Applicator for lotions

An applicator for lotions comprises two layers of flexible material joined together to form a mitt into which at least a part of a user's hand maybe inserted. One or both layers each comprises a flexible synthetic foam material to the outer surface of which is applied a layer of flock. In use, the user inserts her hand or fingers between the two layers of the applicator and applies lotion to the flock-faced outer surface of the foam layer which is at the front of the hand. The lotion may then be applied to the skin without the user's hand coming into contact with it, and the combination of the flexible foam material with the layer of flock enables the lotion to be applied smoothly and easily over a large area.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
The invention relates to applicators for lotions and provides an applicator 
which is particularly, but not exclusively, suitable for the application 
of self-tanning lotions to the skin. 
As is well known, an artificial tan may be applied to a person's skin by 
applying a lotion containing a pigment which, whey dry, simulates the 
colour of sun-tanned skin. Some lotions apply the colour immediately to 
the skin, whereas others have a formula such that the colour develops on 
the skin subsequently. 
In order to provide a realistic effect, such lotions have to be applied 
evenly over large areas of the person's body. Hitherto, it has been the 
usual practice to apply such lotions with the bare hands. However, such 
method has certain disadvantages. 
Firstly, it may not be easy to apply the lotion evenly to the skin, using 
the hands and fingers alone, with the result that the colour may have 
darker or lighter patches and streaks, giving an unrealistic visual 
effect. Secondly, it is inevitable that substantia residues of the lotion 
will remain on the user's hands, and since the very purpose of the lotion 
is to colour any skin surface to which it is applied, the palms of the 
user's hands may often acquire a very dark and unrealistic coloration. 
This unwanted colour may be difficult to remove since it is obviously a 
desirable feature of such lotions that the suntan effect they provide 
should not readily disappear with washing. 
The present invention therefore sets out to provide an applicator, suitable 
for use with such lotions, which enables the lotion to be applied over 
large areas both quickly and evenly, while at the same time preventing the 
lotion coming into contact with the user's hands during such application. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
According to the invention there is provided an applicator for lotions 
comprising two layers of flexible material joined together in a manner to 
allow insertion of at least a part of a user's hand between the layers, at 
least one of said layers comprising a flexible synthetic foam material to 
the outer surface of which is applied a layer of flock. 
As is well known, flock comprises an area of closely-packed fibres, each 
fibre being attached at one end to the surface of the supporting layer so 
that the fibres are generally parallel and upstand from the supporting 
layer to give the effect of a pile. 
In use, the user inserts her hand (or two or more fingers only, depending 
on the size of the applicator) between the two layers of the applicator 
and applies lotion to the flock-faced outer surface of the foam layer 
which is adjacent the palm of the hand. The lotion may then be applied to 
the skin without the user's hand coming into contact with it, and the 
combination of the flexible foam material with the layer of flock makes it 
easy to apply the lotion smoothly and easily over a large area. 
Preferably both layers of the applicator each comprise a flexible synthetic 
foam material to the outer surface of which a layer of flock is applied. 
This enables either side of the applicator to be used for the application 
of lotion. 
The two layers may have coincident side edges which are secured together in 
a manner to allow insertion of the user's hand between the layers. The two 
layers may be substantially co-extensive. In this case the co-extensive 
layers may be secured together around substantially three sides thereof, 
leaving a fourth side into which a user's hand may be inserted, the 
applicator then being generally in the form of a mitten. 
Although the mitten may be shaped to have a portion to receive the thumb of 
the user, it is found that the applicator may be more effective without 
such a portion, the fingers and thumb being all received into a single 
region between the layers. Alternatively, the applicator may be of such a 
size that only two, three or four of the user's fingers may be inserted 
between the layers. 
In one particular form of the invention, the applicator may comprise an 
open edge, for the insertion of at least part of the user's hand, where 
,he layers are not joined together, two joined side edges extending away 
from opposite ends respectively of the open edge, and a convexly curved 
joined end edge extending between the ends of the side edges remote from 
the open edge. 
Preferably the curved end edge is part-circular in shape and the side edges 
are tangential to the end edge so as to form smooth extensions thereof. 
Preferably the side edges diverge as they extend away from the open edge. 
Alternatively, instead of the two layers being substantially coextensive, 
one layer may be smaller than the other and extend across only a portion 
of the other layer. For example, one layer may be in the form of a strap 
or pocket extending across only a part of the other, larger layer. The 
user's hand or fingers are then inserted beneath the strap or into the 
pocket. In this case the larger layer comprises said flexible synthetic 
foam material to the outer surface of which is applied a layer of flock. 
The layers may be secured together by stitching, adhesive, welding, such as 
ultrasonic, high frequency, or heat welding, or by any other suitable 
means. Any combination of such means may be employed. 
The foam layer, or both layers, may be formed from flexible 
polyurethane/polyester foam, and the flock may be attached directly to the 
surface of the foam by a suitable adhesive. 
The flock may comprise rayon/viscose fibres, which may be of any suitable 
length. For example, the fibres may have a length in the range of 
0.20-1.00 mm. A preferred length of fibre is about 0.5 mm. 
The foam may be of any suitable thickness. For example, the foam may have a 
thickness in the range of 2-6 mm. A preferred thickness is about 4.3 mm. 
The foam may be of a kind which is substantially non-permeable to liquid. 
If the foam is of a kind which is permeable, or semi-permeable, to liquid, 
there is preferably applied to the foam a layer of liquid-impermeable 
material to prevent liquid migrating inwardly from the outer surface of 
the applicator to the inner region between the layers. The 
liquid-impermeable layer may be applied to either side of the foam layer. 
For example, the liquid-impermeable layer may comprise the adhesive by 
which the flock is adhered to the foam, or an additional layer between 
such adhesive and the foam. Preferably, however, the layer of 
liquid-impermeable material is applied to the inner surface of the foam. 
For example, it may be applied as a coating of a settable liquid which 
permeates the foam adjacent the inner surface thereof.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
Referring to the drawings: the applicator is in the form of a mitten 10. 
The mitten has an open edge 11 through which a user's hand may be 
inserted, side edges 12 which diverge slightly as they extend away from 
the open edge 11, and a generally semi-circular end edge 13 to which the 
side edges 12 are tangential so as to form smooth continuations thereof. 
The length of the open edge 11 may be of the order of 110 mm and the length 
of the mitten from the open edge 11 to the furthest extremity of the 
curved edge 13 may be of the order of 200 mm. The width of the mitten, at 
its widest point, may be of the order of 125 mm. 
Referring to FIG. 2, it will be seen that the mitten comprises two layers 
of polyurethane/polyester foam 14 to the outer surface of each of which is 
applied a layer of closely packed flock fibres 15 secured to the foam 14 
by an adhesive layer 16. A coating of liquid-impermeable material 17 is 
applied to the inner surface of each foam layer 14. 
The inner layer 17 is, for the purposes of illustration, shown 
diagrammatically as a distinct layer in FIG. 2, but in practice the layer 
17 may be applied to the inner surface of the foam 14 in liquid form so 
that it permeates into the cells of the foam before setting. 
Except for the open edge 11, the two layers 14 of the mitten are secured 
together around its periphery, as indicated at 18 in FIG. 2, by ultrasonic 
welding or heat welding, both of which techniques are well known and will 
not be described in detail. Alternatively, the layers could be secured 
together by stitching, by an adhesive or by any other means or combination 
of means. 
The mitten may be manufactured by first manufacturing a sheet material 
comprising, in combination, the foam layer 14, the flock 15 applied to one 
surface, and the liquid-impermeable coating applied to the other surface. 
Two layers of such sheet material are then placed back-to-back, with the 
liquid-impermeable coatings 17 in contact with one another. The two layers 
are then passed through a die-cutting machine in which suitably-shaped 
dies cut the two layers into the shape shown in FIG. 1. Preferably, the 
die cutting machine is arranged to weld the peripheral edges of the cut 
layers together at the same time as they are cut. Alternatively, the 
layers may be secured together subsequently. 
Each layer of foam 14 may have a thickness of 4.3 mm, but although this 
thickness is preferred, other thicknesses of foam may be employed, for 
example in the range of 2-6 mm. The poyurethane/polyester foam may have 
the following characteristics. 
Density (Kg/m.sup.3): 24.0-27.0 
Tensile Strength (kPa): 160-500 
Elongation at Break (%) 250-600 
50% Compression Set (%): 0-10.0 
Cell Count (per cm): 18-26 
40% CLD Hardness (kPa): 2.5-4.5 
The flock may comprise fibres of cotton, rayon, nylon, acrylic or any other 
appropriate fibre, although rayon/viscose fibre is preferred. The adhesive 
layer may be a modified co-polymer. The length of the fibres is preferably 
0.5 mm, this being found to be most suitable for the application of 
self-tanning lotions. However, other lengths of fibre may be employed if 
desired, for example in the range of 0.2-1.00 mm. The method of applying 
flock to the surface of a base material, such as the foam layers 14, is 
well known and will not therefore be described in detail. The flock may be 
of any suitable colour, such as peach. 
The liquid-impermeable coating applied to the inner surface of the layers 
may be the clear lotion repellent sold under the trade mark Tivoflex ref: 
3560/1. The coating may be applied by rollers or may be sprayed onto the 
foam. 
The above-described form of applicator is by way of example only, and many 
modifications may be made to the specific design without departing from 
the scope of the invention. For example, although the mitten is shown as 
being double-sided, this is not essential, and only one side of the mitten 
might be formed of the flocked foam for applying lotion. The other side of 
the mitten could then be any other fabric or flexible sheet material. 
Also, the invention does not exclude arrangements where the applicator is 
not in the form of an enclosed mitten, but where the application layer is 
backed by a smaller area or strip of fabric which passes over the back of 
the user's hand to hold the applicator in place when the palm of the hand 
is applied to the inner surface of the application layer. 
The applicator may be of any suitable size and shape, depending on the 
desired use. Although the example described above is of such a size that 
the whole of the user's hand may be inserted into it, smaller sizes are 
possible where only two, three or four of the user's fingers are inserted 
in use. For example, a smaller applicator which fits on only two fingers 
may be more suitable for applying lotion to the user's face.