Adjustable cosmetic wiper

• US 4,194,848 A
• Filed: 12/05/1977
• Issued: 03/25/1980
• Est. Priority Date: 12/05/1977
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Intellectual Property Holdings LLC
• Original Assignee: Plough, Incorporated (Merck & Co., Inc.)
• Inventors: Kingsford, Ted I.
• Primary Examiner(s): Coughenour, Clyde I.
• Application Number:
  US05/857,074
• Time in Patent Office: 841 Days
• Field of Search: 174/62, 132/88.5, 132/88.7, 15/257.05, 206/15.2, 206/228, 138/43-46, 401/5, 401/118, 401/119, 401/120, 401/122, 401/123, 401/129, 401/207, 401/128, 215/227, 215/228
• US Class Current: 401/5
• CPC Class Codes: A45D 34/047 with adjustable wiping action
• CPC Class Codes: A45D 40/268 with adjustable wiping action
• CPC Class Codes: A46B 3/18 the bristles being fixed on or between belts or wires
• CPC Class Codes: A46B 9/021 arranged like in cosmetics brushes, e.g. mascara, nail polish, eye shadow
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 51/32 with brushes or rods for applying or stirring contents droppers B65D47/18; eating utensils or spatulas B65D51/246

Abstract

A wiper for a cosmetic applicator in which the size of the wiper orifice is adjustable.

Claims

1. A cosmetic package comprising:

a. a container having a cosmetic composition therein;

b. a container closure;

c. a wiper having an orifice means adapted to wipe excess cosmetic from the applicator;

d. a cosmetic applicator attached to said closure by a shaft and adapted to be passed through said wiper orifice and immersed in said cosmetic composition when said closure is attached to said container;

e. adjusting means to vary the cross sectional area of said orifice;

f. indicating means comprising a plurality of indicia, each indicia corresponding to a different orifice cross-sectional area; and

g. means to position said indicia to correspond to the selected orifice cross-sectional area.

2. A cosmetic package as in claim 1 wherein at least a portion of said wiper is rotatable with respect to said container, and wherein rotation of said wiper comprises said adjusting means.

3. A cosmetic package as in claim 2 wherein said adjusting means comprises a first guide means in said wiper and a second guide means in the neck of said container, wherein said first and second guide means mate with one another.

4. A cosmetic package as in claim 3 wherein said first and second guide means comprise a screw thread.

5. A cosmetic package as in claim 1 wherein at least a portion of said wiper is within the neck of said container and wherein said package further comprises a supporting sleeve positioned between the neck of said container and said wiper.

6. A cosmetic package as in claim 5, further comprising a driving member located above said wiper, wherein said adjusting means comprises a first guide means in said driving member and a second guide means in said sleeve, and further, wherein said first and second guide means mate with one another.

7. A cosmetic package as in claim 6 wherein said first and second guide means comprise a screw thread.

8. A cosmetic package as in claim 1 wherein said wiper consists of a tubular frame having a longitudinal axis which is parallel to the longitudinal axis of said container.

9. A cosmetic package as in claim 8 wherein the interior surface of said tubular frame is tapered.

10. A cosmetic package as in claim 9 wherein said tubular frame has a least one longitudinal slit to relieve the compression of the wiper mass.

11. A cosmetic package as in claim 10 wherein said tubular frame has at least four longitudinal slits.

12. A cosmetic package as in claim 10 wherein each of said slits diverge outwardly toward the bottom of said container.

13. A cosmetic package as in claim 8 wherein the bottom of said tubular frame is fixed to said container and the top of said tubular frame is rotatable relative to said container, whereby rotation of the top of said tubular frame relative to said container comprises said adjusting means.

14. A cosmetic package as in claim 1 further comprising a tubular frame abutting said wiper and adapted to move longitudinally with respect to the container axis, whereby longitudinal movement of said frame exerts a force on said wiper and comprises said adjusting means.

15. A cosmetic package as in claim 14 further comprising a supporting sleeve positioned between said tubular frame and the neck of said container, a first guide means in the outer periphery of said tubular frame and a second guide means in the interior surface of said sleeve means, wherein said first and second guide means mate with one another.

16. A cosmetic package as in claim 15 wherein said wiper is supported by said sleeve.

17. A cosmetic package as in claim 16 wherein said wiper is doughnut-shaped and has at least one longitudinal slit means adapted to relieve the compression of the wiper mass.

18. A cosmetic package as in claim 1 wherein said wiper comprises a sleeve having a first opening and a frame means having a second opening which is adjacent to and off-center of said first opening, wherein the portion of each of said openings which overlap comprises said orifice means, and rotation of said sleeve means relative to said frame means comprises said adjusting means.

19. A cosmetic package as in claim 1 wherein said applicator is non-rigid.

20. A cosmetic package as in claim 19 wherein said applicator is a brush.

21. A cosmetic package as in claim 20 wherein said brush comprises a plurality of radial bristles.

22. A cosmetic package as in claim 20 wherein said brush is tapered.

23. A cosmetic package as in claim 20 wherein said brush has an overall diameter of 3-10 mm and an overall length of 5-35 mm.

24. A cosmetic package as in claim 20 wherein said adjusting means is adapted to adjust the cross-sectional area of the orifice between 6 and 15 mm².

25. A cosmetic package as in claim 19 wherein said applicator is made of a compressible foam material.

26. A cosmetic package as in claim 1 wherein said orifice is substantially circular.

27. A cosmetic package as in claim 1 wherein said cosmetic composition is a pasty, liquid or semi-liquid material.

28. A cosmetic package as in claim 1 wherein said cosmetic composition is a powder.

29. A cosmetic package as in claim 1 wherein said shaft has a reduced portion which is positioned adjacent to said orifice means when said closure is fully tightened onto the container neck.

30. An applicator as in claim 1 wherein said indicia are located on a dial ring which is rotatable relative to said container.

31. A cosmetic package as in claim 1 wherein said adjusting means has at least three indicia, each corresponding to a different orifice area.