Patent Application
20080014163
A. The term “application keratinous surface” means a keratinous surface where cosmetic is intended to be applied. For example, in the case where the cosmetic is nail enamel the application keratinous surface is the nail. In the case where the cosmetic is hair color, the application keratinous surface is the skin surrounding the hair line.
B. The term “non-application keratinous surface” means a keratinous surface surrounding the application keratinous surface where, during application of cosmetic to the application keratinous surface, it sometimes happens that stray cosmetic is inadvertently applied to the non-application keratinous surfaces.
C. The term “protective composition” means a composition that is applied to the non-application keratinous surface in order to protect that surface from inadvertent application of cosmetic that is being applied to an application keratinous surface.
A. The Closure
The closure 3 is preferably in the form of a cylindrical cap 5. Preferably cylindrical cap 5 has sidewalls 6 and top wall 7. Preferred is where cylindrical cap 5 contains an insert 8 that fits on the inside of cylindrical cap 5. Insert 8 has side walls 9 that slope upwardly and merge into a insert cap 10 that contains a downward tine 11 of a size and shape that is designed to fit into orifice (to be later described) and serve as a plug 12 for orifice 13 while cylindrical cap 5 is affixed to the receptacle 2 when the tube 2A is in the closed position. Tine 11 preferably has a tooth-like configuration with a wider base portion 14 and a narrower distal portion 15 that is shaped to fit into orifice 13 and serve as a plug 12 when the cylindrical cap 5 is in place.
When cylindrical cap 5 is removed as depicted in
Preferably sidewalls 9 of insert 8 converge slightly from midpoint 17 as they slope upwardly to terminate in insert cap 10, leaving an open space 16 between side walls 6 of cylindrical cap 5 and side walls 9 of insert 8. Similarly, sidewalls 9 of insert 8 diverge slightly from the midpoint 17 such that they abut inner 18 sidewalls 6 of cylindrical cap 5. Sidewalls 9 of insert 8 preferably contain threads 19 that mate with threads 20 of applicator 4 when cylindrical cap 5 is affixed to receptacle 2.
Cylindrical cap 5 and insert 8 may be made of a variety of thermoplastic materials including polyethylene, polypropylene, ABS, and so on. The type of material is not limited provided that it is compatible with the protective composition that is stored in the receptacle 2.
B. The Receptacle
The receptacle 2 is preferably a tube 2A. Tube 2A has a crimped end 21. It is preferred that the tube 2A be crimped after it is filled with the composition. This is referred to as a “bottom fill” in the cosmetics industry. Tube 2A may be made of a variety of thermoplastic materials similar to those mentioned above with respect to the closure. The tube 2A is preferably made of a thermoplastic material that is compressible such that when the user squeezes the tube 2A with the fingers the composition is extruded from orifice 13. The tube 21 may have a neck 22, if desired.
While a tube 2A is one embodiment of the type of receptacle 2 that may be used, the receptacle 2 may be in a variety of other forms such as packettes, or tottles, and the like.
C. The Applicator
Affixed to the tube 2 is an applicator 4. Applicator 4 comprises a base portion 23 that is connected or affixed to the tube upper end 24. Applicator base portion 23 preferably contains threads 20 molded thereon that are designed to mate with corresponding threads 18 on the inner surface of cylindrical cap 5.
The applicator has a top portion 25 that forms an inverted cone 26 which narrows to form a tip 27 which contains a channel 28 that is formed between two walls 29 that have straight side edges 30. Channel 28 has a slightly upcurving edge 31 that has a height of about one half of the height of straight side edge 30 of wall 29. The upcurving edge 31 and straight side edges 30 of walls 29 form an area that molds the shape of the composition that ix extruded from the tube 2A such that it is the optimal diameter for applying to the non-application keratinous surface.
Top portion 25 of applicator 4 may be in a variety of shapes. However, the inverted cone 26 shape is most preferred because it causes the composition that is extruded from the tube 2A to slowly converge as it moves toward the tip 27 and is extruded out of the orifice. When composition is extruded from orifice 13 the shape of channel 28 dictates the shape of the stream of composition that is extruded. In this case, the composition is extruded in a ribbon like shape that can easily be applied to a non-application area such as nail cuticles 29 as best depicted in
D. The Protective Composition
The protective composition may be in the form of a liquid, solid, or semi-solid. Preferably it is in the form of a semi-solid or solid composition. Most preferred is where the protective composition is a viscous semi-solid that exhibits a rheology that is similar to that of peanut butter or butter.
The protective composition may be made of organic materials or silicones. Examples of suitable organic materials include oils and waxes combined in such an amount as to provide a semi-solid composition. Suitable waxes or wax-like materials include animal, vegetable, mineral, synthetic, or silicone waxes such as petrolatum, candelilla wax, carnauba wax, polyethylene, ceresin; alkylated dimethicones such as stearyl dimethicone, behenyl dimethicone, and so on. Suitable amounts of wax may range from about 15-100%, preferably from about 25-99%, more preferably from about 45-95% by weight of the total composition.
The wax or wax like materials may be used alone or combined with various oils to slightly modify the rheology. Suitable oils include animal, vegetable, mineral, synthetic, or silicone oils. If present such oils may range from about 0.001-45%, preferably from about 0.005-40%, more preferably from about 0.05-35% by weight of the total composition. Examples of oils include liquid paraffin; dimethicone; phenyl substituted silicones; mono-, di- or triesters such as isopropyl palmitate, isopropyl myristate, diisostearyl malate, trioctyldodecyl citrate, triisostearyl citrate, and so on.
The protective composition may also contain other ingredients such as preservatives, pigments, surfactants, humectants, and the like.
The largest benefit of the protective composition 30 is that it protects the non-application surface during the time the makeup is applied to the application surface. When the makeup application is completed, the protective composition 30 can either be removed from the non-application surface or massaged into the keratinous surface where it will serve as a moisturizer and humectant for the non-application keratinous surface.
The invention is also directed to a method for protecting a non-application keratinous surface from inadvertent application of cosmetic composition during the application of a cosmetic composition to an application keratinous surface comprising applying to the keratinous surface to be protected a protective composition that may be used to otherwise treat or condition the keratinous surface.
In the method of the invention the user extrudes the protective composition 30 from the tube 2A orifice 13 onto a non-application keratinous surface such as nail cuticles 29. The protective composition 30 serves as a barrier such that when the cosmetic is applied to the application surface, if any stray amounts are inadvertently applied to the non-application surface the barrier formed by the protective composition 30 will prevent the inadvertently applied cosmetic from staining or becoming affixed to the keratinous surface.
In the case where the cosmetic composition applied to the application surface is nail enamel, the nail enamel may inadvertently be applied to the non-application surface which is the surrounding cuticles. If the protective composition 30 is applied to the cuticle area, or non-application surface, prior to nail enamel application, any stray nail enamel that is applied to the non-application surface will not stain the cuticles because the barrier formed by the protective composition.
The protective composition can be tissued off once the nail enamel has dried or it may simply be massaged into the cuticles and hands.
The invention will be further described in connection with the following examples which are set forth for the purposes of illustration only.
A protective composition was prepared as follows:
The composition was a viscous semi-solid suitable for use as a protective composition for application to cuticles prior to nail enamel application or to the skin surrounding the hairline prior to application of hair dye.
While the invention has been described in connection with the preferred embodiment, it is not intended to limit the scope of the invention to the particular form set forth but, on the contrary, it is intended to cover such alternatives, modifications, and equivalents as may be included within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.
