Patent Publication Number: US-2022218097-A1

Title: Water absorbing structure and brush assembly using the same

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED PATENT APPLICATION 
     This application claims the benefit of priority to Taiwan Patent Application No. 110200241, filed on Jan. 8, 2021. The entire content of the above identified application is incorporated herein by reference. 
     Some references, which may include patents, patent applications and various publications, may be cited and discussed in the description of this disclosure. The citation and/or discussion of such references is provided merely to clarify the description of the present disclosure and is not an admission that any such reference is “prior art” to the disclosure described herein. All references cited and discussed in this specification are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties and to the same extent as if each reference was individually incorporated by reference. 
     FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE 
     The present disclosure relates to a water absorbing structure, and more particularly to a water absorbing structure for absorbing water from a brush and a brush assembly using the same. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE 
     Makeup can boost an individual&#39;s confidence and amiability. With the booming development of the beauty industry, a dazzling array of cosmetics are available on the market, such that a variety of brushes (e.g., a concealer brush, a foundation brush, a powder brush, a blush brush, a contouring brush, an eyebrow brush, an eyeliner brush, an eyeshadow brush, and a lip brush) that can be used for different cosmetics have been developed. In pursuit of a more refined makeup look, both professional makeup artists and general consumers alike make use of such brushes. 
     During makeup, cosmetics are usually applied to the skin of a user&#39;s face by bristles of a makeup brush. To increase powder adhesion, it is common for the bristles to be made of dense animal hairs or artificial hairs. Since such hairs can be difficult to clean and dry, general consumers often overlook the importance of cleaning the brush. If the brush is not cleaned after a long period of use, apart from hygienic concerns (such as growth of bacteria), residual cosmetics on the bristles may negatively affect the resulting look from a subsequent application of makeup and shorten a service life of the brush. 
     Therefore, how to increase convenience of cleaning via an improvement in structural design, so as to overcome the above-mentioned inadequacies, has become one of the important issues to be solved in the industry. 
     SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE 
     In response to the above-referenced technical inadequacies, the present disclosure provides a water absorbing structure that can enable a brush to be easily dried after cleaning, thereby increasing flexibility and convenience in use of the brush. Further, the present disclosure provides a brush assembly using said water absorbing structure. 
     In one aspect, the present disclosure provides a water absorbing structure for use with a brush. The water absorbing structure includes a block body and a protruding pattern. The block body has a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface. The protruding pattern is formed on the first surface of the block body and configured to contact and squeeze a brush head of the brush. The water absorbing structure contains no less than 30% by weight of diatomaceous earth based on a total weight of the water absorbing structure. 
     In another aspect, the present disclosure provides a brush assembly that includes a brush and a water absorbing structure. The water absorbing structure is configured for use with the brush. The brush includes a holding portion and a brush head disposed at a front end of the holding portion. The water absorbing structure includes a block body and a protruding pattern, and contains no less than 30% by weight of diatomaceous earth based on a total weight of the water absorbing structure. The block body has a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface. The protruding pattern is formed on the first surface of the block body and configured to contact and squeeze a brush head of the brush. 
     In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the block body has a disc shape. 
     In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the protruding pattern includes at least one first protruding portion, at least one second protruding portion, and at least one third protruding portion that are in a concentric arrangement. 
     In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the at least one first protruding portion, the at least one second protruding portion, and the at least one third protruding portion are different in width. 
     In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the water absorbing structure further includes a recessed pattern that is formed on the second surface of the block body. 
     In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the recessed pattern includes at least one first recessed portion, at least one second recessed portion, and at least one third recessed portion that are parallel to and spaced apart from each other. 
     In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the at least one first recessed portion, the at least one second recessed portion, and the at least one third recessed portion are different in length. 
     In one embodiment of the present disclosure, each of the at least one first recessed portion, the at least one second recessed portion, and the at least one third recessed portion tapers in width from a central section thereof toward two opposite end sections thereof. 
     One of the beneficial effects of the present disclosure is that, in the water absorbing structure and the brush assembly provided by the present disclosure, by virtue of “the water absorbing structure containing no less than 30% by weight of diatomaceous earth” and “the protruding pattern and the recessed pattern being respectively formed on the first surface and the second surface of the block body”, the convenience of removing water from the brush after the brush is cleaned and the flexibility of using the brush can be increased. 
     These and other aspects of the present disclosure will become apparent from the following description of the embodiment taken in conjunction with the following drawings and their captions, although variations and modifications therein may be affected without departing from the spirit and scope of the novel concepts of the disclosure. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The described embodiments may be better understood by reference to the following description and the accompanying drawings, in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a top view of a water absorbing structure according to the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 2  is a bottom view of the water absorbing structure according to the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 3  is a side view of the water absorbing structure according to the present disclosure; and 
         FIG. 4  is a schematic view of a brush assembly according to the present disclosure. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS 
     The present disclosure is more particularly described in the following examples that are intended as illustrative only since numerous modifications and variations therein will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Like numbers in the drawings indicate like components throughout the views. As used in the description herein and throughout the claims that follow, unless the context clearly dictates otherwise, the meaning of “a”, “an”, and “the” includes plural reference, and the meaning of “in” includes “in” and “on”. Titles or subtitles can be used herein for the convenience of a reader, which shall have no influence on the scope of the present disclosure. 
     The terms used herein generally have their ordinary meanings in the art. In the case of conflict, the present document, including any definitions given herein, will prevail. The same thing can be expressed in more than one way. Alternative language and synonyms can be used for any term(s) discussed herein, and no special significance is to be placed upon whether a term is elaborated or discussed herein. A recital of one or more synonyms does not exclude the use of other synonyms. The use of examples anywhere in this specification including examples of any terms is illustrative only, and in no way limits the scope and meaning of the present disclosure or of any exemplified term. Likewise, the present disclosure is not limited to various embodiments given herein. Numbering terms such as “first”, “second” or “third” can be used to describe various components, signals or the like, which are for distinguishing one component/signal from another one only, and are not intended to, nor should be construed to impose any substantive limitations on the components, signals or the like. 
     Referring to  FIG. 1 ,  FIG. 3  and  FIG. 4 , the present disclosure provides a water absorbing structure  1  that is configured for use with a brush  2  and mainly includes a block body  11  and a protruding pattern  12 . The water absorbing structure  1  contains no less than 30% by weight of diatomaceous earth. The block body  11  has a first surface  111  and a second surface  112  opposite to the first surface  111 . The first surface  111  is, for example, an upper surface. The second surface  112  is, for example, a lower surface. The protruding pattern  12  is formed on the first surface  111  of the block body  11 . In use, the block body  11  has a good water absorption ability based on porosity of the diatomaceous earth. The protruding pattern  12  can be arranged to contact and squeeze a brush head  21  of the brush  2 , so that the brush head  21  can release excess water. In practice, the block body  11  can be processed to have a disc shape, and the protruding pattern  12  is integrally formed on the first surface  111  of the block body  11 . To be conveniently held and operated by hand, the disc-shaped block body  11  can have an outer diameter L from 80 mm to 110 mm (preferably from 90 mm to 105 mm) and a thickness H from 20 mm to 25 mm (preferably from 22 mm to 23 mm). 
     In one embodiment of the present disclosure, as shown in  FIG. 1 , the protruding pattern  12  protrudes outward from the first surface  111 , and includes at least one first protruding portion  121 , at least one second protruding portion  122 , and at least one third protruding portion  123  that are arranged at intervals from an inside to an outside of the block body  11 . The at least one first protruding portion  121 , the at least one second protruding portion  122 , and the at least one third protruding portion  123  are each a protrusive strip and are different in thickness. 
     More specifically, the at least one first protruding portion  121 , the at least one second protruding portion  122 , and the at least one third protruding portion  123  are in a concentric arrangement. The quantity of each of the at least one first protruding portion  121  and the at least one third protruding portion  123  can be plural. The quantity of the at least one second protruding portion  122  can be one, which is used to separate the at least one first protruding portion  121  from the at least one third protruding portion  123 . Furthermore, a thickness w 1  of each of the first protruding portions  121  is less than a thickness w 2  of the second protruding portion  122 . The thickness w 2  of the second protruding portion  122  is greater than a thickness w 3  of each of the third protruding portions  123 . In addition, two adjacent ones of the first protruding portions  121  have a gap d 1  defined therebetween, two adjacent ones of the third protruding portions  123  have a gap d 2  defined therebetween, and the gap d 2  is greater than the gap d 1 . That is to say, the first protruding portions  121  are arranged in a concentrated manner, and the third protruding portions  123  are arranged in a loose manner. Therefore, according to different requirements, the water absorbing structure  1  can provide desired tactile sensations and water squeezing effects upon contact. The above description is provided for exemplary purposes only, and is not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. 
     Referring to  FIG. 2 , the water absorbing structure  1  can further include a recessed pattern  13  that is formed on the second surface  112  of the block body  11 , so as to achieve more ways of use. For example, through the recessed pattern  13 , a user can hold the water absorbing structure  1  more firmly in the hand for operation. In addition, the user can allow the brush head  21  to move along a direction of the recessed pattern  13 , so as to squeeze out excess water from the brush head  21 . 
     In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the recessed pattern  13  is recessed inwardly from the second surface  112  of the block body  11 , and includes at least one first recessed portion  131 , at least one second recessed portion  132 , and at least one third recessed portion  133  that are arranged at intervals from the inside to the outside of the block body  11 . The at least one first recessed portion  131 , the at least one second recessed portion  132 , and the at least one third recessed portion  133  are each a concave strip and are different in length. 
     More specifically, the at least one first recessed portion  131 , the at least one second recessed portion  132 , and the at least one third recessed portion  133  are adjacent and parallel to each other. The quantity of the at least one first recessed portion  131  can be one. The quantity of each of the at least one second recessed portion  132  and the at least one third recessed portion  133  can be plural, which are arranged at left and right sides of the first recessed portion  131 . Furthermore, a length L 1  of the first recessed portion  131  is greater than a length L 2  of each of the second recessed portions  132 . The length L 2  of each of the second recessed portions  132  is greater than a length L 3  of each of the third recessed portions  133 . In addition, each of the first recessed portion  131 , the second recessed portions  132 , and the third recessed portions  133  tapers in width from a central section thereof toward two opposite end sections thereof. That is, the width of the central section is greater than the width of each of the two opposite end sections. The above description is provided for exemplary purposes only, and is not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. 
     In certain embodiments, the at least one first recessed portion  131 , the at least one second recessed portion  132 , and the at least one third recessed portion  133  are also different in width. More specifically, a width of the at least one first recessed portion  131  is greater than a width of the at least one second recessed portion  132 . The width of the at least one second recessed portion  132  is greater than a width of the at least one third recessed portion  133 . 
     Reference is made to  FIG. 4 , which is to be read in conjunction with  FIG. 1  to  FIG. 3 . In the present disclosure, a brush assembly is further provided, which includes a brush  2  and the above-mentioned water absorbing structure  1 . The brush  2  can include a brush head  21  and a holding portion  22  (e.g., a handle). The brush head  21  can be disposed at a front end of the holding portion  22 , but is not limited thereto. The brush  2  is exemplified by a concealer brush, a foundation brush, a powder brush, a blush brush, a contouring brush, an eyebrow brush, an eyeliner brush, an eyeshadow brush, and a lip brush, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. 
     To enable those skilled in the art to better understand the distinguishing features of the present disclosure, the present embodiment further describes a way of using the brush assembly. Firstly, a cleaning solution is applied to the brush head  21  of the brush  2 , so as to remove cosmetics adhered to the brush head  21 . For example, the brush head  21  can be rinsed with the cleaning solution. Or, the brush head  21  can be immersed in the cleaning solution, and by controlling the holding portion  22  with the hand, the brush head  21  is moved to stir the cleaning solution. In this step, the cleaning solution can be a special cleaning solution or water. 
     Next, by controlling the holding portion  22  with the hand, the cleaned brush head  21  is moved to come into contact with the water absorbing structure  1  according to a predetermined movement until a water content of the brush head  21  is reduced to less than 20%. The term “predetermined movement” as used herein refers to moving the cleaned brush head  21  back and forth for multiple times along an arrangement direction of the protruding pattern  12  on the first surface  111 , moving the cleaned brush head  21  back and forth for multiple times along an arrangement direction of the recessed pattern  13  on the second surface  112 , or moving the cleaned brush head  21  back and forth for multiple times along a predetermined direction (e.g., a horizontal, vertical, or oblique direction). Accordingly, excess water in the brush head  21  can be absorbed into the water absorbing structure  1 . 
     In certain embodiments, the brush head  21  can be moved on the first surface  111  of the water absorbing structure  1 , so as to come into contact with the protruding pattern  12 . A movement of the brush head  21  can be a reciprocal movement or a circular movement on the first surface  111 . In certain embodiments, the brush head  21  can be moved on the second surface  112  of the water absorbing structure  1 , so as to come into contact with the recessed pattern  13 . The brush head  21  can be moved along a length direction of the at least one first recessed portion  131 , the at least one second recessed portion  132 , or the at least one third recessed portion  133 , or can be reciprocally moved between the at least one first recessed portion  131 , the at least one second recessed portion  132 , and the at least one third recessed portion  133 . However, such examples are provided merely for illustrative purposes, and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. 
     Then, by controlling the holding portion  22  with the hand, the cleaned brush head  21  is moved to apply a desired cosmetic product to a specific part of a user&#39;s body. In summary, in the process of using the brush  2 , the water absorbing structure  1  of the present disclosure can be used to absorb excess water from the brush head  21 , so that the brush head  21  can return to an initial state or a state close to the initial state (i.e., the water content of the brush head  21  being less than 20%) in a short period of time. Therefore, the water absorbing structure  1  of the present disclosure can increase flexibility and convenience in use of the brush  2 , reduce an idle time of the brush  2 , and increase a utilization rate of the brush  2 . 
     Beneficial Effects of the Embodiments 
     One of the beneficial effects of the present disclosure is that, by virtue of “the water absorbing structure containing no less than 30% by weight of diatomaceous earth” and “the protruding pattern and the recessed pattern being respectively formed on the first surface and the second surface of the block body”, the water absorbing structure of the present disclosure can enable a brush to be easily dried after cleaning, thereby increasing flexibility and convenience of using the brush, reducing an idle time of the brush, and increasing a utilization rate of the brush. 
     Furthermore, the water absorbing structure of the present disclosure can further include a recessed pattern, so as to achieve more ways of use. For example, through the recessed pattern, the user can hold the water absorbing structure more firmly in the hand for operation. In addition, the user can allow the brush head to move along a direction of the recessed pattern, so as to squeeze out excess water from the brush head. 
     The foregoing description of the exemplary embodiments of the disclosure has been presented only for the purposes of illustration and description and is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the disclosure to the precise forms disclosed. Many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teaching. 
     The embodiments were chosen and described in order to explain the principles of the disclosure and their practical application so as to enable others skilled in the art to utilize the disclosure and various embodiments and with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. Alternative embodiments will become apparent to those skilled in the art to which the present disclosure pertains without departing from its spirit and scope.