Device and assembly

• US 6,168,334 B1
• Filed: 09/08/1998
• Issued: 01/02/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 09/08/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: GEKA GmbH (Sulzer AG)
• Original Assignee: Geka Manufacturing Ltd. (SONE Products Holdings Ltd.)
• Inventors: Fordham, John F. W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Walczak, David J.
• Application Number:
  US09/149,578
• Time in Patent Office: 847 Days
• Field of Search: 401/122, 401/121, 401/118, 401/126, 132/218
• US Class Current: 401/122
• CPC Class Codes: A45D 34/046 comprising a wiper

Abstract

A wiper unit for a cosmetics applicator is provided with resilient fingers at an obtuse angle to the axis of its orifice, and occupying at most 50% of the orifice area.

Claims

1. A wiper device suitable for use in a cosmetics applicator assembly, which comprises an elongate hollow resilient body having a substantially circular orifice, and positioned around and extending directly from the periphery of the orifice a plurality of elongate resilient members, each having a free, distal, end portion, each member extending inward toward the axis of the orifice and away from the body, each member being at an angle within the range of from 90% to 120% to the axis and, when viewed axially, tapering toward the distal end, the members being radially spaced apart at least at their distal ends, and occupying at most 50% of the area of the orifice as viewed axially.

2. A device as claimed in claim 1, having from three to five members.

3. A device as claimed in claim 2, having four members.

4. A device as claimed in claim 3, wherein the distance between a pair of opposed distal ends is at most 25% of the diameter of the orifice.

5. A device as claimed in claim 4, wherein the distance is at most 10% of the diameter of the orifice.

6. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the members have proximal ends spaced apart around the orifice periphery.

7. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the members occupy from 40% to 50% of the area of the orifice as viewed along the axis.

8. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the distal extremity of each member forms an edge substantially parallel to the axis.

9. A device as claimed in claim 1, formed of a material selected from the group consisting of a thermoplastic, elastomeric and thermoplastic elastomeric materials, blends of at least two such materials, and laminates of at least two such materials.

10. A device as claimed in claim 9, wherein the material is selected from the group consisting of a low density polyethylene and an ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer.

11. A material applicator assembly comprising a container for a viscous material, a closure member, an applicator attached to the closure member by a rod, and a wiper device as claimed in claim 1, located within the container.

14. The method of removing drops of material from a free end of an applicator brush which comprises withdrawing the brush through the wiper device of claim 1 in a direction such that each part of the brush passes the free, distal, ends of the members before passing through the orifice.

15. The method of removing material from a free end of an applicator brush which comprises withdrawing the brush through the wiper device of claim 1, the brush passing the free, distal, ends of the members and drawing them backward into the brush so that on passage of the free end of the brush the members spring out removing material from the free end of the brush.

12. A cosmetics applicator assembly comprising a container for a viscous material, a closure member, an applicator brush having radially extending bristles, the brush being attached to the closure member by a rod, and a wiper device, which device comprise s an elongate hollow resilient body having a substantially circular orifice, and spaced apart around the periphery of the orifice from three to five elongate resilient members, each having a free, distal, end portion, each member extending inward toward the common axis of the orifice and the rod and away from the body, each member being at an angle within the range of from 90°

to 120°

to the axis and, when viewed axially, tapering toward the distal end, the members being in contact with the rod at their distal ends, and occupying at most 50% of the area of the orifice as viewed axially.

13. The assembly of claim 12, wherein there are four elongate resilient members, the members are at an angle of at least about 110°

to the axis and the distance between a pair of their opposed distal ends is at most 10% of the diameter of the orifice.