Device for applying liquid or creamy substances

Description

The present invention regards a device for applying a liquid or creamy substance such as suntan oil, suntan lotion, shoe polish, polishing agent or similar, comprising a porous layer, a rear impermeable layer and possibly a tear-off layer, which porous layer contains the substance to be applied.

Various substances such as suntan oil, suntan lotion, shoe polish, polishing agent and similar, which are applied to different types of surfaces, are normally supplied in bottles, tubes or spray cans. Use of these substances normally entails pouring them into the hand and rubbing them into the surface in question, or spraying them on. This will inevitably lead to the person using such substances becoming soiled to a certain degree. At the same time, the amount of substance applied will be more or less incidental, as it is difficult to apply an even amount, in particular when applying the substance by hand.

Thus the object of the present invention is to provide an application device that minimises the likelihood of the user getting soiled, while ensuring more even application of the substance than when using conventional methods.

These objects are achieved by an application device of the type mentioned by way of introduction, characterised in that the rear impermeable layer consists of a non-rigid material, that the porous layer is provided with holes or perforations, and that an edge of a material impermeable to the substance contained in the porous layer is optionally provided along the outer edges of the porous layer.

Preferably, the porous layer is manufactured from a foam rubber material or a non-woven material having sufficient porosity to absorb the substance to be applied.

The porous layer may optionally be manufactured from a bristle-like material.

Preferably, the impermeable layer is manufactured from a plastic material or a metal foil.

Preferably, the tear-off layer consists of a plastic material or a metal foil.

In the following, the invention will be explained in greater detail through examples of embodiments, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 shows a first embodiment of the application device in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 2 shows a section through the application device in accordance with FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 shows a detail of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 shows a second embodiment of the application device in accordance with the invention.

FIG. 5 shows a section through the application device in accordance with FIG. 3.

FIGS. 6 and 7 show variants of the application device in accordance with the invention.

FIGS. 1-3 show a first embodiment of the application device in accordance with the present invention. FIG. 2 shows a section through the application device shown in FIG. 1. The application device in accordance with the present invention consists of a generally plate shaped body consisting of a porous layer 2, an impermeable rear layer 1, and possibly an impermeable tear-off layer 3. It is intended that the application device in accordance with the invention contain a liquid or creamy substance such as suntan oil, suntan lotion, shoe polish, polishing agent or similar. This liquid or creamy substance is contained in the porous layer 3. This porous layer 2 may consist of e.g. a foam rubber material or a non-woven material, and the impermeable rear layer 1 may consist of e.g. a plastic material, cloth material, metal foil or similar. On the reverse side of the porous layer 2 is provided an impermeable layer 1 for preventing the liquid or creamy substance from escaping and soiling the user's hand. Correspondingly, a tear-off sheet 3 to be torn off before using the device is provided on the porous layer. This tear-off sheet 3 may optionally be replaced on the device after use. The tear-off sheet may consist of e.g. a plastic foil, metal foil or similar. The porous layer 2 may as shown in FIGS. 1-3 possibly have holes or perforations. The left halves of FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 show relatively small size perforations, while the right halves show relatively larger size perforations. Even though FIGS. 1 and 2 show differently sized holes, it is assumed that more or less the whole of the porous layer 2 will have holes or perforations of approximately the same size. Perforations are particularly advantageous if the substance to be applied is relatively viscous. The more viscous the substance, the larger the perforations should be. If the substance is liquid, it may be appropriate to omit the perforations, as the porous material will be able to absorb the substance to a sufficient degree, and release this is a satisfactory manner during use.

FIGS. 4 and 5 show another embodiment of the application device in accordance with the present invention, where the porous material of the first embodiment has been replaced with a layer of a bristle-like material. For simplicity, FIG. 4 shows only part of the surface of the application device provided with a bristle-like material, while in reality, more or less the whole of the porous layer 2 will be made up of bristle-like material.

In order to prevent the substance to be applied from escaping the application device, both embodiments are equipped with an edge (not shown) with an impermeable material along the outer edges of the generally plate shaped device

FIGS. 6 and 7 show variants of the application device in accordance with the invention. What separates these two variants is that the variant in FIG. 6 is intended to be folded up, and is furthermore equipped with a pocket on the back, into which the user may put his fingers in order to facilitate application. FIG. 7 shows a variant where the entire backside of the application device is equipped with a similar pocket to that on the variant in FIG. 6.