Patent Application
20230301425
The invention relates to cosmetic tool (e.g., brushes, beauty blenders) maintaining and cleaning.
The use of cosmetic tools, such as brushes and blenders, that are not cleaned properly, can lead to conjunctivitis (pink eye/styes), clogged pores, acne and breakouts, over-defined fine skin lines/wrinkles, risk of staph infections, irritated skin and rosacea flare ups, non-smooth makeup application and/or other problems. Better apparatus and methods for maintaining and cleaning cosmetic tools (e.g., brushes and blenders) are needed.
The embodiments of this invention can form a system that comprises several components. Certain preferred components comprise a brush in the form of a decorative artificial plant that has leaves and/or other protrusions, a plant base for the decorative artificial plant that in some embodiments has a cleaning surface, a decorative planter for the decorative artificial plant and plant base, a planter base for the decorative planter, and, optionally other components, such as a cleaning solution stored inside the decorative planter. These systems and the components can be used in methods to clean cosmetic tools, including cosmetic brushes and cosmetic blenders.
The advantages of this invention include the use of embodiments of this invention to maintain and clean cosmetic tools, including brushes and blenders, and to help to avoid the problems caused by using cosmetic tools that are not maintained and/or cleaned properly. In certain preferred embodiments, this invention also disinfects the cosmetic tools. In certain preferred embodiments, this invention cleans the cosmetic tools and prevents build-up of dirt, debris, and cosmetics on the cosmetic tools.
In addition, the system and components of this invention, when used together, are capable of forming a decorative display that is also functional, without being unpleasant to the eye. This invention can also form a neat and compact set of components that can be stored in a convenient location to make the maintaining and cleaning of cosmetic tools more healthy, hygienic, efficient, handy, and pleasant looking. Other advantages of this invention will be apparent to a person skilled in the art.
The invention provides systems, apparatus and methods for maintaining and cleaning cosmetic tools, such as brushes and blenders. The invention comprises a brush in the form of a decorative artificial plant that has leaves and/or other protrusions, a plant base, a decorative planter to hold the decorative artificial plant and plant base, and a planter base for the bottom of the decorative planter. Optionally, the apparatus may include a cleaning solution stored inside the decorative planter, as well as other options, some of which are described herein and some of which will be known or apparent to a person skilled in the art.
In the most preferred embodiments, the brush is in the form of a decorative artificial plant. The decorative artificial plant brush is preferably made of silicone, material containing silicone, or some other material that can be used to rub cosmetic brushes against to clean them. Certain of these embodiments may include a brush that looks like a real plant, such as a real succulent plant, with realistic green shading for the leaves. Such a plant may look appropriate or customary to be found in a household, including in a bathroom (e.g., on a bathroom vanity, sink or shelf).
In certain of these embodiments, a cosmetic tool that needs to be cleaned and/or otherwise maintained is rubbed against the leaves of the decorative artificial plant brush to clean the tool. In certain embodiments, the leaves of the decorative artificial plant brush may reach deep into larger cosmetic brushes to maintain and/or clean them. Some or all of the portions of the surface of the leaves of the decorative artificial plant brush may be smooth or rough or a mixture of smooth and rough. The decorative artificial plant brush can be wet with cleaning solution before and/or after use and/or rinsed under clean water.
In certain of these embodiments, the decorative artificial plant brush is attached, or otherwise part of, a plant base. The attachment can be by any fasteners known by a person of skill in the art and/or they can be fitted permanently together or made of one piece. In certain of these embodiments, the plant base is also made of silicone and/or some other material that can be used to clean cosmetic brushes, and in some embodiments is a sponge and/or other cleaning surface. In some embodiments, the plant base may have protrusions to facilitate cleaning. In other embodiments, the plant base may be used as a diffuser and hold a diffuser pad. In other embodiments the plant base may hold a loofa sponge, a shave brush, or some other bathroom tool or personal hygiene item.
In certain of these embodiments, the decorative artificial plant brush is used to clean larger cosmetic brushes while a plant base sponge surface is used to clean smaller cosmetic brushes. In these embodiments, the decorative artificial plant and the plant base are attached to one another, and they may be removed from the decorative planter to use them to maintain and/or clean cosmetic tools and/or to clean (e.g., rinse) the decorative artificial plant brush and the plant base. In certain preferred embodiments, the plant base is made to look like gravel, moss, dirt, or some other material on its top that enhances and otherwise complements the look of the decorative artificial plant brush.
In the most preferred embodiments, the decorative planter is in the form of a shape that looks like a planter for a live plant. The decorative planter may be round, or circular (like a pot), or have geometric angles, shapes, or ornamentations, or be some other shape or have some other look. In certain of these embodiments, the planter is about 3 inches high and about 3.5 inches wide. Other dimensions can be used. In certain embodiments, the decorative planter is made of clay, silicone, ceramic, porcelain, glass, plastic, wood, or any other material or mixture of materials, and preferably a material that is commonly used for planters or that looks like the material used for planters.
In certain embodiments the decorative planter has holes in its bottom that will allow for the drainage of any liquid in it. Thus, if the decorative artificial plant brush is used to clean a cosmetic brush, and the decorative artificial plant brush is then cleaned and rinsed, it can be put back into the decorative planter to dry, with any water falling into the decorative planter and then leaving the decorative planter through the holes in its bottom.
In many embodiments, the decorative planter is used to store things. In the most preferred embodiments, the decorative planter contains a material selected from the group consisting of a cleaning solution for cosmetic brushes and blenders, essential oils for a diffuser, an exfoliant, or a shaving bar.
In certain embodiments, the decorative planter can be attached to a planter base by being threaded or otherwise twisting onto a receptive end in the planter base (e.g., like ajar and a jar lid). In other embodiments, the decorative planter is not attached to the planter base, but it sits on the planter base. In still other embodiments, the decorative planter is attached to the planter base by some connector or fastener other than by threads or twisting (e.g., hook and loop fasteners) that is known to a person of skill in the art. In certain embodiments, the planter base may hold soap (e.g., a cleaning solution), or other items, and in certain of these embodiments, the planter base may have drainage holes to allow for dirty water to be rinsed away.
In the most preferred embodiments, the cleaning solution stored inside the decorative planter is a soap, such as a refillable soap. In certain of these embodiments, the soap is comprised of organic oils and vegan glycerin. In these embodiments, the ingredients can be cruelty free, made in the US, vegan and organic, as an example. In the most preferred embodiments, the cleaning solution also disinfects the cosmetic tools and/or the decorative artificial plant brush and plant base when they are used.
The subject matter of this disclosure is now described with reference to the following examples. These examples are provided for the purpose of illustration only, and the subject matter is not limited to these examples, but rather encompasses all variations which are evident as a result of the teaching provided herein.
A particular example of the embodiments of this Example 1 is shown in
In these embodiments, a decorative planter 30 (
A planter base 40 (
The cleaning solution of this example is a soap made of organic oils and vegan glycerin.
A user can remove the decorative artificial plant brush 10 and use it to clean, in some embodiments, larger cosmetic brushes and blenders. A cleaning solution shored in the decorative planter 30 (or elsewhere) can be used in the process. The user can also use the plant base 20, in some embodiments, to clean smaller cosmetic brushes. When finished, the user can rinse the decorative artificial plant brush 10 and plant base 20 and place it back in the decorative planter 30 to dry.
Thus, embodiments of this example will comprise a system for the maintaining and cleaning of cosmetic brushes and blenders, with several components. These components will comprise (a) a decorative artificial plant brush that has leaves and/or other protrusions; (b) a plant base attached to the decorative artificial plant brush; (c) a decorative planter that is sized to hold the decorative artificial plant brush and the plant base in an upright position; and (d) a planter base that is attached to the decorative planter. In certain of these embodiments, the decorative artificial plant brush can be used to clean cosmetic brushes and cosmetic blenders by rubbing the cosmetic brushes and cosmetic blenders against the leaves and/or protrusions of the decorative artificial plant brush. In addition, the decorative artificial plant brush, plant base, decorative planter, and planter base, when combined, have the appearance of a potted plant.
In the most preferred embodiments of this example, the decorative artificial plant brush is made of silicone (or another rubber like material) and it resembles a succulent plant. In certain of these embodiments, the plant base is a cosmetic brush and blender cleaner made of silicone.
The embodiments of this example can be used in methods for maintaining and cleaning one or more cosmetic brushes and blenders. The method comprises (a) removing a decorative artificial plant and plant base off of a decorative planter; (b) wetting the leaves of the decorative artificial plant and the plant base with cleaning solution that was stored in the decorative planter; (c) rubbing one or more of the cosmetic brushes and blenders against the leaves of the decorative artificial plant that has been made wet with the cleaning solution; (d) rubbing one or more of the cosmetic brushes and blenders against the plant base of the decorative artificial plant that has been made wet with the cleaning solution; (e) rinsing off the decorative artificial plant and plant base; and (f) returning the decorative artificial plant and plant base back to the decorative planter. Other methods can be used with the systems and apparatus of this example (and other embodiments of this invention), as will be clear to a person of skill in the art.
In the embodiments of this example, the invention also comprises a diffuser pad and the decorative planter may be used to store essential oils. In certain of these embodiments, the diffuser pad (or pads) can be kept in the decorative planter. In other embodiments, the diffuser pad is used as (or as part of) the plant base.
In the embodiments of this example, the essential oils are used with the diffuser pad to provide pleasant and/or helpful oils to the immediate environment (e.g., bathroom). In certain of these embodiments, the decorative planter contains holes in it to help defuse the essential oils into the immediate environment.
In the embodiments of this example, the invention also comprises a loofa sponge and the decorative planter may be used to store an exfoliant. In certain of these embodiments, the loofa sponge (or sponges) can be kept in the decorative planter. In other embodiments, the loofa sponge is used as (or as part of) the plant base.
In the embodiments of this example, the exfoliant is used with the loofa sponge to clean and/or exfoliate the skin of the user.
In the embodiments of this example, the invention also comprises a shave brush and the decorative planter is used to store a shaving cream or bar. In certain of these embodiments, the shave brush can be kept in the decorative planter. In other embodiments, the shave brush is used as (or as part of) the plant base.
In the embodiments of this example, the shaving cream or bar is used with the shave brush to apply the shaving cream or bar to the user.
In this embodiment, the decorative planter is used to contain a cleaning solution and/or soap and the invention further comprises a pump-like dispenser for the cleaning solution and/or soap. This dispenser may be attached to, and emerge from, the side of the decorative planter, the plant base, or the decorative artificial plant, or be attached to, or emerge from some other component of or addition to this invention.
Although the present invention has been described with reference to teaching, examples and preferred embodiments, one skilled in the art can easily ascertain its essential characteristics, and without departing from the spirit and scope thereof can make various changes and modifications of the invention to adapt it to various usages and conditions. Those skilled in the art will recognize or be able to ascertain using no more than routine experimentation, many equivalents to the specific embodiments of the invention described herein. Such equivalents are encompassed by the scope of the present invention.
