Cleaning tool for personal care applicator

#The present invention pertains to tools for cleaning applicators that heat a product. Specifically, the invention is a reusable or disposable tool that cleans a cosmetic or personal care heating applicator between uses.

#Cosmetic and personal care applicators that heat a product have recently begun to appear on the market. Examples of products with a heating applicator include heated mascaras, heated lip glosses, heated acne pens, and other heated treatment products. One of the difficulties in bringing such products to market is that the heat may cause dry out and hardening of the product. The product may dry out in the reservoir or on the applicator head. By “applicator head” we mean that portion or surface of the applicator that is designed to deliver product onto a target surface, such as the skin or hair. When dried-out product accumulates on the applicator head, it may interfere with the performance of the applicator and/or it may contaminate product in the reservoir. While various types of products may dry out after one or more exposures to the elevated temperatures, mascara seems to be particularly susceptible. Mascara is a sticky, viscous product. Once a mascara applicator head (typically a bristle brush) has been dipped into a product reservoir, there is always product residue that remains on the applicator head. After one or more uses of a heated mascara applicator, the product residue dries out to form a hardened mass, that may subsequently flake off of the brush, perhaps onto the eyelashes, the skin or clothing, or in the reservoir. Keeping a mascara brush clean has always been a prime concern of mascara product manufacturers and users. With non-heating applicators, the combination of the container wiper and the user wiping the brush with a tissue may be a suitable solution. But with the appearance of heating applicators, this is no longer the case. What is needed is a simple, inexpensive, repeatable method of cleaning a heating applicator, especially a mascara applicator or applicator for a product that is subject to dry out, like mascara.

#One main object of the invention is to provide an effective and inexpensive, non-chemical way of cleaning dried out product from off of a heating cosmetic or personal care applicator.

#FIG. 1A depicts a cleaning tool that may itself be cleaned and reused.

#FIG. 1B is an elevation view of the tool of FIG. 1A.

#FIG. 1C is a cross section through line B-B of FIG. 1A.

#Assorted types of personal care applicators are comprise an applicator head that is used to deliver product to a target surface. A cleaning tool according to the present invention may be useful to clean various types of applicator heads, but is particularly useful for cleaning heated mascara applicators. The tool may also be used to clean a non-heating applicator head, however, without loss of generality, we describe the invention in relation to heating applicator heads.

#Throughout this specification, the terms “comprise,” “comprises,” “comprising” and the like shall consistently mean that a collection of objects is not limited to those objects specifically recited. By “applicator head” we mean that portion of a cosmetics or personal care applicator that is specifically designed to deliver product to a target surface and/or specifically designed to distribute product over a target surface. For example, in a mascara brush, the bristles collectively form the applicator head.

#Reusable Cleaning Tools