Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
TRAVEL COSMETIC DISPENSER AND APPLICATOR
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The following includes information that may be useful in
understanding the present
disclosure. It is not an admission that any of the information provided herein
is prior art nor
material to the presently described or claimed inventions, nor that any
publication or document
that is specifically or implicitly referenced is prior art.
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0002] The present invention relates generally to the field of cosmetic
tools of existing art and
more specifically relates to a combination cosmetic dispenser and applicator.
RELATED ART
[0003] Cosmetics have been in use for thousands of years for a variety of
uses in a variety of
different applications. Particularly, 'makeup' is a widely known category of
cosmetics that can be
used for many different purposes. Perhaps most notably, makeup is often used
to enhance one's
appearance and exaggerate or mask one's features. For example, contour makeup
can be used to
contour cheekbones, jawbones, eye sockets, etc. to exaggerate bone structure
of the face. In another
example, concealer makeup can be used to mask acne, birthmarks, etc.
[0004] Makeup often needs freshening throughout the day, as the skins
natural oils tend to
break the makeup oils down, the makeup gets absorbed by the skin's pores,
and/or the makeup
simply gets smudged or fades. However, there are some current problems when it
comes to
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travelling with makeup. Particularly, makeup is often provided in bulky or non-
travel friendly
packaging, such as glass bottles, and a separate applicator typically needs to
be carried to apply
the makeup. This is cumbersome and adds unnecessary bulk when travelling,
often resulting in the
user either having to forgo travelling with the makeup or having to carry a
larger bag than needed.
As such, a suitable solution is desired.
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SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0005] In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known
cosmetic tool art, the
present disclosure provides a novel cosmetic dispenser and applicator. The
general purpose of the
present disclosure, which will be described subsequently in greater detail, is
to provide a
combination cosmetic tool that may be used for storing, dispensing, and
applying cosmetic
material. The combination cosmetic tool may be portable and used in travel,
particularly for
applying face makeup such as foundation, concealer, contour, blusher, etc.
[0006] A device for dispensing and applying a cosmetic material to a body
part of a user is
disclosed herein. The device includes a main body, a reservoir, a movement
means, an actuator
means and an applicator means. The main body may include a dispenser end
opposite an actuator
end, a main body length therebetween, and an outer shell defining a main body
interior. The
reservoir may be located within the main body interior and may define a
reservoir volume
configured to store the cosmetic material. The reservoir may be in
communication with the
dispenser end of the main body and may be accessible via an access point in
the main body such
that the reservoir is able to be selectively refilled with the cosmetic
material.
[0007] The movement means may be located within the main body interior and
in
communication with the reservoir. The movement means may be configured to move
a portion of
the cosmetic material from the reservoir and through the dispenser end. The
actuator means may
be located about the actuator end and configured to actuate the movement
means. The applicator
means may be attached about the dispenser end and may be configured to receive
the portion of
the cosmetic material for use in applying the portion of the cosmetic material
to the body part of
the user.
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[0008] According to another embodiment, a method of using a device for
dispensing and
applying a cosmetic material to a body part of a user, is also disclosed
herein. The method includes
providing the device as above; accessing the access point in the main body;
filling the reservoir
with an amount of cosmetic material; closing the access point in the main
body; manipulating the
actuator means to actuate the movement means and move the portion of the
cosmetic material from
the reservoir and onto the applicator means; and applying the portion of the
cosmetic material to
the body part of the user via the applicator means.
[0009] For purposes of summarizing the invention, certain aspects,
advantages, and novel
features of the invention have been described herein. It is to be understood
that not necessarily all
such advantages may be achieved in accordance with any one particular
embodiment of the
invention. Thus, the invention may be embodied or carried out in a manner that
achieves or
optimizes one advantage or group of advantages as taught herein without
necessarily achieving
other advantages as may be taught or suggested herein. The features of the
invention which are
believed to be novel are particularly pointed out and distinctly claimed in
the concluding portion
of the specification. These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the
present invention will
become better understood with reference to the following drawings and detailed
description.
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BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0010] The figures which accompany the written portion of this
specification illustrate
embodiments and methods of use for the present disclosure, a travel cosmetic
dispenser and
applicator, constructed and operative according to the teachings of the
present disclosure.
[0011] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a device for dispensing and applying
a cosmetic material
to a body part of a user during an 'in-use' condition, according to an
embodiment of the disclosure.
[0012] FIG. 2 is a front view of the device having a main body and an
applicator means,
according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0013] FIG. 3 is a front view of the device illustrating the device having
a rounded brush
applicator, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0014] FIG. 4 is a front view of the device illustrating the device having
a rounded angle brush
applicator, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0015] FIG. 5 is a front view of the device illustrating the device having
an angled brush
applicator, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0016] FIG. 6A is a sectional view of the device illustrating an interior
of the device and
showing a reservoir filled with cosmetic material, a movement means and an
actuator means,
according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
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[0017] FIG. 6B is a sectional view of the device illustrating the interior
of the device and
showing the cosmetic material being dispensed onto the applicator means, the
movement means
and the actuator means, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0018] FIG. 7 is an exploded view of the device, according to an embodiment
of the present
disclosure.
[0019] FIG. 8 is a flow diagram illustrating a method of using a device for
dispensing and
applying a cosmetic material to a body part of a user, according to an
embodiment of the present
disclosure.
[0020] The various embodiments of the present invention will hereinafter be
described in
conjunction with the appended drawings, wherein like designations denote like
elements.
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DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0021] As discussed above, embodiments of the present disclosure relate to
travel cosmetic
tools and more particularly to a travel cosmetic dispenser and applicator used
for storing,
dispensing and applying cosmetics to a user. The combination cosmetic tool may
be portable and
used in travel, particularly for applying face makeup such as foundation,
concealer, contour,
blusher, etc.
[0022] Generally disclosed is a twist 'pen' having an applicator, such as a
brush, and a fillable
reservoir within a main body of the twist pen to allow the user to easily fill
and refill the reservoir
with cosmetics. The user may twist a bottom of the twist pen which may actuate
movement of a
portion of the cosmetics through the twist pen and out onto the applicator;
allowing the user to
touch up their makeup whilst travelling. In some embodiments, the twist pen
may also include a
lid that is attachable over the applicator to prevent cosmetics from soiling
belongings, particularly
when the twist pen is stored in a bag. The applicator may be provided in a
variety of sizes and
shapes.
[0023] Referring now more specifically to the drawings by numerals of
reference, there is
shown in FIGS. 1-7, various views of a device 100. As shown in FIG. 1, the
device 100 may be
used for dispensing and applying a cosmetic material 5 to a body part 10 of a
user 15. The cosmetic
material 5 (shown as small dots in the figures for illustrative purposes) may
be a liquid, cream or
powder. Particularly, the cosmetic material 5 may be face makeup such as
foundation, concealer,
contour, blusher, etc.
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[0024] Referring specifically to FIGS. 1-5, the device 100 may include a
main body 110 and
an applicator means 150. As shown in FIG. 2, the main body 110 may include a
dispenser end 112
opposite an actuator end 114, a main body length 113 therebetween, and an
outer shell 115 defining
a main body interior 116. Preferably, the device 100 may be portable and
travel sized and as such,
the main body 110 may be made from a lightweight yet durable material, such as
plastic,
aluminum, etc.
[0025] As shown, the applicator means 150 may be attached about the
dispenser end 112. The
applicator means 150 may be configured to receive a portion of the cosmetic
material 5 for use in
applying the portion of the cosmetic material 5 to the body part 10 of the
user 15. As above, the
cosmetic material 5 may be foundation makeup, concealer makeup, contour liquid
makeup, etc.
As such, in some embodiments, as shown, the applicator means 150 may include a
brush 152
comprising a plurality of bristles 154. In some embodiments, the plurality of
bristles 154 may
comprise natural hair fibers. For example, the natural hair fibers may be
sourced from animals
such as sable, squirrel, fox, goat, etc. In other embodiments, the plurality
of bristles 154 may
comprise synthetic hair fibers. For example, the synthetic hair fibers may be
made nylon, plastic
polymers, etc. In other embodiments, the plurality of bristles 154 may
comprise a combination of
natural hair fibers and synthetic hair fibers.
[0026] Type of fiber may be chosen based on type of cosmetic material 5 and
location at which
the cosmetic material 5 is to be applied. Further, size and/or shape of the
brush 152 may also be
chosen based on type of cosmetic material 5 and location at which the cosmetic
material 5 is to be
applied. For example, shown in FIGS. 3-5 are three examples of different brush
152 sizes and
shapes. FIG. 3 depicts a rounded brush which may be used for applying powder
blush to cheeks
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of the user 15; FIG. 4 depicts a rounded angle brush which may be used for
applying liquid contour
to desired areas of the user 15 (such as jawline and below cheekbones); and
FIG. 5 depicts an
angled brush which may be used for applying highlighter to high points of the
user 15 (such as
bridge of nose and top of the cheekbones). In some embodiments, the brushes
depicted in FIGS.
3-5 may be provided as a kit. For example, in some embodiments, three devices
100 may be
provided and each may include a different shape/size brush applicator. In
other embodiments, one
device 100 may be provided with three interchangeable brush applicator heads.
[0027] It should be appreciated that the applicator means 150 is shown to
be a brush 152 in
these figures for illustration purposes, however, the applicator means 150 may
not be limited to a
brush 152. For example, in some embodiments, the applicator means 150 may be a
sponge (not
illustrated). Further, in some embodiments, the applicator means 150 may be
selectively
detachable from the main body 110. This may allow the applicator means 150 to
be
interchangeable such that the user 15 may utilize different applicator means
150 on one device 100
depending on type of cosmetic material 5 to be used.
[0028] In some embodiments the device 100 may further comprise a lid (not
illustrated). The
lid may be selectively attachable to the main body 110 and may cover the
applicator means 150 to
prevent any cosmetic material 5 residue on the applicator means 150 from
soiling of other items
when travelling. The lid may securely attach to the main body 110 to prevent
the lid from coming
loose from the main body 110.
[0029] Referring now to FIGS. 6A-7 showing various views of the device 100
illustrating
inner components of the main body 110, according to an embodiment of the
present disclosure. As
shown in FIGS. 6A-6B, a reservoir 120 may be located within the main body
interior 116. The
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reservoir 120 may include a reservoir volume 122 configured to store the
cosmetic material 5 and
may be in communication with the dispenser end 112 of the main body 110. The
dispenser end
112 of the main body 110 may be at least partially open. For example, in some
embodiments, the
dispenser end 112 may include a conduit 111 in an opening thereof, placing the
dispenser end 112
and the reservoir 120 in fluid communication.
[0030] Preferably, the reservoir 120 may be accessible via an access point
117 in the main
body 110 such that the reservoir 120 is able to be selectively refilled with
the cosmetic material 5.
For example, the access point 117 may be the dispenser end 112 of the main
body 110. As above,
the applicator means 150 may be detachable from the main body 110. As such,
the applicator
means 150 may be removed and the cosmetic material 5 may be refilled through
the dispenser end
112. In other examples, the access point 117 may be the actuator end 114. In
further examples, the
main body 110 may include a 'door' (not illustrated) located on the main body
length 113 and
configured to provide selective access to the reservoir 120.
[0031] A movement means 130 may be located within the main body interior
116 and in
communication with the reservoir 120. The actuator means 140 may be located
about the actuator
end 114 and may be configured to actuate the movement means 130. The movement
means 130
may be configured to move a portion of the cosmetic material 5 from the
reservoir 120 and through
the dispenser end 112.
[0032] For example, in some embodiments, the movement means 130 may be
configured to
spatially reduce the reservoir volume 122 of the reservoir 120 such that the
portion of the cosmetic
material 5 is forced out of the dispenser end 112. To achieve this, the
movement means 130 may
include a platform 430 which partitions a portion of the main body interior to
form the reservoir
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120 and movement of the platform 430 toward the dispenser end 112 may reduce a
space between
the applicator means 150 and the platform 430, reducing the reservoir volume
122. The platform
430 may form a seal to prevent the cosmetic material 5 from escaping downward
toward the
movement means 130. As such, the platform 430 may be made from a rubber or
silicone material.
[0033] As shown, the movement means 130 may further include an outer rod
230 and an inner
rod 330. The outer rod 230 may be configured for engagement with the actuator
means 140 and
the inner rod 330 may be configured for engagement with the outer rod 230. As
shown in FIGS.
4A-5, the outer rod 230 may include a first outer rod end 231 opposite a
second outer rod end 232,
an outer rod length 233 therebetween, a first outer rod engagement portion 234
located about the
first outer rod end 231, and a second outer rod engagement portion 235 located
about an outer rod
interior 236 of the outer rod 230.
[0034] The inner rod 330 may include a first inner rod end 331 opposite a
second inner rod
end 332, an inner rod length 333 therebetween, and a first inner rod
engagement portion 334
located about an inner rod exterior 336. The inner rod 330 may be configured
for insertion into the
outer rod 230 and the second outer rod engagement portion 235 may be
configured to engage with
the first inner rod engagement portion 334 such that rotational movement of
the outer rod 230
causes linear movement of the inner rod 330 at least partially out of the
outer rod interior 236.
[0035] Preferably, as shown, the second outer rod engagement portion 235
may include a
female thread 237 and the first inner rod engagement portion 334 may include a
male thread 337
configured to mate with the female thread 237. As such, the linear movement
may be caused by
an 'unscrewing' of the inner rod 330 from the female thread 237 of the outer
rod 230. The platform
430 may be attached to the inner rod 330 such that movement of the outer rod
230 actuated via the
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actuator means 140 may push the platform 430 into the cosmetic material 5 and
thereby spatially
reduce the reservoir volume 122 as used.
[0036] As shown in FIGS. 6A-7, the platform 430 may be attached to the
second inner rod
end 332, and the linear movement of the inner rod 330 may push the platform
430 into the cosmetic
material 5 and thereby spatially reduce the reservoir volume 122. As such, the
inner rod 330 may
extend out of the outer rod 230 enough to push the platform 430 such that the
platform 430 is able
to push substantially an entirety of the cosmetic material 5 out of the
reservoir 120. When
substantially the entirety of the cosmetic material 5 is pushed out of the
reservoir 120, the platform
430 may stop at and contact the dispenser end 112 of the main body 110 and the
reservoir volume
122 may be completely, or at least substantially, reduced.
[0037] In some embodiments, the inner rod further may include a second
inner rod engagement
portion 335 located about the second inner rod end 332, the main body 110 may
include a main
body engagement portion 119 located with the main body interior 116, and the
second inner rod
engagement portion 335 may be configured for engagement with the main body
engagement
portion 119. This may secure the inner rod 330 and maintain stability of the
inner rod 330 when it
is being moved in and out of the outer rod 230. In some embodiments, the
second inner rod
engagement portion 335 may be removably attached to the second inner rod end
332. In some
embodiments, the main body engagement portion 119 and the second inner rod
engagement
portion 335 may both include a hexagonal gear configuration configured to mate
together.
However, other mating means may also be contemplated. For example, the main
body 110
engagement portion and the second inner rod engagement portion 335 may include
mating tongue
and grooves, teeth and slots, etc.
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[0038] The rotational movement of the outer rod 230 may be caused by the
actuator means
140. As shown, the actuator means 140 may include a cap 142 which may be
configured for
rotational movement relative to the main body 110. The cap 142 may include a
cap engagement
portion 143 located within a cap interior 144 of the cap 142. The cap
engagement portion 143 may
be configured to engage with the first outer rod engagement portion 234 such
that the rotational
movement of the cap 142 causes the rotational movement of the outer rod 230.
For example, the
first outer rod engagement portion 234 and the cap engagement portion 143 may
also include a
hexagonal gear configuration configured to mate together. As above, other
mating means may also
be contemplated. For example, the first outer rod engagement portion 234 and
the cap engagement
portion 143 may include mating tongue and grooves, teeth and slots, etc.
[0039] The rotational movement of the cap 142 in one of a clockwise
direction or a counter-
clockwise direction may cause the inner rod 330 to move (linearly) out of the
outer rod 230, and
the rotational movement of the cap 142 in another one of the clockwise
direction or the counter-
clockwise direction may cause the inner rod 330 to move (linearly) into the
outer rod 230. Further,
the rotational movement of the cap 142 may preferably be caused by a manual
twisting action
performed by the user 15. For example, the user 15 may twist the cap 142 in a
clockwise direction
to dispense the cosmetic material 5 onto the applicator means 150 (by causing
the inner rod 330 to
move out of the outer rod 230 and spatially reduce the reservoir volume 122).
In this example, the
user 15 may twist the cap in an anti-clockwise direction to cause the inner
rod to move into the
outer rod and spatially enlarge the reservoir volume 122 ¨ which may be useful
for refilling the
reservoir volume 122. It should be understood that the lessening of the
reservoir volume 122 is a
result of the movement of the components in relation to each other and that
the main body interior
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116 remains the same (components don't change mechanically), yet the available
volume changes
as it is manipulated.
[0040] It should be appreciated that other movement means 130 may also be
contemplated.
For example, suction may be used by applying negative pressure via the
actuator means 140,
thereby allowing the portion of the cosmetic material 5 to be suctioned from
the reservoir 120 and
onto the applicator means 150. Further, in some embodiments, it should be
appreciated that the
actuator means 140 may not be limited to the 'actuator end 114' of the main
body 110. For
example, the actuator means 140 may be located about the dispenser end 112 of
the main body
110. In addition, it should be appreciated that the actuator means 140 may not
be limited to
rotation/twisting for actuation. For example, the actuator means 140 may be
pressed, squeezed,
etc.
[0041] Referring now to FIG. 8 showing a flow diagram illustrating a method
800 of using a
device for dispensing and applying a cosmetic material to a body part of a
user, according to an
embodiment of the present disclosure. In particular, the method 800 may
include one or more
components or features of the device 100 as described above. As illustrated,
the method 800 may
include the steps of: step one 801, providing the device 100 as above; step
two 802, accessing the
access point in the main body; step three 803, filling the reservoir with an
amount of cosmetic
material; step four 804, closing the access point in the main body; step five
805, manipulating the
actuator means to actuate the movement means and move the portion of the
cosmetic material from
the reservoir and onto the applicator means; and step six 806, applying the
portion of the cosmetic
material to the body part of the user via the applicator means. Further steps
may include refilling
steps to allow the user to refill the reservoir of the device. The steps may
include step seven 807,
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accessing the access point in the main body; step eight 808, filling the
reservoir with another
amount of cosmetic material; and step nine 809, closing the access point in
the main body.
[0042] It should be noted that some steps listed above may be optional
steps and may not be
implemented in all cases. Optional steps of the method 800 are illustrated
using dotted lines in
FIG. 8 so as to distinguish them from the other steps of method 800. It should
also be noted that
the steps described in the method of use can be carried out in many different
orders according to
user preference. The use of "step of" should not be interpreted as "step for",
in the claims herein
and is not intended to invoke the provisions of 35 U.S.C. 112(f). It should
also be noted that,
under appropriate circumstances, considering such issues as design preference,
user preferences,
marketing preferences, cost, structural requirements, available materials,
technological advances,
etc., other methods for using a device for dispensing and applying a cosmetic
material to a body
part of a user are taught herein.
[0043] The embodiments of the invention described herein are exemplary and
numerous
modifications, variations and rearrangements can be readily envisioned to
achieve substantially
equivalent results, all of which are intended to be embraced within the spirit
and scope of the
invention. Further, the purpose of the foregoing abstract is to enable the
U.S. Patent and
Trademark Office and the public generally, and especially the scientist,
engineers and practitioners
in the art who are not familiar with patent or legal terms or phraseology, to
determine quickly from
a cursory inspection the nature and essence of the technical disclosure of the
application.
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