Multi-Property Applicator Assembly and Methods of Use

Abstract

An applicator assembly having an application element, a blending element and a retaining element. The application element comprises a material configured to retain an application material and distribute the application material onto a surface and the blending element comprises a material configured to distribute the application material on the surface. Together the application and blending elements allow the process of transferring, distributing and blending the application material onto the surface to be performed with a single application assembly. Embodiments of the applicator assembly have the application element and the blending element to be comprised of materials with different characteristics.

I claim: 
     
         1 . An applicator assembly, said assembly comprising:
 an application element having a proximal end and a distal end;   a blending element having a proximal and a distal end;   an application material;   wherein the application element comprises a first material having a first characteristic to temporarily retain the application material and distribute the application material on a surface;   wherein the blending element comprises a second material having a second characteristic to temporarily retain the application material and distribute the application material on the surface.   
     
     
         2 . The applicator assembly of  claim 1  wherein the first characteristic of the application element to temporarily retain the application material is greater than the second characteristic of the blending element material to temporarily retain the application material. 
     
     
         3 . The applicator assembly of  claim 1  wherein the second characteristic of the blending element to distribute the application material is greater than the first characteristic of the application element to distribute the application material. 
     
     
         4 . The applicator assembly of  claim 1  wherein the application element comprises a first plurality of bristles having a first set of bristle characteristics and the blending element comprises a second plurality of bristles having a second set of bristle characteristics. 
     
     
         5 . The applicator assembly of  claim 1  wherein the application element comprises a first plurality of synthetic bristles and the blending element comprises a second plurality of natural bristles. 
     
     
         6 . The applicator assembly of  claim 5  wherein:
 the application material is a cosmetic; 
 the first plurality of bristles is used to retain a portion of the cosmetic and transfer the cosmetic on the skin surface of the user; and 
 the second plurality of bristles is used to distribute the cosmetic on the skin of the user. 
 
     
     
         7 . The applicator assembly of  claim 1  wherein the application element comprises a first plurality of natural bristles and the blending element comprises a second plurality of synthetic bristles. 
     
     
         8 . The applicator assembly of  claim 1  wherein the application element comprises a resilient porous material. 
     
     
         9 . The applicator assembly of  claim 1  wherein the blending element comprises a resilient porous material. 
     
     
         10 . The applicator assembly of  claim 8  wherein the resilient porous material is a sponge. 
     
     
         11 . The applicator assembly of  claim 1  wherein the distal ends of application element and the blending element form a tip plane at an angle ranging from about 20 to 90 degrees to a longitudinal axis of the applicator assembly. 
     
     
         12 . The applicator assembly of  claim 11  wherein:
 the distal ends of the application element form an application tip profile on the tip plane; 
 the distal ends of the blending element form a blending tip profile on the tip plane; and 
 the application tip profile is at a distance from the retaining element that is less than a distance of the blending tip profile from the retaining element. 
 
     
     
         13 . An applicator assembly, said assembly comprising:
 a first bundle of a plurality of bristles;   the first bundle having a first affinity for an application material;   a second bundle of a plurality of bristles;   the second bundle having a second affinity for the application material; and   a ferrule retaining the first and second bundle adjacent to each other.   
     
     
         14 . The applicator assembly of  claim 13  wherein a distal end of the first bundle and a distal end of the second bundle form a tip plane at an angle ranging from about 20 to 90 degrees to a longitudinal axis of the application assembly. 
     
     
         15 . The applicator assembly of  claim 13  wherein the first bundle comprises a first plurality of synthetic bristles and the second bundle comprises a second plurality of natural bristles. 
     
     
         16 . The applicator assembly of  claim 13  wherein:
 the applicator assembly is configured to apply the application material onto the skin surface of a user; 
 the first bundle is used to retain a portion of the application material and transfer the application material onto the skin surface of the user; and 
 the second bundle is used to distribute the application material on the skin of the user. 
 
     
     
         17 . A method of making an applicator assembly comprising the steps of:
 providing an application element with natural bristles having a proximal end and a distal end;   providing a blending element with synthetic bristles having a proximal and a distal end;   retaining said application element and said blending element about their proximal ends in a retaining element; and   shaping at least one of the application and the blending element to form a tip profile selected from the group consisting of: ovular, triangular, fan-shaped, rounded, pointed, jagged, and combinations thereof.   
     
     
         18 . The method of making an applicator assembly of  claim 17 , further comprising the step of modifying the distal ends of the application element and the blending element to define a single tip plane at an angle ranging from about 20 to about 90 degrees from a longitudinal axis of the applicator assembly. 
     
     
         19 . The method of making an applicator assembly of  claim 17 , further comprising the steps of:
 fabricating the application element comprised of natural bristles at a shorter length than the blending element; and   fabricating the blending element comprised of synthetic bristles.   
     
     
         20 . The method of making an applicator assembly of  claim 17 , further comprising the steps of:
 fabricating the application element comprised of synthetic bristles at a shorter length than the blending element; and   fabricating the blending element comprised of natural bristles.