Information
-
Patent Grant
-
6676320
-
Patent Number
6,676,320
-
Date Filed
Monday, November 26, 200123 years ago
-
Date Issued
Tuesday, January 13, 200420 years ago
-
Inventors
-
Original Assignees
-
Examiners
Agents
-
CPC
-
US Classifications
Field of Search
US
- 401 118
- 401 121
- 401 122
- 220 695
- 220 697
- 220 698
- 251 9
-
International Classifications
-
Abstract
A device for dispensing mascara includes a container assembly for holding the supply of mascara and an applicator for dispensing an amount of mascara, the applicator being sized and shaped to penetrate into the container assembly. The container assembly includes a tubular container which is shaped to define an interior cavity into which the supply of mascara is stored. A funnel is disposed within an open neck in the container and includes a rigid member and a flexible member which together define an orifice. A button slidably disposed in the container can be manually depressed so as to urge against the flexible member of the funnel. Accordingly, depression of the button regulates the size of the funnel orifice through which the applicator passes and, in turn, the amount of mascara which is retained onto the applicator upon removal from the container assembly.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is directed generally to a device for dispensing cosmetics, such as mascara, and more particularly to a device for removing excess cosmetics from an applicator brush upon its withdrawal from a container.
Mascara is a well known cosmetic which is commonly used to accentuate eyelashes.
Conventionally, the device utilized to dispense mascara comprises a tubular container which is shaped to define an interior reservoir, or cavity, into which the supply of mascara is deposited. The container is also typically provided with a neck shaped to define an orifice which is in communication with the interior reservoir, the orifice serving as the exclusive means of accessing the interior reservoir. A detachable cap is removably mounted onto the neck of the container and serves to selectively enclose the orifice. The detachable cap additionally functions as a handle for manipulating an applicator which is formed onto the free end of a wand which, in turn, is integrally formed onto the cap. With the cap properly mounted onto the container, the stem and the applicator penetrate the interior reservoir of the container and, consequently, are immersed in the supply of mascara. When the stem is then withdrawn from the interior reservoir of the container, a quantity of mascara is retained on the applicator which, in turn, can then be applied onto the eyelashes of the consumer.
One problem that has been encountered with the above-described construction is that the amount of mascara deposited on the applicator frequently exceeds that which is desired and must be removed prior to application to avoid an unsightly accumulation of mascara on the user's eyelashes. For this reason, different approaches have been taken to remove excess mascara from the applicator prior to application. One such approach has been to use a facial tissue or the like to wipe excess mascara from the applicator prior to application. As can readily be appreciated, this approach is cumbersome and requires the availability of said facial tissues or the like. Another approach has been to incorporate some type of wiping mechanism into the mascara dispensing device.
One such wiping mechanism comprises an elastic wiper disposed within the neck of the container. The elastic wiper is shaped to define a circular opening, the diameter of the circular opening being smaller than the minimum transverse diameter of the applicator. The function of the elastic wiper is to exert a wiping action onto the applicator as the stem is withdrawn from the container in order to eliminate excess mascara which is retained onto the applicator.
Although well known and widely used in the art, devices for dispensing mascara which comprise an elastic wiper of the aforementioned type often suffer from a notable drawback. Specifically, it has been found that, when using such a device for dispensing mascara, the quantity of mascara retained onto the applicator upon each extraction of the stem from the container remains relatively constant.
As can be appreciated, precluding a consumer from regulating the quantity of mascara which is retained by the applicator upon each extraction of the stem from the container is highly undesirable. This is because, in certain circumstances, a consumer prefers that a limited amount of mascara be retained on the applicator (e.g., when applying mascara onto lower lashes) whereas, in other circumstances, a consumer prefers that a large amount of mascara be retained on the applicator (e.g., when applying mascara onto upper lashes). Additional factors which may be considered by a consumer when determining the optimum amount of mascara to be retained on the applicator upon each extraction of the stem from the container include, inter alia, the nature of the lashes to be made up (i.e., the length of the lashes, the thickness of the lashes and/or the spacing between the lashes) as well as the make up style desired for the lashes (i.e., a thick, dark, clustered look or a thin, light, softened look).
Accordingly, various techniques and structures have been used to allow a consumer to control the amount of mascara which is retained on the applicator of a mascara dispensing device upon removal from its associated container.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,705,053, which is incorporated herein by reference, there is disclosed a make up unit which comprises a container for mascara, a cap, and a stem carrying a brush which penetrates into the container via a passage axially traversing a wiper element. The wiper element has a wiping zone defining a passage whose cross section is smaller than that of the brush in its state of rest. The wiper element is formed by a lip whose internal edge defines the brush-receiving passage and is joined at its periphery to a ring of a greater thickness, which can sustain, by an axial compression exerted on it, an elastic deformation leading to a variation of the cross-section of the passage. An adjuster ring controls the compression and a reservoir of mascara is accommodated in a barrel. Thus the degree of compression of the wiper element can be adjusted and, as a result, the force of the wiping action will be adjusted.
Mascara dispensing devices of the types described above suffer from notable drawbacks.
As a first drawback, such devices are typically complex in construction and difficult and costly to manufacture, which is highly undesirable.
As a second drawback, such devices typically have a limited range of settings in the amount of mascara which can be retained onto the applicator upon removal from its corresponding container, which is highly undesirable.
As a third drawback, such devices typically apply an equal force against the applicator during removal and re-insertion of the applicator into its corresponding container. As a result, such devices unnecessarily impede the ability of the consumer to reinsert the applicator into the container after each use, which is highly undesirable.
As a fourth drawback, such devices are often ineffective in removing excess mascara from the applicator. As a result, the consumer is still often required, in an additional step, to manually remove excess mascara from the applicator using a tissue or other similar item. As can be appreciated, this additional step renders the entire mascara application process more time consuming and results in a greater waste of mascara, which is highly undesirable.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide a novel device for dispensing mascara.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a novel device for dispensing mascara which includes a container for holding the supply of mascara and an applicator for dispensing an amount of the mascara from the container.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a device as described above in which the applicator is sized and shaped to penetrate into the container, the withdrawal of the applicator from the container resulting in an amount of mascara being retained onto the applicator.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide a device as described above in which the user is able to regulate the amount of mascara which is retained onto the applicator upon withdrawal from the container.
It is yet still another object of the present invention to provide a device as described above which has a limited number of parts, is inexpensive to manufacture and is easy to use.
Accordingly, there is provided a device for dispensing a product, said device comprising a container assembly which is adapted to hold said product, said container assembly comprising, a container shaped to define an interior reservoir and a first opening in communication with the interior reservoir, a funnel disposed within the first opening in said container, said funnel being shaped to define an orifice, a button slidably disposed within said container for regulating the size of the orifice defined by said funnel, and an applicator assembly which is adapted to dispense said product, said applicator assembly being sized and shaped to penetrate said container assembly.
Additional objects, as well as features and advantages, of the present invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description or may be learned by practice of the invention. In the description, reference is made to the accompanying drawings which form a part thereof and in which is shown by way of illustration an embodiment for practicing the invention. The embodiment will be described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention, and it is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized and that structural changes may be made without departing from the scope of the invention. The following detailed description is, therefore, not to be taken in a limiting sense, and the scope of the present invention is best defined by the appended claims.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The accompanying drawings, which are hereby incorporated into and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate an embodiment of the invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention. In the drawings wherein like reference numerals represent like parts:
FIG. 1
is a perspective view of a device for dispensing a product, said device being constructed according to the teachings of the present invention;
FIG. 2
is an exploded perspective view of the device shown in
FIG. 1
;
FIG. 3
is an enlarged perspective view, broken away in part, of the container shown in
FIG. 1
;
FIG. 4
is an enlarged perspective view of the funnel shown in
FIG. 1
;
FIG. 5
is an enlarged perspective view of the button shown in
FIG. 1
;
FIG. 6
is a transverse cross-section view of the device shown in
FIG. 1
, the device being shown with the cap secured onto the container and with the button disposed in a first position; and
FIG. 7
is a transverse cross-section view of the device shown in
FIG. 1
, the device being shown with the cap removed from the container and with the button disposed in a second position.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Referring now to
FIGS. 1 and 2
, there is shown a device for dispensing a product, the device being constructed according to the teachings of the present invention and identified generally by reference numeral
11
.
For simplicity purposes only, device
11
is described in detail below as being used to dispense mascara. However, it is to be understood that device
11
is not limited to being used to dispense mascara. Rather, device
11
is designed for use in dispensing any viscous fluid material which is liquid or incorporates a liquid vehicle, as will be described further in detail below.
Device
11
comprises a container assembly
13
for holding a supply of mascara and an applicator assembly
15
for applying an amount of mascara onto eyelashes. Applicator assembly
15
is sized and shaped to penetrate container assembly
13
, the withdrawal of applicator assembly
15
from container assembly
13
resulting in an amount of mascara being retained on applicator assembly
15
. As will be described further in detail below, container assembly
13
is provided with a manually-actuated mechanism for regulating the amount of mascara which is retained on applicator assembly
15
upon its withdrawal from container assembly
13
.
As seen most clearly in
FIG. 2
, container assembly
13
comprises a container
17
for holding the supply of mascara, a funnel
19
disposed in container
17
for wiping excess mascara from applicator assembly
15
upon its withdrawal from container assembly
13
, a button
21
slidably disposed in container
17
in contact with funnel
19
for regulating the amount of excess mascara which funnel
19
wipes from applicator assembly
15
upon its withdrawal from container assembly
13
, a spring
23
disposed in container
17
for resiliently urging button
21
away from funnel
19
, and an O-ring
25
mounted onto button
21
for providing a tight seal between button
21
and container
17
.
As seen most clearly in
FIG. 3
, container
17
is a unitary device which is preferably constructed of a rigid, durable and inexpensive material, such as plastic. Container
17
comprises a generally tubular portion
27
which is shaped to define an elongated interior reservoir
29
into which the supply of mascara is deposited. Tubular portion
27
includes a closed bottom end
31
and a top end
33
.
A cylindrical neck
35
is integrally formed on top end
33
of tubular portion
27
, cylindrical neck
35
having a diameter which is slightly less than the diameter of tubular portion
27
. Neck
35
extends axially away from top end
33
of tubular portion
27
and comprises a helical threading
37
which is integrally formed onto its outer surface. As will be described further below, neck
35
defines an opening
38
which provides access to the supply of mascara contained within reservoir
29
.
An annular flange
39
is formed within tubular portion
27
and defines a circular opening
41
which provides access to interior reservoir
29
. A cylindrical boss
43
is integrally formed on tubular portion
27
around the outer periphery of annular flange
39
, cylindrical boss
43
extending out from tubular portion
27
at a right angle relative to the longitudinal axis of tubular portion
27
.
As seen most clearly in
FIG. 4
, funnel
19
is a unitary device which is preferably constructed of an inexpensive and durable material, such as plastic. Funnel
19
comprises an annular flange
45
which has an outer diameter which is slightly larger than the outer diameter of the free end of neck
35
. An upper funnel portion
47
extends axially downward from annular flange
45
, upper funnel portion
47
having a generally cylindrical shape which is uniform in lateral cross-section. An intermediate funnel portion
49
extends axially downward from upper funnel portion
47
, intermediate funnel portion
49
having an annular shape in lateral cross-section. It should be noted that intermediate funnel portion
49
tapers inward as intermediate funnel portion
49
extends away from upper funnel portion
47
, thereby providing intermediate funnel portion
49
with a lateral cross-sectional diameter which gradually decreases as intermediate funnel portion
49
extends away from upper funnel portion
47
. A lower funnel portion
51
extends axially downward from intermediate funnel portion
47
, lower funnel portion
51
having a generally cylindrical shape which is uniform in lateral cross-section. Lower funnel portion
51
includes a free end
53
which is shaped to define an orifice
55
.
A pair of spaced apart slits
57
-
1
and
57
-
2
are formed into lower funnel portion
51
. Slits
57
extend vertically up from free end
53
and continue substantially the entire length of lower funnel portion
51
, slits
57
extending in parallel relation to the longitudinal axis defined by lower funnel portion
51
.
Slits
57
are positioned less than
180
degrees apart along lower funnel portion
51
. As a result, slits
57
define in lower funnel portion
51
a flexible member, or finger,
59
(e.g., the acute portion of lower funnel portion
51
between slits
57
) and a rigid member, or finger,
61
(e.g., the obtuse portion of lower funnel portion
51
between slits
53
). As will be described further below, the application of an inward force onto flexible finger
59
causes flexible finger
59
to flex inward which, in turn, reduces the size of orifice
55
.
It should be noted that the relative flexibility of finger
59
(as well as the relative rigidity of stationary finger
61
) is based upon a plurality of different factors which include, inter alia, the length of slits
57
, the degree of spacing between slits
59
and the particular material used to construct funnel
19
. As a result, it is to be understood that the relative flexibility of finger
59
could be adjusted by modifying one or more of the factors listed above without departing from the spirit of the present invention.
Funnel
19
is adapted to be pressure-fit within neck
35
of container
17
. Specifically, funnel
19
is inserted down into container
17
until the bottom surface of flange
45
rests on top of the free end of neck
35
. With funnel
19
disposed within container
17
in this manner, the outer surface of upper portion
47
of funnel
19
is pressure-fit against the inner surface of neck
35
, the frictional engagement between upper portion
47
and neck
35
serving to retain funnel
19
within container
17
.
It should be noted that funnel
19
is inserted into container
17
in such a manner so that flexible finger
59
of funnel
19
is disposed in direct alignment with circular opening
41
in container
17
. As such, longitudinal inward displacement of button
21
within boss
43
, in turn, causes button
21
to inwardly flex finger
59
, thereby reducing the size of orifice
55
, as will be described further in detail below.
As seen most clearly in
FIG. 5
, button
21
is a unitary device which is preferably constructed of a rigid, durable and inexpensive material, such as plastic. Button
21
comprises an elongated shaft
63
which has a uniform circular shape in lateral cross-section, shaft
63
including a first end
65
and a second end
67
.
An enlarged knob
69
is formed onto first end
65
of shaft
63
, knob
69
and shaft
63
sharing a common longitudinal axis. Knob
69
is generally cylindrical in shape and has a lateral cross-sectional diameter which is greater than the lateral cross-sectional diameter of shaft
63
.
Knob
69
is shaped to include a flattened free end
71
which serves as an actuation surface for manually depressing button
21
. An annular groove
73
is formed into knob
69
, annular groove
73
having a uniform depth. As will be described further below, groove
73
is sized and shaped to receive O-ring
25
.
A tapered head
75
is formed onto second end
67
of shaft
63
, head
75
and shaft
63
sharing a common longitudinal axis. Head
75
comprises an inner portion
77
which extends axially away from second end
67
. Inner portion
77
is generally cylindrical in shape and has a uniform cross-sectional diameter which is greater than the cross-sectional diameter of shaft
63
. Inner portion
77
is shaped to include a flattened locking surface
79
which acts as a stop for retaining button
21
in place within boss
43
, as will be described further in detail below.
Head
75
further comprises an outer portion
81
which extends axially away from the free end of inner portion
77
. Outer portion
81
inwardly tapers away from inner portion
77
and includes a flat funnel abutment surface
83
at its free end.
Button
21
is constructed in such a manner so that head
75
is capable of being inwardly compressed. As will be described further below, the inward compressibility and the tapered configuration of head
75
allows for button
21
to be snap-fit into place within boss
43
, which is highly desirable.
Spring
23
is a conventional compression spring which is constructed preferably of metal. Spring
23
includes a first end
85
and a second end
87
and is sized and shaped to be slidably mounted onto shaft
63
of button
21
. As will be described further below, spring
23
serves to resiliently urge button
21
in the direction away from flexible finger
59
of funnel
19
.
O-ring
25
is a conventional annular ring which is constructed preferably of silicon rubber. O-ring
25
is sized and shaped to fit snugly within annular groove
73
formed in knob
69
. The function of O-ring
25
is to provide an adequate seal between button
21
and boss
43
, thereby precluding the inadvertent entering or exiting of fluids through opening
41
.
Button
21
, spring
23
and O-ring
25
are installed in container
17
in the following manner. With button
21
separated from container
17
, O-ring
25
is slidably mounted onto knob
69
in such a manner so that O-ring
25
is fittingly disposed within annular groove
73
. In addition, spring
23
is slidably mounted onto shaft
63
in such a manner so that second end
87
of spring
23
abuts against inner abutment surface
88
of knob
69
.
With spring
23
and O-ring
25
mounted onto button
21
as such, head
75
of button
21
is inserted into boss
43
of container
17
. Button
21
is then inwardly displaced along the longitudinal axis of boss
43
until outer portion
81
of head
75
contacts flange
39
. Due to the tapered construction of outer portion
81
of head
75
, continued inward displacement of button
21
within boss
43
causes head
75
to slightly inwardly compress in such a manner so that head
75
protrudes entirely through opening
41
defined by flange
39
. Once head
75
completely penetrates through opening
41
in flange
39
, head
75
resiliently expands to its original shape, thereby producing a tactile snap-fit of button
21
into container
17
.
It should be noted that, with button
21
snap-fit into container
17
in the manner described above, upon the application of a withdrawal force of button
21
relative to container
17
, locking surface
79
of head
75
eventually abuts against the inner surface of flange
39
, thereby precluding button
21
from being removed from container
17
, which is highly desirable.
It should also be noted that with button
21
snap-fit into container
17
in the manner described above, first end
85
of spring
23
contacts the outer surface of flange
39
and second end
87
of spring
23
contacts abutment surface
88
of knob
89
. Accordingly, the application of an inward force onto free end
71
of knob
69
causes spring
23
to inwardly compress. Upon release of said inward force, spring
23
resiliently expands to its original shape, thereby displacing button
21
axially outward until locking surface
79
of head
75
abuts against the inner surface of flange
39
.
As can be appreciated, the size of orifice
55
defined by funnel
19
can be regulated through the manual depression of button
21
, thereby enabling the user with a tactile means for regulating the amount of mascara which is retained onto applicator assembly
15
upon withdrawal from container assembly
13
. Specifically, in the absence of an inward force onto free end
71
of button
21
, compression spring
23
outwardly displaces button
21
until locking surface
79
of head
75
against the inner surface of flange
39
. With button
21
outwardly displaced in this manner, abutment surface
83
of button
21
contacts flexible finger
59
of funnel
19
but does not apply a force which is large enough to cause flexible finger
59
to inwardly pivot, as seen most clearly in FIG.
6
. As a result, lower funnel portion
51
of funnel
19
retains its generally cylindrical shape, thereby providing orifice
55
with its largest possible diameter (which, in turn, maximizes the amount of mascara which is retained onto applicator assembly
15
upon withdrawal from container assembly
13
).
Upon the application of an inward force onto free end
71
, button
21
is longitudinally displaced within boss
43
in such a manner that head
75
inwardly pivots flexible finger
59
, as seen most clearly in FIG.
7
. As a result, the inward flexion of finger
59
reduces the size of orifice
55
(which, in turn reduces the amount of mascara which is retained onto applicator assembly
15
upon withdrawal from container assembly
13
).
Applicator assembly
13
comprises a cap
89
which is adapted to be mounted onto neck
35
so as to enclose opening
38
. Specifically, cap
89
is in the form of an elongated cylindrical member which is partially hollowed out at one end so as to provide cap
89
with an inner surface
91
, as seen most clearly in FIG.
7
. It should be noted that inner surface
91
of cap
89
is shaped to include an inwardly protruding, helical threading
93
which is sized and shaped to threadingly engage threading
37
on neck
35
when cap
89
is rotated in the clockwise direction relative to container
17
.
An elongated stem, or wand,
95
is formed onto cap
89
, wand
95
extending axially away from cap
89
. It should be noted that wand
95
has a limited transverse cross-sectional area, thereby enabling wand
95
to easily pass through orifice
55
defined by funnel
19
.
An applicator
97
is formed onto and extends axially away from the free end of stem
95
. Applicator
97
represents any conventional brush, foam sponge or other similar device which is used to dispense a viscous fluid material. When constructed in the form of a foam sponge, applicator
97
can be used to dispense various types of conventional cosmetics, such as lip gloss, foundation, concealer, eye shadow and eyebrow gel.
It should be noted that the outer diameter of applicator
97
is preferably larger than the maximum diameter of orifice
55
. As a result, funnel
19
removes excess mascara which is retained onto applicator
97
each time applicator
97
is withdrawn from interior reservoir
29
of container
17
.
It should be noted that the particular construction of applicator assembly
15
does not, by itself, serve as a novel feature of the present invention. Accordingly, it is to be understood that applicator assembly
15
could be replaced with similar types of conventional applicator assemblies without departing from the spirit of the present invention.
In use, device
11
may be used to dispense mascara in the following manner. When not in use or when originally packaged for sale, device
11
is preferably disposed in its closed position, as shown in FIG.
1
. With device
11
disposed in its closed position, cap
89
of applicator assembly
15
is threadingly mounted onto neck
35
of container assembly
13
in such a manner so that applicator
97
penetrates down into the supply of mascara which is retained within reservoir
29
.
Accordingly, in order to apply mascara onto lashes, cap
89
is rotated in a counterclockwise direction so as to disengage threading
93
on cap
89
from threading
37
on neck
35
. With threading
93
disengaged from threading
37
, the user grasps cap
89
as a handle and withdraws applicator
97
from reservoir
29
.
As applicator
97
is withdrawn from reservoir
29
, the user can apply an inward actuation force onto button
21
which, in turn, decreases the size of orifice
55
defined by funnel
19
(wherein the greater the actuation force applied onto button
21
, the smaller the resulting size of orifice
55
). As applicator
97
passes through orifice
55
, funnel
19
removes excess mascara which is retained onto applicator
97
(wherein the smaller the size of orifice
55
, the less amount of mascara which is retained onto applicator
97
upon withdrawal). Accordingly, the user is capable of accurately regulating the amount of mascara which is retained onto applicator
97
upon removal from container
17
by varying the actuation force which is applied onto button
21
, which is highly desirable.
Device
11
experiences a number of significant advantages over prior art devices for applying mascara. As an example, device
11
comprises a limited number of parts and is relatively simple to assemble, thereby lowering manufacturing costs, which is highly desirable. As another example, device
11
allows the user to regulate the amount of mascara which is retained onto applicator
97
using a variable, manually-applied actuation force, which is highly desirable. As another example, device
11
effectively and efficiently wipes away excess mascara from applicator
97
, the excess mascara returning back down into the supply of mascara which remains within reservoir
29
, which is highly desirable.
As noted briefly above, device
11
is not limited to the particular application of dispensing mascara. Rather, it is to be understood that device
11
could be used to dispense any viscous material which is liquid or incorporates a liquid vehicle without departing from the spirit of the present invention. Examples of alternative materials which can be dispensed using device
11
include: alternative types of cosmetics (e.g., lip gloss), paper correction fluid (e.g., LIQUID PAPERĀ® paper correction fluid), cement (e.g., rubber cement or contact cement), spot/touch-up automotive paint, barbeque sauce, shoe polish, tree pruning sealer, grease-based compounds which are typically used to prevent metal items (e.g., nuts and bolts) from being frozen, rusted or sealed together, and medical products (e.g., ointments and creams).
The embodiment of the present invention described above is intended to be merely exemplary and those skilled in the art shall be able to make numerous variations and modifications to it without departing from the spirit of the present invention. All such variations and modifications are intended to be within the scope of the present invention as defined in the appended claims.
Claims
- 1. A device for dispensing a product, said device comprising:(a) a container assembly which is adapted to hold said product, said container assembly comprising, (i) a container shaped to define an interior reservoir, a first opening in communication with the interior reservoir, a second opening in communication with the interior reservoir, and a boss formed around said second opening, (ii) a funnel disposed within the first opening in said container, said funnel being shaped to define a rigid finger and a flexible finger, said rigid finger and said flexible finger together defining an orifice, said flexible finger being capable of inward flexion, (iii) a button, said button being separate from said funnel, said button being slidably disposed within said boss formed in said container and projecting through said second opening for contacting the flexible finger of said funnel so as to regulate the size of the orifice defined by said funnel, wherein said button comprises an elongated shaft, an enlarged knob formed onto one end of said shaft and a tapered head formed onto the other end of said shaft; and (b) an applicator assembly which is adapted to dispense said product, said applicator assembly being sized and shaped to penetrate said container assembly.
- 2. The device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the tapered head of said button is capable of being inwardly compressed.
- 3. The device as claimed in claim 2 further comprising a compression spring for urging said button away from said funnel.
- 4. The device as claimed in claim 3 further comprising an O-ring mounted on said button for providing a seal between said button and said container.
- 5. The device as claimed in claim 4 wherein said applicator assembly comprises,(a) a cap threadingly mounted onto said container so as to enclose the first opening, (b) a wand coaxial with said cap and having a proximal end integral with said cap, said wand projecting in relation to said cap, and (c) an applicator mounted onto the distal end of said wand, said applicator being adapted to pass through the first opening and immerse in said product when said cap is mounted onto said container.
- 6. The device as claimed in claim 5 wherein said applicator is sized and shaped to penetrate through the orifice in said funnel.
- 7. The device as claimed in claim 6 wherein said applicator is in the form of a brush.
- 8. The device as claimed in claim 6 wherein said applicator is in the form of a foam sponge.
- 9. The device as claimed in claim 1 in combination with a product disposed within said interior reservoir for being dispensed by said device wherein said product is a cosmetic.
- 10. The device as claimed in claim 1 in combination with a product disposed within said interior reservoir for being dispensed by said device wherein said product is mascara.
- 11. The device as claimed in claim 1 in combination with a product disposed within said interior reservoir for being dispensed by said device wherein said product is lip gloss.
- 12. The device as claimed in claim 1 in combination with a product disposed within said interior reservoir for being dispensed by said device wherein said product is a cosmetic selected from the group consisting of foundation, concealer, eye shadow and eyebrow gel.
- 13. The device as claimed in claim 1 in combination with a product disposed within said interior reservoir for being dispensed by said device wherein said product is paper correction fluid.
- 14. The device as claimed in claim 1 in combination with a product disposed within said interior reservoir for being dispensed by said device wherein said product is cement.
- 15. The device as claimed in claim 1 in combination with a product disposed within said interior reservoir for being dispensed by said device wherein said product is touch-up automotive paint.
- 16. The device as claimed in claim 1 in combination with a product disposed within said interior reservoir for being dispensed by said device wherein said product is barbeque sauce.
- 17. The device as claimed in claim 1 in combination with a product disposed within said interior reservoir for being dispensed by said device wherein said product is shoe polish.
- 18. The device as claimed in claim 1 in combination with a product disposed within said interior reservoir for being dispensed by said device wherein said product is a tree pruning sealer.
- 19. The device as claimed in claim 1 in combination with a product disposed within said interior reservoir for being dispensed by said device wherein said product is a grease-based compound for preventing metal items from being frozen, rusted or sealed together.
- 20. The device as claimed in claim 1 in combination with a product disposed within said interior reservoir for being dispensed by said device wherein said product is a medical cream.
US Referenced Citations (15)
Foreign Referenced Citations (2)
Number |
Date |
Country |
2153160 |
Jun 1973 |
FR |
2155774 |
Oct 1985 |
GB |