TW202327477A - Product application wand - Google Patents

Abstract

A product application device includes a wand having a rod and a brush operably coupled with the rod. The rod includes a rod longitudinal axis and the brush includes a brush longitudinal axis. A housing defines a reservoir arranged to receive at least a portion of the brush of the wand. A cap is operably coupled with the wand and arranged for removably coupling with the housing. The brush longitudinal axis is offset from the rod longitudinal axis.

Description

product application stick

The present application relates to a product applicator, and more particularly to a cosmetic applicator.

Mascara packages typically include a first half that defines a container that holds makeup and a second half that provides a removable wand and brush for applying the makeup. When the mascara is closed for storage, the brush and wand are placed inside the first half, and the first and second halves are coupled such that the brush and wand do not separate from the first half. The user separates the second half from the first half by removing the stick and brush from the container, and in doing so, the inner wiper can be removed before the brush is completely removed from the first half. Brush on some product. The user can then apply some of the remaining product disposed on the brush to the eyelashes and/or eyebrows, and then can return the brush to the first half to collect more product or store the mascara for later use.

According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a product applicator includes a dual applicator brush for high volume and high precision application and an intuitive cap and housing to ensure optimal application. According to a first aspect, a product applicator may comprise a wand comprising a stem and a brush operably coupled to the stem. The stem may include a stem longitudinal axis, and the brush may include a brush longitudinal axis. The housing may define a receptacle arranged to receive at least a portion of the brush of the stick. A cap may be operably coupled with the rod and arranged to be removably coupled with the housing. The brush longitudinal axis may be offset from the rod longitudinal axis. According to a second aspect, a stick for a product applicator may comprise a stem and a brush. The brush can include a base and a plurality of bristles extending from the base. The rod may comprise a teardrop-shaped cross-sectional shape defined by a first portion of bristles and a second portion of bristles. The first portion may define a first contoured silhouette and a second contoured silhouette perpendicular to the first contoured silhouette, and the second portion may define a different contoured silhouette. According to third parties, the brush of the product application stick may include a base having a circumference and a longitudinal axis. The brush may comprise a plurality of bristles extending in a radial direction from the base. The plurality of bristles may include a first non-overlapping portion and a second non-overlapping portion extending around a circumference of the base. The brush may include a first asymmetric cross section and a second asymmetric cross section perpendicular to the first asymmetric cross section. The first and second portions of the plurality of bristles can at least partially define a first asymmetric cross-section and a second asymmetric cross-section. Further according to any of the first, second or third party aspects, the product applicator, wand and/or brush may comprise any one or more of the following forms. In one form, the brush may define a teardrop-shaped cross-sectional shape. In some forms, the brush may include a base, a first portion of bristles, and a second portion of bristles extending outwardly relative to the base. In these and other examples, the first portion of the bristles can define a contoured portion of a teardrop-shaped cross-sectional shape. In some forms, the second portion of the bristles may define a circular portion of a teardrop-shaped cross-sectional shape. In an alternative form, the first portion of bristles may have an average length greater than the average length of the second portion of bristles. In one form, the ratio of the length of the first portion to the length of the second portion may range from about 1:1 to about 3:1. In some forms, the brush may have a first asymmetric cross-section and a second asymmetric cross-section perpendicular to the first asymmetric cross-section. In some examples, the container of the housing may have a non-cylindrical shape. In some forms, the housing may have a housing abutment surface and the cap may have a cap abutment surface. In one form, the housing abutment surface may be adapted to be positioned adjacent the cap abutment surface. In some forms, the housing abutment surface may have a cross-sectional shape that matches the cross-sectional shape of the cap abutment surface. In many forms, the cross-sectional shape of the cap adjoining surface may be teardrop shaped. In one form, the bristles may be comprised of fibers operably coupled to a base comprised of wires. In these or other forms, the brush longitudinal axis may be offset from the stem longitudinal axis. In some forms, the first portion of bristles may include a plurality of rows of varying lengths extending from the base. In another form, the second portion of bristles may comprise a plurality of rows of approximately uniform length extending from the base. In another form, the first asymmetric cross-section may be at least partially defined by the first portion of the bristles, and may include a contoured profile. In other examples, the first asymmetric cross-section can be at least partially defined by the second portion of the bristles, and can include a second contoured profile. In another form, the second asymmetric cross-section may be at least partially defined by the first portion of the bristles and the second portion of the bristles. In yet another form, the second portion of the bristles may define a third contoured silhouette.

In general, a product applicator 10 is provided. The product applicator 10 of FIG. 1 includes a dual applicator brush 14 for high precision application, and an intuitive cap 18 and housing 22 to ensure optimal application. Wand 26 is operably coupled to cap 18 and includes a stem 30 and brush 14 operably coupled to stem 30 . The housing 22 defines a receptacle 34 sized to hold cosmetics (not shown) and to receive at least a portion of the brush 14 of the stick 26 . A wiper 36 is coupled to the housing 22 and disposed within an opening 38 of the housing 22 . The cap 18 also serves as a handle for the wand 26 and is configured to be removably coupled with the housing 22 . In Figures 2 and 3, the brush 14 of the stick 26 and the rod 30 are shown in more detail. Brush 14 includes a base 40 and a plurality of bristles 42 extending radially from base 40 . The plurality of bristles 42 includes a first portion 44 and a second portion 46 of bristles 42 that do not overlap. As shown in FIG. 2 , the first portion 44 and the second portion 46 extend in rows around a circumference 48 of the base 40 . First and second portions 44, 46 of bristles 42 at least partially define two distinct vertically asymmetric cross-sections of brush 14, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 and described in greater detail below. With continued reference to FIGS. 2 and 3 , the first portion 44 defines a first profile 50 having a generally elliptical profile, and the second portion 46 defines relatively straight edges 52 of generally shorter bristles 42 of uniform length. In a slightly different variant, the brush 14 in FIG. 3 includes a second portion 46 of bristles 42 that also defines a second profile 54 having an oval profile. Thus, both first portion 44 and second portion 46 of brush 14 in FIG. 3 include bristles 42 of varying lengths. However, in both aspects shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 , the length L1 of the bristles 42 of the first portion 44 is longer than the length L2 of the bristles 42 of the second portion 46 . The lengths L1 , L2 of the bristles 42 of the first and second portions are roughly measured from the longitudinal axis X of the rod 30 which is offset by a length Z from the longitudinal axis Y of the brush 14 . In other examples, first profile 50 and/or second profile 54 may have an oval, curved, and/or other skewed profile. In yet other examples, the length Z may be zero such that the longitudinal axis X of the rod 30 is coaxially aligned with the longitudinal axis Y of the brush 14 . FIG. 3 shows a first asymmetric cross-section of the bristles 14 about the brush longitudinal axis Y, and FIG. 4 shows a second asymmetric cross-section of the bristles 14 , which is perpendicular to the first asymmetric cross-section of FIG. 3 . The second asymmetrical cross-section is at least partially defined by the first portion 44 and the second portion 46 of the bristles 42 . The first portion 44 of the bristles 42 at least partially defines a third profile 58 that is a teardrop-shaped narrow tip and the second portion 46 at least partially defines a teardrop-shaped circular bulbous portion. In other examples, the bulbous portion may actually be angled to provide a triangular rather than a teardrop cross-sectional shape. FIG. 4 shows how each portion 44 , 46 of the bristles 42 extends beyond the circumference 62 of the rod 30 . As before, the longitudinal axis Y of the brush is offset from the longitudinal axis X of the rod by a distance Z. The first portion 44 includes bristles 42 of varying lengths having the longest bristle length L1 from the longitudinal axis X of the rod. The second portion 46 comprises bristles 42 of varying length relative to the rod longitudinal axis X, but of a more uniform length relative to the brush longitudinal axis Y. FIG. So configured, the moon-shaped region of the second portion 46 of the bristles 42 extends beyond the circumference 62 of the rod 30 by a distance H in a direction perpendicular to the rod longitudinal axis X and includes a width also in a direction perpendicular to the rod longitudinal axis X W1. The bristle length L1 of the first portion 44 may be in the range of about 2 mm to about 8 mm, about 3 mm to about 7.5 mm, about 4 mm to about 7 mm, preferably about 6 mm. The bristle length L2 of the second portion 46 can be in the range of about 1 mm to about 5 mm, about 1.5 mm to about 4 mm, about 2 mm to about 3.5 mm, and preferably about 3 mm. The average ratio of the length L1 of the first portion 44 to the length L2 of the second portion 46 is in the range of about 1:1 to about 4:1, preferably about 3:1. The varying lengths of the bristles 42 of each portion 44 , 46 affect the amount of cosmetic material captured by the bristles 42 when the brush 14 is removed from the housing 22 . When the brush 14 is removed from the housing 22, the bristles 42 pass through the opening of the wiper 36, which is coupled to the housing 22 by any number of suitable methods. The diameter of the opening of the wiper 36 is at least equal to the diameter D of the stem 30 of the brush 14 . As shown in FIGS. 4-6 , the bristles 42 extending beyond the circumference 62 of the rod 30 will engage the wiper 36 as the rod 26 passes through the opening of the wiper 36 and out through the opening 38 of the housing 22 . Any material disposed on the bristles 42 extending beyond the circumference 62 of the rod 30 contacts the pliable material of the wiper 36 and is at least partially removed from the bristles 46 . Thus, more makeup material is removed from the first portion 44 of the bristles 42 than the second portion 46 because the length L1 of the bristles 42 of the first portion 44 is greater than the length L2 of the bristles 42 of the second portion 46 . So configured, since the second portion 46 retains more makeup material when the brush 14 is removed, the second portion 46 of the brush 14 can be used for loading purposes and the first portion 44 of the brush 14 can be used for cosmetic material application. for separation and qualification purposes. With shorter bristles 42, the second portion 46 of the brush 14 will hold more makeup material and thus better load the makeup material onto a person's eyelashes. The slight curvature of the second profile 54 of the second portion 46 matches the curvature of a human eyelid to better reach all eyelashes of the upper and lower eyelids. After sufficient material has been loaded onto the person's eyelashes, the first portion 44 of the brush 14 is used to separate and define the eyelashes. The longer bristles 42 of the first portion 44 have less makeup material due to the wiping action from the wiper 36 and thus serve to separate the colored eyelashes. The greater curvature of the first profile 50 of the first portion 44 is shaped to reach the eyelashes in the corners of the human eye. In some cases, the bristles 42 of the first portion 44 may be made of a harder material to better separate and define the eyelashes. Turning now to FIGS. 5 and 6 , two different cross-sections A-A and B-B of the device 10 respectively show different rows of bristles 42 extending from the base 40 of the brush 14 . The cross-sectional view of FIG. 5 shows an example row 66 disposed at the lowest point of the first profile 50 of the first portion 44 of the bristles 42 . A row of bristles extends radially outwardly from and around a circumference 48 of the base 40 . The variation in length L2 of first portion 44 of bristles 42 (indicated by arrow V) is shown after example row 66 . For example, the cross-sectional view of FIG. 6 shows a second example row 70 disposed at one of the highest points of the first profile 50 of the first portion 44 of the bristles 42 and at the proximal end 74 of the brush 14 . As previously described and as now shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 , when the brush 14 is removed from the container 34 , portions of the bristles 42 that extend beyond the circumference 62 of the stem 30 will contact the wiper 36 . In the illustrated example, the base 40 includes twisted wires that capture a plurality of fibrous bristles 42 that spiral around the length of the base 40 from a proximal end 74 to a distal end 78 . However, in other examples, base 40 and bristles 42 may be made from extruded plastic, and bristles 42 may extend in parallel rows rather than in a helical configuration. Combinations of different materials, thicknesses, stiffnesses, densities, and coarsenesses of bristles 42 may be used to achieve specific functions for brush 14 . 5 and 6 also illustrate the generally teardrop-shaped cross-sectional shape of the housing 22 and cap 18 of the device 10 . Cap 18 , which also serves as a handle for brush 14 , includes a teardrop-like cross-sectional shape having a first surface 88 and a second surface 92 that define a rounded portion 96 and a narrowed portion 100 . The narrow portion of the cap 18 defines an apex corresponding to the apex of the bristles 42 defined by the first portion 44 of the brush 14 . The first surface 88 and the second surface 92 slope toward the apex 100 of the cap 100 and may serve as gripping surfaces for a person's fingers, such as the thumb and index finger. Similarly, housing 22 also includes a teardrop-shaped cross-sectional shape and defines a teardrop-shaped cross-sectional receptacle 34 . The housing 22 includes a first surface 104 and a second surface 108 that define a circular portion 112 and a narrow portion 116 . When the housing 22 and cap 18 are secured, the narrow portion of the housing aligns with the narrow portion of the cap and the rounded portion of the housing aligns with the rounded portion of the cap. Although the cross-sectional shapes of the brush 14, housing 22, and cap 18 correspond to a similar teardrop-shaped shape, in other examples, the brush 14, housing 22, and cap 18 may have different cross-sectional shapes. For example, housing 22 and cap 18 may be cylindrical, rectangular, or prismatic. In another example, the brush 14, housing 22, and cap 18 may have a triangular or rhombus cross-sectional shape. As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 , the cap 18 and housing 22 are secured in the storage position with the rod 26 disposed in the container 34 . The housing 22 has a housing abutment surface 120 and the cap 18 has a cap abutment surface 124 . The housing abutment surface 120 is adapted to be positioned adjacent to the cap abutment surface 124 and has a cross-sectional shape that matches the cross-sectional shape of the cap abutment surface 124 . The matching cross-sectional shapes of the abutment surfaces and the smooth engagement of the surfaces 120 , 124 ensure that the cap 18 is properly secured to the housing 22 . In Figures 8 and 8A, the fastening mechanism 126 between the cap 18 and the housing 22 is more clearly shown. Housing 22 includes a neck 130 at a proximal end 132 (opposite distal end 134 ) that is threadably coupled to a collar 138 of rod 26 . The collar 138 includes internal threads 142 that matingly engage external threads 146 of the neck 130 of the housing 22 . To removably couple cap 18 from housing 22, cap 18 is rotated relative to housing 22 about rod longitudinal axis X, separating cap abutment surface 124 from housing abutment surface 120 until internal threads 142 and external threads 146 are disengaged. join. When the cap 18 is detached from the housing 22, the rod 26 is rotated about the rod longitudinal axis X in a first direction R. The container 34 is shaped to gradually widen from the distal end 134 of the housing 22 to the proximal end 132 of the housing to allow the first portion 44 of the bristles 42 to rotate without contacting the inner wall 150 of the housing 22 . In the example shown, the container 34 has a teardrop-shaped cross-sectional shape, however in other examples the container 34 may be cylindrical or non-cylindrical. Cap 18 is secured back to the housing by engaging collar 138 and neck 130 and rotating cap 18 relative to housing 22 in direction T (opposite direction R) about rod longitudinal axis X until abutment surfaces 120, 124 engage and align Body 22. In other examples, the fastening mechanism 126 may be a different type of removable coupling, such as snap fit, friction fit. Returning to FIG. 8A , the collar 138 is attached or integrally formed with a proximal end 154 of the stem 30 opposite the brush 14 and secured to the interior 158 of the cap 18 . The interior 158 of the cap 18 may be secured to the collar 138 by a snap fit, friction fit, adhesive, welding, or other suitable method such that the cap 18 and rod 26 move together as a unit. The neck 130 of the housing 22 defines the opening 38 and is secured to a rigid flange 162 of the wiper 36 . A body 166 of the wiper 36 extends from the flange 162 and into the opening 38 defined by the neck 130 and is curved inwardly with respect to the rod longitudinal axis X. As shown in FIG. The body 166 of the wiper 36 is flexible to allow the stem 30 of the wand 26 to slide out of the receptacle 34 of the housing 22 and flexibly wipe makeup from the bristles 42 of the brush 14 . The wiper 36 is secured to the neck 130 of the housing 22 by snap fit, friction fit, adhesive, welding, or other suitable method such that the flange 162 remains attached to the brush 14 when the body 166 of the wiper 36 engages the brush 14. Housing 22. The product applicator 10 of the present disclosure provides many benefits for cosmetic application. These benefits include the shape and function of the brush, the offset orientation of the brush relative to the stem, and the corresponding cross-sectional shapes of the brush, cap, and housing. Specifically, the brush has two main bristle portions that provide two separate functions of loading product onto a person's eyelashes and separating and confining the colored eyelashes after loading. The oval profile of the bristles corresponds to the natural outer profile of a human eyelid from which the eyelashes grow. The contoured shape of the brush reaches the corner lashes. The second part defines the loading function of the brush and the first part defines the breakaway feature of the brush. With less product on the longer bristles, the user can more precisely separate and define colored lashes without adding more product to the lashes. Offsetting the axes of the brush and stem allows the second or loading portion of the brush to have shorter bristles. Shorter bristles allow for a less invasive loading step and greater user control when applying makeup close to the human eye. With shorter bristles, one can achieve greater precision than if the bristles were longer and extended away from the base. The shorter bristles allow the second part of the brush to be denser, optimizing the brush to collect makeup. The shape of the housing and cap corresponds to the cross-sectional shape of the brush, which inherently guides the user in proper self-application. The device is in the disengaged position when the person's thumb and forefinger grip the narrow portion of the cap. The device is in the stowed position when a person's thumb and forefinger grip the rounded portion of the cap. In other words, the narrow portion of the cap also indicates the orientation of the separate portion of the brush. In this way, the user will know the orientation of the brush just by grasping the cap. It should be understood that the product applicator may be used to apply any number of various cosmetic, hair care products, body care products, and/or skin care products, such as mascara products. Finally, while certain applicators are described herein in light of the teachings of the present disclosure, the scope of coverage of this patent is not limited thereto. On the contrary, while the disclosed applicator has been shown and described in conjunction with various examples, it will be apparent that certain changes and modifications in addition to those described above may be made. This patent application covers all examples of the teachings of the disclosure which expressly fall within the scope of permissible equivalents. Accordingly, all changes and modifications that occur to those of ordinary skill in the art are intended to be protected. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that without departing from the scope of the present invention, various modifications, changes and combinations can be made to the above-mentioned embodiments, and such modifications, changes and combinations will be considered as part of the present invention. within the scope of the idea. The claim claims at the end of this patent application are not intended to be construed under 35 U.S.C. § 112(f) unless expressly recited in conventional means-plus-function language, such as in the claims expressly stating "for... means for" or "steps for" language.

10: Product applicator 14: Brush 18: cap 22: shell 26: stick 30: Rod 34: container 36: wiper 38: opening 40: base 42: Bristles 44: First part of bristles 42 46: Second part of bristle 42 48: circumference of base 40 50: First Contour 52: edge 54:Second profile 58: Third profile 62: Circumference of rod 30 66: Example row 70: Second example row 74: Proximal end of brush 14 78: Brush the far end of 14 88: first surface of cap 18 92: second surface of cap 18 96: round part of cap 18 100: narrow part of cap 18 104: the first surface of the housing 22 108: the second surface of the housing 22 112: circular part of housing 22 116: Narrow part of housing 22 120: shell adjoining surface 124: cap adjoining surface 126: fastening mechanism 130: Neck 132: the near end of housing 22 134: the far end of housing 22 138: Collar 142: internal thread 146: external thread 150: inner wall 154: Proximal end of rod 30 158: interior of cap 18 162: Flange 166: subject D: Diameter of rod 30 H: distance L1: the length of the bristles 42 of the first part 44 L2: the length of the bristles 42 of the second part 46 R: first direction T: Direction W1: width X: longitudinal axis of rod 30 Y: longitudinal axis of brush 14 Z: length

[ FIG. 1 ] is a perspective view of a product applicator assembled according to the teachings of the present disclosure; [ FIG. 2 ] is a cross-sectional side view of the product applicator of FIG. 1 ; [ FIG. 3 ] is a profiled, cross-sectional side view of the brush of the product applicator of FIG. 1 ; [ FIG. 4 ] is a profiled, cross-sectional front view of the brush of the product applicator of FIG. 1 ; [ FIG. 5 ] is a cross-sectional front view taken along A-A of the product applicator of FIG. 2 ; [ FIG. 6 ] is a cross-sectional front view taken along B-B of the product applicator of FIG. 2 ; [ FIG. 7 ] is a top view of the product applicator of FIG. 1 ; [ FIG. 8 ] is a cross-sectional top view of the product applicator of FIG. 1 taken along C-C of FIG. 2 ; [ Fig. 8A ] is an enlarged cross-sectional plan view of the product applicator of Fig. 8 .

10: Product applicator

14: Brush

18: cap

22: shell

26: stick

30: Rod

34: container

36: wiper

Claims (20)

A product applicator comprising: a rod comprising a rod having a rod longitudinal axis and a brush operably coupled to the rod, the rod having a rod longitudinal axis and the brush having a brush longitudinal axis; a housing defining a receptacle arranged to receive at least a portion of the brush of the wand; and a cap operably coupled with the rod and arranged to be removably coupled with the housing; Wherein the brush longitudinal axis is offset from the rod longitudinal axis. The device of claim 1, wherein the brush defines a teardrop-shaped cross-sectional shape. The device of claim 2, wherein said brush comprises a base, a first portion of bristles and a second portion of bristles extending outwardly relative to said base, said first portion of bristles defining said teardrop-shaped cross-section A contoured portion of the shape and said second portion of bristles define a circular portion of said teardrop-shaped cross-sectional shape. The device of claim 3, wherein the first portion of bristles has an average length that is greater than the average length of the second portion of bristles. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the ratio of the length of the first portion to the length of the second portion is in the range of about 1:1 to about 3:1. The device of claim 1, wherein the brush has a first asymmetric cross-section and a second asymmetric cross-section perpendicular to the first asymmetric cross-section. The device of claim 1, wherein the container of the housing has a non-cylindrical shape. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the housing has a housing abutment surface and the cap has a cap abutment surface adapted to be positioned adjacent to the cap abutment surface and has a The cross-sectional shape of the cap adjoining surface matches the cross-sectional shape. The device of claim 8, wherein the cross-sectional shape of the cap abutment surface is a teardrop. The device of claim 1, wherein the bristles are comprised of fibers operably coupled to a base comprised of wires. A wand for a product applicator, the wand comprising: rod; a brush comprising a base and a plurality of bristles extending from the base; a teardrop-shaped cross-sectional shape defined by the first portion of the bristles and the second portion of the bristles; Wherein said first portion defines a first contoured silhouette and a second contoured silhouette perpendicular to said first contoured silhouette, and said second portion defines a different contoured silhouette. The wand of claim 11, wherein the brush longitudinal axis is offset from the wand longitudinal axis. The wand of claim 11, wherein said first portion of bristles has an average length that is greater than an average length of said second portion of bristles. The rod of claim 11, wherein the brush has a first asymmetric cross-section and a second asymmetric cross-section perpendicular to the first asymmetric cross-section. 11. The wand of claim 11, wherein the first portion of bristles comprises a plurality of rows of varying lengths extending from the base. 11. The wand of claim 11, wherein the second portion of bristles comprises a plurality of rows of substantially uniform length extending from the base. A brush for a product application stick, the brush comprising: a base having a circumference and a longitudinal axis; a plurality of bristles extending in a radial direction from the base, the plurality of bristles comprising a first non-overlapping portion and a second non-overlapping portion extending around a circumference of the base; a first asymmetrical cross-section; and a second asymmetric cross-section perpendicular to the first asymmetric cross-section; Wherein, the first portion and the second portion of the plurality of bristles at least partially define the first asymmetric cross-section and the second asymmetric cross-section. The brush of claim 17, wherein the first asymmetric cross-section is defined at least in part by the first portion of bristles and includes a contoured profile. The brush of claim 18, wherein the first asymmetric cross-section is at least partially defined by the second portion of bristles and includes a second contoured profile. The brush of claim 19, wherein the second asymmetric cross-section is defined at least in part by the first portion of bristles and the second portion of bristles, the second portion of bristles defining a third profile Shaped.