Single-Use Cosmetic Package

• US 20090324318A1
• Filed: 05/21/2009
• Published: 12/31/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/26/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ELC Management LLC (The Estee Lauder Companies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: ELC Management LLC (The Estee Lauder Companies Inc.)
• Inventors: Kress, George H., Neuner, Charles P., Wilde, Michele C.
• Granted Patent: US 7,641,409 B1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 401/122
• CPC Class Codes: A45D 2200/1018 comprising a pad, i.e. a cushion-like mass of soft material, with or without gripping means
• CPC Class Codes: A45D 2200/1036 containing a cosmetic substance, e.g. impregnated with liquid or containing a soluble solid substance
• CPC Class Codes: A45D 40/0087 for samples
• CPC Class Codes: A45D 40/262 using a brush or the like
• CPC Class Codes: A45D 40/267 comprising a wiper
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 35/006 using sponges, foams, absorbent pads or swabs as spreading means
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 75/5855 Peelable seals

Abstract

A single-use cosmetic package has a pouch with a front wall and a back wall. A wand is stored in the pouch. Upper and lower seals hermetically seal the perimeter of the pouch. A middle seal divides the pouch into a product reservoir in a lower half of the pouch and a dry chamber in the upper half. The wand projects from a handle end in the dry chamber through the middle seal to an applicator end in the product reservoir. A dog-bone shaped sealing structure on the wand forms a hermetic seal with the middle seal. The dry chamber is opened by pulling opposite tabs to peel the front wall from the back wall. When the wand is pulled from the pouch, a flange on the wand expands the middle seal to form a wiper opening in the product reservoir. The wiper opening is sized to wipe the applicator end of the wand, or an applicator attached to the end of the wand.

Claims

1. A single-use cosmetic product package comprising:

a pouch having a front wall, a back wall and a perimeter defined by a top end, a bottom end, a first side edge and a second side edge, the front wall secured to the back wall by a lower seal extending across the bottom end and along a lower portion of each of the first side edge and the second side edge, an upper seal extending across the top end and along an upper portion of each of the first side edge and the second side edge, and a middle seal having a first part extending inwardly from the first side edge toward a second part extending inwardly from the second side edge, a gap between the first part and second part defining a wiper opening adapted to meter product withdrawn from the package, the lower seal and middle seal defining a product reservoir between the front wall and the back wall at the bottom end of the pouch, and the upper seal and middle seal defining a dry chamber between the front wall and the back wall at the top end of the pouch, the lower seal, upper seal and middle seal hermetically sealing the perimeter of the pouch; and

a wand in the pouch, the wand having an applicator end adapted to carry and deposit a cosmetic product, a handle end opposite the applicator end, and a sealing structure between the applicator end and the handle end, the sealing structure having an annular first flange separated from an annular second flange by an intermediate portion that tapers from each of the first flange and the second flange to a reduced diameter between the first flange and the second flange, the sealing structure adapted to facilitate formation of a fluid tight seal about the wand, the wand positioned within the pouch such that the applicator end is located in the product reservoir, the handle end is located in the dry chamber and the wiper opening is secured about the sealing structure of the wand in fluid tight contact to hermetically seal the product reservoir from the dry chamber;

wherein

the upper seal of the pouch is peelable so that a user can separate a portion of the front wall and back wall to open the dry chamber, grasp the handle end of the wand, and pull the applicator end of the wand through the wiper opening to withdraw a metered amount of a product from the product reservoir.

2. The single-use cosmetic product package of claim 1 further comprising an unsecured portion of the front wall and an opposite unsecured portion of the back wall each extending above the top seal to facilitate opening the dry chamber.

3. The single-use cosmetic product package of claim 1 further comprising an applicator secured to the applicator end of the wand.

4. The single-use cosmetic product package of claim 3 wherein the applicator is selected from one of a brush, a fiber pad, a sponge or a paddle.

5. The single-use cosmetic product package of claim 1 wherein the annular first flange is dimensioned to expand the wiper opening when the wand is withdrawn from the package from the reduced diameter between the first flange and the second flange to a pre-selected size suitable for wiping the applicator end.

6. The single-use cosmetic product package of claim 3 wherein the annular first flange is dimensioned to expand the wiper opening when the wand is withdrawn from the package from the reduced diameter between the first flange and the second flange to a pre-selected size suitable for wiping the applicator.

7. The single-use cosmetic product package of claim 1 wherein the applicator end further comprises a spatula.

8. The single-use cosmetic product package of claim 1 further comprising flocked fiber secured to the applicator end.

9. The single-use cosmetic product package of claim 1 further comprising texture on the applicator end selected from grooves, ridges, bores or bumps adapted to enhance at least one of product loading or product distribution.