Coating implements with material supply – Combined
Reexamination Certificate
2002-05-28
2004-09-14
Walczak, David J. (Department: 3751)
Coating implements with material supply
Combined
C401S126000, C401S130000, C362S096000, C362S101000, C362S119000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06789972
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to internally illuminated devices, and more particularly to a selectively or operatively illuminable wand-type applicator for lip gloss or coloring, eye shadow, body paint or other cosmetic materials that are applied to a user's body.
The invention is herein described, by way of illustration, with respect to an embodiment that provides a handheld applicator for manually applying lip gloss to a user's lips, but it is equally applicable to other, related or analogous uses—for example to apply tints or colorings or paints or other liquid-form materials to portions of a user's body—with little or no modification. Indeed, those skilled in the art will recognize that the inventive device and arrangement as herein disclosed may be additionally modified or utilized to apply non-cosmetic materials, such as colorants and adhesives and the like, to inanimate work surfaces. Moreover, the use herein of the term “liquid” is intended to include materials having a wide range of viscosities, from those that flow as freely as water to relatively thick pastes or gels.
2. Description of Related Art
Wand-type lip gloss applicators, as heretofore known and readily available, are generally configured as elongated, cylindrical, two-piece housings in which the two mating housing parts are manually separable to reveal an elongated rod or wand that is secured or anchored to and projects outward from a first one of the housing parts. The rod carries, on its free end opposite that end of the rod which is anchored to the first housing, a mass or pad or wad of an absorbent or semi-absorbent material for receiving and temporarily retaining thereon the liquid-form lip gloss material for transfer from the material to the user's lips. The absorbent or semi-absorbent mass may, by way of illustrative example, be formed of a foam pad commonly used for such purposes and that encircles the free end of the rod.
The second housing part forms a cover for the first housing part and the two parts are releasably engageable and disengageable, as for example by snap-fit engagement or by relative threaded rotation therebetween, to respectively protectively cover and enclose the wand during periods of nonuse, on the one hand, and to separate the housing halves and thereby provide access to the wand for user-manipulation of the first housing part to apply lip gloss to the user's lips, on the other. The second housing part may enclose a reservoir for the lip gloss or other liquid-form material to be applied to the body or work surface so that, when the housing halves are interengaged with the wand enclosed within the cover, at least the mass-carrying free end of the rod or wand is immersed in or otherwise in contact with liquid material from the reservoir. Thus the first part of the housing—i.e. that carrying the outwardly-projecting wand—is graspable and selectively manipulable by the user to place or “dip” the wand free end into the cover-containing liquid reservoir (or to at least disengage the cover from the wand-carrying housing part when the applicator has been in its storage condition) and to then position and move the free or outward end of the wand, which carries the liquid-retaining mass of material, against and along the user's lips to apply the liquid to the lips.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A wand-type applicator in accordance with the present invention retains this general configuration or form and its operative utility and functionality. In addition, however, the invention provides structure and elements that illuminate the wand in response to one or more various alternative forms of activation.
According to the invention, a wand of light transmissive or transmitting material has a fixed end mounted in a first housing part and projecting from the fixed end to a free end remote from the housing part. The free end has or carries a means for retaining a liquid, such as a mass or pad of absorbent material, which liquid may be contained in a second housing part which mates with the first housing part. The first housing part has mounted therein a light source which is mounted so that light emitted therefrom enters the fixed end of the wand, as well as a power source and a switch. In preferred forms of the invention, the light source includes a light emitting diode (LED), such as one operable to generate a red or other color or uncolored light, and the power source may comprise one or a plurality of conventional button-type or otherwise miniaturized batteries to power the LED.
When the LED is activated, in accordance with the invention the emitted light illuminates the wand from the interior thereof. Toward that end, the wand is formed of a predeterminately light-transmissive material, such as plastic, and may be transparent or translucent to provide a predetermined amount of diffused light along and through the wand and onto its surface. By suitable selection of the wand material—the particular material being a general matter of design choice, within the knowledge and abilities of the person of ordinary skill in the art, to suit the particular degree and variety and related aspects of the illumination of the wand that are desired—the light from the LED is received by and passes through and along the length of the wand so as to illuminate the surface of the wand, preferably along its entire length, so that the internally illuminated wand is readily visible to the user. It is also intended that the free end of the wand be sufficiently illuminated by the light emitted by the LED so that the liquid-retaining mass or pad carried on its free end is at least partly illuminated for ready viewing of, for example, any desired special effects. Toward that end, the end of the wand about which the pad or mass is carried may be predeterminately shaped or scored to provide particular illumination-related or enhancing visual effects to, or visible through, the surrounding pad. In addition, the material forming the liquid-retaining pad or mass may be selected with a suitable degree of transparency or translucence, and/or may have patterns or designs defined in the pad and/or in all or a portion of the free end of the wand about which the mass or pad is carried. This functionality may also or alternatively be implemented or enhanced in any of various ways within the scope and contemplation of the invention. For example, to provide or enhance illumination of the wand, it may be formed to include a fluorescing or phosphorescing or other illumination-effecting or enhancing additive, and/or reflecting materials or particles such as glitter. The LED may be selected to transmit at higher frequencies including the ultraviolet range in order to stimulate the phosphors in the wand to emit predetermined visible wavelengths. The translucence of the liquid to be applied by the wand applicator may also be selected to enhance the operating effect of the inventive applicator, including the inclusion of fluorescing or light-conduction-assisting or enhancing additives in or to the liquid.
In one contemplated implementation, the fixed end of the wand is located immediately adjacent, or at least closely proximate, the LED, so that when the LED is activated the resulting light readily impinges on and is received by the fixed end of the wand and is passed or transmitted and diffused down and along the length of the wand so as to impart a user-visible “glow” or illumination to the surface of the wand. Transmission of light from the illuminated LED to the fixed end of the wand may, optionally, be enhanced or facilitated by placing or positioning a lens or other light-conducting surface—for example a circular collector plate against or in substantial contact with or formed as a unitary part of the wand end between the wand end and the adjacent LED. Alternatively, any other configuration or structure or arrangement of directing light from the illuminated LED into the rod or wand may also be employed, such for example as by mounting the LED in a pa
Cohen & Pontani, Lieberman & Pavane
Walczak David J.
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