Abstract:
An applicator bottle design is provided which allows significantly less fluid to be wasted than previous designs. The design includes a reservoir or indentation for the applicator while the top of the bottle is screwed on. When the bottle is unscrewed, or in use, the applicator can reach more fluid in the bottle so that less fluid is wasted than with conventional applicator bottles.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application claims the benefit and priority of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/704,561 filed Sep. 24, 2012. The disclosure of the provisional application is incorporated herein by reference for all purposes. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The present invention relates to a container used to store fluids. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0003]    There are several different kinds of bottles used to store fluids. Some bottles come with an applicator brush, sponge or other applicator to apply the fluid. For example nail polish bottles, makeup bottles, paint bottles etc. If the bottle is a screw-top bottle, and the applicator is used more than once in a session, it can be difficult to use all of the fluid because the applicator may not reach the bottom of the bottle. For example, when using nail polish, the bottle is generally shaken and then opened by unscrewing the top. The most common design includes a brush applicator attached to the inside of the top. Once the top is unscrewed, the brush no longer reaches the bottom of the bottle. Usually polish is applied to multiple fingers before the top is screwed back on which means that the brush applicator must be repeatedly dipped back into the fluid in the bottle without screwing the cap back on. The result is that during application, the applicator cannot reach the fluid in the bottom portion of the bottle. A significant volume of fluid may be wasted as a result. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0004]    The present invention provides a solution which overcomes the shortcomings of prior devices and methods. The present invention is a bottle design which allows significantly less fluid to be wasted in an applicator bottle. The design allows for a reservoir or indentation for the applicator while the top of the bottle is screwed on. The reservoir is small enough that less fluid is wasted. In other words, when the bottle is unscrewed, or in use, the applicator can reach the majority of the fluid in the bottle so that the fluid is not wasted. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0005]      FIGS. 1A-1B  show applicator bottles currently available. 
           [0006]      FIGS. 2A-2B  show an embodiment of the invention. 
           [0007]      FIGS. 3A-3B  show another embodiment of the invention. 
           [0008]      FIGS. 4A-4B  show another embodiment of the invention. 
           [0009]      FIGS. 5A-5E  show details of possible reservoir shapes. 
           [0010]      FIGS. 6A-6E  show details of the handle, applicator and applicator tip of some possible embodiments of the invention. 
           [0011]      FIGS. 7A-7F  show cross sectional areas of the bottom portion of the bottle. 
           [0012]      FIGS. 8A-8C  show cross sectional areas of the body of the bottle. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0013]      FIG. 1A  depicts an applicator bottle, for example, a bottle of nail polish, that is currently available. The bottle is in the closed position. The bottle  16  has threads  11  which fit the threads in the handle  10  of the bottle. An applicator is made up of a shaft  12  which is attached to brush  13 . The handle  10  is attached to the applicator at shaft  12 . The bottle contains a fluid  14  which can be applied using the applicator. When the bottle is in the closed position, the brush  13  is near the bottom of the bottle. 
         [0014]      FIG. 1B  depicts the applicator in  FIG. 1A  when it is in the open position. Note that the top  10  is now unscrewed from the threads  11  in the bottle,  16 . When the top is unscrewed, the top is distance X higher, with respect to the bottle, than it was when the bottle was in the closed position. As a result, the brush  13  of the applicator is also approximately distance X from the bottom of the bottle. In the open position, fluid  15  is not able to be reached by the applicator. Since fluid  15  cannot be reached by the applicator, it cannot be used and is therefore wasted. 
         [0015]      FIGS. 2A and 2B  show an embodiment of the invention. In this embodiment, the container or bottle  26  has indentation  25  which is large enough to fit the applicator tip  23  when the bottle is in the closed position. The bottle  26  has an attachment mechanism, such as threads  21  which fit the attachment mechanism, such as threads in the top, cap, or handle  20  of the bottle. The applicator is made up of a shaft  22  which is attached to applicator tip  23 . The handle  20  is attached to the applicator at shaft  22 . The bottle contains a substance or fluid  24  which can be applied using the applicator. When the bottle is in the closed state or position, the applicator tip  23  is near the bottom of the bottle and is at least in part inside reservoir or indentation  25 . The depth of indentation  25  is approximately the depth of the threads  21 , so that when the bottle is in the open position, the applicator tip is near the top of the indentation. 
         [0016]      FIG. 2B  shows the bottle of  FIG. 2A  when it is in the open position. When all the fluid that can be reached with the bottle in the open position is depleted, only fluid  28  remains in indentation  25 . The volume of fluid  28  is much less than that of fluid  15  in  FIG. 1B  and as a result, much less fluid is wasted. 
         [0017]    The attachment mechanism may also be a press fit, a snap fit, or another attachment mechanism. The reservoir or indentation at the bottom of the bottle may be of any suitable shape. 
         [0018]    In a preferred embodiment, bottle  26  is made of glass or another clear material, applicator tip  23  is a brush, and fluid  24  is fingernail polish. The fingernail polish may be colored so that the indentation fills with the colored polish and is visible to the user. When the bottle is closed, the applicator tip is near the bottom of indentation  25 . When the bottle is open, and the threads  21  in handle  20  are in the open position, but just touching each other (as would be the case when somebody is applying fingernail polish from the bottle after it is open), the applicator tip is near the top of the indentation. Note that a user will repeatedly place the applicator back into the bottle to get more polish on the applicator for the next fingernail. The user does not want to screw the handle on each time so will just put the applicator in as far as it will go, as is illustrated in  FIG. 2B . As the nail polish is used up, the fluid level will decrease until it essentially only fills the indentation at the bottom of the bottle. At this point, the user will likely start a new bottle and the polish in the indentation will be discarded. However, the volume of polish discarded in the indentation is much less than the volume discarded in current nail polish bottles as depicted in  FIG. 1B . 
         [0019]      FIGS. 3A and 3B  show another embodiment of the invention. In this embodiment, the bottle does not have a discreet indentation, but instead narrows near the bottom. The result is similar, that less fluid is wasted than if the bottle had a wide base. 
         [0020]      FIGS. 4A and 4B  show another embodiment of the invention. This embodiment is similar to that shown in  FIGS. 3A and 3B , except that in this embodiment, the material of the bottle is thicker near the bottom of the bottle. This allows for a wider base of the bottle and less likelihood of tipping over. 
         [0021]      FIGS. 5A-5E  show some possible variations of the embodiment shown in  FIGS. 2A and 2B . These variations show some of the different shape indentations which are possible. Other shapes and configurations are also possible. 
         [0022]      FIGS. 6A-6E  show another embodiment of the invention. In this embodiment, applicator tip  63  is wider than it is long. This is to allow the applicator to apply more or less of the fluid depending on how the brush is used. This allows more control to the user of the applicator in applying the fluid. The applicator shaft  62  may also be wider than it is long. In addition, the handle  60  of the applicator may also be wider than it is long, so that it is clear which way the applicator tip is oriented while it is still in the bottle. The handle may also or alternatively have tactile indicators  64  which indicate the orientation of the applicator tip  63 . The handle may also have visible indicators, such as a stripe, or dot, to show the orientation of the applicator tip.  FIG. 6C  shows the cross section of the handle, and the bottom of the applicator tip at A and B of  FIG. 6B  respectively.  FIGS. 6D and 6E  show alternative embodiments. 
         [0023]      FIGS. 7A-7B  show cross sections of various embodiments of the bottom portion of the applicator bottle where the reservoir resides.  FIG. 7A  shows just the bottle portion of  FIG. 2B . Reservoir  25  and bottle  26  are shown.  FIGS. 7B-7F  show the cross section C of the bottle and reservoir shown in  FIG. 7A . Note that the cross section of the bottom portion of the bottle and the cross section of the reservoir are in the same plane in these diagrams. The wall thickness of the bottom portion of the bottle is shown as T in  FIG. 7D . Various shapes are shown and many more could be used. The cross section of the bottom portion of the bottle and the cross section of the reservoir each have an area. In one embodiment, the cross sectional area of the reservoir is less than half that of the bottom of the bottle. In another embodiment, the cross sectional area of the reservoir is less than ¼ that of the bottom of the bottle. In another embodiment, the cross sectional area of the reservoir is less than  1 / 8  that of the bottom of the bottle. In another embodiment, the cross sectional area of the reservoir is less than 1/10 that of the bottom of the bottle. In another embodiment, the cross sectional area of the reservoir is less than 1/20 that of the bottom of the bottle. In another embodiment, the cross sectional area of the reservoir is less than 1/50 that of the bottom of the bottle. In another embodiment, the cross sectional area of the reservoir is less than 1/100 that of the bottom of the bottle. However, other ratios can be used, as long as the cross sectional area of the reservoir is less than the cross sectional area of the bottom of the bottle. 
         [0024]    For example, if the cross sectional shape of the bottom portion of the bottle or the reservoir is an ellipse, the cross sectional area would be calculated using the formula: 
         [0000]      Area=         × R 1× R 2
 
         [0000]      or 
         [0000]      Area=         × R 3× R 4
 
         [0000]    where R 1  and R 2 , or R 3  and R 4 , represent the short and long radii of the ellipse (see  FIG. 7B ). If the short and long radii are equal, the shape is a circle and the area is calculated using the formula: 
         [0000]      Area=         × R   2 
 
         [0000]    where R is the radius of the circle. 
         [0025]    In another example, the cross sectional shape of the bottom of the bottle or the reservoir may be a rectangle or square. In this embodiment, the cross sectional area would be calculated using the formula: 
         [0000]      Area= L 1× L 2
 
         [0000]      or 
         [0000]      Area= l 3× L 4
 
         [0000]    where L 1  and L 2 , or L 3  and L 4 , represent the short and long sides of a rectangle (see  FIG. 7E ). If the short and long sides are equal, the shape is a square and the area is calculated using the formula: 
         [0000]      Area=L 2   
         [0026]    It is clear that any shape could be used for both the bottle and the reservoir. The examples in  FIGS. 7B-7F  are only examples. 
         [0027]      FIGS. 8A-8C  show cross sections of an embodiment of the body portion of the applicator bottle.  FIG. 8A  shows just the bottle portion of  FIG. 2B .  FIG. 8B  shows the cross section D of the body of the bottle shown in  FIG. 8A . Note that the body portion of the bottle does not contain the reservoir Many shapes could be used, including an ellipse, circle, rectangle or any other shape. The cross section of the body portion of the bottle has an inside and outside area. In a preferred embodiment, the cross sectional area of the reservoir is less than half that of the inside cross section of the body of the bottle. In another preferred embodiment, the cross sectional area of the reservoir is less than ¼ of the inside cross section of the body of the bottle. In another preferred embodiment, the cross sectional area of the reservoir is less than ⅛ of the inside cross section of the body of the bottle. However, other ratios can be used, as long as the cross sectional area of the reservoir is less than the inside cross sectional area of the body of the bottle. 
         [0028]    For example, if the inside cross sectional shape of the body portion is an ellipse, the cross sectional area would be calculated using the formula: 
         [0000]      Area=         × R 5× R 6
 
         [0000]    where R 5  and R 6  represent the short and long radii of the ellipse (see  FIG. 8B ). If the short and long radii are equal, the shape is a circle and the area is calculated using the formula: 
         [0000]      Area=         × R   2 
 
         [0000]    where R is the radius of the circle. 
         [0029]    In another example, the inside cross sectional shape of the body of the bottle may be a rectangle or square. In this embodiment, the cross sectional area would be calculated using the formula: 
         [0000]      Area= L 5× L 6
 
         [0000]    where L 5  and L 6  represent the short and long sides of a rectangle (see  FIG. 8C ). If the short and long sides are equal, the shape is a square and the area is calculated using the formula: 
         [0000]      Area=L 2   
         [0030]    It is clear that any shape could be used for both the body of the bottle. The examples in  FIGS. 8A-8C  are only examples. 
         [0031]    Note also in the figures that the wall thickness of the body of the bottle is substantially thinner than the wall thickness of the bottom portion of the bottle (where the reservoir resides). In one embodiment the ratio of the wall thickness of the body of the bottle to the wall thickness of the bottom portion of the bottle is 0.5 or less. In another embodiment the ratio of the wall thickness of the body of the bottle to the wall thickness of the bottom portion of the bottle is 0.4 or less. In another embodiment the ratio of the wall thickness of the body of the bottle to the wall thickness of the bottom portion of the bottle is 0.3 or less. In another embodiment the ratio of the wall thickness of the body of the bottle to the wall thickness of the bottom portion of the bottle is 0.2 or less. In another embodiment the ratio of the wall thickness of the body of the bottle to the wall thickness of the bottom portion of the bottle is 0.1 or less. In another embodiment the ratio of the wall thickness of the body of the bottle to the wall thickness of the bottom portion of the bottle is 0.05 or less. 
         [0032]    In one embodiment the ratio of the average wall thickness of the body of the bottle to the average wall thickness of the bottom portion of the bottle is 0.5 or less. In another embodiment the ratio of the average wall thickness of the body of the bottle to the average wall thickness of the bottom portion of the bottle is 0.4 or less. In another embodiment the ratio of the average wall thickness of the body of the bottle to the average wall thickness of the bottom portion of the bottle is 0.3 or less. In another embodiment the ratio of the average wall thickness of the body of the bottle to the average wall thickness of the bottom portion of the bottle is 0.2 or less. In another embodiment the ratio of the average wall thickness of the body of the bottle to the average wall thickness of the bottom portion of the bottle is 0.1 or less. In another embodiment the ratio of the average wall thickness of the body of the bottle to the average wall thickness of the bottom portion of the bottle is 0.05 or less. 
         [0033]    In terms of materials, the bottle may be made out of either a clear or opaque or semi-opaque material. It may be glass, polymer, metal or other suitable materials. The handle and shaft are most likely made out of polymer, but may also be made out of other suitable materials. The applicator tip may be a brush, sponge, spiral brush, plastic, hollow tube, as in a pump, or other configurations. The applicator tip may be made out of polymer or other suitable materials. The fluid inside the bottle may be nail polish, liqueur, lotion, mascara, makeup, cosmetics, wax, or other fluids and may be colored, opaque, semi-opaque or clear. The bottle top may attach to the bottle via mechanisms other than threads, such as a press fit, a snap fit, etc. 
         [0034]    It is evident from the examples presented above that the invention is not limited to the examples mentioned in this text but can be implemented in many other different embodiments within the scope of the inventive idea.