Combination nail polish remover and applicator bottle

Abstract

A dual purpose fluid container for an integrated makeup kit, particularly an integrated nail makeup kit, wherein the nail polish, polish applicator brush, nail polish remover solvent, and nail polish remover pads are combined in a size and shape that is easily carried in a modestly sized purse or handbag, but which can quickly and easily be separated into a conventional nail polish applicator bottle with brush, and a jar containing a plurality of nail polish remover pads saturated with solvent. When separated, each of the bottle and jar can rest on a flat surface, or be readily held in one's hand, such that each can be used independently of the other, in any sequence or order, without danger of spillage or mutual contamination. In one embodiment, a removable cover is positionable to separate the nail polish remover pads from external environments, including the nail polish applicator bottle when the bottle and jar are attached.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/035,204, filed Jan. 13, 2005, the contents of which are herein incorporated by reference in their entirety.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is directed to personal makeup products, and in particular, to an improved nail polish applicator.

For many years women have purchased bottles of nail polish having a cap with brush wand, which enables them to colorize their nails in the convenience of their homes while also permitting them to take the bottle with them it in a purse or the like, for touch up as needed while outside the home. However, the proper application of nail polish for achieving a smooth, glossy finish, requires that all polish previously applied to the nails be fully removed. While at home, a woman will typically have a separate bottle of nail polish removing solvent and abrasive pads for this purpose.

Whereas carrying a nail polish bottle in a purse for touch up does not represent a significant inconvenience, having only the nail polish available for use outside the home limits the circumstances under which the polish can be effectively applied outside the home. Most women would not go to the trouble of placing a nail polish bottle, a polish remover bottle, and a package of removal pads into what in current times is frequently a very modestly sized purse.

For many women, especially those who are outside the home for long periods during the day and must look their best throughout the day, the maintenance of perfectly defined, smooth, shiny nail coloring is an ongoing nuisance.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention, to provide a dual purpose fluid container for an integrated makeup kit, particularly an integrated nail makeup kit, wherein the nail polish, polish applicator brush, nail polish remover solvent, and nail polish remover pads are combined in a size and shape that is easily carried in a modestly sized purse or handbag, but which can quickly and easily be separated into a conventional nail polish applicator bottle with brush, and a jar containing a plurality of nail polish remover pads saturated with solvent.

When separated, each of the bottle and jar can rest on a flat surface, or be readily held in one's hand, such that each can be used independently of the other, in any sequence or order, without danger of spillage or mutual contamination.

In another embodiment of the disclosed dual purpose fluid container, a fluid impermeable removable cover is positionable between the saturated nail polish remover pads and the nail polish applicator bottle.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The preferred embodiments of the invention will be described in further detail with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 is an elevation view of the integrated, dual purpose bottle and makeup kit, in the fully closed condition as would be carried in a hand bag or the like;

FIG. 2 is a section view of the integrated dual purpose makeup kit in the fully closed condition corresponding to FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an exploded section view of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 shows the separated bottles or jars each resting on a flat surface that facilitates independent use;

FIG. 5 is a section view of another embodiment of the dual purpose makeup kit in the fully closed condition; and

FIG. 6 is an exploded section view of FIG. 5.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

FIGS. 1-4 show a dual purpose fluid container in the form of an integrated nail makeup kit comprising an upper container 10 and a lower container 12, which define an upper chamber 14 and a lower chamber 16, respectively. The upper container 10 would typically have a cylindrical sidewall 18 and a circular bottom wall 20 which fluidly isolates the upper chamber 14 and from the lower chamber 16. The lower end or base of the upper container 10 at bottom wall 20 preferably has a flange or rim 22 with internal threads that mate with external threads on a neck 24 that extends from an annular shoulder at the periphery of the upper end of the lower container 12.

The upper container 10 has an access aperture 26 formed as a bore through an externally threaded neck 28 extending from the top wall. In the preferred product as marketed to consumers, the upper chamber 14 is substantially filled with one form of makeup fluid 30, in particular, nail polish. The lower chamber 16 holds a different form of makeup that would be used in conjunction with the makeup in the upper chamber. In particular, the lower chamber holds a plurality of pads 36 saturated with any conventional solvent for nail polish. The lower container 12 preferably has a substantially cylindrical sidewall 32 and flat circular bottom wall 34. The top need not have an upper wall, but rather is preferably open. The bottom wall 20 of the upper container 10 completes the encapsulation of the chamber 16 and thus maintains fluid isolation between chambers 14 and 16 when the upper and lower containers are secured together at the threaded interface 22, 24.

Because the solvent in the lower chamber 16 is typically highly volatile, a secure seal should be formed at the confronting surfaces of the lower side of the wall 20 against the rim of the neck 24 of the lower container 12, or at the tight engagement of the threaded interface 22, 24. For example, a resilient annular gasket or the like could be glued to the rim of the neck 28 of container 12, or the entire underside of the bottom wall 20 could be formed of a resilient gasket material. Moreover, a resilient O-ring 33 could also be located at the confronting surfaces at the bottom of the rim 22 of the upper container 10 and the shoulder at the upper periphery of the lower container 12. One of ordinary skill in the art could readily design these confronting components in relation to the engagement of the threads to assure that the threads to not engage to the limit before the seal is effectuated.

The cap 38 has a cylindrical or substantially frustoconical handle 40 that is partially hollow such that a stem or wand 42 extends longitudinally from within the handle to a polish applicator brush or the like 44. At the base of the handle 40, internal threads 46 are provided at a diameter for engaging the external threads on neck 28, in a manner that is typical of conventional nail polish bottles.

As may be appreciated from FIGS. 2 and 3, the threaded brush cap 38 is selectively attachable to the neck 28 for opening and closing the aperture 26. The brush 44 enters the chamber 14, which encloses a first working volume, when the cap is attached to the neck and is entirely removed from the first working volume when the cap is detached from the neck. The lower chamber 16 partially encloses a second working volume such that when the threads 22, 24 are engaged the top 48 of the lower chamber 16 is closed by the bottom wall 20 of the upper chamber and when the threads are disengaged the lower container 12 separates from the upper container 10 whereby the second working volume is exposed through the open top 48. Clearly, whether the containers 10, 12 are secured together as in FIG. 1 or detached as in FIG. 3 or 4, the working volume 14, 16 and thus the nail polish 30 and the polish remover pads 36 are always isolated from each other.

It should be appreciated that the composite makeup kit, particularly the combination of nail polish applicator bottle 10 and nail polish removal jar 12, can readily be grasped in the hands and detached from each other for use, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 4. FIG. 4 shows one subsequent step by which the user has placed the upper container or bottle 10 on a flat surface for ready access to the brush cap 38 while the other container or jar 12 for the saturated pads 36 is on the same flat surface nearby. The base of each container 10, 12 should be flat or effectively flat for this purpose. Because the solvent that saturates the pads 36 is volatile, the user may wish to remove one or two pads 36, and then reassemble the containers 10, 12 before using the pads for removing previously applied polish from a portion of one nail, one entire nail, or all nails in the fingers of one hand. The cap 38 can then be removed from the upper container for applying polish while the pads 36 remain in a fluidly sealed environment.

It should also be appreciated that the number of nails from which polish can be removed by the inventory of pads 36 in chamber 16, may differ from the number of nails that can be polished by the inventory of polish 30 in upper chamber 14. This difference would most likely occur because all the pads 36 would be utilized before all of the polish 30, or, due to the volatility of the solvent, some of the pads would become ineffective for removing polish. If the latter condition occurs, the user at her convenience at home, could easily detach the upper and lower containers 10, 12 and pour solvent into chamber 16 through the open end 48 thereby replenishing the effectiveness of the pads. Furthermore, replacement pads can be made available as an after market item, provided they have the same area foot print as the cross section of the chamber 16.

Although many configurations of the upper container 10 and lower container 12 and their inter-engagement are within the scope of the present invention, in the preferred embodiment, the overall shape is cylindrical with a length of the composite bottle (without cap) of approximately 24 inches, and an outer diameter or equivalent cross sectional dimension between opposed walls in the range of about 1-2 inches. The overall axial length of the upper container 10 and the lower container 12 are about equal and in most instances would not differ by more than a 60%-40% ratio. For an example with reference to FIG. 1, the overall height h₁ of the lower bottle is preferably 1.0-1.5 inch, the overall height h₂ of the upper bottle including cap is preferably 2.0-2.5 inch, and the outer diameter d is about 1.5 inch. The cross section would typically be circular, but other cross sectional shapes such as oval, rectangular, or other polygon are also possible. It is not necessary that the cross sectional shape of the upper and lower containers 10, 12 or working volumes 14, 16 be identical. As a practical matter, the diameter of chamber 16 or similar cross dimension of a non-circular chamber, should be large enough to receive a pad that is large enough (e.g., at least ¾ in diameter) to be easily used for removing previously applied polish.

FIGS. 5 and 6 depict another embodiment of the dual purpose fluid container kit. This embodiment also comprises an upper container 50 defining an upper chamber 54, and a lower container 52 defining a lower chamber 56. The upper container 50 and lower container 52 can be formed generally identical to the upper and lower containers, 10 and 12, in the previously disclosed embodiments. Preferably, the lower end or base of the upper container 50 at the bottom wall 58 has an externally threaded rim 60 configured to mate with the internal threads on the neck 62 of the lower container 52. Preferably, both of the upper and lower bottom walls, 58 and 59, are effectively flat.

As in the previous embodiments, the upper container 50 has an access aperture 64 formed as a bore through an externally threaded neck 66 extending from the top wall 68. The upper chamber is configured to receive a longitudinally extending applicator wand attached to a frustoconical handle (represented collectively as reference numeral 78 in FIG. 6). Preferably, the upper chamber 54 holds makeup, such as nail polish, and the lower chamber 56 holds a plurality of pads 68 saturated with nail polish solvent.

Unlike the embodiment of FIGS. 1-4, this embodiment has a removable impermeable cover 70 that is positionable within the inner boundaries of the lower container side wall 74. The cover 70 is a fluid-impermeable unit that is configured to isolate the pads and solvent in the lower chamber 52 from the external environment, including the bottom wall 58 of the upper container when the container kit is in the closed condition (FIG. 5). The cover 70 is generally circular and defines an outer radial edge and top and bottom surfaces. The top surface is preferably fit with a manually gripable dome shaped handle 76. As depicted, the outer radial edge of the cover 70 comprises a pair of flexible lips 72. Thus, when engaged, the cup seal isolates the solvent and pads from the external environment, including the outer surface of the bottom wall 58.

In an alternate embodiment, the lips can be configured to engage an O-ring or like unit to enhance the isolation between the pads and the outer environment (not shown). When the cup seal 70 is positioned within the lower cavity 56 above the pads 68, the O-ring is compressed by the side wall 74, resulting in effective pressure on the inner surface of the side wall 74.

Similar to the FIGS. 1-4 embodiment, a user can detach the nail polish applicator bottle 50 and nail polish removal jar 52. Due to the effective flatness of the respective bottom walls, 58 and 59, the applicator bottle and nail polish removal jar can each be placed on a relatively flat surface, such as a tabletop, for use. A user can grip the handle 76 and lift the cover 70 to expose the pads 68, remove a pad, and then replace the cover within the lower cavity above the pads, re-sealing the pads and solvent from the open air.

The cover 70 prevents nail polish removing solvent that is present in the lower chamber 56 from depositing on the bottom surface of the upper container 50 when the kit is in the closed condition. Accidental damage of a tabletop or like furniture with finish-removing solvent during use of the makeup kit is therefore avoided. Additionally, the cover 70 reduces or prevents evaporation of the typically highly volatile solvent while the kit is in use without requiring the user to re-attach the upper and lower chambers.

Claims

1. An integrated nail makeup kit comprising:

an upper container defining a single upper chamber, a lower container selectively attached to the upper container and defining a single lower chamber that is fluidly isolated from the upper chamber whether the containers are attached or detached, each of the upper and lower containers having a substantially flat base;

wherein the upper container has an access aperture to the upper chamber and the upper chamber is substantially filled with nail polish;

wherein the lower chamber holds a plurality of stacked, substantially flat pads saturated with solvent for nail polish;

a threaded cap having a brush wand extending into the upper chamber and selectively attachable to the upper container at the aperture for opening and closing the aperture; and

a removable cover configured to generally fluidly seal the entire upper container base from the solvent when the sealing element is disposed between the upper container base and the substantially flat pads;

wherein the upper container and lower container when attached together can be placed self standing with the base of the lower container on a flat surface, and upon selective detachment of the lower container from the upper container and subsequent removal of the cover from its position relative to the pads, the pads in the second chamber are directly accessible for removal, the upper container can be placed self-standing with its base on a flat surface, and the lower container can be placed self-standing with its base on said flat surface.

2. An integrated nail makeup kit comprising:

an upper chamber defined by bottom, side, and top walls that enclose a first working volume containing nail polish;

a neck formed in the top wall, having exposed threads and defining an aperture into the upper chamber;

a substantially flat base formed at the bottom wall, having exposed threads;

a threaded brush cap selectively attachable to the threads in the neck for opening and closing the aperture and including a wand with brush that enters the first working volume through the aperture when the cap is attached to the neck and is entirely removable from the first working volume when the cap is detached from the neck;

a lower chamber defined by a bottom wall including a substantially flat base, and side walls and an open top that partially encloses a second working volume containing a plurality of fluidly saturated nail polish remover pads and a removable cover for separating the pads from the outer environment when the cover is positioned within the side walls of the lower chamber, wherein the top includes threads sized and shaped for selective engagement with the threads in the base of the upper chamber such that when the threads are engaged the top of the lower chamber is closed by the bottom wall of the upper chamber and when the threads are disengaged the lower chamber separates from the upper chamber whereby the removable cover is exposed, and upon selective removal of the cover, the second working volume is exposed for access to the pads through the open top.

3. The nail makeup kit of claim 2, wherein

the sidewalls of the upper and lower chambers are each substantially cylindrical with substantially the same outer diameter, such that when the threads are engaged the sidewalls form a substantially continuous cylinder having a uniform outer diameter and an axial height in the range of about 2-4 inches;

the lower chamber has a substantially uniform inner diameter; and

said plurality of pads are disc shaped with a diameter closely conforming to the inner diameter of the lower chamber.

4. The nail makeup kit of claim 3, wherein the outer diameter is in the range of about 1-2 inches, the pads have a diameter of at least about ¾ inch, and the cap includes a handle having a length of at least about one inch and a smaller diameter than the outer diameter of the upper and lower chambers.

5. The nail makeup kit of claim 2, wherein the cover comprises a generally circular solid body defining an outer radial edge, the outer radial edge having a pair of flexible rims.

6. The nail makeup kit of claim 5, wherein the flexible rims engage an O-ring.

7. The nail makeup kit of claim 2, wherein the cover comprises a projection that is gripable by an individual.

8. The nail makeup kit of claim 2, wherein the cover fluidly seals the nail polish remover and pads from the outer environment when the sealing element is positioned within the side walls of the lower chamber.

9. An integrated makeup kit consisting essentially of:

an upper chamber that encloses a first working volume of makeup fluid and has an access aperture;

a threaded brush cap selectively attachable to the upper chamber about the aperture for opening and closing the aperture and including a wand with brush that enters the first working volume through the aperture when the cap is attached to chamber and is entirely removable from the first working volume when the cap is detached from the chamber so that said makeup fluid can be applied;

a lower chamber having an open top and selectively attachable to the upper chamber opposite the access aperture, and defining a second working volume that is at all times fluidly isolated from the first working volume and contains a plurality of fluidly saturated pads for removing said makeup fluid;

whereby when the cap is attached to the upper chamber and the upper and lower chambers are attached to each other the first and second working volumes are completely encapsulated; and.

wherein the sidewalls of the upper and lower chambers are each substantially cylindrical with substantially the same outer diameter, such that when the threads are engaged the sidewalls form a substantially continuous cylinder having a uniform outer diameter and an axial height; the lower chamber has a substantially uniform inner diameter; said plurality of pads are disc shaped with a diameter closely conforming to the inner diameter of the lower chamber; a sealing element is located between the upper chamber and the lower chamber; and the cap includes an elongated, substantially cylindrical or frustoconical handle having a length of at least about one inch and smaller diameter than the outer diameter of the upper and lower chambers.

10. A dual purpose makeup fluid container comprising:

a single upper chamber defined by bottom, side, and top walls that enclose a first working volume;

a neck formed in the top wall, having exposed threads and defining an aperture into the upper chamber;

a base formed at the bottom wall, having exposed threads;

a threaded brush cap selectively attachable to the threads in the neck for opening and closing the aperture and including a wand with brush that enters the first working volume through the aperture when the cap is attached to the neck and is entirely removable from the first working volume when the cap is detached from the neck;

a single lower chamber defined by bottom and side walls and an open top that partially encloses a second working volume; and

a selectively removable cover positionable within the lower chamber side walls to separate the second working volume and the external environment,

wherein the lower chamber top includes threads sized and shaped for selective engagement with the threads in the base of the upper chamber such that when the threads are engaged the top of the lower chamber is closed by the bottom wall of the upper chamber and when the threads are disengaged the lower chamber separates from the upper chamber.

11. The makeup fluid container of claim 10, wherein the cover comprises a solid base defining an outer radial edge, the outer radial edge having a pair of flexible rims.

12. The makeup fluid container of claim 11, wherein the flexible rims engage an O-ring.

13. The makeup fluid container of claim 10, wherein the cover creates a fluid seal between the second working volume and the external environment when the cover is positioned within the lower chamber side walls.

14. The makeup fluid container of claim 10, wherein the cover element is removable by an individual by gripping a portion of the cover and forcing the cover out of the lower chamber.

15. The makeup fluid container of claim 10, wherein the base of the upper chamber is externally threaded and engaged with internal threads on the top of the lower chamber.

16. The makeup fluid container of claim 10, wherein

the base formed at the lower wall of the upper chamber is substantially flat and the bottom wall of the lower chamber forms another substantially flat base such that the container and each of the upper and lower chambers when separated from each other, can rest self-standing on a flat surface and the working volume of the lower chamber is directly accessible from above;

the sidewalls of the upper and lower chambers are each substantially cylindrical with substantially the same outer diameter in the range of about 1-2 inches, such that when the threads are engaged the sidewalls form a substantially continuous cylinder having a uniform outer diameter and an axial height in the range of about 2-4 inches;

the cap includes an elongated, substantially cylindrical or frustoconical handle having a length of at least about one inch and smaller diameter than the outer diameter of the upper and lower chambers; and

the base of the upper chamber is threaded and engaged with internal on the top of the lower chamber.

17. The makeup fluid container of claim 16, wherein the fluid chamber contains nail polish fluid and the lower chamber contains a plurality of stacked, substantially disc-shaped pads saturated in nail polish remover fluid.