APPLICATOR FOR SEMI-SOLID MATERIALS
First Claim
1. A stick product semi-solid material applicator comprising:
- a generally tubular housing having first and second open ends;
an elastomeric material base cap closing said housing first end;
a plunger having first and second ends, said plunger first end operatively connected to said flexible material cap;
a mass of semi-solid material stick product mounted on said second end of said plunger; and
at least one readily removable end cap covering said housing second end and movable from a first position in which it covers said semi-solid material to substantially preclude access thereto, and a second position in which said semi-solid material can extend at least partially out of said second end of said housing.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An applicator for a stick product, such as lip balm, has a generally tubular housing closed at one end by an elastomeric base cap and at the other by an end cap. The base cap is connected to one end of a plunger shaft, and at the other end the shaft is connected to a tray holding a semi-solid mass of the stick product. The end cap is in the form of a mold so that the stick product may be molded onto the tray in situ. The end cap locks to the housing to cover the semi-solid mass, and when removed the base cap (e. g. durometer 70 A), which is bistable, having two relaxed configurations, may be depressed to move the mass out of the housing. The plunger and stick product are easily replaced.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A stick product semi-solid material applicator comprising:
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a generally tubular housing having first and second open ends; an elastomeric material base cap closing said housing first end; a plunger having first and second ends, said plunger first end operatively connected to said flexible material cap; a mass of semi-solid material stick product mounted on said second end of said plunger; and at least one readily removable end cap covering said housing second end and movable from a first position in which it covers said semi-solid material to substantially preclude access thereto, and a second position in which said semi-solid material can extend at least partially out of said second end of said housing. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 18, 19, 20)
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12. A method of assembling an applicator unit with a semi-solid stick product, the applicator unit including a plunger shaft, a plunger tray having openings and surface manifestations therein, and an end cap having an open top and a bottom in the form of a mold, by:
- a) placing the tray on the open top of the end cap;
b) filling the bottom of the end cap with a flowable stick product so that it passes through the openings in the plunger tray and engages the surface manifestations;
c) allowing the flowable stick product to cool or otherwise set into a semi-solid mass attached to the plunger tray but not attached to the end cap; and
d) insuring that the plunger shaft is in operative association with the plunger tray so that the tray and semi-solid mass move with the plunger shaft;
characterized in that the applicator unit has an elastomeric material base cap, and characterized by e) moving an end of the plunger shaft opposite the tray into contact with the elastomeric material base cap so that they are releasably connected together. - View Dependent Claims (13, 16, 17)
- a) placing the tray on the open top of the end cap;
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14. A cap for an applicator, comprising:
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a bistable body of elastomeric material having a peripheral portion with inner and outer surfaces, and a center portion with top and bottom surfaces, said center portion top surface having a convex shape in a first relaxed configuration, and a concave shape in a second relaxed configuration, and said center portion bottom surface having a depending center tubular element; surface manifestations in the interior of said center tubular element for cooperation with a knob and recess of a plunger; and surface manifestations on the inner surface of said peripheral portion for cooperation with a housing for an applicator. - View Dependent Claims (15)
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Specification