U.S. patent application number 12/094258 was filed with the patent office on 2009-09-10 for applicator.
Invention is credited to Michael John Hawker, Melinda Sue Lane, Michael John Oakes.
Application Number | 20090226238 12/094258 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 35601242 |
Filed Date | 2009-09-10 |
United States Patent
Application |
20090226238 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Lane; Melinda Sue ; et
al. |
September 10, 2009 |
APPLICATOR
Abstract
A mascara applicator in the form of a tube (10) has an
applicator brush (22, 24) captive in the cap (12). To enable the
brush to be moved within the body of mascara (16) in the tube, a
mechanism is provided which produces movement of the brush relative
to the mascara-containing tube, before the cap is released from the
tube. Various different mechanisms, which will produce this
movement, are described. The invention is not limited to use for
mascara application.
Inventors: |
Lane; Melinda Sue;
(Clacton-on-Sea, GB) ; Hawker; Michael John;
(Ipswich, GB) ; Oakes; Michael John; (Ipswich,
GB) |
Correspondence
Address: |
KIRTON AND MCCONKIE
60 EAST SOUTH TEMPLE,, SUITE 1800
SALT LAKE CITY
UT
84111
US
|
Family ID: |
35601242 |
Appl. No.: |
12/094258 |
Filed: |
November 23, 2006 |
PCT Filed: |
November 23, 2006 |
PCT NO: |
PCT/GB2006/004388 |
371 Date: |
October 30, 2008 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
401/129 ;
132/218 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A45D 34/048 20130101;
A45D 40/265 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
401/129 ;
132/218 |
International
Class: |
A46B 11/00 20060101
A46B011/00; A45D 40/26 20060101 A45D040/26 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Nov 25, 2005 |
GB |
0524064.3 |
Claims
1. An applicator comprising a tubular container for a viscous
material, a brush mounted to the cap so as to be located within the
container, and a cap for the container, the cap incorporating a
spring-loaded push-button linked to a finger running in a helical
track so that as the button is pressed, the brush is both rotated
in the tube and moved axially along the tube to load the brush with
viscous material.
2. An applicator as claimed in claim 1, for mascara, wherein the
brush is a brush for applying mascara to the eyelashes.
3. An applicator as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the
helical track is a groove formed on an end of a brush shaft
extending within the cap, and the finger is formed on a neck of the
tube so that as the button is pressed, the brush shaft moves
relative to the tube neck to cause the brush to rotate as it is
being moved axially in the tube.
4. An applicator as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the
spring-loading causes the brush to be moved in rotation and axially
when the button is released.
5. An applicator as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the
button is mounted in the cap, so that it can be pressed into the
body of the cap
6. An applicator as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein
the button is formed by the body of the cap sliding over an inner
neck of the cap.
7. An applicator as claimed in claim 2, wherein the brush can be
housed in a cylinder attached to the cap, and the mascara can be
contained in an outer housing which can be moved up and down along
the cylinder, the cylinder having openings through its wall over
that part where the brush is positioned so that the mascara is
moved past the cylinder openings and onto the brush.
8. An applicator as claimed in claim 7, wherein the cap has a
rotatable portion, separate from the attachment of the cap to the
tube, with a finger running in a helical track so that as the
button is pressed, the brush is rotated in the tube and moves
axially along the tube.
9. An applicator as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the cap
is a screw-fit onto the container and will be unscrewed from the
container to remove the brush from the container.
10. A mascara container comprising a mascara containing tube with a
cap which carries a captive brush, the tube having a narrow neck
which divides the main length of the tube from a product containing
portion at the end of the tube remote from the cap, with the brush
being arranged so that it is located within the product containing
portion when the cap is in place on the container.
11. A container as claimed in claim 10, wherein the neck is of a
diameter such as to remove excess mascara from the brush as the
brush is drawn through the neck, so that excess mascara stays in
the end portion of the tube and is not spread along the whole
length of the tube.
Description
[0001] This invention relates to an applicator, particularly for
applying mascara to the eyelashes. The applicator is not however
restricted to this particular use but may find uses in other
contexts.
[0002] Mascara is a viscous substance which is conventionally
applied to the lashes using a specially shaped brush with a
relatively long shaft and relatively short bristles. The mascara is
usually contained in a tube and, when not in use, the brush is
housed in the tube with the bristles in contact with the mascara.
Moving the brush around in the tube coats the brush with mascara so
that when the brush is withdrawn from the tube, it is loaded with
mascara which can then be applied to the lashes.
[0003] To ensure good loading of the brush with mascara, many users
pump the brush up and down in the tube before withdrawing it, with
the aim of loading the brush more heavily than would be the case
without this pumping action. However the pumping action has two
major disadvantages. Firstly, it causes air to be drawn into and to
circulate in the tube which hastens drying out of the mascara in
the tube. Secondly there is a danger with vigorous pumping that the
brush is accidentally wholly withdrawn from the tube and the user
then ends up with mascara on the hands.
[0004] According to the invention, there is provided an applicator
comprising
[0005] a tubular container for a viscous material,
[0006] a brush mounted to the cap so as to be located within the
container, and
[0007] a cap for the container, the cap incorporating a
spring-loaded push-button linked to a finger running in a helical
track so that as the button is pressed, the brush is both rotated
in the tube and moved axially along the tube to load the brush with
viscous material.
[0008] The applicator is preferably for applying mascara to the
eyelashes, and in this case, the viscous material will be mascara,
and the brush will be designed for this purpose. Conventionally,
such brushes have a relatively long shaft and relatively short
bristles extending radially from the shaft, at one end of the
shaft.
[0009] The brush may have separate bristles, or the shaft may be a
plastics moulding with bristle-like fingers moulded onto the
shaft.
[0010] The cap is preferably a screw-fit onto the container and
will be unscrewed from the container to remove the brush from the
container.
[0011] In a first embodiment, the cap incorporates a spring-loaded
push-button linked to a helical track passing through a stationary
surface or surfaces so that as the button is pressed, the brush is
both rotated in the tube and moved axially along the tube to load
the brush with mascara.
[0012] The helical track may be a groove formed on an end of a
brush shaft extending within the cap, and the stationary surfaces
can be formed on a neck of the tube so that as the button is
pressed, the brush shaft moves relative to the tube neck to cause
the brush to rotate as it is being moved axially in the tube.
[0013] The spring-loading will cause the brush to be moved in
rotation and axially, in the opposite direction, when the button is
released.
[0014] The button may be mounted in the cap, so that it can be
pressed into the body of the cap, or may be formed by the body of
the cap sliding over an inner neck of the cap.
[0015] In a second embodiment, the brush can be housed in a
cylinder attached to the cap, and the mascara can be contained in
an outer housing which can be moved up and down along the cylinder,
the cylinder having openings through its wall over that part where
the brush is positioned so that the mascara is moved past the
cylinder openings and onto the brush.
[0016] In a third embodiment, the cap may have a rotatable portion,
separate from the attachment of the cap to the tube, with a finger
running in a helical track so that as the button is pressed, the
brush is rotated in the tube and moves axially along the tube.
[0017] One problem arising with existing mascara containing tubes
is that the volume of mascara in the tube is less than the volume
of the tube. Typically a mascara tube container contains about 5 ml
of product. This product is spread over the length of the tube, and
this makes it difficult for the brush to reach all the mascara, and
the container may, for practical purposes, appear empty because the
brush cannot access any more product when in fact there is still a
significant quantity of the product in the tube.
[0018] To overcome this problem, it is proposed, in accordance with
a second aspect of the invention, to form a mascara containing tube
with a narrow neck which divides the main length of the tube from a
product containing portion at the end of the tube remote from the
cap, with the brush being arranged so that it is located within the
product containing portion when the cap is in place on the
container.
[0019] By confining the product to one small area of the tube, more
of the product can be accessed by the brush because less will be
spread over the walls of the tube.
[0020] The neck may be of a diameter such as to remove excess
mascara from the brush as the brush is drawn through the neck, so
that excess mascara stays in the end portion of the tube and is not
spread along the whole length of the tube.
[0021] The invention will now be further described, by way of
example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
[0022] FIG. 1 is a view of a first embodiment of a mascara
applicator according to the invention;
[0023] FIG. 2 is a cross-section through the applicator of FIG.
1;
[0024] FIG. 3 is a view of a second embodiment of a mascara
applicator according to the invention;
[0025] FIG. 4 is a cross-section through the applicator of FIG.
3;
[0026] FIG. 5 is a cross-section through a third embodiment of a
mascara applicator according to the invention;
[0027] FIG. 6 is a cross-section through the applicator of FIG. 5,
in a different position of use;
[0028] FIG. 7 is a cross-section through a fourth embodiment of a
mascara applicator according to the invention;
[0029] FIG. 8 is a cross-section through a fifth embodiment of a
mascara applicator according to the invention;
[0030] FIG. 9 is a cross-section through a sixth embodiment of a
mascara applicator according to the invention;
[0031] FIG. 10 is an external view of the applicator of FIG. 9;
[0032] FIG. 11 is a detail exploded view of part of the embodiment
of FIGS. 3 and 4;
[0033] FIG. 12 is a view corresponding to FIG. 11, but on a larger
scale;
[0034] FIG. 13 is a detail of another part of the embodiment of
FIGS. 3 and 4; and
[0035] FIG. 14 is a view of a container insert "as moulded".
[0036] Mascara applicators are typically long thin tubes with a cap
which unscrews or pulls off, and a brush at the end of a shaft or
wand which dips into the mascara at the bottom of the tube when the
cap is in place and which can be removed with mascara on the
bristles of the brush, so that the mascara can be applied to the
eyelashes.
[0037] FIG. 1 shows an applicator according to the invention which
has a mascara container 10 and a removable cap 12. In this case the
cap is designed to screw off from the container. In this FIG. 1
embodiment, the cap has a push-button top 14.
[0038] FIG. 2 shows the interior of the applicator of FIG. 1. The
container 10 contains a volume of mascara 16 at the bottom of the
container. Mascara is a thick, viscous composition which,
initially, is placed in the bottom of the container 10. The cap 12
has an internally threaded portion at 18 which screws onto a
threaded neck 20 of the container 10.
[0039] The other main component of the applicator is a brush 22 at
the end of an elongate shaft or wand 24. In FIG. 2, the container
10 has an insert 26. The insert 26 has a narrow neck 28 through
which the brush 22 must pass when it is removed from the tube. The
neck 28 scrapes off excess mascara from the brush before the brush
travels up the tube.
[0040] The insert 26 is fitted into the mouth of the container 10
and also carries the screw threaded rim 20 onto which the cap 12 is
screwed.
[0041] Within the cap 12 is a mechanism which allows the
push-button 14 to be pushed in and released to move the brush 22 up
and down and in rotation within the body of mascara 16, to ensure
that the bristles of the brush 22 are properly coated.
[0042] At its top end, the shaft 24 has a portion 30 moulded in the
form of a helix (see also FIGS. 11 and 12). The helix engages with
a neck 32 which is part of the cap 12. A compression spring 34 acts
between a shelf 36 which is part of the cap 12 and the underside of
the helix portion 30.
[0043] When the cap 14 is depressed, the helix portion 30 passes
through the neck 32, and in doing so the helix portion and the
shaft 24 are all caused to rotate. The spring 34 is compressed when
the button 14 is pushed and when the button is released the spring
34 will return the button and the brush 22, 24 to their starting
positions.
[0044] It will be seen also from FIG. 12 that the top end of the
shaft 24 has a pair of flexible wings 38 which, on assembly of the
applicator, snap into a recess 40 in the button 14, but allow
relative rotation between the button and the shaft so that as the
shaft rotates, the button 14 does not have to rotate. Any suitable
snap-fit connector can be used provided it allows relative rotation
between the connected components but prevents axial
disengagement.
[0045] FIG. 2 also shows that the cap 12 has an annular groove 42,
and a skirt of the button 14 slides in and out of this groove as
the button is pressed.
[0046] Also in FIG. 2, it would be seen that there is an O-ring 44
just above the shelf 36. This O-ring makes a seal with the shaft 24
to prevent air being drawn into the container when the button 14 is
pressed.
[0047] In use, the user will hold the applicator in one hand and
press the button 14 with the thumb (much like extending and
retracting the tip of a ball-point pen). This will cause the brush
22 to be moved up and down in the mascara 16, and rotated within
the mascara. This will ensure mixing of the mascara and thorough
coating of the bristles. The cap 12 can then be unscrewed from the
container 10 and withdrawn with the brush; the brush passing
through the neck 28 so that excess mascara is scraped of the brush
before the brush is removed from the container. The mascara can
then be applied to the eyelashes.
[0048] FIGS. 3 and 4 show a largely similar embodiment with the
exception that in this case the button 114 is external and moves up
and down over the cap 112. As can be seen in FIG. 11, the button
114 has internal splines 116 which mate with splines 118 on the cap
112 so that the button does not rotate as it is pushed up and
down.
[0049] Other parts of the embodiment shown in FIG. 4 are the same
as the equivalent parts in FIG. 2 and the same reference numerals
are used.
[0050] In FIGS. 5 and 6, the cap 214 has no internal moving parts.
The container 210 has an internal tube 250 which contains the
mascara 16, and the bottom end of the internal tube 250 is
connected to a pump base 252 which can be moved up and down between
the positions shown in FIGS. 5 and 6. The base 252 can have a
soft-feel rotating grip which is able to rotate relative to the
tube 250. The tube 250 has an external helical groove 254, and a
feature on the interior of the container 210 ensures that the tube
250 rotates as the tube 250 is pulled in and out of the outer
container 210. The base 252 has a projection 256 which locates in
an annular groove 258 on the outside of the tube 250, so that the
base does not rotate when the tube 250 is pulled in and out. The
tube may pull in and out against a spring action (spring 260 is
shown in FIG. 5), or without a spring as shown in FIG. 6. In both
cases, as the tube 250 is moved in and out of the outer container
210, the brush is moved through the mascara to coat the bristles of
the brush with mascara. The container 210 has a neck 261 to wipe
off excess mascara as the brush is removed from the container after
unscrewing the cap 214.
[0051] FIG. 7 shows another embodiment. In this case the cap 314
again has no moving parts and the brush 322, 324 is attached to the
cap. In this case the brush 322 is stationary within an inner tube
354. An outer sleeve 362 surrounds the tube 34 and has agitation
fingers 363 which project through slots (not shown) in the inner
tube so that when the outer sleeve 362 is moved up and down on the
tube 354, the fingers 363 agitate the mascara to move it away from
the walls of the tube so that it can be loaded onto the brush. Some
mascara may escape into the outer tube, but O-ring seals 365
prevent leakage to the outside.
[0052] FIG. 8 shows a simpler embodiment where the cap 414 has an
internal feature which engages in a helical groove 464 in an upper
part 430 of the brush shaft.
[0053] The upper part 430 can move backwards and forwards into a
socket 466 in a lower cap portion 414a. In this embodiment there is
no return spring, and the movement of the brush 422 in the mascara
just takes place as the lid is rotated in one or other direction.
The helical groove 464 combined with the internal feature in the
upper cap portion 414 produces a linear movement (but in this case
no rotational movement) of the brush in the mascara.
[0054] FIGS. 9 and 10 show an embodiment in which the container 510
is divided by a neck 568 into a container base 510a and an upper
portion 510b. The mascara is held and retained in the base 510a,
and the brush can be moved in and out and rotated within this
portion 510a by any of the mechanisms previously described.
[0055] In FIG. 9, a mechanism similar to that shown in FIGS. 3 and
4 is illustrated. The neck 568 may incorporate an insert 570 with a
throat which scrapes off excess mascara as the brush is withdrawn
from the container. This ensures that excess mascara is not removed
from the base portion 510a but remains in that portion, so that it
is accessible to the brush.
[0056] Blow moulding may be a suitable technique for manufacturing
the container 510.
[0057] FIG. 10 shows a detail which would enable the cap to be
locked down onto the container 510, when the applicator is not in
use. This is by way of a bayonet type fitting 572 at the top of the
container 510. In this case the cap 514 will have an internal
projection which will engage in the bayonet slot when the cap is
pushed down and rotated. This can help to prevent the cap becoming
inadvertently unscrewed or to prevent other objects in, for
example, a handbag becoming entangled between the cap and the
container.
[0058] FIG. 12 shows more detail of the manner in which rotation
can be produced between the components, for example, in FIG. 2. The
helical portion 30 is a plastics moulding with a helical land
running around the moulding which is substantially square when
taken in cross-section at any point along its length. The helical
portion 30 engages with four surfaces 33 in the neck 32 which is
part of the cap 12. The edges of the neck in the cap 32 between the
engagement surfaces 33 are relieved at 74 so that the corners of
the helical lands do not have to make contact with any part of the
cap. The materials of the helical portion 30 and the cap 12 will be
chosen to minimise friction between them so that as the helical
portion 30 is pressed down between the surfaces 32 and into the cap
12, there is as little resistance as possible to rotation of the
shaft 24.
[0059] FIG. 13 is a cut-away view of part of the embodiment of FIG.
2 showing in particular a tapered projection 25 extending radially
from the shaft 24. The projection is resilient so that it can be
pushed through the shoulder 36 when the applicator is being
assembled, but will prevent the shaft from being drawn back through
the shoulder. The top of the projection 25 is brought into abutment
with the underside of the shoulder 36 when the spring 34 urges the
shaft upwards.
[0060] Finally, FIG. 14 shows the insert 26 prior to assembly. This
insert is a one-piece clam-shell moulding which is moulded in the
condition shown in FIG. 15, with a plastics hinge 602 which is
closed after moulding to make the lower half of the moulding a
complete cylinder.
[0061] The components of the applicator described here are designed
to be moulded in plastics, and suitable plastics will be chosen
both for aesthetic and functional considerations.
* * * * *