Patent Application
20240358136
The present disclosure generally relates to a delivery system for cosmetic, hair care, body care, and/or skin products, and more particularly, to a product pan including a mesh member configured to distribute a force across an upper surface of product contained within a cavity.
A cosmetic, hair care, body care, and/or skincare product is routinely provided within a cavity of a product pan. A user transfers some quantity of the product onto a preferred applicator (such as a brush, sponge, or finger) by pressing the applicator into the product within the cavity. During the transfer, both the quantity of product distributed onto the applicator and the location of the applicator on which the product is distributed are important for purposes of subsequent application. Some product pans, or the housings in which they are held, prevent certain types of applicators from accessing the product within the cavity in a way that allows either a desired quantity of the product to be distributed and/or prevents optimal placement of the product on the applicator. For example, if the product pan or housing has relatively high sidewalls fully surrounding the cavity and the applicator has a length similar to the width of the cavity, contact between the applicator and a side of the cavity may prevent the applicator from collecting the product along its entire length. Areas of a cavity that are difficult to access (e.g., corners and edges of a cavity) often retain product even as more accessible areas become empty (e.g., a center of a cavity), resulting in either difficulty using the retained product or waste of the retained product if the product pan is thrown away when the more accessible areas are empty.
Accordingly, there is a need for improved accessories having improved functionalities.
Examples within the scope of the present disclosure are directed approaches for manufacturing applicators for applying a cosmetic substance.
In an example, a product pan includes a cavity, a product, and a mesh member. The cavity is defined by a bottom portion, a side portion, and a strip. The strip is configured to pivot relative to the bottom portion. The product is disposed within the cavity and has an upper surface. The mesh member is coupled with the side portion and the strip to extend across the cavity. The mesh member is configured to distribute a force applied to the strip or to the mesh member across the upper surface of the product by pivoting the strip.
In an approach, the strip may be formed integrally with the bottom portion.
In an approach, the strip may be discrete from and connected to the bottom portion.
In an approach, the mesh member may have a porosity determined at least in part by a viscosity of the product.
In an approach, the side portion may be immobile relative to the bottom portion.
In an approach, the bottom portion may include a first side edge, a back edge, a second side edge, and a front edge. The side portion may be connected to the bottom portion at the first side edge, the back edge, and the second side edge. The strip may be connected to the bottom portion at the front edge. The side portion may include a first side surface, a back surface, and a second side surface. The first side surface may be connected to the first side edge of the bottom portion. The back surface may be connected to the back edge of the bottom portion. The second side surface may be connected to the second side edge of the bottom portion.
In an approach, the strip may be configured to pivot between approximately 10 and 45 degrees relative to the bottom portion upon application of the force.
In an approach, the strip may include a flexible material.
In an example, a housing for a product pan includes a bezel, a casing, a port cover, and a cap. The bezel has a chamber for the product pan. The chamber is defined by a base, a lateral boundary surface, and a front access port. The front access port has an open area with a perimeter defined by the base and the lateral boundary surface. The bezel is disposed in the casing. The port cover is configured to selectively cover the front access port. The cap is connected to the casing and is configured to selectively cover the bezel.
In an approach, the port cover may be rotatably connected to the cap.
In an approach, the port cover may be rotatably connected to the casing.
In an approach, the cap may have a top surface. The port cover may include a shield for the open area of the front access port and a lip disposed at an angle relative to the shield. The lip may be positioned adjacent the front surface of the cap when the port cover covers the front access port.
In an approach, the housing may further include a storage compartment for an applicator. The storage compartment may be disposed between the casing and the cap. A resting surface for the applicator may be provided in the casing. The casing may have a bottom surface. An applicator opening may be provided in the bottom surface to access the storage compartment.
In an example, a cosmetic compact assembly includes a product pan and a housing. The product pan has a cavity defined at least in part by a strip configured to move between a resting position and a use position. A product is disposed within the cavity and has an upper surface. A mesh member extends across the cavity and is configured to distribute a force applied to the strip or to the mesh member across the upper surface of the product when the strip is in the use position. The product pan is disposed in the housing. A front access port of the housing is positioned adjacent the strip of the product pan.
In an approach, the cosmetic compact assembly may further include an applicator. The housing may include a storage compartment in which the applicator is disposed.
In an approach, the applicator may include a first head selectively connected to a body. The first head and the body may be positioned along a longitudinal axis. The first head may be configured to rotate relative to the body around the longitudinal axis.
In an approach, the cosmetic compact assembly may further include a second head. The second head may be configured to connect with the body interchangeably with the first head. The second head may have at least one of a different shape, size, texture, or material composition than the first head.
The above needs are at least partially met through provision of one, more than one, or any combination of the approaches described in the following detailed description, particularly when studied in conjunction with the drawings, wherein:
Skilled artisans will appreciate that elements in the figures are illustrated for simplicity and clarity and have not necessarily been drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions and/or relative positioning of some of the elements in the figures may be exaggerated relative to other elements to help to improve understanding of various examples. Also, common but well-understood elements that are useful or necessary in a commercially feasible examples are often not depicted in order to facilitate a less obstructed view of these various examples. It will further be appreciated that certain actions and/or steps may be described or depicted in a particular order of occurrence while those skilled in the art will understand that such specificity with respect to sequence is not actually required. It will also be understood that the terms and expressions used herein have the ordinary technical meaning as is accorded to such terms and expressions by persons skilled in the technical field as set forth above except where different specific meanings have otherwise been set forth herein.
Generally speaking, pursuant to these various approaches, a product pan is provided that facilitates distribution of a product onto the applicator. By including a mesh member that can distribute a force across an upper surface of the product, the product pan ensures that product is dispersed from all areas of the cavity. As a result, product is not retained in difficult-to-reach areas, such as corners and edges of the cavity, which reduces product waste and/or difficulty in accessing retained product. The distribution of the force by the mesh member also results in product being more easily accessed by the applicator such that the product is more optimally placed upon the applicator for subsequent use. Further, the distribution of the force by the mesh member allows a more consistent ratio between the force applied and the quantity of product distributed to be achieved such that a user can more easily calibrate the force used to avoid collecting too little or too much product on the applicator during use. A housing for the product pan that includes a bezel having a front access port provides easier access to the cavity of the product pan, which is particularly useful for certain types of applicators such as those with a rolling head. The front access port also allows a user to exert a force upon a strip of a product pan, which is then distributed by the mesh member. In some approaches, the strip is configured to pivot relative to a bottom portion of the cavity when the force is applied. The pivoting of the strip enables the mesh member to distribute the force more evenly across the upper surface of the product because the movement of the mesh member is less constrained than would be the case with an immobile strip.
As shown in
As shown by comparing
The strip 106 is configured to pivot between approximately 10 and 45 degrees relative to the bottom portion 110 upon application of a force in some arrangements, though pivoting outside this range is also possible in other arrangements. The strip may comprise a flexible material. In the arrangement shown in
The porosity of the mesh member 104 may depend on the viscosity of the desired product 112. For example, a more viscous product 112 may require a mesh member 104 having larger openings in order to allow an adequate quantity of the product 112 to be extruded through the mesh member 104. A less viscous product 112 may require a mesh member 104 having smaller openings in order to prevent too much product 112 from being extruded through the mesh member 104. Other factors such as the purpose of the product 112, the type of applicator 118 (e.g., a sponge, a brush, an applicator with a handle, an applicator without a handle), and the like, may also influence the desired mesh porosity.
The product pan 200 of
The cosmetic compact assembly 301 shown in
As shown in
The port cover 344 and the cap 342 can each rotate from an open position that facilitates access to the product pan 300 and a closed position that prevents access to the product pan 300. The port cover 344 shown in
In the foregoing specification, specific embodiments have been described. However, one of ordinary skill in the art appreciates that various modifications and changes can be made without departing from the scope of the invention as set forth in the claims below. Accordingly, the specification and figures are to be regarded in an illustrative rather than a restrictive sense, and all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of present teachings. Additionally, the described embodiments/examples/implementations should not be interpreted as mutually exclusive, and should instead be understood as potentially combinable if such combinations are permissive in any way. In other words, any feature disclosed in any of the aforementioned embodiments/examples/implementations may be included in any of the other aforementioned embodiments/examples/implementations.
The benefits, advantages, solutions to problems, and any element(s) that may cause any benefit, advantage, or solution to occur or become more pronounced are not to be construed as a critical, required, or essential features or elements of any or all the claims. The claimed invention is defined solely by the appended claims including any amendments made during the pendency of this application and all equivalents of those claims as issued.
Moreover in this document, relational terms such as first and second, top and bottom, and the like may be used solely to distinguish one entity or action from another entity or action without necessarily requiring or implying any actual such relationship or order between such entities or actions. The terms “comprises,” “comprising.” “has”, “having.” “includes”, “including.” “contains”, “containing” or any other variation thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises, has, includes, contains a list of elements does not include only those elements but may include other elements not expressly listed or inherent to such process, method, article, or apparatus. An element proceeded by “comprises . . . a”, “has . . . a”, “includes . . . a”, “contains . . . a” does not, without more constraints, preclude the existence of additional identical elements in the process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises, has, includes, contains the element. The terms “a” and “an” are defined as one or more unless explicitly stated otherwise herein. The terms “substantially”, “essentially”, “approximately”, “about” or any other version thereof, are defined as being close to as understood by one of ordinary skill in the art, and in one non-limiting embodiment the term is defined to be within 10%, in another embodiment within 5%, in another embodiment within 1% and in another embodiment within 0.5%. The term “coupled” as used herein is defined as connected, although not necessarily directly and not necessarily mechanically. A device or structure that is “configured” in a certain way is configured in at least that way, but may also be configured in ways that are not listed.
The Abstract of the Disclosure is provided to allow the reader to quickly ascertain the nature of the technical disclosure. It is submitted with the understanding that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims. In addition, in the foregoing Detailed Description, it can be seen that various features are grouped together in various embodiments for the purpose of streamlining the disclosure. This method of disclosure is not to be interpreted as reflecting an intention that the claimed embodiments require more features than are expressly recited in each claim. Rather, as the following claims reflect, inventive subject matter may lie in less than all features of a single disclosed embodiment. Thus, the following claims are hereby incorporated into the Detailed Description, with each claim standing on its own as a separately claimed subject matter.
The patent claims at the end of this patent application are not intended to be construed under 35 U.S.C. § 112(f) unless traditional means-plus-function language is expressly recited, such as “means for” or “step for” language being explicitly recited in the claim(s).
