Abstract:
The present invention relates to a dual bladed mascara application system having a dual bladed mascara applicator which is received in a cylindrical product container. A bottom blade has a channel formed adjacent a front edge thereof for receiving mascara. A top blade has a deflector rib positioned opposite the channel. The bottom blade can include teeth on the front edge. A wiper has a disc shape with two apertures to accept the applicator blades. A wiper housing receives the wiper and is rotatable in the product container. After use, the wiper housing can be locked to the product container.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The invention relates to an applicator for applying mascara to eyelashes in which the eyelashes are inserted between dual blades for immersing the eyelashes in a mascara product and are withdrawn from the blades through teeth of comb for separation of the eyelashes. 
     2. Related Art 
     The application of mascara to the eyelashes is a time consuming and imprecise process. Conventional applicators are typically a single brush and rely largely on the artistry and dexterity of the user for the quality of the result. In effect mascara is dabbed at the eyelashes using a spiral brush containing variable amounts of product. The eyelashes tend to flex away from the brush. Accordingly, it is difficult to coat them adequately with a few strokes unless excessive amounts of product are acquired on the brush. The conventional applicator has the disadvantage of clumping of the mascara which requires subsequent correction by using an eyelash comb or similar implement to separate the eyelashes. 
     There have been a number of attempts at improving the process of applying mascara. U.S. Pat. No. 5,007,442 describes a tong system having a pair of rods with an applicator at the lower ends thereof The applicators can be a comb or a brush. The tong system traps the eyelashes between the applicators. This system has the limitation of being difficult to maneuver safely around the eye and will tend to pull out the eyelashes due to the confining nature of the entrapment. Also, since this system is a brush-based system, the product pick-up and application of the product are extremely variable. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,611,361 describes a mascara application system having two arms to trap the eyelashes. An applicator brush or comb is attached to each arm. The arms are not intended to close but simply to rotate against either side of the eyelashes. This patent has the shortcoming that positioning is difficult and brush application consistency is variable. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 4,458,701 describes a tong system using two non-spiral brushes. The brushes are made of a resilient material such that the brushes may receive the eyelashes therebetween. The resilience of the material keeps the brush holding arms of the tongs apart when not in use. A user presses the arms together to catch the eyelashes between the brushes to apply mascara. This system has the advantage of being less likely to pull out eyelashes. However, the design has limitations related to the wiping of the brushes, product retention in the brush and sealing of the product in the base container. All of the above-described references are cumbersome to use and fail to provide reliable, even coating of the eyelashes and the possibility of eyelash combing or separation. 
     It is desirable to provide an improved mascara applicator for providing even coating of the mascara and separation of the eyelashes. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a dual bladed mascara application system having a dual bladed mascara applicator which is received in a cylindrical product container. A bottom blade has a channel formed adjacent a front edge thereof for receiving mascara. A top blade has a deflector rib positioned opposite the channel. The bottom blade can include teeth on the front edge. A wiper has a disc shape with two apertures to accept the applicator blades. A wiper housing receives the wiper and is rotatable in the product container. After use, the wiper housing can be locked to the product container. 
     The invention functions by immersing the eyelashes in mascara between the channel of the bottom blade and the reflector rib. The eyelashes are subsequently withdrawn from the applicator through the teeth of the bottom blade. This action ensures even coating and separation of the eyelashes. The wiper and container system provides a constant fill volume with cleanly wiped blades until the container is virtually empty. The advantages of this system over conventional systems are the speed and consistency of application, the quality of the result, and the minimal wastage of mascara product. The invention will be more fully described by reference to the following drawings. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a front and side perspective view of a dual blade mascara applicator in accordance with the teaching of the present invention. 
     FIG. 2A is a side view of the mascara applicator during use. 
     FIG. 2B is a front and side elevational view of the mascara applicator during use. 
     FIG. 3 is a front elevational view of a wiper. 
     FIG. 4 is a front and side perspective view of a wiper housing. 
     FIG. 5A is a side elevational view of a mascara container. 
     FIG. 5B is a cut-away view of the mascara container. 
     FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional cut-away view of assembly of a mascara applicator system. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Reference will now be made in greater detail to a preferred embodiment of the invention, an example of which is illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Wherever possible, the same reference numerals will be used throughout the drawings and the description to refer to the same or like parts. 
     FIG. 1 illustrates dual blade mascara applicator  10  in accordance with the teaching of the present invention. End  12  of bottom blade  13  and end  14  of top blade  15  are attached to applicator cap  16 . Bottom blade  13 , top blade  15  and applicator cap  16  can be formed integrally. For example, bottom blade  13 , top blade  15  and applicator cap  16  can be formed of molded plastic for allowing bottom blade  13  and top blade  15  to be compressed together and return to their original position when pressure is released. A suitable materials for bottom blade  13 , top blade  15  and applicator cap  16  are polypropylene or nylon. Portion  11  of applicator cap can be concave for providing an improved grip of applicator cap  16 . Lug  17  is formed on applicator cap  16 . 
     Teeth  18  are formed in front edge  19  of bottom blade  13 . Channel  20  is formed in bottom blade  13  adjacent front edge  19 . Top blade  15  includes deflector rib  22  positioned adjacent front edge  21 . Deflector rib  22  is positioned opposite channel  20  of bottom blade  13 . Front edge  19  and front edge  21  can have a inwardly curved shape for following the shape of the eye. 
     Inner stop  23  is formed in middle portion  24  of top blade  15 . Inner stop  23  prevents bottom blade  13  from fully closing adjacent top blade  15  when pressure is applied to outside surface  25  of bottom blade  13  and outside surface  26  of top blade  15 . Outer stop  27  is formed on outside surface  25  of bottom blade  13 . Outer stop  28  is formed on outside surface  26  of top blade  15 . 
     FIGS. 2A and 2B illustrate dual blade mascara applicator  10  during operation. Product  30  is received in channel  20  of bottom blade  13 . For example, product  30  can be mascara or an alternative eye makeup. Front edge  19  of bottom blade  13  and front edge  21  of top blade  15  are applied adjacent eyelashes  35 , thereby providing good visibility when using a mirror by keeping the hand and dual blade mascara applicator  10  from obstructing the line of sight and avoiding obstruction with the bridge of the nose. Bottom blade  13  is positioned under eye lashes  35  and top blade  15  is positioned above eyelashes  35 . Bottom blade  13  and top blade  15  are compressed towards one another. For example, a forefinger of a user can apply pressure to outer surface  26  of top blade  15  and a thumb of the user can apply pressure to outer surface  25  of bottom blade  13 . 
     Upon compression of bottom blade  13  toward top blade  15 , eyelashes  35  are pressed between channel  20  and deflector rib  22 , as shown in FIG.  2 B. Deflector rib  22  presses eyelashes  35  down into channel  20  for submerging eyelashes  35  in product  30  located in channel  20 . Dual blade mascara applicator  10  is moved away from eyelashes  35  while bottom blade  13  and top blade  15  remain under compression for coating the full length of eyelashes  35 . By this motion, teeth  18  of bottom blade  13  separate eyelashes  35  for removing clumping of product  30 . For example, this motion can be repeated about three times for eyelashes  35  of each eye. Dual blade mascara applicator  10  can be held in either hand. Stop  24  prevents bottom blade  13  and top blade  15  from grabbing or pulling lashes during mascara application. 
     FIGS. 3-7 illustrate wiper and container system  40  for receiving mascara applicator  10  and applying product  30  thereto to form a dual blade mascara application system  41 . Wiper  42  has a circular disc shape. Wiper  42  includes a pair of apertures  43  for receiving bottom blade  13  and top blade  15 , as shown in FIG.  3 . Apertures  43  are formed of a pair of inclined surfaces  44 . Inclined surfaces  44  form a “V” shape to prevent wiper  42  from deflecting in channel  20  of lower blade  13 , when inserting bottom blade  13  into aperture  43  thereby retaining mascara  30  product in channel  20 . Wiper  42  includes outer flange  45  around outer diameter D 1 . Recess  46  is formed in a portion of outer flange  45 . Preferably, wiper  42  is formed of a flexible material such as synthetic rubber. 
     Wiper housing  50  has a hollow tubular shape, as shown in FIG.  4 . Outer surface  51  of end  52  includes outer flange  53 . End  52  has an outer diameter D 2 . Antirotation rib  54  is formed on inner surface  55 , as shown in FIG.  6 . Middle portion  56  has an inclined shape formed of a reduced inner diameter D 3 . Lugs  57  are formed in end  58  of wiper housing  50 . Groove  59  is formed in end  58 . Channel  61  is formed on inner surface  55  of end  52 . Wiper housing  50  includes separator wall  65  attached to inner surface  66  of wiper housing  50 , as shown in FIG.  6 . 
     Product container  70  has an elongated tubular shape for receiving wiper housing  50 , as shown in FIG. 5. A portion of product container  70  is filled with product  30 . For example, about ⅓ of product container  70  can be filled with product,  30 . Channel  72  is formed on inner surface  74  of end  76 . For example, channel  72  can have a J shape having upper portion  77  and lower portion  78 . Lower portion  78  extends around the inner circumference of inner surface  74 . Inner lip  79  is formed on inner surface  74 . Groove  80  extends around the inner circumference of inner surface  74  below lower portion  78 . 
     During assembly of dual blade mascara application system  41 , wiper  42  is placed in wiper housing  50  by flexing wiper  42  and maneuvering outer flange  45  of wiper  42  into channel  61  of wiper housing  50 . Outer diameter D 1  of wiper  42  is substantially the same as the inner diameter D 2  of wiper housing  50 . After insertion of wiper  42  into wiper housing  50 , wiper  42  is rotated until antirotation rib  54  of wiper housing is engaged in recess  46  of wiper  42 . 
     Assembled wiper unit  42  and wiper housing  50  are received in product container  70 , as shown in FIG.  6 . Groove  59  allows wiper housing  50  to flex during insertion into product container  70 . Wiper housing  50  is inserted until outer flange  53  of end  52  contacts inner lip  79 . Assembled wiper unit  42 , wiper housing  50  and product container  70  form wiper and container system  40 . Applicator cap  16  is received in wiper and container system  40 . Applicator cap  16  is inserted until outer stop  27  and outer stop  28  contact middle portion  56  of wiper housing  50 . Bottom blade  13  is positioned on one side of separator wall  65  and top blade  15  is positioned on the other side of separator wall  65  for separating and guiding bottom blade  13  and top blade  15 . 
     Immersion of applicator cap  16  into wiper and container system  40 , fills channel  20  with product  30 . Upon withdrawal of applicator cap  16  from wiper and container system  40 , excess product coating bottom blade  13  and top blade  15  is removed by inclined surface  44  of wiper  42 . 
     After use, applicator cap  16  is again inserted in product container  70 . Lugs  57  of wiper housing  50  are received in groove  80  of product container  70 . Lug  17  of applicator cap  16  is received in upper portion  77  of channel  72 . Lug  17  is rotated into lower portion  78  of channel  72  by pressing and turning applicator cap  16  to lock applicator cap  16  to product container  70 . Outer flange  53  of wiper housing  50  compresses to press against middle portion  56  of wiper housing  50  to prevent migration of product  30  around wiper housing  50 . Locking of applicator cap  16  into product container  70  prevents drying out of product  30  contained in product container  70 . 
     It is to be understood that the above-described embodiments are illustrative of only a few of the many possible specific embodiments which can represent applications of the principles of the invention. Numerous and varied other arrangements can be readily devised in accordance with these principles by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.