Patent Application
20220202163
The present disclosure relates to packaging and applicator devices for eyeliner.
Eyeliner applicators are known that include a stem provided at one end with an applicator endpiece constituted by a tip that is tapering, e.g., of generally conical shape.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,077,592 describes an applicator enabling a line to be drawn with greater or smaller width by means of the presence of two tips. Nevertheless, it is quite difficult to draw a broad line or a narrow line since the tips tend to splay apart from each other under the effect of the pressure exerted against the skin.
Patent application FR 2 890 296 describes another applicator for applying an eyeliner, in which the application endpiece is formed by a flocked endpiece, a felt tip, or a bundle of bristles.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,974,980 describes an eyeliner applicator having a tip that forms a cylindrical body of revolution.
There exists a need to benefit from a packaging and applicator device for a cosmetic composition, in particular an eyeliner that is simple to fabricate and to use. Further, there is needed a packaging and applicator device that enables an applicator thereof to carry sufficient amount of product for a single application without requiring re-dips.
Also, there is a need for a packaging and applicator device that includes a corrector along with the eyeliner applicator in the single package that enables a user to rectify mistakes during application.
Accordingly, there is provided a packaging and applicator device comprising a container containing a liquid composition for application, an applicator, particularly an eyeliner applicator, capable of being fastened removably on the container, and a corrector mounted at one end of the applicator. The applicator includes a rod, an applicator endpiece of elongate shape at a distal end of the rod, and a handle member connected to a proximal end of the rod. The handle member also serves as a closure cap for closing the container in a leak tight manner when not in use.
According to an aspect of the present disclosure, the applicator endpiece is made of a felt tip that can be impregnated with the composition contained in the container. Felt tip applicator allows for precision application, and to easily create bold or thin lines. The applicator endpiece comprises a body having a proximal portion, a middle portion and a distal portion. The proximal portion and the middle portion of the applicator endpiece are received in a cavity at a distal portion in the rod and held therein.
According to an aspect of the present disclosure, the middle portion of the applicator endpiece is circularly cylindrical whereas the proximal portion and the distal portion are conical or frustoconical in shape. In alternate embodiments, the applicator end piece may be of any other shape.
According to another aspect of the present disclosure, the rod is a hollow body comprising a cavity. The cavity of the rod is configured to receive the applicator endpiece such that a portion of the applicator end piece projects out from a distal opening of the cavity; and wherein the cavity also houses a filter adjacent to the applicator endpiece that stores and supplies a surplus amount of liquid composition to the applicator endpiece during application.
According to yet another aspect of the present disclosure, the cavity of the rod reduces in cross sectional dimension towards the distal portion of the rod. Thus, the cavity of the rod has at least two different diameters, wherein the diameter of the cavity being smallest at the distal portion of the rod. This reduced dimension portion of the cavity is shaped and sized corresponding to an outer diameter of the applicator endpiece such that the middle portion of the applicator endpiece is fittingly received therein. Further, the rod houses the filter in the cavity of the rod in a portion adjacent to the reduced dimension portion of the cavity and a proximal portion of the applicator endpiece is inserted in the filter. The filter is made of an absorbing material that is configured to absorb the liquid composition by the capillary phenomenon through the applicator endpiece from the container when the applicator is dipped in the container, and thus the filter acts as a reservoir to store the liquid composition. During application the filter continuously and smoothly supplies the liquid composition stored therein to the applicator endpiece in a constant amount for a single application. Thus, the filter is configured to hold more composition in the applicator in a single dip as compared to conventional eyeliner packages. In other embodiments, the filter may also be a pre-filled filter.
According to yet another aspect of the present disclosure, the container comprises a body which may be of arbitrary shape, and which is provided with a threaded neck having a wiper member mounted therein.
According to yet another aspect of the present disclosure, the applicator endpiece extends along a longitudinal axis, which axis may be rectilinear and may for example coincide with a longitudinal axis of the device.
According to yet another aspect of the present disclosure, a plug is provided which is adapted to be received within the cavity of the rod from an open proximal end of the rod. The plug comprising a first cylindrical shaft and a second cylindrical portion comprising an annular shoulder. The annular shoulder of the plug is sized for supporting engagement with an annular shoulder of the rod. The first cylindrical shaft of the plug extends longitudinally inside the cavity of the rod and sealingly locks with an internal surface of the rod. Further, a distal end of the plug rests on a top surface of the filter. The plug, thus prevents possibility of escape of fluid or of the filter from the cavity of the rod.
According to yet another aspect of the present disclosure, the corrector is arranged on a proximal end portion of the handle member of the device. The corrector is capable of correcting or erasing portions of a line drawn incorrectly during application using said applicator endpiece. The corrector includes a first correcting member and a second correcting member. According to an embodiment, the first correcting member is made of silicon material and the second correcting member is made of sponge. In other embodiments, the first correcting member may be made up of other polymeric material like polyethylene, thermoplastic elastomers, rubber and the like. In still other embodiments, the second correcting member may be made up of other materials having absorbing properties for e.g., foam, cotton, modal, micro-modal, Tencel®, and other viscose-based fibers, silica gel and the like.
According to yet another aspect of the present disclosure, the first correcting member comprises a body having a central bore, and wherein the first correcting member elongates along the central longitudinal axis of the device. The first correcting member is configured to be snapped on a proximal end potion of the handle member, and wherein the first correcting member comprises at least one snapping groove on its inner surface for receiving at least one snapping projection present at a proximal end portion of the handle member. The proximal end portion of the handle member is shaped in a conical form that can be received snappingly within the central bore of the first correcting member.
According to yet another aspect of the present disclosure, the body of the first correcting member comprises at least one sidewall and a top face. The top face of the first correcting member includes a substantially flat surface portion and a concavely inclined opening of the central bore that extends down from the flat surface portion. Furthermore, the substantially flat surface portion projects outwardly from the at least one sidewall of the body of the first correcting member. The substantially flat surface portion tapers as it extends outwardly from the sidewall and forms a narrow tip away from the sidewall of the first correcting member. During application, the substantially flat surface portion of the first correcting member provides a tapering edge or a narrow tip that can be used to aid in creating sharp edged lines. Further, the tapering edge or the narrow tip can be used to define edges of the thick lines drawn by the user.
Further, the second correcting member is accommodated in the central bore of the first correcting member such that at least a portion of an upper surface of the second correcting member projects from the concavely inclined opening of the central bore. The upper surface of the second correcting member forms a convex application surface at a distal end surface of the corrector. More particularly, the second correcting member is placed between the first correcting member and the proximal end portion of the handle member before snapping the proximal end portion of the handle member into the central bore of the first correcting member, so that when the handle member and the first correcting member are snapped a side wall of the second correcting member is sandwiched between the first correcting member and the proximal end portion of the handle member.
During application, the second correcting member helps in correcting or erasing the mistakes or bleeding marks. More particularly, the convex upper surface of the second correcting member helps in correcting or erasing the mistakes or bleeding marks.
Furthermore, the handle member comprises a neck portion below the conical proximal end portion of the handle member. A corrector cap is provided for placement onto the neck portion of the handle member for protecting the corrector from dust and contamination during non-use. The neck portion comprises a retention bead on its outer surface for snap-fit engagement with a groove formed on an inner surface of the side wall of the corrector cap. In alternate embodiments, any other coupling means known in the art may be employed for coupling the corrector cap on to the neck portion of the handle member.
Various shape modifications may be made to the applicator end piece without going beyond the ambit of the present invention.
The handle member may present a shape that may or may not be a body of revolution, in particular it may have a flat sidewall shape. The handle member may have a varying cross-sectional profile, for e.g., the handle member has a triangular cross-sectional profile towards a proximal portion thereof and a circular cross-sectional profile towards the distal portion thereof. Further, the corrector cap also has a triangular profile that matches with the triangular profile of the proximal portion of the handle member on which it is mounted. In other embodiments, the handle member and the corrector cap may present a shape that may be a body of revolution.
The container may be made in various ways, and for example it may be made other than by injection blow molding, for example it may comprise two parts that are assembled together.
The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present disclosure will become clear from the following description of the preferred embodiments when the same is read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
So that the manner in which the above recited features of the present disclosure can be understood in detail, a more particular description of the disclosure, briefly summarized above, may be had by reference to embodiments, some of which are illustrated in the appended drawings.
To facilitate understanding, identical reference numerals have been used, where possible, to designate identical elements that are common to the figures. It is to be noted, however, that the appended drawings illustrate only typical embodiments of this invention and are therefore not to be considered limiting of its scope, for the invention may admit to other equally effective embodiments.
The packaging and applicator device 1 shown in
The container 2 comprises a body which may be of arbitrary shape, and is provided in the example shown with a threaded neck 6 having a wiper member 8 mounted therein.
The applicator 3 includes a rod 10 carrying an applicator endpiece 11 of elongate shape at a distal end thereof and along a longitudinal axis X, which axis may be rectilinear and may for example coincide with a longitudinal axis of the device, as shown.
The rod 10 is connected at its proximal end to a handle member 12 which also serves as a closure cap for closing the container 2 in a leak tight manner when not in use. More particularly, a protrusion 15 on an outer surface of a proximal portion of the rod 10 engages with a corresponding groove 12d on an inner surface of a distal portion of the handle member 12.
According to an aspect of the present disclosure, the applicator endpiece 11 is made of a felt tip that can be impregnated with the composition contained in the container. The felt tip applicator endpiece 11 allows for precision application, and to easily create bold or thin lines. As shown in
According to an aspect of the present disclosure, the middle portion 24 of the applicator endpiece 11 is circularly cylindrical whereas the proximal portion 23 and the distal portion 25 are conical or frustoconical in shape, as shown in
As shown in
As shown in
Further, as seen in
As shown in
As shown in
During application, the substantially flat surface portion 51a of the first correcting member 52 provides a tapering edge or a narrow tip 51c which can be used to aid in creating sharp edged lines.
Further, the second correcting member 54 is configured to be accommodated in the central bore 52b of the first correcting member 52 such that at least a portion of an upper surface of the second correcting member 54 projects from the concavely inclined opening 51b of the central bore 52b and forms a convex upper surface 55 at a distal end surface of the corrector 50, see
During application, the second correcting member 54 helps in correcting or erasing the mistakes or bleeding marks. More particularly, the convex upper surface 55 of the second correcting member 54 helps in correcting or erasing the mistakes or bleeding marks.
Furthermore, the handle member 12 comprises a neck portion 12b below the conical proximal end portion 12a of the handle member 12, refer
Various shape modifications may be made to the applicator endpiece 11 without going beyond the ambit of the present invention.
The handle member 12 may present a shape that may or may not be a body of revolution, in particular it may have a flat sidewall shape. The handle member 12 may have a varying cross-sectional profile, as shown in
The container 2 may be made in various ways, and for example it may be made other than by injection blow molding, for example it may comprise two parts that are assembled together.
Where appropriate, the wiper member may be molded integrally with one of the parts. Further, the wiper member can be made up of a single material or may be made up of two materials by bi-injection process.
The term “comprising a” should be understood as being synonymous with “comprising at least one”.
It should be understood that the foregoing description is only illustrative of the present disclosure. Various alternatives and modifications can be devised by those skilled in the art without departing from the disclosure. Accordingly, the present disclosure is intended to embrace all such alternatives, modifications and variations that fall within the scope of the appended claims.
