Patent Application
20240023694
The present disclosure generally relates to an applicator head for applying a fluid product, such as cosmetic product, care, or pharmaceutical products onto a keratinous surface such as lips, skin, under-eye, and cheeks, particularly lips.
Cosmetic applicators such as dip or wand applicators are known in the cosmetic industry. Cosmetic packages often include such applicators for dispensing a particular cosmetic contained in the package reservoir. The cosmetic applicator generally includes a stem with a cap at one end and an applicator head in the form of a brush, spatula, or other applicator structure suitable for applying a cosmetic or a care product including viscous cosmetics, lip gloss, lip color, wound care, under-eye cosmetics, pharmaceutical and like products.
The conventional applicators have to be dipped into a cosmetic product several times in a repeated manner to complete the entire application process. Thus, an applicator capable of holding a considerable amount of cosmetic liquid is required.
U.S. Pat. No. 9,788,636B2 discloses an applicator with an internal passive reservoir and an applicator body having a plurality of wings that distally each have a freely projecting end and form a mass storage space. The wings extend obliquely outwards relative to the longitudinal applicator axis and all wings extend obliquely outwards in different directions and wings are curved concavely outwards.
There is still a need for an applicator with an applicator head that not only has a cavity for storing a cosmetic product but has surfaces that are suitable for applying, distributing, and massaging a cosmetic product on a keratinous surface.
It is an object of the present disclosure to provide a cosmetic package that can be easily configured to contain a cosmetic product and an applicator head.
It is an object of the present disclosure to provide an applicator head that can apply a cosmetic product, care, pharmaceuticals, or like products onto a keratinous surface such as lips, skin, under-eye, and cheeks, particularly lips. Further, the product can be a liquid, viscous or semi-solid product.
It is a further object to provide an applicator head that can apply a larger amount of cosmetic product without the need to re-dipping the applicator into the cosmetics supply occasionally. The applicator head provides faces that are suitable for applying, distributing, and massaging a cosmetic product on a keratinous surface.
It is yet another object of the present disclosure to provide an applicator head that offers a comparatively large surface area, very simple to use, economical to manufacture, and aesthetically pleasing.
Accordingly, there is provided an applicator head according to a preferred embodiment of the present disclosure. The applicator head comprises an applying member at its distal portion and a shank member at its proximal portion. The applying member of the applicator head is configured to apply the product including a cosmetic or care product. The applying member includes a distal end face and at least one sidewall extending from the proximal end of the applying member to a distal end of the applying member. The applying member includes a columnar body that extends from the proximal end towards the distal end of the applying member. The applying member includes at least one sidewall and a distal end face. The at least one sidewall of the applying member further includes an extended portion that extends beyond the distal end face of the applying member and defines the distal end of the applying member.
According to an aspect of the present disclosure, the extended portion of the at least one sidewall peripherally encloses the distal end face of the applying member to define a cavity at the distal end portion of the applying member. The cavity opens upwardly at the distal end of the applying member and has a closed bottom end that is defined by the distal end face of the applying member. The extended portion comprises multiple petals that surround the distal end face. The extended portion has multiple grooves on its outer surface facing the cavity. Each groove substantially extends along a length direction of the petal. The grooves extend between the adjacent petals and define at least one common lateral edge between the adjacent petals. The grooves are made in the thickness of the extended portion without causing any fragmentation in the extended portion. The grooves thus divide the extended part into several portions that form petals.
According to an aspect of the present disclosure, the distal end face makes a non-zero angle with the longitudinal axis of the applicator head. Preferably, the distal end face makes an acute angle with the longitudinal axis of the applying member. Preferably, this acute angle is in the range between 30° and 75. The distal end face extends along at least 20% of the length of the applying member and at most 40% of the length of the applying member. The distal end face is inclined towards the front face.
Further, the extended portion of the at least one sidewall can include two or more petals, though some embodiments of the extended portion of the at least one sidewall include eight or more petals, or the like. The petals may have the same or different petal thickness, petal geometry, height, and presence or absence of grooves or dimples. In a preferred embodiment, at least two petals have different widths and shapes. Each petal is laterally joined to the adjacent petals such that there are no circumferential gaps or slots between the adjacent petals. Further, each petal has lateral edges that are common to the adjacent petals. A groove is defined at the lateral edges that are common to the adjacent petals.
The at least one sidewall defines a front face, a rear face, a left face, and a right face of the applying member.
According to another aspect of the present disclosure, the left face and the right face are symmetrical relative to a plane of symmetry comprising the longitudinal axis of the applying member.
According to yet another aspect of the present disclosure, each of the petals has a length that forms at most about one-fourth of the total length of the applying member. At least a few grooves of the extended portion near the distal end of the extended portion extend further onto an upper edge of the extended portion and then onto the rear face of the applying member. The grooves that extend on the rear face converge and meet at a point on the rear face. The point on the rear face where the grooves meet is located at least half the length of the applying member.
According to yet another aspect of the present disclosure, the distal portion of the rear face, where the grooves extend, is convexly curved both in width and length direction thereof. Because of the presence of the grooves on the distal portion of the rear face, the rear face forms finger-like protruded surfaces. The distal portion of the rear face is suitable for applying or massaging the cosmetic applied on the keratinous surface.
In some other embodiments of the present disclosure, the grooves can have any shapes or profiles. For example, grooves may be rounded or v-shaped. Other shapes are possible and are contemplated.
According to an aspect of the present disclosure, the outer surface of the petals may be smooth or textured.
According to yet another aspect of the present disclosure, the upper edges of some of the petals may define at least one apex. At least one apex may or may not be off-centered from a central longitudinal axis of the respective petal.
According to yet another aspect of the present disclosure, the applying member comprises eight petals at the distal portion of the applying member and the petals surround the cavity at the distal end portion of the applying member. At least one of the eight petals, a distal-most petal, is located at the distal-most portion of the applying member. The distal-most portion has an apex that defines the distal end of the applying member. More particularly, the distal-most petal is arranged at an upper peripheral edge of the distal end face. Another of the eight petals, a proximal-most petal, is located at a lower peripheral edge of the distal end face.
According to yet another aspect of the present disclosure, the plane of symmetry of the applying member passes through the centers of the distal-most petal and the proximal-most petal. There are three petals arranged at a peripheral right edge of the distal end face between the distal-most petal and the proximal-most petal. Similarly, three petals are located along a peripheral left edge of the distal end face arranged between the distal-most petal and the proximal-most petal.
According to an aspect of a preferred embodiment, at least two petals have the same shape and at least two petals have shapes different from each other. The petals may have shapes that are hexagonal, pentagonal, triangular, rectangular, or any other suitable shape. In other words, at least two petals differ in their dimensions such as length, width, thickness, shape, and curvature.
According to an aspect of a preferred embodiment, at least one of the petals has a maximum width between 3.5-7 mm. At least one other petal has a maximum width between 1.5-2.5 mm. The length of the petals may range between 0.5-3 mm. The thickness of the petals may range from 0.5-1.5 mm.
According to another aspect of a preferred embodiment, the proximal-most petal is widest of the all the petals. The proximal-most petal has a lip-like structure with two apexes.
According to another aspect of a preferred embodiment, the distal-most petal is the longest of all the petals.
In a preferred embodiment, at least one sidewall of the applying member has rounded cross-sections that are substantially circular along a major length of the applying member. The term “substantially circular” is used herein to describe the circular or nearly circular shape. The transverse cross-section of a lower portion of the applying member is circular along the length direction. More particularly, applying member has substantially circular transverse cross-sections when seen towards proximal to the distal end till the point where the grooves meet at the rear face.
According to an aspect of a preferred embodiment, when at least one sidewall of the applying member is viewed from the proximal end towards the distal end of the applying member, the at least one sidewall has a convex portion followed by a concave portion.
According to an aspect of the present disclosure, the maximum width of the applying member is between 5-8 mm. The minimum width of the applying member is between 3-6 mm.
According to an aspect of the present disclosure, the cavity at the distal end portion of the applying member is suitable for holding a cosmetic bulk for applying it on a keratinous surface. The cavity has a varying depth that ranges between 0.5 mm-1.5 mm, more particularly between 0.8 mm-1.0 mm.
According to an aspect of the present disclosure, the distal end face defines a closed bottom end for the cavity of the applying member, and the upper edge of the extended portion of the at least one sidewall defines an upper opening of the cavity. The distal end face has a consistently continuous convex curve along a width direction, i.e. the distal end face is not flat, but instead protrudes outward in a convex fashion.
The upper edge 89 of the extended portion 81a is a continuous surface extending in a circumferential direction and is inclined with respect to a longitudinal axis of the applying member 8; and the upper edge 89 of the extended portion 81a undulates in an irregular manner.
The front face has a height less than the height of the rear face. The height of the front face is at least 60% of the height of the rear face of the applying member.
According to an aspect of the present disclosure, an outer surface of the applying member may be flocked with fibers. Briefly, the fibers for flocking which may be of any commonly used material, such as nylon, polyester, or any natural fiber are applied with an adhesive, such as an epoxy, to the surface to be flocked. The flocking finish to the outer surface of the applying member may be achieved by an appropriately chosen known technique, such as electrostatic flocking.
According to an alternate embodiment of the present disclosure, the applying member may or may not be flocked or partially flocked.
According to yet another aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a cosmetic package comprising a receptacle for holding a cosmetic product and a cosmetic applicator. The cosmetic applicator comprises the applicator head according to present disclosure, a stem, and a cap. The cap of the cosmetic applicator has threads that can be screwed onto threads, formed on a neck of the receptacle. The applicator head is retained at a distal end of the stem for applying the product; and the cap at a proximal end of the stem.
In general, the use of the terms “distal” and “proximal” herein is supposed to mean that the distal is the end facing towards the inside of the storage receptacle, whereas the proximal is the end facing towards the removal opening of the receptacle.
The applicator head and the applying member are elongated along a central longitudinal axis X of the cosmetic applicator. The applying member has a distal end and a proximal end that are opposite relative to the longitudinal axis and are separated, along said axis, by a distance. Wherein, said distance is, for example, between 12 mm and 20 mm, and preferably between 13 mm, or 16 mm.
According to yet another aspect of the present disclosure, the distal end of the stem includes an interior longitudinal cavity for receiving and retaining the applicator head. Inserted in the neck of the receptacle is a wiper for wiping off excess product from the cosmetic applicator.
Further, the applicator head of the cosmetic applicator may be used to apply the product including a cosmetic or care product. The cosmetic or care product includes viscous cosmetics, mascara, eyebrow powder, lip gloss, hair color, skincare, under-eye cosmetics, pharmaceutical, and like products.
In a preferred embodiment, the shank member and the applying member are integral, however in alternate embodiments that may be two separate parts. The applying member is designed to apply the product to a target surface.
According to an aspect of the present disclosure, the shank member of the applicator head may be secured to the stem, for example, a press-fit, snap-fit, adhesive, and/or engagement by one or more engagement features.
According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, at least a part of the applicator head can be made by molding, e.g. by injection-molding, e.g. in a material selected from the following list: thermoplastic materials; elastomers; thermoplastic elastomers; thermoplastic elastomer polyester such as HYTREL®, for example; nitrile rubber; silicone rubber; ethylene-propylene terpolymer rubber (EPDM); styrene-ethylene-butylene-styrene (SEBS); styrene-isoprene-styrene (SIS); polyurethane (PU); ethyl vinyl acetate (EVA); polyvinyl chloride (PVC); polyethylene (PE); polyethylene terephthalate (PET); polypropylene (PP); this list not being limiting.
In the first embodiment, the wiper serves to wipe off not only the excess cosmetic product attached to the applying member but also the cosmetic product attached to the stem.
According to a preferred embodiment, the receptacle and the cap may be made of a rigid material like glass, metal, hard plastic, or any other material known in the art. However, in alternate embodiments, the receptacle and the cap may be made of a flexible material like flexible polymeric material or any other material known in the art.
According to an aspect of the present disclosure, the stem presents a circular cross-section, but it is not beyond the ambit of the present disclosure for this to be otherwise, in particular when the cross-section of the stem is oval, elliptical, or polygonal, e.g. square, triangular or rectangular. The stem can be solid as shown, or, in a variant, it could be hollow.
When the stem is not of circular cross-section, the cap can be fastened on the receptacle by snap-fastening or by some other means, without turning relative to said receptacle. The wiper can thus present a non-circular wiper orifice of the section that is complementary to the section of the stem.
According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the applicator head can be made, at least in part, from a material that is more flexible than the material from which the stem is made.
According to the present disclosure, the stem can have a longitudinal axis that is rectilinear as shown. However, in alternate embodiments, it could be curved.
A more complete appreciation of the present disclosure and many of the attendant advantages thereof will be readily obtained as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:
As shown throughout the drawings, like reference numerals designate like or corresponding parts. While illustrative embodiments of the present disclosure have been described and illustrated above, it should be understood that these are exemplary of the disclosure and are not to be considered as limiting. Additions, deletions, substitutions, and other modifications can be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the present disclosure. Accordingly, the present disclosure is not to be considered limited by the foregoing description.
Throughout this specification, the terms “comprise,” “comprises,” “comprising” and the like, shall consistently mean that a collection of objects is not limited to those objects specifically recited.
In general, the use of the terms “distal” and “proximal” herein is supposed to mean that the distal is the end facing towards the inside of the storage receptacle 200, whereas the proximal is the end facing towards the removal opening of the receptacle 200.
As seen in
Further, the applicator head 10 of cosmetic applicator 100 may be used to apply the product including a cosmetic or care product. The cosmetic or care product includes viscous cosmetics, mascara, eyebrow powder, lip gloss, hair color, skincare, under-eye cosmetics, pharmaceutical, and like products.
As shown in
In the present embodiment, the shank member 7 and the applying member 8 are integral, however in alternate embodiments that may be two separate parts. The applying member 8 is designed to apply the product to a target surface.
The applicator head 10 and the applying member 8 are elongated along a central longitudinal axis X of the cosmetic applicator 100 (refer to
Referring to
Referring to
Further, each petal 85 has lateral edges that are common to the adjacent petals 85. A groove 87 is defined at the lateral edges that are common to the adjacent petals 85, see
Referring to
At least a few grooves 87 of the extended portion 81a near the distal end of the extended portion 81a extend further up to an upper edge 89 and then onto the rear face 80b of the applying member 8. The grooves 87 that extend on rear face 80b converge and meet at a point P on the rear face 80b, refer
Referring to
In some other embodiments, the grooves 87 can have any shapes or profiles. For example, grooves 87 may be rounded or v-shaped. Other shapes are possible and are contemplated.
According to an aspect of the present disclosure, the outer surface of the petals 85 may be smooth or textured.
An upper edge of some of the petals 85 may define at least one apex. The at least one apex may or may not be off-centered from a central longitudinal axis of the respective petal 85.
As seen in
According to an aspect of the present embodiment, at least two petals 85 have the same shape and at least two petals 85 have shapes different from each other. The petals may have shapes that are hexagonal, pentagonal, triangular, rectangular, or any other suitable shape. In other words, at least two petals 85 differ in their dimensions such as length, width, thickness, shape, and curvature.
At least one of the petals P1 and P5 has a maximum width between 3.5-7 mm. At least one other petal P2, P3, P4, P6, P7, and P8 has a maximum width between 1.5-2.5 mm. The length of the petals 85 may range between 0.5-3 mm. The thickness of the petals 85 may range from 0.5-1.5 mm.
As seen in
Each of the petals 85 has a length that forms at most about one-fourth of the total length of the applying member 8. Further, the surface area of the distal end face 82 is larger than the surface area of each of the petals 85. The distal end face 82 extends along a Z axis that makes a non-zero angle b with the central longitudinal axis and angle b is in the range between 30° and 75°, see
The distal end face 82 extends along at least 20% of the length of the applying member and at most 40% of the length of the applying member 8. The distal end face 82 is inclined towards the front face 80a.
Further, as seen in
The distal end face 82 defines a closed bottom end for cavity 86 of the applying member 8 and the upper edge 89 of the extended portion 81a of the at least one sidewall 81 defines an upper opening of the cavity 86. The distal end face 82 has a consistently continuous convex curve along a width direction, i.e. the distal end face 82 is not flat, but instead protrudes outward in a convex fashion, as seen in
The cavity 86 at the distal end portion of the applying member 8 is suitable for holding the cosmetic bulk for applying it on a keratinous surface. The cavity 86 has a varying depth that ranges between 0.5 mm-1.5 mm, more particularly between 0.8 mm-1.0 mm.
As illustrated in
The maximum width of the applying member 8 is between 5-8 mm. The minimum width of the applying member 8 is between 4-6 mm.
In a preferred embodiment, at least one sidewall 81 of the applying member 8 has rounded cross-sections that are substantially circular along a major length of the applying member 8. The term “substantially circular” is used herein to describe the circular or nearly circular shape. Particularly, the transverse cross-section of a lower portion of the applying member 8 is circular along the length direction. More particularly, applying member 8 has substantially circular transverse cross-sections when seen towards proximal to the distal end 3 till point P.
The left face 80c and the right face 80d are symmetrical relative to the plane of symmetry S comprising the longitudinal axis X.
The front face 80a has a height less than the height of the rear face 80b, as seen in
According to an alternate embodiment of the present disclosure, the applying member 8 may or may not be flocked or partially flocked.
According to an aspect of the present disclosure, the shank member 7 of the applicator head 10 may be secured to the stem 20, for example, a press-fit, snap-fit, adhesive, and/or engagement by one or more engagement features.
According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, at least a part of the applicator head 10 can be made by molding, e.g. by injection-molding, e.g. in a material selected from the following list: thermoplastic materials; elastomers; thermoplastic elastomers; thermoplastic elastomer polyester such as HYTREL®, for example; nitrile rubber; silicone rubber; ethylene-propylene terpolymer rubber (EPDM); styrene-ethylene-butylene-styrene (SEBS); styrene-isoprene-styrene (SIS); polyurethane (PU); ethyl vinyl acetate (EVA); polyvinyl chloride (PVC); polyethylene (PE); polyethylene terephthalate (PET); polypropylene (PP); this list not being limiting.
In the first embodiment, the wiper 206 serves to wipe off not only the excess cosmetic product attached to the applying member 8 but also the cosmetic product attached to the stem 20.
According to the first embodiment, the receptacle 200 and the cap 30 may be made of a rigid material like glass, metal, hard plastic, or any other material known in the art. However, in alternate embodiments, the receptacle 200 and the cap 30 may be made of a flexible material like flexible polymeric material or any other material known in the art.
According to the first embodiment of the present disclosure, the stem 20 presents a circular cross-section, but it is not beyond the ambit of the present disclosure for this to be otherwise, in particular when the cross-section of the stem 20 is oval, elliptical, or polygonal, e.g. square, triangular or rectangular. The stem 20 can be solid as shown, or, in a variant, it could be hollow.
When the stem 20 is not of circular cross-section, the cap 30 can be fastened on the receptacle 200 by snap-fastening or by some other means, without turning relative to said receptacle 200. The wiper 206 can thus present a non-circular wiper orifice 215 of the section that is complementary to the section of the stem 20.
According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the applicator head 10 can be made, at least in part, from a material that is more flexible than the material from which the stem 20 is made.
According to the present disclosure, the stem 20 can have a longitudinal axis that is rectilinear as shown. However, in alternate embodiments, it could be curved.
The present disclosure is not limited to, the broadest in accordance with the basic idea disclosed herein. It should be interpreted as having a range. Skilled artisans may implement the pattern of the non-timely manner by combining, replacement of the disclosed embodiments shape, this would also do not depart from the scope of the disclosure. In addition, those skilled in the art may readily change or modifications to the disclosed embodiments, based on the present specification, such changes or modifications also belong to the scope of the present disclosure will be apparent.
