Coating implements with material supply – Material flows through porous tool – With removable cap for tool
Reexamination Certificate
2000-10-20
2001-10-30
Walczak, David J. (Department: 3751)
Coating implements with material supply
Material flows through porous tool
With removable cap for tool
C401S131000, C401S048000, C206S361000, C015S244100
Reexamination Certificate
active
06309126
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND
The present invention relates to a device for applying lotions, creams or gels to the skin surface.
Lotion applicators for applying lotions to the skin are known in the prior art. These applicators are commonly used in conjunction with suntan lotion, liquid soaps, or ointments of similar viscosity, so the lotion can be applied to the skin without the user having to handle the lotion directly. As described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,299,005 (issued to Brown), U.S. Pat. No. 4,896,984 (issued to Evans), U.S. Pat. No. 5,341,538 (issued to Banome), and U.S. Pat. No. 4,171,171 (issued to Jones), the applicators typically include a body and an application sponge. The body may further include a reservoir for holding the lotion to be applied to the skin, such as described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,573,342, issued to Patalano. If the body includes a reservoir, holes or similar outlet ports are provided in the reservoir to allow the lotion to feed from the reservoir to the sponge.
One problem with the lotion applicators of the prior art is that the sponge remains exposed to the surroundings at all times, thus risking contamination of the sponge. Further, with the sponge exposed to the surroundings, it can be difficult to transport the lotion applicator, for example, to the beach, because of risk of damaging the sponge. Another problem with the lotion applicators of the prior art is that the lotion to be applied to the skin is supplied in one bottle and must then be transferred to the reservoir of the lotion applicator. This can be a messy operation and can leave the user's hands feeling sticky or greasy, which can be undesirable, such as when on the beach, or dangerous, such as when in a shower.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is a lotion application device that includes a protective shell and a sponge secured to a replaceable, rotatable plate that mounts onto the shell. The device has a closed position, in which the sponge is hidden within the shell, and an open position, in which the sponge is exposed to the surroundings. Because the plate can be rotated to hide the sponge within the shell, the risk of contamination of the sponge is reduced, and the sponge can be easily transported without risk of damaging the sponge.
In a preferred embodiment, the plate can further include a latching device that prevents the plate from rotating about its axis without the user releasing the latch.
In an alternative preferred embodiment, the lotion to be applied is encased within the sponge, eliminating the need for the lotion to be transferred to the sponge.
REFERENCES:
patent: 2575788 (1951-11-01), Bobrov
patent: 4091493 (1978-05-01), Weiss
patent: 4571769 (1986-02-01), Ford
patent: 5659916 (1997-08-01), Beatty et al.
Narula Dipak
Narula Vinod K.
Reutlinger Middleton
Simunic Joan L.
Walczak David J.
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