Simple lip balm applicator

Abstract

A simple applicator for a stick product, such as lip balm, includes a plastic hollow dome component with an open top and closed bottom and a main body component with closed side walls defining a hollow interior space, an open top, and an open bottom. Cooperating detachable fasteners releasably connect the components together. A flip top lid has a living hinge connection to the main body component to close its open top. A hollow interior space of the main body has a larger volume than that of the dome. There is sufficient stick product in the interior space so that after the stick product in the dome is depleted the applicator can be exposed to external energy, such as from a conventional microwave oven, to cause the stick product in the interior space to become fluid and flow into and refill the dome with stick product.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A semi-solid material applicator comprising:
 a plastic hollow dome component with an open top, closed curved sidewall, and closed bottom;   a plastic main body component with closed side walls defining a hollow interior space, an open top, and an open bottom;   cooperating detachable fasteners provided on said main body component and said dome component for releasably connecting said components together; and   a flip top lid having a pivotal connection to said main body component and integrally molded therewith for movement between an open position uncovering the open top of said hollow interior space, and a closed position covering the open top of said hollow interior space.   
     
     
         2 . An applicator as recited in  claim 1  wherein said pivotal connection comprises a living hinge. 
     
     
         3 . An applicator as recited in  claim 1  further comprising at least one set of locking tabs and recesses formed on and in said main body adjacent said open top thereof, and said flip top lid periphery, for holding said main body and flip top lid together in said closed position. 
     
     
         4 . An applicator as recited in  claim 3  wherein said pivotal connection comprises a living hinge. 
     
     
         5 . An applicator as recited in  claim 1  further comprising a plurality of struts in said interior space adjacent said open bottom of said main body component which help hold a cooled/cured/hardened semi-solid material mass to the interior of said main body component and extending outwardly from said main body component when said dome component is detached from said main body component. 
     
     
         6 . An applicator as recited in  claim 5  wherein said hollow interior space has a volume at least as large as the volume of said dome component. 
     
     
         7 . An applicator as recited in  claim 1  wherein said cooperating detachable fasteners are cooperating screw threads. 
     
     
         8 . An applicator as recited in  claim 1  wherein said dome is made of SAN, and wherein said main body component and said flip top lid are integrally molded of polypropylene. 
     
     
         9 . An applicator as recited in  claim 1  wherein said hollow interior space has a volume at least as large as the volume of said dome component. 
     
     
         10 . An applicator as recited in  claim 2  wherein said hollow interior space has a volume at least as large as the volume of said dome component. 
     
     
         11 . An applicator as recited in  claim 9  wherein said closed bottom of said dome component has a flattened portion so that said dome component may be supported by a flat surface with said main body component extending upwardly therefrom. 
     
     
         12 . An applicator as recited in  claim 11  wherein said dome component interior and said main body component interior space are substantially filled with a stick product selected from the group consisting essentially of lip balm, lip gloss, lipstick, skin balm, blush, and deodorant. 
     
     
         13 . A semi-solid material applicator comprising:
 a plastic hollow dome component with an open top, closed curved sidewall, and closed bottom;   a plastic main body component with closed side walls defining a hollow interior space, an open top, and an open bottom, said hollow interior space having a volume at least as large as the volume of said dome component;   cooperating detachable fasteners provided on said main body component and said dome component for releasably connecting said components together; and   wherein said dome component interior and said main body component interior space are substantially filled with a stick product.   
     
     
         14 . An applicator as recited in  claim 13  wherein said stick product is selected from the group consisting essentially of lip balm, lip gloss, lipstick, skin balm, blush, and deodorant. 
     
     
         15 . An applicator as recited in  claim 13  wherein said closed bottom of said dome component has a flattened portion so that said dome component may be supported by a flat surface with said main body component extending upwardly therefrom. 
     
     
         16 . A method of performing filling and re-filling operations of a semi-solid material applicator, the applicator having a main body component having an open top closeable by a lid and an open interior space, and a hollow dome component releasably connected to the main body component, and wherein the volume of the main body component is at least as large as the volume of the dome component, said method comprising:
 a) introducing stick product in readily flowable form through the open top of the main body component into the open interior space and the hollow dome component so as to substantially fill the open interior space and hollow dome component, then closing the open top of the main body component using the lid;   b) allowing the stick product to cool/cure/harden in the main body and dome components;   c) after significant depletion of the stick product in the dome component orienting the applicator so that the dome component is below the main body component;   d) applying external energy to the stick product in the open interior space so that it flows from the open interior space into the hollow dome component to re-fill the dome component; and   e) allowing the stick product to cool/cure/harden in the dome component so that it is ready for use.   
     
     
         17 . A method as recited in  claim 16  wherein d) is practiced by supplying microwave radiation from a conventional residential microwave oven as the external energy. 
     
     
         18 . A method as recited in  claim 17  wherein the main body component has a plurality of struts adjacent the open bottom thereof which help hold stick product in the applicator; and wherein d) is practiced so that the flowing stick product substantially completely envelopes the struts. 
     
     
         19 . A method as recited in  claim 17  wherein a)-e) are practiced using as the stick product a material selected from the group consisting essentially of lip balm, lip gloss, lipstick, skin balm, blush, and deodorant. 
     
     
         20 . A method as recited in  claim 16  wherein the applicator lid is pivotally connected to the main body component, and wherein a) is practiced in part by pivoting the lid into a closed position with respect to the main body component and substantially permanently affixing the lid in the closed position.