BRUSH SUPPORT DEVICE AND COVER
Cosmetic brushes are often transported within bags, purses, etc. To ensure long life of the same, cosmetic brushes should occasionally be cleaned and allowed to dry prior to next use. A brush support device may provide protection of bristles of cosmetic brushes during transportation, be configured to hold the brush in a bristles-down support configuration during drying and/or after use, and ensure uniformity as the bristles dry. The brush support device may include a gripping portion to grip a handle or a ferrule portion of the brush, a stand portion to support the brush in bristles-down position, and a vent portion in between the gripping and stand portions. By virtue of the vent portion, air is able to flow over and around the bristles to facilitate drying.
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Cosmetic brushes are used to apply makeup. These brushes may be many different sizes and shapes depending on the type of cosmetic to be applied, the location to which the cosmetic is to be applied, etc. Bristles of cosmetic brushes may be prepared from a large selection of synthetic and/or naturally-occurring materials. Proper cleaning, drying, and protection of these bristles are important to prolong the useful life of the cosmetic brushes.
Proper cleaning may include, for example, cleaning the bristles of the brush with a brush cleaning solution and/or water. After performing such a cleaning and prior to next using the brush, the bristles must be dried. Typically, this drying may take place in a number of different ways. For example, a user may dry the bristles manually by using a cloth rag to soak up the excess water. By drying the bristles in this manner the user may inadvertently introduce unwanted fibers, oils, or dust from the cloth into the bristles. In addition to these undesirable consequences, the user runs a large risk of damaging the bristles by rubbing and/or applying too much pressure to the bristles; thus, causing breakage or the like.
According to another example, the user may place the brush with the bristles up into a cup or some other holding device to allow them to dry. If placed with the bristles up, excess water may run from the bristles down through the ferrule and towards the brush handle, possibly causing damage to the ferrule and/or handle. The bristles are also more likely to lose their original shape (especially conically flared brushes) because of the excess weight of the water pulling downwards or to the side (depending on the placement of the brush in the cup) on the bristles as they dry. Furthermore, excess water in or under the ferrule may damage the ferrule or the bristles held by the ferrule. For instance, excess water may cause rust or warping of the ferrule (depending on the material) and may allow mold and/or mildew to grow under or around the ferrule. Such damage will likely shorten the life of the entire brush because of the weakened and damaged ferrule area. Additionally, unless the cup or other supporting device is equipped with a drain, the excess water accumulation in the bottom of the cup may damage the brush handles. Especially, those handles composed of wood. Many of these problems are magnified if the user places the brush tip-down into the cup or lays the brush on its side to dry.
The detailed description is described with reference to the accompanying figures. In the figures, the left-most digit(s) of a reference number identifies the figure in which the reference number first appears. The use of the same reference numbers in different figures indicates similar or identical terms.
Typically, part of caring for cosmetic brushes includes washing the bristles of the brushes and allowing them to dry. The bristles of cosmetic brushes are constructed from many different natural hair (e.g., squirrel, badger, horse, human, pony, kolinsky, etc.) and/or synthetic fibers (e.g., nylon, polyester, etc.). It is the bristles of cosmetic brushes that most affect the cost of the brushes. Thus, caring for one's brushes, especially by washing the makeup and facial oil from the bristles, is very important to ensure a long and useful life.
However, washing the bristles of one's brushes can also reduce the useful life of the brushes if done incorrectly. This is because prolonged soaking or submergence of the bristles can loosen the glue and binding that holds the bristles to the ferrule. Scrubbing of the bristles can also lead to the same problems as prolonged soaking Dabbing of the bristles or wiping them to accelerate the drying process can also do harm by introducing unwanted fibers to the bristles, weakening the bristle binding, disturbing the uniformity of the bristles, and the like. Thus, after washing one's brushes it is important that the brushes be supported in a non-harmful manner and allowed to air dry.
Additionally, oftentimes makeup brushes are stored in purses or bags, especially when traveling. This presents an additional situation where the useful life of the brushes could be reduced. For example, in some cases the bristles could become damaged by rubbing up against other brushes, makeup, or stray items also stored in the purse or bag. This damage could result in loosening of bristles, bending or breakage of bristles, non-uniformity of bristles, and the like. In other cases, the damage could come from products inadvertently spilt in the purse or bag that then come in contact with the bristles of the brush.
This application describes an example brush support device to provide protection and support for brushes. The brush support device may include a gripping portion to grip a handle or a ferrule portion of the brush, a stand portion to support the brush in a bristles-down position, and a vent portion in between the gripping and stand portions. By virtue of the vent portion, air is able to flow over and around the bristles to facilitate drying. In addition, the brush support device may be constructed of a rigid or semi-rigid material to allow the brush support device to stand on its own and support the weight of the drying brush. Moreover, in some embodiments, the brush support device may be configured such that when the brush is inserted into the brush support device, the brush support device may be in physical contact with the bristles of the brush to uniformly hold the bristles in place. According to some embodiments, the brush support device may protect the bristles of the brush from inadvertent contact with oils, lotions, cosmetics, or other products that could damage the bristles. While the brush support device is described in various embodiments herein as supporting a brush, the brush support device may also be used to support other items having a handle portion, such as, for example, a sponge, flocking, a comb, a combination of any of the forgoing, or the like.
Illustrative Brush Support DeviceIn the illustrated example, the gripping portion 102 of the brush support device 100 is substantially flat on the uppermost part and includes an opening 108. In other embodiments, the gripping portion 102 may be convex (i.e., domed), concaved (i.e., dished), conical, or any other shape suitable for gripping a handle or ferrule of a brush. Regardless of the shape of the gripping portion 102, the opening 108 may extend through the gripping portion 102 and into the vent portion 104. As explained in more detail below, a user may insert a handle of a brush through the opening 108 of the gripping portion 102 in order to facilitate use of the brush support device 100.
According to this embodiment, the vent portion 104 of the brush support device 100 may be constructed with spaces 110 to allow air to flow through the brush support device 100. The spaces 110 may be uniformly distributed around the vent portion 104 of the brush support device 100. Alternatively, the spaces 110 may be distributed in a non-uniform manner. The vent portion 104 and the spaces 110 may be constructed of a rigid, semi-rigid, or flexible material. Additionally, the size of the spaces 110 may differ depending on the specific applications. For example, according to one embodiment, the spaces 110 of the vent portion 104 may be constructed of plastic mesh (e.g., extruded, oriented, expanded, tubular, etc.), metal mesh (e.g., woven, knitted, welded, expanded, etc.), natural fibers or fabric, or the like. In some embodiments, the vent portion 104 may also include a mesh or mesh-like lining along the inside cavity of the vent portion to provide uniform support and protection of bristles of brushes.
The vent portion 104 and the support portion 106 may be sized to accommodate removable insertion of a brush (as described with reference to
For example, in some implementations, the brush support device 100 may be configured to support a brush with a flat fan-shaped group of bristles, multiple flat fan-shaped groups of bristles, a flat rectangular-shaped group of bristles, multiple flat rectangular-shaped groups of bristles, a few individual larger bristles, a rounded group of bristles (e.g., with flat or domed distal end), or the like. Moreover, as discussed above, the brush support device 100 may also be used in conjunction with other, non-brush type applicators (e.g., sponges, flocking, comb, etc.).
As illustrated in
In referring to an example use of the brush support device 100, imagine that a user had just finished washing the bristle portion 306 of the brush 300. Thus, the bristle portion 306 may still be wet and should be dried prior to its next use by the user. To facilitate such drying and according to this embodiment, the brush 300 may be removably inserted into the brush support device 100 as indicated by arrow 308.
Turning now to
Returning to the washing example of the brush 300,
Moreover, according to this embodiment, the brush support device 100 may provide protection for the bristle portion 306 while transporting the brush 300 or while the brush 300 is comingled with other brushes, cosmetics, or other items. For example, according to the embodiment shown in
According to this embodiment, the brush support device 500 may be constructed of materials having rigid and semi-rigid properties, for example, plastic, glass, ceramic, metals (e.g., aluminum, stainless steel, carbon steel, titanium, brass, copper, alloys thereof, etc.), plastics, rubbers, composites, ceramics, glass, elastomers, or the like. In some embodiments, material(s) suitable for construction may have transparent or translucent properties. However, according to other embodiments, the brush support device 500 may be partially or completely opaque. The gripping structure 502 may also include a gripping strip 512 placed on the inside cylindrical surface of the gripping structure 502 to hold a brush in position. The gripping strip 512 may be constructed of any pliable or semi-pliable material capable of increasing the friction between the brush and the gripping structure 502 in order to hold the brush in place within the brush support device 500.
According to the embodiment shown in
According to this embodiment, the brush support device 700 may be constructed of any one or combination of materials described herein for other embodiments. The gripping tabs 710 may be placed on the inside surface of the gripping structures 702 to enable the brush support device 700 to hold the brush 300 in position. The gripping tabs 710 may be constructed of any material having sufficient friction between the brush 300 and the gripping structures 702 in order to hold the brush 300 in place within the brush support device 700.
According to this embodiment, the interior of wings 706 may be shaped to accommodate the bristle portion 306 of the brush 300. As shown in
According to this embodiment, the brush support device 900 may be constructed of at least one bistable spring band (i.e., “spring metal”) covered in silicon. Construction of the brush support device 900 using spring metal may enable the brush support device 900 to lay flat (
As mentioned previously, the brush support device 900 may include the gripping surface 902 comprising an outer layer of silicon or other material with properties capable of gripping the brush 300 at or around the handle portion 302, the ferrule portion 304, and/or the bristle portion 306. The gripping material may cover all or only part of the gripping surface 902. Examples of materials suitable for the gripping material include, without limitation, fabrics, plastics, rubbers, composites, or the like. Additionally, instead of constructing the brush support device 900 of spring metal, the brush support device 900 may be constructed of other material(s) have spring-like qualities such as, for example, plastic.
Referring to
According to this embodiment, the protective surface 1208 may comprise a mesh or screen. For example, according to this embodiment, the protective surface 1208 may be constructed of plastic mesh (e.g., extruded, oriented, expanded, tubular, etc.), metal mesh (e.g., woven, knitted, welded, expanded, etc.), loose weave fabric, or the like. The protective surface 1208 may extend around to and in between the stand surface 1204. Similarly, the stand surface 1204, the protective surface 1208, and the gripping surface 1202 may be sized to releasably accept different styles and types of cosmetic brushes. The stand surface 1204 may be sized and shaped such that when placed on a support surface, the brush support device 1200 stands upright on the stand surface 1204 with the bristles faced downward.
Moreover, the brush support device 1200 may also include a closure mechanism 1212. According to this embodiment, the closure mechanism 1212 is shown as four magnets capable of closing and holding the gripping surface 1202 against the brush 300.
Moreover, according to this embodiment, the stand portion 1404 may comprise a plurality of legs extending away from the collar portion 1402 in a manner adequate to provide support for the rack 1400. The collar portion 1402 may comprise, for example, at least one cut-away part 1406 to receive a brush or other cosmetic applicator. In the illustrated embodiment, the collar portion 1402 includes eight cut-away parts 1406. The shape of the cut-away parts 1406 may correspond to shapes of brush handles so that the brush handles are releasably held by the rack 1400. For example,
In addition, the cut-away parts 1406 may be configured to accept and releasably hold the brushes 1408(A)-1408(H). According to one embodiment, the handles of the brushes 1408(A)-1408(H) may be deformable and be sized slightly larger than the cut-away parts 1406 such that the handles slightly deform when forced into the cut-away parts 1406 and exert an outward force to hold the brushes 1408(A)-1408(H) in place. According to another embodiment, the collar portion 1402 and/or the cut-away parts 1406 may be slightly deformable such that the handles of the brushes 1408(A)-1408(H) may be securely held when inserted into collar portion 1402. Any of the brushes 1408(A)-1408(H), according to this embodiment, may also include the brush support device 100 or any of the other brush support devices described herein. For example, the brush 1408(A) and the brush 1408(F) are shown including the brush support device 100.
However, according to another embodiment, the cut-away parts 1406 may be configured to hold at least some of the brushes 1408(A)-1408(H) via the brush support device 100 instead of holding the brushes 1408(A)-1408(H) via their handles as shown in
According to another embodiment, the suction device 1500 may be integrated with the brush support device 100 (e.g., molded as a single part, sonically welded, thermally welded, or fused) and constructed in a manner similar to that described in detail above regarding brush support device 100.
The gripping portion 102 may further include an opening 108 which, in the illustrated example, comprises a slot with bars at each end (resembling a capital letter “I”). A similarly or differently shaped opening may be located on the stand portion 106. In other words, in this embodiment, both ends of the brush support device 100 may have openings and act as gripping portions. By including openings 108 at each end, brush support devices according to this embodiment are reversible such that brushes may be inserted from and/or gripped by either end of the brush support device (the gripping portion 102 or the stand 106).
In some examples, the brush support device 100 disclosed in
Although the application describes embodiments having specific structural features and/or methodological acts, it is to be understood that the claims are not necessarily limited to the specific features or acts described. Rather, the specific features and acts are merely illustrative of some embodiments that fall within the scope of the claims of the application.
Claims
1. A brush support device comprising:
- a gripping portion for securely gripping a handle or a ferrule of a brush and for suspending bristles of the brush above a bottom of the brush support device;
- a stand portion for supporting the brush in a tip-down position when the brush is removably inserted into the brush support device and securely gripped by the gripping portion; and
- a vent portion between the gripping portion and the stand portion configured to allow air to flow over the bristles of the brush.
2. The brush support device of claim 1, wherein the gripping portion comprises a substantially planar surface with an opening formed therein, the opening extending into the vent portion.
3. The brush support device of claim 2, wherein the opening comprises a plurality of slits arrayed around a center point of the flattened cylinder.
4. The brush support device of claim 2, wherein the opening is shaped like an asterisk symbol.
5. The brush support device of claim 1, wherein the vent portion is in contact with the bristles of the brush and provides protection of the bristles when the brush is removably inserted into the brush support device.
6. The brush support device of claim 1, wherein the stand portion and the gripping portion are substantially circular, the stand portion having a larger diameter than the gripping portion, the vent portion being substantially cylindrical and extending from the larger diameter of the stand portion to a smaller diameter of the gripping portion.
7. The brush support device of claim 1, wherein the vent portion comprises a plurality of openings of differing size arranged around the vent portion.
8. The brush support device of claim 1, wherein the vent portion is further configured to be in direct contact with the bristles of the brush and to maintain a uniform shape of the bristles when the brush is removably inserted into the brush support device.
9. The brush support device of claim 1, wherein the brush support device comprises an elastomeric material.
10. The brush support device of claim 1, wherein the brush support device comprises at least one of the following aluminum, silicon, or plastic.
11. The brush support device of claim 1, wherein the gripping portion, stand portion, and vent portion are molded as one piece and from one material.
12. A cover device for holding and protecting a brush, the cover device comprising:
- a gripping surface configured to securely grip an elongated portion of the brush; and
- a stand surface in contact with a bristle portion of the brush and providing protection of the bristle portion when the gripping portion is engaged with the elongated portion of the brush.
13. The cover device of claim 12, wherein the cover device has a flat rectangular shape in a first position and a cylindrical shape in a second position, the second position being when the stand surface is in contact with the bristle portion of the brush and the gripping portion is engaged with the elongated portion of the brush.
14. The cover device of claim 12, wherein the cover device comprises a bistable spring band.
15. The cover device of claim 12, further comprising a hinge assembly in contact with the stand surface, the stand surface configured to allow air to flow over the bristle portion of the brush.
16. A brush support device comprising:
- a gripping structure for gripping an elongated portion of a brush;
- a stand structure connected to the gripping structure;
- a hinge assembly attached to the stand structure, the hinge assembly configured such that a rotation of the gripping structure from a first position to a second position relative to the stand structure rigidifies the brush support device.
17. The brush support device of claim 16, wherein the gripping structure is cylindrically shaped, the gripping structure being separable into two pieces in the first position; and
- the stand structure is cylindrically shaped and comprises two pieces connected via the hinge assembly.
18. The brush support device of claim 17, wherein the two pieces of the gripping structure are held together magnetically in the second position and the two pieces of the stand structure are held together magnetically in the second position.
19. The brush support device of claim 16, wherein the gripping structure comprises at least four tabs of rigid construction, and the hinge assembly is located near a center point of a longitudinal axis of the brush when the brush is releasably inserted into the brush support device.
20. A system for holding a brush comprising:
- the brush support device of claim 1; and
- a holder coupled to the brush support device to suspend the brush in the brush support device above a surface.
Type: Application
Filed: May 9, 2013
Publication Date: Nov 13, 2014
Applicant: HCT Group Holdings Limited (Santa Monica, CA)
Inventor: Cindy Sean Yuei Lim (Santa Monica, CA)
Application Number: 13/891,091
International Classification: A46B 17/04 (20060101); A46B 17/08 (20060101);