US3177879A - Lipstick applicator - Google Patents

Description

April 13, 1965 R. E. SMITH 3,177,879

LIPSTICK APPLICATOR '2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 23, 1962 INVENTOR Rm HA RD E. S'M/ TH BYJM] ATTORNEY April 13, 1965 R. E. SMITH 3,177,379

I LIPSTICK APPLICATOR Filed Aug. 23, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 l- LENGTH OFHEAD INVENTOR. RICHARD 5. SM/ 71/ 71:515- BY g ls uldew ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,177,879 LHSTICK APPLICATOR Richard E. Smith, 209 Murray Ave., Lmchmont, N.Y. Filed Aug. 23, 1962, Ser. No. 219,046 3 Claims. (Cl. 132-885) The present invention relates generally to improvements in cosmetic devices and it relates particularly to an improved device for the application of rouge to the lips. The present patent application is a continuation-in-part of the copending patent application of Richard E. Smith, Serial No. 63,670 filed October 19, 1960 and entitled Lipstick Applicator, now abandoned.

Lip rouge, which is generally referred to as lipstick, is conventionally applied to the lips either directly from the lipstick, a relatively large cylinder of lip rouge, or from a lip rouge pencil, or by the use of a brush or the fingers. These procedures possess many drawbacks and disadvantages and leave much to be desired. When the rouge is applied directly from the lipstick, it generally produces a blurred unattractive outline. In contrast to the result obtained with the present invention, the application which is consequent upon the direct contact of the lips with lipstick is purely a factor of the artistry of the user. While some improvement in appearance may be achieved by the use of the fingers, this leads to the further difficulty of the rouge being transferred to the fingers from which it must be removed and which frequently finds its way to the clothing. By using a brush in applying the lipstick, a sharp outline may be achieved, but this procedure requires a steady hand and a high degree of skill not possessed by most people. Moreover, the use of a lipstick pencil does not overcome the difficulties accompanying the use of a brush. Although there have been proposed many ditferent types of lipstick applicators, these have not served to remedy the disadvantages of the conventional methods of applying lipstick and have not been accepted.

It is therefore, a principal object of the present invention to provide an improved cosmetic device.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved device for the application of lipstick or rouge to the lips.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide an improved lipstick applicator which facilitates the application to the lips of a rouge coating of sharply delineated outline and attractive appearance.

A further object of the present invention is to provide an improved lipstick applicator which may be employed with a minimum of skill and whose use is highly convenient.

Still a further object of the present invention is to provide a lipstick applicator of the above nature characterized by its ruggedness, simplicity and low cost.

The above and other objects of the present invention will become apparent from a reading of the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a front elevational view of an improved lipstick applicator embodying the present invention;

FIGURE 2 isan end elevational View thereof;

FIGURES 3 to 5 are front elevational views illustrating the use of the applicator in applying rouge to the upper p;

FIGURES 6 to 8 are front elevational views illustrating the use of the applicator in applying rouge to the lower p;

FIGURE 9 is a front elevational view of a typical pair of lips, the outline of which is subdivided into successive sections;

FIGURE 10 is a front elevational view of the applicator head, the peripheral edge of which is subdivided into sections corresponding to those in FIGURE 9;

FIGURE 11 is a bottom view of the lips of a subject indicating the line along which the width thereof is measured;

FIGURE 12 is a front view of the lips of a subject indicating the line along which the height thereof is measured; and

FIGURE 13 is an enlarged fragmentary front elevational view of the applicator device indicating the axes delineating the head thereof and along which the dimensions thereof are measured.

In a sense the present invention contemplates the provision of an improved cosmetic device for the application of rouge to the lips, comprising a head member having upper and lower peripheral edges of contours corresponding respectively to the longitudinally contracted upper and lower outlines of sections of said lips.

According to a preferred form of the present invention, the head member extends laterally and is provided with a depending integrally formed handle. member. The head member is substantially flat, terminating in a pointed tip and having front and rear convex faces with borders tapering to relatively sharp upper and lower edges which correspond to the upper and lower contracted outlines of a symmetrical half of the lips. The length of the head is less than the width of the lips and the height thereof is about that of one of the lips and less than that of both lips.

Referring now to the drawing which illustrates a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the reference numeral 10 generally designates the improved cosmetic applicator which includes a vertical handle member 11 and a laterally extending substantially horizontal integrally formed head member 12. The applicator 10 may be formed of any suitable substantially stiff material such as wood, metal or a synthetic organic thermoplastic resin, for example, polyethylene, polystyrene, polypropylene or the like.

The applicator 10 is employed in the application of lipstick to a pair of lips 13 including an upper lip 14 and a lower lip 16 which are of generally average size and shape. The pair of lips 13 are substantially symmetrical to a vertical axis to define similar opposite halves. As

seen in FIG. 9 of the drawing, the outline of a symmet rical half of the upper lip 14 may be typically subdivided into three successive sections, a, b, and c, the section a being of considerably smaller radius of curvature than the sections b and 0. Similarly, the outline of a symmetrical half of the lower lip 16 may be typically subdivided into three successive sections d, e, and f of varying radii of curvature.

The applicator handle member 11 includes a relatively heavy lower section 17 and an upper section 18 provided with tapering front and rear walls and side edges and terminating in a curved relatively thin elbow section 19 which extends to the head 12.

The applicator head member 12 is of approximately ovoid configuration of greater length than height and has a trailing section joining the elbow section 19 and a pointed or sharply rounded free tip end 20. The front and rear faces of the head member 12 are slightly outwardly convex and their upper and lower borders converge to sharp upper and lower edges 21 and 22 respectively. The faces of the head member 12 may be roughened or otherwise be of a nature which permits the application of lipstick thereto and the transfer of such lipstick to the lips.

The contour or configuration of the head upper edge 21 corresponds to a longitudinal contraction of the upper edge of a symmetrical half of the upper lip 14. Specifically, the head upper edge is subdivided into inner intermediate and outer sections A, B and C respectively, corresponding to upper lip outline section a, b and c respectively. It is important to note that the adjacent portions of the head outline sections A and B overlap each other for a fraction thereof as do the adjacent portions of sections B and C whereby there is effected a contraction or foreshortening of the lip curve a, b, 0. Similarly, the contour of the head lower edge 22 corresponds to a longitudinal contraction of the lower edge of a symmetrical half of the lower lip 16 and, as seen in the drawings, is shallow relative to the head upper edge 21. Specifically, the head lower edge is subdivided into inner, intermediate and outer sections'D, E and F respectively, corresponding to lower lip outline sections d, e and f. The adjacent portions of the head outline sections D and E overlap each other for a fraction thereof as do the adjacent portions of sections E and F whereby there is eifected a foreshortening of the lip curve d, e, f. It should be pointed out that the longitudinal foreshortening or contractions of the lip curves may be efiected in manners other than specifically set forth, provided that large sections of the head edge match corresponding sections of the lip outline and permit the sliding of the head member 12 within the area of the lips.

The length of the head 12 is less than and preferably about two-thirds that of one-half the width of the lips and the height thereof less than the aggregate height of the lips, and may be greater than the height of a single lip. While a lipstick applicator of the subject type having predetermined fixed dimension may be applied to a large percentage of the average lips, the applicatorsmay be provided in various sizes and shapes to match lips of correspondingly different configuration provided that the parameters above set forth are met. 7

As seen in FIGURE 11 of the drawings, the width w of the subjects lips is measured along the curved line or longitudinal axis m at the medial surface of the lip between opposite corners of the mouth. Further as seen in FIGURE 12, the height h of the subjects lips is measured transversely along the surface of the lips on a transverse axis perpendicular to the longitudinal axis m and intersecting a crest p of the upper lips which delineates the greatest height of the lips.

Referring now to FIGURE 13, the dimensions of the head 12 of the present applicator are measured along a transverse axis N intersecting the apex or crest P of the applicator upper edge 21 and along a longitudinal axis M perpendicular to the transverse axis N and intersecting the applicator tip 20. It should be noted that the transverse axis N is at the widest part of the applicator head 12 and that the inner end of the applicator head 12 is delineated by an end transverse line K substantially parallel to the transverse axis N and spaced therefrom a distance advantageously between 0.2 and 0.3 inch, the larger distances being employed when the height H exceeds 0.3 inch and the smaller distance when the height H is less than 0.3 inch.

The width W of the applicator head 12 is between 25% and 40% of the width w of the subjects lips and the height H of the applicator head 12 is between 40% and 60% of the height h of the subjects lips. Lip widths w vary between about 1.75 and 2.75 inches and lip heights vary between. about 0.5 and 1.0 inch. The following table sets forth the range of dimensions of applicator heads 12 as employed with lips of correspondingly indicated dimensions, all figures being given in inches. The

designations H, 11, W and w are as previously specified.

Extra Small Medium Large Extra Small Large 1. 75 2. 0 2. 2. 5 2. 75 W maximum .7 0. s 0. 9 1. 0 1.1 W minimum 0. 43 0. 5 0. 56 0. 62 0. 68 h .5 0.63 0. 75 0.88 1.0 H maximum. 0. 3 0.38 0. 45 0. 53 0. 6 Hminimum 0 2 0.25 0.3 0. 0.4

It should be noted that when the heights and widths of a subjects lips or the applicator head are referred to in the claims, these are defined in the manner above set forth. Moreover, while the applicator head member 12 is illustrated as gradually merging with the handle 11, the connection between the head 12 and the handle 11 may be more abrupt. Furthermore, the head 12 and the handle 11 may be formed of different materials, and may, if desired, be separably connected.

In employing the improved cosmetic applicator described above, lip rouge is generously daubed on the full front and rear faces of the applicator head 12 and is smoothed down with the lipstick to a uniform layer to assure the absence of any lumps. The applicator head is then applied in superimposed coinciding relationship with the inner area of the upper lip, the head tip 20 being inwardly spaced from the corner of the lip and the head upper edge lying along the desired lip outline as indicated in FIG. 3 of the drawing. The applicator head is then briskly and firmly slid downwardly in the direction of the arrow shown in FIG. 3. The applicator is then removed from the lips and reapplied somewhat laterally from the position shown in FIG. 3, namely the posit-ion shown in FIG. 4, and then displaced again downwardly, but this time in the direction of the arrow shown in FIG. 4, substantially tangentially to the curve of the lip at the base of the arrow. The third and final step is as illustrated in FIG. 5 wherein the applicator is still further laterally applied to the lip, it being necessary that the lips be parted at this point, the free tip end 20 of the applicator being applied to the lateral extremity of the lip. The application of the lip rouge is completed by again downwardly displacing the applicator in thedirection of the arrow shown in FIG. 5. The operation may be repeated as desired until sufficient lip rouge has been applied and the desired outline effected. The same procedure is followed on the other half of the upper lip, employing the opposite face of the applicator head.

Lipstick may be applied to the lower lip quarters in the mannerdescribed above and as illustrated in FIGS. 6 to 8 of the drawing, by starting at the inner lip section and working upwardly. Thus, as shown in FIG. 6, the applicator is applied to the center portion of the bottom lip and displaced upwardly in the direction of the arrow shown in FIG. 6. The next step would then be to apply the applicator laterally over the first portion in the direction shown by the arrow in FIG. 7, and the third and final step would be to apply the applicator to the most lateral displaced portion of the lip as shown in FIG. 8 along the direction of the arrow shown in FIG. 8. The above procedure may be modified and widely varied as desired. It is apparent from the above that by employing the subject cosmetic device, rouge may be easily and rapidly applied to the lips within any desired sharply defined outline with a minimum of skill or practice and in the absence of any blurring.

While there has been described and illustrated a pre ferred embodiment of the present invention, it is obvious that numerous alterations, omissions and additions may be made without departing from the spirit thereof.

What is claimed is:

1. A cosmetic device for the application of rouge to lips of a predetermined length and height comprising a handle member and a substantially fiat head member of lesser height than length mounted on said handle member and projecting laterally therefrom and including a lower convex edge and an upper relatively deep convex edge, said upper and lower edges converging inopposite directions to an outer tip and an inner end, said head having a width between 0.43 and 1.1 inches and a height between 0.2 and 0.6 inch.

2. The cosmetic device of claim 1 wherein said head has outwardly convex front and rear faces.

3. The cosmetic device of claim 1 wherein said upper 6 and lower edges are sharp and said head has front and 2,218,862 10/40 Vreenburgh 15209 rear faces with borders tapering to said upper and lower 2,554,965 5/51 Steven et a1. 132--88.7 edges. 2,901,100 8/59 Mueller et al 132-88] References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 5 RICHARD A. GAUDET, Primary Examiner. 1,431,881 10/22 Ericson-Smith 15-209 X LAVERNE D. GEIGER, Examiner. 2,199,720 5/40 Catelin 13288.7

Claims (1)

1. A COSMETIC DEVICE FOR THE APPLICATION OF ROUGE TO LIPS OF A PREDETERMINED LENGTH AND HEIGHT COMPRISING A HANDLE MEMBER AND A SUBSTANTIALLY FLAT HEAD MEMBER OF LESSER HEIGHT THAN LENGTH MOUNTED ON SAID HANDLE MEMBER AND PROJECTING LATERALLY THEREFROM AND INCLUDING A LOWER CONVEX EDGE AND AN UPPER RELATIVELY DEEP CONVEX EDGE, SAID UPPER AND LOWER EDGES CONVERGING IN OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS TO AN OUTER TIP AND AN INNER END, SAID HEAD HAVING A WIDTH BETWEEN 0.43 AND 1.1 INCHES AND A HEIGHT BETWEEN 0.2 AND 0.6 INCH.

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