Abstract:
An applicator bottle allows the reconstitution and dispensing of a re-hydrated powdered product. The bottle has a dispenser apparatus detachably mounted on the dispensing end and a spring-loaded plunger apparatus detachably mounted on the distal end with a movable disk defining the distal end of the internal cavity within the bottle. The plunger apparatus includes a telescoping plunger spring-loaded to extend toward the dispensing end and a locking mechanism that will restrain the plunger apparatus in a compressed configuration until released through an external release button. A rotatable, hand-operated mixing apparatus can be mounted on either end of the bottle to provide an aggressive mixing action when needed. The plunger apparatus exerts a mechanical pressure on the reconstituted product to force the product out of the dispenser apparatus for utilization. Clean-up is facilitated by the ability to disassemble the bottle and the apparatus attached thereto.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims domestic priority on U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/230,569, filed Jul. 31, 2009, and on U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/262,243, filed on Nov. 18, 2009, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention generally relates to bottles for dispensing and applying products such as wash off face masks and foamy alginate face masks and, more particularly, to a bottle that can be reused to mix, dispense and apply the products without utilizing a gaseous propellant. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Products such as wash off masks, which are already mixed and packaged in tubes or sachets, need preservatives because they contain water. Such prepackaged products are sold in 2 to 3 ounce minimum sizes. However, some products, such as the alginate peel off face masks, are sold in powder form and must be mixed with water or a water-based solution just before application by the esthetician. Jellification of the alginate peel off face mask product takes place in only about six minutes. Today, the alginate peel off face mask is available only as a professional product and the customer has to lie down on a table when the esthetician applies the mask. It is not possible with the present formulation to apply the mask by yourself because the product is too liquid during application and will drip if the customer stands up. 
     Shipment of such products in a powdered form that can be hydrated by the user would save shipping costs; however, proper mixing and hydration of the powdered product is essential for an effective and satisfactory utilization of the product. A new product formulation for alginate peel off face mask includes a natural surfactant giving the product the aspect of a foaming cream which can remain on the face without dripping when the customer is in front of the mirror. Accordingly, with a proper container to allow a mixing and dispensing of such a product, it would be possible for a customer to apply the product at home without incurring the costs of an esthetician to apply the face mask for the customer. 
     Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide a container that can be utilized to hydrate powdered product and provide an effective dispensing of the product once the product has been properly mixed and prepared for use. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is an object of this invention to provide a bottle that can be utilized to reconstitute or hydrate a powdered product within the bottle and utilize that bottle to dispense the reconstituted product without requiring a gaseous propellant. 
     It is another object of this invention to provide a bottle in which an alginate peel-off face mask can be mixed and then dispensed by the ultimate user without utilizing a gaseous propellant. 
     It is a feature of this invention that the bottle includes a movable disk that establishes a watertight seal against the inside of the bottle. 
     It is an advantage of this invention that the movable disk defines the distal end of the internal cavity of the bottle to provide an internal cavity with a variable volume. 
     It is another feature of this invention that a spring-loaded plunger can be mounted on the distal end of the bottle to engage the movable disk to push the movable disk toward the dispensing end of the bottle. 
     It is another advantage of this invention that the spring-loaded plunger exerts a pressure on the contents within the internal cavity of the bottle to urge the contents toward the dispenser apparatus at the dispensing end of the bottle. 
     It is another feature of this invention that the dispenser apparatus at the dispensing end of the bottle is detachable from the bottle. 
     It is still another feature of this invention that the spring-loaded plunger is detachably mounted on the distal end of the bottle. 
     It is yet another object of this invention that either of the dispenser apparatus or the spring-loaded plunger can be replaced by a mixing apparatus to provide an enhanced mixing action to reconstitute powered product within the internal cavity of the bottle. 
     It is still another advantage of this invention that the powered product can be reconstituted simply by shaking the bottle with the powder and a hydrating liquid placed into the internal cavity. 
     It is yet another advantage of this invention that a hydrating liquid that is not conducive to being easily mixed with a powdered product can be mixed by the mixing apparatus placed on one end of the bottle, preferably the dispensing end, to provide an aggressive agitation of the powdered product and hydrating liquid. 
     It is a further advantage of this invention that the mixing apparatus can be provided with interchangeable mixing heads to provide different aggressive actions for mixing different hydrating liquids. 
     It is a further feature of this invention that the mixing head is mounted for rotational movement when the mixing handle is moved longitudinally. 
     It is still another object of this invention to provide a spring-loaded mechanism that will assert a mechanical pressure on a reconstituted product within the internal cavity of the bottle. 
     It is still another feature of this invention that the spring-loaded plunger apparatus includes a telescoping plunger that utilizes a spring to push against the underside of the movable disk to assert a mechanical force on the reconstituted product to urge the product toward the dispenser apparatus. 
     It is yet another feature of this invention that the spring-loaded telescopic plunger incorporates a locking mechanism that secures the plunger apparatus in a compressed configuration until selectively released to exert mechanical pressure on the reconstituted product within the internal cavity of the bottle. 
     It is still another advantage of this invention that the plunger apparatus can be locked into the compressed configuration before being attached to the distal end of the bottle. 
     It is yet another advantage of this invention that the locking mechanism can be released externally to allow a mechanical pressure to be exerted on the reconstituted product within the internal cavity of the bottle. 
     It is yet another object of this invention to provide a mixing and dispensing bottle for reconstituting and dispensing a re-hydrated powered product which is durable in construction, inexpensive of manufacture, carefree of maintenance, facile in assemblage, and simple and effective in use. 
     These and other objects, features and advantages are accomplished according to the instant invention by providing a mixing and dispensing bottle for the reconstitution and dispensing of a re-hydrated powdered product. The bottle has a dispenser apparatus detachably mounted on the dispensing end and a spring-loaded plunger apparatus detachably mounted on the distal end with a movable disk defining the distal end of the internal cavity within the bottle. The plunger apparatus includes a telescoping plunger spring-loaded to extend toward the dispensing end and a locking mechanism that will restrain the plunger apparatus in a compressed configuration until released through an external release button. A rotatable, hand-operated mixing apparatus can be mounted on either end of the bottle to provide an aggressive mixing action when needed. The plunger apparatus exerts a mechanical pressure on the reconstituted product to force the product out of the dispenser apparatus for utilization. Clean-up is facilitated by the ability to disassemble the bottle and the apparatus attached thereto. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The advantages of this invention will be apparent upon consideration of the following detailed disclosure of the invention, especially when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is an elevational view of an applicator bottle incorporating the principles of the instant invention, a dispenser apparatus being detachably mounted on the dispensing end of the bottle and a plunger apparatus being detachably mounted on the distal end of the bottle, the plunger apparatus being locked in the compressed configuration; 
         FIG. 2  is an exploded cross-sectional view of the dispenser apparatus and the bottle with movable disk member; 
         FIG. 3  is an exploded cross-sectional view of the plunger apparatus detachably mountable on the distal end of the bottle, as shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 4  is a partial cross-sectional view of the bottle shown in  FIG. 1  with the plunger apparatus being in the locked configuration; 
         FIG. 5  is a partial cross-sectional view of the bottle similar to that of  FIG. 4 , but depicting the plunger apparatus fully extended to push the reconstituted product outwardly through the dispenser apparatus; 
         FIG. 6  is a cross-sectional view of the plunger apparatus in the fully extended orientation; 
         FIG. 7  is a cross-sectional view of the plunger apparatus locked into the compressed configuration before being mounted on the distal end of the bottle; 
         FIGS. 8 through 13  are cross-sectional views of the locking mechanism showing the progress of the locking sequence; 
         FIG. 14  is a partial cross-sectional view of the mixing apparatus mountable on either end of the bottle; 
         FIG. 15  is an elevational view of a first embodiment of a mixing head for the mixing apparatus shown in  FIG. 11 ; 
         FIG. 16  is an elevational view of a second embodiment of a mixing head for the mixing apparatus shown in  FIG. 11 ; and 
         FIG. 17  is a cross-sectional view of an alternative embodiment of a dispenser apparatus detachably mountable on the dispensing end of the bottle. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1-6 , an applicator bottle used for mixing and dispensing reconstituted product, incorporating the principles of the instant invention, can best be seen. The bottle  10  is configured to mix powdered product with a hydrating liquid, such as water, and provide a capability to dispense the mixed product without the use of a gaseous propellant. More specifically, the bottle  10  is designed for use with an alginate mask that is formulated to be applied to the face as a foamed cream, somewhat like shaving cream. The formulation of this is set forth below and enables a user to apply the mask at home as this alginate mask stays on the face without dripping. The cylindrically shaped bottle  10  is formed of four primary interconnectable and operably associated assemblies, including the dispenser assembly  20 , the mixing chamber  15 , the mixing assembly  50  and the spring-loaded piston assembly  30 . 
     Starting first with the mixing chamber  15 , the bottle  10  is formed with an outer shell  11  preferably formed with a first treaded coupling  12  at the dispensing end of the shell  11  and a second threaded coupling  13  at the distal end of the shell  11 . Preferably, the first threaded coupling  12  is formed on the exterior side of the shell  11  and the second coupling  13  is formed on the interior side of the shell  11 , although one skilled in the art will recognize that other configurations will work satisfactorily. Preferably, the shell  11  is formed from an acrylic so as to be somewhat transparent and permit viewing of the interior of the shell  11 . The mixing chamber  15  is a cavity within the shell  11  defined by the dispenser assembly  20  at the dispensing end thereof and a movable disk  16  that can be inserted into the shell  11  through the dispensing end when the dispenser assembly  20  is removed from the shell  11 . 
     The movable disk  16  is preferably formed with concave circumference that includes a pair of rings  17  projecting above and below, respectively, the disk  16  to sealingly engage the inner surface of the shell  11 . This particular configuration of the movable disk  16  allows the disk  16  to slide along the interior of the shell  11  to form the bottom surface of the mixing chamber  15 . Since the disk  16  is movable, the size or volume of the mixing chamber  15  is variable depending on where the movable disk  16  is located within the shell  11 . Under normal operations, the movable disk  16  is initially positioned near the distal end of the shell  11 , as will be described in greater detail below. The disk  16  is movable toward the dispenser assembly  20  to maintain mechanical pressure on the product within the bottle  10 , as will also be described in greater detail below. 
     The dispenser assembly  20  is located at the top of the bottle  10  and includes a housing  21  formed with a threaded base member  22  that seats on the dispensing end of the outer shell  11  and is threadably engaged with the first threaded coupling  12 . The threaded connection between the base member  22  and the first threaded coupling  12  can compress a gasket (not shown) within the housing  21 , or otherwise seal against the shell  11  so that reconstituted or hydrating liquid within the mixing chamber  15  will not leak out of the bottle  10 . One embodiment of the dispenser assembly  20  is shown in  FIGS. 1-6 , although one skilled in the art will understand that other equivalent dispensers can be utilized. The first embodiment of the dispenser assembly  20  includes a vertical opening  23  through the housing  21  to which a selected applicator tip  24  can be mounted for dispensing the product from within the mixing chamber  15 . A spring-biased actuator valve  25  is mounted within the housing  21  for linear movement that will selectively open and block the vertical opening  23  for the selective passage of product therethrough from the mixing chamber  15 . A lever  26  pivoted on the housing  21  is operable to draw the stopper  27  back against the spring  28  to open the valve  25  for the passage of product. The spring  28  will return the stopper  27  to the closed position to close the valve  25  when the manually operated lever  26  is released. 
     An alternative actuator valve  25  is shown in  FIG. 17  in which a dispenser  29  is formed with a passageway (not shown) extending axially through the center of the dispenser  29  for the flow of product therethrough. The dispenser  29  includes a valve seat  29   a  that is engagable against the valve seal  29   b  to form a fluid-tight seal therebetween. Axial movement of the dispenser  29  into the mixing chamber  15  separates the valve seat  29   a  from the fixed valve seal  29   b  to allow liquid product to flow past the valve seat  29   a  into the passageway (not show) for discharge from the dispenser  29  through a mounted applicator tip  24 . A compression spring  28   a  is seated on the housing  21  concentrically around the dispenser  29 . A lever  26   a  is pivotally mounted on the housing  21  to provide leverage for depressing the spring  28   a  and extending the dispenser  29  into the mixing chamber  15  for the dispensing of the product therefrom. Optionally, the lever  26   a  can be bifurcated to allow convenient storage of the lever  26   a  with not in use. 
     As best seen in  FIGS. 3-7 , the piston assembly  30  is mounted on the distal end of the shell  11  through the second threaded coupling  13  to provide a mechanical force for dispensing the reconstituted product from the mixing chamber, as will be described in greater detail below. The piston assembly  30  is spring-loaded and extendible into the shell  11  to engage the underside of the movable disk  16  and push the disk  16  upwardly into the product within the mixing chamber  15 . Preferably, The piston assembly  30  is telescopic to push the movable disk  16  to the top of the shell  11  to substantially completely expel the product from the mixing chamber. 
     The piston assembly  30  preferably includes a hollow tail cap member  31  formed with threading on the outer surface thereof to mate with the second threaded coupling  13  on the distal end of the shell  11 . The threading along the outside of the cap member  31  extends over a majority of the outside of the cap member  31  to enable the tail cap member  31  to be positioned over a substantial range relative to the distal end of the shell  11 . Furthermore, the tail cap member  31  includes an alignment pin  32  projecting interiorly for alignment of the locking mechanism  40 , as will be described in greater detail below. The tail cap member  31  tail cap member  31 . 
     The piston assembly  30  further includes a telescopic plunger  35  having a bottom member  36 , an intermediate member  37  and a pusher member  38 , each of which is telescopic with respect to the other members. A compression spring  34  is housed within the telescopic plunger  35  and seated on the lock mechanism  40  to extend the plunger  35 . The bottom member  36  is fixed to the lock mechanism  40  or to the tail cap member  31  by fasteners (not shown), or by threading, so that the plunger  45  is extensible from the tail cap member  31 . As best seen in  FIG. 5 , the full extension of the plunger  35  is operable to press the movable disk  16  against the dispenser assembly  20  to expel the entire product from within the mixing chamber  15 . The plunger  35  can also be provided with a decorative cap  33  that can be fastened to the end of the pusher member  38  so that when the plunger is compressed into its locked configuration, as is best seen in  FIG. 4 , the decorative cap  33  covers the plunger  35 . 
     The lock mechanism  40  is seen in  FIGS. 3-7 . The lock mechanism  40  includes a base member  41  that is sized to fit within the bottom of the tail cap member  31 . The base member  41  is formed with a vertical slot  42  that allows the passage of the alignment pin  32  so that the seating of the base member  41  within the tail cap member  31  results in an alignment of the screw holes in the tail cap member  31  and the base member  41  so that the tail cap member  31  can be secured to the base member  41  with a fastener. The lock member  40  is formed with a vertical center post  45  formed with a relief  46  near the upper end thereof. A vertically slidable sleeve  47  surrounds the center post  45  and carries a pair of opposing transversely movable detent balls  48  near the upper end thereof. The sleeve  47  is biased upwardly by a compression spring  49  so that the detent balls  47  are transversely aligned with the head  46   a  of the center post  45 , pushing the detent balls  47  transversely outwardly. 
     Looking at  FIGS. 8-13 , the operation of the lock mechanism  40  can best be seen. The initial position of the lock mechanism  40  is representatively shown in  FIG. 8  with the detent balls  47  being aligned with the head  46   a  of the center post  45 . Thus, when the pusher member  38  is compressed downwardly into the bottom member  36 , the internal ring  33   a  cannot move past the detent balls  47  since the detent balls  47  are prevented from moving inwardly because of the engagement thereof with the head  46   a . As a result, the continued downward movement of the pusher member  38  compresses the sleeve  47  against the compression spring  49  until the detent balls  48  become aligned with the relief  46  in the center post  45  below the head  46   a , as is depicted in  FIG. 9 . Once the balls  48  have become aligned with the relief  46 , the internal ring  33   a  can pass below the detent balls  48  as the balls  48  are moved into the relief  46 , as is depicted in  FIG. 10 . 
     Once the internal ring  46   a  passes below the detent balls  48 , the downward force exerted on the sleeve  47  to compress the spring  49  disappears and the sleeve  47  is free to return to it prior vertical position by the expansion of the spring  49 , as is depicted in  FIG. 11 . As the sleeve  47  moves upwardly, the detent balls  48  are engaged by the underside of the head  46   a  and forced outwardly into the groove  39  formed in the top of the pusher member  38 , trapping the internal ring  33   a  below the detent balls  48 . At this point the lock mechanism  40  restrains the plunger  45  in its compressed form shown in  FIG. 7 , with the spring  34  compressed between the upper end of the pusher member  38  and the base member  41 . When the plunger  45  is to be released from this compressed configuration shown in  FIG. 7 , the operator depresses the release button  44  into the bottom of the base member  41  which compresses the spring  49  against the sleeve  47  and extends the center post  45  upwardly into the pusher member  38  until the relief  46  is transversely aligned with the detent balls  48 , as is shown in  FIG. 12 . When the detent balls  48  have space to move laterally, the pressure exerted by the internal ring  33   a  due to the compressed spring  34  pops the detent balls  48  into the relief  46  and the plunger  45  is released to expand telescopically, which is depicted in  FIG. 13 . 
     The mixing apparatus  50  is representatively shown in  FIG. 14-16 . Instead of the mixing apparatus being retained on the bottle  10 , the mixing apparatus  50  is configured to be removable from the bottle  10  when the mixed product is ready to be dispensed. The mixing apparatus  50  is formed with an actuator handle  51  connected to a push member  52  that is formed with a spiral groove internally thereof. A driven rod  53  is received within the push member  52  and connected through the spiral groove within the push member  52  so that the downward movement of the push member  52  over the driven rod  53  causes the driven rod  53  to rotate about an axis of rotation corresponding to the driven rod  53 . An internal spring can be provided to bias the actuation handle  51  upwardly. 
     The push member  52  and the driven rod  53  are movably received through the mounting cap  55  which is preferably formed with two sets of threads on a circular threaded member  56  so that the internal set of threads can engagable with the mounting threads on the exterior a small bottle  10  and the external threads can engage with internal mounting threads on the interior of the larger bottle  10 . Alternatively, the threaded couplers can be sized that the mixing apparatus  50  can be mounted on either the dispensing end of the bottle  10  or on the distal end of the bottle  10 . A connector  57  is formed on the distal end of the mixing apparatus  50  for the detachable mounting of an mixing head  58 ,  59  to be driven by the driven rod  53 . A detent mechanism  57   a  retains the selected attachment head  58 ,  59  on the mixing apparatus  50  for rotational operation within the bottle  10  in response to the vertical movement of the actuation handle  51  and push member  52 . 
     As can be seen representatively in  FIGS. 15 and 16 , many different attachment heads  58 ,  59  can be utilized by the mixing apparatus  50 , depending on the product being mixed and the outcome that is desired. For example, the first mixing blade  58  shown in  FIG. 15  can stir the product to be mixed within the mixing chamber. A more aggressive beater paddle  59  is depicted in  FIG. 16 . Another possible attachment head can include a wire whisk attachment to provide a gentler mixing action. All of the attachment heads  58 ,  59  could be formed in sizes that correspond to each of the bottle sizes, although a smaller version can often provide sufficient mixing action for a larger bottle  10 , as well as a smaller version. 
     In operation, the bottle  10  is readied to receive and mix the product to be dispensed therefrom. The dispenser assembly  20  is removed from the dispensing end of the bottle  10 , as is the piston assembly  30 , and the movable disk  16  is manually pushed to the distal end of the bottle  10 . The piston assembly  30  is manually compressed into the locked, compressed configuration shown in  FIG. 7 , and can be threaded onto the second threaded coupler  13  at the distal end of the shell  11  before or after the mixing of the reconstituted product. Depending on the product to be reconstituted and the components thereof, the product can be re-hydrated by adding the required amount of hydrating liquid and the powdered product, then replacing the dispenser assembly  20  and shaking the bottle  10  until the powdered product is reconstituted. If more aggressive mixing is required to re-hydrate the powdered product, the mixing apparatus  50  can be mounted on the first threaded coupler  12  and operated until the powdered product is re-hydrated. Then the mixing apparatus  50  is removed and the dispenser assembly  20  re-mounted on the dispensing end of the bottle  10 . 
     The reconstituted product within the mixing chamber  15  of the bottle  10  can be pressurized mechanically, as is generally described above. The piston assembly  30  can be screwed onto the second threaded coupler  13  in the compressed configuration and then released by depressing the release button  44  so that the plunger can telescopically extend into engagement with the bottom of the movable disk  16 . The spring force from the compression spring  34  will drive the movable disk  16  upwardly against the liquefied product within the mixing chamber until the compression of the product is balanced with the spring force from the compression spring  34 . The spring  34  will exert a continuous upward force into the movable disk  16 , and thus onto the liquefied product, to drive the reconstituted product through the dispenser apparatus  20  when the lever actuator valve  25  is operated. The compression spring  34  will continue to exert mechanical pressure on the reconstituted product until the disk  16  has moved to the dispenser assembly  20  and substantially all of the product has been dispensed. Then the bottle  10  and the various components can be disassembled and cleaned. 
     By forming the mixing apparatus  50  as a component that can be selectively attached to the bottle to perform the mixing function, the mechanical pressurizing apparatus can be simplified without having to accommodate the operation of the mixing apparatus within the bottle  10  for exerting spring pressure onto the reconstituted product within the bottle to be dispensed. Furthermore, cleaning the bottle  10  and the various components thereof would also be simplified. The detachable mixing heads  58 ,  59 , retained by the detent mechanism  57 , can also provide a selective mixing action for the product to be reconstituted. Alginates, for example, required a more aggressive mixing action than a more liquid product because of the consistency of the alginate material. Thus, a beater paddle attachment head  59  would achieve better mixing results than a wire whisk attachment, for example. 
     Alginate masks have heretofore been applied to the human face by professionals in spas and similar facilities primarily because the alginate mask formula is applied as a liquid that has to turn into a gel. Such formulations of an alginate mask would be highly impractical to be applied by a non-professional, such as in conjunction with an “at home” application. The alginate mask formulation for use with the bottle  10  described above creates a creamy foam that does not drip from the face when applied, and thus is particularly applicable to at-home applications. The formulation is provided in powder form, as is suggested above for use with the bottle for reconstitution by adding water and mixing. 
     A formulation for an alginate mask product is: 
     
       
         
               
               
               
               
             
           
               
                   
                   
               
             
             
               
                   
                 a. 
                 50-87% 
                 Filler (such as Talc) 
               
               
                   
                 b. 
                 10-25% 
                 Glucose 
               
               
                   
                 c. 
                  1-15% 
                 Algin 
               
               
                   
                 d. 
                  1-15% 
                 Calcium Sulfate 
               
               
                   
                 e. 
                  1-15% 
                 Maltodextrine 
               
               
                   
                 f. 
                 0.01-1.0%  
                 Tetrasodium Pyrophosphate 
               
               
                   
                 g. 
                 0.01-1.0%  
                 Surfactant (such as  Quilaja Saponaria ) 
               
               
                   
                   
               
             
          
         
       
     
     The filler can be formed of other materials, such as corn starch and the like. The surfactant is preferably a natural product, such as Quilaja Saponaria, but can be a chemical formulation as well. Using the preferred natural components noted above, a specific product formulations would preferably be within the following ranges: 
     
       
         
               
               
               
               
             
           
               
                   
                   
               
             
             
               
                   
                 a. 
                 70-72% 
                 Talc 
               
               
                   
                 b. 
                 22-15% 
                 Glucose 
               
               
                   
                 c. 
                 2-4% 
                 Algin 
               
               
                   
                 d. 
                 2-4% 
                 Calcium Sulfate 
               
               
                   
                 e. 
                   2-3.5% 
                 Maltodextrine 
               
               
                   
                 f. 
                   1-0.75% 
                 Tetrasodium Pyrophosphate 
               
               
                   
                 g. 
                   1-0.75% 
                 
                   Quilaja Saponaria 
                 
               
               
                   
                   
               
             
          
         
       
     
     It will be understood that changes in the details, materials, steps and arrangements of parts which have been described and illustrated to explain the nature of the invention will occur to and may be made by those skilled in the art upon a reading of this disclosure within the principles and scope of the invention. The foregoing description illustrates the preferred embodiments of the invention; however, concepts, as based upon the description, may be employed in other embodiments without departing from the scope of the invention. 
     For example, one skilled in the art will recognize that the gasless applicator bottle could be utilized to mix and dispense products other than masks, including cosmetic preparations, hair treatments, lotions, crèmes, and possibly food products. The components of the piston assembly  30  can be manufactured from a variety of materials, including aluminum and/or plastic. The bottles  10  can have different diameters so that differently sized bottles  10  can be provided with the respective components sized accordingly.