US3577582A - Method of making an applicator for cosmetics - Google Patents

Abstract

An applicator element mounted on a handle to serve the general purpose of a brush comprises a bulbous body of a soft, resilient, foamed plastic with the cells open to provide communication among the cells and to provide numerous minute outwardly open cavities formed by the outer cells. The applicator element is of folded construction. Preferably, a stiffener element is enclosed by the foamed plastic applicator element and is substantially smaller in cross-sectional area than the applicator element.

Description

United States Patent [72] lnventor Bnmo D. Aston 1421 1 Skyline Drive, lladenda Heights, Calif. 91745 [21] Appl. No. 816,183 [22] Filed Apr. 11, 1969 [45] Patented May 4, 1971 Continuation of applimtion Ser. No. 660,124, Aug. 11, 1967, now abandoned.

[54] METHOD OF MAKING AN APPLICATOR FOR COSMETICS 4 Claims, 13 Drawing 1'15. [52] US. (I 15/244, 300/21 [51] Int. C A471: 7/02 [50] FieldofSearch 15/118, 244, 244.4, 104.94, 114; 401/196, 202,203, 204, 207, 262, 264, 266,205, 206; 300/21; 128/269 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,011,975 8/1935 Johnson 15/231 2,147,310 2/1939 Morrison 117/21 2,391,077 12/1945 Sticht 300/21 2,962,746 12/ 1 960 Heroy et a1. 15/244 3,186,765 6/1965 Gentoso 300/21 I FOREIGN PATENTS 1,303,078 7/1961 France Primary Examiner-Robert W. Michell Attorney-Paul A. Weilein ment and is substantially smaller in cross-sectional area than the applicator element.

PATENTEU M 4 EZZ/A/O 0 4570M INVENTOR utility for use as an METHOD or MAKING AN srrucx'ron son COSMETICS Aug. ll, 1967 and now abandoned.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Brushes are commonly mounted on handles to serve as means for applying various materials to various surfaces. The present invention is directed to the need for circumventing certain disadvantages and limitations that are inherent in such bushes, and especially in the use of brushes to apply cosmetics.

One disadvantage of a conventional brush for use with cosmetics such as rouge, mascara, and eye shadow is that it is difficult to control the area of application with close precision. A slight increase in pressure may spread'the brush beyond the desired area of application and too often errant bristles diverge from the main body of bristles to defeat close control. The need is for an applicator element that has and will maintain well defined boundaries.

A related need is a brush that may be used for sidewise strokes with close control of the width and length of the strokes. If a conventional flat brush is moved sidewise to apply a stroke of material, the bristles necessarily bend laterally and the location of the stroke varies with the degree of flexure of the bristles. Consequently, it is not possible to move a flat brush sidewise with such close control as to be sure of cover ing a precisely defined area.

Another disadvantage is that a conventional brush has too limited capacity for retention of a fluid cosmetic after the brush is dipped into the fluid. A brush has only limited capillary capacity and most of the fluent material that is being applied is retained on the brush by simple adherence to the smooth outer surfaces of the individual bristles of the brush.

Another need in many instances is for a brush that will make exceedingly light contact with a skin area. Ideally, such a brush should be as light and soft as a feather not only for the comfort of the user but also to avoid any excessive tendency for the brush to wipe off previously applied material.

A still further need is for a brush having special utility for the application of finely divided dry materials such as dry rouge and powder. Such an improved applicator should, of course, permit accurate control of the area of application and such a brush should be capable of retaining a desirable quantity of the dry material when the brush is dipped into the dry material. Here again, a brush for the application of dry material should make only light contact with a skin area to avoid dragging away previously applied dry material.

Finally, it is desirable that a cosmetic applicator be of a relatively simple construction suitable for mass production by automatic or semiautomatic machinery.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The invention is based on the discovery that a light, soft, resilient foamed plastic such as foamed urethane. has special applicator for cosmetics or the like if the foamed plastic is of open cell construction. With the numerous minute or microscopic cells of the foamed plastic in communication with each other, the foamed plastic has exceptional capacity for capillary action and the relatively large total volume of the voids of such an applicator of a given size provides an exceptional capacity for the retention of a quantity of liquid cosmetic after the applicator is dipped into the liquid cosmetic.

A special advantage of such an applicator isthat the open cells on the outer surface of the applicator constitute numerous closely spaced cavities that are opened to the exterior of the applicator. If the applicator is used for applying a liquid cosmetic, initial contact of the applicator with the skin releases the liquid in the surface of the cavities of the applicator and thereafter the surface cavities are supplied with reserve liquid from the deeper cells of the applicator. If the applicator is dipped into a dry cosmetic such as face powder or dry rouge, the minute surface cavities of the applicator retain particles of the dry material and .readily release the particles upon initial contact of the applicator with the user's skin.

A further important advantage of an applicator made of a soft open cell foamed plastic is that the applicator has definite boundaries whichare maintained when the applicator is brought into light pressure contact with the skin. Since the applicator tends to maintain its configuration, it is very easy for the user to control the area of application with precision. lt is also an important fact that such an applicator may be moved sidewise for accurately located and well defined strokes of cosmetic material.

One embodiment as formed by the method of the invention is a relatively small open cell foamed plastic applicator body on a handle, which applicator, for example, may be used to apply nail polish in a controlled manner. The invention teaches that the applicator element for this purpose may be simply a layer of the foamed plastic that is folded back on itself and is mounted on the handle by a suitable ferrule.

Where it is desirable to provide a larger or longer applicator element that would tend to flap in an uncontrolled manner, the invention teaches that the applicator may be reinforced by a suitable stiffener member. Preferably, the stiffener member is enclosed by the foamed plastic material. For this purpose an applicator element made of the foamed plastic may be of folded construction according to the disclosed method with a thin flexible plastic stiffener blade interposed between the folded layers. The foamed plastic may be in the form of an envelope with the stiffener member extending into the interior of the envelope.

A feature of the invention which incorporate a stiffener member is that the stiffener member may be advantageously of smaller longitudinal cross-sectional area than the envelope into which it extends. Thus, the foamed plastic of such an applicator may have a freely flexible marginal end portion extending beyond the end of the enclosed stiffener member with two freely flexible side marginal portions extending beyond the opposite sides of the stiffener member.

The advantage of such a stiffener inside an envelope of the open cell plastic material is that the envelope may be relatively large without being so limber as to sacrifice close control of the area of application. A special advantage is that the applicator may be moved sidewise for sidewise strokes with close control of the area of the applied material. A further special advantage of the invention is that open cell foamed urethane is of such light weight and delicate construction that it compares with a feather in its ability to brush the skin with exceedingly light contact.

With reference to economical fabrication of such applicators, the open cell foamed plastic may be produced in sheets of suitable thicknem to permit applicator elements to be stamped out by mass production techniques. In this regard, one feature of embodiments of the invention that employ envelopes of the foamed plastic material is that the envelopes may be produced by superimposing one layer of the foamed material on another layer and then using a cutting die to cut through both layers and simultaneously applying sonic energy along the cutting edges to seal the two cut layers together along their edges. Further economy is achieved by using a handle construction that provides a suitable seat for the base end of the foamed plastic envelope, the seat serving the purpose of a ferrule and thus saving the cost of a ferrule.

The various features and advantages of the invention may be understood from the following detailed description and the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In the drawings, which are to be regarded as merely illustrative:

FIG. I is a plan view of one embodiment of the invention wherein the applicator element is of folded construction and is sufficiently small in size to make it unnecessary to incorporate a stiffener member;

FIG. 2 is a side elevation of the same applicator;

FIG. 3 shows in side elevation a flat strip of open cell foamed plastic that may be used to form the applicator element shown in FIGS. 1 and 2;

FIG. 4 is an elevational view showing how the flat strip of FIG. 3 may be folded back onto itself to form the applicator element;

FIG. 5 is a side elevational view of a strip of foamed plastic with a stifi'ener member imposed thereon whereby the strip of foamed plastic may be folded back onto the stiffener member to enclose the stiflener member;

FIG. 6 is a plan view of the foamed plastic strip and the super-imposed stiffener member shown in FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a side elevational view showing the strip of foamed plastic of FIGS. 5 and 6 folded to enclose the stiffener member;

FIG. 8 is a side elevational view of an applicator incorporating an applicator element that is constructed in the manner disclosed by FIGS. 5-7;

FIG. 9 is a plan view of two layers of plastic material showing how elongated sealed envelopes may be stamped out of the two layers;

FIG. 10 is an end view of the two layers;

FIG. 11 is a side elevational view of a foamed plastic envelope that has been stamped with sealing action out of the double layer of plastic material shown in FIGS. 9 and 10;

FIG. 12 is a view similar to FIG. 11 showing how a flat stiffener member may be superimposed on approximately onehalf of the elongated envelope of FIG. 11 in preparation for folding the foamed plastic envelope back on itself to enclose the stiffener member; and

FIG. 13 is a side elevational view of an applicator having an applicator element constructed in the manner indicated by FIGS. 9-12.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The first embodiment of the invention shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 comprises an applicator element 30 mounted on a handle 32 by means of a ferrule 34, the ferrule being crimped as indicated at 35 to engage the applicator element. The applicator element 30 is a relatively small element to be used, forexampie, to apply nail polish with close control of the area of application. Since the applicator element is so short it is not unduly pliable for its purpose and, therefore, does not need to incorporate a stiffener member.

FIGS. 3 and 4 show how'the applicator element 30 may be fabricated. FIG. 3 shows inside elevation a short strip 36 of the open cell foamed plastic material, the strip being of the width indicated in FIG. 1. FIG. 4 shows how the strip 36 shown in FIG. 3 may be folded back on itself to produce an applicator element in which the rounded fold 37 forms the outer end of the applicator. The rounded configuration of the outer end of the applicator that is inherent in the folded construction is highly desirable for the particular purpose of the applicator.

FIG. 8 shows a similar applicator element 38 mounted on a handle 39 by means of a ferrule 40. This applicator element which may be of the same size as the first applicator element is intended for use where less pliability on the part of the applicator element is desirable and, therefore, the applicator element incorporates a thin flexible bladelike stiffener member 42.

FIGS. 5-7 illustrate the manner in which the applicator element 36 of FIG. 8 may be fabricated. The fabrication procedure is the same as illustrated by FIGS. 3-4 except for the fact that the thin flexible bladelike plastic stiffener member 42 is laid on approximately one-half of the strip 36 of foamed plastic material prior to the folding of the strip as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6. The result of folding the strip is shown in FIG. 7. It is apparent in FIG. 8 that the ferrule 40 grips the inner end of the stiffener member 42 as well as the inner end of the folded foam plastic.

FIG. 13 shows an applicator element 44 mounted on a handle 45 by means of a ferrule 46. The applicator element 44 is similar in construction to the applicator element 38 but incorporates four layers instead of two layers of the foamed plastic material. The applicator element 44 may be fabricated in the manner indicated by FIGS. 9 12.

In this fabrication procedure two layers 48 of the foamed plastic are positioned face to face as shown in FIG. 10 and then a combined cutting and sealing die (not shown) is employed to stamp out portions of the shape indicated by the elongated holes 50 in FIG. 9. The cutting die is adapted for sonic sealing action along its cutting edges to bond the two layers together and thus form a seam indicated at 52 in FIGS. 11 and 12. A thin flexible stiffener element 54 is then placed on one longitudinal half of the elongated element in preparation for folding the envelope back on itself to produce the applicator element 44.

My description in specific detail of the presently preferred embodiments of the invention will suggest various substitutions and other departures from my disclosure within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. The method of making an applicator for applying a material to a surface, for example, to apply a cosmetic to a skin area, the steps comprising:

forming an elongate strip piece from a resiliently yieldable, foamed plastic material of multiple cell depth by cutting two layers of the material positioned face-to-face, and sealing along the cut edges;

separately forming an elongate rigid handle structure;

folding the strip piece substantially midway of its length about an end edge of a bladelike stiffener of a thin flexible material to bring the ends of the strip piece into engagement with the opposite sides of the stiffener; and

thereafter securing the folded strip piece at one end of the handle structure by a surrounding wall, one end of the wall embracing the ends of the folded strip to position the fold of the strip piece outwardly beyond said one end of the wall, and with the opposite end of the surrounding wall secured to said one end of the handle. I

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the cut edges are sealed sonically.

3. An applicator comprising:

an elongate rigid handle;

a ferrule embracing and projecting from one end of said handle;

a flat bladelike stifiener of a thin flexible material;

a generally flat strip of resiliently yieldable, foamed plastic material of multiple cell thickness comprised of two superposed layers of the material in faceto-face relation, the edges of said layers being sealed together, said strip being folded midway of its length about an edge of said bladelike stiffener; and the ends of said material and the adjacent end of said stiffener extending into and being secured in the projecting portion of said ferrule. 4. The method of making an applicator for applying a material to a surface, for example, for applying a cosmetic to a skin area, the steps comprising:

forming an elongate rigid handle; forming an open-ended tubular ferrule; forming an elongate strip from a resiliently yieldable,

foamed plastic material of multiple cell depth;

I folding said strip substantially midway of its length about an end edge of a separate bladelike stiffener of thin, flexible solid material to bring the ends of the strip into engagement with the opposite sides of the stiffener and into substantial alignment with the other end of the stiffener; and

utilizing the ferrule as the sole means for connecting the folded strip and stiffener to the handle including the step of crimping one end of said ferrule into tight gripping relation over said ends of said strip and said other end of said stiffener.

Claims (4)

1. The method of making an applicator for applying a material to a surface, for example, to apply a cosmetic to a skin area, the steps comprising: forming an elongate strip piece from a resiliently yieldable, foamed plastic material of multiple cell depth by cutting two layers of the material positioned face-to-face, and sealing along the cut edges; separately forming an elongate rigid handle structure; folding the strip piece substantially midway of its length about an end edge of a bladelike stiffener of a thin flexible material to bring the ends of the strip piece into engagement with the opposite sides of the stiffener; and thereafter securing the folded strip piece at one end of the handle structure by a surrounding wall, one end of the wall embracing the ends of the folded strip to position the fold of the strip piece outwardly beyond said one end of the wall, and with the opposite end of the surrounding wall secured to said one end of the handle.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the cut edges are sealed sonically.

3. An applicator comprising: an elongate rigid handle; a ferrule embracing and projecting from one end of said handle; a flat bladelike stiffener of a thin flexible material; a generally flat strip of resiliently yieldable, foamed plastic material of multiple cell thickness comprised of two superposed layers of the material in face-to-face relation, the edges of said layers being sealed together, said strip being folded midway of its length about an edge of said bladelike stiffener; and the ends of said material and the adjacent end of said stiffEner extending into and being secured in the projecting portion of said ferrule.

4. The method of making an applicator for applying a material to a surface, for example, for applying a cosmetic to a skin area, the steps comprising: forming an elongate rigid handle; forming an open-ended tubular ferrule; forming an elongate strip from a resiliently yieldable, foamed plastic material of multiple cell depth; folding said strip substantially midway of its length about an end edge of a separate bladelike stiffener of thin, flexible solid material to bring the ends of the strip into engagement with the opposite sides of the stiffener and into substantial alignment with the other end of the stiffener; and utilizing the ferrule as the sole means for connecting the folded strip and stiffener to the handle including the step of crimping one end of said ferrule into tight gripping relation over said ends of said strip and said other end of said stiffener.

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