Patent Publication Number: US-2007098480-A1

Title: Mascara tube

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
      The present invention disclosure relates to cosmetic application devices. More particularly, the invention disclosure concerns an improved mascara applicator and tube designed to make efficient use of the mascara contained within the tube.  
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART  
      Containers for cosmetics and associated applicators are provided in a variety of shapes and sizes. Moreover, specific types of cosmetics are provided in characteristic containers and have characteristic applicators, the shapes of which are dictated both by the product to be dispensed and the area of the body to which the product is applied. Mascara is typically contained in a tubular container and has a brush attached to an elongated rod, the brush and rod designed for axial insertion and retrieval within the container, the brush designed to both pick up mascara and apply it evenly to the eyelashes. A problem with standard mascara tubes is that product is typically left at the bottom of the tube, inaccessible to the brush. Another problem with mascara tubes is that much product is left on the interior surfaces of the tube.  
      U.S. Pat. No. 5,722,436 issued to Vandromme, et al. discloses an applicator assembly which can be used to apply mascara. The reservoir includes an apparatus designed to reduce axial spacing between adjacent interior surfaces in order to cause more even application of the product to the applicator. The present invention, by contrast, eliminates waste of the product by providing a twist up mechanism for twisting up product at the bottom of the reservoir. The brush is attached to an elongated rod which is relatively short allowing for the reduction of the interior length of the reservoir.  
      U.S. Pat. No. 5,636,931 issued to Gueret discloses an applicator device for applying cosmetics having a spring loaded piston element for pushing product through a narrow opening and onto an applicator element. The present invention concerns a mascara tube having a reservoir which is axially promoted by a screw operated piston. The reservoir has a frusto-conical scraping element designed to scrape product from the interior surfaces of the reservoir.  
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
      The present invention disclosure concerns an apparatus for dispensing and applying mascara. The device comprises an elongated cylindrical main body having an interior mascara container portion characterized by an axially displaceable reservoir. An applicator attached to an elongated rod can be used to apply the mascara to eyelashes. In accordance with a key aspect of the invention, the length of the elongated rod is chosen so that the applicator tip touches the bottom surface of the reservoir when the reservoir has reached the limit of its axial travel within the container. Excess mascara is scraped from both ends of the product container by scraper elements depending from both the elongated rod and the reservoir.  
      Accordingly, it is a major object of the invention to provide an apparatus for dispensing mascara having means for substantially eliminating product waste.  
      It is another object of the invention to provide a mascara dispenser and applicator which cooperate to allow for highly efficient use of the mascara product contained within the dispenser.  
      It is another object of the invention to provide a mascara dispenser and applicator having an axially displaceable reservoir for urging mascara product toward the open end of the container.  
      It is another object of the invention to provide a mascara dispenser and applicator where the length of travel of the reservoir element is a function of the length of the applicator element.  
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       FIG. 1  shows an exploded perspective view of the mascara tube of the invention with cap and applicator removed.  
       FIG. 2  shows a plan view of the mascara tube of the invention.  
       FIG. 3  shows an exploded plan view of the mascara tube with cap and applicator removed.  
       FIG. 4  shows a cross-sectional view of the mascara tube of the invention.  
       FIG. 5  shows a cross section of the mascara tube illustrating the spatial relation of the various functional elements in the tube as mascara is consumed.  
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
      Referring now to  FIGS. 1-5 , an apparatus for dispensing and applying mascara is shown. The apparatus, generally indicated by the numeral  10 , has a generally cylindrical main body portion  12 , an applicator element  14 , having a cap  16  at one end and an applicator  18  at the other end. A mascara container  20  is positioned within the main body  12  in coaxial relation thereto, the container  20  having an open end and a closed end, the closed end including means for displacing a movable reservoir  22  as will be explained in more detail later.  
      The cap  16  is designed for snap fit or frictional fit onto the open end  24  of the main body portion  12  and has an elongated rod  26  centrally attached to and extending from inside surface  28 . The elongated rod  26  includes a substantially disc shaped scraper element  29  extending radially and perpendicularly therefrom and axially centered thereon, the scraper element  29  sized for slidable sealing engagement within the interior sidewalls  42  of the reservoir  22 . Applicator  18  may be formed of a curved end portion of elongated rod  26 , and includes a plurality of spaced groups of bristles  30 . Applicator  18  may optionally be straight with bristles  30  extending therefrom in a desired pattern in accordance with a predetermined use as shown. The length of elongated rod  26  is chosen so that at least the tip  32  of applicator  18  is flush against the bottom surface  34  of reservoir  22  when reservoir  22  reaches the limit of its upward travel. All components of the apparatus, with the exception of the bristles which must be pliable, may be made from rigid materials such as hard plastic or metal.  
      Reservoir  22  has an open end  36  allowing for insertion of the applicator  18  thereinto. The interior sidewalls  42  of the reservoir  22  extend between the open end  36  and the bottom surface  34  of the reservoir  22 . A feed screw  48  extending from and rigidly attached to the bottom interior surface  28  is threadedly engaged within threaded bore  50  formed in the underside of reservoir  22  and extending downwardly therefrom. The base  56  is attached to main body  12  in a journaled but axially stationary relationship by way of cooperation between annular ridge  60  of main body  12  and annular recess  62  formed in base  56 . It can be readily appreciated that ridge  60  and recess  62  work in combination to prevent relative axial movement of base  56  and main body  12 . As mascara  44  is consumed, reservoir  22  is advanced toward the open end  24  by manual rotation of the base  56 , which drives feed screw  48  causing axial progression of reservoir  22  as a result of interaction between screw  48  and threaded bore  50 . Advancement of the reservoir  22  facilitates access to all of the mascara  44  contained within container  20 , the length of rod  26  selected so that at the end of upward travel of reservoir  22  the applicator  18  is able to access product on the interior bottom surface  34  of the reservoir  22  as has been previously noted. When the cap  16  is coaxial with the reservoir  22 , i.e., aligned for insertion of the applicator  18  into container  20 , the scraper  29  serves to collect and urge mascara  44  towards the bottom  34  of the reservoir  22  to prevent mascara  44  from collecting and hardening on the interior wall of the reservoir  22 .  
      In use, the cap  16  and applicator  18  may be removed from the open end  24  of the container  22 , whereupon the user may visually inspect the applicator  18  to verify that a desired amount of mascara  44  is on the applicator  18 . Reinsertion of the applicator  18  into the container to reduce or increase the amount of mascara  44  on the applicator  18  may be required to reach a desired amount. This may require that the applicator  18  be brushed against the sidewalls  42 , leaving mascara  44  thereon. Also, as mascara  44  is consumed, some will remain upon the sidewalls  42 , eventually drying and becoming unusable. After applying the mascara  44 , the user may then reinsert the applicator  18  into the open end  24  of the container  22  axially aligning the cap with the container  22 . Complete insertion of the applicator  18  is effected by pushing cap  16  onto the container end  24 . As the cap  16  and applicator  18  are advanced during each insertion, scraper  29  impinges upon the sidewalls  42  collecting and advancing any mascara  44  remaining on the sidewalls  42  towards the remaining mascara  44  in the reservoir  22 . As this collected mascara will remain on the top of the accumulation of mascara  44 , it will be consumed before any drying occurs thus allowing the user to consume all of the product. Additionally, the edge of the open end  36  of the reservoir may be beveled to collect any mascara  44  accumulated on interior surfaces of the container  20 . When the applicator  18  can no longer reach the mascara  44  remaining in the reservoir  22 , the base  56  may be twisted until the applicator  18  can access sufficient mascara  44  for even distribution onto bristles  30 . Preferably, the length of feed screw  48  allows the reservoir  22  to be advanced sufficiently to allow for all of the remaining mascara  44  to be consumed.  
      It is to be understood that the provided illustrative examples are by no means exhaustive of the many possible uses for my invention.  
      From the foregoing description, one skilled in the art can easily ascertain the essential characteristics of this invention and, without departing from the spirit and scope thereof, can make various changes and modifications of the invention to adapt it to various usages and conditions.