Patent Publication Number: US-9894982-B1

Title: Cosmetic applicator

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The invention relates to cosmetic applicators and more particularly to a cosmetic applicator including a hollow cylinder for allowing lotion to fill in a sponge of a dispensing member, and a check valve in the cylinder to prevent the lotion from flowing back, the dispensing member having a plurality of perforations for applying the lotion to the body of an individual in which the hand of the individual may not contact the sticky lotion in the application operation. 
     2. Description of Related Art 
     Conventionally, an individual may squeeze some lotion out of a flexible cosmetic container on one hand, apply the same on the body with the other hand, and uniformly rub the body with the lotion by using finger(s). 
     However, the appropriate volume of the squeezed out lotion can be only controlled by experience. It is often that excess lotion is squeezed out to cause waste or less lotion is squeezed out, i.e., multiple squeezing operations being required. 
     Thus, the need for improvement still exists. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is therefore one object of the invention to provide a cosmetic applicator comprising a dispensing member including a space, a plurality of perforations on a first surface, an opening on a second surface communicating with the space, the second surface being opposite to the first surface, and an externally extending rim formed around the opening; a sponge disposed in the space; a central shaft seat including an annular base disposed in the opening, an annular lip formed on the base and supported by the rim, and a hollow cylinder spaced from the lip, the cylinder having an axial channel extending from a first end to a second end adjacent to the base; a first half housing including a curved trough adjacent to a bottom; a second half housing including a curved trough adjacent to a bottom wherein the lip is fastened in the troughs of the first and second half housings, the first and second half housings complementarily secured together, and the central shaft seat is fastened in the first and second half housings; a check valve disposed in the channel; and a cap including a hollow stem partially disposed in the channel. The hollow stem is fastened on an extension of the check valve and the hollow stem is partially disposed in the channel. 
     The invention has the following advantages and benefits in comparison with the conventional art: lotion can be filled in the sponge via the hollow cylinder. The lotion may permeate in the sponge. In use, an individual may repeatedly press the perforations of the dispensing member onto the body of the individual to apply the lotion thereonto for rubbing purpose. The hand of the individual may not contact the sticky lotion in the application operation, thereby solving the conventional problem of squeezing lotion out of a flexible cosmetic container with one hand, applying same on the body with the other hand, and uniformly rubbing the body with the lotion by using finger(s). The base of the central shaft seat is disposed in the opening of the dispensing member. The lip is disposed on the base. The rim of the dispensing member is disposed in the troughs of the first and second half housings. Thus, the dispensing member, the central shaft seat and the first and second half housings are fastened together. The lotion in the sponge is prevented from a joining portion of the dispensing member and the central shaft seat. The dispensing member is made of thermoplastic material. The dispensing member may return to its original shape after repeatedly pressing same in the application operation. 
     The above and other objects, features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description taken with the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a cosmetic applicator according to the invention; 
         FIG. 2  is an exploded view of the cosmetic applicator; 
         FIG. 2A  is a perspective view of the dispensing member showing its perforations; 
         FIG. 3  is a longitudinal sectional view of the cosmetic applicator; 
         FIG. 3A  is a sectional view taken along line A-A of  FIG. 3 ; 
         FIG. 3B  is a sectional view taken along line B-B of  FIG. 3 ; 
         FIG. 4  schematically depicts a content filling operation of the cosmetic applicator; and 
         FIG. 5  is a partially broken away view of the cosmetic applicator. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1 to 5 , a cosmetic applicator in accordance with the invention comprises the following components as discussed in detail below. 
     A dispensing member  10  includes a plurality of perforations  16  on one surface, an internal space  14 , an opening  12  on the other surface communicating with the space  14 , and an externally extending rim  11  formed around the opening  12 , the bottom of the rim  11  being spaced from the other surface. 
     A sponge  18  is provided in the space  14 . 
     A central shaft seat  20  includes an annular base  26  disposed in the opening  12 , an annular lip  24  formed on the top of the base  26  and supported by the rim  11 , and a central hollow cylinder  22  spaced from the lip  24  and having a neck  222  on the top and a channel  221  extending from the neck  222  to the bottom adjacent to the base  26 . 
     Preferably, the cylinder  22 , the lip  24 , and the base  26  are formed integrally. 
     A first half housing  31  is a curved member and has a smaller intermediate portion and two larger upper and lower portions in which the lower portion is larger than the upper portion. The first half housing  31  includes a positioning member  34  formed on an inner surface, a curved member  38  on an edge of the positioning member  34 , a protrusion  39  above the positioning member  34 , a curved trough  36  adjacent to the bottom, and two recesses  312  along two opposite ends of the surface respectively. A second half housing  32  is complementary to the first half housing  31 . In detail, the second half housing  32  is a curved member and has a smaller intermediate portion and two larger upper and lower portions in which the lower portion is larger than the upper portion. The second half housing  32  includes a positioning member  34  formed on an inner surface, a curved member  38  on an edge of the positioning member  34 , a protrusion  39  above the positioning member  34 , a curved trough  36  adjacent to the bottom, and two projections  322  along two opposite ends of the surface respectively. After being assembled, the projections  322  are fitted in the recesses  312  to fasten the first and second half housings  31  and  32  together. Further, the rim  11  is fastened in the troughs  36 . Furthermore, the neck  222  is fastened by the curved members  38 . Additionally, the lip  24  is fastened by the tops of the troughs  36 . 
     A check valve  40  is provided in the channel  221  and includes a smaller lower end  401  disposed in a smaller lower end of the channel  221  and being in close proximity to the base  26 , and an extension  402  on a top portion thereof. 
     In one embodiment, a cap  50  includes an annular latch  59  on the bottom edge, the latch  59  being secured to the protrusions  39  to fasten the cap  50  and the first and second half housings  31  and  32  together, and a hollow stem  52  on a central portion of the bottom, the hollow stem  52  disposed in an upper half portion of the channel  221  and fastened on the extension  402  of the check valve. The hollow stem  52  together with the extension  402  and the check valve  40  are disposed in the channel  221 . That is, the hollow stem  52  is disposed between the extension  402  and the check valve  40 . Preferably, the neck  222  has an outer diameter less than that of the cylinder  22 . 
     Preferably, the first and second half housing  31  and  32  are formed integrally. More preferably, the first and second half housing  31  and  32  are formed integrally by means of ultrasonic welding. 
     Preferably, the central shaft seat  20  and the first and second half housing  31  and  32  are formed integrally. 
     Preferably, the check valve  40  and the cap  50  are formed integrally. 
     As shown in  FIGS. 2, 3, 3A and 3B  specifically, an outer diameter of the lip  24  is greater than that of the base  26 . An outer diameter of the base  26  is less than a diameter of the opening  12 . Thus, the base  26  can be fitted in the opening  12  when the central shaft seat  20  and the dispensing member  10  are assembled. The bottom of the lip  24  is disposed upon the rim  11 . The bottom of the hollow stem  52  is disposed on a shoulder between the extension  402  and the check valve  40  so that the inner annular surface of the hollow stem  52  abuts against the outer annular surface of the extension  402 . 
     As shown in  FIGS. 2 and 4  specifically, after the first and second half housing  31  and  32 , the central shaft seat  20 , and the dispensing member  10  are assembled, in a filling operation an individual may squeeze a flexible cosmetic container (not numbered) to dispense contents (e.g., lotion)  62  of the cosmetic container into the space  14  to be absorbed by the sponge  18  via the channel  221  and the opening  12 . The lotion  62  may permeate in the sponge  18 . After the filling, the individual may install the check valve  40  in the channel  221  to block the cylinder  22  with the lower end  401  disposed in the smaller lower end of the channel  221  and being in close proximity to the sponge  18 . Finally, the individual may close the top of the cosmetic applicator by disposing the cap  50  onto the first and second half housing  31  and  32  with the hollow stem  52  partially inserted into the channel  201  to dispose between the cylinder  22  and the extension  402 , thereby causing the hollow stem  52  and the check valve  40  to block the channel  201 , i.e., closing the cosmetic applicator. 
     It is noted that the dispensing member  10  is made of thermoplastic material or the like. Thus, the dispensing member  10  is flexible in nature. In use, the individual may hold the curved portions of the first and second half housing  31  and  32  and repeatedly press the surface of the dispensing member  10  having the perforations  16  onto the body of the individual to squeeze the lotion  62  out of the sponge  18 . Finally, the lotion  62  flows through the perforations  16  to apply to the body of the individual to be rubbed. 
     As shown in  FIGS. 4 and 5  specifically, a flexible cover  60  is put on the dispensing member  10  to enclose the dispensing member  10  including the perforations  16 . Thus, the lotion  62  can be uniformly spread out through the perforations  16 . The flexible cover  60  is usually made of powder puff. 
     While the invention has been described in terms of preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art will recognize that the invention can be practiced with modifications within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.