Applicator

Abstract

A mascara applicator in the form of a tube ( 10 ) has an applicator brush ( 22, 24 ) captive in the cap ( 12 ). To enable the brush to be moved within the body of mascara ( 16 ) in the tube, a mechanism is provided which produces movement of the brush relative to the mascara-containing tube, before the cap is released from the tube. Various different mechanisms, which will produce this movement, are described. The invention is not limited to use for mascara application.

1 . An applicator comprising
 a tubular container for a viscous material,   a brush mounted to the cap so as to be located within the container, and   a cap for the container, the cap incorporating a spring-loaded push-button linked to a finger running in a helical track so that as the button is pressed, the brush is both rotated in the tube and moved axially along the tube to load the brush with viscous material.   
   
   
       2 . An applicator as claimed in  claim 1 , for mascara, wherein the brush is a brush for applying mascara to the eyelashes. 
   
   
       3 . An applicator as claimed in  claim 1  or  claim 2 , wherein the helical track is a groove formed on an end of a brush shaft extending within the cap, and the finger is formed on a neck of the tube so that as the button is pressed, the brush shaft moves relative to the tube neck to cause the brush to rotate as it is being moved axially in the tube. 
   
   
       4 . An applicator as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the spring-loading causes the brush to be moved in rotation and axially when the button is released. 
   
   
       5 . An applicator as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the button is mounted in the cap, so that it can be pressed into the body of the cap 
   
   
       6 . An applicator as claimed in any one of  claims 1  to  4 , wherein the button is formed by the body of the cap sliding over an inner neck of the cap. 
   
   
       7 . An applicator as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein the brush can be housed in a cylinder attached to the cap, and the mascara can be contained in an outer housing which can be moved up and down along the cylinder, the cylinder having openings through its wall over that part where the brush is positioned so that the mascara is moved past the cylinder openings and onto the brush. 
   
   
       8 . An applicator as claimed in  claim 7 , wherein the cap has a rotatable portion, separate from the attachment of the cap to the tube, with a finger running in a helical track so that as the button is pressed, the brush is rotated in the tube and moves axially along the tube. 
   
   
       9 . An applicator as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the cap is a screw-fit onto the container and will be unscrewed from the container to remove the brush from the container. 
   
   
       10 . A mascara container comprising a mascara containing tube with a cap which carries a captive brush, the tube having a narrow neck which divides the main length of the tube from a product containing portion at the end of the tube remote from the cap, with the brush being arranged so that it is located within the product containing portion when the cap is in place on the container. 
   
   
       11 . A container as claimed in  claim 10 , wherein the neck is of a diameter such as to remove excess mascara from the brush as the brush is drawn through the neck, so that excess mascara stays in the end portion of the tube and is not spread along the whole length of the tube.