Abstract:
A dual purpose fluid container for an integrated makeup kit, particularly an integrated nail makeup kit, wherein the nail polish, polish applicator brush, nail polish remover solvent, and nail polish remover pads are combined in a size and shape that is easily carried in a modestly sized purse or handbag, but which can quickly and easily be separated into a conventional nail polish applicator bottle with brush, and a jar containing a plurality of nail polish remover pads saturated with solvent. When separated, each of the bottle and jar can rest on a flat surface, or be readily held in one&#39;s hand, such that each can be used independently of the other, in any sequence or order, without danger of spillage or mutual contamination. In one embodiment, a removable cover is positionable to separate the nail polish remover pads from external environments, including the nail polish applicator bottle when the bottle and jar are attached.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
       [0001]    This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/035,204, filed Jan. 13, 2005, the contents of which are herein incorporated by reference in their entirety. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The present invention is directed to personal makeup products, and in particular, to an improved nail polish applicator. 
         [0003]    For many years women have purchased bottles of nail polish having a cap with brush wand, which enables them to colorize their nails in the convenience of their homes while also permitting them to take the bottle with them it in a purse or the like, for touch up as needed while outside the home. However, the proper application of nail polish for achieving a smooth, glossy finish, requires that all polish previously applied to the nails be fully removed. While at home, a woman will typically have a separate bottle of nail polish removing solvent and abrasive pads for this purpose. 
         [0004]    Whereas carrying a nail polish bottle in a purse for touch up does not represent a significant inconvenience, having only the nail polish available for use outside the home limits the circumstances under which the polish can be effectively applied outside the home. Most women would not go to the trouble of placing a nail polish bottle, a polish remover bottle, and a package of removal pads into what in current times is frequently a very modestly sized purse. 
         [0005]    For many women, especially those who are outside the home for long periods during the day and must look their best throughout the day, the maintenance of perfectly defined, smooth, shiny nail coloring is an ongoing nuisance. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0006]    Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention, to provide a dual purpose fluid container for an integrated makeup kit, particularly an integrated nail makeup kit, wherein the nail polish, polish applicator brush, nail polish remover solvent, and nail polish remover pads are combined in a size and shape that is easily carried in a modestly sized purse or handbag, but which can quickly and easily be separated into a conventional nail polish applicator bottle with brush, and a jar containing a plurality of nail polish remover pads saturated with solvent. 
         [0007]    When separated, each of the bottle and jar can rest on a flat surface, or be readily held in one&#39;s hand, such that each can be used independently of the other, in any sequence or order, without danger of spillage or mutual contamination. 
         [0008]    In another embodiment of the disclosed dual purpose fluid container, a fluid impermeable removable cover is positionable between the saturated nail polish remover pads and the nail polish applicator bottle. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0009]    The preferred embodiments of the invention will be described in further detail with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which: 
           [0010]      FIG. 1  is an elevation view of the integrated, dual purpose bottle and makeup kit, in the fully closed condition as would be carried in a hand bag or the like; 
           [0011]      FIG. 2  is a section view of the integrated dual purpose makeup kit in the fully closed condition corresponding to  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0012]      FIG. 3  is an exploded section view of  FIG. 2 ; 
           [0013]      FIG. 4  shows the separated bottles or jars each resting on a flat surface that facilitates independent use; 
           [0014]      FIG. 5  is a section view of another embodiment of the dual purpose makeup kit in the fully closed condition; and 
           [0015]      FIG. 6  is an exploded section view of  FIG. 5 . 
       
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
       [0016]      FIGS. 1-4  show a dual purpose fluid container in the form of an integrated nail makeup kit comprising an upper container  10  and a lower container  12 , which define an upper chamber  14  and a lower chamber  16 , respectively. The upper container  10  would typically have a cylindrical sidewall  18  and a circular bottom wall  20  which fluidly isolates the upper chamber  14  and from the lower chamber  16 . The lower end or base of the upper container  10  at bottom wall  20  preferably has a flange or rim  22  with internal threads that mate with external threads on a neck  24  that extends from an annular shoulder at the periphery of the upper end of the lower container  12 . 
         [0017]    The upper container  10  has an access aperture  26  formed as a bore through an externally threaded neck  28  extending from the top wall. In the preferred product as marketed to consumers, the upper chamber  14  is substantially filled with one form of makeup fluid  30 , in particular, nail polish. The lower chamber  16  holds a different form of makeup that would be used in conjunction with the makeup in the upper chamber. In particular, the lower chamber holds a plurality of pads  36  saturated with any conventional solvent for nail polish. The lower container  12  preferably has a substantially cylindrical sidewall  32  and flat circular bottom wall  34 . The top need not have an upper wall, but rather is preferably open. The bottom wall  20  of the upper container  10  completes the encapsulation of the chamber  16  and thus maintains fluid isolation between chambers  14  and  16  when the upper and lower containers are secured together at the threaded interface  22 ,  24 . 
         [0018]    Because the solvent in the lower chamber  16  is typically highly volatile, a secure seal should be formed at the confronting surfaces of the lower side of the wall  20  against the rim of the neck  24  of the lower container  12 , or at the tight engagement of the threaded interface  22 ,  24 . For example, a resilient annular gasket or the like could be glued to the rim of the neck  28  of container  12 , or the entire underside of the bottom wall  20  could be formed of a resilient gasket material. Moreover, a resilient O-ring  33  could also be located at the confronting surfaces at the bottom of the rim  22  of the upper container  10  and the shoulder at the upper periphery of the lower container  12 . One of ordinary skill in the art could readily design these confronting components in relation to the engagement of the threads to assure that the threads to not engage to the limit before the seal is effectuated. 
         [0019]    The cap  38  has a cylindrical or substantially frustoconical handle  40  that is partially hollow such that a stem or wand  42  extends longitudinally from within the handle to a polish applicator brush or the like  44 . At the base of the handle  40 , internal threads  46  are provided at a diameter for engaging the external threads on neck  28 , in a manner that is typical of conventional nail polish bottles. 
         [0020]    As may be appreciated from  FIGS. 2 and 3 , the threaded brush cap  38  is selectively attachable to the neck  28  for opening and closing the aperture  26 . The brush  44  enters the chamber  14 , which encloses a first working volume, when the cap is attached to the neck and is entirely removed from the first working volume when the cap is detached from the neck. The lower chamber  16  partially encloses a second working volume such that when the threads  22 ,  24  are engaged the top  48  of the lower chamber  16  is closed by the bottom wall  20  of the upper chamber and when the threads are disengaged the lower container  12  separates from the upper container  10  whereby the second working volume is exposed through the open top  48 . Clearly, whether the containers  10 ,  12  are secured together as in  FIG. 1  or detached as in  FIG. 3  or  4 , the working volume  14 ,  16  and thus the nail polish  30  and the polish remover pads  36  are always isolated from each other. 
         [0021]    It should be appreciated that the composite makeup kit, particularly the combination of nail polish applicator bottle  10  and nail polish removal jar  12 , can readily be grasped in the hands and detached from each other for use, as shown in  FIGS. 2 and 4 .  FIG. 4  shows one subsequent step by which the user has placed the upper container or bottle  10  on a flat surface for ready access to the brush cap  38  while the other container or jar  12  for the saturated pads  36  is on the same flat surface nearby. The base of each container  10 ,  12  should be flat or effectively flat for this purpose. Because the solvent that saturates the pads  36  is volatile, the user may wish to remove one or two pads  36 , and then reassemble the containers  10 ,  12  before using the pads for removing previously applied polish from a portion of one nail, one entire nail, or all nails in the fingers of one hand. The cap  38  can then be removed from the upper container for applying polish while the pads  36  remain in a fluidly sealed environment. 
         [0022]    It should also be appreciated that the number of nails from which polish can be removed by the inventory of pads  36  in chamber  16 , may differ from the number of nails that can be polished by the inventory of polish  30  in upper chamber  14 . This difference would most likely occur because all the pads  36  would be utilized before all of the polish  30 , or, due to the volatility of the solvent, some of the pads would become ineffective for removing polish. If the latter condition occurs, the user at her convenience at home, could easily detach the upper and lower containers  10 ,  12  and pour solvent into chamber  16  through the open end  48  thereby replenishing the effectiveness of the pads. Furthermore, replacement pads can be made available as an after market item, provided they have the same area foot print as the cross section of the chamber  16 . 
         [0023]    Although many configurations of the upper container  10  and lower container  12  and their inter-engagement are within the scope of the present invention, in the preferred embodiment, the overall shape is cylindrical with a length of the composite bottle (without cap) of approximately 24 inches, and an outer diameter or equivalent cross sectional dimension between opposed walls in the range of about 1-2 inches. The overall axial length of the upper container  10  and the lower container  12  are about equal and in most instances would not differ by more than a 60%-40% ratio. For an example with reference to  FIG. 1 , the overall height h 1  of the lower bottle is preferably 1.0-1.5 inch, the overall height h 2  of the upper bottle including cap is preferably 2.0-2.5 inch, and the outer diameter d is about 1.5 inch. The cross section would typically be circular, but other cross sectional shapes such as oval, rectangular, or other polygon are also possible. It is not necessary that the cross sectional shape of the upper and lower containers  10 ,  12  or working volumes  14 ,  16  be identical. As a practical matter, the diameter of chamber  16  or similar cross dimension of a non-circular chamber, should be large enough to receive a pad that is large enough (e.g., at least ¾ in diameter) to be easily used for removing previously applied polish. 
         [0024]      FIGS. 5 and 6  depict another embodiment of the dual purpose fluid container kit. This embodiment also comprises an upper container  50  defining an upper chamber  54 , and a lower container  52  defining a lower chamber  56 . The upper container  50  and lower container  52  can be formed generally identical to the upper and lower containers,  10  and  12 , in the previously disclosed embodiments. Preferably, the lower end or base of the upper container  50  at the bottom wall  58  has an externally threaded rim  60  configured to mate with the internal threads on the neck  62  of the lower container  52 . Preferably, both of the upper and lower bottom walls,  58  and  59 , are effectively flat. 
         [0025]    As in the previous embodiments, the upper container  50  has an access aperture  64  formed as a bore through an externally threaded neck  66  extending from the top wall  68 . The upper chamber is configured to receive a longitudinally extending applicator wand attached to a frustoconical handle (represented collectively as reference numeral  78  in  FIG. 6 ). Preferably, the upper chamber  54  holds makeup, such as nail polish, and the lower chamber  56  holds a plurality of pads  68  saturated with nail polish solvent. 
         [0026]    Unlike the embodiment of  FIGS. 1-4 , this embodiment has a removable impermeable cover  70  that is positionable within the inner boundaries of the lower container side wall  74 . The cover  70  is a fluid-impermeable unit that is configured to isolate the pads and solvent in the lower chamber  52  from the external environment, including the bottom wall  58  of the upper container when the container kit is in the closed condition ( FIG. 5 ). The cover  70  is generally circular and defines an outer radial edge and top and bottom surfaces. The top surface is preferably fit with a manually gripable dome shaped handle  76 . As depicted, the outer radial edge of the cover  70  comprises a pair of flexible lips  72 . Thus, when engaged, the cup seal isolates the solvent and pads from the external environment, including the outer surface of the bottom wall  58 . 
         [0027]    In an alternate embodiment, the lips can be configured to engage an O-ring or like unit to enhance the isolation between the pads and the outer environment (not shown). When the cup seal  70  is positioned within the lower cavity  56  above the pads  68 , the O-ring is compressed by the side wall  74 , resulting in effective pressure on the inner surface of the side wall  74 . 
         [0028]    Similar to the  FIGS. 1-4  embodiment, a user can detach the nail polish applicator bottle  50  and nail polish removal jar  52 . Due to the effective flatness of the respective bottom walls,  58  and  59 , the applicator bottle and nail polish removal jar can each be placed on a relatively flat surface, such as a tabletop, for use. A user can grip the handle  76  and lift the cover  70  to expose the pads  68 , remove a pad, and then replace the cover within the lower cavity above the pads, re-sealing the pads and solvent from the open air. 
         [0029]    The cover  70  prevents nail polish removing solvent that is present in the lower chamber  56  from depositing on the bottom surface of the upper container  50  when the kit is in the closed condition. Accidental damage of a tabletop or like furniture with finish-removing solvent during use of the makeup kit is therefore avoided. Additionally, the cover  70  reduces or prevents evaporation of the typically highly volatile solvent while the kit is in use without requiring the user to re-attach the upper and lower chambers.