Patent ID: 6962158

Claim:
A dye applicator, comprising: A) a semi-rigid container assembly having an elongated shape with first and second ends and an internal wall defining an internal holding space for receiving a dye, said first end including a first opening, said container assembly being deformable upon the application of a force of predetermined magnitude and recuperates its initial shape upon releasing said force and said container assembly further including a one-way valve assembly that permits air to come inside said holding space to replace the dye that has been released when said force is released as said container assembly recuperates its at rest shape, said one-way valve assembly is mounted on said second end and said one-way valve assembly includes a plug body with fifth and sixth ends and a lateral wall with a flexible mushroom shaped head with a flexible and resilient rim, a central through opening extending from said fifth end a predetermined distance towards said sixth end and including at least one first passage that extends at an angle radially outwardly from said central through opening to said lateral wall, and said second end of said container assembly including at least one second passage cooperatively positioned to connect said first passage with said internal holding space at a predetermined position on said internal wall that cooperatively coacts with said rim to selectively close and open said second passage upon the application and release of said predetermined force deforming said container assembly; and B) a rigid comb assembly including a longitudinally extending spine member having third and fourth ends and a longitudinally extending cavity extending from said third end towards said fourth end without reaching it, said third end including a second opening and said first and third ends include mating threaded portions and said first and third ends being removably mounted to each other and said comb assembly further including a plurality of teeth perpendicularly mounted to said spine member and each of said teeth further including a longitudinal conduit connected to said cavity and a plurality of transversal conduits substantially perpendicularly connected to said longitudinal conduit and said plurality of transversal conduits terminating at third openings on each of said teeth so that said dye is permitted to flow from said holding space through said cavity to said longitudinal and transversal conduits and out through said third openings.