The present invention generally relates to a cleansing device that includes a carrier to receive additive compositions, and more particularly relates to a cleansing device with a carrier that receives personal care additive compositions to be applied to a surface such as skin.
Humans have been making cleansing compositions since the times of ancient Babylon. In the almost five millennia since humans started making cleansing compositions, the compositions have taken a variety of forms, including both solid and liquid cleansing compositions. Such compositions are a regular part of many people's lives and in some cases are used on non-humans, such as animals. Compositions can be manufactured to perform a variety of functions. Specifically the different ingredients within a composition perform different functions. For example a composition may have ingredients that cleanse, remove odor, treat skin blemishes such as acne, moisturize the skin, prevent bacterial growth, and provide fragrance to the skin.
With such a wide variety of users having different skin types, the needs of distinct users may be different. For example, one individual may have dry skin and therefore may use a composition with an enhanced moisturizing property. A different individual that has acne or other skin blemishes would prefer a composition with an acne prevention or reduction property.
Accordingly, it is desirable to have a cleansing device that accommodates the different users and skin types that may use the cleansing device. Furthermore, other desirable features and characteristics of the present invention will become apparent from the subsequent detailed description of the invention and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and this background of the invention.
A cleansing device is described. The device includes a carrier having at least one cavity defined therein. The at least one cavity is to receive and maintain at least one additive composition. The at least one additive composition is to be applied to a surface.
The present application also describes a cleansing system. The system includes a carrier having at least one cavity defined therein. The at least one cavity is to receive and maintain at least one additive composition. The system also includes at least one additive composition disposed within a cavity of the carrier. The additive is to be applied to a skin surface.
The present application further describes a method for forming a carrier and additive compositions. The method includes forming a carrier having at least one cavity defined therein. A cavity to receive and maintain at least one additive personal care soap. The method also includes forming at least one additive personal care soap. The additive personal care soap is to be disposed within a cavity of the bar soap and is to be applied to a skin surface.
The present invention will hereinafter be described in conjunction with the following drawing figures, wherein like numerals denote like elements, and
The following detailed description of the invention is merely exemplary in nature and is not intended to limit the invention or the application and uses of the invention. Furthermore, there is no intention to be bound by any theory presented in the preceding background of the invention or the following detailed description of the invention.
As described above, compositions, and personal care compositions in particular, are commonly used by most individuals, and in some cases used on other animals. Such compositions are applied regularly; every day for example and in some cases multiple times per day. With varying needs based on such factors as skin type, environmental conditions, and budget, the needs of the users are at least as varied as the number of users themselves. For example, some users with dry skin, or that live in a dry climate may prefer a composition that has enhanced moisturizing characteristics than may a person living in a humid climate. As another example, some individuals may prefer a particular fragrance, or strength of fragrance where another may not. Addressing the various needs of the various users can become quite expensive to a producer and is a very complex task.
Accordingly, the principles described herein provide a customizable cleansing device. The device includes a base carrier that has cavities defined therein. Each of the cavities is to receive an additive composition, which additive composition may be configured to perform any variety of personal care functions. For example, an additive composition may include ingredients to 1) provide additional moisturization, 2) prevent or reduce acne, 3) exfoliate skin, 4) provide additional fragrance, and 5) mask or prevent odor. This is just a sample of the different functions, or ingredients that could be included in such an additive composition. A user may select which additive compositions to place in the base carrier such that the cleansing device may be selected, and customized, by a user depending on their particular needs or desires.
In this fashion, a user can form a customizable cleansing composition that is tailored to their particular needs. This may also be beneficial as a single composition, i.e., carrier with additives, may be used to deliver specific and customized personal care functions. This may be cheaper for a user as there is no need to buy multiple compositions, but a single composition with customizable additives. Such flexibility increases the ability of a manufacturer to meet the demands from the varied users with their various requirements. A composition that addresses the particular needs of a user is sure to create a satisfactory customer experience and could potentially result in increased profits for a producer of such a customized personal composition.
As used in the present specification and in the appended claims, the term “a number of” or similar language may include any positive number, including one to infinity; zero not being a number, but the absence of a number.
Turning now to the figures,
The carrier (100) has at least one cavity (102) to receive the additive compositions, which additive compositions are to be applied to, and deposited on, a surface such as skin. As such, the cavities (102) are the same size and the same shape as the additive compositions that are to be deposited therein. While
Moreover, while
The carrier (100) may be formed of any material. For example, the carrier (100) may be a bar soap that includes some personal care ingredients. As used in the present specification and in the appended claims, the term ‘soap’ may refer to salts of fatty acids. During use an outer layer of the soap bar is removed and underneath layers are unaffected. In a soap form, the carrier (100) may include ingredients that cleanse the skin, or facilitate in the cleansing of skin. Such ingredients include a surfactant for cleansing or washing the skin, glycerol and a number of other additive ingredients.
The bar soap carrier (100) may be a semi-solid soap. A semi-solid soap is a soap that is not hard. In other words, the soap may be a soft solid. As a soft, semi-solid, or solid soap, the particles of the soap do not have sufficient inter-particulate cohesion to overcome the force of friction. In other words, as the soap carrier (100) is moved over a surface such as the skin, the friction force between the surface and the soap is greater than the cohesive bonds between the particles of the soap such that those particles are deposited on the surface and then carry out their intended function; whether that function be a cleansing, exfoliating, moisturizing, or odor-reducing function, among others. Still further, the interaction of the soap with water may also break down the bonds holding the individual soap particles together thus again resulting in the deposition of the soap carrier (100) particles on a skin surface.
In addition to these ingredients, the soap carrier (100) may include other ingredients to impart other functionality to the soap carrier (100). Such ingredients include a fragrance ingredient, exfoliating particles, and moisturizing ingredients among other personal care ingredients. In this example, the carrier (100), like the additive compositions, may carry out a personal care function when applied to skin. This additional skin maintenance is offered by a soap-like carrier (100).
In addition to the ingredients mentioned above, the soap carrier (100) may include other ingredients to improve the application aesthetics, contact aesthetics, or other characteristics of the soap carrier (100). For example, the soap carrier (100) may include a structurant. A structurant may be any compound or mixture configured to give shape, or structure to the soap carrier (100). Accordingly, the soap carrier (100) may include any compound or mixture that is configured to give shape, or structure to the soap carrier (100). Other examples of ingredients in the soap carrier (100) include an emollient, an anti-bacterial additive, a dye, an antioxidant, a skin conditioner, a pigment, and a preservative.
In other examples, the carrier (100) may be formed of a different material such as a silicon material, a rubber material, a foam material, and a sponge material. As described above a soap-type carrier (100) results in deposition of layers of the soap carrier (100) on the surface. However, with a silicon, rubber, plastic, foam, or sponge carrier (100), such deposition does not occur. Accordingly, the carrier (100) is reusable, even after the expiration of an inserted additive composition. As indicated in some of these examples, the carrier (100) may be formed of a porous material. A porous material enhances the formation of lather of the additive compositions thereby increasing their efficacy in cleaning the surface on which they are applied.
Using a carrier (100) that can facilitate different additive compositions is beneficial in that it allows a user to customize a cleansing device by selecting additive compositions that are relevant to that user. Such customization may reduce the cost of personal hygiene as a user can purchase a single base carrier and multiple additive compositions without having to purchase multiple full-size cleansing devices.
The additive compositions (204) are used to provide various cleansing functions to a user. Accordingly, the additive compositions (204) may be of varying types, meaning the additive compositions (204) may include different compounds, such as personal care compounds that serve different functions. Examples of types of additive compositions (204) a moisturizer composition, a lotion composition, an anti-bacterial composition, an acne treatment composition such as salycilic acid, a sun block composition, an exfoliating composition, a deodorizing composition, a shaving cream composition, a body wash composition, an anti-oxidant composition, and a fragrance composition. The anti-bacterial composition may be triclosan, triclocarban, benzalkonium chloride, and benzethonium chloride among others. Each additive composition (204) may perform one or more of these functions. For example, a single additive composition (204) may be a combination of 1) have a moisturizing enhancing composition and 2) a fragrance composition.
As with the carrier (
In addition to including ingredients carrying out the above described functions, the additive composition (204) may include other ingredients to improve the application aesthetics, contact aesthetics, or other characteristics of the additive composition (204). For example, the additive composition (204) may include a structurant. A structurant may be any compound or mixture configured to give shape, or structure to the additive composition (204). Accordingly, the additive composition (204) may include any compound or mixture that is configured to give shape, or structure to the additive composition (204). Other examples of ingredients in the additive composition (204) include an emollient, an anti-bacterial additive, a dye, an antioxidant, a skin conditioner, a pigment, and a preservative.
In some examples, different additive compositions (204) have different colors. For example, a first additive composition (204a) which may include an ingredient to prevent acne such as salycilic acid may be red color while a second additive composition (204b) which may include an extra moisturizer may be a blue color. Doing so may enable a user to more easily identify the purpose, or function, of a particular additive composition (204).
Producing different additive compositions (204) may be beneficial to a user by providing a number of different skin care compounds that a user can select and tailor to their preference. For example, a user with dry skin and that is prone to acne can select additives that provide an extra moisturizing ingredient and an acne prevention ingredient respectively. Such customization via additive compositions (204) placed in a carrier (
Note that the hashing of the additive compositions (204a, 204b) is not meant to impart any material properties to the additive compositions (204a, 204b), but is merely intended to distinguish between the different additive compositions (204) and the carrier (100). The different hashing on the different additive compositions (204) indicates different types, or different purposes served by, the different additive compositions (204). That is the carrier (100) has multiple cavities (
The additive compositions (204) may be press fit into the carrier (100) so as to be retained in the carrier (100). Moreover, as water particles interact with the additive compositions (204) as well as with a non-synthetic carrier (100), the particles of the additive compositions (204) and non-synthetic carrier (100) may fuse to retain the additive compositions (204) in the carrier (100). Doing so may be beneficial for improving the efficacy of the cleansing system. For example, if the additive composition (204) falls out of the carrier (100), a user may become frustrated by continually having to re-position the additive composition (204) within the carrier (100). When joined as depicted in
The method (400) also includes forming (block 402) additive personal care soaps, which are examples of additive compositions. The additive personal care soaps are formed in a similar fashion to the carrier (
While at least one exemplary embodiment has been presented in the foregoing detailed description of the invention, it should be appreciated that a vast number of variations exist. It should also be appreciated that the exemplary embodiment or exemplary embodiments are only examples, and are not intended to limit the scope, applicability, or configuration of the invention in any way. Rather, the foregoing detailed description will provide those skilled in the art with a convenient road map for implementing an exemplary embodiment of the invention, it being understood that various changes may be made in the function and arrangement of elements described in an exemplary embodiment without departing from the scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims and their legal equivalents.