Dispensing – Collapsible wall-type container – With casing or support
Reexamination Certificate
2003-02-19
2004-09-14
Bomberg, Kenneth (Department: 3754)
Dispensing
Collapsible wall-type container
With casing or support
C222S158000, C222S206000, C222S215000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06789704
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to containers and, more particularly, to a container for the preparation and/or dispensing of liquid cosmetic hair products.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Typical cosmetic hair treatments involve preparing and applying a liquid color composition to hair. Hair color compositions ordinarily include a hair coloring ingredient which is carefully admixed in precise proportion with a developing agent. The developing agent and hair coloring ingredient then interact before being applied to the hair to be treated.
Hair color applications done by a salon professional involve formulas in which a hair coloring ingredient and a developing agent, usually hydrogen peroxide, must be admixed accurately to ensure a good hair color result. After they have been allowed to interact for a predetermined time period, the cosmetic product may be transferred to an appropriate dispenser for application to the hair being treated.
Many of the ingredients of cosmetic products, especially hair coloring compositions, are quite expensive. It is therefore desirable to utilize a mixing container in which precise amounts of the ingredients may be measured as they are combined. This avoids mistakes in their admixture and the necessity of adding an additional amount of one or more of the ingredients to effect the desired product formula. It allows the salon professional to mix less product per application and thereby avoid waste of expensive ingredients.
In dispensing or applying a cosmetic product such as a hair coloring composition, it is often important to ensure that the composition is applied in a manner which results in the desired effect. This may require careful placement of sometimes disproportionate amounts of composition. This is true, for example, whether one is streaking uniformly colored hair or attempting to make non-uniformly colored hair more uniform in appearance. As a result, it is important to carefully control where and how much cosmetic product is applied to the hair.
After application of the cosmetic product, the dispenser or the dispensing and mixing containers must normally be carefully cleaned to ensure that they are free of residue which might contaminate any subsequent cosmetic product placed in them. It is important in admixing dyes or tints to avoid unpleasant surprises to the hair being treated, particularly where a container which held a very dark dye is reused with a very light tint.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to create a container which allows the measured preparation of a cosmetic product, particularly a coloring composition for dyeing or bleaching hair.
Another object of the present invention is to create a container which will function as a dispenser of cosmetic product and allow careful control over where and how much of a cosmetic product, especially a coloring composition, is dispensed while treating hair.
Another object of the present invention is to create a container which is partially disposable. It is desired that at least most of the portion of the container which comes in contact with cosmetic product is replaceable, in order to facilitate the reuse of the container with different cosmetic products.
Still further objects of the present invention are the creation of a single container which can fulfil both of the foregoing functions and which will not require the careful and complete cleaning between uses which has normally been necessary.
In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a container for liquid cosmetic product including a housing composed of flexible sidewall means having an elongate central cavity, with the sidewall means having an opening at the anterior end of the housing. Disposed within the central cavity is a collapsible bag having an opening situated proximate to the anterior end of the housing. A cap is detachably affixed to the anterior end of the housing. The cap is adapted to hold the collapsible bag within the housing and has an aperture communicating with the bag opening.
The sidewall means of the housing are normally thin and may be composed of plastic or other flexible material. The container may have any number of sidewall means forming any elongate three-dimensional shape. However, it is preferred to utilize only one sidewall means, curved to provide a tubular housing.
By “flexible” according to the present invention, what is meant is that the housing sidewall means are relatively rigid and yet are deformable while under external pressure, such as squeezing, while rebounding to an undeformed shape when such pressure is relaxed. Because this flexibility effects the shape of the housing, it may also reduce the volume of its central cavity. Consequently, the application of external pressure on the container housing may be communicated by contact to the bag disposed within its central cavity.
The bag within the housing is collapsible. By “collapsible” according to the present invention, what is meant is that the bag and/or its walls are non-resilient and incapable of maintaining any particular shape, absent a supporting force. Like the housing, it may be composed of plastic, but usually its walls are much thinner in thickness.
A cosmetic product may be prepared by mixing its ingredients in the collapsible bag. Exertion of pressure on the housing causes it to flex radially inward, forcing the cosmetic product from the collapsing bag, through the cap aperture, for application to the hair being treated.
Relaxation of pressure controls this application. The housing rebounds to its original configuration. As the housing separates from the bag, the flow of product is reduced. Once the application of cosmetic product has been completed, the bag may be removed from the container and discarded. A new bag may be placed within the housing and the container is then ready for reuse.
In a preferred form of the present invention, the bag extends through the opening at the anterior end of the housing. The bag may have a circumferential lip which extends outwardly from the bag at the bag opening. It is especially desirable that the anterior end of the housing sidewall means forms a substantially circular edge. A similarly shaped lip may be pressed against the edge at the anterior end of the housing to ensure the optimal positioning of the bag within the central cavity of the housing.
In combination with the foregoing preferred embodiments of the present invention, it is desirable that the cap hold the bag in place by pressing the lip against the edge at the anterior end of the housing. One means by which this may be accomplished involves a cap comprising a substantially circular top and having a skirt disposed substantially perpendicularly from the perimeter of the top. The skirt may extend posteriorly of the edge of the anterior end of the housing. The skirt and anterior end of the housing may bear ridges, such as screw threads, adapted to detachably affix the cap to the housing. By screwing or otherwise locking the cap and housing temporarily together, the bag lip located between these elements is held firmly within the housing.
In a still further preferred embodiment of the present invention, a hollow or tubular dispensing member extends outwardly from, and communicates with, the cap aperture. This dispensing member may, for example, have a frusto-conical or other elongate shape in order to allow its penetration into a head of hair for application of hair coloring composition from its tip, directly to the hair roots.
The dispensing member and the associated cap aperture may be situated together anywhere on the cap. The dispensing member may extend radially or, more desirably, anteriorly from the cap. Most desirably, it is located acentric to the cap top. This enhances the ability to precisely direct application of the coloring composition to the desired location in the hair. This location also facilitates dispensing all the composition from the bag.
As previously described, there must be an opening at the anterior end of the housing. The sidewall means of
Hennessey Colleen
Powers Katherine M.
Bomberg Kenneth
French, Esq. Philip M.
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