Patent Application
20220031059
The present invention relates generally to protective cover for brush bristles. More specifically, the present invention is a brush bristle cover that encompasses the bristles of a brush head, especially a makeup brush head, for the purposes of hygiene, protection, and convenience.
Brushes, especially makeup brushes, are used for the application of makeup, such as foundation (tinted liquid) and cosmetic powders (tinted and non-tinted fine particles). These and other cosmetic materials are commonly kept together in storage bags, especially makeup bags, that allow for the products to be found in one place and transported between varying locations. Makeup brushes are therefore often surrounded by items that can physically and undesirably interact with the brush bristles. If a makeup brush is placed without a covering into a purse or onto any surface that can take up color or moisture, then that article or surface is likely to become stained and/or damaged. Further complicating the challenge is the need to protect the bristles themselves from damage or cross-contamination during storage. The current storage methods for makeup brushes often contribute to the contamination of brushes and make more frequent sanitation necessary. Makeup brush users typically want to wash their brushes as infrequently as possible, as users cannot use the brushes to apply makeup while the bristles are wet. Reducing the frequency of brush sanitation can be achieved by better storing practices.
Various solutions to this problem have been developed, with ranging types of success in variable applications. At time of sale, a makeup brush is typically enclosed in a plastic packaging to protect the bristles of the makeup brush from damage and contamination before usage. This plastic packaging is frequently discarded after removing the brush as it is generally unbefitting for continued use. The packaging is most often made of low-quality material that compresses the bristles tightly against the plastic which is neither aesthetically pleasing to the user nor functionally appropriate. Alternative plastic coverings made with higher quality plastic are available for purchase; however, these still compress the bristles and function as tight sleeves over the bristles. Such designs are commonly presented with an open top, leaving the tips of the bristles exposed and therefore vulnerable to contamination. Because brushes are not washed between each use or after being stored, any contamination from their environments can be transmitted to the user's skin, potentially causing acne and other irritations upon subsequent use. In continuation, it should be noted that after repeated use of a makeup brush, the makeup brush bristles tend to blossom outwards, allowing for more even application of the makeup upon the intended skin surface. Storing a makeup brush after use into a covering that recompresses the bristles would therefore compromise the functionality. A further common solution to this problem is often made of a thin mesh material which allows for more movement of the bristles as it does not compress the bristles as tightly. Unfortunately, this also does not let the bristles remain in their ideal position. The mesh material also does not protect the bristles during storage and therefore does not function as an ideal protective covering. The most commonly used method for protecting a makeup brush during storage requires the use of an additional bag or container within the original storage bag or makeup bag. This method is inconvenient and unfavorable because too much space is consumed within the original storage bag. Furthermore, such a solution typically involves multiple brushes being enclosed together. This method tends to result in brush bristles being flattened or pinched into positions that can cause the bristles to become frayed or dislodged. In addition, this method may cause cross-contamination of brush bristles of powdered makeup with brush bristles of liquid makeup and vice versa. What is needed is a device that can appropriately store individual brushes without disturbing the arrangement of the brush bristles.
The present invention addresses the daily problems outlined above. With the present invention enclosing almost entirely around the bristles of the brush but being made with a shape retaining material, the desired function can be achieved. The present invention protects the brush bristles from the storage environment while simultaneously allowing the brush head inside to remain in its desired shape. A contained chamber provides appropriate space to allow brush bristles to retain their natural shape. A slot opening into the chamber allows for a brush to enter the present invention while minimizing exposure to potential contaminants. An opposing circular opening prevents the brush bristles from exiting the receptacle area undesirably during storage. This method of storage will allow for the brush to stay free of environmental irritants and therefore require less frequent washing practices. In addition, the protection provided will increase the longevity of the brush bristles by protecting them from being displaced during storage.
All illustrations of the drawings are for the purpose of describing selected versions of the present invention and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention.
The present invention is a brush bristle cover that is used to protect the bristles of a brush, especially a makeup application brush, from potential contamination during storage. The present invention is also configured to prevent the brush bristles from becoming squished or otherwise compressively damaged due to surrounding objects. The present invention comprises a bristle receptacle 1 and an entrance slot 5, as shown in
The general configuration of the aforementioned components allows the present invention to efficiently and effectively insert and retain the bristles of a brush during storage. The bristle receptacle 1 may comprise an open end 2 and a closed end 4, as shown in
The bristle receptacle 1 must be both rigid for protection and flexible to allow for minimization of storage space required. To this end, the bristle receptacle 1 may be made of semirigid polymeric material. Thus, the bristle receptacle 1 allows for convenient brush bristle storage, as shown in
Furthermore, many materials meet the mechanical property requirements necessary for the present invention, but among those materials, few have additional qualities, such as high thermal resistance, mechanical fatigue resistance, and more that further enhance the usability of the present invention. To this end, the bristle receptacle 1 may be made of silicone. This arrangement ensures that the bristle receptacle 1 meets the necessary physical requirements as well as other desirable material traits.
Since, in the preferred usage of the present invention, the brush passes through the entrance slot 5 handle-first, the entrance slot 5 must be capable of temporarily adapting to the shape of a brush handle. To this end, the entrance slot 5 may be flexible. In this way, the entrance slot 5 may recoil back to the desirable slot shape after a brush handle has completely passed through the entrance slot 5.
The open end 2 must similarly be capable of adapting to the shape of the brush head in order to allow brush bristles to pass through the open end 2 undamaged. To enable this, the open end 2 may be flexible. Thus, the open end 2 is able to adjust to a necessary bristle shape during usage.
The first lengthwise lip 6 and the second lengthwise lip 7 must be arranged optimally in order to allow for any of a wide variety of brushes to fit appropriately within the bristle receptacle 1. To this end, a length of the first lengthwise lip 6 may be 40 millimeters (mm), a length of the second lengthwise lip 7 may be 40 mm, and the first lengthwise lip 6 and the second lengthwise lip 7 may be coextensive to each other. The specified lengths have been found optimal for allowing a brush to pass through the present invention. Having the first lengthwise lip 6 coextensive with the second lengthwise lip 7 ensures minimal disturbance of brush bristles that have been desirably feathered from use.
In order to further protect brush bristles from external contamination, the clearance gap 8 must be of appropriate size to allow a brush to pass through without contacting the brush bristles. To allow for this, a width of the clearance gap 8 may be 1 mm. This dimension has been found to be especially effective at providing the necessary brush clearance space without affecting the brush bristles.
While the open end 2 is preferably made of flexible material, it is still optimal for the open end 2 to default to the general shape of a cross-section of a brush in order to prevent contained brush bristles from passing through the open end 2 undesirably. To this end, the open end 2 may be a circular-shaped opening. In this way, the open end 2 is optimally prepared for containment of a brush handle during usage of the present invention.
It may be further desirable to ensure that any of a variety of brush handles may fit comfortably within the open end 2 during use without allowing the bristles to pass through. To this end, a circumference 3 of the circular-shaped opening may be 55 mm. This dimension ensures that the majority of standard-sized brush handles may fit comfortably within the open end 2, while the majority of brush bristles may not fall through the open end 2 incidentally.
Although the invention has been explained in relation to its preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that many other possible modifications and variations can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed.
The current application claims a priority to the U.S. Provisional Patent application Ser. No. 63/059,469 filed on Jul. 31, 2020.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 63059469 | Jul 2020 | US |
