Mascara container and applicator

• US 5,875,791 A
• Filed: 04/30/1998
• Issued: 03/02/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Topline Products Company, Inc. (PSB Industries SA)
• Original Assignee: Charles Chang
• Inventors: Chang, Charles, Sheffler, Robert J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Manahan, Todd E.
• Application Number:
  US09/070,533
• Time in Patent Office: 306 Days
• Field of Search: 132/218, 132/313, 132/317, 132/216, 401/122, 401/129
• US Class Current: 132/218
• CPC Class Codes: A45D 40/267 comprising a wiper

Abstract

A container and dispenser device for mascara and like products, consists of a shouldered bottle and a screw cap applicator which is screwed onto the bottle. In the bottle neck there is situated a shroud or separator member which has unique doctor means in the form of hinged webs which surround the actuator rod and control the amount of product which adheres to the applicator brush when the latter is withdrawn for use. Cooperable with the hinged webs is a circular bead on the applicator rod, which is engageable with the webs and normally constitutes a seal to prevent product from invading the shroud. Various types and shapes of doctoring webs are used, in various combinations to produce "clean" and also "product carrying" portions on the brush, thereby to enable a combing action to be had by the user, and the applicator rod can extend for an appreciable distance below the shroud and into the product contained in the bottle.

Claims

1. A container and dispensing device for mascara and like cosmetic substances, comprising in combination:

a) a bottle for holding said cosmetic substances, said bottle having an externally threaded neck of reduced diameter,

b) a molded plastic screw cap applicator comprising a body which is screwed on said bottle neck, said screw cap body having internal threads engaged with the threaded bottle neck,

c) said applicator body having an applicator rod extending downward from the bottom of the body,

d) an intermediate portion of said applicator rod forming with the screw-cap body an annular cavity which is occupied by the reduced neck of the bottle,

e) a lower portion of said applicator rod projecting downward from the bottom of the screw cap body and carrying at its lower extremity an applicator brush that forms a junction at said lower extremity,

f) a cup-shaped separator member disposed in and carried by the reduced neck portion of the bottle,

g) said separator member enclosing said intermediate portion of the applicator rod and said member having a doctor means which controls the amount of cosmetic substances that are to be withdrawn by the brush,

h) an upper portion of the applicator rod having an annular sealing surface and said separator member having a sealing means that is cooperable with said annular sealing surface of said upper portion of the applicator rod to seal the separator member to the applicator rod when said cap body is screwed onto the bottle,

i) said bottle neck having an annular sealing surface disposed above said internal threads and said separator member having an upper lip portion that is engageable with the said annular sealing surface of the bottle neck to effect a seal therewith,

j) said doctor means of the separator member comprising a sector-shaped web,

k) hinge means connecting said sector-shaped web to the separator member,

l) said doctor means comprising an additional web and hinge means therefor, both of said webs being disposed oppositely each other and having free curved edges which are spaced close to the inner walls of the separator member,

m) said webs being offset vertically from each other and being located in different vertical planes.

2. A container and dispensing device as set forth in claim 1, wherein the webs have portions which overlap each other.

3. A container and dispensing device as set forth in claim 1, wherein the webs are connected to the separator member by living hinges.

4. A container and dispensing device comprising, in combination:

a) a bottle and a screw cap applicator having a brush, said applicator extending through the neck of the bottle,

b) a hollow shroud member in the bottle neck,

c) a C-shaped wiper web having a flat side and having a hinge for mounting the web for arcuate movement in the shroud, the shape of said web providing a free space between the web and a wall of the shroud, through which space the applicator passes to be wiped by the web,

d) said web being adapted to occupy a raised wiping position against the brush of the applicator and lowered sealing position wherein the flat side thereof is sealingly engaged with the said applicator.

5. A container and dispensing device as set forth in claim 4, and further including an annular sealing bead on the applicator, for engagement with the flat side of said wiper web when the latter is in its lowered positions, thereby to effect a seal with said web.

6. A container and dispensing device for mascara and like cosmetic substances, comprising in combination:

a) a bottle for holding said cosmetic substances, said bottle having an externally threaded neck of reduced diameter,

b) a molded plastic screw cap applicator comprising a body which is screwed on said bottle neck, said screw cap body having internal threads engaged with the threaded bottle neck,

c) said applicator body having an applicator rod extending downward from the bottom of the body,

d) an intermediate portion of said applicator rod forming with the screw-cap body an annular cavity which is occupied by the reduced neck of the bottle,

e) a lower portion of said applicator rod projecting downward from the bottom of the screw cap body and carrying at its lower extremity an applicator brush that forms a junction at said lower extremity,

f) a cup-shaped separator member disposed in and carried by the reduced neck portion of the bottle,

g) said separator member enclosing said intermediate portion of the applicator rod and said member having a doctor means which controls the amount of cosmetic substances that are to be withdrawn by the brush,

h) an upper portion of the applicator rod having an annular sealing surface and said separator member having a sealing means that is cooperable with said annular sealing surface of said upper portion of the applicator rod to seal the separator member to the applicator rod when said cap body is screwed onto the bottle,

i) said bottle neck having an annular sealing surface disposed above said internal threads and said separator member having an upper lip portion that is engageable with the said annular sealing surface of the bottle neck to effect a seal therewith,

j) said doctor means of the separator member comprising a sector-shaped web,

k) hinge means connecting said sector-shaped web to the separator member,

l) said doctor means comprising an additional web and hinge means therefor, both of said webs being disposed oppositely each other and having free curved edges which are spaced close to the inner walls of the separator member, and

m) said webs having undercut edges which overlap each other.

7. A container and dispensing device for mascara and like cosmetic substances, comprising in combination:

a) a bottle for holding said cosmetic substances, said bottle having an externally threaded neck of reduced diameter,

b) a molded plastic screw cap applicator comprising a body which is screwed on said bottle neck, said screw cap body having internal threads engaged with the threaded bottle neck,

c) said applicator body having an applicator rod extending downward from the bottom of the body,

d) an intermediate portion of said applicator rod forming with the screw-cap body an annular cavity which is occupied by the reduced neck of the bottle,

e) a lower portion of said applicator rod projecting downward from the bottom of the screw cap body and carrying at its lower extremity an applicator brush that forms a junction at said lower extremity,

f) a cup-shaped separator member disposed in and carried by the reduced neck portion of the bottle,

g) said separator member enclosing said intermediate portion of the applicator rod and said member having a doctor means which controls the amount of cosmetic substances that are to be withdrawn by the brush,

h) an upper portion of the applicator rod having an annular sealing surface and said separator member having a sealing means that is cooperable with said annular sealing surface of said upper portion of the applicator rod to seal the separator member to the applicator rod when said cap body is screwed onto the bottle,

i) said bottle neck having an annular sealing surface disposed above said internal threads and said separator member having an upper lip portion that is engageable with the said annular sealing surface of the bottle neck to effect a seal therewith,

j) said doctor means of the separator member comprising a sector-shaped web,

k) hinge means connecting said sector-shaped web to the separator member,

l) said web comprising a resilient bottom wall of the separator member, said wall having an opening through which the applicator rod extends, and

m) said web comprising a circular segment extending through an arc of more than 180 degrees.

8. A container and dispensing device for mascara and like cosmetic substances, comprising in combination:

a) a bottle for holding said cosmetic substances, said bottle having an externally threaded neck of reduced diameter,

b) a molded plastic screw cap applicator comprising a body which is screwed on said bottle neck, said screw cap body having internal threads engaged with the threaded bottle neck,

c) said applicator body having an applicator rod extending downward from the bottom of the body,

d) an intermediate portion of said applicator rod forming with the screw-cap body an annular cavity which is occupied by the reduced neck of the bottle,

e) lower portion of said applicator rod projecting downward from the bottom of the screw cap body and carrying at its lower extremity an applicator brush that forms a junction at said lower extremity,

f) a cup-shaped separator member disposed in and carried by the reduced neck portion of the bottle,

g) said separator member enclosing said intermediate portion of the applicator rod and said member having a doctor means which controls the amount of cosmetic substances that are to be withdrawn by the brush,

h) an upper portion of the applicator rod having an annular sealing surface and said separator member having a sealing means that is cooperable with said annular sealing surface of said upper portion of the applicator rod to seal the separator member to the applicator rod when said cap body is screwed onto the bottle,

i) said bottle neck having an annular sealing surface disposed above said internal threads and said separator member having an upper lip portion that is engageable with the said annular sealing surface of the bottle neck to effect a seal therewith,

j) said doctor means of the separator member comprising a sector-shaped web,

k) hinge means connecting said sector-shaped web to the separator member,

l) said doctor means comprising an additional web and hinge means therefor, both of said webs being disposed oppositely each other and having free curved edges which are spaced close to the inner walls of the separator member, and

m) means on said screw cap applicator, engageable and cooperable with said webs for effecting a seal therewith when the screw cap applicator is screwed on said bottle neck.

9. A container and dispensing device comprising, in combination:

a) a bottle and a screw cap applicator having a brush, said applicator extending through the neck of the bottle,

b) a hollow shroud member in the bottle neck,

c) a wiper web arcuately movable in the shroud, between which web and a wall of the shroud the applicator passes to be wiped by the web,

d) said web being adapted to occupy a raised wiping position against the brush of the applicator and lowered sealing position where it is sealingly engaged with the said applicator, wherein a space is provided for passage of product between a wall of the shroud member and edge portions of the web, the size and shape of said passage being a function of the configuration of the web and controlling the amount of product flowing through said passage.