CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED PATENT APPLICATIONS

The present application claims the benefit of and priority to Indian Patent Application Serial Numbers 201711005321, titled DEFORMABLE COSMETIC APPLICATOR, and 201711005342, titled COSMETIC PACKAGE, filed on February 15, 2017, the disclosures of which is incorporated herein by reference.

TECHNICAL FIELD

Embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to adjustable cosmetic applicators which can be employed in application of various products, such as for viscous cosmetics like mascara, nail vamish, a cream product, for coloring strands of hair, and for dental flossing or for applying pharmaceuticals or cleaning agents. More particularly, the disclosure relates to mascara applicators that can be adjusted as per user's convenience for application of mascara to eyelashes.

BACKGROUND

Conventional cosmetic packages for applying cosmetic or care products include, an applicator secured to a container containing a product, the applicator includes a cap intended for closing the container, a stem attached with the cap and wherein the stem supports an application member (or end-piece) capable of dispensing the product with a view to applying it in the desired place.

The application member of most commercial cosmetic packages are fixed and permanently attached to the stem, however, there have been some cosmetic packages shown in the prior art that have means for adjusting profile of application member. For example in U.S. Pat. No. 4,446,880 to Gueret & Arraudeau, and U.S. Pat. No. 7,467,905 to Habatjou, several makeup brushes are described where the profile of the brush section is adjustable by either changing their overall diameter, curvature or spacing between the bristles. Generally, the caps of such conventional cosmetic packages include an upper cap member and lower cap member which are rotatable with respect to one another to adjust the profile of the application member. Further, they may include an indicium on the cap either on the upper cap member or the lower cap member to indicate relative position or profile of the applicator member. U. S. Pat. No. 3,998,235 to Kingsford, discloses a mascara application device that allows adjustment of the axial distance between the applicator's coating surfaces in order to vary the amount of mascara held by the applicator spring. An indicium appears on the cap, wherein the degree of compression of the applicator spring can be selected, for example, by alignment of one of the calibration lines located on the upper cap member with an arrow located on lower cap member.

In another U. S. Pat. No. 5, 137,038 to Kingsford, a mascara applicator is disclosed in which the applicator head's curvature can be altered by way of an adjusting rod. The rod can be extended into the application member so as to straighten a pre-curved applicator. An indicia on lower cap member and indicia on the upper cap member provide the indication of extension and retraction of rod and thereby the curvature of application member.

Excessive information on the outer surface of the cap is not pleasant to the eye on aesthetics. Thus, there is a need for such a cosmetic package that has a hidden surface with indicium that maximizes the ability of cosmetic package provider to convey information and suggested uses to the end consumer, while maintaining the aesthetic beauty of the package.

Conventional mascara brushes are in the form of a generally cylindrical straight rod carrying a plurality of bristles/tines extending radially outwardly from its outer surface. However, straight mascara brushes are thought by some people to not be ideal for all purposes and curved mascara brushes are also known. Thus, the eyelashes are curved and the curvature of the brush may at least approximately match the curvature of the lashes so as to facilitate the uniform application of mascara to all the lashes at the same time.

However, some people like to use a straight mascara brush at some times or for certain specific purposes and a curved mascara brush at other times or for different specific purposes and this currently necessitates their possessing two different mascara applicators. It is therefore, the object of the disclosure to provide a mascara applicator on which the mascara brush may be varied at will between a straight configuration and a curved configuration by the user.

Some of the brushes are known in the art which may be varied between a straight configuration and a curved configuration by the user as for example, U. S . Pat. No. 8,141 ,561 discloses such a kind of mascara applicator but it includes several parts which makes its manufacturing difficult.

While International Patent application WO 2007/1 17091A1 to Amorepacific Corporation, discloses an adjustable mascara brush that includes a brush stick provided in a cap, a brush provided at the end of the brush stick and an elevating bar which is connected to the brush stick in a manner of a screw wherein the brush gets straightened when the elevating bar is lowered and the brush gets curved when the elevating bar is elevated up.

U. S . Pat. No 8,307,836 B2 also discloses such a mascara applicator in which the brush can be varied between a straight configuration and a curved configuration but does not disclose if the application member can provide volumizing and combing effect along with curling of eyelashes.

Thus it is necessary to provide a mascara applicator which is easy to manufacture, provides both a straight configuration and a curved configuration and can provide volumizing and combing effect along with curling of eyelashes.

SUMMARY

The present disclosure generally relates to a deformable applicator employed for application of a cosmetic or a care product such as for application of mascara, coloring strands of hair, for dental flossing or for applying pharmaceuticals or cleaning agents and to a cosmetic package for a product, in particular cosmetic or care product such as for example nail varnish, mascara or cream product. According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, there is provided a cosmetic package including an applicator that can be adjusted as per user's convenience for application of a cosmetic or a care product. The applicator can assume or have a non-deformed state and at least one deformed state, and wherein in the at least one deformed state of the applicator, an application member of the applicator is deformed. According to an embodiment of the disclosure, the non-deformed state corresponds to an initial non-deformed state of the application member. The deformed state corresponds to the deformation of the application member. More particularly, the application member has a straight configuration in non-deformed state and a curved configuration in deformed state. The application member may be chosen according to the cosmetic or care product to be applied, be it lipstick, eye liner, eye shadow, mascara, foundation, blusher, ointment etc. More specifically, the application member is used to apply mascara on eyelashes. According to an aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a cosmetic package. The cosmetic package having a longitudinal axis comprises an applicator and a container. The container and the applicator are intended to be fastened to each other by screwing. The applicator further includes a cap suitable for closing the container and an application member including a hollow stem having a cavity. The stem may be connected to the application member at one end and to the cap at another end. The cap serves as a handle for holding the application member. The application member is secured to the stem and intended for being inserted in said container in order to be loaded with the product to be applied.

According to an aspect of the present disclosure, the neck of the container is provided with an external thread intended for cooperating with a complementary thread carried by the cap, allowing the container to be closed by screwing. According to an aspect of the present disclosure, for some cosmetic products, such as mascara or a lip gloss, it may be desirale to provide a wiper positioned into the neck of the container to wipe excess product from the applicator as the applicator is withdrawn from the container. According to an aspect of the present disclosure, the application member is an individually molded component, for example, the application member is molded as a single piece from at least two materials by bi-injecti on-molding or multi-injection, of different materials, for example, of different hardness. According to an aspect of the present disclosure, the application member includes at least two portions and wherein at least one portion is made up of a material less in hardness (e.g., having a lower hardness or durometer, or softer) than the material of the other portions. According to an aspect of the present disclosure, one of the at least two portions extends longitudinally at least half the length of the application member.

According to an aspect of the present disclosure, the application member includes at least two portions namely a first portion and a second portion, and wherein the first portion is made up of a material less in hardness (e.g., having a lower hardness or durometer, or softer) than a material of the second portion. According to an aspect of the present disclosure, when a bending stress is applied on the application member, because of a difference in hardness of the different portions of the application member, the portion having less hardness is concavely deformed, thereby bending the application member. According to an aspect of the present disclosure, the application member includes at least two portions namely a first portion which is a soft portion and a second portion which is a hard portion. The first portion is made up of a soft material and the second portion is made up of a relatively harder material. The first portion of the application member has a soft support carrying soft tines whereas the second portion of the application member has a hard support carrying hard tines.

The soft portion of the application member determines the direction in which the application member will be curved. More particularly, in the deformed state of the application member, the soft portion will form a concave side of the application member and the hard portion will form a convex side of the application member. The concave side lets the soft tines gather together thereby resulting in higher density of soft tines for application while the convex side lets the hard tines stretch farther away from each other thereby giving a less dense hard tines for application on a surface such as eyelashes. The hard tines of the convex portion will provide better combing of the eyelashes and the soft tines on the concave portion will provide volumizing and curling of the eyelashes.

The application member could have any suitable shape depending on the kind of application required. It could have a shape other than cylindrical such as ovular, tapered or any other suitable shape. In accordance with an embodiment of the disclosure, the cosmetic applicator of the disclosure comprises a cap, the application member as discussed above and a hollow stem having a cavity. The stem may be connected to the application member at one end and to the cap at another end. The cap serves as a handle for holding the applicator. The application member is secured to the stem and intended for being inserted in a container of a cosmetic package in order to be loaded with a product to be applied. The cap further serves as a closure for the container.

Further, according to an aspect of the present disclosure, the cap comprises a surface for communicating a visible information to a user in the form of colors, graphics, text etc. The surface is fully hidden/non-visible in one of the non-deformed or the deformed state of the applicator. More particularly, said surface is fully hidden/non-visible in the non-deformed of the applicator as the surface is located within the cap in a non-visible location when the applicator is in a non-deformed state. The hidden surface is made fully visible to user in the deformed state of the applicator. The fully visible surface may provide indication of the fully deformed state of the applicator. The visible surface, also can be used for indicating other information such a logo, indicia, advertisement, instruction, decorative purposes etc.

According to an aspect of the present disclosure, the cap comprises an upper cap member acting as an actuating means/dialer and a lower cap member is connected to the upper cap member. The stem is non-rotatably attached to the lower cap member. The upper cap member acts as a manipulating means or an actuator for adjusting the deformation of the application member. According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the upper cap member is axially displaceable with respect to the lower cap member for adjusting the deformation of the application member. More particularly, the upper cap member is free to both rotate and axially displace with respect to the lower cap member for adjusting the deformation of the application member.

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, said surface is located within the cap in a non-visible location when the applicator is in non-deformed state, the surface being visible when the applicator is in deformed state, i.e. said surface is fully hidden in non- deformed state of the applicator and is fully visible in deformed state of the applicator. The visible said surface may thus provide indication of the fully deformed state of the applicator. The visible surface, otherwise also can be used for indicating other information such a logo, indicia, advertisement, instruction, decorative purposes etc.

According to an aspect of the present disclosure, the surface is made visible on rotation of the upper cap member with respect to the lower cap member. More particularly, in the non- deformed state, when the upper cap member is rotated with respect to the lower cap member, the upper cap member is lifted axially with respect to the lower cap member to expose the surface of the lower cap member which was hidden in the non-deformed state.

According to an aspect of the present disclosure, the surface of the lower cap member is made visible on rotation of the upper cap member with respect to the lower cap member. More particularly, in the non-deformed state, when the upper cap member is rotated with respect to the lower cap member, the upper cap member is lifted axially with respect to the lower cap member to expose the surface of the lower cap member.

According to yet another aspect of the present disclosure, in the non-deformed state of the applicator, the cap has a first outer surface area, and the upper and lower cap members have first color/colors. The cap has a second outer surface area in a deformed state of the applicator which is greater than the first outer surface area due to additional surface area provided by a surface of the lower cap member which is made visible in the deformed state. The surface has a second color contrasting with the first color/colors of outer surfaces of the upper cap member and lower cap member. The contrasting second color of the surface is used for conveying information to a user when the surface is made visible and wherein the contrasting color of the hidden surface may include a single color or mix of colors and may depict a text or an image.

According to an aspect of the present disclosure, to allow axial and rotational movement of the upper cap member with respect to the lower cap member, the cap further includes an upper threaded part and a lower threaded part. The upper threaded part is attached to interior of the upper cap member and the lower threaded part is attached to interior of the lower cap member. The upper threaded part includes internal threads and lower threaded part includes external threads. The upper cap member and the lower cap member are operatively connected by the internal threads of the upper threaded part and the external threads of the lower threaded part such that the internal threads mate with extemal threads for allowing axial and rotational movement of the upper cap member and upper threaded part with respect to the lower cap member.

According to a variant embodiment, the upper threaded part and the upper cap member may be formed as a single part. Similarly, the lower threaded part and the lower cap member may be formed as a single part.

According to yet another aspect of the present disclosure, an inner rod is slidingly disposed within the central cavity of the stem which assists in deformation of the application member. A proximal end of the inner rod is so arranged with the cap such that its rotational movement with respect to the cap is restricted. More particularly, the proximal end of the inner rod is held by a groove present at the proximal end of the upper threaded part such that it allows only axial displacement of the inner rod on rotation of the upper cap member and the upper threaded part. For example, on rotation of the upper cap member and the upper threaded part, rotation of inner rod is prevented, but the inner rod is displaced axially with axial displacement of the upper threaded part. According to yet another aspect of the present disclosure, a flexible connector extends through a bore of the application member. The application member is fixedly connected at its distal end by a flanged tip of the flexible connector and at its proximal end by the distal end of the stem, wherein the proximal end of the application member is formed as a bristle-free shank for attachment to the hollow stem. More specifically, the application member further includes a bore for housing the flexible connector. The bore may either be centrally or non- centrally aligned. The flexible connector is arranged to be movable inside the bore of the application member. The flexible connector is so arranged as to cause progressive deformation of the application member.

According to a further aspect of the present disclosure, a distal end of the flexible connector is connected with a distal end of the application member and a proximal end of the flexible connector is connected to a distal end of the inner rod. More particularly, the proximal end of the flexible connector is adjusted with a groove of the inner rod such that it is centrally aligned. However, it may be off-centered to provide a favorable and consistent plane along which angular deformation of the application member occurs.

Further, a proximal end of the flexible connector is connected to the distal end of the inner rod such that when force is applied on the inner rod it causes tension along the axis of the flexible connector, which results in deformation of the application member. More particularly, the inner rod has a groove at its distal end which engages the flexible connector.

Further, the force applied on the flexible connector is directly proportional to the deformation angle of the application member achieved.

According to yet another aspect of the present disclosure, the application member surrounds an applicator filament. The application member is held in place at its distal end by a flanged tip of the applicator filament and at its proximal portion by the stem. The proximal portion of the application member may be formed as a bristle-free shank for attachment to the stem. More particularly, the application member further includes a bore for housing the applicator filament. The bore may either be centrally or non-centrally aligned. The applicator filament is arranged to be movable inside the bore of the application member. The applicator filament is so arranged as to cause progressive angular deformation of the application member. According to a further aspect of the present disclosure, a distal end of the applicator filament is connected with a distal end of the application member and a proximal end of the applicator filament is connected to the distal end of the inner rod. More particularly, the proximal end of the applicator filament is adjusted with a groove of the inner rod such that it is centrally aligned. However, it may be off-centered to provide a favorable and consistent plane along which angular deformation of the application member occurs. When a force is applied on the inner rod it causes tension along the axis of the applicator filament, which results in angular deformation of the application member.

According to an aspect of the present disclosure, the force applied on the applicator filament is directly proportional to the deformation angle of the application member achieved. In various other embodiments of present disclosure, the mode of application of force on the inner rod could be manual, mechanical, magnetic, electrical or any other suitable mode to cause tension along the axis of the applicator filament. According to a variant embodiment of the present disclosure, the inner rod and applicator filament may be formed as one part that extends through the stem and the application member. According to an aspect of the present disclosure, the mode of application of force on the inner rod could be manual, mechanical, magnetic, electrical or any other suitable mode to cause tension along the axis of the flexible connector.

According to another aspect of the present disclosure, the application member may have a substantially circular outside cross-section, but the case in which the deformable application member has a cross-section of different shape, such as polygonal, is also contemplated by this disclosure. According to a variant embodiment of the present disclosure, the inner rod and the flexible connector may be integrally formed as one piece that extends through the stem and the application member.

During use, to bring the applicator to a deformed state from a non-deformed state of the applicator, the user rotates the upper cap member with respect to the lower cap member, the upper cap member is displaced axially upward with respect to the lower cap member making visible to the user the surface of the lower cap member which was non-visible in the non- deformed state of the applicator, while simultaneously the application member is also deformed. The axial displacement of the upper cap member exerts force on the inner rod and the applicator filament for deformation of the application member. The application member in its angularly deformed state also shows the surface having the second color in contrast with first color/colors of the upper and lower cap members. More particularly, the rotation of the upper cap member with respect to the lower cap member results in the axial displacement of the inner rod thereby displacing the filament along with it. The displacement of the inner rod causes the application member to angularly deform from a straight configuration to a curved configuration. The application member is suitably deformed along a desired axis. Also, the user can control the magnitude of deformation during use by controlling the degree of rotation of the upper cap member.

According to another aspect of the present disclosure, the application member may be produced from an elastomer or any other elastic material allowing compression and expansion of the application member. Further, the applicator filament may be made out of a flexible material selected from a polymeric material and metals.

According to another aspect of the present disclosure, the application member may have a substantially circular outside cross-section, but the case in which the deformable application member has a cross-section of different shape, such as polygonal, is also contemplated by this invention. Further, the application member may further comprise of a biasing member arranged so as to assist the material memory of the application member.

According to a further aspect of the present disclosure, the application member is a molded brush comprising pluralities of tines on its outer surface. Furthermore, when this application member having tines is deformed or curved, the concave side lets the tines gather together thereby resulting in higher density of tines for application while the convex side lets the tines stretch farther away from each other thereby giving a less dense tines for application on a surface such as eyelashes.

According to variant embodiments, the application member may be chosen according to the cosmetic or care product to be applied, be it lipstick, eye liner, eye shadow, mascara, foundation, blusher, ointment etc. Depending upon the substance being used in the container, a variety of sizes and shapes of the application member can be utilized. The application member may be constructed of a porous or non- porous rubber, fabric mesh, felt material, foamed polymers, sponge material, Hytrel™, thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) or any other suitable material. Also, the application member could have any suitable shape depending on the kind of application required. It could have a shape other than cylindrical such as ovular, tapered or any other suitable shape. Although the above description and drawings show the package being cylindrical, the shapes and profile cross section thereof are not limited to the same.

According to a further aspect of the present disclosure, the materials suitable for forming the container could be polypropylene while the cap, the stem could be formed of acrylonitrile butadiene styrene or any other suitable polymeric material. The material of the inner rod and applicator filament could be any polymeric material like nylon, TPE, PP or could be a suitable metal. The stem may be formed of polyacetal or any other suitable polymeric material. The material for forming wiper could be low-density polyethylene. The aforementioned materials for forming various parts of the package of the present disclosure are an example, however other suitable materials may also be used.

The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present disclosure will become clear from the following description of the preferred embodiments when the same is read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

So that the manner in which the above recited features of the present disclosure can be understood in detail, a more particular description of the disclosure, briefly summarized above, may be had by reference to embodiments, some of which are illustrated in the appended drawings. It is to be noted, however, that the appended drawings illustrate only typical embodiments of this disclosure and are therefore not to be considered limiting of its scope, for the disclosure may admit to other equally effective embodiments.

FIG. 1 illustrates a front view of a cosmetic package in closed position according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 2 illustrates cross-sectional view of the cosmetic package of FIG. 1 ;

FIG. 3 illustrates a front view of a cosmetic applicator of FIG. 1, in non-deformed state;

FIG. 4 illustrates a front view of a cosmetic applicator of FIG. 1, in deformed state;

FIG. 5 illustrates cross-sectional view of the cosmetic applicator of FIG. 3;

FIG. 6 illustrates cross-sectional view of the cosmetic applicator of FIG. 4; FIG. 7 illustrates enlarged view of a portion of cross-sectional view of the cosmetic applicator of FIG. 5;

FIG. 8 illustrates enlarged view of a portion of cross-sectional view of the cosmetic applicator of FIG. 6; and

FIG. 9 illustrates an enlarged transverse cross-sectional view of an application member taken along line A- A of FIG. 3.

To facilitate understanding, identical reference numerals have been used, where possible, to designate identical elements that are common to the figures. It is to be noted, however, that the appended drawings illustrate only typical embodiments of this disclosure and are therefore not to be considered limiting of its scope, for the disclosure may admit to other equally effective embodiments.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIGS. 1 and 2 show a cosmetic package 1 in accordance with the present disclosure, in a closed position. The cosmetic package 1 includes an applicator 2 and an application member 40 which can be adjusted as per user's convenience for application of a product including a cosmetic or a care product. The cosmetic package 1 having a longitudinal axis X--X, comprises an applicator 2 and a container 3. The container 3 includes a neck 5 extending along the longitudinal axis X-X, a shoulder 6 and an end wall 7 forming a reservoir for a product P. The applicator 2 includes a cap 4 (suitable for closing the container 3), the application member 40 and a hollow stem 30 having a cavity 32 (see, for example, FIG. 5). The stem 30 may be connected to the application member 40 at one end and to the cap 4 at another end. The cap 4 serves as a handle for holding the applicator 2. The application member 40 is secured to the stem 30 and intended for being inserted in said container 3 in order to be loaded with the product P to be applied.

The container 3 and the applicator 2 are intended to be fastened to each other by screwing, however, it will be understood that any other form of connection of the applicator 2 to the container 3 may be resorted to. The neck 5 of the container 3 is provided with an external thread 5a intended for cooperating with a complementary thread 23 carried by cap 4, allowing the container 3 to be closed by screwing. For some cosmetic products, such as mascara or a lip gloss, it is preferable to provide a wiper 8 positioned into the neck 5 of the container 3 to wipe excess product P from the application member 40 as the applicator 2 is withdrawn from the container 3.

According to an aspect of the present disclosure, the applicator 2 has a non-deformed state and at least one deformed state. FIGS. 3, 5, and 7 illustrate the applicator 2 in the non- deformed state which corresponds to an initial non-deformed state of the application member 40. FIGS. 4, 6, and 8 illustrate the applicator 2 in the deformed state which corresponds to the deformation of the application member 40. More particularly, the application member 40 has a straight configuration in a non-deformed state and a curved configuration in a deformed state as seen in FIGS. 3-8.

Further according to an aspect of the present disclosure, as seen in FIG. 4, the cap 4 comprises a surface 22 for communicating visible information to a user. The surface 22 is fully hidden/non-visible in a non-deformed state of the applicator 2 as the surface 22 is located within the cap 4 in a non-visible location when the applicator is in a non-deformed state, as shown in FIG. 3. The hidden surface 22 is made fully visible to user in the deformed state of the applicator 2 as shown in FIG. 4. The fully visible surface 22 may provide indication of the fully deformed state of the applicator 2. Further, fully visible surface 22 may have a logo thereon. However, it will be understood that in variant embodiments, the surface 22 may be made non-visible to the user in a deformed state of the applicator and is made visible to user in a non-deformed state of the applicator.

As shown in FIGS. 1-4, the cap 4 comprises an upper cap member 10 acting as an actuating means or dialer and a lower cap member 20 is connected to the upper cap member 10. The stem 30 is non-rotatably attached to the lower cap member 20. The upper cap member 10 acts as an actuator or manipulating means for adjusting the deformation of the application member 40.

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the upper cap member 10 is axially displaceable with respect to the lower cap member 20 for adjusting the deformation of the application member 40. More particularly, the upper cap member 10 is free to both rotate and axially displace with respect to the lower cap member 20 for adjusting the deformation of the application member 40.

According to an aspect of the present disclosure, the surface 22 of the lower cap member 10 is made visible on rotation the upper cap member 10 with respect to the lower cap member 20. More particularly, in the non-deformed state, when the upper cap member 10 is rotated with respect to the lower cap member 20, the upper cap member

10 is lifted axially with respect to the lower cap member 20 to expose the surface 22 of the lower cap member 20, see, for example, FIG. 4 & FIG. 6.

According to yet another aspect of the present disclosure, in the non-deformed state of the applicator 2, the cap 4 has a first outer surface area, and the upper and lower cap members 10, 20 have a first color/colors. The cap 4 has a second outer surface area in the deformed state of the applicator 2 which is greater than first outer surface area due to additional surface area provided by surface 22 of the lower cap member 20. The surface 22 has a second color contrasting with the first color/colors of outer surfaces of the upper cap member 10 and lower cap member 20. The contrasting second color of the surface 22 is used for conveying information to a user and wherein the contrasting color of hidden surface 22 may include a single color or mix of colors and may depict a text or an image (see FIG. 4).

Referring to FIGS. 2, 5 & 6, to allow axial and rotational movement of the upper cap member

10 with respect to the lower cap member 20, the cap 4 further includes an upper threaded part

11 and a lower thread part 21. The upper threaded part 11 is attached to an interior of the upper cap member 10 and the lower threaded part 21 is attached to an interior of the lower cap member 20. The upper threaded part 11 includes internal threads 12 and lower threaded part 21 includes external threads 25. The upper cap member 10 and the lower cap member 20 are operatively connected by the internal threads 12 of the upper threaded part 11 and the external threads 25 of the lower threaded part 21 such that the internal threads 12 mate with external threads 25 for allowing axial and rotational movement of the upper cap member 10 and upper threaded part 11 with respect to the lower cap member 20.

According to a variant embodiment, the upper threaded part 11 and the upper cap member 10 may be formed as a single part. Similarly, the lower threaded part 21 and the lower cap member 20 may be formed as a single part.

According to yet another aspect of the present disclosure and as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, an inner rod 51 is slidingly disposed within the central cavity 32 of stem 30. A proximal end 51a of the inner rod 51 is so arranged with the cap 4 such that its rotational movement with respect to the cap 4 is restricted. More particularly, the proximal end 51a of the inner rod 51 is held by a groove 13 present at the proximal end of the upper threaded part 11 such that it allows only axial displacement of the inner rod 51 (e.g., and prevents rotation of the inner rod 51) on rotation of the upper cap member 10 and the upper threaded part 11.

As shown in FIGS. 2, 5 and 6, a flexible connector or applicator filament 52 extends through a bore 41 of the application member 40. The application member 40 is fixedly connected at its distal end 42 by a flanged tip 56 of the flexible connector 52 and at its proximal end 43 by the stem 30, wherein the proximal end 43 of the application member 40 is formed as a bristle- free shank for attachment to the hollow stem 30. The bore 41 is centrally aligned or non- centrally aligned. The flexible connector 52 is arranged to be movable inside the bore 41 of the application member 40. The flexible connector 52 is so arranged as to cause progressive deformation of the application member 40.

Further, a distal end or flanged tip 56 of the flexible connector 52 is connected with a distal end 42 of the application member 40 and a proximal end 54 of the flexible connector 52 is connected to the distal end of the inner rod 51. More particularly, the proximal end 54 of the flexible connector 52 is adjusted with a groove 55 of the inner rod 51 such that it is centrally aligned. However, it may be off-centered to provide a favorable and consistent plane along which angular deformation of the application member 40 occurs. Further, a proximal end 54 of the flexible connector 52 is connected to the distal end of the inner rod 51 such that when force is applied on the inner rod 51 it causes tension along the axis of the flexible connector 52, which results in deformation of the application member 40 as is illustrated in FIG. 4 and FIG. 6. More particularly, the inner rod 51 has a groove 55 at its distal end which engages the flexible connector 52. Further, the force applied on the flexible connector 52 is directly proportional to the deformation angle of the application member 40 achieved.

According an aspect of the present disclosure, the mode of application of force on the inner rod 51 could be manual, mechanical, magnetic, electrical or any other suitable mode to cause tension along the axis of the flexible connector 52. According another aspect of the present disclosure, the application member 40 may have a substantially circular outside cross-section, but the case in which the deformable application member 40 has a cross-section of different shape, such as polygonal, is also contemplated by this disclosure. Further, the application member 40 may comprise of a biasing member arranged so as to assist the material memory of the application member 40. According to a variant embodiment of the present disclosure, the inner rod 51 and flexible connector 52 may be integrally formed as one piece that extends through the stem 30 and the application member 40.

Referring to FIGS. 2-6, during use, to bring the applicator 2 to a deformed state from a non- deformed state of the applicator 2, the user rotates the upper cap member 10 with respect to the lower cap member 20, the upper cap member 10 is displaced axially upward with respect to the lower cap member 20 making visible to the user the surface 22 of the lower cap member 20 which was non-visible in the non-deformed state of the applicator 2, while simultaneously the application member 40 is also deformed. The axial displacement of the upper cap member 10 exerts force on the inner rod 51 and the flexible connector 52 for deformation of the application member 40. FIGS. 4 and 6 illustrate the application member 40 in its angularly deformed state, and also show the surface 22 having the second color in contrast with first color/colors of the upper and lower cap members 10, 20. More particularly, the rotation of the upper cap member 10 with respect to the lower cap member 20 results in the axial displacement of the inner rod 51 thereby displacing the connector 52 along with it. The displacement of the inner rod 51 causes the application member 40 to angularly deform from a straight configuration to a curved configuration (See, for example, FIGS. 3-6). The application member 40 is suitably deformed along a desired axis. Also, the user can control the magnitude of deformation during use by controlling the degree of rotation of the upper cap member 10.

The application member 40 may be chosen according to the cosmetic or care product to be applied, be it lipstick, eye liner, eye shadow, mascara, foundation, blusher, ointment etc. More specifically and as shown, the application member 40 is used to apply mascara on eyelashes. Depending upon the substance being used in the container 3, a variety of sizes and shapes of the application member 40 can be utilized. The application member 40 may be constructed of a porous or non-porous rubber, fabric mesh, felt material, foamed polymers, sponge material, Hytrel™, TPE or any other suitable material. Also, the application member 40 could have any suitable shape depending on the kind of application required. It could have a shape other than cylindrical such as ovular, tapered or any other suitable shape. Although the above description and drawings show the package being cylindrical, the shapes and profile cross section thereof are not limited to the same. According to another aspect of the present disclosure, the application member 40 may be produced from an elastomer or any other elastic material allowing for compression and/or expansion of the application member 40. Further, the flexible connector 52 may be made out of a material selected from a polymeric material and metals.

The application member 40 is an individually molded component, for example, the application member 40 is molded as a single piece from at least two materials by bi- injecti on-molding or multi -injection, of different materials, for example, materials of different hardness. As can be seen in FIGS. 7-9, the application member 40 includes at least two portions namely a first portion 44 which is a soft portion and a second portion 46 which is a hard portion. The first portion 44 is made up of soft material and the second portion 46 is made up of hard material. The first portion 44 of the application member 40 has a soft support 44a carrying soft tines 44b whereas the second portion 46 of the application member 40 has a hard support 46a carrying hard tines 46b.

The soft portion 44 of the application member 40 determines the direction in which the application member 40 will be curved. More particularly, in the deformed state of the application member, the soft portion will form a concave side of the application member 40 and the hard portion will form a convex side of the application member 40. The concave side lets the soft tines 44b gather together thereby resulting in higher density of soft tines 44b for application while the convex side lets the hard tines 46b stretch farther away from each other thereby giving a less dense hard tines 46b for application on a surface such as eyelashes.

The hard tines 46b of the convex portion will provide better combing of the eyelashes and the soft tines 44b on the concave portion will provide volumizing and curling of the eyelashes.

The application member 40 could have any suitable shape depending on the kind of application required. It could have a shape other than cylindrical such as ovular, tapered or any other suitable shape. Further, the flexible connector 52 may be made out of a material selected from a polymeric material and metals. The materials suitable for forming the container 3 could be polypropylene while the cap 4, the stem 30 could be formed of acrylonitrile butadiene styrene or any other suitable polymeric material. The material of inner rod 51 and flexible connector 52 could be any polymeric material like nylon, thermoplastic elastomers (TPE), PP or could be a suitable metal. The stem 30 may be formed of polyacetal or any other suitable polymeric material. The material for forming wiper 8 could be low- density polyethylene. The aforementioned materials for forming various parts of the package of the present disclosure are an example, however other suitable materials may also be used.

Furthermore, the application member 40 and/or the tines 44b, 46b be formed integrally (e.g. as unitary structure) with bristles as an injection molded unit, as a series of installed bristles (e.g., like a toothbrush), as a series of tied bristles (e.g., like a pipe cleaner), or other configuration. Further, various components of the application member 40 and/or the tines 44b, 46b may be over-molded as a single unit. Alternatively, rather than over-molding, instead, another body comprising bristles may be over-molded to an over-molded brush and tip unit without bristles. Further, end cap 42 may not be over-molded to the application member 40, and instead, the end cap may be over-molded to the flexible connector or other stem structure.

Further, while the application member 40 has been generally described as a bristled structure, it is contemplated that the application member 40 may take the form of other applicators including, but not limited to: a sponge, a stick, a synthetic bristle brush (e.g., plastic, silicone, latex or composites thereof), a natural bristle brush (e.g., hair, cellulose fibers, cotton, hemp, flax or composites thereof), a combination of synthetic or natural bristles, a comb, foam, silicone, a doe foot, metallic bristles, flocking, a solid applicator member (e.g., a paddle or spatula), etc.

Although the above description and drawings show the device being cylindrical, the shapes and profile cross section thereof are not limited to the same.

A first illustrative and non-limiting example takes the form of an adjustable applicator for applying a product to a surface, the adjustable applicator comprising a cap, the cap having an upper cap member and a lower cap member; a stem having an upper portion coupled to the lower portion of the cap, a distal end and, having a cavity therein; an application member having a first portion coupled to the distal end of the stem and a second portion having a plurality of tines extending radially therefrom, wherein the upper cap member of the cap comprises an actuator which is actuatable to initiate a progressive modification of a shape of the application member from a non-deformed state to a fully deformed state; characterized in that the non-deformed state a hidden portion of the lower cap member is disposed under the upper cap portion and in the fully deformed state, the hidden portion of the lower cap member is fully visible.

Additionally or alternatively to the first illustrative and non-limiting example, the upper cap member is rotatably and axially movable relative to the lower cap member. Additionally or alternatively to the first illustrative and non-limiting example, the upper cap member is threadably coupled to the lower cap member. Additionally or alternatively to the first illustrative and non-limiting example, the hidden portion is configured to communicate visible information to a user when said hidden portion is fully visible. Additionally or alternatively to the first illustrative and non-limiting example, the visible information is a color, a graphic, or a text. Additionally or alternatively to the first illustrative and non- limiting example, wherein the visible information provides instructions to the user. Additionally or alternatively to the first illustrative and non-limiting example, the cap has a first outer surface area in the non-deformed state and a second outer surface area in the fully deformed state, the second outer surface area greater than the first outer surface area. Additionally or alternatively to the first illustrative and non-limiting example, the upper cap member has a first color and the hidden portion of the lower cap member has a second color, the second color contrasting the first color.

A second illustrative, non-limiting example takes the form of an adjustable applicator for applying a product to a surface, the adjustable applicator comprising: a cap, the cap having an upper cap member and a lower cap member; a stem having an upper portion coupled to the lower portion of the cap, a distal end and, having a cavity therein; an application member having a first portion coupled to the distal end of the stem and a second portion having a plurality of tines extending radially therefrom, wherein the upper cap member of the cap comprises an actuator which is actuatable to initiate a progressive modification of a shape of the application member from a non-deformed state to a fully deformed state; characterized in that in the non-deformed state of the application member the cap has a first outer surface area and in the fully deformed state of the application member, the cap has a second outer surface area, the second outer surface area greater than the first outer surface area.

Additionally or alternatively to the second illustrative and non-limiting example, the second outer surface area includes a hidden surface of the lower cap member positioned under the upper cap member in the non-deformed state. Additionally or alternatively to the second illustrative and non-limiting example, the upper cap member is rotatably and axially movable relative to the lower cap member. Additionally or alternatively to the second illustrative and non-limiting example, the upper cap member is threadably coupled to the lower cap member. Additionally or alternatively to the second illustrative and non-limiting example, the hidden surface is configured to communicate visible information to a user when said hidden surface is visible. Additionally or alternatively to the second illustrative and non-limiting example, the visible information is a color, a graphic, or a text.

A third illustrative, non-limiting example takes the form of an adjustable applicator for applying a product to a surface, the adjustable applicator comprising a cap, the cap having an upper cap member and a lower cap member; a stem having an upper portion coupled to the lower portion of the cap, a distal end, and having a cavity therein; an inner rod slidably disposed within the cavity of the stem and having a proximal end coupled to the cap; a flexible connector having a proximal end coupled to the inner rod; an application member having a first portion coupled to the distal end of the stem and a second portion having a plurality of tines extending radially therefrom, wherein the upper cap member of the cap comprises an actuator which is actuatable to axially move the flexible connector to initiate a progressive modification of a shape of the application member from a non-deformed state to a fully deformed state; characterized in that the non-deformed state a hidden portion of the lower cap member is disposed under the upper cap portion and in the fully deformed state the hidden portion of the lower cap member is fully visible and configured to communicate visible information.

Additionally or alternatively to the third illustrative and non-limiting example, the upper cap member is rotatably and axially movable relative to the lower cap member. Additionally or alternatively to the third illustrative and non-limiting example, the upper cap member is threadably coupled to the lower cap member. Additionally or alternatively to the third illustrative and non-limiting example, the visible information is a color, a graphic, or a text. Additionally or alternatively to the third illustrative and non-limiting example, the visible information provides instructions to the user. Additionally or alternatively to the third illustrative and non-limiting example, wherein the visible information is fully hidden when the application member is in the non-deformed state.

A fourth illustrative and non-limiting example takes the form of an adjustable applicator for applying a product to a surface, the adjustable applicator comprising: a cap, the cap having an upper cap member and a lower cap member; a stem having an upper portion coupled to the lower portion of the cap, a distal end, and having a cavity therein; an inner rod slidably disposed within the cavity of the stem and having a proximal end coupled to the cap; a flexible connector having a proximal end coupled to the inner rod; an application member having a first end coupled to the distal end of the stem, wherein the upper cap member of the cap comprises an actuator which is actuatable to axially move the inner rod to initiate a progressive modification of a shape of the application member from a non-deformed state to a fully deformed state; characterized in that the applicator member includes at least a first portion having a first hardness and including first plurality of tines and a second portion having a second hardness and includes a second plurality of tines, the first hardness less than the second hardness.

Additionally or altematively to the fourth illustrative and non-limiting example, the first portion of the applicator member is formed from a first material and the second portion of the applicator is formed from a second material different from the first material. Additionally or alternatively to the fourth illustrative and non-limiting example, when a bending stress is applied on the application member, the first portion of the application member is concavely deformed. Additionally or alternatively to the fourth illustrative and non-limiting example, when the first portion is concavely deformed, the first plurality of tines cluster together. Additionally or altematively to the fourth illustrative and non-limiting example, when a bending stress is applied on the application member, the second portion of the application member is convexly deformed. Additionally or alternatively to the fourth illustrative and non- limiting example, when the second portion is convexly deformed, the second plurality of tines stretch away from each other. Additionally or alternatively to the fourth illustrative and non-limiting example, the application member is molded as a single piece from at least two different materials. Additionally or alternatively to the fourth illustrative and non-limiting example, the upper cap member is rotatably and axially movable relative to the lower cap member. Additionally or alternatively to the fourth illustrative and non-limiting example, the proximal end of the inner rod is coupled to the cap such that rotation of the inner rod relative to the cap is restricted while allowing axial displacement of the inner rod.

A fifth illustrative and non-limiting example takes the form of an adjustable applicator for applying a product to a surface, the adjustable applicator comprising: a cap, the cap having an upper cap member and a lower cap member; a stem having an upper portion coupled to the lower portion of the cap, a distal end, and having a cavity therein; an inner rod slidably disposed within the cavity of the stem and having a proximal end coupled to the cap; a flexible connector having a proximal end coupled to the inner rod; an application member having a first end coupled to the distal end of the stem, the application member having first portion including a first support member carrying a first plurality of tines and a second portion including a second support member carrying a second plurality of tines, wherein the upper cap member of the cap comprises an actuator which is actuatable to axially move the inner rod to initiate a progressive modification of a shape of the application member from a non-deformed state to at least one deformed state; characterized in that the first portion of the applicator member has a first hardness and the second portion of the applicator member has a second hardness, the first hardness less than the second hardness.

Additionally or alternatively to the fifth illustrative and non-limiting example, when the application member is in the non-deformed state, the application member is generally straight. Additionally or alternatively to the fifth illustrative and non-limiting example, when the application member is in the at least one deformed state, the application member has a curved configuration. Additionally or alternatively to the fifth illustrative and non-limiting example, when the application member is in the curved configuration, the first portion of the application member has a concave shape. Additionally or alternatively to the fifth illustrative and non-limiting example, when the application member is in the curved configuration, the second portion of the application member has a convex shape. Additionally or alternatively to the fifth illustrative and non-limiting example, the application member is molded as a single piece from at least two different materials. Additionally or alternatively to the fifth illustrative and non-limiting example, the inner rod is configured to axially move the flexible connector to move the application member between the non-deformed state and the at least one deformed state.

A sixth illustrative and non-limiting example takes the form of an adjustable applicator for applying a product to a surface, the adjustable applicator comprising: a cap, the cap having a lower cap member and an upper cap member rotatably and axially movable relative to the lower cap member; a stem having an upper portion coupled to the lower portion of the cap, a distal end, and having a cavity therein; an inner rod slidably disposed within the cavity of the stem and having a proximal end coupled to the cap; a flexible connector having a proximal end coupled to the inner rod; and an application member having a first end coupled to the distal end of the stem, the application member having first portion including a first support member carrying a first plurality of tines and a second portion including a second support member carrying a second plurality of tines, wherein the upper cap member of the cap comprises an actuator which is actuatable to axially move the inner rod to initiate a progressive modification of a shape of the application member from a non-deformed state to at least one deformed state; characterized in that the first portion of the applicator member has a first hardness and the second portion of the applicator member has a second hardness, the first hardness less than the second hardness; and wherein when in the at least one deformed state, the first portion has a concave shape and the firs plurality of tines group together and the second portion has a convex shape and the second plurality of tines spread apart.

Additionally or alternatively to the sixth illustrative and non-limiting example, the application member is molded as a single piece from at least two materials by bi-injecti on-molding. Additionally or alternatively to the sixth illustrative and non-limiting example, the application member is molded as a single piece from at least two materials by multi-injection-molding. Additionally or alternatively to the sixth illustrative and non-limiting example, the first portion of the applicator member is formed from a first material and the second portion of the applicator is formed from a second material different from the first material.

While the foregoing is directed to embodiments of the present disclosure, other and further embodiments of the disclosure may be devised without departing from the basic scope thereof, and the scope thereof is determined by the claims that follow.