Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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WO 97/21554 PCT/US96/19885
~'
Fr~UID ~PPLICATORS
This invention relates to applicators used to
apply a fluid substance onto a surface. The invention
i8 principally concerned with, and is specially
described herein in relation to applicators for
applying a correction fluid to a paper sur$ace to
facilitate the correction of typing or writing
~istakes. It is known to ~upply correction fluid in a
bottle provided with a cap which incorporates an
applicator having a rigid stem ext~n~;ng from the
underside of the cap, and an application element, most
often a brush, carried at the free end of the stem. By
holding the cap, the brush can be dipped into the fluid
cont~;ne~ in the bottle to pick up a small portion of
the fluid, and by applying the brush to the surface of
a sheet of paper a fairly broad band or stripe of
correction ~luid can be deposited onto the paper. When
not in use, the cap is secured to the bottle, e.g. by a
screw-threaded conn~ction, and the applicator is
conveniently stored within the bottle. On the whole
the known applicators of this kind work well. However,
it can be difficult to lay down a stripe of fluid with
uniform thickness and width over more than a short
distance along the paper, e.g. when attempting to cover
over complete words or more than one word, at least
with a single stroke of the brush. As a consequence it
is frequently necessary to stroke the brush along the
paper several times, which is inconvenient.
In accordance with the present invention
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there is provided an applicator for applying a fluid to
a ~urface, compri~ing an applicator tip element
connected to the end of a substantially rigid stem by a
part capable of flexing resiliently a~ the applicator
tip element iR stroked acroRs a surface.
The application element 8hould be capable of
ab~orbing a portion of fluid when dipped into a body of
the fluid, e.g. contained in a bottle, and of holding
thi~ fluid portion until the application element is
applied to a surface. ~he application element i~
conveniently formed as a pad or a moulded member of
porous material e.g. foam, which can be attached in
various ways, e.g. by means of adhesive, heat welding
or m~Ch~i cal fixing, to the resiliently flexible
connection part. It is also possible for the
application element to be made of porous material and
to be formed integrally with the resiliently flexible
part.
The resiliently flexible part can be integral
with the ~tem or it can be a separate part fixedly
~ecured to the stem, e.g. by a root portion thereof
being insertQd into a bore provided in the end of the
3tem.
The resiliently flexible part may be capable
of flexing in any directionr or it can be adapted e.g.
tn the manner of a living hinge, to define a
predet~r~;~e~ axi~ about which the application element
can pivot relative to the stem while being restrained
against deflection in other directionR.
The resiliently flexible connection pa~t
preferably allows the application element to deflect
~rom a position substantially aligned with the Rtem to
a po~ition substantially at 90~ thereto. When the
application element is applied to a ~urface with a
natural stroking action, which varies the ansle at
which the stem is inclined to the surface, there is a
tendency to increase the force with which the
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application element presses against the surface.
However with an applicator according to the invention,
the application element can deflect due to the
resiliency o~ the connection part, and the force
against the paper does not vary greatly throughout the
3troke. As a conse~uence the rate at which fluid is
delivered onto the surface at the end of the stroke is
not substantially different from that at the beginn;ng
of the stroke and a uniform stripe of fluid is
10 obt~;neA.
A full underst~nA;ng of the invention will be
gained from the following detailed description of some
~hoA; ts, reference being made to the accompanying
drawings, in which:
Figure 1 shows a first applicator embodying
the invention;
Figure 2 illustrates the flexing capability
of the applicator tip of the Figure 1 applicator;
Figure 3 is similar to Figure 2 but Rhows a
modified construction;
Figure 4 shows another applicator embodying
the invention;
Figure 5 is a side view of the connection
component of the applicator in Figure 4;
Figure 6 is a front view of the connection
c _~nent of Figures 4 and 5;
Figure 7 illustrates the flexing capability
of the Figure 4 embodiment;
Figure 8 shows in axial section another
applicator construction;
Figures 9a and 9b illustrate the flexing
capability of the Figure 8 emboA;~nt;
Figures 10 and 11 show the applicator o~
Figure 8 with respective forms of applicator tip
element mounted to the flexible connection part;
Figure 12 is an axial section showing yet
another applicator ~mhodying the invention; and
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Figures 13a and 13(b) illustrate the flexing
capa~ility of the application of Figure 12.
The correction fluid applicator shown in
Figures l and Z comprises a substantially rigid stem 1
att~ch~ to and projecting axially from the underside
of a correction fluid bottle cap 2. At the lower end
of the stem i8 a connection part 3 which is formed
integrally with the stem.
The connection part includes a waisted
section 4 of reduced diameter defining a flexing point
about which a lower portion of this part is able to
deflect resiliently between a ~o ~1 position axially
aligned with the stem (condition (a) in Fig. 2) to a
position substantially at 90~ to the stem (condition
(c) in Fig.2). Fixed onto the connection part 3 is an
application element in the $orm of a moulded tip member
5 of open cell foam which can be any reguired shape,
e.g. with a pointed tip or with a flat blade-like edge.
The foam tip member can be secured in any convenient
-n"~r, such as by adhesive.
In use, the tip member is dipped into a body
of correction fluid and absorbs some of the fluid.
When the tip is applied to and moved across a surface
with a natural stroking action, as the stroke
progresses the connection part 3 flexes causing the tip
member to de~lect progres~ively from the nor~l in line
position in accordance with the se~uence (a)-(b)~~c)
shown in Figure 2. When the applicator is lifted from
the surface at the end of the stroke, the connection
part 3 and tip member 5 revert to their in-line
positions due to the resilience of the material of the
connection part. This resilience also en~ures that the
tip member is pressed with an even force against the
paper thereby, assisting in delivering fluid ~rom the
tip member at a constant rate when the tip m~her is
~troked across a paper surfacQ.
The applicator shown in Figure 3 is largely
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the same as that of Figures l and 2 and it differs only
in that the connection part is formed as a separate
component and fastened to the end of the stem l.
Conveniently the connection part includes a root 6 or
peg which is fitted into and secured in a blind bore
provided at the end of the stem.
Figures 4-7 show another applicator with a
separate connection part fixed to the stem l in the
~ame way as described in ~onn~ction with Figure 3. The
connection part 3 has a generally flat blade section 8
around the free end edge of which a pad 9 of open cell
foam is wrapped to form an application element. The
blade section includes a pair of opposed notches lO in
its side edges which define a flexing point at which
the section will flex resiliently with respect to the
~tem. Due to the flat shape, the flexure occurs about
a pivot axis, like a living hinge, the foam pad 9 being
supported against v~.E~t relative to the stOEm in
directions other than about the pivot axis. The
notches lO also serve to locate and retain a collar or
monofilament ll tied around the foam pad to secure it
to the connection part. Of course other methods of
fixing could be used to secure the foam pad.
In use the applicator of Figs. 4-6 functions
in essentially the same way as that of Figs. 1-2,
although the applicator in this instance needs to be
oriented 80 that the pivotal axis about which flexing
can occur is transverse to the direction of
displacement of the foam pad application element over
the paper surface. At the beg;nn;ng of an application
stro~e the foam pad is aligned with the stem as
indicated in Fig. 7(a), and at the end of a full stroke
it will be at about 90~ to the initial position, as
shown in Fig.7 (b).
Figures 8-ll illustrate an applicator in
which the resiliently flexible connection part consists
of a straight rod 12 of rubber-like material, or
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suitably resilient plastics, such as sintered ethylene
vinyl acetate. The cross-section o~ the rod is not
important and it may be conveniently circular, ~quare
or rectan~ul~r. One end o$ the rod acts as a root
inserted into a bore $ormed in the end of the rigid
stem 1, and staked in position by a pin 13 in~erted
transversely through the stem and rod. The projecting
portion of the rod is capable of flexing resiliently
through about 90~ as depicted in Figs. g(a) and 9(b).
Carried on the projecting portion o$ the rod iR the
application element which can be of any convenient $orm
such a pad 14 or sock of open cell foam secured on the
rod by adhesive or by a mechanical fixing means. The
foam application element can be of any desirable shape,
such as rounded a8 in Fig. 10 or more pointed as in
Fig. 11.
The applicator of Fig~. 12 and 13 is of the
same general construction as those Figs. 8-11, but
di$~ers in that the application element 15 and the
resiliently flexible rod 12 which connects to the stem
are made in one piece, such as a sintered ethylene
vinyl acetate moulding or casting. Figs. 13 (a) and
(b) illustrate the flexibility and indicate that the
application element can be deflected to a position
approximatQly 90~ to the normal position aligned with
stem.
The applicators of Figs. 8-13 are u~ed and
operate by the application element flexing in the same
way as described above in connection with the earlier
embodiments.
Although described in connection with
correction fluid application, applicator~ according to
the invention can be used for other purposes, e.g.
appl~ing cosmetics or make-up. Providing for re~ilient
deflection of the application element allows pressure
to be applied without causing the application element
to splay open, as occurs with the bristles o$ a brush.
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Applying a uniform film of $1uid ha~ the further
advantage that the drying time is substantially
constant for all portion~ of the film. Furth~more,
the deflection of the application element can im~rove
visibility and hence accuracy in use of the applicator.
