Patent Document

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention deals with color cosmetic liquid products that are traditionally applied with a brush, sponge or foamed mitt utilized with a rod or stem. These products may include nail coatings, liquid eyeliner, lip-liner or other facial products. The invention is designed to serve multiple functions as a sealing mechanism and as a means to keep product from locating on the top of a bottle finish or on the continuous threads of the bottle opening. 
     Existing cosmetic packages are subject to product migration onto surfaces where they can cause problems of inadvertent staining of ones clothes or other personal property. There is also the chance of product dry-out acting as an adhesive which binds the closure to the container, complicating subsequent use owing to the difficulty in cap removal. The function of the insert which is the subject of this invention, is to provide the means to maintain a product-free environment at the land seal and without, and at the same time, enhance the containment and sealing of the liquid product within the bottle. 
     An additional advantage offered by this invention is the pre-assembly feature of the insert and the applicator brush or rod. Accordingly, the filler and assembler of the primary container which provides the packaging for the product need not place the insert and the applicator in their proper orientation via separate steps. A single placement of the pre-assembled components will accomplish the proper registration. 
     In optional embodiments, the insert may be part of the bottle neck and may include inwardly projecting walls which act as a flow inhibitor. The lip of the container is also designed to be the smallest practical and to provide the minimum surface for the product which may be deposited thereon. This minimizes the amount of product which might reach the threads. 
     The prior art includes U.S. Pat. No. 5,190,389 to Vasas which discloses a rod and applicator brush for applying cosmetics. The main feature of this patent concerns a wiper for removing excess product from the brush. U.S. Pat. No. 3,896,823 to Spatz discloses an applicator for coloring eyelashes which includes a wiper for removing excess mascara from the applicator member. 
     Dahm U.S. Pat. No. 4,784,505 discloses a container with a stripper which prevents excess product from depositing on the applicator. Also of interest are U.S. Pat. No. 4,403,624 to Montgomery and U.S. Pat. No. 4,841,996 to Gueret. 
     The prior art does not disclose the unique insert of this invention used in conjunction with a cosmetic container or bottle. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates to cosmetic containers and particularly to containers having a unique insert which serves multiple functions, namely sealing and preventing the product from locating on top of the container finish or the container threads. 
     The insert is held in the neck of the bottle or container by friction and mechanical attachment to a recessed ring about the thread root of a continuous thread finish. The insert is molded from a polymer that repels the cosmetic product by means of molecular polarity. Typical of these plastics are the polyolefins, fluoroplastics, nylons, acetals, polyesters, epoxy resins and elastomeric polyesters. The insert design also physically relocates the aperture at the top of the container a distance above the threaded neck, making the continuous threads less susceptible to product coating or contamination. Additionally, the insert provides multiple seals which prevent leakage or loss of solvents from the container. 
     More specifically, the container includes an insert which is preassembled to a brush by means of an undercut ring located beneath a brush flange and cooperating with an undercut recess in the neck of the container. The downwardly extending walls of the insert are held by friction in the container neck and the insert is anchored externally to the container by a ring which extends outwardly from the threaded container. The interaction between the external surface of the insert and the container&#39;s inner wall, together with the interlocking components at the finish exterior wall is more formidable than the preassembly lock between the insert and the brush. The insert is thus tightly locked in the neck of the container. The radial edge on the brush provides a means for wiping away excess product from the brush. 
     Alternatively, the insert may not be preassembled to the brush and it can be separate from a bottle neck or part of a one-piece neck. Further, the lip of the bottle or container opening is reduced in surface area to limit the product which may be deposited thereon and thus prevent liquid from reaching the threads. 
     Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide a new and improved insert for a container opening. 
     Another object of this invention is to provide a new and improved insert for sealing a cosmetic container. 
     A further object of this invention is to provide a new and improved sealed top for a cosmetic bottle having an elongated neck. 
     A still further object of this invention is to provide a new and improved cosmetic container which includes a primary seal of a valve type where the cone of the brush plugs the bottle corkage and a secondary seal or land seal between the brush flange and the lip of the container. 
     Another object of this invention is to provide a new and improved insert for a cosmetic container which is preassembled to a brush and which engages the container opening to maintain a product free environment at the land seal and without, while at the same time enhancing the containment and sealing of the liquid product within the container. 
     A more specific object of this invention is to provide a plastic insert having a pre-assembled brush mounted thereto which fits into the neck of a container to effect a functional seal, said insert also having an undercut flange on the upper portion thereof which engages the threaded outer ring on the container for sealing purposes. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The above and other objects and advantages of this invention may be more clearly seen when viewed in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein: 
     FIG. 1 is an exploded cross-sectional view of the invention; 
     FIGS. 2,  3  and  4  are enlarged cross-sectional views of the insert showing various embodiments thereof; 
     FIGS. 2 a ,  3   a  and  4   a  are respective cross-sectional views of the foregoing insert embodiments showing the entire bottle top assembly; 
     FIGS. 5 a  and  5   b  depict an alternate embodiment of the invention wherein the features of the invention are embodied in a container design; 
     FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view of the invention; 
     FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of the bottle of FIG. 6 which represents the prior art; 
     FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of the invention showing the bottle and assembled insert of FIG. 6; 
     FIG. 9 depicts the prior art with a coated brush being removed from the bottle of FIG. 7; 
     FIG. 10 depicts a coated brush being removed from the bottle of FIG. 8; 
     FIG. 11 shows the residue left on the rim of the bottle in FIG. 9; 
     FIG. 12 shows the residue left on the rim of the bottle in FIG. 10; 
     FIG. 13 shows the residue being squeezed away from the rim in FIG. 11 by the brush; and, 
     FIG. 14 shows the residue being squeezed away from the insert rim in FIG. 12 by the brush. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Referring to FIG. 1 of the drawings, the invention comprises an insert  4  used to seal a container  1  normally containing liquid cosmetics such as nail enamel, liquid eyeliner or lip-liner. The insert  4  includes an upper flange  4   b  extending outwardly from the upper portion of a hollow cylinder  10 . The flange  4   b  also extends inwardly from the cylinder  10  with its elongated walls  4   d  to an upwardly extending cylindrical portion having a narrow top edge  5  at the end thereof and having an undercut recess  4   c  on its upper interior wall. The flange  4   b  also includes an undercut recess  4   a  on the outer lower surface thereof to connect to the container  1 . The cylinder  10  has an outwardly tapered edge  23  at the lower end thereof to facilitate entry into a container  1 . 
     A brush  2  is pre-assembled to the insert  4  which saves considerable effort. Accordingly, the filler and assembler of the primary container which provides the packaging for the product need not place the insert  4  and the applicator  2  in their proper orientation via separate steps. A single placement of the pre-assembled components will accomplish proper orientation. The brush  2  includes a top gripping portion  11 , a circular liner or intermediate circular flange  2   b  extending outwardly from the base of the top portion  11  and a downwardly tapered section or walls  12  leading to an undercut ring  2   d  which engages the undercut recess  4   c  in the insert  4  to secure the parts  2  and  4  together, that is, the brush  2  and insert  4 . A sealing ring (not shown) may be located between the liner  2   b  and the flanges  4   b  to act as a stopper in the container opening  31 . 
     The brush  2  further includes a stem  2   a  extending axially within the insert  4  and having a tufted applicator  2   c  projecting outwardly from the end thereof into the container  1 . The stem  2   a  and brush  2   c  are an integral unit which may be pre-assembled and then the entire brush is pre-assembled to the insert  4 . Alternatively, the insert  4  may not be preassembled to the brush  2  and the insert  4  may also be separate from the bottle neck  13  or part of a one-piece neck. 
     The container  1  includes an open neck portion  13  having an inner wall  1   a  which is frictionally engaged by the outer wall  4   d  of the insert  4 . The neck portion  13  comprises an outer surface having threads  1   t  and an undercut ring  1   b  at the upper edge thereof. The undercut ring  1   b  engages the undercut portion  4   a  in the insert flange  4   b  to secure the insert  4  and brush  2  assembly to the container  1  by engagement with the ring  1   b . The lip surface  32  is designed to be as small as possible since this is the place where product tends to be deposited. The smaller the surface area, the less product will get on lip surface  32 . The main purpose is to prevent product from reaching the threads  1   t  by a two level cascade design involving surfaces  32  and  33 . The surface  33  is sufficiently lower than  32  so that the brush  2  does not touch the surface  33  when being removed from and reinserted into container  1 . 
     The container also includes a cap  15  having an interior recess  16  and outwardly sloped sides  18  extending downwardly from the top  17 . The recessed interior includes a lower portion having an enlarged recess  19  to accommodate the top  11 . The interior walls  20  include a ledge  21  which engages the liner  2   b  and a threaded portion  22  which engages the exterior threads  1   t  on the container neck  13 . 
     FIGS. 2,  3  and  4  illustrate various embodiments of the invention while FIGS. 2 a ,  3   a  and  4   a  are respectively enlarged cross-sectional views of the insert embodiment. FIGS. 2 and 2 a  disclose a land seal  6   a  and valve seal  7   a . The brush  2  and insert  4  assembly are attached in FIGS. 3 and 3 a  to the container  1  by means of a cooperating male extension  8  at the top of the insert  4 , snapping it into undercuts  9  in the brush flange or liner  2   b . In FIGS. 3 and 3 a , there is a land seal  6   b  and a radial valve seal with the projection  8  extending into recesses  24 . 
     FIGS. 4 and 4 a  illustrates an embodiment wherein there is a horizontal member  30  in the form of a dish at the top edge of the insert  4 . This provides a means for joining the insert  4  and the brush  2  before package assembly and a horizontal doctoring edge  11  to remove excess liquid product. There is also a land seal  6   c  and a valve seal  7   c . 
     A further embodiment is illustrated in FIGS. 5 a  and  5   b  wherein the bottles  1  are shaped at  40   a  and  40   b  to simulate the contours and functions of the inserts  4 . These designs provide an effective means for maintaining the clear separation of the land seal  33  from the continuous threads  34 . 
     To summarize, the insert  4  and brush  2  may be snap fitted together. The undercut snap together feature of recess  4   c  and liner  2   d  is of lesser magnitude than the force between the insert  4  and the container  1 . Thus, the brush  2  separates from the insert  4  when the consumer uses the brush  2 . The primary function of the invention is to provide a dispensing surface  32  above the threads  1   t  and located inwardly so that the liquid product such as nail enamel does not come in contact with the threads  1   t  particularly when the brush is wiped to remove excess product. The invention has  2  seals, a primary valve type seal where the lower conical surface  5  plugs the container opening  31  and a secondary seal or land seal between the brush flange or liner  2   b  and the lip  32  of the container. 
     A purpose of the invention is to prevent the neck  13  of cosmetic containers  1  from becoming contaminated with cosmetic product from the container  1 . In theory, these ends can be attained by making the surface area of the top lip  32  as narrow as possible. In some instances, however, it may be necessary to have a thick lip  32  and design accommodations will have to be made. Another design criteria is to keep the top lip  32  and cap roof  12  from contact. The distance between the lip  32  and the cap inside wall  17  should also be as large as possible for best results. On the other hand, the lip  32  and wall  17  can be relatively close in particular designs. 
     Referring now to FIG. 7 a , a clean neck  13  is achieved by keeping the top lip  32  narrow to carry less product which may be transferred to the neck  13 . A wider mouth opening is depicted in FIG. 7 b  to permit the ready insertion of brushes  2   c  back into the container  1  without scraping any product onto the top rim  32 . The container  1  is also solid on the inside of the land area. 
     A narrow lip width is defined as a width which is narrower than the combined bottle neck  13  and wiper wall thickness. This automatically increases the mouth opening. On the other hand, if a large opening  31  is desired, the top rim  32  is simply extended. 
     In another embodiment shown in FIG. 8 a , the plug  70  is extended outwardly and includes threads  71  on the outer surface  72  thereof. A larger opening results. 
     Analyzing the drawback, the bottle neck  13  gets coated with product when the brush  2   c  leaves a residue  73  on the lip  32  (see FIG. 8 b ). When the cap  15  is replaced, it compresses the residue  73  and spreads the product forward and to the sides (see FIG. 8 c ). A portion leaks onto the outside of the bottle neck  13  where it is sandwiched between the neck  13  and the cap  15 . The product is carried forward with the cap  15 . 
     To solve the above problem, the rim width can be reduced so that only a small amount of residue is deposited thereon. The lip  32  is also kept away from the cap inside wall. More desirable, the cap  15  is not permitted to come into contact with the lip  32  so that contact is not made with the residue  73 . 
     Ideally, the land surface  32  is kept distant from the cap wall  20  and away from the cap roof  17 . As shown in FIG. 9 a , a seal can be formed by friction rings  81  or by a regular land seal as shown in FIG. 9 b . For products which require a large spiral wound brush such as mascara or a large applicator such as lip gloss, a wide opening  31  is desirable in order to guide the brush/applicator back into the container  1  without scrapping any product off from the brush  2  onto the surface. FIG. 9 c  illustrates a wide opening. The residue  73  left on the lip  32  will dry out and can be scraped off easily without contaminating the threads  1   c.    
     The first key feature of this application is the reduction of the amount of product residue left on the surface of the rim by reducing the surface area for product contamination in a cosmetic container. Then the contamination area is separated from the clean surrounding area by elevating the contamination area upward and is protect by the larger diameter of the clean surrounding area so that the cap&#39;s inner surface will not be in contact with the residue. The insert or plug  4  is designed for the above purpose and not for the purpose of wiping the stem  2   a . 
     To clarify the invention, FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view of FIG. 1 showing the principal parts of the invention. A direct comparison with the prior art may be achieved by comparing the cross-sectional view of the conventional container or bottle  1  of FIG. 7 with applicant&#39;s bottle  1  in FIG.  8 . 
     FIG. 9 illustrates a coated brush  2  being removed from the prior art bottle while FIG. 10 illustrates the coated brush  2  being withdrawn from the new bottle  1  with the insert or plug  4 . 
     FIG. 11 shows the residue  73  left on the lip  32  of the bottle  1   p  in FIG. 9 by the coated brush  2  while FIG. 12 shows the residue  74  left on the rim  75  of the insert  4  in FIG.  10 . 
     FIG. 13 shows the residual, product being squeezed away from the rim area  32  to the inside and outside of the rim  32 . Note how the residue  73  flows down to the threads  1   t  on the exterior of the bottle  1   p  after repeated use. On the other hand, the small amount of residue  74  in FIG. 14 is squeezed away from the narrow insert rim  75  to the inside and outside surface of the elevated rim  75  in the new design. This lesser amount of residue  74  is a great advantage since the residue  74  which does flow on the outside of the rim  72  does not reach the threads  1   t . Instead, the outside flow is trapped on the flange  2   b  away from the threads  1   t . The larger diameter of threads  1   t  prevents the cap&#39;s inner surface from getting in contact with the residue. 
     While the invention has been explained by a detailed description of certain specific embodiments, it is understood that various modifications and substitutions can be made in any of them within the scope of the appended claims which are intended also to include equivalents of such embodiments.

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