Pump and liquid applicator apparatus for health and beauty products

• US 6,412,997 B2
• Filed: 11/15/1999
• Issued: 07/02/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 11/15/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Joseph J. Berke
• Original Assignee: Joseph J. Berke
• Inventors: Berke, Joseph J., Michael, Charles T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Huson, Gregory L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, TUAN N
• Application Number:
  US09/440,195
• Publication Number:
  US 20010053305A1
• Time in Patent Office: 960 Days
• Field of Search: 401/6, 401/137-140, 401/200, 401/205, 401/206, 401/183, 401/185, 401/186, 401/188.R, 401/263, 222/191
• US Class Current: 401/6
• 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 2200/1081 Applying a substance on the back of the user
• CPC Class Codes: A45D 24/26 with flexible walls of the liquid, paste, or powder storing device
• CPC Class Codes: A45D 34/04 Appliances specially adapted for applying liquid, e.g. using roller or ball

Abstract

A liquid applicator apparatus for physically disadvantaged persons, but beneficial to all persons in showers, bathtubs and at the beach. The apparatus allows elderly and handicapped persons to apply health and beauty products to difficult and heretofore inaccessible body areas. It has a flexible reservoir for storing and dispersing liquid health or beauty products through an applicator. The applicator is attached to an end portion of a slender elongated tubular member with a single or plurality of ball and socket joints. In a first aspect of the invention, when the reservoir is squeezed, a portion of a stored liquid is dispersed through an open cell pad. In a second aspect, when the reservoir is squeezed, a portion of a stored liquid is dispersed through a plurality of small apertures. The elongated tubular member and ball and socket joints allow a user to apply the health and beauty products to difficult and heretofore inaccessible body areas.

Claims

1. An applicator apparatus for storing and applying liquid health and beauty products to selected difficult to reach remote areas of a physically challenged person, comprising:

a combined flexible reservoir and pump for storing a liquid health or beauty product and dispersing a portion of said liquid health or beauty product through an applicator by squeezing said flexible reservoir and pump, said reservoir and pump having an outlet end portion for discharging a portion of a liquid health or beauty product from said reservoir and pump and a means in said reservoir and pump for automatically venting said flexible reservoir and pump when said applicator apparatus is dispersing said portion of said liquid through said applicator;

a check valve in said outlet end portion of said reservoir for preventing a loss of said health or beauty product when said apparatus is not in use, said check valve having a means for automatally opening said check valve when said reservoir is squeezed to discharge said portion of said liquid from said reservoir and pump and for automatically closing said valve when said reservoir is released to prevent a loss of fluid from said reservoir and pump;

a slender, substantially elongated non-extensible tubular member for reaching said difficult to reach remote areas, said tubular member having one end portion operatively connected to said outlet end portion of said reservoir and pump; and

an applicator pivotally connected to an opposite end portion of said slender elongated non-extensible member for receiving and applying said liquid health or beauty product to said selected remote and difficult to reach remote areas of said person'"'"'s body.

2. The applicator apparatus recited in claim 1 wherein said applicator is comprised of a frame and an open cell pad attached to one side of said frame.

3. The applicator apparatus recited in claim 1 wherein said applicator is pivotally connected to said opposite end portion of said slender elongated tubular member with a single ball and socket joint.

4. The applicator apparatus recited in claim 1 wherein said slender tubular member is detachable from said outlet end portion of said flexible reservoir.

5. The applicator apparatus recited in claim 1 wherein said means for venting said flexible reservoir and pump comprises a removable cap and valve, said valve having a closed condition when said applicator apparatus is not in use or when said reservoir is squeezed to disperse said liquid through said applicator and a means for automatically opening said valve when said reservoir is released to replace said dispersed liquid portion with air.

6. The applicator apparatus as recited in claim 1 wherein said applicator is a generally rectangular shaped applicator.

7. The applicator apparatus recited in claim 1 wherein said check valve in said outlet portions of said reservoir is a normally closed resilient flapper valve for automatically opening and closing said reservoir'"'"'s outlet end portion, said flapper valve being closed when said reservoir is not squeezed and automatically opened when said flexible body is squeezed to discharge said health or beauty product.

8. An applicator apparatus for storing and applying liquid health and beauty products to various difficult to reach remote regions of a physically challenged person, comprising;

a combined reservoir and pump for storing and discharging a liquid health or beauty product, said reservoir and pump having a flexible generally cylindrical body for storing said liquid health or beauty product and discharging said health and beauty product when said cylindrical body is squeezed, said cylindrical body having a closed end portion and an opposite outlet end portion, a valve for venting said reservoir and pump mounted in said closed end portion of said body, said valve having a means for automatically closing said value when said body is squeezed by a user to discharge a portion of said health or beauty product through said outlet end portion and for automatically opening said valve to admit air into said reservoir after said body is released;

a check valve in an outlet end portion of said reservoir for preventing a loss of said health or beauty product when said apparatus is not in use, said check valve having a means for automatically opening said check valve when said body is squeezed to disperse said liquid through said applicator and for automatically closing said valve when said body is released;

a substantially elongated slender non-extensible tubular member for reaching said difficult to reach remote areas, said tubular member having one end portion detachably connected to said cylindrical body'"'"'s outlet end portion and an opposite end portion connected to an applicator for transferring a portion of said health or beauty product from said reservoir to said applicator;

said applicator articularly connected to said opposite end portion of said slender elongated member, said applicator having a frame and an open cell pad mounted in said frame a permeable membrane in covering relationship to said open cell pad for distributing said liquid product throughout said open cell pad; and

a ball and socket joint for pivotally connecting said applicator to said slender tubular member.

9. The applicator apparatus recited in claim 8 wherein said permeable membrane in covering relationship to an inner surface of said open cell pad for distributing said liquid product throughout said open cell pad.

10. A method for applying heath and beauty products to various difficult to reach remote areas of a physically challenged person'"'"'s body comprising the steps of adding a liquid health or beauty product through an outlet end portion of a combined flexible slender cylindrical reservoir and pump of an apparatus for applying said health or beauty products to said areas of said person'"'"'s body;

installing a check valve on said outlet end portion of said reservoir and pump to prevent a loss of said health or beauty product from said reservoir when said apparatus is not in use, said check valve having a means for automatically opening said valve when said reservoir is squeezed to discharge a portion of said liquid from said reservoir and for automatically closing said valve when said reservoir is released to prevent a loss of said liquid from said reservoir;

connecting one end portion of a substantially elongated slender non-extensible tubular member to said outlet of said reservoir and pump for reaching said difficult to reach remote areas;

pivotally connecting an applicator with a ball and socket joint to an opposite end portion of said substantially elongated slender tubular member;

rotating said applicator about at least one axis with said bell and socket joint which is attached to said elongated slender non-extensible tubular members;

reaching said difficult to reach remote area with said elongated non-extensible tubular member;

dispersing said liquid health or beauty product through said applicator by squeezing said flexible reservoir and pump to automatically open said check valve;

automatically closing said check valve by releasing said reservoir;

automatically venting said cylindrical reservoir during said dispersion of said liquid health or beauty product; and

spreading said liquid health or beauty product with said applicator on said selected difficult to reach remote portion of said physically challenged person body.

11. The method as recited in claim 10 further comprising the steps of rotating said applicator about two additional axes which are mutually perpendicular to said other axis.

12. The method as recited in claim 10 further comprising an initial step of attaching said applicator to said slender elongated non-extensible tubular member.