Patent Publication Number: US-2013234351-A1

Title: Makeup Restoring Kit and Method

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This Non-Provisional application is a continuation of co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/106,289, filed on May 12, 2011, which is incorporated herein in its entirety. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates generally to re-solidification of cosmetic powder to produce a block of powder, and more particularly, to a kit and method for re-solidifying and restoring a broken pressed powder cake within the original compact case. 
     BACKGROUND INFORMATION 
     Liquefiable powders can be solidified to form firm powder cakes or blocks, such as are commonly sold in makeup compacts as pressed powder. A powder cake packaged in a compact provides advantages for the consumer. The powder cake provides convenient spill resistance and portability; it can be easily slipped into a purse, pocket, makeup bag or suitcase. Also, opening the compact and applying the powder from the powder cake is less messy than opening and applying loose powder. Additionally, the pressed powder cakes are offered in numerous particular compositions formulated to meet the needs of consumers of varying skin types and ages, to provide light or heavy coverage, to include sunscreen, to diffuse light, to coordinate with any of a variety of foundation types, and to address other similar cosmetic demands. The compact case itself addresses other needs of the consumer; the interior may provide a beneficial mirror while the exterior look may create a fashion statement. Powder cakes offer the consumer easy containment and application of powders; merely touching a fingertip or brush to the dry, firm powder cake allows transfer of visible powder of the particular formulation to the skin. Thus, a powder cake having a specific composition contained within a stylish, useful compact case offers distinct benefits to the makeup wearer who, as a result, is often willing to pay a considerable price to obtain a pressed powder compact that meets the needs of her skin type while enhancing the finished look of her applied makeup. 
     However, the transportability of pressed powder compacts leads to one disadvantage. Due to the punishment incurred during the continual jostling and bumping while being carried in bags, pockets and purses, the powder cake often cracks or breaks into fragmented pieces, rendering it unusable for its intended purpose. It is wasteful and disheartening to discard the broken powder cake, particularly because of the significant initial and replacement cost. Highly desirable would be a means of re-solidifying and restoring the unusable broken pressed powder block to form a solid, uniformly hardened powder cake in the original compact. 
     The process used by the cosmetic industry in initially forming the powder cake is, however, well beyond that which can be accomplished in a practical manner by an individual user of the pressed powder compact. The manufacturer selects the appropriate ingredients for the particular composition formulated to meet the needs of the individual user. The selected ingredients are then blended into a mixture that is treated by methods well known in the cosmetic industry; often a wet putty is created that is then dried and compacted under specific pressures to form a firm cake. The manufacture of the powder cake requires enormous outlays for machinery able to adequately handle the huge quantities involved in such large-scale production. Thus, while using machinery utilized in the initial creation of the cake-type makeup product is not within reach of the individual consumer, the fragments of the broken powder cake still contain the appropriate ingredients, in the correct proportion, for the composition formulated to meet the particular needs of the individual user. Therefore, a consumer-friendly system and method to re-solidify the fragments into a usable cake-type makeup product in the original compact is desirable. 
     In an attempt to address this desire to restore the powder cake to usefulness, U.S. Pat. No. 6,358,448 to Green et al. presents a device to process the fragmented pieces of the powder cake through a processor-mounted mesh to reduce the random-sized pieces of makeup to intermediate particles of a size appropriate for agglomeration into the block of usable makeup. Then a charge of intermediate particles is placed in a compression chamber in a mold member or tray supported by the mold member holder. A ram member is movable longitudinally into the compression chamber for compressing the charge of intermediate particles passed from the mesh member into the compression chamber to agglomerate the intermediate particles of the charge into the block of usable makeup, with the block compressed into a provided mold tray. Though the Green et al. device would apparently be significantly less costly than large-scale manufacturing equipment, it nevertheless does not appear to be inexpensive with its numerous precision manufactured pieces. But importantly, while the apparatus described by Green et al. may be effective to compress fragments into a solid block in the provided mold tray, the mold tray is not designed to fit within the original compact. Thus a portion of the usefulness and cachet of the original pressed powder compact is lost. 
     Currently no kit or set is available that provides an individual cosmetic user with the tools and method to recover the broken fragments of a pressed powder block and to efficiently restore the unusable fragments to a solid, dry, firm powder cake. Accordingly, there is an established need for a convenient, portable, makeup restoring kit and method of use. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is directed to a convenient makeup restoring kit and method that allows an individual consumer to easily and economically re-solidify the fragments of broken powder fragments into a usable solid block within the original compact case. 
     The makeup restoring kit includes an alcohol dispenser for adding alcohol to the broken fragments, a mixing/smoothing implement for blending the powder fragments with the alcohol to achieve a putty-like slurry and to smooth the top of the blended slurry, and a cleaning implement to clean the edges and/or grooves of the original compact case. Optional additions to the kit include a stamping implement, a soiled item repository, and a receptacle for conveniently transporting the makeup restoring kit. 
     An object of the present invention is to provide a makeup restoring kit that conveniently re-solidifies the fragments of a broken powder cake. 
     A further object of the present invention is to provide a makeup restoring kit that is easy for a consumer to use. 
     Another object of the present invention is to provide a makeup restoring kit that is space efficient for storage or transport. 
     An additional object of the present invention is to provide a makeup restoring kit that reduces waste by converting the unusable broken fragments into a usable form. 
     A further object of the present invention is to provide a makeup restoring kit that saves the consumer money compared to replacing the powder compact. 
     These and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more readily apparent from the attached drawings and from the detailed description of the preferred embodiments, which follow. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The preferred embodiments of the invention will hereinafter be described in conjunction with the appended drawings, provided to illustrate and not to limit the invention, where like designations denote like implements, and in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view showing a broken powder cake in a compact case, presenting the problem to be addressed; 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view showing a first embodiment of the makeup restoring kit of the present invention; 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view showing a second embodiment of the makeup restoring kit of the present invention; 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective view showing a third preferred embodiment of the makeup restoring kit of the present invention; 
         FIG. 5  is a perspective view showing the third preferred embodiment of the makeup restoring kit of the present invention within a receptacle suitable for storage and transport; 
         FIG. 6  is a perspective view showing the step of gathering the broken fragments of the method of use of the makeup restoring kit of the present invention; 
         FIG. 7  is a perspective view showing the step of blending the alcohol dampened fragments with the mixing implement to form a putty-like slurry of the method of use of the makeup restoring kit of the present invention; 
         FIG. 8  is a perspective view showing the step of using a smoothing implement to smooth the top surface of the putty-like slurry of the method of use of the makeup restoring kit of the present invention; 
         FIG. 9  is a perspective view showing the completed restoration of the powder cake after mixing, smoothing, cleaning, imprinting and drying using the method of use of the makeup restoring kit of the present invention; 
         FIG. 10  is a flowchart illustrating steps in a first method of use of the makeup restoring kit of the present invention; 
         FIG. 11  is a flowchart illustrating steps in a second method of use of the makeup restoring kit of the present invention; and 
         FIG. 12  is a flowchart illustrating steps in a third method of use of the makeup restoring kit of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     Like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views of the drawings. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Shown throughout the figures, the present invention is directed toward a makeup restoring kit and method of use for re-solidifying fragments of broken powder cake into a solid, usable block of powder. The re-solidification process is simple, practical and economical enough to be performed by the individual consumer. The implements of the kit are small and easy to store, ready for use when the need for use occurs due to breakage. The powder cake is reformed into the generally non-removable powder tray in the original decorative compact case. 
     The makeup restoring kit of the present invention includes a dispenser suitable for dispensing alcohol onto the broken fragments, a mixing/smoothing implement adapted to blend the fragments with the alcohol to create an alcohol-powder mixture and to smooth the top of the alcohol-powder mixture, and a cleaning implement to clean the edges of the compact case. Any combination of the kit elements are within the scope of the invention. For example, one tool may serve multiple purposes and/or multiple implements of one type may be included (such as including multiple cleaning implements to address various cleaning situations). All of the implements are sized appropriately for use with a standard compact case, as illustrated. The small size of the implements allows them to be conveniently sold, stored, transported and kept ready for use within a suitable attractive storage receptacle. 
     Three exemplary embodiments are presented, a first preferred embodiment ( FIG. 2 ), a second embodiment ( FIG. 3 ), and a third embodiment ( FIGS. 4-5 ). Steps in the method of use of the makeup restoring kit are illustrated in  FIGS. 6-9 . Method steps are presented in  FIGS. 10-12 . 
       FIG. 1  presents an example of broken powder cake fragments  50  held within a powder tray  19  non-removably attached to a conventional compact case  20 , such as might be encountered upon opening a compact case  20  that has been dropped or jostled. 
       FIG. 2  illustrates the items in a first exemplary makeup restoring kit, which include a spray-type dispenser  15  containing alcohol, a flat-bottomed scoop  16 , and a brush  27 . The flat-bottomed scoop  16  serves as both a mixing and smoothing implement, while the brush  27  serves as the cleaning implement. 
     In the first embodiment, the alcohol dispenser  15  is a spray-type dispenser, preferably formed of plastic. It is preferably provided with a lid  13  to prevent accidental dispersal during transport. The alcohol dispenser  15  is configured to securely contain at least an amount of alcohol sufficient for a single repair of a broken powder cake, and preferably an amount for two to five repairs. 
     The alcohol is preferably isopropyl alcohol having a concentration of between 70-100% alcohol in water. The alcohol is used to rehydrate the broken fragments  50  and form an alcohol-powder mixture or slurry within the compact powder tray. The consumer sprays the alcohol onto the fragments while mixing with the flat-bottomed scoop  16 . Enough alcohol is added to the fragments and to any unbroken powder remaining in the compact tray until the mixture reaches the consistency of pudding or putty, as shown in  FIG. 7 . The alcohol of the alcohol-powder mixture is allowed to evaporate into the open air, reforming the solid powder cake within the powder tray of the compact case. 
     The scoop  16  preferably has a flat pan  17  with angled corners for reaching into the nooks and crevices at the edges of the powder tray to retrieve all of the pieces of the powder cake. The bottom of the flat pan  17  is smooth for using to level the top surface of the putty-like slurry, as shown in  FIG. 8 . 
     Preferably brush  27  has short and somewhat stiff bristles, allowing the consumer to brush the grooves around the rim of the powder tray to clean any residue left from the blending process. The scoop  16  and the handle of brush  27  may formed of plastic, metal, a natural material (such as wood or bamboo) or a combination of materials. Bristles  24  may be formed of a manmade material or of a natural fiber, such as animal hair. 
       FIG. 3  illustrates the items in a second exemplary kit, which include a drip-type dispenser  15  containing alcohol, a spatula  18  serving as a mixing/smoothing implement, cosmetic wedges  25  serving as the cleaning implement, and a stamp  30  serving as an imprinting implement. 
     The alcohol dispenser  15  of the second embodiment is configured with a conventional drip top  23  allowing the consumer to dispense the alcohol drop by drop onto the powder fragments  50  within the powder tray  19  until the appropriate consistency is reached. 
     The spatula  18  is shaped with a handle and a broader spreader portion  22  ( FIG. 3 ) and is configured to allow both efficient mixing and smoothing. It may be angled to allow the user to easily access the slurry within the powder tray. It may be formed similarly to an hors d&#39;oeuvre spreader, an appetizer knife, or the like. The spatula  18  may be unitarily formed of plastic, metal, or a natural material or formed of a combination of materials. Optionally the spreader portion  22  may be a stiff rubber attached to the handle portion of a different material. 
     The cosmetic wedges  25  included in the kit are the standard, disposable, triangular-shaped foam cosmetic product sold for makeup removal. A cosmetic wedge can be easily inserted into any grooves around the peripheral rim of the powder tray to remove any residual mixture. 
     The stamp  30  is preferably a plastic disk with a raised design  29 , such as the illustrated daisy design. After smoothing the top of the alcohol-powder slurry, the raised design  29  is placed on the top surface and gently pressed to leave an impression. The stamp  30  is provided in a size that will fit within a standard powder tray to enable the design  29  to imprint the top surface. 
       FIG. 4  illustrates the items in a third exemplary kit with  FIG. 5  illustrating the kit items contained within a storage and transport kit receptacle  40 . The kit of the third embodiment includes the spray-type dispenser  15  containing alcohol, the spatula  18  serving as the mixing/smoothing implement, cosmetic wedges  25  serving as the cleaning implement, a soiled item repository  34 , two imprinting implements (stamp  30  and textured absorbent paper disks  33 ), and kit receptacle  40 . 
     The paper disks  33  are formed of absorbent paper similar to thick paper towel material or filter paper; the absorbent paper includes an integral texture, word, logo, graphic design or the like. Paper disks  33  are usable to imprint a texture onto the top surface of the repaired powder cake. When placed on the top surface, the paper disk  33  may also serve to absorb a portion of the alcohol from the alcohol-powder mixture, thus decreasing drying time. As the paper disks  33  are disposable, preferably multiple disks  33  are included within the kit for multiple repairs. The textured absorbent paper disks  33  may be provided in a size sufficient to extend over the edges of a conventional powder tray, as a close fit is not necessary due to the flexibility of the paper. 
     The soiled item repository  34  is configured to receive any implement that may be soiled, and to hold the soiled implement until such a time as the implement may be discarded (such as the disposable cosmetic wedges) or may be cleaned for reuse. The inclusion of soiled item repository  34  keeps the inside of the receptacle  40  clean and minimizes cleanup. To minimize costs, the soiled item repository  34  may be a disposable plastic bag with a press closure. To minimize waste, the soiled item repository  34  may be a zippered fabric bag with a leak-proof interior coating, a small hard plastic case sized to receive the soiled implements, or a similar small container to preserve the tidiness of the kit. 
     The kit receptacle  40  may be any container, holder, canister, case or box that is suitable for receiving small implements and for carrying in a purse, bag or suitcase. Preferably the kit receptacle  40  is configured with a fastening mechanism (shown as complementary fastener components  42 ,  44  in  FIG. 5 ) that holds the kit receptacle in the closed position during transport, yet allows easy access by the consumer to the contents without the use of a tool or key. The kit receptacle  40  may be hard-side or a soft-side case. Preferably, receptacle  40  will include an aesthetically pleasing exterior to enhance the marketability of the kit and the user&#39;s enjoyment of the product. 
     The makeup restoring kit  10  may contain any combination of the above presented implements, including multiples of the same type. For instance, to give the consumer tools to address each instance of needed repair, both the spatula  18  of  FIG. 4  and the scoop  16  may be included as mixing/smoothing tools and/or both the cosmetic wedge  25  and the brush  24  may be included as cleaning tools, etc. 
       FIGS. 6 to 9  show steps in the method of using the makeup restoring kit  10  of the present invention, as described in the flowcharts of  FIGS. 10 to 12 . 
     Turning to  FIG. 10 , to use the makeup restoring kit of the present invention, alcohol is dispensed  62  from the alcohol dispenser, either by dripping from the drip top  23  ( FIG. 3 ) or, preferably, by spraying using the spray top  14  ( FIG. 2 ), onto the fragments in the powder tray  19  of the compact case  20 . The mixing implement (scoop  16 ,  FIG. 2  or spatula  18 ,  FIG. 3 ) is used to manually blend  63  the alcohol with the fragments and any unbroken segments of the original powder cake, as illustrated in  FIG. 7 . 
     The consumer may dispense  64  more alcohol, as needed to wet the powder to the consistency of pudding or putty forming an alcohol-powder mixture or slurry. The mixing implement is used to blend  65  the slurry. When all of the fragments and any unbroken segments are incorporated into the slurry, the consumer uses the mixing/smoothing implement to smooth  66  the top surface of the slurry to achieve a neat appearance. 
     The consumer may use a cleaning implement (brush  27 ,  FIG. 2 , or cosmetic wedges  25 ,  FIG. 3 ) to clean  69  any spilled slurry and any residual powder from the compact case  20  and around the rim of the powder tray  19 . The slurry is then allowed to dry with the lid  21  ( FIG. 1 ) of the compact case remaining open to allow the alcohol to evaporate. After the alcohol has evaporated, the reformation of a solid block of powder in the tray is complete and can be used for application to the skin. 
     A second method of use is illustrated in  FIG. 11 , which includes the steps of  FIG. 10  plus additional method steps that include imprinting a design while reforming the powder cake. 
     As the consumer does not know in advance that the powder cake has broken, it is easy to spill a portion of the powder fragments  50  when opening the compact case. Therefore, the fragments  50  may need to be gathered  61  into the powder case before the re-solidifying process begins, as shown in  FIG. 6 . Brush  27  may be used to push the fragments  50  onto scoop  16  with the scoop  16  used to place the spilled fragments  50  into the powder tray  19 . 
     Also, as shown in  FIG. 9 , the consumer may desire to imprint an aesthetically pleasing design  56  onto the top surface of the restored powder. The stamp  30  with the raised design  29  is placed onto the top of the slurry and gently imprinted  67 . The stamp  30  is removed  68  and the slurry within the compact tray is allowed  70  to dry. As shown in  FIG. 9 , the finished restoration will retain the imprinted image  56 . 
       FIG. 12  illustrates a method of using the makeup restoring kit with another imprinting implement using the textured absorbent paper disks  33  and with the use of an available weight. After the surface of the slurry is smoothed  66 , the absorbent paper disk  33  is placed  73  onto the top surface. A weight (an available household weight or a weight, not shown, optionally included within the kit) is placed  71  onto the absorbent paper disk  33 . A household item with a flat bottom may be used for the weight, such as a small can of food or a bottle of lotion. The weight used should be sufficiently heavy to hold the paper disk  33  firmly in place, but not so heavy as to cause the slurry to be forced out of the tray  19 . The compact case is left open and the alcohol-powder slurry is allowed  70  to air dry, allowing the alcohol to evaporate. After the alcohol has evaporated, the weight is removed  72 . Then, the paper disk  33  is removed, leaving a texture or design imprinted on the solid powder cake. The restoration of the makeup is completed, and the makeup is now ready to use. 
     From the foregoing, it will be apparent that the makeup restoring kit  10  of the current invention provides a convenient, space efficient, easy-to-use kit that conveniently re-solidifies the fragments of a broken powder cake, reducing waste and saving money by reforming a usable powder cake. 
     Since many modifications, variations and changes in detail can be made to the described preferred embodiments of the invention, it is intended that all matters in the foregoing description and shown in the accompanying drawings be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense. Thus, the scope of the invention should be determined by the appended claims and their legal equivalents.