Abstract:
A combination dispenser and applicator has a dispenser body for mounting the dispenser body over a valve of a container of nail polish. The dispenser body has a brush receiver that receives the nail polish from the valve of the container. A disposable applicator brush, not including a valve, but with bristles adjacent a distal end, is shaped to removably engage the brush receiver. The disposable applicator brushes are inexpensive and disposable, and may be readily changed during use of the combination, so that one of the brushes is not used on multiple persons, thereby enabling a more hygienic method of applying nail polish.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Field of the Invention 
     This invention relates generally to applicators for applying nail polish, and more particularly to a combination dispenser and applicator that utilizes disposable brushes that enable a user to quickly, easily, and inexpensively change brushes between uses. 
     Description of Related Art 
     The prior art also teaches various dispensing systems for dispensing nail polish and similar products. The prior art has failed to teach, however, a dispensing and applying system that includes a truly inexpensive and replaceable applicator brush that enables the frequent replacement of the applicator brushes between different persons, and/or between painting different parts of the person (e.g., toenail and fingernails). 
     Parrish, U.S. Pat. No. 3,228,057, teaches a combination applicator and dispenser brush that is generally similar to the present invention, which includes a pressurized vessel for containing liquid that is transmitted to a brush-mounting body via a through-delivery passageway. The vessel does not use bag-on-valve technology, and instead contains a propellant, which is potentially flammable, along with the liquid. The passage way is controlled by a valve and serves as the means of actuating the device. The bristles are integral with the valve actuator, so they are not readily disposable, without replacing the more expensive valve assembly as well, which is commercially impractical because of the increased expense. The brush is meant to be re-usable, and not disposable. 
     The present invention not only uses bag-on-valve technology, it also uses disposable applicator brushes that do not include any valves. The extremely simplified construction of the applicator brushes used in the present invention makes them very inexpensive, and therefore readily disposable. 
     Lewis, U.S. 2008/0075525, teaches a nail polish applicator that includes an elongate tubular housing including a reservoir for holding the nail polish, and an applicator that includes bristles for spreading the nail polish. While the bristles are shown integrally formed with the applicator, and they are not removable. The Lewis device also does not teach a bag-on-valve construction, and requires a manual dispensing slide to force the nail polish from the applicator. 
     Washington, U.S. Pat. No. 6,530,709, teaches an elongate nail polish applicator that is pen-shaped for easy use. The applicator includes a nail polish reservoir, a brush having bristles for spreading the nail polish, and a discharge mechanism for forcing the nail polish out of the applicator onto the bristles. The brush is retractable, but is not designed to be quickly and easily removed and replaced. 
     Katz, U.S. Pat. No. 4,964,540, describes a pressurized fluid dispenser of the kind used for dispensing a fluid by applying pressure on a container. The dispenser includes a tubular pleated bag that contains the fluid, and an elastomeric container that maintains pressure on the tubular pleated bag. A valve closes the tubular pleated bag to maintain the fluid in the tubular pleated bag until it is to be dispensed. 
     Hoff, U.S. Pat. No. 3,411,853, describes a disposable nail polish applicator that includes two telescopically connected elongated tubular members as its major components. One of these members is adapted to enclose a capsule wherein a determined volume of nail polish is hermetically sealed, and has an applicator brush assembly permanently secured thereto. The other member incorporates a means for piercing the capsule to emit the nail polish for flow onto the bristles of the brush assembly when desired. Both tubular members and the capsule are transparent, so that the actual color and shade of the nail polish is visible. 
     The above-described references are hereby incorporated by reference in full. None of the prior art references teaches a device that meets the requirements described herein to achieve the goals described below. The present invention fulfills the above-described needs, and provides further advantages as described in the following summary. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention teaches certain benefits in construction and use which give rise to the objectives described below. 
     The present invention provides a combination dispenser and applicator for dispensing nail polish using disposable applicator brushes. The combination may include a container for containing the nail polish under pressure, the container having a valve for releasing the nail polish when actuated. The combination includes a dispenser body having a mounting structure for mounting the dispenser body over the valve, and provides a brush receiver that receives the nail polish from the valve of the container. A disposable applicator brush has bristles adjacent a distal end, is shaped to removably engage the brush receiver; however, the disposable applicator brush is of simply disposable construction, and does not include a valve. The disposable applicator brushes are inexpensive and disposable, and may be readily changed during use of the combination, so that one of the brushes is not used on multiple persons, thereby enabling a more hygienic method of applying nail polish. 
     A primary objective of the present invention is to provide a combination dispenser and applicator having advantages not taught by the prior art. 
     Another objective is to provide a combination dispenser and applicator that utilizes disposable brushes that enable a user to quickly, easily, and inexpensively change brushes between uses. 
     Another objective is to provide a combination dispenser and applicator that enables more hygienic practices in the application of nail polish, and particularly in changing applicator brushes between users, and between painting a person&#39;s toenails and fingernails. 
     A further objective is to provide a combination dispenser and applicator that uses inexpensive brushes, so that it is inexpensive to change brushes between users. 
     A further objective is to provide a combination dispenser and applicator that contains the nail polish within a flexible bag so that the nail polish maintains an optimum viscosity and does not dry out over time. 
     Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following more detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which illustrate, by way of example, the principles of the invention. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The accompanying drawings illustrate the present invention. In such drawings: 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a combination dispenser and applicator for dispensing nail polish, according to one embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a sectional view thereof taken along line  2 - 2  in  FIG. 1 , illustrating the combination dispenser and applicator empty of nail polish, and in a non-dispensing configuration; 
         FIG. 3  is a close up of a dispensing mechanism of the combination dispenser and applicator from  FIG. 2 ; and 
         FIG. 4  is a sectional view similar to  FIG. 2 , although illustrating the combination dispenser and applicator full of nail polish, and being actuated to a dispensing configuration. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     The above-described drawing figures illustrate the invention, a combination dispenser and applicator  10  for dispensing nail polish  12 . As discussed in greater detail below, the combination dispenser and applicator  10  utilizes disposable applicator brushes  100  that enable a user to quickly, easily, and inexpensively change brushes between uses. The combination dispenser and applicator  10  (hereinafter “the combination”) enables more hygienic practices in the application of the nail polish  12 , and particularly in changing the disposable applicator brush  100  between users, and between painting a person&#39;s toenails and fingernails. 
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view of one embodiment of the combination  10 . As shown in  FIG. 1 , the combination  10  includes a container  20  that contains the nail polish (referred to with reference number  12 , and shown in  FIG. 4 ), and a dispenser body  40  that mounts onto the container  20  for dispensing the nail polish. The disposable applicator brush can be removably mounted onto the dispenser body  40  for application of the nail polish, and then removed and replaced as needed. 
     In the embodiment of  FIG. 1 , the container  20  is of a type known as a “bag on valve,” that includes a rigid outer housing  26 , and a flexible bag  28  positioned within an interior chamber  30  of the rigid outer housing  26 . The rigid outer housing  26  and the flexible bag  28  may be any shape, size, and design that may be desired by one skilled in the art. The rigid outer housing  26  and the flexible bag  28  of this embodiment are both transparent, so that the user can see the color of the nail polish, and how much of the nail polish remains. The construction of the container  20  is described in greater detail below. 
     In this embodiment, the dispenser body  40  is mounted on top of the container  20 , and the dispenser body  40  includes a top portion  44  and a bottom portion  46 . A base  49  may be provided to support the container  20  in an upright orientation. The base  49  of the present embodiment is separate from the container  20 , and lockingly engages the container  20  to support the container  20  in the upright orientation. The construction of the container  20  and the dispenser body  40  are further discussed in greater detail below. 
       FIG. 2  is a sectional view thereof taken along line  2 - 2  in  FIG. 1 , illustrating the combination  10  empty of nail polish, and in a non-dispensing configuration. As shown in  FIGS. 1-2 , the container  20  includes a valve  24  for selectively releasing the nail polish when desired for application to a person&#39;s nails. The container  20  has an opening  22  that is covered with the valve  24  operably mounted over the opening  22  for selectively releasing the nail polish from the container  20  when actuated. In the present embodiment, the flexible bag  28  of the container  20  is operably attached to the valve  24  that is operably mounted within a sealing cap  32  that includes a perimeter  34  that is crimped against a rim  36  around the opening  22  of the rigid outer housing  26 , in this case around an outer edge  38  of the rim  36  (i.e., the perimeter  34  is crimped inwardly against the outer edge  38 ), thereby sealing the rigid outer housing  26 . The rigid outer housing  26  may be filled at some point in the process with a pressurized gas, such as nitrogen. Later, when the flexible bag  28  is filled, the contents of the flexible bag  28  will be under pressure by virtue of the pressure within the rigid outer housing  26  (which includes the pressure of the pressurized gas, plus the added pressure from the contents of the flexible bag  28 ). 
     While one embodiment of the container  20  is illustrated, those skilled in the art may devise alternative forms of containers  20  for dispensing the nail polish (e.g., a container that is pressurized with a propellant, such as in Parrish, U.S. Pat. No. 3,228,057, and such alternatives should be considered within the scope of the present invention, except to the extent expressly limited in the claims of this document. 
       FIG. 3  is a close up of the dispenser body  40  of the combination  10  of  FIG. 2 . As shown in  FIGS. 1-3 , the dispenser body  40  also includes and houses a dispenser mechanism  50  that functions to dispense the nail polish from the container  20 . In the present embodiment, the dispenser body  40  may include an outer housing  42 , which in this embodiment is generally conical in shape, and may be constructed of any suitable housing material (e.g., plastic, metal, or any other material known in the art for this purpose). The dispenser body  40  includes a mounting structure  48  for mounting the dispenser body  40  onto the container  20  over the valve  24 . In this embodiment, the mounting structure  48  includes an inwardly projecting annular ring that frictionally engages a rim  36  of the container  20  to removably lock the dispenser body  40  over the container  20 . Other locking features or members known in the art may be used (e.g., a threaded connection, an adhesive layer, male/female engagement features, and others known in the art), and these alternative should be considered within the scope of the present invention, except to the extent expressly limited in the claims of this document. 
     As shown in  FIG. 3 , the valve  24  of the container  20  may include an upwardly extending dispensing tube  52  that is biased upwardly by a spring  54 . A duct  56  formed in the upwardly extending dispensing tube  52  dispenses the nail polish from the container  20  when the bias of the spring  54  is overcome and the upwardly extending dispensing tube  52  is pushed downwardly. A similar valve is shown in Davideit et al., U.S. Pat. No. 8,292,121, which is hereby incorporated by reference. 
     As best shown in  FIG. 3 , the dispenser mechanism  50  may be housed in the dispenser body  40 , and includes various components for dispensing the nail polish. In this embodiment, the dispenser mechanism  50  includes a valve receiver  60 , a brush receiver  70 , and a valve actuation mechanism  90  for actuating the valve  24 . 
     The valve receiver  60  operatively engages the valve  24  and directs the nail polish into a dispenser conduit  62 . In this embodiment, the valve receiver  60  is generally tubular in construction, and fits around the upwardly extending dispensing tube  52  of the valve  24  of the container  20 . A dispenser conduit  62  extends upwardly from the valve receiver  60  for transporting the nail polish from the upwardly extending dispensing tube  52  to the brush receiver  70 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 3 , the dispenser conduit  62  may be separated from the valve receiver  60  by a spacer wall  64  that includes a hole  66  therethrough for transmitting the nail polish. The upwardly extending dispensing tube  52  may abut the spacer wall  64 , so that downward pressure on the valve receiver  60  depresses the upwardly extending dispensing tube  52  of the valve  24  and moves the valve  24  to an open position against the bias of a valve spring  54  that biases the valve  24  towards a closed position. 
     As shown in  FIG. 3 , the brush receiver  70  is shaped to receive the disposable applicator brush  100 , and also receive the nail polish from the dispenser conduit  62  such that it flows into the disposable applicator brush  100 . In this embodiment, the brush receiver  70  is formed in an upper portion of the dispenser body  40 , and includes a chamber, bore, or similar structure shaped to receive the disposable applicator brush  100 . 
     The brush receiver  70  may further include a locking feature  72  that interlocks with a mating feature  74  of the disposable applicator brush  100 . In this embodiment, the locking feature  72  includes slots and the mating feature  74  includes posts that extend outwardly from the disposable applicator brush  100 . The posts engage the slots in a construction that is generally known in the art. Alternative features may also be utilized, such as the inverse of the above-described construction, mating threads, or any other interlocking features that are known to those skilled in the art. Alternatively, the disposable applicator brush  100  may simply frictionally fit into the brush receiver  70 , as shown in  FIGS. 2 and 4 , and rely on friction to maintain the engagement until the disposable applicator brush  100  is pulled from the brush receiver  70 . 
     In this embodiment, the brush receiver  70  and the conduit receiver  82  are separated by a separator wall  76  that includes an aperture  78  therethrough for transmitting the nail polish into the disposable applicator brush  100 . An end  63  of the dispenser conduit  62  engages a conduit receiver  82  formed beneath the brush receiver  70 . The conduit receiver  82  may be in the form of a bore or open chamber, as illustrated, or in another structure that similarly receives the end  63  of the dispenser conduit  62 . 
     In this embodiment, an O-ring  84  that fits around an outer surface  86  of the dispenser conduit  62  and abuts an inner surface  88  of the conduit receiver  82  so that the dispenser conduit  62  can move up and down in relation to the conduit receiver  82  and the dispenser body  40 , without allowing the nail polish to leak from between the dispenser conduit  62  and the conduit receiver  82 . This movement is used, in the current embodiment, as part of the valve actuation mechanism  90 , as discussed in greater detail below. In other embodiments that do not utilize this valve actuation mechanism  90 , the above-describes structure may not be required. 
     In the embodiment of  FIG. 3 , the valve actuation mechanism  90  includes at least one button  92 , in this case a pair of buttons  92 , and an actuation structure  94  integrally formed with the valve receiver  60 . In this embodiment, the actuation structure  94  includes an inclined outer surface  96  that is integrally formed with the valve receiver  60 . The inclined surface  96 , in this case part of a generally conical structure, is inclined relative to an axis A of the valve receiver  60 . In this embodiment, the inclined surface  96  is inclined about 45 degrees, with the term “about” being defined to mean +/−10%), although alternative angles may be used, as long as it is able to impart movement as described herein. The pair of buttons  92  each extend through an opening  98  in the dispenser body  40  and abut the inclined outer surface  96  such that pressing the buttons  92  pushes the actuation structure  94  downwardly and actuates the valve  24 . 
     While one form of actuation structure  94  is illustrated, those skilled in the art may devise alternative structures for actuating the valve  24  and dispensing the nail polish, and such alternatives should be considered within the scope of the present invention, except to the extent expressly limited in the claims of this document. 
     In the embodiment of  FIG. 3 , the disposable applicator brush  100  has a tubular base  102  that forms a proximal end  104 , a brush conduit  106 , and a distal end  108 , the brush conduit  106  being unobstructed and not including a valve. The disposable applicator brush  100  further includes a plurality of bristles  110  adjacent the distal end  108  of the brush conduit  106 . The tubular base  102  has an external surface  112  that is shaped to removably engage the brush receiver  70  of the dispenser body  40  so that the nail polish from the dispenser conduit  62  flows through the brush conduit  106 , and into the bristles  110  of the disposable applicator brush  100 . 
     The tubular base  102  of the disposable applicator brush  100  may include a lower annular portion  114  and an upper annular portion  116 , and the upper annular portion  116  has an outer diameter OD 1  that is larger than an outer diameter OD 2  of the lower annular portion  114 . The outer diameter OD 2  of the lower annular portion  114  is smaller than an inner diameter ID of the brush receiver  70 , so that the lower annular portion  114  may slide into the brush receiver  70 , preferably in a snug, frictional engagement. Furthermore, the outer diameter OD 1  of the upper annular portion  116  of the tubular base  102  may be greater than the inner diameter ID of the brush receiver  70 , so that the end  83  of the brush receiver  70  abuts a step  118  in the tubular base  102  between the lower annular portion  114  and the upper annular portion  116 . In this position, the brush conduit  106  is adjacent and coaxially aligned with the aperture  78  of the separator wall  76  so that the nail polish is effectively directed into the disposable applicator brush  100 . 
     For purposes of this application, the term “nail polish” is hereby defined to include any form of nail polish, nail lacquer, gloss, clear coat, gel, conditioner, or other liquid that a user may want to apply to finger nails or toe nails of a person or animal. 
       FIG. 4  is a sectional view similar to  FIG. 2 , although illustrating the combination  10  full of the nail polish  12 , and being actuated to a dispensing configuration. As illustrated in  FIG. 4 , once the buttons  92  are pressed together (or the combination  10  is otherwise actuated), the dispenser mechanism  50  is moved downwardly to depress the valve  24 , and release the nail polish  12  from the container  20 . The nail polish  12  flows upwardly through the dispenser mechanism  50  and into the disposable applicator brush  100 . The bristles  110  of the disposable applicator brush  100  are used to apply the nail polish  12  to the nails of the person. 
     As shown in  FIG. 4 , the nail polish  12  remains within the flexible bag  28 , and is not exposed to air until it is dispensed. This enables the nail polish  12  to maintain optimum viscosity and not dry out over time. The “bag on valve” technology enables the combination  10  to exclude propellants, which may be flammable. 
     As used in this application, the words “a,” “an,” and “one” are defined to include one or more of the referenced item unless specifically stated otherwise. Also, the terms “have,” “include,” “contain,” and similar terms are defined to mean “comprising” unless specifically stated otherwise. Furthermore, the terminology used in the specification provided above is hereby defined to include similar and/or equivalent terms, and/or alternative embodiments that would be considered obvious to one skilled in the art given the teachings of the present patent application.