Coating implements with material supply – With signal or indicator
Reexamination Certificate
2002-03-28
2004-08-10
Huson, Gregory L. (Department: 3751)
Coating implements with material supply
With signal or indicator
C401S068000, C401S075000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06773190
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an implement for dispensing a stick-shaped or bar-shaped preparation such as lipstick for cosmetic use, lip moisturizer for medical use, and paste.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
U.S. Pat. No. 5,842,802 discloses such an implement. The construction of this implement is shown in
FIGS. 10 and 11
. An implement
1
has a double tubular casing structure including an elongated outer cylinder member
10
, and an inner cylindrical operative member
12
mounted inside the cylinder member
10
to substantially accommodate a preparation C therein. The cylinder member
10
and the operative member
12
each have a closed end at a bottom portion thereof.
A screw shaft
14
extending in an axial direction of the cylinder member
10
is fixedly supported on the bottom portion of the cylinder member
10
. The screw shaft
14
passes through the bottom portion of the operative member
12
and protrudes the interior of the operative member
12
. The bottom portion of the operative member
12
and the screw shaft
14
are engaged along the axial direction of the casing by a hook portion
14
a
formed at a base end of the screw shaft
14
. With this arrangement, the operative member
12
is rotatable relative to the cylinder member
10
and is held inside the cylinder member
10
with its detachment from the cylinder member
10
disabled.
A tubular support member
16
for retractably extruding the preparation C while holding the preparation C is mounted inside the operative member
12
. Although not illustrated, the support member
16
is spline-coupled to the operative member
12
in such a manner that the support member
16
is slidable along the axial direction of the casing
12
relative thereto with its rotation relative to the operative member
12
disabled. The support member
16
is engageably mounted on the screw shaft
14
.
A lead end portion or upper part of the operative member
12
protrudes out of the cylinder member
10
. A knob
12
a
is formed along an outer cylindrical surface on the protruded part of the operative member
12
. A cap
18
is detachably mounted on a lead end of the operative member
12
.
When a user dispenses the preparation C with use of the implement
1
, the user detaches the cap
18
and turns the operative member
12
relative to the cylinder member
10
by holding the cylinder member
10
and the knob
12
a
. Turning the operative member
12
relative to the cylinder member
10
rotates the support member
16
relative to the screw shaft
14
. Then, as shown in
FIG. 11
(see the right half portion in FIG.
11
), the support member
16
is advanced toward the lead end portion of the operative member
12
along the axial direction of the operative member
12
. As a result, the preparation C is extruded or dispensed out of the lead end portion or inlet/outlet portion of the operative member
12
. On the other hand, when the user rotates the operative member
12
relative to the cylinder member
10
in the direction opposite to the direction of withdrawing the preparation C, the support member
16
is moved in the direction opposite to the direction of extruding the preparation C, and, as a result, the preparation C is retracted in the operative member
12
.
In the aforementioned implement
1
, since the knob
12
a
is provided in the vicinity of the inlet/outlet portion, the user can extrude or withdraw the preparation C by turning the knob
12
a
of the operative member
12
with his or her thumb and index finger while holding the cylinder member
10
.
However, the aforementioned implement has the following drawbacks.
1) A variety of representations such as pictures and patterns, information such as ingredients of the preparation, and trademark are provided on an outside surface of the implement. Generally, such representation is directly applied on the outer surface of the implement by printing, adhesion of seal member, covering member or the like, which are likely to be deteriorated by scuffing or adhesion of foreign matters. Such deteriorated representation will cause the user to feel annoyed when using the preparation accommodated in the implement itself despite the fact that the representation merely constitutes an external appearance of the implement. Particularly, in the case where the preparation is a stick-shaped or bar-shaped lipstick for cosmetic use or a moisturizer for medical use, a user will dislike the poor appearance of the representation in the aspect of hygiene, which may be one of the causes to dispose the preparation in incomplete use. In particular, the implement
1
which realizes one-hand manipulation is constructed in such a manner that the representation is provided on the outer surface of the cylinder member
10
serving as a gripping portion. Accordingly, it is highly likely that the representation wears out or seal is peeled off due to repeated frictional contacts with a user's hand, which may expedite deterioration of the representation. Therefore, there is the demand for an implement free from provoking a user hesitant feeling in use in view of hygiene owing to the external appearance of the implement by effectively suppressing deterioration of representation.
2) The implement
1
is operated in such a manner as to rotate the operative member
12
fitted in the cylinder member
10
by way of the knob
12
a
to move the preparation C in and out of the implement
1
. If an excessive gap exists between the operative member
12
and the cylinder member
10
, the space between the inner surface of the operative member
12
and the outside surface of the screw shaft
14
varies, thereby deterring a smooth sliding of the support member
16
or causing the screw shaft
14
to intrude into the preparation C. As a result, the proper extrusion and retraction movement of the preparation C are obstructed. In view of this, generally, the operative member
12
and the cylinder member
10
are so formed as to render the outer cylindrical surface of the operative member
12
into close contact with the inner surface of the cylinder member
10
substantially without a clearance.
Such a close contact of the outer cylindrical surface of the operative member
12
and the inner surface of the cylinder member
10
, however, is liable to obstruct a smooth rotation of the operative member
12
due to a frictional resistance of the operative member
12
against the cylinder member
10
, which may obstruct one hand manipulation of the implement
1
.
There has been demand for an implement having an improved operability of one hand and smooth extrusion and retraction movement of the preparation C to need a less external force.
3) Generally, a preparation C for medical care of lips has been formulated to attain a melting point from 40 to 50? in view of the fact that the preparation C is so designed as to soften by a temperature of lips for the purpose of attaining desirable lubrication. Accordingly, long time gripping of the cylinder member
10
in an attempt to dispense the preparation C raises the temperature of the preparation C owing to the body temperature or temperature of a hand of a user, which may adversely affect the chemical property of the preparation or cause a phenomenon such as so-called “bucket bending” or “bucket falling” in which support of the preparation C on the support member
16
is loosened due to softening of the preparation C, thereby hindering smooth extrusion and retraction movement of the preparation C. Accordingly, there has been the necessity of suppressing deterioration and softening of the preparation C due to the influence of body temperature to effectively prevent occurrence of such “bucket bending” or “bucket falling” phenomenon. Further, there has been the necessity of preventing deterioration of effective ingredients which are included in the preparation and are liable to be deteriorated by ultraviolet rays or other external causes.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide an implement for
Matsumoto Miho
Miyagawa Ryo
Le Huyen
Rohto Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd.
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