Coating implements with material supply – Solid material for rubbing contact or support therefor – Including means to advance material
Reexamination Certificate
1998-05-12
2001-09-25
Huson, Gregory L. (Department: 3751)
Coating implements with material supply
Solid material for rubbing contact or support therefor
Including means to advance material
C401S087000, C401S088000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06293721
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to dispensers for solid pasty materials such as cosmetic pomades and more particularly to carriers designed to facilitate insertion and retention of a solid pomade within the dispenser.
2. Description of the Related Art
Cosmetic products such as lipsticks, concealer sticks and lip balms, are typically marketed in dispensers that contain the cosmetic as a pomade or bullet mounted in a cup that is moved up and down along a track within a cylindrical sleeve to extend and retract the cosmetic for use. The pomade is loaded into the cup either automatically or manually. Typically, with manual filling, stick-shaped pomades are pre-formed in a mold, chilled and pressed into the cup holder of the dispenser by hand. With a popular-type of automatic filling, the pomades are molded upside-down in a continuous process, chilled, and then ejected out of the mold into the cup of the lipstick dispenser. For automatic filling, the pomade is formed into a bullet or cylindrical shape having a constant diameter throughout the length. Frictional forces between the pomade and the inside wall of the cup holder work to retain the pomade in the dispenser.
A recent trend in the cosmetic industry is the development of wear-resistant, silicone-based lipsticks. The volume of actual product of such lipsticks and the diameter of the pomade are considerably reduced compared to conventional lipsticks. The smaller diameter of the pomade and the tendency of silicone formulations to be slippery and to shrink over time pose a unique problem in maintaining the pomade in a conventional lipstick dispenser that relies on the contact of the pomade against the inside surface of the holding cup. Furthermore, silicone-type lipsticks when pressed or inserted in the cup tend to become crushed at the base which further weakens the attachment of the pomade base in the cup. To reduce such damage to the base, the pomade can be molded to have a diameter that steps down toward the base so that the base conforms with the diameter and shape of the cup. However, the disadvantage of a silicone-type lipstick with a stepped down base is that it is difficult to mold using current automatic processes in which the bullets are formed with straight sides to allow for ready demolding.
Attempts have been made to improve retention of cosmetic masses such as lipsticks in retractable dispensers. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,208,144 (Idec) and U.S. Pat. No. 4,983,059 (Holloway) disclose a dispenser made with a plurality of longitudinal rib-like structures on the inside surface of an elevator cup to assist in gripping the pomade and preventing it from shifting or becoming dislodged from the cup holder during use. U.S. Pat. No. 4,820,070 (Spatz) discloses ribs that are dovetail in cross-section and bite into the inserted cosmetic stick to prevent the stick from pulling away from the side wall of the pomade cup. However, none of these rib structures adequately and effectively retain a pomade in a cosmetic dispenser during use, particularly a silicone-based pomade.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Therefore, an object of the invention is to provide a mechanism that will receive and securely hold a cosmetic pomade, particularly a silicone-based pomade, within a cosmetic dispenser. Another object is to provide a carrier mechanism that can receive and hold pomades of varying diameters and configurations, and with little or no distortion or damage to the pomade. Yet another object is to provide a pomade carrier mechanism that will facilitate automated filling of a constant diameter pomade without significant damage to it.
These and other objects are achieved by the present invention which is directed to a carrier for holding a solid pomade made of a pasty material such as a lipstick or lip balm, within a cosmetic dispenser that extends and retracts the pomade for use. Also provided is a cosmetic dispenser incorporating the pomade carrier therein, and methods of dispensing a pomade and mounting a pomade in the carrier.
The present pomade carrier provides improved retention of a pomade over mechanisms that are presently used to contain and hold a pomade in a cosmetic dispenser. The pomade carrier is composed of at least two, preferably 3-6, prong-like blades disposed on and extending perpendicularly from the surface of a platform that are adapted to engage and hold the pomade on the carrier.
The blades have at least two blade members. The blades, in cross-section, can be in the shape, for example, of a “V”, “↓”, “W”, “E”, “&Sgr;”, or the like. The blades can be arranged on the platform such that one or more of the blade members will be inserted into a pomade that is placed onto the carrier. In a preferred arrangement, one blade member is disposed on the platform in a parallel orientation along the perimeter or peripheral edge, and a second blade member is positioned at an angle to the peripheral edge toward the center of the platform. The first blade member can be placed contiguous with the peripheral edge of the platform such that, when a pomade is placed onto the carrier, the second blade member cuts into the pomade, and the inner surfaces of the first blade member is placed against the surface of the pomade with relatively minimal insertion into the body of the pomade. The contact of the blades with the pomade does rinimal damage to the base of a pomade, and reduces shifting or dislodgment of the pomade from the cosmetic dispenser during use, particularly silicone-based cosmetic pomades.
The pomade carrier can be used in conjunction with a conventional cosmetic delivery device as known and used in the art. The working parts of such devices generally include a tubular base sleeve, a tubular member that has a helical groove on the inside surface and is disposed coaxially within the base sleeve, and a carrier for the pomade with a member that is disposed within the inside groove of the tubular member to drive the carrier up and down within the dispenser.
The present pomade carrier overcomes problems associated with conventional cosmetic dispensers that use a cup-type holder to receive and hold a pomade. Currently used cup holders can cause damage to the base of the pomade when it is pressed into the cup, and do not hold the pomade securely in the dispenser, particularly smaller diameter silicone-based lipsticks that are more slippery than conventional lipsticks and often become dislodged during use. The present pomade carrier advantageously minimizes damage to the base of a cosmetic pomade especially a silicone-based pomade, so that it will remain intact and more firmly attached and better retained on the carrier, and will not shift or become displaced during use.
REFERENCES:
patent: 1520430 (1924-12-01), Noble
patent: 1646005 (1927-10-01), Baquey
patent: 2318152 (1943-05-01), Gelardin
patent: 2351395 (1944-06-01), Broder
patent: 2469631 (1949-05-01), Broder
patent: 3531212 (1970-09-01), Landen
patent: 3771881 (1973-11-01), Swenson
patent: 4208144 (1980-06-01), Idec et al.
patent: 4820070 (1989-04-01), Spatz
patent: 4983059 (1991-01-01), Holloway
patent: 5186561 (1993-02-01), Ackermann et al.
patent: 5236270 (1993-08-01), Kageyama et al.
patent: 5277508 (1994-01-01), Gueret
patent: 5324125 (1994-06-01), Ackermann
patent: 5340225 (1994-08-01), Chevassus
patent: 5399040 (1995-03-01), Holloway
patent: 5609430 (1997-03-01), Mazzola et al.
patent: 5662425 (1997-09-01), Mitsuya
patent: 5888004 (1999-03-01), Bouix
patent: 43 40 067 (1994-05-01), None
patent: 0 815 766 (1998-01-01), None
patent: 429845 (1935-06-01), None
patent: 731013 (1955-06-01), None
patent: 2 143 212 (1985-02-01), None
Bow Clark
Myer Gary
Cosmair Cosmetics Corp.
Huson Gregory L.
Oblon & Spivak, McClelland, Maier & Neustadt P.C.
Prunner Kathleen J.
LandOfFree
Pronged carrier for holding and retaining a pomade does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Pronged carrier for holding and retaining a pomade, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Pronged carrier for holding and retaining a pomade will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2467994