Lipstick applicator

Abstract

The lipstick applicator has a generally arcuate shape conforming to the arcuate shape of a mouth. The applicator has at least one channel-like lip-contacting portion having a recessed cross-section and containing lipstick or lip balm material for applying to the lips. The cross-section of the lip-contacting portion has a U-shape or an arcuate shape. The lipstick or lip balm can be applied to one or both lips in a single application. Also, the ends of the applicator are shaped to conform to the corners of the mouth to ensure even application of the lipstick or lip balm to the corners as well. The applicator can also be provided with finger grips for holding the applicator while in use and an optional cover which protects the lipstick and lip balm when not in use.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

[0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Serial No. 60/379,389, filed May 13, 2002.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] 1. Field of the Invention

[0003] The present invention relates to a lipstick applicator in which lipstick or lip balm is applied to either or both lips simultaneously and completely, without the need for smoothing out the lipstick using the fingers or the need for pursing the lips. More particularly, the applicator includes a recess or channel containing the lipstick or lip balm material and has an arcuate shape generally conforming to the arcuate shape of the lips.

[0004] 2. Description of the Related Art

[0005] Standard lipstick applicators are well known in the art. Such applicators consist of a cylindrical casing which is turned manually, thereby causing the lipstick to protrude from the casing. The lipstick is then applied to the top or bottom fleshy portions of the lips and smoothed with the finger. In order to cause the lipstick to be applied to the opposite lip, the lips are closed and pressed firmly against each other, thereby transferring the lipstick. While effective, there is still a need for a quicker, more convenient way to apply lipstick, preferably with an applicator that reduces or eliminates the need for using one's fingers to apply the lipstick. Various improvements in lipstick applicators have been proposed.

[0006] U.S. Pat. No. 1,556,744, issued on Oct. 13, 1925 to Ansehl, teaches an applicator in which a paste-like material, such as lipstick, is applied to the lips. The applicator is shaped to match the contours of the lips. However, the shape of the device requires a cavity and a plurality of access holes through which the material is forced towards the lips. Alternatively, this applicator can be solid, as shown in FIG. 5 of the patent, but the shape is complex and inconvenient compared with the present invention. Also, the applicator is made of soft rubber through which the lipstick or lip balm is forced before applying to the lips whereas the applicator of the present invention is made of a solid structure and contains the lipstick or lip balm material in a channel or recess.

[0007] U.S. Pat. No. 2,248,533, issued on Jul. 8, 1941 to Gibert, teaches an applicator made of any of various materials, such as celluloid, plastic, metal, wood, etc., in which the lipstick is first applied to the applicator and then to the lips.

[0008] U.S. Pat. No. 2,554,965, issued on May 29, 1951 to Steven et al., also teaches a lip-conforming applicator in which the lipstick is forced from a reservoir onto an applicator surface which, in turn, is applied to the lips.

[0009] U.S. Pat. No. 2,606,565, issued on Aug. 12, 1952 to Sage, Sr., discloses an applicator in which the lipstick material or another cosmetic material is provided on the applicator. However, the applicator has a planar shape and lacks the convenient shape and recessed structure of the present invention.

[0010] U.S. Pat. No. 2,735,435, issued on Feb. 21, 1956 to Feinstein, discloses a lipstick applicator in which the lipstick material is forced through a porous mesh material onto the lips.

[0011] U.S. Pat. No. 3,308,837, issued on Mar, 14, 1967 to Selleck, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,020,553, issued on Jun. 4, 1991 to De La Rocha, teach a disposable planar lipstick applicator.

[0012] U.S. Pat. No. 6,076,534, issued on Jun. 20, 2000 to Gueret, discloses a lipstick applicator in which the material is impregnated in a porous material and lacks the recessed structure of the present invention.

[0013] None of the above inventions and patents, taken either singly or in combination, is seen to describe the instant invention as claimed.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0014] The lipstick applicator has a generally arcuate shape conforming to the transverse arcuate shape of a mouth. The applicator has at least one channel-like lip-contacting portion having a recessed cross-section and containing lipstick or lip balm material for applying to the lips. The cross-section of the lip-contacting portion has a U-shape or an arcuate shape. The lipstick or lip balm can be applied to one or both lips in a single application, i.e., without using a finger to smooth out the lipstick or lip balm and without puckering or pursing the lips to apply evenly to entire lips. Also, the ends of the applicator are shaped to conform to the corners of the mouth to ensure even application of the lipstick or lip balm to the corners as well. The applicator can also be provided with finger grips for holding the applicator while using and an optional cover which protects the lipstick and lip balm when not in use.

[0015] Accordingly, it is a principal object of the invention to provide a lipstick applicator or lip balm applicator having a shape conforming to the shape of the lips and permitting the application of the lipstick or lip balm material to either lip or both lips simultaneously and without the need for smoothing the lipstick with the finger or the need for puckering or pursing the lips to transfer the lipstick from one to the other lip.

[0016] It is another object of the invention to provide a lipstick applicator in which the lip-contact portion of the applicator is a recessed channel containing the lipstick or lip balm material.

[0017] It is a further object of the invention to provide an applicator in which the edges of the applicator are shaped to match the contour of the corners of the mouth.

[0018] Still another object of the invention is to provide an applicator in which finger grips are provided to permit the user to hold the applicator while applying the lip-stick or lip balm.

[0019] It is an object of the invention to provide improved elements and arrangements thereof in an apparatus for the purposes described which is inexpensive, dependable and fully effective in accomplishing its intended purposes.

[0020] These and other objects of the present invention will become readily apparent upon further review of the following specification and drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0021] FIGS. 1A, 1B, and 1C show a plan view, an elevation view and a cross-sectional view along lines 1C-1C of FIG. 1B, respectively, of a first embodiment of a lipstick applicator for applying lipstick to one lip according to the invention in which the applicator has a material-containing channel having a U-shaped cross-section.

[0022] FIGS. 2A, 2B, and 2C show a plan view, an elevation view and a cross-sectional view along lines 2C-2C of FIG. 2B, respectively, of a second embodiment of the applicator according to the invention for applying lipstick to both lips simultaneously, in which the material-containing channels have U-shaped cross-sections.

[0023] FIGS. 3A, 3B, 3C and 3D show a plan view, an elevation view a cross-sectional view along lines 3C-3C of FIG. 3B, and an end view along lines 3D-3D of FIG. 3A, respectively, of a third embodiment in which the applicator is provided with specially-shaped ends conforming to the corners of the mouth.

[0024] FIGS. 4A and 4B show a plan view and an end view along lines 4B-4B of FIG. 4A, respectively, of a fourth embodiment in which the applicator lip-contacting surfaces are recessed with a generally arcuately shaped cros-section.

[0025] FIGS. 5A, 5B, and 5C show a plan view, an end view along lines 5B-5B of FIG. 5A, and a perspective view, respectively, of a fifth embodiment in which finger grips are provided to hold the applicator during use.

[0026] FIGS. 6A, 6B and 6C show a plan view of the applicator with a cover, a plan view of the cover, and a cross-sectional view along lines 6C-6C of FIG. 6B, respectively.

[0027] Similar reference characters denote corresponding features consistently throughout the attached drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0028] The present invention provides a lipstick or lip balm applicator in which the applicator is shaped to match the contour of the lips and in which the lip-contacting portions of the applicator are U-shaped or recessed channels containing the lip-stick or lip balm material.

[0029] FIGS. 1A-1C show a plan view, an elevation view and a cross-sectional view of the applicator 1 in the first embodiment. The lip-contacting portion 2 of the applicator is U-shaped as shown in FIG. 1C. The lip-contacting portion 2 is a channel containing the lipstick or lip balm. In this embodiment, the applicator can be used to apply lipstick or a lip balm onto one lip in a single stroke, i.e., by placing the applicator against the lip and pressing the fleshy portion of the lip into the lipstick or lip balm material.

[0030] As shown, the applicator has an arcuate shape that conforms to the transverse arcuate shape of the mouth.

[0031] FIGS. 2A-2C show plan, elevation and cross-sectional views of the second embodiment in which the applicator 10 is double-sided. In this embodiment, the applicator can apply the lipstick or lip balm to both lips simultaneously using the two lip-contacting portions 20.

[0032] FIGS. 3A-3D show plan, elevation, cross-sectional, and end views of the third embodiment in which the applicator 15 is double-sided and has a U-shaped lip-contacting portion. The lip-contacting surfaces 25 are U-shaped. However, in this embodiment, the ends 16 of the applicator 15 are curved to conform generally with the corners of the mouth. This ensures that the lipstick or lip balm reaches the corners of the mouth and is, therefore, evenly applied to the entire exposed fleshy portion of the lips. FIG. 3D shows that the ends of the U-shaped material-containing channel are closed.

[0033] FIGS. 4A and 4B show a fourth embodiment in which an applicator 30 has lip-contacting surfaces 35 that are recessed in an arcuately shaped cross-section to match the curved shape of the lips. Also, in this embodiment, the ends 31 of the applicator conform to the shape of the corners of the mouth.

[0034] FIGS. 5A-5C show a fifth embodiment in which the applicator 40 has recessed material-holding channels, mouth-corner contacting ends 41 and finger grip 42 for holding the applicator during use.

[0035] FIG. 6A shows the applicator 50 similar to the embodiment shown in FIG. 5A, but includes a cover shown in plan view FIG. 6B and in cross-sectional view in FIG. 6C. As shown, the cover has a channel permitting it to be placed onto the applicator from the side opposite the finger grip 52.

[0036] It is to be understood that the present invention is not limited to the sole embodiments described above, but encompasses any and all embodiments within the scope of the following claims.

Claims

1. An applicator for lipstick or lip balm comprising:

a container having an arcuate shape longitudinally, generally conforming to the widthwise arcuate shape of a mouth, the container defining a lip-contacting portion;

wherein the lip-contacting portion is a recessed channel having opposing ends and being adapted for containing lipstick or lip balm material.

2. The applicator according to claim 1, further comprising a second lip-contacting portion, and wherein the first and second lip-contacting portions are positioned opposite each other, the second lip-contacting portion having a recessed channel adapted for containing a lipstick or lip balm material.

3. The applicator according to claim 1, wherein each of the opposing ends has an arcuate transverse shape conforming to the arcuate shape of the lips at the corners of the mouth such that the lipstick or lip balm can be applied to the lips evenly to the corners of the mouth.

4. The applicator according to claim 1, wherein the cross-section of the applicator at the lip-contacting portion is recessed in an arcuate shape to conform to the sagittal cross-sectional curved shape of lips.

5. The applicator according to claim 1, further comprising a finger gripattached to said container in order to enable a user to hold the applicator during application of the lipstick or lip balm.

6. The applicator according to claim 1, further comprising a cover having an arcuate longitudinal shape and having a channel, the cover being disposed over the container for enclosing the lip-contacting portion.

7. The applicator according to claim 1, wherein the container is made of a single piece of molded plastic.