Patent Abstract:
An airless applicator may deliver high/low viscosity liquids or semi-liquids, and contains a valve controlling flow between a product reservoir and an intermediate pooling area, while a narrow opening between the intermediate pooling area and a product dispensing chamber controls flow therebetween. This arrangement prevents backflow to the product reservoir, precluding an influx of contamination therein. Product delivery is by specially adapted applicator heads. In one embodiment, a plurality of prongs, and openings into the product dispensing chamber, permit application of mascara onto eyelashes. Alternating prong heights increases effectiveness in applying mascara onto all sides of a user&#39;s lashes. Other applicator heads are configured for lip product applications such as for lipstick, and for eye products such as eyeliner and eye shadow. An air-tight sealing cap having a spring biased inner cap member may prevent moisture from escaping from the product dispensing chamber and prevent entry of contaminants therein.

Full Description:
CROSS REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/925,164, having the title “Dual-Reservoir Mascara Applicator With Dispersive Product Delivery, filed Oct. 14, 2010, which claimed priority on U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/279,008, filed on Oct. 14, 2009, having the title, “Applicator Device with Dispersive Product Delivery,” with the disclosures of each being incorporated herein by reference. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The present invention relates to improvements in apparatus used for the application of liquids, creams, gels and the like, and more particularly to apparatus which comprise a valved dual reservoir system, and are capable of providing airless delivery of cosmetic products. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    There is a need to have a means of applying liquids, creams, ointments, lotions, gels, oils, paste, and the like, to a person&#39;s face, and other areas, and where such applications may be made in generous quantities across a large surface area, there is also a need for a delivery system that provides careful control of the product being dispensed, while delivering that large quantity. Conversely, where the product needs to be dispensed with care due to the delicacy of the receiving surface, or where product needs to be applied only in specific locations while excluding adjacent surfaces, or where the high cost of product dictates the minimization of waste, the means and method of application acquire increasing importance. It is also of increasing importance to protect the product from the introduction of contaminants, and from loss of product moisture to the air. 
         [0004]    Examples of the instances where such diligence is required in the application of a product are diverse, and may include the following: application of off-the-shelf skin creams or moisturizing lotions; ointments for treatment of dermatological conditions, burn treatment medicines, anti-bacterial treatment for cuts; scalp treatments; hair coloring; painting; applications of wood stain; dispensing glue; applying of shoe polish; decorating a cake; or applying mascara or other make-up. 
         [0005]    The applicator device disclosed herein uses a valve system in a special applicator head for airless delivery of product, which in combination with a self-sealing cap, serves to provide multiple levels of protection of the integrity of the product contained therein. 
       OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION 
       [0006]    It is an object of the invention to provide an airless means for delivering liquids, creams, gels and the like. 
         [0007]    It is another object of the invention to provide a means for carefully controlling quantities of liquid or viscous semi-solid products dispensed onto a receiving surface. 
         [0008]    It is a further object of the invention to provide a means of delivering measured quantities of liquid or viscous semi-solid product onto discrete surfaces of an object. 
         [0009]    It is another object of the invention to provide a means that is adaptable to delivering liquid or viscous semi-solid product onto discrete surfaces encompassing either a small or large surface area. 
         [0010]    It is also an object of the invention to provide a valve system and a spring biased dual cap to better preserve product integrity 
         [0011]    It is also an object of the invention to provide a means that is adaptable to effectively delivering either a low viscosity or high viscosity product. 
         [0012]    Further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description and claims, and from the accompanying drawings 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0013]    An applicator device is comprised of an applicator head and a body. The invention disclosed herein provides for various embodiments of the applicator head, which may be secured within a portion of the body and provide for dispensing of measured amounts of product to be delivered onto discrete surfaces of an object. Although the applicator device may find use in various different applications, its functionality is particularly well suited for use in the cosmetics industry as a mascara applicator, for one embodiment, for eyeliner in another embodiment, etc. 
         [0014]    The body may generally be comprised of a handle coupled to a piston rod which mates with a piston that is disposed within a cylinder. Installation of the applicator head into an end of the cylinder creates a chamber to serve as a product reservoir. The applicator head may be secured within the cylinder of the body, which may be accommodated by having one or more annular protrusions on the tubular extension of the applicator head, and corresponding annular indentations on the cylinder&#39;s mating internal surface. 
         [0015]    The cylinder head may contain a valve arrangement to permit flow of product from the product reservoir into a valve cylinder product pool, but prevent backflow which could cause contamination of the product supply. Additionally, flow of product from the valve cylinder product pool to a product dispensing chamber is limited by a narrow opening therebetween to reduce eddies and possible back-flow to prevent the possibility of any contamination that may be present within the product dispensing chamber from entering the valve cylinder product pool. The entry of contaminants into the product dispensing chamber may also be limited through the use of a dual inner/outer cap, where the inner cap may be spring biased relative to the outer cap, which is secured to the body. The spring biased inner cap also serves to prevent essential oils and moisture from escaping from the product dispensing chamber. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0016]      FIG. 1  is a cross-sectional view of a first embodiment of the applicator and cap of the present invention. 
           [0017]      FIG. 1A  is a cross-sectional view of an alternate embodiment of the applicator and cap of the present invention. 
           [0018]      FIG. 1B  is the view of  FIG. 1A  enlarged to show details of the wipe and cap threading. 
           [0019]      FIG. 1C  is an alternate embodiment of the head and cap of  FIG. 1B . 
           [0020]      FIG. 2  is a side view of the first embodiment of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0021]      FIG. 2A  is a side view of the alternate embodiment of  FIG. 2A . 
           [0022]      FIG. 2B  is a bottom view of the embodiment of  FIG. 2A . 
           [0023]      FIG. 3  is a side view of the first embodiment of the applicator of the present invention. 
           [0024]      FIG. 4  is an exploded view of the applicator head and body of the first embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0025]      FIG. 5  is a front view of one embodiment of the applicator head of the present invention. 
           [0026]      FIG. 5A  is a front view of an alternate embodiment of the applicator head. 
           [0027]      FIG. 6  is a cross-sectional view of the applicator head of  FIG. 5 . 
           [0028]      FIG. 6A  is a cross-sectional view of the alternate embodiment in  FIG. 6 . 
           [0029]      FIG. 7  is a side view of the cap of the first embodiment of the applicator of the present invention. 
           [0030]      FIG. 8  is the cross-sectional view of  FIG. 7 , being enlarged to show the valve portion details. 
           [0031]      FIG. 9  is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the valve cylinder of the first embodiment of the applicator head of the present invention. 
           [0032]      FIG. 10  is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the cylinder member of the first embodiment of the applicator head of the present invention. 
           [0033]      FIG. 11  is a front view of a second embodiment of the applicator head of the present invention. 
           [0034]      FIG. 12  is a cross-sectional view of the second embodiment of the applicator head of the present invention. 
           [0035]      FIG. 13  is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the base portion of a first embodiment of the applicator of the present invention. 
           [0036]      FIG. 14  is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the adjustment portion of the base of a first embodiment of the applicator of the present invention. 
           [0037]      FIG. 15  is a side view of a first alternate embodiment of an applicator head of the present invention, for product delivery without need of a pronged applicator. 
           [0038]      FIG. 16  is a side view of a second alternate embodiment of an applicator head of the present invention, for product delivery without need of a pronged applicator. 
           [0039]      FIG. 17  is a side view of a third alternate embodiment of an applicator head of the present invention, for product delivery without need of a pronged applicator. 
           [0040]      FIG. 18  is a side view of a fourth alternate embodiment of an applicator head of the present invention, for product delivery without need of a pronged applicator. 
           [0041]      FIGS. 15A-18A  is the cosmetic applicators of  FIGS. 15-18 , but with a second embodiment of a cap installed upon each applicator. 
           [0042]      FIG. 15B  is an enlarged view of the applicator head of  FIG. 15 . 
           [0043]      FIG. 16B  is an enlarged view of the applicator head of  FIG. 16 . 
           [0044]      FIG. 19  is an enlarged view of a third embodiment of a cap of the present invention. 
           [0045]      FIG. 20  is an enlarged view of the second cap embodiment of  FIGS. 15A-18A . 
           [0046]      FIG. 21  is the cap of  FIG. 19  as it is being installed upon an applicator head. 
           [0047]      FIG. 22  is the cap of  FIG. 19  after it has been installed upon an applicator head. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0048]      FIG. 1  shows a first embodiment of the present invention, which includes an applicator device  10  with a cap  11 . Assembly of the applicator device  10  is shown in the cross-sectional view of  FIG. 3 , and is broken down into its component parts—a body  17  and an applicator head  14 —as seen in  FIG. 4 . The invention disclosed herein provides for various embodiments of the applicator head that may assemble into the body  17  in one of several ways to provide for careful dispensing of amounts of product to be delivered onto discrete surfaces of an object, or to provide for more generous delivery of a product onto a receiving surface, but while still be permitting deliberation with respect to where the product is applied. The invention also includes multiple product pooling areas to resist the spread of contaminants into the primary product pool, as well as a spring-biased dual cap that also serves to prevent the entry therein of contaminants, when secured onto the applicator, as well as serving to prevent the loss of essential moisture and oils from the product. 
         [0049]    The body  17  ( FIGS. 3 and 4 ) may generally be comprised of cylinder  60  that rotatably receives a handle  70  so that the handle is free to rotate relative to the cylinder. As seen in FIG.  3 , a cylindrical portion of the handle  70  may be received within cylinder  60  and thereby be able to rotate, and may be retained therein by use of an annular protrusion  71  on the handle  70  being received by an annular recess  63  on the cylinder  60 . The handle  70  may be threadably coupled to a piston rod  80 , so that rotation of the handle causes the piston rod to advance within the cylinder  60 . The piston rod  80  may engage and drive a piston  90 , which may be slidably disposed within the cylinder, to advance the piston therein. Installation of applicator head  14  into body  17  forms a product reservoir  101 , between the piston  90  and generally the end or bottom of the head  40 , and advancement of the piston may cause the enclosed volume of the reservoir to decrease, forcing product to be pumped therefrom. 
         [0050]    The applicator head  14  may be installed into the body  17  through one of several different mechanical means. In one embodiment, the applicator head  14  may be installed into, and retained within, body  17  by use of a friction fit. In another embodiment, the applicator head  14  may be threadably installed into body  17  by use of internal threading on the cylinder&#39;s upper internal surface  61 , and use of external threading on the tubular extension  31  of the applicator head  14 . In yet another embodiment, shown in  FIGS. 5 and 6 , the applicator head  14  may be snapped into cylinder  60  of the body  17 . The snap-in arrangement may be accommodated by having one or more annular protrusions  32  on the tubular extension  31  of the applicator head  14 , and corresponding annular indentations or recesses on the cylinder&#39;s upper internal surface  61 . Alternatively, the indentations may be formed on the applicator head  14 , while the annular protrusions are formed on the cylinder&#39;s upper internal surface  61 . Any of these installation means for the applicator head  14  may be adapted to permit removal of the head and allow interchangeability of one applicator head in favor of another applicator head. Alternatively, the applicator head  14  may be securely and permanently attached to the body  17 , which may better act to preserve the integrity of the product contained therein, by reducing or eliminating the possibility of contaminants being introduced into the product supply, and by better serving to retain moisture and essential oils therein. 
         [0051]    The applicator head  14  of the current invention may comprise a tubular extension  31  originating from an annular pedestal  30  ( FIG. 8 ). The pedestal  30  may overhang the tubular extension  31  so as to form a shoulder  33 . Installation of the applicator head  14  may occur with the tubular extension  31  being mated with the cylinder&#39;s upper internal surface  61  ( FIG. 4 ) until shoulder  33  of the applicator head  14  reaches the end wall  62  of cylinder  60 . An o-ring seal may be accommodated at the meeting of shoulder  33  and end wall  62  of cylinder  60 , or may be accommodated where tubular extension  31  mates with the cylinder&#39;s upper internal surface  61 . 
         [0052]    Extending upward from pedestal  30  may be a V-shaped neck  34 . The V-shaped neck  34  and tubular extension  31  may be formed as a single housing, or may be separately formed and then be mated together using male and female connectors  18  and  19  on respective parts ( FIG. 8 ). Pedestal  30  may be integral to either the V-shaped neck  34  of tubular extension  31 . The tubular extension  31  may include a cylindrical opening  38  beginning on the bottom surface  40 —a first end of the housing—and may interconnect with an opening at a second end of the housing to form a conduit. Where the cylindrical opening  38  begins on surface  40 , there may also be a counter-sunk opening  37  to transition between the cylindrical opening  38  and the flat surface  40 . 
         [0053]    Inserted into cylindrical opening  38  to occupy at least a portion of the conduit may be a valve cylinder  41 . The portion of the conduit beyond the valve cylinder may comprise a product dispensing chamber  102 . Where the cylindrical opening  38  transitions into the product dispensing chamber  102 , within the V-shaped neck  34 , a lip  39  may be formed to retain the valve cylinder. Valve cylinder  41  being installed therein may generally comprise a cylindrical outer wall  43  having a first end  44  and a second end  47  ( FIG. 9 ). The first end  44  may have a tapered surface  45  between the cylindrical outer wall  43  and the first end  44 . The first end may also have an opening  46  into an inner wall  49 , which may be parallel to the outer wall  43  and taper  45 . The inner wall  49  may transition to a second inner wall  49 A having a greater diameter than inner wall  49 , and create a first lip  42 . An opening  48  in the second end  47  may create a second lip  50  at the second end  47  of the valve cylinder  41 . 
         [0054]    The valve cylinder  41  may be inserted into the cylindrical opening  38  of tubular extension  31  as seen in  FIG. 8 , which may interconnect to at least one opening at a second end of the housing to form a conduit. The first end  48  of the valve cylinder  41  may be flush with the end  39  of cylindrical opening  38 . The external diameter of outer wall  43  and the internal diameter of cylindrical opening  38  may be sized so as to be engaged in an interference fit (friction fit) rather than a clearance fit, whereby the valve cylinder  41  may be inserted through either a press-fit installation process or a cryogenic installation process. The interference fit would serve to positively retain the valve cylinder  41  within the cylindrical opening  38 . 
         [0055]    Within the valve cylinder  41  may be cylindrical member  54 , having a first end  55 , a second end  56 , an outer wall  57 , and an inner wall  58 . The cylindrical member  54  may be positioned within the valve cylinder  41  between the first lip  42  and second lip  50 . A blocking member, which may for example be a cylindrical piston, is preferably a spherical valve ball  51  being disposed within the valve cylinder  41 , as seen in  FIG. 8 , and may be biased by a helical compression spring  52  to normally block the opening  46  of the valve cylinder  41 . The ball  51  may selectively block or close off the flow of product through the valve cylinder  41 , so that valve cylinder product pool  103  may operate as an intermediate pooling area, to serve in maintaining product integrity within the reservoir  101 . The valve cylinder product pool  103 , being formed by the spherical ball on one end, and the shoulder  50  of valve cylinder  41  on the other end, in conjunction with the selective blocking of the valve cylinder, serves to reduce or eliminate the possibility of such contamination. 
         [0056]    By twisting the handle  70 , the mechanical connection with the piston rod  80  drives the piston  90 , which in turn forces product contained within the product reservoir  101  against the spherical ball  51  to counter the biasing provided by spring  52 . The product may then flow past the spherical ball  51  into the valve cylinder product pool  103 . The valve arrangement serves to isolate the product within the product reservoir  101  and maintain its integrity, so there can be no back-flow of product which could cause contamination by matter acquired from the receiving surface. Moreover, the valve arrangement and dual reservoir arrangement of the head (product dispensing chamber  102  and valve cylinder product pool  103 ) also serves as a barrier to keep air from entering the chamber, and thus serves to maintain product moisture and consistency, and eliminate any entry of air-borne contamination in the form of dust, pet dander, mold, pollen, bacteria, etc. It should be noted that the isolation provided between the product dispensing chamber  102  and valve cylinder product pool  103  may be increased by significantly reducing the size of the opening  48  in the second end  47  of valve cylinder  41 . The size need only be large enough to permit passage therethrough of the cosmetic product, and where the cosmetic product is less viscous, the size may be reduced even further. 
         [0057]    The V-shaped neck  34  may have a flat face  36  (a second end of the housing) that terminates in a tip  35 . Protruding from the flat face  36  may be a plurality of prongs  20 . In a first embodiment, the prongs may comprise a conical outer surface  21  which, as seen in  FIG. 7 , may protrude outward from the flat face  36  to end in a curved tip  24 . The prongs may be manufactured from any suitable material. Material selection may be dictated by the particular application. Where the applicator may be used to dispense make-up products such as mascara, the nozzle may be made from materials including, but not limited to a thermo plastic elastomer (TPE). With the prongs so constructed, product may be dispensed with a careful turn of the handle  70 . The threading on the handle  70  and on the piston rod  80  may be of such a pitch and coarseness/fineness to produce the appropriate degree of movement of the piston, to result in a desired amount of product delivery, which may depend upon the viscosity of the product being dispensed. 
         [0058]    As seen in  FIGS. 5 and 11 , the conical prongs  20  may surround a single elongated opening  29  in the flat face  36 , or alternatively, the prongs may surround a plurality of smaller openings, such as the openings  29 A,  29 B,  29 C, and  29 D that may be seen in  FIG. 5A  for head  14 A. The elongated opening  29  or openings  29 A- 29 D may directly interconnect to the dispensing chamber  102 , which may interconnect with the valve cylinder product pool  103  that may further isolate the product contained therein by increasing the overhang provided by shoulder  50  so that opening  48  is reduced in size to tend to prohibit product from re-circulating back through the opening. The length and width of each of the one or more openings  29  or openings  29 A,  29 B,  29 C, and  29 D may vary to produce a smaller or larger opening surface area depending upon the type of product being dispensed, and its particular viscosity, as well as a desired flow rate. The shape of the openings also need not be rectangular to be characterized by length and width, and may instead be circular, elliptical, or some other shape, even being an irregular shape. Also, the total number of prongs may vary, and may be adjusted for a particular application, as well as their location relative to the opening, and the density of prongs for a given area on the flat face  36  may also vary for a particular application, as seen in the applicator head  15  in  FIG. 11 . 
         [0059]    As seen in  FIGS. 1-2 , a cap  11  may be snapped onto the applicator head to protect product contained within the product dispensing chamber applicator against contamination. The snapping of the cap may be through the use of any of the mechanical attachment means discussed previously—receiving the cap onto the head in a friction fit; or snapping the cap onto the head using an annular protrusion being received in an annular recess; or a threaded connection. Additionally, as seen in  FIGS. 1A-2A , a cap  11 A may be threadably received onto the applicator head, to provide an air-tight seal. Also, the caps  11  or  11 A may comprise an insert, where the insert serves to wipe the prongs during placement and/or removal of the cap from said applicator head. 
         [0060]    In yet another embodiment, seen in  FIG. 1C , there may preferably be an alternating series of longer and shorter prongs,  20 L and  20 S, that extend away from the flat surface  36 , and which serve to aid a user in applying the mascara, by permitting the longer prongs to initially contact and deflect a portion of the user&#39;s lashes, while the adjacent shorter prongs  20 S follow and serve to better apply mascara to the inside surfaces of the exposed lashes, which may be a portion of the lash that is generally more difficult to reach. The difference in height of the prongs may preferably be at least 0.030 inches to permit the longer prongs to contact one or more lashes and cause deflection before the shorter prongs contact the un-deflected lashes. The height difference may preferably be not much more than 0.060 inches, otherwise the amount of displacement of the longer prongs  20 L may be such that some of the deflected lashes may spring back to their initial position. There may be at least a single row of the alternating series of prongs disposed about each side of a plurality of openings  29 A- 29 E (in the case of five openings, as seen in  FIG. 1C ), or there may be, as seen in  FIG. 5A , two or more rows of prongs disposed about each side of the plurality of openings. A long prong  20 L may also be disposed between openings  29 A and  29 B, between  29 B and  29 C, and between openings  29 C and  29 D. Also in this embodiment, a screw-on cap may also be used, and which contains an insert  12  that may be made of a flexible material that has a flange  13  that extends at least part-way across the opening of the cap, and thereby serves to wipe the prongs, during placement on and/or removal of the cap from, the applicator head. This prevents agglomeration and drying of mascara product upon the prongs, which would tend to degrade the fidelity with which the applicator may be used to apply mascara onto a person&#39;s lashes. While any excess product transferred to the insert may agglomerate thereon, such agglomeration would not serve to degrade application of product onto the user. 
         [0061]    As seen in  FIGS. 15-18 , other embodiments of the head may be used, and may be specifically tailored for the application of different cosmetic products and other types of products, and may be used for the application of oral products (e.g., teeth whitener), eye products (e.g., eye shadow, eye liner), lip products, nail products, etc. The applicator head  114  is shown enlarged in  FIG. 15A  and may comprise, instead of the V-shaped neck  34 , a hollow outer cylinder  119 A that extends from the annular pedestal  30  to serve as a protective housing. A hollow inner cylinder  114 B may extend to be concentric with the opening  48  in the second end of valve cylinder  41 , and may serve to conduct product away from the valve cylinder product pool  103 . A hollow cylinder  114 C may be larger than and concentric with the inner cylinder  114 B, and may extend further than cylinder  114 B, to serve in the application of the product. 
         [0062]    The applicator head  214 , which is shown enlarged in  FIG. 16B , may similarly be installed into the body  17 , but may have an application member being particularly constructed for applications requiring or preferring use of a generally flat dispensing surface to apply the products. The applicator head  214  may comprise the same valve components as the applicator head  14 , including the valve cylinder  41 , spherical valve ball  51 , helical compression spring  52 , etc. However, the product dispensing chamber  102  may be generally cylindrical, and may have a tapered region  105  into a neck region  106 , that may open into a dispensing surface supply pool  107 . The second end of the head may also have a generally flat face  36 , which may serve in the application of the lip product. The flat surface  36  may have one or more small openings  108  that interconnect with the dispensing surface supply pool  107 . By twisting the handle  70 , lip product may pass from the reservoir  101 , past the spherical valve ball  52 , through the valve cylinder  41 , and through the product dispensing chamber  102  and dispensing surface supply pool  107  to be deposited out from a plurality of openings  108  onto the flat surface  36  for application onto a user&#39;s lips. The plurality of openings  108  may be distributed evenly about the flat surface  36 . In a variation of this embodiment, the exposed portion of the applicator head  214  may comprise a felt surface, or at least the flat surface  36  may comprise a felt surface for an even and streak-free application of product. 
         [0063]    A different arrangement is offered by head  314 , which is shown in  FIG. 17 , and which may be usable for applying cosmetic products along a narrow path, such as, for example, eyeliner. The head  314  may have a conical housing  314 C, and instead of a flat application surface  36 , it may also have a wedge-shaped, or conical application member  36 T. The tapered application member  36 T may be disposed directly over the product dispensing chamber  102  so as to block the free flow of product therefrom. However, the material of the tapered application member  36 T may comprise properties such that it may be capable of being permeated by the product, which may be a liquid or a semi-liquid, to supply the tip with product for application in a desired location. The material of the tapered application member  36 T may comprise felt. 
         [0064]      FIGS. 15A ,  16 A,  17 A, and  18 A also show another cap embodiment  111  being secured upon each of the applicator heads that were shown in  FIGS. 15-18 . Cap  111 , which is shown by itself and enlarged in  FIG. 20 , may comprise an outer cap member  120 , an inner cap support member  121 , a helical spring  122 , and an inner cap  123 . The outer cap member  120  may receive an assembly of the other cap components as follows. The inner cap member  123  may comprise a shaft portion  123 S, at the end of which may be a stop in the form of an integral retaining head  123 R. The helical spring  122  may be slid onto the shaft portion  123 S of the inner cap  123 , after which the shaft portion  123 S may be inserted through a hole in the inner cap support member  121 , by press/shrink fit installing the integral retaining head  123 R through the hole, as the integral retaining head may be hat-shaped to prevent its returning back through the hole. That assembly of cap components may then be installed within the outer cap member  120 , and be secured therein using any suitable means known in the art, including, but not limited to, using adhesive, and/or mechanical fasteners such as rivets, screws, etc. Also, it may be recognized that the outer cap member  120  and the inner cap support member  121  may be formed as a single part, particularly where it is made using a plastic injection molding process or as a cast part. The inner cap  121 , when being secured upon one of the applicator heads seen in  FIGS. 15-18 , may thus have a bottom surface  123 B be spring biased into contact with a sill portion  30 S of the annular pedestal  30 . The cap  111  may be secured to the applicator by a securing means  125  that may include threadably receiving the cap onto the applicator head, by the use of corresponding internal and external threading on the cap and applicator. Alternatively, the securing means may comprise receiving the cap onto the head in a friction fit; or snapping the cap onto the head using an annular protrusion or lip on one applicator part, and an annular recess on the corresponding applicator part. 
         [0065]    An alternate embodiment of cap  111  is shown by the illustration of cap  211  in  FIG. 19 . An outer cap  220  with outer surface  220 T may be open at a first end  226  exposing an interior surface  220 I, and may be closed at a second end  227 . The open first end  226  may receive the other components therein. The inner cap support member  221  with outer surface  221 T may be open at a first end  226  exposing an interior surface  221 I, and may be generally closed at a second end  228 . The second end  228  of the inner cap support member  221  may be formed to have a flat wall with an orifice therein. The inner cap  223  may comprise a cap portion and a shaft portion. The cap portion may be open at a first end  229  and be generally closed at a second end  230 . The shaft portion may have a first end being fixed to and extending out from the second end  230  of the cap portion, and the second end of the shaft portion may comprise a hat-shaped stop member, which may be integral, or may be mechanically attached onto the shaft (swaged, etc). With the helical spring  222  being received over the shaft portion of the inner cap  223 , the combination spring and inner cap may be received through the open end  226  of the cap support member  221 , with the shaft portion being slidable received through the orifice of the cap support member. The spring may thereby bear against the wall of the cap support member  221 , and against the second end  230  of the cap portion of the inner cap  223 . The stop  223 R may thereafter serve to limit the outward biased travel of the inner cap  223  back towards the open end  226  of the cap support member. The cap support member  221  with the inner cap  223  and helical spring  222  assembled together, may then be received through the open end  226  of the outer cap  220 . 
         [0066]    The shape of the outer cap member  220  may comprise and elongated contoured cavity  220 C, which may provide added space so that a force may counter the biasing of the spring to move the shaft portion of the inner cap, as described in the following sections, into the cavity. The shape of the inner cap  221  may also be contoured so as to have a flared section  223 F proximate to first end  228 , which may also have an annular protrusion or lip at a convex portion of the flared contouring (see  FIG. 21 ). 
         [0067]    Installation of cap  211  may be upon an applicator head, as seen in  FIGS. 21-22 , where the applicator head housing may be conical such as for applicator head  314 , and where the shape of the inner cap  223  may have corresponding contouring. As seen in  FIG. 21 , as the airtight sealing cap  211  is concentrically translated onto the applicator head  314 , the convex surface of the inner cap member  223  at the flare  223 F contacts a portion of the conical surface  314 C of the applicator head  314 , and the spring biases the inner cap member into airtight contact with the applicator head. The outer cap portion may continue its translation until a securing means  225  on the cap support member  221  is secured to a corresponding securing means  225 A on the applicator head  314 . 
         [0068]    The helical spring  222  biasing the inner cap  223  into the tapered applicator head housing may cause slight elastic deformation of the annular periphery of the inner cap member, which may be manufactured in a thin enough section to accommodate such deformation by the spring  222 . This may result in the applicator head better receiving the cap  211  in an air-tight seal, as the elastic deformation may serve to overcome any slight deviations due to manufacturing tolerances, etc., in either the shape of the cap or the applicator head, which may otherwise permit air passage therebetween. A small annular recess  314 R may also be provided in the conical applicator head  314  for receiving a small corresponding annular protrusion  214 P at the convex portion of the inner cap  223 , which may also serve in the airtight sealing, by limiting relative movement, at a certain point, between the inner cap  223  and the conical surface  314 C, so that the continued translation thereafter (once the minor deformation is completed) and corresponding increased biasing force (based upon the spring formula F=kX) then serves to apply a greater contact force between the two parts to encourage better sealing therebetween. 
         [0069]    The examples and descriptions provided merely illustrate a preferred embodiment of the present invention. Those skilled in the art and having the benefit of the present disclosure will appreciate that further embodiments may be implemented with various changes within the scope of the present invention. Other modifications, substitutions, omissions and changes may be made in the design, size, materials used or proportions, operating conditions, assembly sequence, or arrangement or positioning of elements and members of the preferred embodiment without departing from the spirit of this invention as described in the following claims.

Technology Classification (CPC): 0