Patent ID: 8689808

Claim:
An applicator comprising: a rigid applicator member comprising an inorganic material, the applicator further member comprising a core that is different from a twisted core, and projecting applicator elements extending from the core; and a stem supporting the applicator member and comprising a rigid portion, and a flexible portion extending between the applicator member and the rigid portion, wherein the flexible portion is made, at least in part, of a material selected from one of the following: an elastomer material, a thermoplastic, a thermoplastic elastomer, low-density polyethylene (LDPE), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polyurethane (PU), copolymers of esterified polytetramethylene or other thermoplastic elastomer polyesters, oxide glycol and butene terephthalate, ethylene-propylene-diene terpolymer (EPDM), propylene-diene terpolymer (PDM), ethyl vinyl acetate (EVA), styrene-isoprene-styrene (SIS), styrene-ethylene-butylene-styrene (SEBS), styrene-butadiene-styrene (SBS), latex, silicone rubber, nitrile rubber, butyl rubber, polyurethane, or polyether block amide.