Composition applicator

Abstract

The present invention relates to an applicator for applying a composition, in particular a whitening emulsion, to the skin.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present invention relates to a device for applying a composition, such as a self-tanning lotion, to the skin. BACKGROUND

[0002] Compositions, such as body lotions and self-tanning lotions, can be applied to the skin surface by hand, but more typically are applied using an applicator that covers at least part of the user's hand. The applicator provides a barrier between the user's hand and the composition, preventing the user's hand from becoming discoloured in the case of a sunless tanning product. The applicator can also partially absorb the lotion, meaning that more lotion can be applied in a single application, whilst avoiding drips. The texture of the outer surface of the applicator can be varied to help the user achieve a more even application of the lotion, to help the user rub the lotion into the skin, and / or to provide a desired finish (e.g. by polishing).

[0003] Various applicators in the form of mitts or gloves are currently available for applying self-tanning lotions. Such self-tanning gloves are typically formed from two pieces of absorbent material that absorb the lotion when it is applied to the glove, allowing the lotion to be applied without drips and associated staining. However, such gloves absorb too much of the lotion, meaning that self-tanning lotion is wasted with each application. The minimum surface area required for such gloves in order to absorb and apply a sufficient amount of lotion can result in the gloves being too large to be worn securely on the user's hand.

[0004] Accordingly, there is a need for an improved device for applying a composition to a skin surface that overcomes the disadvantages of known devices, such as currently available self-tanning gloves. SUMMARY

[0005] According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a composition applicator comprising: a front panel and a rear panel; wherein the front panel and the rear panel are secured to one another along at least a portion of their periphery, thereby forming a pocket-like space for receiving at least a portion of a user's hand; wherein the front panel comprises a smooth outer layer and an inner layer, and wherein the front panel is liquid-impermeable; wherein the rear panel comprises a napped outer layer, a liquid-impermeable inner layer, and a sponge layer sandwiched between the napped outer layer and the liquid-impermeable inner layer; and a wrist portion arranged between the front panel and the rear panel, thereby defining an opening to the pocket-like space that receives at least a portion of the user's hand.

[0006] According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for applying a composition to a surface, comprising the steps of: applying the composition to the surface using the composition applicator of the first aspect of the present invention. a) applying the composition to the front sheet of the composition applicator as described herein; b) transferring the composition from the front sheet of the composition applicator to the surface; c) rubbing the composition into the surface using the back sheet of the composition applicator. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0007] The above and other aspects of the present application will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

[0008] Figure 1A and Figure 1B are side views of a composition applicator according to one embodiment of the present application, showing the front sheet and the back sheet, respectively;

[0009] Figure 1C is an alternative side view of a composition applicator according to one embodiment of the present application, showing the connection between the front sheet and the back sheet;

[0010] Figure 1D is an alternative side view of a composition applicator according to one embodiment of the present application, showing the opening to the pocket space accommodating the user's hand;

[0011] Figure 1E is a perspective view of a composition applicator according to one embodiment of the present application;

[0012] Figure 2A is a cross-sectional view of the front sheet, showing the inner layer and the outer layer;

[0013] Figure 2B is a cross-sectional view of the back sheet, showing the outer layer, the inner layer and the additional layer sandwiched between the inner layer and the outer layer. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0014] The composition applicator according to the present application comprises a front sheet and a back sheet. The front sheet is liquid-impermeable and has a smooth outer layer, which is the outer, outward-facing layer of the applicator, to which the composition can be applied for subsequent application to the skin. The smooth texture of this side allows it to receive and hold a suitable amount of composition without spillage or dripping, but the composition is not absorbed by the material of this layer, thus preventing waste of the composition. Having a liquid-impermeable, in particular water-impermeable, front sheet prevents the composition from coming into contact with the user's hand, i.e. the composition does not penetrate from the smooth outer layer to the inner layer of the front sheet. The inventors of the present application have found that polyurethane leather is particularly suitable for this purpose due to the texture of the "leather look" side. Thus, in one embodiment, the front sheet comprises polyurethane leather.

[0015] Polyurethane leather (also known as PU leather) is an artificial leather formed by coating or laminating 100% polyurethane finish onto a substrate. A roller applies a pattern of artificial grain to the surface to mimic the appearance of real leather (the smooth "leather-look" side). Polyurethane polymers are well known in the art and define a class of polymers consisting of organic units joined by urethane (carbamate) links. Suitably, the substrate is polyester, cotton, nylon or rayon, or a mixture thereof. In one embodiment, the substrate is polyester. In the context of the present invention, the polyurethane leather is 100% synthetic and does not contain any animal-derived hide. Thus, in one embodiment, the polyurethane leather is a vegan polyurethane leather.

[0016] In one embodiment, the front piece consists of a polyurethane leather layer having a smooth outer surface and an inner layer.

[0017] The liquid-impermeable front piece has a smooth outer layer and an inner layer. A single layer of material can be considered to comprise both the smooth outer layer and the inner layer of the liquid-impermeable front piece. Thus, in embodiments where the front piece is formed entirely of polyurethane leather, the smooth outer layer corresponds to the side of the polyurethane leather that contains polyurethane and has a "leather-look" finish. The inner layer corresponds to the substrate layer, which typically has the texture of a soft material. The inner layer is referred to as such because it is the inner, inward-facing layer that, in use, contacts at least a portion of the user's hand.

[0018] The back piece is typically formed of three layers: a napped outer layer, a liquid-impermeable inner layer, and a sponge layer sandwiched between the napped outer layer and the liquid-impermeable inner layer. The napped outer layer is referred to as such because it is the outer, outward-facing layer of the applicator. The napped outer layer of the back piece provides a soft surface with a suitable texture for rubbing the composition (a composition that is applied to a surface (e.g. skin) using the smooth, liquid-impermeable front piece (e.g. comprising polyurethane leather)) into the surface. If desired, the napped texture can also be used to polish the skin surface. The advantage of applying the composition to the liquid-impermeable front piece and then rubbing it into the composition using the back piece is that excess composition is not absorbed into the back piece, thereby avoiding waste of the emulsion.

[0019] In one embodiment, there is provided a method for applying a composition to a surface, comprising the steps of: a) applying the composition to the front piece of a composition applicator as described herein; b) transferring the composition from the composition applicator to the surface; and c) rubbing the composition into the surface using the back piece of the composition applicator.

[0020] Suitably, the surface is skin and / or the composition is a tanning emulsion.

[0021] Appropriately, steps a), b) and c) are performed sequentially without any intermediate steps.

[0022] The brushed outer layer can be formed of any suitable material to which a "brushed," "tufted," or "flocked" effect can be applied. Brushing is a well-known finishing process in the art used to make the fibers on the surface of a fabric stand up. For example, a mechanical brushing process can be used to brush cotton fabrics, in which a fine metal brush carefully rubs the fabric to produce fine fibers from the woven yarns, thereby creating a brushed effect on the fabric surface that provides additional softness. In the context of this invention, the brushed outer layer can also be a velvet, silk velvet, or velvet fabric layer.

[0023] Suitably, the brushed outer layer comprises, is substantially composed of, or is composed of cotton, linen, mohair, wool, or synthetic materials (e.g., polyester, nylon, viscose, acetate), or mixtures thereof. In one embodiment, the brushed outer layer comprises, is substantially composed of, or is composed of polyester.

[0024] A sponge layer is sandwiched between a brushed outer layer and a liquid-impermeable inner layer. In some embodiments, this sponge layer provides the applicator with a stiff layer that allows it to maintain its shape, while being flexible enough to allow the emulsion to be applied to contoured surfaces. The cushioning effect of the sponge also enhances the user experience. The sponge layer can be made of any suitable sponge fabric. In one embodiment, the sponge layer comprises, is substantially composed of, or is composed of polyester sponge.

[0025] The impermeable liquid inner layer is called an inner layer because it is the inner, inward-facing layer of the applicator, i.e., the layer that comes into contact with at least a portion of the user's hand. The impermeable liquid inner layer lies beneath the brushed outer layer (relative to the outer surface of the applicator) and prevents any excess emulsion already absorbed by the brushed outer layer and sponge layer from transferring to the user's hand. The impermeable liquid layer can be made of any suitable liquid-impermeable (e.g., water-impermeable) material (typically fabric). In one embodiment, the impermeable liquid inner layer comprises polyurethane, is substantially composed of polyurethane, or is composed of polyurethane.

[0026] In one embodiment, the back piece comprises a brushed outer layer, a liquid-impermeable inner layer, and a sponge layer sandwiched between the brushed outer layer and the liquid-impermeable inner layer. The brushed outer layer, liquid-impermeable inner layer, and sponge layer constituting the back piece suitably have the same dimensions, such that each portion of the back piece has the brushed outer layer, sponge layer, and liquid-impermeable layer. Therefore, in one embodiment, the brushed outer layer, liquid-impermeable inner layer, and sponge layer are substantially co-extended.

[0027] As described above, the brushed outer layer of the back piece has a brushed, tufted, or flocked effect on only one side (the outward-facing side) of the layer. Suitably, substantially all or all of the side of the brushed outer layer that does not have a brushed or tufted effect is in contact with substantially all or all of one side of the sponge layer. Suitably, substantially all or all of the other side of the sponge layer (i.e., the opposite side of the sponge layer that is in contact with the brushed outer layer) is in contact with substantially all or all of one side of the liquid-impermeable inner layer.

[0028] The various layers in the back piece (especially the brushed outer layer, the sponge layer, and the liquid-impermeable inner layer) are appropriately fixed together by thermally fusing the individual layers together.

[0029] Both the front and back sheets are flexible, although they can have different degrees of flexibility.

[0030] The front and rear panels are fixed to each other along at least a portion of their peripheries, thereby forming a pocket-like space for accommodating at least a portion of the user's hand. Therefore, the front and rear panels typically have the same dimensions. Thus, in one embodiment, the front and rear panels extend substantially together. The front and rear panels can be fixed together by any suitable means, including by stitching, by welding (e.g., heat welding), or by using adhesives. Suitably, the front and rear panels are fixed together by stitching.

[0031] The shapes of the front and back panels, and how they are secured together, will determine the shape of the composition applicator and the shape of the pouch-like space that accommodates at least a portion of the user's hand. In one embodiment, the composition applicator is a fingerless glove, a mitten (essentially a fingerless glove with an additional portion for receiving the thumb), or a separate-finger glove (containing separate portions for receiving the thumb and individual fingers). Alternatively, the applicator may be sized to accommodate only two, three, or four of the user's fingers.

[0032] In one embodiment, the composition applicator described herein, having the opening as described herein, has two side edges extending from opposite ends of the opening and a convex, curved end edge extending between the ends of the side edges away from the opening. The side edges and the end edge are fixed (engaged) together. Suitably, the curved end edge is partially rounded in shape, and the side edges are tangent to the end edge, thus forming their smooth extensions. This shape is shown in the accompanying drawings. Optionally, the side edges may fork as they extend away from the opening.

[0033] In all embodiments, a portion of the front and rear panels are not fixed together, thus defining an opening for accommodating at least a portion of the user's hand. This portion of the applicator is defined as the wrist portion because, in use, this portion of the applicator will suitably be located at or near the user's wrist. Suitably, the wrist portion includes an elastic wristband (cuff) to better secure the applicator to the user's hand.

[0034] The composition applicator of the present invention may further include a resilient holder located within a pouch-like space that accommodates at least a portion of the user's hand, wherein the resilient holder is arranged to accommodate at least a portion of the user's hand (including only one or more fingers) and to provide a more secure attachment of the composition applicator to the user's hand. Typically, the resilient holder comprises a section of elastic material positioned within the applicator such that, during use, the applicator elastically contacts the user's hand (e.g., across their palm) to secure the applicator to the user's hand and prevent excessive movement. Therefore, the holder typically has an elongated shape, with its longitudinal axis parallel to the opening when positioned within the applicator, and is secured at either end toward the periphery of the applicator. The resilient holder is suitably secured to the rear piece of the composition applicator, although it can also be connected by incorporating each end of the resilient holder within a fixed connection between the front and rear pieces.

[0035] The surface to which the composition is to be applied is typically the dermis or skin of a mammal (usually a human). A composition applicator can also be used to apply the composition to surfaces with hair (such as animal fur).

[0036] Referring to the accompanying drawings, one embodiment of the invention is illustrated, wherein the composition applicator 1 is a fingerless glove. In this embodiment, the front piece 3 and the rear piece 5 are secured along a continuous portion of their periphery to form a pouch-like space, wherein the unsecured portion defines an opening 7 through which at least a portion of the user's hand can be inserted. In the illustration, the top portion of the applicator (the end opposite the opening) is rounded, but it can be a more angular shape; for example, the fingerless glove can take the form of a rectangle. In embodiments where the composition applicator has a substantially rectangular or square shape, the front and rear pieces are secured to each other (i.e., joined together) substantially around three of their sides, leaving the other side defining the opening through which at least a portion of the user's hand can be inserted.

[0037] Figure 1CA side view of the composition applicator is shown. Although the front piece 3 and the rear piece 5 are in contact with each other along their entire inner surface as shown, they are only fixed together at their periphery, and the front and rear pieces are not fixed together along their bottom edges as shown. Therefore, when the front and rear pieces move away from each other, an opening 7 is formed, which can accommodate at least a portion of the user's hand. Thus, in the context of this invention, "opening" is intended to include an applicator having an opening portion, i.e., the composition applicator is protected by the claims even when not in use (i.e., when the front and rear pieces are adjacent to each other before being manipulated to form a pouch-like space). "Opening 7" may also be defined herein as "opening edge 7". This is in Figure 1D The text further illustrates that it shows... Figure 1C The applicator corresponds to Figure 1A , Figure 1B and Figure 1C The view of the arrow with opening 7 in the middle.

[0038] Figure 2A A cross-section of the front piece 3 with a smooth outer surface 3a and an inner surface 3b is shown. Figure 2B A back sheet 5 is shown, comprising a brushed outer layer 5a, a liquid-impermeable inner layer 5b, and a sponge layer 5c sandwiched between the brushed outer layer and the liquid-impermeable inner layer 5b. In the illustrated embodiment, the brushed outer layer is in complete contact with the sponge layer, and the sponge layer itself is in complete contact with the liquid-impermeable inner layer.

[0039] It should be noted that, in the context of this application, when referring to the range between about “AA” and about “BB”, the point values ​​of AA and BB are intended to be included in that range as possible values.

[0040] As used herein, the term “comprise / comprises / comprising” should be understood to mean including the whole, steps, groups of wholes or groups of steps stated therein, but does not exclude any other whole, steps, groups of wholes or groups of steps.

[0041] As used herein, the term "consisting of" limits the scope of a whole, step, group of wholes, or group of steps to the specified whole, step, group of wholes, or group of steps. As used herein, the term "consisting essentially of" limits the scope of a whole, step, group of wholes, or group of steps as well as additional wholes, steps, groups of wholes, or groups of steps that do not substantially affect the essential and novel features of the invention.

[0042] This invention covers all combinations of the specified wholes, steps, groups of wholes, or groups of steps listed above.

Claims

1. A composition applicator (1), comprising: Front piece (3) and rear piece (5); wherein the front piece (3) and the rear piece (5) are fixed to each other along at least a portion of their periphery to form a pocket-shaped space for accommodating at least a portion of the user's hand; The front sheet (3) comprises a smooth outer layer (3a) and an inner layer (3b), and the front sheet (3) is impermeable to liquids; The back piece (5) comprises a brushed outer layer (5a), a liquid-impermeable inner layer (5b), and a sponge layer (5c) sandwiched between the brushed outer layer (5a) and the liquid-impermeable inner layer (5b). and The wrist portion, arranged between the front piece (3) and the rear piece (5), defines an opening (7) leading to the pouch-like space, which accommodates at least a portion of the user's hand.

2. The composition applicator according to claim 1, wherein it is a fingerless glove, a mittens, or a fingerless glove.

3. The composition applicator according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the front piece (3) comprises polyurethane leather.

4. The composition applicator according to claim 3, wherein the front piece (3) is composed of a polyurethane leather layer having a smooth outer surface (3a) and an inner surface (3b).

5. The composition applicator according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the back sheet (5) comprises the brushed outer layer (5a), the liquid-impermeable inner layer (5b), and the sponge layer (5c) sandwiched between the brushed outer layer and the liquid-impermeable inner layer (5b).

6. The composition applicator according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the brushed outer layer (5a) of the back sheet comprises polyester.

7. The composition applicator according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the sponge layer (5c) of the back sheet comprises polyester sponge.

8. The composition applicator according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the liquid-impermeable inner layer of the back sheet comprises polyurethane.

9. The composition applicator according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the back sheet is formed by thermally fusing the brushed outer layer (5a), the liquid-impermeable inner layer (5b), and the sponge layer (5c) together.

10. The composition applicator according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the wrist portion comprises an elastic wristband.

11. The composition applicator according to any one of claims 1 to 10, further comprising a resilient retainer located within the pouch-like space, the pouch-like space accommodating at least a portion of the user's hand, wherein the resilient retainer is arranged to accommodate at least a portion of the user's hand and provide a more secure attachment of the composition applicator to the user's hand.

12. The composition applicator of claim 11, wherein the resilient retainer is fixed to the rear piece of the composition applicator.

13. The composition applicator according to any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein, The front piece (3) and the rear piece (5) are fixed to each other by stitching along at least a portion of their periphery.

14. The composition applicator according to any one of claims 1 to 13, wherein the composition applicator is a tanning lotion applicator.

15. A method for applying a composition to a surface, comprising the steps of: a) Applying the composition to the front sheet of the composition applicator according to any one of claims 1 to 14; b) Transferring the composition from the front sheet of the composition applicator to the surface; c) Use the back of the composition applicator to knead the composition onto the surface.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the surface is skin.

17. The method according to claim 15 or claim 16, wherein the composition is a tanning emulsion.

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