MAKEUP TOOL

Abstract

A makeup tool includes a body portion with an elongated handle and a pair of arm portions. The pair of arm portions are spaced apart from one another such that an open space exists between the pair of arm portions. At least one collection sheet is removeably secured to each arm and spans the open space between the pair of arm portions. The handle is downwardly angled with respect to the pair of arm portions to allow a user to more easily grab the handle and position an edge of the at least one sheet against or adjacent a face of the user.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/258,014, filed Nov. 4, 2009, entitled “Make-up Tool”, in the names of Timothy Smith and Jocelyn Smith, the entire contents of which is hereby incorporated by reference, as through set forth fully herein.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates generally to a tool for assisting a person in applying makeup while also minimizing any associated mess that is known to accompany makeup application. More specifically, the present invention relates to a tool that can be placed adjacent a user's eye to collect any particles that may fall while applying makeup to their face.

BACKGROUND ART

A common problem encountered during the application of cosmetic eye makeup such as eye shadow or mascara has been the soiling of areas beneath the eye as a result of fallen eye makeup particles or falling onto clothing or other items. This can result in the makeup in that area needing to be removed and reapplied. While numerous devices for shielding one's face during the application of eye makeup have been proposed to address this issue, none have gained widespread acceptance as they all suffer from some disadvantages.

Among the disadvantages of previous eye makeup shields or tools was that they required frequent cleaning in order to remove makeup collected thereon. The cleaning process had to be accomplished relatively soon after fallen makeup had been collected on the shield, since the makeup covered surfaces of the shield, which often contacted clothing and/or other personal items and tended to smudge the contacted items with makeup. Also, the placement of a shield on a table after use resulted in the collected makeup particles falling from the shield and onto the support surface. These makeup particles could then make it onto a user's clothing or other items. To address this problem, disposable makeup shields have been introduced. While these disposable makeup shields address the cleaning issue, they raise other issues, including cost.

The structure of prior makeup shields or tools also suffers from some disadvantages. For example, many prior makeup shields are relatively clumsy and difficult to handle, which makes them difficult to orient properly in order to ensure maximum makeup collection. Additionally, many prior makeup shields include a sharp edge which is uncomfortable if not held in exactly the correct position on a user's face.

It would therefore be desirable to provide an improved makeup tool that overcomes these and other disadvantages.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is therefore an advantage of the present invention to provide a makeup tool that can be easily cleaned after use to prevent makeup collected on the tool from migrating to a user's clothing or other items.

It is another advantage of the present invention to provide a makeup tool that is configured to more accurately adapt to a user's face and therefore capture and collect a maximum amount of falling makeup particles.

It is a further advantage of the present invention to provide a makeup tool that can be readily reused for multiple makeup applications.

It is still another advantage of the present invention to provide a makeup tool that assists in more effectively collecting makeup particles that may fall during application.

It is yet another advantage of the present invention to provide a makeup tool that can be readily cleaned of any makeup particles after each use.

In accordance with the above and the other advantages of the present invention, a makeup tool is provided. The makeup tool includes a body portion with an elongated handle and a pair of arm portions. The pair of arm portions are spaced apart from one another such that an open space exists between the pair of arm portions. At least one collection sheet is removeably secured to each aim and spans the open space between the pair of arm portions. The handle is angled with respect to the pair of arm portions when viewed from the side to allow a user to more easily grab the handle and position an edge of the at least one sheet against or adjacent a face of the user.

These and other features and advantages of this invention will become more apparent to those skilled in the art from the detailed description of a preferred embodiment. The drawings that accompany the detailed description are described below.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a makeup tool in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a top view of the makeup tool of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a side view of the makeup tool of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 4 is a top view of a makeup tool in accordance with another preferred embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring now to the Figures, a makeup tool is provided that is configured for lateral placement against or in close proximity to a user's face beneath an eye to which makeup, such as mascara, is to be applied. The tool is intended to prevent any makeup from soiling unwanted areas of the user's face or from falling onto a user's clothing or household surfaces. It will be understood that the makeup tool can be used in connection with the application of other types of makeup. The makeup tool 10 is shown in the attached figures and is discussed in more detail below.

As shown, the makeup tool 10 includes a body portion 12 having an elongated handle 14 and a pair of forward extending arms 16. The handle portion defines a centerline C_L through its middle. The makeup tool is preferably formed as an integral one piece structure from a plastic material. However, the makeup tool can be formed as a multiple piece structure. Alternatively, the makeup tool can be constructed of a variety of other suitable materials. The forward extending arms 16 are oriented generally parallel to one another and extend generally perpendicularly to a user's face when in position as a user is applying makeup to their face. The forward extending arms 16 also extend generally perpendicularly to the handle 14. The forward extending arms 16 are spaced apart from one another such that an open area exists therebetween.

The forward extending arms 16 each have a first end 18 that is disposed remotely from the handle 14. The forward extending arms 16 each have a second end 20 that is opposite the first end 18 and which terminate in a cross bar portion 22. The handle 14 intersects the cross bar portion 22 at a junction 24. As can be seen in the side view, the handle 14 is connected to the cross bar portion 22 at an angle (β). As shown best in FIG. 3, the forward extend arm 16 extend downwardly with respect to the centerline C_L such that the handle 14 points downwardly when the forward extending arms 16 are pointed toward a user's face. A preferred range for the angle (β) is between 5 and 45 degrees. It will be understood that a variety of other angles can be employed. By angling the handle 14 with respect to the cross bar portion 22, a user can more easily hold and position the makeup tool 10 and keep it in contact with or in close proximity to their skin. In a preferred embodiment, the amount of the angle (β) is fixed. In accordance with another embodiment, the handle 14 may be pivotally connected to the cross bar portion 22 such that the angle (β) can be varied by the user as desired to provide individual fitting when positioned adjacent the face of the user.

The forward extending arms 16 each have a slot 30 formed therein. As shown, the slots 30 are configured to receive a sheet 32 therein in order to catch and collect makeup particles that may fall from the user's eyelashes, eyes, etc. as the makeup is being applied. The slots 30 preferably have an open end formed in the edges of the first end 18 of the forward extending arms 16. However, it will be understood that the slots 30 can take on other configurations. Also, instead of slots 30, other retention mechanism can be utilized to hold and secure the sheets to the each of the forward extending arms 16. The sheet 32 is preferably an individual sheet that can be inserted into the slots 30 before each use and then removed and replaced before a subsequent use or as needed. These sheets 32 are preferably disposable, such that when they are removed, they can be discarded and then a new sheet can be inserted into the slots 30 for the next use. However, instead of individual sheets, a pack of sheets could be inserted into the slots 30 with each sheet 32 being individually removable from the pack. Alternatively, instead of a disposable sheet, a collection member formed of a cleanable material, such as plastic or the like could be inserted in the slots. In this embodiment, the member is reusable and can be easily removed to allow cleaning thereof. It will be understood that a variety of different materials can be inserted into the slots to collect the makeup particles and prevent them from falling onto a user's face, clothing or onto other surfaces. Also, the upper surface of the sheets 32 can be sticky to assist in retaining any particles thereon.

Additionally, in another embodiment shown in FIG. 4, the forward most surface of the sheet 32 is curved in order to conform to a user's face to assist in more effectively collecting makeup particles that may fall during application. More specifically, the forward most surface of the sheet 32 is curved inwardly such that the portions closest to the forward extending arms 16 are further away from the handle 14 than the middle portion of the sheet 32.

During use, a user grabs the handle 14 with one hand and places the outer edge of the sheet 32 into contact with or adjacent the user's skin. The user then keeps the makeup tool 10 in position against or adjacent the user's skin during application of makeup. Because of the contour of the forward most surface of the sheet 32, only a minimal gap exists between the user's face and the forward most surface of the sheet. Thus, as the user applies makeup, particles that fall can collect on the sheet 32. After application of makeup and the user is done with the tool, they can remove the sheet 32 from the slots 30 and can clean it an reinsert it or replace it with an entirely new sheet 32 for the next use.

The foregoing invention has been described in accordance with the relevant legal standards, thus the description is exemplary rather than limiting in nature. Variations and modifications to the disclosed embodiment may become apparent to those skilled in the art and do come within the scope of the invention. Accordingly, the scope of legal protection afforded this invention can only be determined by studying the following claims.

Claims

1. A makeup tool, comprising:

a handle portion defining a centerline;

a pair of forwardly extending portions that are oriented generally parallel to said centerline;

at least one collection member removeably engaging each of said pair of forwardly extending portions;

a retention mechanism located on each of said pair of forwardly extending portions for contacting and retaining said at least one collection member;

said pair of forwardly extending portions extend at an angle with respect to said centerline when viewed from a side.

2. The makeup tool of claim 1, wherein said retention mechanism consists of a slot formed in each of said pair of forwardly extending portions such that said at least one collection member is retained in each of said slots.

3. The makeup tool of claim 1, wherein said at least one collection member is a removeable sheet.

4. The makeup tool of claim 4, wherein a plurality of sheets engage said forwardly extending portions, such that when an individual sheet is removed, another sheet remains for collection of makeup particles.

5. The makeup tool of claim 1, wherein said pair of forwardly extending portions extend at a downward angle with respect to said handle centerline.

6. The makeup tool of claim 1, wherein said pair of forwardly extending portions extend at an angle of between 5 and 45 degrees with respect to said handle centerline.

7. The makeup tool of claim 1, wherein said angle between said pair of forwardly extending portions and said handle centerline is adjustable.

8. The makeup tool of claim 3, wherein said at least one removeable sheet has an inner surface and an outer surface, wherein said outer surface has a middle portion and a pair of outer portions, and wherein said outer surface is curved such that said middle portion is disposed closer to said handle than said pair of outer portions.

9. A makeup tool, comprising:

a handle portion defining a centerline;

a pair of forwardly extending portions that extend generally in an opposite direction from said handle portion;

at least one collection member removeably engaging each of said pair of forwardly extending portions;

a retention mechanism located on each of said pair of forwardly extending portions for contacting and retaining said at least one collection member;

wherein said at least one collection member has an inner surface and an outer surface, with said outer surface having a middle portion and a pair of outer portions, said outer surface being curved such that said middle portion is disposed closer to said handle than said pair of outer portions.

10. The makeup tool of claim 9, said pair of forwardly extending portions extend at an angle with respect to said centerline when viewed from a side.

11. The makeup tool of claim 10, wherein said pair of forwardly extending portions extend downwardly at an angle with respect to said centerline.

12. The makeup tool of claim 10, wherein said pair of forwardly extending portions extend at an angle of between 5 and 45 degrees with respect to said handle centerline.

13. The makeup tool of claim 10, wherein said angle between said pair of forwardly extending portions and said handle centerline is adjustable.

14. The makeup tool of claim 9, wherein said retention mechanism consists of a slot formed in each of said pair of forwardly extending portions such that said at least one collection member is retained in each of said slots.

15. The makeup tool of claim 9, wherein said at least one collection member is a removeable sheet.

16. The makeup tool of claim 15, wherein a plurality of sheets engage said forwardly extending portions such that when an individual sheet is removed another sheet remains for collection of makeup particles.