Applicator Tip and Cosmetic Applicator Provided Therewith

The present invention relates to an applicator tip and a cosmetic applicator provided therewith.

Cosmetic applicators are known in the art. A known cosmetic applicator includes a storage container and a capillary applicator tip which is impregnatable with a solving medium and extends outwardly beyond the storage container through an opening which is formed as a guide opening. A lead sealingly closes the storage container and is removable for use of the applicator. During application of coloring cosmetics, surfaces of skin, fingernails or toenails are often colored in undesirable manner. Especially when an inexperienced person applies coloring cosmetics, it is often required to release the colored skin or nail parts from previously applied cosmetics before a new cosmetic application. Wool pieces or cotton bars, or so-called Q-tips impregnated with a solving medium, are as a rule used for this purpose. However, they do not provide for the possibility to exactly remove the previously applied cosmetics.

German patent application P No. 3,202,435 discloses an applicator which is formed as a cosmetic cleaning device with a capillary tip, which is suitable for desired application of a solving medium. The capillary tip is formed as a fiber wick with a circular cross section and an end produced by an inclined cut. The known capillary tipes, for example formed as fiber wicks, have the property that during the production of the strand the radially outer zone in which the fibers are connected with one another by synthetic plastic adhesive is denser than the radially inner zone. This increased density leads to the fact that the radially outer zone possesses a high strength so as to provide a certain hold to the tip. However, this also possesses the disadvantage that, in the radially outer zone, almost no passage of the liquid to be applied takes place. As a result of this, at the inclined end of the tip, and particularly at its apex, only small quantities or no solving medium at all are available. This especially disadvantageous when the user turns the tip so that the denser outer zone lies on the skin.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an applicator tip and a cosmetic applicator which in a radially outer zone no longer have a reduced passage of liquid and allows a desired and areally limited application of liquids.

In keeping with these objects and with others which will become apparent hereinafter, one feature of the present invention resides, briefly stated, in an applicator tip which has a body of circular cross section and a working end formed as a paraboloid with an inclined, substantially flat cutting surface which forms an applying surface to apply a medium areally, a curved applying edge to apply a medium linearly, and a substantially pointed apex for applying a medium pointedly.

It is also another feature of the present invention to provide a cosmetic applicator with the applicator tip in accordance with the present invention.

By cutting a part of the paraboloid by a flat cutting surface, the remaining portion of the tip does not have a denser zone. The paraboloid shape of the working end of the tip is spaced from the unfavorable radially outward zone. The thus formed working end is composed exclusively of a radially inner part of the tip, in which the capillarity is available to a full extent.

In accordance with another advantageous feature of the present invention, the cutting surface is formed so that the user can maintain the natural holding Of the cosmetic applicator in the hand. This feature is that the angle of the cutting surface to the axis of the applicator tip lies in a region between 15.degree. and 30.degree.. When the applicator tip is designed in accordance with this feature, it is possible in the event of undesirable cosmetic application on the lower side of a nail, to penetrate with the working end of the tip into this region and dissolve and remove the cosmetic substance therefrom.

An especially good handling and visibility during guiding of the tip is obtained when the inclined cutting or section surface extends from an apex of the paraboloid to an outer surface of the body. This advantage is also maintained when the inclined cutting surface extends outwardly beyond the axis of the tip, but does not reach the denser radially outer zone or region at the opposite radial side of the tip.

The novel features which are considered characteristic for the invention are set forth in particular in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, both as to its construction and its method of operation, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will be best understood from the following description of specific embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawing.

FIG. 1 is a side view showing a tip for cosmetic applicator from a rear side of a flat cutting surface;

FIG. 2 is a view showing a section of the applicator tip in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a side view, as seen normal to the flat cutting surface of the inventive applicator tip;

FIG. 4 is a plan view of the tip in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the tip according to the present invention with the inclined cutting surface; and

FIG. 6 is a schematic view showing a cosmetic applicator with the applicator tip of the present invention.

An applicator tip for a cosmetic applicator is identified as a whole with reference numeral 1. It has a substantially circular cross section. The tip 1 has a dull end 2 to be held in a cosmetic applicator. A working end 3 which is opposite to the end 2 is formed as a paraboloid or, more particularly, as a part of a paraboloid. Then it is cut by an inclined cutting or sectioning surface as shown in FIG. 2. More particularly, the cutting surface extends from one radial side of the tip to the other radial side and does not end at the axis of the tip. Instead, the cutting surface, which is identified with reference numeral 4, extends outwardly beyond the axis of the tip.

The tip 1 is composed of a plurality of fibers extending in its axial direction and connected with one another by a synthetic plastic adhesive. The fibers can be composed of polyester whereas, the adhesive can be composed of epoxy resin. As can be seen from FIG. 2, a radially outer zone 5 of the tip 1 contains the fibers which are arranged denser than the fibers in the radially inner zone close to the axis of the tip. The cutting surface 4 extends, as mentioned above, radially outwardly beyond the axis of the tip, but ends in the radially inner zone shortly before the radially outer zone 5. Since the radially inner zone is less dense and is better for passage of a liquid medium, all parts of the working end of the tip are actually located in the region of the radially inner zone with improved passage properties.

The cutting surface 4 extends at an angle of between 15.degree. and 30" to the axis of the tip.

When the applicator tip is designed in such a manner, it has a substantially ellipsoidal application surface corresponding to the cutting surface 4, a convexly curved application surface provided in the remaining region of the working end behind the cutting surface 4, and a substantially pointed application apex in the region of intersection of the cutting surface and the convexly curved surface.

For applying liquids, particularly a solving medium, the tip can be used in various ways. For obtaining a wide-surface application, the cutting surface 4 is applied completely onto a countersurface. For a small-surface application, the remaining convexly curved outer surface of the paraboloid 3 is brought into contact with a countersurface. For a pointed application of liquids, the outermost apex of the paraboloid 3 can be used.

As can be seen from FIG. 6, the applicator tip in accordance with the present invention can be used in a cosmetic applicator which has a storage container 6, a tampon 7 impregnated with a liquid such as a solving medium, and a lid 8 which sealingly closes the container over the working end of the tip 1. The tip 1 is in liquid-conducting communication with the tampon 7. Of course, the cosmetic applicator for the tip in accordance with the present invention can be formed in many other ways.

It will be understood that each of the elements described above, or two or more together, may also find a useful application in other types of constructions differing from the types described above. While the invention has been illustrated and embodied in an applicator tip and a cosmetic applicator provided therewith, it is not intended to be limited to the details shown, since various modifications and structural changes may be made without departing in any way from the spirit of the present invention.

Without further analysis, the foregoing will so fully reveal the gist of the present invention that others can, by applying current knowledge, readily adapt it for various applications without omitting features that, from the standpoint of prior art, fairly constitute essential characteristics of the generic or specific aspects of this invention.