Cake cosmetic applicator

• US 4,828,419 A
• Filed: 10/07/1986
• Issued: 05/09/1989
• Est. Priority Date: 10/07/1986
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Caran Precision Engineering & Mfg., Corp., Sanford LP (Newell Brands Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Spiveco, Inc. (Caran Precision Engineering & Mfg., Corp.), Cosmolab Incorporated (Schwanhäußer Industrie Holding GmbH & Co. KG)
• Inventors: Dee, William J., Porter, A. Michael, Spivey, J. R.
• Primary Examiner(s): NOT, DEFINED
• Assistant Examiner(s): Welsh, J.
• Application Number:
  US06/916,340
• Time in Patent Office: 945 Days
• Field of Search: 401/202, 401/243, 401/247, 401/118, 401/119, 401/122-126, 401/180, 132/88.7, 132/82 A, 132/79 A, 132/79 C
• US Class Current: 401/126
• CPC Class Codes: A45D 33/00 Containers or accessories specially adapted for handling powdery toiletry or cosmetic substances
• CPC Class Codes: A45D 40/265 connected to the cap of the container

Abstract

A cosmetic applicator of the type comprising a longitudinally elongated cap that contains a cosmetic cake, a longitudinally elongated barrel holder with a first end supporting a resilient applicator is improved by a longitudinally elongated godet that encloses the cosmetic cake and presents only a substantially transverse exposed surface for contact with said applicator, and an applicator tip that is resilient and expands transversely into a substantial wiping contact with the godet interior wall upon compression against the exposed cake surface. The invention further is characterized by a mounting to rotatably and removably mount the cap upon the barrel at a substantially fixed longitudinal mounting position, and resiliently to maintain a substantially constant pressure during contact between the applicator and the exposed cosmetic surface as the barrel and cap longitudinally are moved into and out of the fixed mounting position.

Claims

1. An improved cake cosmetic applicator, comprising an elongated applicator barrel with a first end supporting a resilient applicator tip that comprises a curved outer surface and a longitudinally elongated cap assembly that comprises a longitudinally extending godet containing a cake cosmetic material and, means to permit both a rotation and a substantially fixed longitudinal mounting of the cap assembly in surrounding relationship to said applicator barrel first end, wherein the cap assembly further comprises a longitudinally elongated cylinder inner surface, with an open end and a closed end, said cap cylinder inner surface being in sliding engagement around said longitudinally elongated godet that is cylindrical with an open end and is adapted for longitudinal motion between a first position proximate the open end of said cap and a second position proximate the closed end of said cap, wherein the open end of the godet faces the cap open end, and a resilient means between the godet closed end and the cap closed end urges the godet towards said first position, wherein further the applicator tip comprises a resilient material with an outer surface transverse dimension normally less than or substantially equal to a transverse interior dimension of the godet, and adapted to expand transversely upon entering the godet open end and make a longitudinal contact with an exposed transverse surface of the cake cosmetic, thereby substantially sealing the exposed cake surface as the outer surface of the applicator tip urges the godet towards said second position until the means to permit a rotation and substantially fixed longitudinal mounting of the cap assembly is engaged, whereupon a rotation between the cap assembly and the applicator barrel causes the expanded tip outer surface to be dirtied by the cake without permitting excessive longitudinal stresses upon the cake cosmetic, and then permits the applicator tip longitudinally to be withdrawn substantially without contact to the cap cylinder inner suface.

2. The improved applicator of claim 1, wherein said resilient means comprises a compression spring with a first end supported proximate the cap closed end, and a second end that contacts an outer surface proximate the closed end of said godet, and said means to permit both a rotation and a substantially fixed longitudinal mounting of the cap assembly further comprises an annular ring and groove interconnection between a location on an outer surface of the applicator barrel and a location on an inner surface of the cap assembly.

3. The improved applicator of claim 1, wherein the resilient applicator material comprises a porous rubber that extends longitudinally within the applicator barrel first end to communicate with an interior space of the applicator barrel, wherein further said applicator tip is abraded and defines a contour that substantially is cone-shaped.

4. The improved applicator of claim 1, wherein the means to rotatably and removably mount further comprises a first engagement between a distensible portion of the cap and a ring-like transverse extension at a first longitudinal location on a cylindrical applicator barrel outer surface, and a second engagement between a barrel surface portion proximate the barrel first end and a stop ring extending transversely inward at a second location on a cylindrical cap assembly inner surface, the first and second engagements occurring substantially simultaneously at a given degree of insertion between the applicator and the cap.

5. An improved applicator according to claim 4, wherein the ring-like transverse extension comprises a plastic element press-fit between two sections of applicator barrel with a transverse outer dimension slightly greater than the applicator barrel outer dimension wherein the cap distensible portion further comprises an annular indentation on an inner surface of the cylindrical cap that is proximate to the cap open end.

6. The improved applicator of claim 4, wherein the stop ring extends transversely inward to define a circular opening adapted to allow an applicator tip of normal contour to pass therethrough, while defining a wiping contact with an applicator tip that radially has been expanded through contact with an exposed surface of said cake cosmetic.

7. The improved applicator of claim 1, wherein the means to permit both a rotation and a substantially fixed longitudinal mounting of the cap, the resilient means, and the longitudinal length of the barrel between said first and second positions are defined so that the contact forces between the applicator tip and the godet up to and including engagement at the substantially fixed longitudinal mounting of the cap upon the barrel remain substantially constant as cake cosmetic within the godet is depleted, and the exposed cake surface regresses towards the godet closed end.

8. In a cosmetic applicator of the type comprising a longitudinally elongated cap that comprises a cylinder inner surface with an open end and a closed end, said cap cylinder inner surface further being in sliding engagement around a longitudinally extending godet that is cylindrical with an open end and contains a cosmetic cake, wherein further a longitudinally elongated barrel holder with a first end supporting a resilient applicator is adapted to be inserted into the open end of the cap and into the open end of the godet to become dirtied by contact with an exposed surface of the cosmetic cake, the improvement which comprises, in combination, an applicator tip that comprises a curved outer surface with a transverse dimension normally less than or substantially equal to a transverse inner dimension of the longitudinally elongated godet that encloses the cosmetic cake and presents an exposed cake surface for contact with said applicator tip, said applicator tip being resilient and able to expand transversely into a substantial wiping contact with the godet interior wall upon a longitudinal compression against the exposed cake surface, means to permit both a rotation and a substantially fixed longitudinal mounting of the cap upon the barrel at a mounting position so as to dirty a transversely expanded outer surface of the applicator tip against the exposed cake surface by a rotation between the cap and the applicator barrel, while permitting a longitudinal withdrawl of the applicator tip substantially without contacting the cap cylinder inner surface, and means resiliently to maintain a substantially constant pressure during contact between the applicator and the exposed cake surface as the barrel and cap are moved longitudinally into and out of the substantially fixed longitudinal mounting position.