also be enhanced.
[0040] In addition, since the brush of the cosmetic applicator
constructed as above is pressed and secured by the fixing portion
of the rod, there is an advantage in that even when the brush is
inserted and withdrawn from the container with the small mouth, it
is possible to prevent the bristles of the brush from being curved
outward or entangled, or falling out.
* * * * *