[0002] Shaving foams and self-foaming shaving gels are usually supplied in aerosol cans and most commonly they are spread onto the skin area to be shaved by means of the fingers or sometimes with a shaving brush onto which an appropriate quantity of the shaving foam or gel is delivered from the dispensing nozzle of the aerosol container. Use of the fingers tends to be rather messy and inconvenient, and for shaving foam and self-foaming gels a brush which is traditionally used to create a lather is not strictly needed. There is, therefore, a need for a more convenient method of applying shave preparations to the skin, and with this aim in mind the present invention proposes an applicator for applying a substance to the skin and spreading the substance thereon to coat an area of the skin, comprising an applicator head defining an application surface with at least one opening therein for delivery of a substance to the application surface, the application surface having a substantially flat main area with an arcuate leading edge, and a spreading lip disposed opposite the leading edge and extending upwardly and rearwardly with respect to the main area of the application surface, the spreading lip tapering to a free edge to form a spreading blade tip, the leading edge being smoothly rounded to define a gradual transition between the main area of the application surface and a peripheral surface extending around the head to the position of the spreading lip.
[0003] The applicator head can be conveniently mounted on a handle structure which can accommodate a reservoir containing the substance to be applied to the skin, and a control member can be provided on the handle structure to control delivery of the substance to the application surface of the head. More particularly the handle structure can have the form of a casing adapted to house a pressurized container in which the substance is Supplied and stored, the pressurized container having a dispensing valve which is operable by means of the control member so that the substance flows from the container to the application surface of the applicator head. In another particular form the handle structure may define a reservoir and be equipped with a pump actuated by a button, lever or other member provided on the handle structure for delivery of the reservoir contents to the squeeze-type container which allows the contents of the container to be delivered to the application surface by squeezing the container in the hand. With such applicators, a quantity of shaving preparation can be easily dispensed onto the application surface ready to be applied to and spread onto the skin. The applicator may be disposable, that is intended to be discarded when it has become emptied.
[0004] With the applicator of the invention the applicator head is not required to act as a temporary reservoir for the substance being applied, as a head of foam material would, and the applicator head can even be made of a hard material although some flexibility of at least the spreading blade tip is preferred. In a preferred construction the applicator head comprises a pad of resiliently compressible material, in particular an elastomeric material which is non-absorbent and has a substantially continuous surface structure at the application surface, that is the surface is free from voids in which the substance is intended to be held temporarily in the course of being applied to the skin.
[0005] The pad is preferably dimensioned and configured to ensure comfort in use. Thus, the spreading lip is arcuate as seen in a direction perpendicular to the main area of the application surface, and the front face of the spreading lip is concavely curved to define a smooth transition with the main area of the application surface. Relatively sharp corners on the pad are avoided and the leading edge is preferably rounded at a radius in the range of 3 to 12 mm. The spreading lip suitably projects above the plane of the main area of the application surface to a height in the range of 5 to 15 mm. The minimum transverse dimension of the application surface, which is preferably the lateral dimension, is approximately in the range of 3.5 to 5.5 cms. An applicator of such dimensions is especially suited for application of substances over relatively large skin areas and for that reason is especially suited to use in applying shaving preparations to skin areas commonly shaved by females.
[0006] The above and other preferred features of the invention will be more fully understood from the following detailed description of a currently preferred embodiment of the invention, reference being made to the accompanying drawings in which:
[0007]
[0008]
[0009]
[0010]
[0011]
[0012] The self-foaming shaving gel applicator illustrated in the drawings has a rigid casing structure
[0013] At the upper end of the handle the structure defines a substantially circular mountings face which is inclined downwardly and forwardly and at which an applicator head in the form of a pad
[0014] The described applicator is easy and comfortable to use. The control button/lever
[0015] It should be understood that the foregoing description of the preferred embodiment is given by way of not limiting example only and that modifications are possible without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the claims which follow. As one possible example of such a modification it may be mentioned that in place of the slot