BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
[0001] The present invention relates to a cosmetic pen and, more particularly, to a cosmetic
pen with an applicator which can let the cosmetic liquid stored inside the cosmetic
pen to flow out smoothly and to be smeared evenly.
2. Description of the Related Art
[0002] FIG. 1 shows a conventional cosmetic pen 10 including a pen tube 12, a liquid storage
core 14 received in the pen tube 12, an applicator 16 disposed inside the pen tube
12 and engaged to a front end of the liquid storage core 14, a front cylinder 18 connected
to a front end of the pen tube 12, and a cover 20 mounted on a rear end of pen tube
12. The liquid storage core 14 contains cosmetic liquid such as cosmetic water, essential
oil, lip gloss, etc. The applicator 16 includes a brush 22 made of fibers and two
plastic layers 24 and 26 enclosing the brush 22. The brush 22 includes a tip 28 on
a front end thereof. A rear end of the applicator 16 is in contact with the liquid
storage core 14 so that the cosmetic liquid stored inside the liquid storage core
14 can be delivered to the tip 28 of the brush 22 by means of capillarity. As a result,
the usage for smearing can be achieved. However, the manufacture of the applicator
16 of the conventional cosmetic pen 10 is inconvenient and costly. More specifically,
cosmetic liquid contains powder in particle form which is the cause for clogging during
the delivery and flowage of the cosmetic liquid through the brush 22. Consequently,
for the cosmetic liquid to flow out smoothly from the applicator 16, the brush 22
of the applicator 16 needs to be enclosed with the plastic layers 24 and 26 which
are two respective manufacturing procedures. Furthermore, the two plastic layers 24
and 26 need to be processed with cutting to form air slots, and the front end of the
brush 22 needs processing to form the tip 28. The processing procedures are troublesome.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0003] Thus, it is an objective of the present invention to overcome the aforementioned
shortcoming and deficiency of the prior art by providing a cosmetic pen with an applicator
specially designed for the smooth flow out of cosmetic liquid while allowing easy
assembly and manufacturing of the applicator of the cosmetic pen.
[0004] To achieve the foregoing objective, a cosmetic pen of the present invention includes
a pen tube, a liquid storage core received in the pen tube, and an applicator. The
pen tube includes front and rear portion spaced in an axial direction. A front cylinder
is mounted to the front portion of the pen tube and includes a through-hole and a
ventilation slot in communication with the through-hole. The liquid storage core is
received inside the pen tube and contains cosmetic liquid. The applicator is received
in the front portion of the pen tube and extends through the through-hole of the front
cylinder. The applicator includes a brush and a sleeve. The brush includes front and
rear ends spaced in the axial direction. The sleeve includes upper and lower ends
spaced in the axial direction and a receiving hole extending from the upper end through
the lower end of the sleeve and receiving the brush. The front end of the brush projects
out of the lower end of the sleeve, and the upper end of the sleeve is engaged in
the liquid storage core. The sleeve further includes an air slot in communication
with the receiving hole of the sleeve. The air slot includes front and rear sections
spaced in the axial direction. The rear section of the air slot of the sleeve is disposed
inside the liquid storage core, and the front section of the air slot of the sleeve
is located outside the liquid storage core and in communication with the ventilation
slot of the front cylinder.
[0005] In a preferred form, the brush is made of a bundle of fibers, and the sleeve is made
of metal. A diameter of the rear end of the brush is larger than a diameter of the
receiving hole of the sleeve so that the rear end of the brush is positioned on the
upper end of the sleeve. A cover portion extends upward from the upper end of the
sleeve and is bent downward to cover the rear end of the brush.
[0006] Preferably, the air slot extends in the axial direction and has an axial length of
15%-35% of an overall length of the sleeve in the axial direction.
[0007] Preferably, the rear end of the brush is connected together and has an enlarged diameter,
and the front end of the brush is formed in a tip shape.
[0008] The present invention will become clearer in light of the following detailed description
of an illustrative embodiment of this invention described in connection with the drawings.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0009] The illustrative embodiment may best be described by reference to the accompanying
drawings where:
FIG. 1 shows a cross-sectional view of a conventional cosmetic pen;
FIG. 2 shows an exploded, perspective view of a cosmetic pen according to the preferred
teachings of the present invention.
FIG. 3 shows a side plan view of the cosmetic pen of FIG. 2.
FIG. 4 shows a cross-sectional view of the cosmetic pen of FIG. 3 and an enlarged
view of a circled portion of the cosmetic pen of FIG. 4; and
FIG. 5 shows three schematic views illustrating the assembly of an applicator of the
cosmetic pen of FIG. 2.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0010] A cosmetic pen according to the preferred teachings of the present invention is shown
in FIGS. 2 through 4 of the drawings and generally designated 30. The cosmetic pen
30 includes a pen tube 34, a liquid storage core 36 received inside the pen tube 34,
a front cylinder 40 connected to a front portion 38 of the pen tube 34, a cover 44
mounted on a rear portion 42 of the pen tube 34, and an applicator 32. The pen tube
34 is in the form of a hollow tube body. The liquid storage core 36 contains cosmetic
liquid such as cosmetic water, essential oil, lip gloss, etc. The front cylinder 40
includes a through-hole 46 extending in an axial direction of the pen tube 34 and
a ventilation slot 48 in communication with the through-hole 46. The applicator 32
is received in the front portion 38 of the pen tube 34 and extends through the through-hole
46 of the front cylinder 40.
[0011] The present invention relates more particularly to the structure of the applicator
32. The applicator 32 includes a brush 50 made of a bundle of fibers, and a sleeve
52 made of metal. The fibers for the brush 50 can be of such as cotton, linen, silk,
etc., and long and fine woolen fibers would be preferable. The brush 50 includes front
and rear ends 56 and 54 spaced in the axial direction. The rear end 54 of the brush
50 is connected together and has an enlarged diameter, while the front end 56 of the
brush 50 is formed in a tip shape. The sleeve 52 includes upper and lower ends 58
and 60 spaced in the axial direction and a receiving hole 62 extending from the upper
end 58 through the lower end 60 of the sleeve 52. The sleeve 52 further includes an
air slot 64 in communication with the receiving hole 62 and extending in the axial
direction. The air slot 64 includes front and rear sections 68 and 70 spaced in the
axial direction (FIG.4).
[0012] Referring to FIGS. 5(a) and 5(b), the brush 50 is inserted inside the receiving hole
62 from the upper end 58 of the sleeve 52. The diameter of the rear end 54 of the
brush 50 is a bit larger than a hole diameter of the receiving hole 62 such that the
rear end 54 is positioned on the upper end 58 of the sleeve 52 after the brush 50
is inserted in the sleeve 52. Further, a circle shaped cover portion 66 extends upward
from the upper end 58 of the sleeve 52 and is bent downward to cover the rear end
54 of the brush 50 after brush 50 is received in the receiving hole 62 of the sleeve
52, as shown in FIG. 5(c). Consequently, the brush 50 is positioned in place and can
not be moved upward relative to the brush 50. Furthermore, the cover portion 66 in
FIG. 5(a) provides a guide for the brush 50 to abut against so that the brush 50 can
be smoothly inserted into the receiving hole 62 of the sleeve 52. Moreover, the sleeve
52 can be pressed inward to clamp the brush 50 more tightly after the brush 50 is
received in the sleeve 52.
[0013] Referring to FIG.4, the upper end 58 of the sleeve 52 of the applicator 32 is engaged
in the front end of the liquid storage core 36 with the rear section 70 of the air
slot 64 of the sleeve 52 disposed inside the liquid storage core 36 and with the front
section 68 of the air slot 64 of the sleeve 52 located outside the liquid storage
core 36. As the rear section 70 of the air slot 64 is disposed inside the liquid storage
core 36, the cosmetic liquid stored inside the liquid storage core 36 can be penetrated
through the air slot 64 into the brush 50 and can be further delivered to the front
end 56 of the brush 50 by means of capillarity for smearing. On the other hand, the
front section 68 of the air slot 64 is located outside the liquid storage core 36
and is in communication with the ventilation slot 48 of the front cylinder 40 for
introducing air, allowing the cosmetic liquid soaked in the brush 50 to flow out smoothly
and to be smeared evenly.
[0014] Preferably, the air slot 64 extends in the axial direction and has an axial length
of 15%-35% of an overall length of the sleeve 52 in the axial direction. It may not
be smooth for the cosmetic liquid to flow out from the applicator 32 if the axial
length ratio of the air slot 64 to the sleeve 52 is less than 15%. The amount of cosmetic
liquid soaked in the brush 50 may be too much if the axial length ratio of the air
slot 64 to the sleeve 52 is more than 35%.
[0015] The cosmetic pen 30 of present invention includes a specially designed applicator
32 so that the cosmetic liquid soaked in the brush 50 can be delivered and flowed
smoothly without clogging. Moreover, the assembly of the brush 50 and the sleeve 52
of the applicator 32 is convenient; therefore, the cosmetic pen 30 is easy to manufacture,
and the cost for manufacturing, assembling, and labor are cut. Further, the powder
of the cosmetic liquid does not adhere on the metal sleeve 52, thus, the nature of
the cosmetic liquid flowed out from the applicator 32 will not become thin or be diluted
after a certain period of usage of the cosmetic pen 30.
[0016] Thus since the invention disclosed herein may be embodied in other specific forms
without departing from the spirit or general characteristics thereof, some of which
forms have been indicated, the embodiments described herein are to be considered in
all respects illustrative and not restrictive. The scope of the invention is to be
indicated by the appended claims, rather than by the foregoing description, and all
changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are intended
to be embraced therein.
1. A cosmetic pen comprising:
a pen tube including front and rear portions spaced in an axial direction;
a liquid storage core received inside the pen tube and containing cosmetic liquid;
a front cylinder mounted to the front portion of the pen tube and including a through-hole
and a ventilation slot in communication with the through-hole; and
an applicator received in the front portion of the pen tube and extending through
the through-hole of the front cylinder, with the applicator including a brush and
a sleeve, with the brush including front and rear ends spaced in the axial direction,
with the sleeve including upper and lower ends spaced in the axial direction and a
receiving hole extending from the upper end through the lower end of the sleeve and
receiving the brush, with the front end of the brush projecting out of the lower end
of the sleeve, with the upper end of the sleeve engaged in the liquid storage core,
with the sleeve further including an air slot in communication with the receiving
hole of the sleeve, with the air slot including front and rear sections spaced in
the axial direction, with the rear section of the air slot of the sleeve disposed
in the liquid storage core, and with the front section of the air slot of the sleeve
located outside the liquid storage core and being in communication with the ventilation
slot of the front cylinder.
2. The cosmetic pen according to claim 1, with the brush made of a bundle of fibers,
with a diameter of the rear end of the brush being larger than a diameter of the receiving
hole of the sleeve so that the rear end of the brush is positioned on the upper end
of the sleeve, with the sleeve made of metal, and with a cover portion extending upward
from the upper end of the sleeve and being bent downward to cover the rear end of
the brush.
3. The cosmetic pen according to claim 2, with the air slot of the sleeve extending in
the axial direction and having an axial length of 15%-35% of an overall length of
the sleeve in the axial direction.
4. The cosmetic pen according to claim 2, with the rear end of the brush being connected
together and having an enlarged diameter, and with the front end of the brush being
formed in a tip shape.