HK1123463B - Improved applique package and method of manufacture - Google Patents

Description

Improved applique package and method of making same

The present application is a divisional application of an application having application number 03806973.3 entitled "improved complementary color component and method for manufacturing the same" filed on application date 2003, 1/29 of Janny Flex Li.

The present invention claims priority from us provisional application 60/357363 entitled "improved color supplement assembly and method of making same" filed on days 2 and 15 of 2002, the inventor of which is the same as the inventor of the present non-provisional application, the contents of which are incorporated by reference.

Technical Field

The present invention relates generally to a product for containing and applying an applique material, such as ink, paint, mascara, or other flowable material including fluids, pastes, and fine particulate products, and more particularly to a new and improved product for removing excess applique from an applicator (applicator), such as a brush or swab, and a new and improved method of making the product.

Object of the Invention

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved system for containing and applying an applique material and for removing excess applique from an applicator which utilizes a flexible-walled, self-supporting, deformable sleeve-like portion that can be squeezed and manipulated against the applicator with finger pressure when the applicator is removed from a supply of applique material, as described and illustrated in U.S. patent 6264390, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

It is another object of the present invention to provide an improved product for containing and applying an applique material which allows the use of a flexible-walled, self-supporting, sleeve-like portion which can be deformed by finger pressure, which also reduces the drying of the flexible portion or applique material between uses of the applique material or before the applique container is emptied.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide an improved product for containing and applying an applique material which permits the use of a flexible-walled, self-supporting, deformable sleeve member which is deformable by application of finger pressure to the exterior surface of the portion, thereby enabling the consumer to continuously vary the amount of applique on the applicator, with a minimum of wiping of excess applique being possible with a small application of finger pressure, and with a maximum application of finger pressure, with the amount of applique which can be varied by the user being within the above ranges by actually removing the applique material from the applicator.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a new and improved method of making an assembly for containing an complementary color material, such as ink, paint, varnish, glitter or mascara, and applying the complementary color material via an applicator, such as a bristled brush or sponge swab, which includes a flexible-walled, self-supporting, sleeve-like portion that is deformed by finger pressure prior to removal of the applicator from a container containing the complementary color material, thereby removing excess complementary color material from the applicator.

Background

Heretofore, those working in the cosmetics field have focused their efforts on the particular design of the applicator brush or bristles or the technique used to mount the brush on the applicator stem and/or the mascara formulation itself. A clear objective of these prior attempts is to provide consumers with a simple, specific mascara product that addresses or provides the needs and/or aesthetic appeal of each consumer. These prior mascara products have a number of disadvantages and disadvantages, primarily because they do not allow individual users to modify or treat (tailor) the mascara product as desired in order to suit their intended purpose or aesthetic taste.

More specifically, existing mascara formulations tend to be relatively viscous to ensure that mascara liquid remains on the brush when the mascara is removed from the container. This requires the user to first wipe and twist the brush against a mascara cartridge (mascara reservoir) and/or often then additionally wipe or smear (blot) the brush on a facial tissue or other paper or cloth before applying mascara to the eyelashes. As a result, dry mascara accumulates quickly on the end of the mascara tube, and clumps of mascara, formed by dry mascara and/or foreign paper or lint residue that falls into the mascara tube or is carried into the mascara tube by the brush, appear quickly in the mascara tube and pass from the mascara tube to the eyelashes, resulting in an unsightly appearance and irritation to the eyes. Because of these difficulties and annoyances, it is often necessary to discard the mascara before it is emptied for a long period of time, adding to the disadvantages of existing products.

Furthermore, while much effort has been focused on brush designs that attempt to optimally apply mascara to the eyelashes, these efforts have heretofore been largely unworkable due to their inability to effectively remove excess mascara from the brush while not introducing foreign matter into the mascara. For example, the front or distal end of the brush is typically of reduced length to enable mascara to be applied to the innermost lashes, but these shorter bristles often carry excess mascara from the long bristle carrier, a known problem in the cosmetic art known as "tailing". For such tailing of the surplus mascara, if it is removed by wiping or smearing it on a paper towel or the like, it is wasted; or it may prevent the proper use of shorter bristles. Another undesirable result of this smearing often occurs when a user attempts to apply mascara to the innermost lashes, which smears the sides of the nose.

In contrast, the arrangement of mounting a flexible liner embodying the present invention at the open end of a mascara container places control over the application of mascara in the hands of each consumer, enabling each consumer to achieve a substantially infinite range of control over the application of mascara with a given brush and a given mascara formulation. Moreover, this has the advantage that the development and manufacturing costs of the brush and/or mascara are very low. For example, because the flexible control sleeve can be manipulated in a continuously variable manner to wipe and drain excess mascara back into the housing, thinner formulations can be used without fear of the mascara dripping; in addition, a relatively viscous mascara formulation can be successfully used by applying less or minimal finger pressure on the control sleeve during the initial stage of mascara application to the eyelashes, and then applying greater or maximal finger pressure on the control sleeve during the final stage of mascara application, so that little mascara remains on or is essentially wiped clean by the brush. In this way, the user can control the amount of mascara applied to the eyelashes as he desires. During the final stage of applying mascara, the forceful squeezing may advantageously cause the brush to impart a feathering or combined effect to the eyelashes, which tends to separate and/or spread the eyelashes apart from each other, thereby providing a desired full-bodied effect to the eyelashes.

Thus, it can be seen that the flexible control sleeve shown herein can solve the tailing problem that has long plagued the cosmetics field. Due to the provision of the liner which can be manipulated by finger pressure, the excess mascara can be removed uniformly or as desired along the entire length of the brush, regardless of whether the bristles are long or short. In fact, it has been found that the bristles of a mascara brush can transmit a tactile sensation to the fingers through the wall of a flexible bushing embodying the invention, enabling the user to feel the position of the brush, thus eliminating (ping off) the smearing of the mascara with increased finger pressure when the end of the brush passes through the flexible bushing. This ability to feel the bristles of a mascara brush, in turn, can perform the desired operation for a variety of particular bristle arrangements, which heretofore has not been possible with mascara containers used in the cosmetics field. Furthermore, in embodiments of the invention in which the flexible control sleeve is made of a transparent material, it is additionally advantageous for the user to be able to see the amount of mascara or other complementary coloring material that is expelled from the applicator during removal through the control sleeve.

Furthermore, it has been found that the arrangement of the flexible control sleeve shown here is very advantageous, since the excess mascara wiped off the brush is always retained in the casing of the mascara container, which prevents or slows down pre-drying (pre-drying) and/or clumping of the mascara. Furthermore, since no tissue or other external wipe is required to remove excess mascara from the brush, foreign objects are kept out of the mascara canister, thereby reducing or completely eliminating clumping in the mascara fluid.

Finally, the present invention is also advantageous in that waste of mascara is reduced or eliminated, since all excess mascara remains in the mascara canister during each use, and because pre-drying and clumping are prevented or at least slowed.

Although the present invention is primarily conceived and developed for use in the field of cosmetics, and in particular for applying mascara, its advantages are not limited to mascara or cosmetics. Rather, the foregoing objects and specific advantages of the invention as applied to mascara products are exemplary of the objects and advantages that can be achieved by the invention and are not exhaustive or limiting of the possible advantages that may be achieved with other fluids, pastes or fine particulate products or in areas such as inks, paints or varnishes, etc. These and other objects and advantages of the invention, which will be apparent from the description herein or may be learned by practice of the invention as set forth hereinafter, may be embodied or carried out in various forms, including the parts, structures and arrangements of parts, combinations and steps of the invention as set forth hereinafter, which may be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention, as embodied or carried out in various modifications thereof, which may occur to those skilled in the ink, paint, craft(s) and/or molding arts. The invention is embodied in the novel components, mechanisms, arrangements, combinations, steps, and processes, and improvements herein shown and described.

Disclosure of Invention

According to one embodiment of the present invention, an assembly for storing and dispensing a liquid complementary color material, such as mascara, onto an applicator, such as a brush, is presented. The complementary color is contained in a containment cartridge and the applicator is disposed on the distal end of a rod mounted inside the cover element so that the applicator is near the bottom of the cartridge when the cover element is secured to the housing element to close the assembly.

The flexible deformable bushing element is preferably formed from a moldable material and is molded directly onto the housing element to provide a sealed connection between the flexible bushing and the cartridge housing. Alternatively, the bush may be moulded as a separate unit and then fitted to the housing member, which has the advantage of allowing the colour-complementing material to be filled into the containment vessel prior to fitting the bush to the housing member.

The flexible sleeve includes an open-ended channel in communication with the anaglyph cartridge at one end thereof through which the applicator passes substantially without interference when the sleeve is in its undeformed state, such that the channel is adapted to receive the applicator. In this embodiment, the cover member is adapted to be fittingly mounted (fit) around the bushing member from above and detachably secured to the outer surface of the housing member to close the assembly. When closed, the free end of the bushing member sealingly engages the inner end surface of the cover member.

In an alternative embodiment of the invention, the free end of the bushing member is directly moulded and/or glued to a rigid, relatively thin plate member to which the cover member is adapted to be secured, thereby closing the assembly. In this embodiment the bushing element forms the middle outer surface of the assembly, which is sealed at the opposite end surfaces between the cover and the housing element.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the internal channel of the liner includes a series of circular thread-like grooves and ridges that narrow the outer wall of the liner to provide a central concavity that facilitates gripping, squeezing and/or manipulation of the liner and, in turn, the internal channel relative to the applicator, thereby enabling a user to dispense a desired amount of the complementary color onto the applicator. Further, it is preferred that the flexible sleeve be molded from an elastomeric material that is transparent and self-supporting after molding, yet have sufficient tensile and tear strength to resist tearing when the sleeve is twisted or otherwise manipulated. In other preferred embodiments of the invention, particularly where the flexible liner forms the outer surface of the middle portion of the assembly, the liner advantageously includes different colors of dye (color), pigment, glowing, etc. as a decoration or to differentiate the contents of the assembly.

Drawings

FIG. 1 is a substantially longitudinal cross-sectional, partially perspective view of an applique housing, a deformable portion of a flexible wall, a cover member and an applicator brush in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 1A is a longitudinal cross-sectional view, partially in perspective, of the flexible liner portion of FIG. 1, showing an alternative embodiment of the present invention in which a helical ridge is formed on the inner wall of the central passage of the liner portion, and a plug element forming the aforementioned ridge;

FIG. 1B is a perspective view of the flexible sleeve of FIG. 1A, showing a collar (collar) formed at the end of the flexible sleeve, the flexible sleeve being positioned within a housing for a complementary color;

FIG. 1C is a top view of the complementary color-containing vessel, showing a cavity in the housing in which the bushing member is molded;

FIG. 2 is a diagram of a second embodiment of the present invention showing the assembly of the flexible portion to the applique receiving portion, further showing the liner extending along the wall of the applique housing and the interior projection of the flexible portion and terminating in a circumferentially extending ring member (flap member) near the outer end of the flexible portion;

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing in detail the cover and brush element of FIGS. 1 and 2;

FIG. 4A is a diagram showing a partial perspective view of a mold cavity and a plug member used to form and bond the flexible portion of the inventive applique assembly to a pre-molded applique housing member in accordance with a preferred method of manufacture of the invention;

FIG. 4B is an enlarged perspective view of a portion of the plug and cavity member of FIG. 4A to form the internal shape of the flexible portion of the preferred embodiment of the anaglyph assembly of the invention;

FIG. 4C is a diagram showing a partial perspective view of a flexible portion of the present invention attached to an applique housing by overmolding the flexible portion into a series of notched openings or windows formed at a pre-molded applique housing element in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the manufacturing method of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a view, in substantial longitudinal section and partial perspective, showing an alternative embodiment of the present invention wherein the flexible sleeve portion is pre-molded and thereafter snap-fit mounted and suitably bonded to the applique housing element;

FIG. 5A is an enlarged perspective view of the deformable flexible portion shown in FIG. 5;

FIG. 5B shows yet another alternative embodiment of the method of the present invention;

FIG. 6 is an exploded view of another preferred embodiment of the present invention showing the flexible portion of the applique assembly of the present invention attached at one end thereof to an applique housing member and at the other end thereof to a rigid end plate or disc member to which a cap and brush member may be attached by mating threads or snap-fit mounted by mating bead and groove members to expose the flexible portion for viewing after manufacture of the applique assembly of the present invention is complete;

FIG. 7 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of yet another alternative embodiment of the invention wherein the cover and housing members are rounded to provide an ergonomic gripping surface, narrowing the deformable portion of the flexible wall for easier gripping and manipulation by finger pressure;

FIG. 7A is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the complement container shell shown in FIG. 7;

FIG. 7B is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the applique container housing of FIG. 7 showing an inner flexible control sleeve attached to the housing member;

FIG. 8 is an elevational view of a complete applique assembly similar to the preferred alternative embodiment of the invention shown in FIG. 6, showing the applique housing member at one end and the removable cover member at the other end, separated by a flexible, deformable portion having opposite ends respectively attached to the aforementioned housing and cover members so that the flexible portion is exposed for viewing after manufacture, and further in which the outer wall of the flexible portion is narrowed along a central portion thereof for easier grasping and control by finger pressure;

FIG. 9 is an end plan view of one end of the applique assembly of FIG. 8;

FIG. 9A is a longitudinal cross-sectional view, partially in elevation, taken along line 9A-9A of FIG. 9, particularly illustrating the slotted central passage of the flexible portion, and further illustrating the threaded connection between the cover element and the outer panel to which the flexible portion is bonded;

FIG. 10 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view, partially in elevation, of the applique assembly of FIG. 8, showing each of the applique cartridge, the flexible intermediate portion, the cap and the mascara applicator;

FIG. 11 is an exploded, enlarged view of the intermediate flexible portion of FIG. 10, showing in particular: an inner surface of the flexible liner channel tapered and grooved; a flexible liner attached by molding to each of the vessel shell and the outer plate, and a threaded connection between the cover member and the outer surface of the plate member; and

fig. 12 is a perspective view of an applique assembly constructed in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention, showing a user withdrawing the applicator from the assembly while simultaneously squeezing and manipulating the flexible control sleeve relative to the applicator to dispense a desired amount of applique onto the applicator.

Detailed Description

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, FIG. 1 illustrates a preferred embodiment of the present invention, showing a container 10 for storing mascara product and applying such product to the eyelashes. Preferably, the container 10 comprises: a generally tubular elongated housing 12 in which the mascara product is stored; a flexible-walled but self-supporting, generally cylindrical bushing portion 14 adapted to be secured to the open end of the housing 12; and a cover member 16 adapted to fit around the liner 14 from above and to be removably secured to the housing 12. An applicator 18, such as a brush, swab, or the like, mounted on the distal end of the rod 19 is adapted to be connected to the closed end of the cap 16.

Advantageously and preferably, the housing 12 includes an internal elongated chamber 20 having a ramp at each end 20a, 20b to prevent mascara product from accumulating in the housing 12. The chamber 20 communicates at its end 20a with a narrow central passage 20c which in turn communicates with a central passage 22 formed in the flexible liner 14. It will be appreciated that the applicator 18 is adapted to pass through the passages 22, 20c and be moved into and out of the mascara chamber 20 by fixing and removing the cover 16 relative to the housing 12. Advantageously, at least the portion of the cover 16 surrounding the flexible liner portion 14 may be formed of a transparent material, such as a transparent plastic, to enable viewing of the flexible liner when the cover is secured to the housing member.

Preferably, the open end of the housing 12 includes a plurality of radially aligned cavities 25 that extend circumferentially around the opening 20 c. Advantageously, liner 14 is formed from a moldable plastic, such as a plastic foam or elastomeric material, which is resilient and self-supporting after molding, and which has sufficient tensile and tear strength to resist twisting and/or tearing when the liner is stretched. Accordingly, liner 14 may be securely attached to housing 12 by a suitable molding process, such as injection molding, for packing into cavity 25, as best shown by reference numeral 26 in FIGS. 1A and 1B. While many other suitable plastic or elastomeric materials will be readily known to those skilled in the molding art, the "HAPFLEX series 1021" material manufactured by the HAPOcompany of Hanover, Massachusetts, has been found to function satisfactorily and is therefore the preferred material for liner 14 herein. Also advantageously, the inner end face of the cap 16 includes a sealing element, such as a gasket or washer 27, which extends around the applicator mounting stem 19 and is adapted to mate hermetically with the end face 14a of the bushing 14 when the cap 16 is secured to the housing 12.

From the foregoing, it can be seen that the present invention preferably employs a flexible-walled, self-supporting liner that is deformed by finger pressure to wipe or meter excess mascara from the applicator brush, and which hermetically surrounds the flexible liner and mascara product to prevent the mascara from drying out before the container contents are completely emptied.

Referring now more particularly to FIG. 1A, an alternative embodiment of the present invention is shown. As shown, central channel 22 'of flexible sleeve 14' is provided with a cork screw (cock screw) or thread-like rotating ridges and/or grooves to assist in stripping or wiping excess applique from the applicator as it is withdrawn from the container of applique product.

Referring now more particularly to fig. 2-3, in a further embodiment of the invention, a thin, steam-permeable, non-toxic plastic liner 30, such as Saran, is provided over the inner surface of chamber 20 and passage 22 'of liner 14', with plastic liner 30 terminating in a disc-shaped ring plate 31 so as to form a seal when mated with inner end 31a of cap 32. Furthermore, as best shown in FIG. 2, the central channel 22 'of the flexible liner 14' may advantageously be formed with rounded ridges or "teeth" to assist in wiping excess mascara product from the applicator brush. Further, in each of the foregoing alternative embodiments, the cover 16 or 32 may be secured to the housing 12 by mating a threaded thread as shown or by a snap-fit mounting feature formed by an interfitting bead and groove mechanism (not shown).

Referring now more particularly to fig. 4A-4C, a preferred method of manufacture of the present invention is shown. As shown, housing 12 is pre-molded with a relatively hard plastic material, followed by over-molding, or injection molding the relatively soft plastic or elastomeric material forming liner 14 to attach liner 14 to housing 12 by plugging a cavity 25 pre-formed in an end wall of housing 12.

Preferably, the ridges or grooves provided on the inner surface of the channel 22 'may be formed at the same time as the liner 14' is molded, by a plug 40 comprising a circumferentially extending frustoconical "tooth" element 41, as best shown in fig. 1A and 4B. Advantageously, when the shell 12 is provided with the liner 30, the plug 40 also comprises a disc-shaped element 42 to form a part (purchase) to receive the ring 31. It will be appreciated that by providing the tooth elements 41 with a slight inclination and/or by making the channels 22 'progressively smaller from one end to the other (see in particular figures 9A, 10 and 11), the bush 14' can be moulded in a separate step and the plug 40 can then be easily removed by rotation, as if the screws were removed.

Reference is now made in detail to fig. 5-5A, which illustrate yet another embodiment of the present invention. As shown, the open end of housing 12 is provided with a small, inwardly circumferentially extending ring or collar 50, and liner 14 is pre-molded with a lower, similarly shaped hoop (clip ring)51 adapted to snap-fit under collar 50 to mount liner 14 to housing 12. A suitable adhesive material may be used for one or both of the collar 50 and the ring 51 to ensure a sealed connection between the liner and the housing.

Referring now specifically to FIG. 5B, yet another alternative embodiment of the method of the present invention is shown. As shown, liners 14, 14' and/or 14 "are preformed and then assembled to housing 12 with a press fit, either within cavity 25 or under collar 52. As shown, a suitable adhesive material may be applied to one or both of the housing and liner surfaces to ensure a secure, sealed connection after assembly.

Referring now specifically to fig. 6 and 8-11, yet another preferred alternative embodiment of the present invention is shown. As shown, liner 14 "is directly secured to housing 12 by molding, while at its opposite end it is secured to a rigid disk member 60 which includes an open cavity 61 in which liner 14" is fixedly mounted during molding. Likewise, a suitable adhesive material may be applied to the walls of the cavity to ensure a sealed connection between the bushing and the plate element. The cover 16 is removably secured to the tray 60 by mating threads 62 or alternatively by a bead-and-groove snap-fit mounting. It should be understood that in this embodiment of the invention, the outer peripheral surface of liner 14 "is exposed after manufacture. This embodiment is therefore preferably used when the complementary colour product does not require an additional sealing or cover element to prevent predrying.

As best shown in fig. 9A and 11, the slotted inner channel 22 "of bushing 14" preferably tapers from its outermost end to its end mounted on housing 12. Advantageously, the narrowest portion of the passage 22 "allows the applicator 18 to pass through substantially without interference. It can be seen that by this arrangement, a significant amount of mascara or other color complementary material can be wiped from the applicator before the applicator reaches the outermost end of the liner, thereby ensuring that excess color complementary can be stripped out (fanned) and drained back into the barrel, thereby preventing the color complementary from piling up and/or clogging up at the open end of the liner channel.

It should be understood from the foregoing description that the invention is not limited to any particular shape or configuration for the applique container, lid or flexible sleeve portion. Thus, as shown in fig. 1 and 8, the overall structure may be a generally elongated cylindrical shape, much like a pen. Alternatively, as shown in fig. 7-7B, the applique housing may have a slightly convex curvature or, as shown in fig. 8-11, the outer wall of the flexible sleeve portion may be narrowed to form a depression or other desired surface curvature for easy grasping and manipulation by finger pressure, and/or, as shown in fig. 7, the cover member may be enlarged and rounded to provide a bulbous (bulbous) more ergonomic handle for easy grasping and control of the applicator brush.

It will thus be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the present invention in its broader aspects is not limited to the specific embodiments shown and described herein, and that various changes may be made without departing from the principles of the invention and without sacrificing all of its material advantages.

Claims (2)

1. A method of using an assembly for storing an amount of mascara formulation and dispensing a desired amount of said mascara formulation onto bristles of a mascara brush, said assembly comprising:

a housing component for storing a quantity of mascara formulation, the housing component comprising: a cartridge chamber having a closed bottom end and a top opening; an open-ended channel in communication with the top opening of the cartridge chamber; and, open-ended cavity means adjacent said channel;

a cover member for sealingly closing the housing member, the cover member including a base member, a lever member having a free end extending outwardly from the base member, and means for mounting one end of the lever member to the base member;

the mascara brush, which is mounted to the free end of the stick element, includes tapered portions of the bristles, and is close to the bottom of the cartridge chamber when the cover element sealingly closes the case element;

an open-ended, self-supporting, deformable bushing element having a central passage communicating with opposed first and second open ends thereof, said mascara brush passing through said central passage substantially without interference when said bushing element is in its undeformed state, whereby said central passage is adapted to receive said mascara brush, said central passage being further adapted to provide a continuously variable interference surface with respect to said mascara brush when inward finger pressure is directly applied to an outer surface of said bushing element, so as to squeeze and manipulate said bushing element while withdrawing said mascara brush from said chamber through said central passage, thereby dispensing a desired amount of mascara formulation onto said mascara brush;

means for fixedly and sealingly installing said first open end of said bushing member into said housing member cavity means and aligning said bushing member and housing passage with one another; and

a sealing means for sealingly mounting the second open end of the hub member to the cover member when the stem member extends through the hub member and the mascara brush is adjacent the bottom of the chamber; the use method of the assembly comprises the following steps:

applying additional inward pressure to the deformable bushing element as the tapered portions of the bristles of the brush are withdrawn from the second end of the bushing element, thereby removing an excess amount of mascara formulation carried by the tapered portions of the bristles of the brush, the excess amount of mascara formulation remaining in the bushing element.

2. The method of use of claim 1, wherein the central passage in the deformable bushing element is generally cylindrical, and an outer surface of a bushing wall surrounding the central passage narrows along an intermediate portion between the first and second open ends of the bushing element.