WO2001000056A1

WO2001000056A1 - A device for applying a substance to a surface

Info

Publication number: WO2001000056A1
Application number: PCT/GB2000/002480
Authority: WO
Inventors: Kay Eaton
Original assignee: Kay Eaton
Priority date: 1999-06-24
Filing date: 2000-06-26
Publication date: 2001-01-04
Also published as: AU5555000A; GB9914834D0; GB2357960A; GB2351228A; GB0101015D0; GB2357960B

Abstract

A make-up applicator (1) for applying powder make-up to the human skin is provided. The make-up applicator (1) comprises a container (3) for storing the make-up powder. The make-up applicator (1) has a perforation (4) which allows for the make-up powder to be released from the container to a sponge (7) to be applied to the human skin. The container (3) can be closed off from the sponge (7) by a closing mechanism (6).

Description

A DEVICE FOR APPLYING A SUBSTANCE TO A SURFACE

The present invention relates to a device for applying a substrate to a

surface.

Background of the Invention

Make-up is available in various forms and is applied to the human body,

in particular to the human face, in various manners. For example, eye-shadow

powder is available in small boxes which is applied to the eyelid by using

separate brushes. This can be inconvenient because it requires at least two

separate elements to be carried (a box containing the eye-shadow powder and

a brush). Also, the application of the eye-shadow powder to the eyelid using

the available products can be untidy. This is because it can be difficult to

control the amount of eye-shadow powder to adhere to the brush when

dipping the brush into the eye-shadow powder. In turn, it may be difficult to

control precisely the amount of eye-shadow powder to be applied to the

eyelid.

As an alternative, it is known to use make-up cream which is easier to

apply than make-up powder. However, make-up cream is more sensitive to

sweat, for example, and therefore less desirable to use than make-up powder.

The present invention aims to address these and other disadvantages of

the prior art. Summary of the Invention

According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a

device for applying a substance to a surface, the device comprising: a

container for storing the substance, the container having an opening;

applicator means for applying substance from the container to a surface; and a

closing mechanism operable between a first position in which substance from

the container is releasable through the opening to the applicator means, and a

second position in which the inner room of the container is closed off from the

applicator means.

The device is convenient to carry and can be used, for example, for

make-up powder.

Preferably, the closing mechanism is operable between the first or

second position and at least one intermediate position in which the inner room

of the container is partly closed off from the applicator means. Thereby, the

amount of substance from the container to be applied can be controlled

precisely.

In an embodiment of the invention the opening is formed by a first

perforation in a wall of the container. Preferably, the first perforation

comprises a first plurality of holes distributed substantially evenly over a

predetermined area on the wall of the container. This allows for the substance

to be spread evenly over the predetermined area when the substance is discharged from the container to be applied to that area. Alternatively, the

opening may be formed by a mesh in a wall of the container.

Preferably, the applicator means comprises a sponge. A sponge has the

advantage of absorbing substance released from the container for subsequent

application to a surface. The sponge may comprise a second perforation.

The second perforation may comprise a second plurality of holes distributed

substantially evenly over a predetermined area on the sponge, the distribution

of the second plurality of holes corresponding to the distribution of the first plurality of holes on the wall of the container. In the first position of the closing mechanism, the first and second perforations at least partly overlap.

The second perforation facilitates discharging of substance from the container.

The sponge may be constituted such that the substance is dischargeable

from the container transversely to the longitudinal axis of the device. Also,

the first and/or second perforations may be transverse to the longitudinal axis

of the device. This feature allows to provide a make-up applicator with

improved handling. For example, a pen-shaped make-up stick with a sponge

may be provided which is suitable for the application of eye-shadow to the

eyelid (such as the make-up stick illustrated in Fig. 1 of this application). The

eye-shadow is releasable through the perforation in the sponge and can be

applied to the eyelid by bringing the perforation into contact with the eyelid.

Since the make-up is dischargeable transversely to the longitudinal axis of the

make-up stick, it may be held in a position where its longitudinal axis is substantially parallel to the eyelid. This corresponds to the position and

handling of a conventional sponge make-up applicator when used to apply

eye-shadow. Accordingly, the invention makes possible to combine the

advantages of the convenient handling of conventional sponge make-up

applicators with the feature of having a make-up container whose make-up

output to the sponge can be controlled by a closing mechanism.

The closing mechanism may comprise a closing member operable

relative to the container between the first position and the second position.

The closing member may comprise the sponge.

The make-up applicator may further comprise a housing which

comprises a handle portion and the container, wherein the container is

releasably mounted to the housing. This allows for the container to be

exchanged when the container is empty or if a container storing a different

make-up is to be used.

Also, the applicator means may be releasably mounted at the housing.

This allows for the applicator means to be exchanged and to use different

applicator means for applying different make-ups.

Furthermore, the make-up applicator may comprise a removable cap for

covering the container and the spreading means in order to protect the same. Brief Description of the Drawings.

A make-up applicator according to an embodiment of the invention will

now be described, by way of example only, with reference to Fig. 1 of the

accompanying drawings.

Detailed Description of the Drawings

Figure 1 illustrates a make-up stick 1 according to an embodiment of the

invention. The make-up stick 1 comprises a handle portion 2, and a powder

container 3 mounted to the handle portion 2. The powder container 3

comprises a tip portion 3a having a first perforation 4 through which powder

(not shown) stored in the container 3 can be discharged.

The make-up stick 1 comprises a case 5 to be put over the container 3.

The case 5 comprises a tip portion 5 a and a cylindrical portion 5b. The

cylindrical portion 5b has an inner diameter which is substantially equal to the

outer diameter of the container 3. The case 5 comprises a grip portion 6 and a

sponge 7. The sponge 7 can be either formed on the outer surface of the case

5, or it can constitute the wall of the case 5 in the area of the sponge 7. The

sponge 7 comprises a second perforation 8. It is to be noted that the first and

second perforations 4 and 8 are illustrated schematically and that their

constitution depends on the powder to be used with the make-up stick 1.

The second perforation 8 is located such that when the case 5 is put over

the container 3, it can be aligned with the first perforation by rotating the case 5 relative to the container 3. This is achieved conveniently by holding the

handle portion 2 in one hand while rotating the grip portion 2 relative thereto

using the other hand. The relative rotational movement is indicated by arrows

in Fig. 1.

As illustrated in Fig. 1, the first and second perforations 4 and 8 are

transverse to the longitudinal axis of the make-up stick 1.

In order to facilitate the alignment of the first and second perforations 4

and 8, stoppers (not shown) may be provided to restrict the rotation of the case

5 relative to the container 3 between a first position in which the first and

second perforations are aligned to overlap, and a second position in which

they do not overlap. Additionally, means (not shown) for engaging the case in

several intermediate positions may be provided which allow the amount of

overlapping of the first and second perforations 4 and 8 to be adjusted such as

to control the amount of powder to be released from the container 3.

When applying make-up, the first and second perforations 4 and 8 are

aligned in the first position as described above (or in any of the intermediate

positions if less make-up is to be applied). The make-up stick 1 is then held

such that make-up is discharged from the container 3 through the first

perforation 4, for example by holding it such that the first perforation 4 faces

downward and the powder drops out of the first perforation 4. The thus

discharged make-up sticks to the sponge 7 at the second perforation 8. The

case 5 is then rotated relative to the container 3 as described above into the second position. Make-up is then no longer discharged from the container 3.

However, make-up sticking to the sponge 7 at the perforation 8 can then be

applied to the skin by bringing the perforation 8 into contact with the skin.

As shown in Fig. 1, the make-up stick 1 further comprises a cap 9 which

can be put over the case 5 to cover and thereby protect the sponge 7.

In the embodiment of Fig. 1, the case 5 is held on the container 3 by

friction between the outer surface of the container 3 and the inner surface of

the case 5. The materials, constitution and dimensions of the container 3 and

the case 5 are therefore selected such that on the one hand the cylindrical case

5 is held sufficiently in the axial direction while being sufficiently movable

around its axis. For example, the inner surface of the case 5 and/or the outer

surface of the container 3 may have a constitution which facilitates movement

around the longitudinal axis of the cylindrical case 5 while making movement

along that axis more difficult.

The general principle underlying the closing mechanism of the

embodiment of Fig. 1 is the provision of two parts which are operable relative

to one another between a first position in which make-up can be released from

the container 3, and a second position in which the container 3 is closed. This

principle can realised by various other ways than the illustrated embodiment.

For example, the mechanism used in many pens which allows the movement

of a lead inside the pen relative to the pen housing could be adapted for the

make-up stick 1 in order to form a closing mechanism. In an alternative embodiment, an opening is provided at the container 3

instead of a perforation.

The size and shape of the first and second perforations 4 and 8 are

adapted to the requirements of a particular make-up. Also, the constitution of

the sponge 7 is selected to suit the make-up to be used. The sponge 7 may be

formed only on the surface of the case 5 (in which case the second perforation

8 is not only formed in the sponge 7 but also in the wall of the case 5), but

may alternatively from part of the wall of the case 5. The second perforation 8

may be omitted if the constitution of the sponge 7 is such that the make-up

can penetrate the sponge 7.

Since the case 5 comprising the sponge 7 can be removed, it is possible

to use different cases 5 comprising different sponges 7 dependent on the

make-up to be applied. For this purpose, the container 3 may be mounted to

the handle portion 2 through a screw connection in order to allow for the

container 3 also to be replaced, for example, when a different make-up is to be

used. Alternatively, the container may be arranged to be refillable.

Also, the handle portion 2 may be omitted by using a longer container

which at the same time serves as a handle. This increases the container

storage capacity.

In an alternative embodiment, the sponge 7 does not extend around the

whole circumference of the case 5. Instead, only that part of the surface of the

case 5 being in the proximity of the second perforation 8 is formed by a sponge. This alternative embodiment may also be used with a liquid make¬

up. However, in this case, the second perforation 8 is omitted. In use, the

liquid make-up stick is rotated into the first position in which the first

perforation 4 overlaps with the sponge portion formed in the case 5. The

sponge portion then soaks up the liquid make-up released from the container 3

through the first perforation 4. The case 5 is then rotated as described above

into the second position in which the sponge portion does no longer overlap

with the first perforation 4. The liquid make-up absorbed in the sponge

portion can then be applied to the skin.

It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the

embodiment as described above. It is envisaged that various modifications

and variations to the above described embodiment could be made without

falling outside the scope of the present invention as determined from the

claims.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. A device for applying a substance to a surface, the device

comprising:

a container for storing the substance, the container having an opening;

applicator means for applying substance from the container to a surface:

and

a closing mechanism operable between a first position in which

substance from the container is releasable through the opening to the

applicator means, and a second position in which the inner room of the

container is closed off from the applicator means.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the applicator means is arranged

such that the substance is dischargeable from the container transversely to the

longitudinal axis of the device.

3. The device of claim 1 or 2, wherein the substance comprises a

make-up.

4. The device of any preceding claim, wherein the substance

comprises a powder.

5. The device of claim 4, wherein the powder comprises eye-shadow.

6. The device of any preceding claim, wherein the closing

mechanism is operable between the first or second position and at least one

intermediate position in which the inner room of the container is partly closed

off from the applicator means.

7. The device of any preceding claim, wherein the applicator means

comprises a sponge.

8. The device of any preceding claim, wherein the applicator means

comprises a first perforation transverse to the longitudinal axis of the device

for discharging the substance therethrough.

9. The device of any preceding claim, wherein the opening is formed

by a second perforation in a wall of the container.

10. The device of claim 9, wherein the second perforation is

transverse to the longitudinal axis of the device.

11. The device of claims 8 and 9, wherein in the first position, the first

and second perforations at least partly overlap.

12. The device of any of claims 9 to 11, wherein the second

perforation comprises a first plurality of holes distributed substantially evenly

over a predetermined area on the wall of the container.

13. The device of claim 12, wherein the second perforation comprises

a second plurality of holes distributed substantially evenly over a

predetermined area on the sponge, the distribution of the second plurality of

holes cooesponding to the distribution of the first plurality of holes on the

wall of the container.

14. The device of any of claims 1 to 6, wherein the opening is formed

by a mesh in a wall of the container.

15. The device of any preceding claim, wherein the closing

mechanism comprises a closing member operable relative to the container

between the first position and the second position.

16. The device of claims 7 and 15, wherein the closing member

comprises the sponge.

17. The device of any preceding claim, comprising a housing which

comprises a handle portion and the container, wherein the container is

releasably mounted at the housing.

18. The device of claim 17, wherein the applicator means is releasably

mounted at the housing.

19. A device of any preceding claim, further comprising a removable

cap for covering the applicator means.

20. A device substantially as described herein with reference to the

drawings.