Patent Application
20180168325
The embodiments described below relate to brush makeup applicators and, more particularly, to a brush makeup applicator having grooves.
Brush makeup applicators are used to apply makeup to a person's skin, such as the person's face. The makeup may be comprised of, for example, a foundation that is applied to bare skin, shading that is applied to the foundation, or other forms of makeup, such as, for example, colored or tinted makeup that is used in entertainment. The makeup may be a mixture of component makeups, such as mixture or cocktail of a moisturizer and a foundation. The makeup may be in any suitable form, such as powder, liquid, emulsified, etc. The makeup is typically held in a jar or other open top dispenser, in a squeeze bottle with a nozzle, or although any suitable container can be employed.
Before the makeup is applied to the face, the brush makeup applicator is loaded with the makeup. The brush makeup applicator may be loaded with the makeup by, for example, dipping a brush at an end of the brush makeup applicator into the makeup a few times. Alternatively, the makeup may be applied to the brush by using the squeeze bottle. For example, the brush at the end of the brush makeup applicator may be held upright while the user squeezes makeup onto the brush. After the brush makeup applicator is loaded, the makeup may rest on the end of or between bristles in the brush. The user may then press the loaded brush makeup applicator to the skin to apply the makeup.
The brush makeup applicator is typically pressed to the skin in a dabbing and/or wiping stroke. The dabbing strokes can apply the makeup to a particular spot on the skin while the wiping strokes can distribute the makeup to achieve a desired gradient effect, such as shading with tinted makeup. The dabbing strokes are usually performed where it is desirable to have a center or thicker layer of the distributed makeup. For example, blush may be dabbed to the skin at the center of the cheekbones. By wiping the blush in a circular or radial pattern away from the location of the dabbed makeup, a gradient effect may be achieved. An application of the makeup is defined as a series of dabbing and wiping strokes after the brush is loaded.
However, as can be appreciated, the resulting gradient effect can depend significantly on the proper amount of makeup being applied in a given application of the makeup. Sometimes the makeup must be applied multiple times to achieve the desired amount of makeup, which can adversely affect the resulting gradient effect. For example, the blush may be undesirably even over the entire cheekbone due to the multiple dabbing and wiping strokes.
The repetitious application of the makeup can be avoided by loading the brush makeup applicator with a precise and sufficient amount of makeup such that a single application of the makeup can achieve the desired effects. However, it may be difficult to precisely determine the amount of makeup that is retained between the bristles in the brush, or to even retain a sufficient amount of makeup for a given application. In addition, the gradient effect, as well as other desirable effects, can be better controlled by modulating the amount of makeup that is applied during the dabbing or wiping strokes.
A brush makeup applicator having grooves (100) is provided. According to an embodiment, the brush makeup applicator having grooves (100) comprises a handle (110) having a first end (110a) and a second end (110b), said first end (110a) and second end (110b) being disposed along an axis (Y-Y) of the handle (110), and brush (120) affixed to and extending away from the first end (110a) to form a substantially planar surface (120s) for applying makeup. The brush (120) include a circular groove (120a) formed in the substantially planar surface (120s), and an annulus groove (120b) formed in the substantially planar surface (120s), wherein said annulus groove (120b) surrounds the circular groove (120a).
A method of forming a brush makeup applicator having grooves is provided. According to an embodiment, the method comprises forming a handle having a first end and a second end, said first end and second end being disposed along an axis of the handle, and forming and affixing a brush to the first end such that the brush extends from the first end to form a substantially planar surface for applying makeup. The method also includes forming a circular groove in the substantially planar surface, and forming an annulus groove in the substantially planar surface, wherein said annulus groove surrounds the circular groove.
According to an aspect, a brush makeup applicator having grooves (100) comprises a handle (110) having a first end (110a) and a second end (110b), said first end (110a) and second end (110b) being disposed along an axis (Y-Y) of the handle (110), and brush (120) affixed to and extending away from the first end (110a) to form a substantially planar surface (120s) for applying makeup. The brush (120) includes a circular groove (120a) formed in the substantially planar surface (120s), and an annulus groove (120b) formed in the substantially planar surface (120s), wherein said annulus groove (120b) surrounds the circular groove (120a).
Preferably, the circular groove (120a) has a center (C1) that is collocated with the axis (Y-Y) of the handle (110).
Preferably, the annulus groove (120a) has a center (C2) that is collocated with the axis (Y-Y) of the handle (110).
Preferably, the axis (Y-Y) comprises a longitudinal axis of the handle (110).
Preferably, the circular groove (120a) and the annulus groove (120b) each have a rectangular cross-section.
Preferably, the substantially planar surface (120s) is at an angle (θ) relative to the axis (Y-Y) of the handle (110).
Preferably, the handle (110) comprises a first portion (112) having a smooth surface at the first end (110a) and a second portion (114) having a textured surface at the second end (110b).
Preferably, bristles in the brush (120) extend away from the first end (110a) substantially parallel to the axis (Y-Y) of the handle (110).
Preferably, the brush (120) extends away from the first end (110a) in a substantially conical shape.
According to an aspect, a method of forming a brush makeup applicator having grooves comprises forming a handle having a first end and a second end, said first end and second end being disposed along an axis of the handle, and forming and affixing a brush to the first end such that the brush extends away from the first end to form a substantially planar surface for applying makeup. The method further comprises forming a circular groove in the substantially planar surface, and forming an annulus groove in the substantially planar surface, wherein said annulus groove surrounds the circular groove.
Preferably, the circular groove has a center that is collocated with the axis of the handle.
Preferably, the annulus groove has a center that is collocated with the axis of the handle.
Preferably, the axis comprises a longitudinal axis of the handle.
Preferably, the circular groove and the annulus groove each have a rectangular cross-section.
Preferably, the substantially planar surface is at an angle relative to the axis of the handle.
Preferably, the handle comprises a first portion having a smooth surface at the first end and a second portion having a textured surface at the second end.
Preferably, bristles in the brush extend away from the first end substantially parallel to the axis of the handle.
Preferably, the brush extends away from the first end in a substantially conical shape.
The same reference number represents the same element on all drawings. It should be understood that the drawings are not necessarily to scale.
As shown, the axis Y-Y is a longitudinal axis of the handle 110. That is, the axis Y-Y extends along a long dimension of the handle 110. However, in alternative embodiments, the axis Y-Y may comprise a short axis that extends along a short dimension of an alternative handle. For example, a short handle may be substantially disk-shaped such that the short axis extends through a center of the planes of the short handle. Also as shown, the axis Y-Y is straight or linear. However, in alternative embodiments, an axis may be curved, bent, segmented, or the like. Accordingly, an alternative handle may be curved, bent, segmented, etc. between the first end and the second end. An alternative handle may also be asymmetrically disposed about the axis. That is, an outer surface of an alternative handle may be irregular such that the volume of the alternative handle is asymmetrical about the axis.
The handle 110 may be a single integrated piece or may be comprised of a plurality of components. As shown in
The brush 120 is comprised of a bundle of bristles. The bristles in the brush 120 may be comprised of polymer fibers although any suitable material can be employed. The bristles extend away from the first end 110a substantially parallel to the axis Y-Y of the handle 110, with a bend that increases the width of the brush 120 in relation to a distance from the first end 110a of the handle 110. Accordingly, the brush 120 extends away from the first end 110a in a substantially conical shape. As a result, the brush 120 forms a tapered cylinder that is narrow in proximity to the handle 110.
As can be appreciated, more than one annulus groove may be employed. For example, the circular groove 120a is shown as a disc-shaped groove. In alternative embodiments, the circular groove 120a may be an annulus groove. Accordingly, in an alternative embodiment, the annulus groove 120b could surround a circular groove 120a that is shaped as an annulus groove. Additionally or alternatively, additional annulus grooves may be employed. For example, one or more annulus grooves can surround the circular groove 120a and the annulus groove 120b shown in
As shown in
The substantially planar surface 120s is shown as a broken line disposed at the end of the brush 120. The substantially planar surface 120s is at an angle θ relative to the axis Y-Y of the handle 110. More specifically, a normal vector of the substantially planar surface 120s is not parallel or coaxial with the axis Y-Y of the handle 110. The angle θ is approximately 10 degrees although any suitable angle θ, including zero, may be employed in alternative embodiments. A non-zero angle θ may be advantageous in modulating the amount of makeup that is applied with each brush stroke, as will be described in more detail in the following with reference to
The handle may be formed in step 410 by any suitable method and from any suitable material or materials, such as injection molding and/or assembling plastic components. Additional steps may be employed, such as finishing, polishing, or the like, the surface of the handle. In an embodiment, a smooth finish may be formed at the first end and a textured surface may be formed at the second end. An opening may be formed in the first end of the handle.
In step 420, the brush can be formed by, for example, bundling bristles comprised of, for example, polymer fibers together and affixing the brush to the first end of the handle formed during step 410. The brush can be affixed to the first end by applying an adhesive to the opening in the first end of the handle and pressing the brush into the opening. The substantially planar surface can be formed by trimming distal ends of the bristles in the brush, although the substantially planar surface may be formed prior to affixing the brush to the first end.
The circular and annulus grooves formed in steps 430 and 440 may be formed by any suitable method, such as, for example, bundling bristles with different lengths so as to form the circular and annulus grooves. Additionally or alternatively, the circular and the annulus grooves may be formed by removing a portion of bristles in the brush after the bundle of bristles is attached to the handle. For example, blades can be used to trim the bristles. More specifically, a tool can grip the handle and/or brush. The blades and/or the handle and bundle of brush can be rotated about the axis of the handle to form the circular and annulus grooves. Additional steps may be employed, such as removing bent bristles, or the like.
The brush makeup applicator having grooves 100 is being pressed into the person's skin. Due to being pressed into the person's skin, the brush 120 is bent and displaced. The amount of the bending and displacement of the brush 120 is correlated with a net interference between the brush 120 and the person's skin. The net interference can be quantified as a hypothetical depth of the brush 120 into the person's skin if the brush 120 did not bend or displace. As can be appreciated, the directions of the bending and displacement of the brush 120 depends on a direction of the wiping stroke, which is illustrated by an arrow. The brush makeup applicator having grooves 100 is shown in
In
In
The user can increase or decrease the angle-of-attack, the net interference between the brush and the person's skin, and the direction of the brush stroke. By increasing or decreasing these variables, the compression and spreading of the brush 120, as well as the presentation and concealment of the grooves 120a, 120b, can be used to modulate the application of the makeup. For example, as used in
As can also be appreciated, the positive angle-of-attack results in more of the brush 120 being pressed against the person's skin for a given net interference when compared to the negative angle-of-attack. Accordingly, the user may prefer the negative angle-of-attack to apply make up to a person's skin and the positive angle-of-attack when distributing or spreading the already applied makeup over a person's skin.
The user can also employ the circular groove 120a and the annulus groove 120b to modulate the application of the makeup. For example, the user can deposit a foundation in the circular groove 120a and a moisturizer in the annulus groove 120b. As a result, if the user employs the negative angle-of-attack shown in
In operation, the brush makeup applicator can be loaded with makeup by depositing the makeup in the circular and/or the annulus grooves. For example, the circular groove 120a may be loaded with a foundation and the annulus groove 120b can be loaded with a moisturizer. The depth and width of the grooves 120a, 120b can be used to gauge the amount of each type of makeup. Additionally or alternatively, each of the grooves 120a, 120b can be filled with a mixture of makeups having a ratio to achieve a desired effect. For example, the user may choose to mix the foundation with the moisturizer at a relatively low foundation/moisturizer ratio in the circular groove 120a to ensure that a relatively high moisturizing content is applied to the driest portion of the user's skin in a dabbing stroke.
The user can control the distribution of each type of makeup by modulating the pressure and brushing strokes as described above, or in other ways, to apply the makeup to the skin. For example, some users may employ a spiral brush pattern in which the makeup or mixture of makeups in the circular groove 120a is applied predominately to the center of the spiral brush pattern. The makeup in the annulus groove 120b can be a different makeup or mixture of makeup that will be predominately disposed at the outer region of the spiral brush pattern. Accordingly, the grooves 120a, 120b allow the user to not only apply a desired amount of makeup without loading the brush makeup applicator having grooves 100 multiple times, but also to modulate the amount and ratios of two or more makeups over a region of skin.
The detailed descriptions of the above embodiments are not exhaustive descriptions of all embodiments contemplated by the inventors to be within the scope of the present description. Indeed, persons skilled in the art will recognize that certain elements of the above-described embodiments may variously be combined or eliminated to create further embodiments, and such further embodiments fall within the scope and teachings of the present description. It will also be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that the above-described embodiments may be combined in whole or in part to create additional embodiments within the scope and teachings of the present description.
Thus, although specific embodiments are described herein for illustrative purposes, various equivalent modifications are possible within the scope of the present description, as those skilled in the relevant art will recognize. The teachings provided herein can be applied to other brush makeup applicators and not just to the embodiments described above and shown in the accompanying figures. Accordingly, the scope of the embodiments described above should be determined from the following claims.
