BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

[0018] The present invention is explained in detail below with reference to the drawings. In each drawing, the same symbol indicates an identical or equivalent component.

[0019] FIGS. 1A, 1B and 1C are a perspective view, a top view and a cross-section of cosmetic puff 1A of one embodiment of the present invention, respectively, and FIG. 2 is an explanatory drawing of its method of use.

[0020] This cosmetic puff 1A has a flat top surface 2, a flat bottom surface 3 and a flat slant surface 6, with an edge 7 of bottom surface 3 and slant surface 6 rounded. The thickness of the cosmetic puff 1A increases gradually along slant surface 6 from the peripheral portion of bottom surface 3 towards the center portion of the puff, and slant surface 6 is formed flat, without any partially projecting areas.

[0021] In the present invention, the absence of unevenness in the slant surface 6 of the cosmetic puff 1A does not necessary mean that the slant surface is formed precisely flat, but only means that there are no partial convex portions or partial concave portions on the slant surface 6. Consequently, a shape formed with an overall curve as in slant surface 6 of cosmetic puff 1A is included in the category of slant surfaces without unevenness.

[0022] If a convex or concave portion is formed on part of a surface forming the cosmetic puff, cosmetics will accumulate unnecessarily in the concave portion or on the edge of the convex part; this can be prevented by forming the surfaces flat.

[0023] This cosmetic puff 1A is thick enough and slant surface 6 is wide enough that slant surface 6 can be used as an applicator surface for cosmetics. Consequently, when using this cosmetic puff 1A to apply cosmetics, 5 cosmetic puff 1A is grasped by placing a user'S thumb against top surface 2 of cosmetic puff 1A and the index and middle fingers against bottom surface 3 as shown in FIG. 2, so that cosmetics can be applied using slant surface 6 as the applicator surface. In this way the cosmetic applicator surface is inevitably distinguished from the surfaces in contact with the user's fingers, preventing cosmetics adhering to cosmetic puff 1A from soiling the user's fingers when the cosmetic puff 1A is used repeatedly. It is also unnecessary to bend cosmetic puff 1A as when wrapping it around a user'S finger, making it easier to hold cosmetic puff 1A when applying cosmetics. Furthermore, the center portion of slant surface 6 is suitable for applying cosmetics to wide, flat areas such as the forehead, while the area near edge 7 of slant surface 6 is suitable for applying cosmetics to small areas that are much uneven, such as around the nostrils and eyes, so the same cosmetic puff can be used on various surfaces.

[0024] Considering the ease of handling cosmetic puff 1A when using slant surface 6 to apply cosmetics, as well as the feel of the cosmetic puff 1A in a user's hand and ease of applying cosmetics, the maximum thickness L of cosmetic puff 1A should be preferably about 10-40 mm, and from the standpoint of ease of handling and improved portability it should be more preferably about 10-25 mm, with 12-16 mm being most desirable.

[0025] Angle θ of slant surface 6 to bottom surface 3 should be prefereably 30° to 60°, with 45° being especially desirable from the standpoint of expanding the applicator surface and strengthening the toughness of the cosmetic puff itself.

[0026] From the standpoint of ease of handling, the size of bottom surface 3 should be preferably between 25 mm×25 mm and 80 mm×80 mm, with between 35 mm×35 mm and 60 mm×60 mm being more preferebly from the standpoint of ease of use and portability.

[0027] The cosmetic puff of the present invention can take a variety of forms, as long as it includes a slant surface without unevenness that is used to apply cosmetics. For example, cosmetic puff 1A in FIGS. 1A, 1B and 1C has a truncated cone shape with a substantially trapezoidal section, but the shape could also be a truncated pyramid with a substantially trapezoidal section as shown in cosmetic puff 1B in FIGS. 3A and 3B.

[0028] Furthermore, slant surface 6 of cosmetic puff 1A in FIGS. 1A, 1B and 1C is shown as a straight line in cross-section on a plane perpendicular to bottom surface 3, but slant surface 6 could also be formed as a curve in cross section as shown in cosmetic puff 1C in FIGS. 4A and 4B. In this case, the radius of curvature of slant surface 6 along top surface 2 may be larger than the radius of curvature R of edge 7.

[0029] As shown in FIGS. 5A to 5B, it is also possible to vary the relative proportions of top surface 2 and bottom surface 3, or to alter the curvature of the edge between bottom surface 3 and slant surface 6. A semispherical shape without any flat top surface is also possible, as shown in FIG. 5C. With this semispherical cosmetic puff, the slant surface which is the applicator surface when applying cosmetics is not distinguishable as a surface forming the cosmetic puff from the area near the peak of the semicircle which is grasped by user's fingers, but the two areas can be clearly distinguished as areas, and soiling of the user's fingers can be prevented. In this case, reducing the radius of curvature R of the area near the peak to about 2 mm results in something similar to the cone shape of the conventional cosmetic puff 1Z in FIG. 9, but at this size it is difficult to differentiate the slant surface which is the cosmetic applicator surface from the area near the peak which is grasped with the user's fingers, which detracts from ease of handling. Therefore, radius of curvature R of the area near the peak should be preferably larger than the R of a circular arc having the width of the cosmetic puff as its radius, and should be more preferably at least 10 mm.

[0030] The cosmetic puff of the present invention need not have a cross-section with bilateral symmetry, so multiple slant surfaces 6a and 6b with different angles may be formed as shown in FIG. 5D. Also, the slant surface which is the cosmetic applicator surface need not be formed on all sides of the cosmetic puff, so side 8 can be formed perpendicular to bottom surface 3 as in FIG. 5E.

[0031] In addition, the cosmetic puff of the present invention is not limited to a truncated cone or truncated pyramid shape or to a cone or semicircle, but can also be made with slant surfaces 6 parallel to each other in cross-section as shown in FIGS. 5F and 5G.

[0032] It is also possible for bottom surface 3 to be a concave surface as shown in FIGS. 5H and 5I, or a convex surface as shown in FIG. 5J.

[0033] A sponge or foam, etc. made of polyurethane rubber, silicone rubber, nitryl butadiene rubber or other resin may be used as the material forming the cosmetic puff of the present invention. Such sponges and foams, etc. may be the same foam materials as those used in known cosmetic puffs. By contrast, formation by wrapping cotton or other fibers is most often not desirable because cosmetics such as the powder, cream and foundation may not be taken up as well by the cosmetic puff, and may be more difficult to apply.

[0034] The method of manufacturing the cosmetic puff of the present invention may be the same as for a conventional cosmetic puff. In this case, the cosmetic puff of the present invention is easy to manufacture because it does not require special convex or concave parts on the top, bottom or slant surface.

[0035] There are no particular limitations on how the cosmetic puff of the present invention is contained, but as shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B, cosmetic puff 1A can be contained as shown in FIG. 6B by placing it on inner lid 23 of foundation container 25, which includes container 21 packed with foundation 20, inner lid 23 connected to container 21 with hinge 22, and outer lid 24 which screws into container 21, thus pressing the peripheral condition of inner lid 23 against container 21 so that the container 21 is sealed.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY

[0036] With the cosmetic puff of the present invention, the ease of use of the cosmetic puff is improved, cosmetics can be easily applied both to large, flat areas such as the forehead and small, uneven areas such as around the nostrils and eyes, and soiling of the user's fingers holding the cosmetic puff can be prevented.