Pressure-Activated Lotion Applicator Apparatus and Method

Abstract

A pressure-activated lotion applicator apparatus and related method for applying lotion to a portion of a user's body, comprising: a refillable lotion reservoir; an air chamber; a flexible, barrier separating the reservoir from the air chamber; and one or more holes for passing the lotion from the reservoir to the portion of the user's body; configured such that pressure between the applicator and the portion of the user's body causes the lotion to pass out of the applicator through the holes and be applied to the portion of the user's body, and further configured such that when a given volume of lotion passes out of the reservoir onto the portion of the user's body, a substantially equivalent volume of air enters the air chamber, and the barrier displaces so as to substantially equivalently increase the air chamber volume and decrease the lotion reservoir volume.

I claim: 
     
         1 . A pressure-activated lotion applicator apparatus for applying lotion to a portion of a user's body, comprising:
 a refillable lotion reservoir for containing the lotion;   an air chamber;   a flexible, substantially fluidic-impenetrable barrier separating said reservoir from said air chamber; and   one or more holes for passing the lotion therethrough from said reservoir to said portion of the user's body; wherein:   said apparatus is configured such that pressure brought to bear between said applicator and said portion of the user's body to which the lotion is to be applied, causes the lotion to pass out of said applicator through said holes and be applied to said portion of the user's body, and   said apparatus is further configured such that when a given volume of lotion passes out of said reservoir onto said portion of the user's body, a substantially equivalent volume of air enters said air chamber, and said barrier displaces so as to substantially equivalently increase the air chamber volume and decrease the lotion reservoir volume.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 at least one one-way air chamber check valve for permitting air to enter said air chamber but barring air from leaving said air chamber; and   at least one one-way lotion reservoir check valve for permitting the lotion to exit said lotion reservoir but barring lotion or air from entering said lotion reservoir; wherein:   when said pressure brought to bear and is then released between said applicator and said portion of the user's body, said lotion will pass in one direction only out of said reservoir and air will pass in one direction only into said air chamber to substantially equivalently compensate for the volume of said lotion that has exited from said reservoir.   
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising an elongated handle of at least six inches in length with said applicator attached to a first end thereof, for permitting a user grasping a second end of said handle with the user's hand to bring said applicator onto contact with said user's body portion while said user's body portion is separated from said hand substantially by said handle length. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , further comprising an elongated handle of at least six inches in length with said applicator attached to a first end thereof, for permitting a user grasping a second end of said handle with the user's hand to bring said applicator onto contact with said user's body portion while said user's body portion is separated from said hand substantially by said handle length. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , omitting any rollers for causing said lotion to be transferred from said reservoir to said portion of the user's body by said lotion adhering to said rollers while said applicators is rolled across said portion of the user's body. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , omitting any rollers for causing said lotion to be transferred from said reservoir to said portion of the user's body by said lotion adhering to said rollers while said applicators is rolled across said portion of the user's body. 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 3 , omitting any rollers for causing said lotion to be transferred from said reservoir to said portion of the user's body by said lotion adhering to said rollers while said applicators is rolled across said portion of the user's body. 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising a device selected from the group consisting of: a pump; a primer; and a plunger; for causing said substantially equivalent volume of air to enter said air chamber. 
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , fabricated in the shape of a human hand. 
     
     
         10 . A method for applying lotion to a portion of a user's body using a pressure-activated lotion applicator, comprising:
 containing lotion in a refillable lotion reservoir of said applicator;   providing an air chamber of said applicator;   providing a flexible, substantially fluidic-impenetrable barrier of said applicator separating said reservoir from said air chamber; and   passing the lotion through one or more holes for from said reservoir to said portion of the user's body; wherein:   pressure brought to bear between said applicator and said portion of the user's body to which the lotion is to be applied, causes the lotion to pass out of said applicator through said holes and be applied to said portion of the user's body, and   when a given volume of lotion passes out of said reservoir onto said portion of the user's body, a substantially equivalent volume of air enters said air chamber and said barrier displaces so as to substantially equivalently increase the air chamber volume and decrease the lotion reservoir volume.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising:
 permitting air to enter said air chamber but barring air from leaving said air chamber, using at least one one-way air chamber check valve; and   permitting the lotion to exit said lotion reservoir but barring lotion or air from entering said lotion reservoir, using at least one one-way lotion reservoir check valve; thereby:   passing said lotion in one direction only out of said reservoir and passing air in one direction only into said air chamber to substantially equivalently compensate for the volume of said lotion that has exited from said reservoir, when said pressure brought to bear and is then released between said applicator and said portion of the user's body.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising a user grasping with the user's hand, a second end of an elongated handle of at least six inches in length with said applicator attached to a first end thereof, to bring said applicator onto contact with said user's body portion while said user's body portion is separated from said hand substantially by said handle length. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising a user grasping with the user's hand, a second end of an elongated handle of at least six inches in length with said applicator attached to a first end thereof, to bring said applicator onto contact with said user's body portion while said user's body portion is separated from said hand substantially by said handle length. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 10 , said applicator omitting any rollers for causing said lotion to be transferred from said reservoir to said portion of the user's body by said lotion adhering to said rollers while said applicators is rolled across said portion of the user's body. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 11 , said applicator omitting any rollers for causing said lotion to be transferred from said reservoir to said portion of the user's body by said lotion adhering to said rollers while said applicators is rolled across said portion of the user's body. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 12 , said applicator omitting any rollers for causing said lotion to be transferred from said reservoir to said portion of the user's body by said lotion adhering to said rollers while said applicators is rolled across said portion of the user's body. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising causing said substantially equivalent volume of air to enter said air chamber, using a device selected from the group consisting of: a pump; a primer; and a plunger. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising said applicator fabricated in the shape of a human hand. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the user applies the lotion to said portion of the user's body without the user's hands coming into contact with the lotion. 
     
     
         20 . A pressure-activated lotion applicator apparatus for applying lotion to a portion of a user's body, configured such that pressure brought to bear between said applicator and said portion of the user's body to which the lotion is to be applied, causes the lotion to pass out of a refillable lotion reservoir for containing the lotion through holes of said applicator and be applied to said portion of the user's body, and further configured such that when a given volume of lotion passes out of said applicator onto said portion of the user's body, a substantially equivalent volume of air enters an air chamber, and a flexible, substantially fluidic-impenetrable barrier separating said reservoir from said air chamber displaces so as to substantially equivalently increase the air chamber volume and decrease the lotion reservoir volume.