GB2160105A

GB2160105A - Fluid applicators

Info

Publication number: GB2160105A
Application number: GB08515067A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Charles Camm Hadfield; Andrew Frank Cannon; Paul Robert Morton
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1984-06-15
Filing date: 1985-06-14
Publication date: 1985-12-18
Also published as: GB8515067D0; GB8415292D0; GB2160105B

Abstract

A fluid applicator 10 comprising an applicator head 11 containing the fluid e.g. sun tan oil, which is metered through a valve arrangement 31 in the head 11 onto a roller 28 of absorbent material. Gripping an elongate handle 12 attached to the rear of the head 11, the roller 28 can be rolled smoothly over all parts of the body with easy applying to the skin as it so does fluid on the roller 28. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Fluid applicators This invention concerns fluid applicators. More particularly, but not exclusively, it concerns an applicator for applying sun tan oil to the skin.

Sun tan oil is normally sold in flexible plastics bottles. Purchasers dispense the sun tan oil in dosed amounts either into their hands, for rubbing into the skin from the hands, or directly on the part or parts of the skin to be covered with the oil. It is relatively easy to cover most parts of one's body with sun tan oil. However, it is extremely difficult to cover one's back with oil and therefore it may be necessary to ask another person to do it.

This can be embarrassing if, for example, on the beach, one is unaccompanied so that one's back either has to remain unoiled or at best poorly covered with oil.

In any event the application of sun tan oil to the human skin is not a particularly easy or pleasant procedure. The hands become extremely greasy during such application and the grease is difficult to wipe away. The latter difficulty could be avoided by filling known fluid applicator with sun tan oil.

Known fluid applicators comprise an applicator head and a flexible container for the fluid connected to and extending rearwardly of the applicator head. The applicator head is in the form of a square or disc shaped sponge pad. By squeezing the container, the fluid is dispensed onto the sponge pad into which it is diffusely absorbed.

However, use of known applicator would not necessarily overcome the problem of being able to apply the sun tan oil easily to one's back. In addition if the back has been over-exposed to the sun and is therefore sensitive, the sponge pad of the known applicator would on the whole tend to rub roughly on sensitive and/or sunburnt backs making the back quite sore as it would tend to have an abrasive effect on the skin.

An object of the invention is to provide a fluid applicator for applying sun tan oil to the skin, which applicator is easily accessible to all parts of the body, paticularly the back, and which is not abrasive to sensitive and/or sunburnt skin.

With this object in view the present invention provides a fluid applicator, particularly but not exclusively for applying sun tan oil to the skin, comprising an applicator head and a handle integral with or connectable to the applicator head, said applicator head comprising a skin contactable applicator roller, freely rotatable relative to the applicator head, onto which applicator roller the fluid can be deposited.

Advantageously, the handle is elongate or it extensible so that it can be made elongate.

The fluid applicator head and/or the handle may be wholly or partly solid or wholly or partly hollow, provided that the material from which it is made is lightweight. The simplest method of using the fluid applicator is to deposit the fluid e.g. sun tan oil, directly onto the roller from the manufacturers container for the fluid, said container usually being of a flexible plastics material.

Alternatively, the said manufacturers container can serve as the handle by being connected directly to the applicator head e.g. by the container's threaded neck being screwed onto the applicator head, so that the fluid is deposited onto the applicator roller via the applicator head when the container is squeezed.

Advantageously, however, the applicator head and/or the handle if hollow can serve as a reservoir for the fluid and the fluid can be deposited from the reservoir directly onto the applicator roller.

With a fluid applicator of the latter construction, preferably the applicator head is provided with a valve arrangement which enables the controlled metering of fluid from the fluid reservoir onto the applicator roller.

The main advantage of the fluid applicator of the present invention resides in its provision with an applicator roller which will roll fairly gently over the skin during the application of the fluid e.g. sun tan oil, without there being any abrasive action on the skin in contrast to say the abrasive effect of an applicator pad. Yet a further advantage of the fluid applicator of the presetn invention resides in the fact that it may have an elongate handle allowing the back to be accessed by the applicator roller without difficulty.

The invention will be described further, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a first preferred embodiment of the fluid applicator of the present invention; Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view of the fluid applicator of Fig. 1 in the region of its fluid reservoir valve arrangement, said valve arrangement being illustrated in its closed position; Figure 3 is a view comparable to that of Fig. 2, but illustrating the valve in its open position; Figure 4 is a perspective view of a second preferred embodiment of the fluid applicator of the present invention in its closed configuration; Figure 5 shows the embodiment of Fig. 4 in its open configuration; Figure 6 is a perspective view of a valve arrangement for the second embodiment of the fluid applicator shown in Figs. 4 and 5;; Figure 7 is a perspective view of a third preferred embodiment of the fluid applicator of the present invention; Figure 8 is a front end view of the embodiment illustrated in Fig. 7; Figure 9 is a perspective view of a fourth preferred embodiment of the fluid applicator of the present invention in its open configuration; Figure 10 is a view comparable to that of Fig. 9 but showing the fourth embodiment of the fluid applicator in its closed configuration; and Figure 11 is a longitudinal section of part of the fluid applicator of Figs. 9 and 10 illustrating its valve arrangement.

Referring firstly to Fig. 1, the first preferred embodiment of the fluid applicator 10 comprises an applicator head, indicated generally by the refer ence numberal 11, and an elongate handle 12 which is detachable from the applicator head 11 for the ease of carrying andlor storing the fluid applicator 10.

The applicator head 11 and the elongate handle 12 are made from a hollow, lightweight material such as injection moulded plastics. One end 13 of the handle 12 has a flared portion 14 into which one end 15 of the applicator head 11 engages firmly with a friction fit. The handle's other end has a through hole 16 by means of which the fluid applicator 10 can be hung on a wall hook or, more appropriately, on a waist belt hook (not shown) or for that matter any conceivable carrying means which can be passed or hooked through the hole 16.

The applicator head 11 is substantially L-shaped (or more accurately dog-leg shaped) in longitudinal section. It therefore has two integrally joined limbs 17, 18 forming between them an obtuse angle. The longer limb 17 is connectable by the end 15 of the head 11 to the flared portion 14 of the handle 12.

The width of the limb 17 increases towards the shorter limb 18. The shorter limb 18 of the head 11 has an upper part 19 and a lower part 20. The upper part 19 is shpaed like a truncated rectangular pyramid, having respective end panels 21 which diverge outwardly from the intersection of the two limbs 17, 18 to the lower part 20 which is shaped lika a rectangular box. The lower half of the lower part 20 has inwardly converging panels 22, 23. At the ends 24 of the lower part 20 are respective depending support limbs 25, 26 which are substantially C-shaped in cross-section and which at the ends 24 join the inwardly converging panels 22, 23.

The support limbs 25, 26 support a fixed axle 27.

The axle 27 mounts a skin contactable applicator roller 28, the latter being freely rotatable on the axle 27 and hence freely rotatable relative to the applicator head 11. The applicator roller 28 is made of an absorbent material such as sponge.

Being hollow, the applicator head's interior serves as a reservoir 29 for fluid 30, in this case sun tan oil, to be deposited onto the applicator roller 28 and hence from the roller 28 onto the skin. The reservoir 29 and the fluid 30 are illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3.

Also illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3 is a valve arrangement, indicated generally by the reference numeral 31, which serves for the controlled metering of the fluid 30 from the reservoir 29 onto the roller 28. The valve arrangement 31 can also be seen in dot-dash outline in Fig. 1.

The valve arrangement 31 comprises a number of spaced- apart eccentric cams 32 each fixedly mounted on a common shaft 33. A number of hook-like supports 34 rotatably support the shaft 33 between each cam 32. Each support 34 is integral with and depends from base 35 of the reservoir 29. The shaft 33 extends horizontally from one end 24 to the other end 24 of the lower part 20. At one end 24 an actuation lever 36 is provided for rotation of the shaft 33. As will be seen in Figs 2 and 3, the valve arrangement 31 is disposed in a space 37 defined by the base 35, the converging panels 22, 23 and the respective support limbs 25, 26.

The base 35 of the reservoir 29 has a number of spaced- apart holes 38. Each cam 32 has a through hole 39. The shaft 33 also has a number of spacedapart through holes 40. The through holes 39 are permanently in line with respective ones of the through holes 40 of the shaft 33.

Fig. 2 shows the valve arrangement 31 in its closed position with each of the aligned through holes 39 and 40 offset from a respective one of the holes 38 in the base 35 of the reservoir 29. One end of the through hole 39 opens on an arcuate surface 41 of the cam 32 and the other end of said through hole 39 opens on a diametrically opposite arcuate surface 42. Extending from one side of the arcuate surface 41 is a flat surface which serves as a sealing surface 43 which seals the opening to the hole 38 when the valve arrangement 31 is in its closed position.

Fig. 3 shows the valve arrangement 31 in its open position in which the holes 38, 39 and 40 are aligned allowing free passage of fluid 30 from the reservoir 29 onto the roller 28 therebelow. The valve arrangement 31 can be brought into its open position by turning the actuation lever 36 clockwise. As there is frictional contact between the surfaces 41 and 43 of each cam 32 and the underside of the base 35 of the reservoir 29, upon turning the actuation lever 36 there will be a pronounced clicking sound indicating that the valve arrangement 31 is either in its open or its closed positions depending on which direction the actuation lever 36 is turned.

Due to the fact that there are a number of spaced-apart passages for the flow of the fluid 30 when the valve arrangement 31 is in its open position of the roller 28 will be evenly dosed with the desired amount of fluid 30. Once the roller 28 is so dosed, the valve arrangement 31 can be moved to its closed position and the fluid application 10 is ready for use by rolling the roller 28 over the skin and thus applying to the skin the fluid e.g. sun tan oil, which is dosed on the roller 28.

On its front side, the shorter limb 18 of the applicator head 11 has a pull-off filler cap 44 permitting access to the reservoir 29 for filling with fluid.

A two-piece, substantially cylindrical cover 45 (Fig. 1) is provided for the roller 28. The two parts of the cover 45 are connected by an elongate hinge 46. The cover 45 has a U-shaped cut-out portion 47 at each of its ends to accommodate the respective support limbs 25, 26. Along the cover's inside upper edges 48 are a number of spaced apart projections 49 which can slot into holes 50 in respective front and back elongate protrus:ons 51 below the panels 22, 23 on the lower half of the lower part 20 of the limb 18. The cover 45 has recesses 52 (only one of which is shown) in its surface for ease of handling The cover 45 is made, for example, of injection moulded plastics.

For their ease of handling, the applicator head 11 and the handle 12 have partly serrated surface portions 53.

Referring now to Figs. 4 and 5, the second pre ferred embodiment of the fluid applicator, designated generally by the reference numeral 60, comprises an elongate one- piece handle 61 and an applicator head 62 rotatably connected to the handle 61.

One end of the handle 61 has a hole 63 (fulfilling the same purpose as the hole 16 in the embodiment of Fig. 1) and a number of interconnected raised portions 64 for its ease of handling.

The handle 61 is hollow and serves as a reservoir for the fluid i.e. sun tan oil. Access to the reservoir for e.g. filling can be gained by a removable rectangular cap 65 on end 66 of the handle 61 which is remote from that end 67 of the handle 61 which has the hole 63. Furthermore, the end 66 of the handle 61 has a greater width than the width of the rest of the handle 61.

Connected to the end 66 of the handle 61, on that side thereof remote from the cap 65, by means of a rotatable connecting ring 68 is the applicator head 62. The applicator head 62 comprises an upper trough-like holder 69 having afixed axle rod 70 rotatably mounting an applicator roller 71 made of an absorbent material such as sponge (or foam plastics).

The connecting ring 68 houses a valve arrangement 72, which is illustrated in Fig. 6. The valve arrangement 72 comprises an upper ring 73 and a lower ring 74. The upper ring 73 has a smaller external diameter than the internal diameter of the lower ring 74 so that it seats with a sealing fit in the lower ring 74. Both of the rings 73, 74 has a solid base 75, 76 respectively so that they are caplike. The rings 73, 74 also both have diametrically opposing holes 77, 78 respectively. The upper ring 73 is in direct communication with the reservoir of fluid in the handle 61.

When the fluid applicator 60 is in its closed configuration, as shown in Fig. 4, the holes 77, 78 of the rings 73, 74 are out of alignment. When the fluid applicator 60 is in its open configuration, as shown in Fig. 5, the said holes 77, 78 are in alignment and fluid is able to flow from the reservoir in the handle 61, through aligned holes 77, 78 and through a gap 79 at the side of each hole 78 and onto the roller 71 therebelow.

A trough-like cover 80 is provided for the applicator head 62. When not required, the cover 80 can be placed over the cap 65 with a friction fit.

The various parts of the fluid applicator 60 (apart from roller 71) can be made of injection moulded plastics.

Referring to Figs. 7 and 8, the third preferred embodiment of the fluid applicator, designated generally by the reference numeral 90, comprises an elongate one piece handle 91 and a separate applicator head 92. Both may be made of injection moulded plastics.

The applicator head 92 comprises an inverted trough-like housing 93 mounting a rotatable smooth, non-absorbent applicator roller 94 made, for example, of a hard wearing plastics. A complementary trough-like cover 94 is provided to fit onto flange 95 of the housing 93 to protect the roller 94 when the fluid applicator 90 is not in use.

The housing 93 has an upwardly extending turret portion 96, into which turret portion 96 a fluid container 97 (e.g. sun tan oil bottle) can be slotted neck end (not shown) first. Of course any cap the container 97 may have is first removed.

The applicator head 92 can be secured relative to the handle 91 by means of the container 97 (first slotted into the turret portion 96 of the housing 93) being inserted into a flattened ring 98 integral with one end of the handle 91.

If the opening of the container 97 is made of an appropriate size, fluid will flow from the container 97 at a rate just sufficient to form a film on the surface of the roller 94.

The handle 92 is provided with a number of recesses 99 along its length for ease of handling during use of the applicator 90.

The fourth preferred embodiment of the fluid applicator, designated generally by the reference numeral 100, comprises a two-piece hollow handle 101 and a generally box-like applicator head 102 connected to the handle 101.

The handle 101 consists of a main portion 103 and a smaller hand-grip portion 104 are connected together by means of the portion 104 having an extension 105 (shown in dot-dash outline) which fits inside one end of the portion 103 and has a pair of pegs 106 (only one of which is shown) which fit in respective holes in said end of the portion 103. If the portions 103, 104 are made of a flexible plastics, fitting them together will be no problem.

The rear of the applicator head 102 has a similar extension 110 (Fig. 11) with pegs 107 (only one of which is shown) which fit in appropriate holes at that end of the main portion 103 of the handle 101 which is remote from said one end of portion 103.

The hand-grip portion 104 has serrations 108 for ease of grip. It also has a hole 109, fulfilling the same function as holes 16 and 63.

The applicator head 102 has two main parts.

One of the said parts is a fluid reservoir part 111.

The part 111 comprises a cylindrical container 112 which serves as a fluid reservoir 113. Part of the wall of the fluid reservoir 113 is provided by a substantially C-shaped cross-section panel 114. At its lower end, the panel 114 mounts an applicator roller 115 rotatable on an axle rod 116.

The other of the said parts of the applicator head 102 is an applicator roller container part 117. The part 117 is box-like and provides a space 118 in the applicator head in which the roller 115 can be stored when not in use (as shwon in full line in Fig.

11).

The container 112 has a hole 119 which serves as an opening for the reservoir 113. The hole 119 is normally closed by a stopper 120, provided on a depending wall 121 between the roller 115 and the container 112, when the fluid applicator 100 is in its closed configuration as shown in Figs. 10 and 11.

In the open configuration of the fluid applicator 100, the roller 115 has been moved (with part 111) in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 11 to the position shown in dot dash outline. The stop per 120 no longer seals the hole 119 in the container 112 and fluid (sun tan oil) can flow from the reservoir 113 onto the roller 115 therebelow. The hole 119 and the stopper 120 constitute a valve arrangement for the fluid applicator 100.

One of the container part's side panels 122 has a screw-off cap 123 allowing access to the reservoir 113 to enable it to be filled with fluid.

It will be gathered from the aforegoing description of the various embodiments of the fluid applicator that the present invention provides an ingenious device for applying fluid, more particularly sun tan oil, to the skin in a simple, reliable, easy and above all else a gentle manner. Although the device is particularly suitable for applying sun tan oil to the skin, it can also be used for applying any desired oil or oil like substance, such as a medicated preparation, to the skin.

Although the term applicator roller has been used with the same particularity in the aforegoing description of the various embodiments it is to be understood that the term applicator roller is meant in its more general sense of some article or thing which can roll over a surface, in this case the skin.

Therefore, the said term should be taken to mean not only a cylindrical roller, as described and illustrated, but also a spherical roller and a wheel or set of wheels.

It is to be added also that the elongate nature of the handle makes it easy for the handle to be stuck handle- end down into sand when the fluid applicator is being used on a beach to apply sun tan oil to the skin.

Claims

1. A fluid applicator, particularly but not exclusively for applying sun tan oil to the skin, comprising an applicator head and a handle integral with or connectable to the applicator head, said applicator head comprising a skin contactable applicator roller, freely rotatable relative to the applicator head, onto which applicator roller the fluid can be deposited.

2. An applicator as claimed in claim 1 wherein the handle is elongate or is extensible so that it can be made elongate.

3. An applicator as claimed in claim 1 or 2 wherein the applicator head is wholly or partly solid or wholly or partly hollow.

4. An applicator as claimed in claim 1, 2 or 3 wherein the handle is wholly or partly solid or wholly or partly hollow.

5. An applicator as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the applicator head andlor the handle, if hollow, serve as a reservoir for the fluid so that the fluid can be deposited from the reservoir directly onto the applicator roller.

6. An applicator as claimed in claim 5 wherein the applicator head is provided with a valve arrangement which enables controlled metering of.

fluid from the fluid reservoir onto the applicator roller.

7. An applicator as claimed in claim 6 wherein the valve arrangement comprises a number of spaced-apart ecentric cams each fixedly mounted on a common shaft extending above the length of the roller and below the reservoir's base, each cam having a through hole permanently aligned with a respective through hole in the shaft, rotation of the shaft by means of an actuation lever on one end thereof, bringing the aforesaid holes into alignment with a respective hole in the base so as to allow the flow of fluid from the reservoir through the aforesaid three aligned holes and onto the roller.

8. An applicator as claimed in claim 6 wherein the valve arrangement comprises an upper ring, communicating with the fluid reservoir, and a lower ring, the upper ring being of a smaller external diameter than the lower ring so that it seats with a sealing fit in the lower ring, both rings having a solid base and diametrically opposing holes which upon turning of the applicator head through 90" can be brought into alignment to provide a passage for fluid from the reservoir to the roller disposed below the rings and communicating with the lower ring via a pair of gaps adjacent the holes in the lower ring.

9. An applicator as claimed in claim 1 wherein the manufacturer's container for the fluid serves as the handle by being connected directly to the applicator head so that the fluid is deposited onto the applicator roller via the applicator head when the container is squeezed.

10. An applicator as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the applicator roller is made of an absorbent material such as sponge.

11. An applicator as claimed in any of claims 1 to 9 wherein the applicator roller is made of smoothed-surfaced, non-absorbent material such as a hard plastics.

12. An applicator as claimed in any of claims 1 to 9 and 10, or in claims 1 to 9 and 11, wherein the applicator is made of a lightweight material such as injection moulded plastics.

13. An applicator as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the applicator head and/or the applicator roller is provided with a protective cover.

14. A fluid applicator substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in Figs. 1 to 3, or in Figs. 4 to 6, or in Figs. 7 and 8, or in Figs. 9 to 11 of the accompanying drawings.