[00001] There are numerous skin care products that are beneficial to people including moisturizers and oils for topical application to an individual’s skin. For example, face oils are helpful in fighting against extremely dry skin. If a user applies a moisturizer to his or her dry skin, face oils may then be applied to seal in any hydration effects provided by the moisturizer.

[00002] Oils may take the form of being a liquid or a solid, and applicators have been developed for each. Referring to FIGS. 1 A through 1 D, a liquid oil (or mixture of oils) may be applied to the area of skin with refillable applicator 100 comprised of container 102, roller 104, and coupler 106 positioned at one end of container 102. Container 102 holds the oil, and coupler 106 couples roller 104 to container 102 while allowing roller 104 to roll or spin within coupler 106. To use applicator 100, the user holding container 102 places roller 104 against the skin in a position so that, when applicator 100 is moved around the skin, a thin layer of oil is dispensed between coupler 106 and roller 104 as it 104 rolls or spins on the skin, resulting with oil being applied to the area on the skin.

[00003] To refill container 102, manufacturers have employed different configurations. In one configuration, roller 104 is removable from coupler 106. As shown in FIG. 1 B, the user may apply a squeezing or pinching force against coupler 106 by, for instance, pressing a card 108 against it until roller 104 is dislodged or removed from coupler 106 as shown in FIG. 1 C. AS a result, the user is provided with an opening above coupler 106 through which container 102 may be refilled. In addition, with its removal, it easier to clean roller 104.

[00004] In another configuration, roller 104 and coupler 106 may be formed as one unit 110 as shown in FIG. 1 D. When inserted into container 102, a fictionally engagement between the inner surface of container 102 and surface 112 holds unit 110 in place at the end of container 102. To refill container 102, the user pulls unit 110 from container 112 until it is removed, providing the user an opening above container 102 through which it may be refilled. In addition, with the removal of unit 110, it is easier to clean roller 104.

[00005] Referring to FIGS. 1 E and 1 F, a solid oil may be applied to the skin by applicator 120 comprised of container 122 and solid oil 124 that, although solid at room temperature, melts when applied to skin. With applicator 120, a roller may not necessary to apply the melted solid to the skin when a sufficient amount of force is applied to the area on the skin.

[00006] While applicator 120 facilitates the user’s application of sufficient force, a brush made up of bristles may not. If the user tries to apply facial oil with a brush, it may not be possible for the user to apply the oil with a sufficient amount of force necessary to receive the benefits of facial oil without first bending the bristles.

SUMMARY

[00007] Embodiments of the inventive concepts disclosed herein are directed to an applicator comprising a handle, a brush, and a roller assembly of a roller, a first retainer, and a second retainer. The use of this applicator may improve the application of a skin care product and cleaning of the roller after the applicator has been used by the user.

[00008] In one aspect, embodiments of the inventive concepts disclosed herein are directed to an applicator having a handle, a brush, and a roller is disclosed. The roller may be retained by two retainers engaged to hold the center of the roller in place between the retainers. Where the two retainers include threads, the engagement could be a threadable engagement between threads of each to facilitate a person’s ability to threadably disengage the two to remove and clean the roller. One retainer could have an inner surface extending away from the handle outwardly and concavely, and the other retainer could have aperture and an inner surface extending away from the aperture outwardly and concavely. Both retainers could include apertures that could be mirror images of each other. Where the roller is a sphere, the lower retainer may be shaped as an outer surface of a hemisphere.

[00009] In a further aspect, embodiments of the inventive concepts disclosed herein are directed to an exemplary method for employing an applicator wherein the brush is adapted to receive an application of a skin care product and apply the skin care product to an area of a person’s skin, and the roller is adapted to massage the skin care product about the area of the person’s skin where the skin care product was applied. In some embodiments, the skin care product is a solid oil which melts upon the application on a person’s skin. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[00010] For a fuller understanding of the inventive embodiments, reference is made to the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

[00011] FIGS. 1A through 1 F illustrate prior art applicators, in accordance with some embodiments;

[00012] FIGS. 2A through 2C illustrate side and cross sectional views of an applicator, in accordance with some embodiments; and

[00013] FIG. 3A through 3F illustrate an exemplary method for using the applicator, in accordance with some embodiments.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[00014] In the following description, several specific details are presented to provide a thorough understanding of embodiments of the inventive concepts disclosed herein. One skilled in the relevant art will recognize, however, that the inventive concepts disclosed herein can be practiced without one or more of the specific details or in combination with other components. In other instances, well-known implementations or operations are not shown or described in detail to avoid obscuring aspects of various embodiments of the inventive concepts disclosed herein.

[00015] FIGS. 2A through 2C illustrate an embodiment of applicator 200 suitable for implementation of the inventive concepts described herein. Applicator 200 includes handle 202, brush 204 at one end of handle 202, and roller assembly 206 at the other end of handle 202 comprised of roller 208 positioned between lower retainer 210 and upper retainer 212, where one or both of these may include with an aperture and/or be a mirror image of each other with apertures. For the purpose of illustration and not of limitation, roller 208 is a sphere. In some embodiments, handle 202 is linear, roller assembly 206 is attachable to one end of handle 202, and/or lower and upper retainers 210 and 212 are configured to engage each other to hold the center of roller 208 in place with reference to them (or between them) as roller 208 rolls or spins about its center in any direction; in other words, roller 208 is not inhibited by either upper retainer 210 or lower retainer 212 from rolling or spinning about its center. In some embodiments, lower and upper retainers 210 and 212 may be configured with complementary threads 214 and 216, respectively, to facilitate the engagement through threadable engagement 218 and a disengagement to facilitate a user’s unobstructed access to and removal of roller 208. Although handle 202 and receptacle 210 are shown as separate components, both could be manufactured as one integral component in some embodiments.

[00016] The inner surfaces of lower and upper retainers 210 and 212 are configured with shapes or designs to engage the surface of roller 208 as it spins about its center. Lower retainer 210 includes inner surface 220. The shape of inner surface 220 may be selected to match the outer surface of roller 208. Inner surface 220 is shaped as an outer surface of a hemisphere to engage a portion of the spherical surface of roller 208, permitting roller 208 to roll about its center as applicator 200 is employed by the user. As shown, inner surface 220 extends away from the center of handle 202 outwardly and concavely until terminating at side 222, the point at which the width of receptacle 210 is its widest and/or approximately equal to diameter of roller 208. In some embodiments, a portion of the outer surface of receptacle 210 includes threads 214 extending away from side 222 and towards the center of handle 202 reaching its end.

[00017] Upper retainer 212 includes an aperture 226 of width 228 through which roller 208 extends as its center is held in place by lower and upper retainers 210 and 212. Here, width 228 is less than diameter 224, such that less than half of the surface area of roller 208 extends though aperture 226 and is exposed to the user’s skin when applicator 200 is employed by the user. The shape of inner surface 230 may be selected to match the outer surface of roller 208. In some embodiments, inner surface 230 is shaped as a slice or portion of an outer surface of a hemisphere to engage approximately half of the spherical surface of roller 208, permitting roller 208 to roll about its center as applicator 200 is employed by the user. When threadably engaged with receptacle 210, inner surface 230 extends away from aperture 226 outwardly and concavely towards receptacle 210 until terminating at side 232, the point at which the width of cap 212 is its widest and/or approximately equal to diameter 224 of roller 208. In some embodiments, a portion of inner surface 230 includes threads 216 extending away from both side 232 and aperture 226 until reaching its end.

[00018] Referring now to FIGS. 3A through 3F, an exemplary method for using applicator 200 is illustrated. FIGS. 3A and 3B illustrate a person holding applicator 200 and applying a skin care product to brush 204; in some embodiments, the bristles of brush 204 may be synthetic fibers and/or are adapted to receive the skin care product. For the purposes of illustration and not of limitation, the skin care product discussed in this method is a solid oil at room temperature. FIG. 3C illustrates the person brushing the oil on an area of dry skin (as illustrated by the spotted skin), where brush is adapted to apply the oil to a person’s face. FIG. 3D illustrates a moistened area of skin after the person has brushed oil to the skin (the moistened area illustrated by a darkened area), where the solid oil has melted upon the application to the skin. FIG. 3E illustrates the person messaging the skin with roller 208 while distributing the oil about the area of dry skin; in some embodiments, roller 208 may be comprised of pink quartz. FIG. 3F illustrates the result after the person has distributed oil 234 about the area of dry skin (as indicated by the absence of the spots).

[00019] As used herein, the term "embodiment" means an embodiment that serves to illustrate by way of example but not limitation. [00020] It will be appreciated to those skilled in the art that the preceding examples and embodiments are exemplary and not limiting to the broad scope of the inventive concepts disclosed herein. It is intended that all modifications, permutations, enhancements, equivalents, and improvements thereto that are apparent to those skilled in the art upon a reading of the specification and a study of the drawings are included within the broad scope of the inventive concepts disclosed herein. It is therefore intended that the following appended claims include all such modifications, permutations, enhancements, equivalents, and improvements falling within the broad scope of the inventive concepts disclosed herein.