Patent Publication Number: US-8979412-B2

Title: Tip unit for a cosmetic applicator

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application claims priority of Taiwanese Application No. 100212580, filed on Jul. 8, 2011. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The invention relates to a tip unit for a cosmetic applicator. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     A conventional cosmetic applicator, such as an eyeliner brush, has a handle portion and a hair portion. There are several types of eyeliner, one of which is liquid eyeliner, and another of which is non-liquid eyeliner (e.g., powder eyeliner). 
     To apply liquid eyeliner, the hair portion must first be soaked with liquid eyeliner from such as a liquid dispensing chamber in the handle portion. To apply non-liquid eyeliner (e.g., powder eyeliner), the hair portion must first be dipped in non-liquid eyeliner. 
     However, regardless of the type of eyeliner, since the hair portion is generally made of strands of fine hair, the hair portion may suffer from loss and splitting of hair, and, on the other hand, may be too soft, rendering uniform application of eyeliner difficult. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Therefore, the object of the present invention is to provide a tip unit of a cosmetic applicator that is durable and easy to use. 
     Accordingly, a tip unit of a cosmetic applicator, the cosmetic applicator having an elongated hollow body that contains liquid cosmetics, comprises: 
     a tube portion having a surrounding wall that has a connecting end adapted to be connected to the hollow body of the cosmetic applicator and a distal end opposite to the connecting end along a longitudinal axis; and 
     a tip portion extending from the distal end of the surrounding wall of the tube portion along the longitudinal axis, configured to have a star-shaped cross section, and tapering away to a point. The tip portion defines a passage space that is adapted to contain the liquid cosmetics advanced from the hollow body of the cosmetic applicator through the tube portion, and has 
     a plurality of outwardly-projecting blade segments that are flexible and that are interposed between the distal end of the surrounding wall of the tube portion and the point, 
     a plurality of guiding grooves, each being defined between a corresponding adjacent pairs of the blade segments, and 
     a plurality of slits, each spatially communicating the passage space with a respective one of the guiding grooves, and being enlargeable when the tip portion is deformed so as to permit flow of the liquid eyeliner from the passage space to the respective one of the guiding grooves therethrough. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent in the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment with reference to the accompanying drawings, of which: 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of a tip unit for a cosmetic applicator, according to the invention; 
         FIG. 2  is an exploded perspective view of the cosmetic applicator; 
         FIG. 3  is a bottom view to illustrate the tip unit; 
         FIG. 4  is a fragmentary sectional view of the cosmetic applicator; and 
         FIG. 5  is a fragmentary perspective view to illustrate the tip unit. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     As shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , a preferred embodiment of a tip unit  1  according to the present invention is a component of a cosmetic applicator  2 . The applicator  2  includes: an elongated hollow body  21  containing liquid cosmetic (e.g., liquid eyeliner); a guiding unit  22  that interconnects the hollow body  21  and the tip unit  1  for introducing the liquid cosmetic from the hollow body  21  into the tip unit  1 ; a hollow frustoconical holding unit  23  that has a first open end connected to the hollow body  21 , and a second open end smaller than the first open end and opposite to the first open end along a longitudinal axis  13 ; and a cap unit  24  for capping the tip unit  1  and the holding unit  23  when the cosmetic applicator  2  is not in use. 
     The tip unit  1  includes a tube portion  11  and a tip portion  12  that are fluidly connected to each other and that are, in this embodiment, integrally made of thermoplastic polyester elastomer (TPEE). 
     Referring to  FIG. 4 , the tube portion  11  has a surrounding wall  112  that is disposed concentric to the longitudinal axis  13  and that defines a passage  111  in fluid communication with the hollow body  21 , and that has a connecting end  110  adapted to be connected to the guiding unit  22  (see  FIG. 2 ), and a distal end  114  opposite to the connecting end  110  along the longitudinal axis  13 . The tube portion  11  further has a flange  113  that extends radially and outwardly from the connecting end  110  of the surrounding wall  112  for engaging the second open end of the holding unit  23  (see  FIG. 2 ). The passage  111  has a converging portion  115  proximate to and converging toward the distal end  114 . The guiding unit  22  has a guiding tube  221  extending into the passage  111  through another end of the passage  111 , that is opposite to the converging portion  115 , for introducing the liquid cosmetic from the hollow body  21  into the tip unit  1  (see  FIG. 2 ). 
     Further referring to  FIGS. 3 to 5 , the tip portion  12  extends away from the distal end  114  of the surrounding wall  112  of the tube portion  11  along the longitudinal axis  13 , is configured with a substantially star-shaped cross section, and tapers away to a point  120 . The tip portion  12  defines a passage space for passage of the liquid cosmetic from the guiding tube  221  therethrough, and has: a plurality of blade segments  121  that are flexible and that tapers away from the distal end  114  of the surrounding wall  112  toward the point  120 ; a plurality of guiding grooves  122 , each of which is defined between a corresponding pair of the blade segments  121 ; and a plurality of slits  123  adjacent to the distal end  114  of the surrounding wall  112 . 
     Specifically, each blade segment  121  has a pair of guiding surfaces  126  that face away from each other. For each of the corresponding pair of the blade segments  121 : a guiding groove  122  is defined between a corresponding one of the guiding surfaces  126  of one of the blade segments  121  and a corresponding one of the guiding surfaces  126  of the other of the blade segments  121 ; and a slit  123  is formed between the blade segments  121  and proximate to the distal end  114  of the tube portion  11  for fluidly communicating the passage space and the corresponding guiding groove  122 . 
     In this embodiment, each of the slits  123  has a predetermined width that is sufficiently small (e.g., 0.05 millimeters) to prevent flow of the liquid cosmetic from the passage space into the corresponding guiding groove  122  therethrough. During use of the applicator  2 , as the tip portion  12  is depressed against a surface (e.g., the skin), some of the slits  123  are expanded to permit flow of the liquid cosmetic from the passage space into the corresponding guiding grooves  122  therethrough. 
     Clumps of the liquid cosmetic formed in the guiding grooves  122  may be easily washed away with water. 
     In summary, since the tip unit  1  is integrally formed, the tip unit  1  is relatively durable and does not suffer from the drawbacks of the prior art. Moreover, since the blade segments  121  are made of TPEE, which is vastly different from the hair portion of the prior art in terms of resilience, the blade segments  121  may be easier to use in certain applications. 
     While the present invention has been described in connection with what is considered the most practical and preferred embodiment, it is understood that this invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiment but is intended to cover various arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and equivalent arrangements.