Patent Grant
9955768
The present disclosure relates generally to dispensers comprising lip balm, and more specifically, to dispensers for accepting lip balm via a hot pour method of manufacture.
The lips do not contain moisturizing and lipid-restoring glands like other parts of the skin. For this reason, the lips are continuously susceptible to becoming chapped. Furthermore, the lips can become chapped due to overexposure from various environmental elements. For example, lack of humidity in the air during the winter months is known to cause chapped lips and may even cause cracking that leads to bleeding lips. Similarly, frequent sun exposure during the summer can also lead to poor lip conditions. To counter these effects, lip balm may be used to treat chapped lips and keep the lips smooth, pain-free, and moist.
Proper formulation of lip balm is an important aspect in the manufacturing process, especially in order to prevent chapped lips from becoming a recurring, persistent problem. However, many lip balms on the market today contain irritating ingredients or lack beneficial oils, emollients, and repairing ingredients. Moreover, the containers of the lip balm may be uninspired or even ugly, leading to the user failing to use the lip balm when or as needed.
Lip balms are typically sold as emulsions, liquids, gels, or solids. Solid lip balms may be dispensable from tubes or from lipstick-type applicators and may be manufactured from a variety of methods. One such method is the hot pour method. During the hot pour method, the lip balm ingredients may be combined and heated until they are liquefied. The liquefied balm may then be directly poured into a lip balm application container, where it cools and solidifies.
The hot pour method may provide cost benefits over other methods, such as the bullet method. In the bullet method, the lip balm ingredients are also combined and heated until they are liquefied. However, unlike the hot pour method, the bullet method involves pouring the liquefied balm into molds where it is cooled and solidified. The solidified balm may then be cut into various shapes and inserted into a lip balm application container or lip balm dispenser.
Accordingly, the hot pour method removes the need for an intermediate step in which the liquefied balm is poured into molds and then transferred to a separate dispenser, thereby making the manufacturing process more efficient and eliminating the need for additional equipment.
Thus, what is needed is an attractive dispenser that comprises a mold and unique spokes or fins for accepting and holding a unique lip balm shape for applying lip balm to lips.
To minimize the limitations in the cited references, and to minimize other limitations that will become apparent upon reading and understanding the present specification, the present specification discloses a new and improved lip balm dispenser. The new lip balm dispenser may be attractive and may accept lip balm via a hot pour method.
One embodiment may be a lip balm dispenser, comprising: a base portion; a cap portion; and a plug; wherein the base portion is removeably connected to the cap portion; wherein the base portion comprises an aperture, a base exterior, and a support structure; wherein the plug is configured to block the aperture; wherein the support structure comprises a support surface; wherein the cap portion comprises a mold portion and a cap exterior; wherein the mold portion is substantially conical in shape; wherein when the base portion is connected to the cap portion, the base exterior and the cap exterior form a substantially heart-shaped lip balm dispenser; wherein when the base portion is connected to the cap portion, the substantially heart-shaped lip balm dispenser forms an internal cavity defined by the mold portion and the support surface; wherein the internal cavity is configured to accept a heated lip balm through the aperture; wherein the lip balm cools and adheres to the support surface; and wherein the lip balm does not adhere to the mold portion after the lip balm cools. The support structure may comprise one or more fins; wherein the one or more fins of the support structure may extend substantially perpendicularly from the support surface of the support structure. The one or more fins of the support structure may have one or more holes, which help the lip balm to adhere to the support surface. The base portion and the cap portion may be threadably connected. A coating, such as a non-stick coating, may be applied to the mold portion, such that the lip balm does not adhere to the mold portion after the lip balm cools. The support surface may have an outer rim that substantially surrounds the one or more fins and extends substantially perpendicularly from a base of the support surface. The outer rim may be cylindrical and preferably does not contact any of the one or more fins.
Another embodiment may be a lip balm dispenser, comprising: a base portion; a cap portion; a plug; and a lip balm; wherein the base portion is removeably connected to the cap portion; wherein the base portion comprises an aperture, a base exterior, and a support structure; wherein the plug is configured to block the aperture; wherein the support structure comprises a support surface and one or more fins; wherein the one or more fins have one or more holes; wherein the cap portion comprises a mold portion and a cap exterior; wherein the mold portion is substantially conical in shape; wherein when the base portion is connected to the cap portion, the lip balm dispenser forms an internal cavity defined by the mold portion and the support surface; wherein the lip balm is heated until it may be poured into the internal cavity; wherein the internal cavity is configured to accept a heated lip balm through the aperture; wherein the lip balm cools and adheres to the support surface and the fins; and wherein a coating is applied to the mold portion, such that the lip balm does not adhere to the mold portion after the lip balm cools. The one or more fins may extend substantially perpendicularly from the support surface of the support structure. The base portion and the cap portion may be threadably connected, so that they can screw together and unscrew apart. When the base portion is connected to the cap portion, the base exterior and the cap exterior may form a substantially heart-shaped lip balm dispenser.
Another embodiment may be a lip balm dispenser, comprising: a base portion; a cap portion; a plug; and a lip balm wherein the base portion is removeably connected to the cap portion; wherein the base portion comprises an aperture, a base exterior, and a support structure; wherein the plug is configured to block the aperture; wherein the support structure comprises a support surface and one or more fins; wherein the one or more fins have one or more holes; wherein the cap portion comprises a mold portion and a cap exterior; wherein when the base portion is connected to the cap portion, the base exterior and the cap exterior form a substantially heart-shaped lip balm dispenser; wherein when the base portion is connected to the cap portion, the substantially heart-shaped lip balm dispenser forms an internal cavity defined by the mold portion and the support surface; wherein the lip balm is heated until it may be poured into the internal cavity; wherein the internal cavity is configured to accept a heated lip balm through the aperture; wherein the lip balm cools and adheres to the support surface and the fins; and wherein a coating is applied to the mold portion, such that the lip balm does not adhere to the mold portion after the lip balm cools. The coating may be a non-stick coating that is food grade and generally regarded as safe for human use and consumption. The one or more fins may extend substantially perpendicularly from a base of the support surface of the support structure. The support surface may have an outer rim that substantially surrounds the one or more fins and may extend substantially perpendicularly from the base of the support surface. The outer rim may be cylindrical. The outer rim preferably does not contact any of the one or more fins. The base portion and the cap portion may be threadably connected. The mold portion may be substantially conical in shape.
It is an object to provide a lip balm dispenser that comprises a conical mold that accepts hot pour liquefied lip balm. The dispenser may have a heart-shaped exterior and may be unscrewed to reveal the conical lip balm, which, once solidified, is held firmly in place by perforated fins.
It is an object to overcome the limitations of the prior art.
Other features and advantages inherent in the dispenser, as claimed and disclosed will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description and its accompanying drawings.
The drawings show illustrative embodiments, but do not depict all embodiments. Other embodiments may be used in addition to or instead of the illustrative embodiments. Details that may be apparent or unnecessary may be omitted for the purpose of saving space or for more effective illustrations. Some embodiments may be practiced with additional components or steps and/or without some or all components or steps provided in the illustrations. When different drawings contain the same numeral, that numeral refers to the same or similar components or steps.
In the following detailed description, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of various aspects of the embodiment of the lip balm dispenser. However, these embodiments may be practiced without some or all of these specific details. In other instances, well-known procedures and/or components have not been described in detail so as not to unnecessarily obscure aspects of the embodiments.
While some embodiments are disclosed here, other embodiments will become obvious to those skilled in the art as a result of the following detailed description. These embodiments are capable of modifications of various obvious aspects, all without departing from the spirit and scope of protection. The Figures, and their detailed descriptions, are to be regarded as illustrative in nature and not restrictive. Also, the reference or non-reference to a particular embodiment shall not be interpreted to limit the scope of protection.
In the following description, certain terminology is used to describe certain features of these embodiments. For purposes of this specification, unless otherwise specified, the term “substantially” refers to the complete or nearly complete extent or degree of an action, characteristic, property, state, structure, item, or result. The exact allowable degree of deviation from absolute completeness may in some cases depend on the specific context. However, generally speaking, the nearness of completion will be so as to have the same overall result as if absolute and total completion were obtained. The use of “substantially” is also equally applicable when used in a negative connotation to refer to the complete or near complete lack of an action, characteristic, property, state, structure, item, or result.
As used herein, the terms “approximately” and “about” generally refer to a deviance of within 5% of the indicated number or range of numbers. In one embodiment, the term “approximately” and “about”, may refer to a deviance of between 1-10% from the indicated number or range of numbers.
The lip balm may be integrated with the lip balm dispenser using a hot pour method. The hot pour method may combine a variety of the aforementioned ingredients and heat them until these ingredients reach a liquefied balm. The liquefied balm is then poured into the dispenser where it is molded to a shape that is substantially conical.
As shown in
In preparation for the hot pour method, the lip balm dispenser 100 may be assembled such that the base portion 200 is removeably (preferably through threading) connected to the cap portion 201. The plug 210 has not yet been inserted into the aperture 116, which is where the liquid balm is poured into the interior of the dispenser 100. The interior of the lip balm dispenser 100, including the interior surface 220 of mold portion 205, may be coated with a release agent prior to pouring the liquefied balm. The release agent may allow for efficient and clean removal of the cap portion 201 by a user when accessing the solidified lip balm.
After the coating step, the liquefied balm may be poured into the lip balm dispenser 100 via the aperture 116 in the base portion 200 of the lip balm dispenser 100. The liquefied balm preferably fills the space within mold portion 205 and the surface of support portion 115. The support portion 115 is not coated, so the liquefied balm, when cool, sticks to the support portion 115, which serves as a base for the lip balm. As shown, the mold portion 205 may have a conical interior surface 220, which forms the lip balm into a cone. This cone-shaped lip-balm may engage comfortably with the lips of the user.
Once the dispenser 100 is filled with the balm, the plug 210 is inserted into the aperture 116. The plug 210 may have a top portion, which, as shown, preferably conforms to the contours of the heart-shaped exterior 105. The plug 210 preferably may engage with aperture 117 of the support structure.
Within the support portion 115, one or more fins may provide additional surface tension onto which the solidified lip balm adheres. Once the liquefied balm has sufficiently cooled and hardened, a user may grip and twist the cap portion 201 off the base portion 200 in order to open the lip balm dispenser 100 and apply lip balm.
Once inserted into the aperture 116, the plug 210 is preferably not removable, or at least not easily removable from the aperture by the user.
The exterior 105 and the support structure 115 may be connected via one or more friction fasteners (snapped together) or they may be one unitary piece. The exterior 110 and mold 205 may be connected via one or more friction fasteners (snapped together) or they may be one unitary piece.
The support structure 115 may be adapted to accept and retain a liquefied balm. Further, one or more fins 305 within the support structure 200 may provide additional surface tension onto which the liquefied balm can adhere.
The interior surface 304 may comprise one or more fins 310, which ring the aperture 117 and help support and hold the cooled lip balm. As shown in
Unless otherwise stated, all measurements, values, ratings, positions, magnitudes, sizes, locations, and other specifications that are set forth in this specification, including in the claims that follow, are approximate, not exact. They are intended to have a reasonable range that is consistent with the functions to which they relate and with what is customary in the art to which they pertain.
The foregoing description of the preferred embodiment has been presented for the purposes of illustration and description. While multiple embodiments are disclosed, still other embodiments will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the above detailed description. These embodiments are capable of modifications in various obvious aspects, all without departing from the spirit and scope of protection. Accordingly, the detailed description is to be regarded as illustrative in nature and not restrictive. Also, although not explicitly recited, one or more embodiments may be practiced in combination or conjunction with one another. Furthermore, the reference or non-reference to a particular embodiment shall not be interpreted to limit the scope of protection. It is intended that the scope of protection not be limited by this detailed description, but by the claims and the equivalents to the claims that are appended hereto.
Except as stated immediately above, nothing that has been stated or illustrated is intended or should be interpreted to cause a dedication of any component, step, feature, object, benefit, advantage, or equivalent, to the public, regardless of whether it is or is not recited in the claims.
| Number | Name | Date | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6193427 | Benguigui | Feb 2001 | B1 |
| 6497523 | Kuroiwa | Dec 2002 | B1 |
| 8444337 | Teller | May 2013 | B2 |
| 8651308 | Sung | Feb 2014 | B1 |
| 9232544 | Sundell | Jan 2016 | B2 |
