Molded mascara brush with oval core

Abstract

A molded brush assembly has a core with an oval cross-section and a plurality of radially outwardly fingers extending from sides of the oval core along the major axis of the core, fingers aligned with or near to the minor axis. The alignment of the fingers with or near to the near to the minor axis allows an increase in the effective surface area of the brush without increasing its overall peripheral circumference. The oval core creates a brush assembly that is relatively stiffer along the major axis, leaving the brush flexible only along the minor axis. The use of fingers of varying length provides a generally circular profile which is convenient for use with conventional bottles. The fingers of different lengths permits the different length fingers to be adapted to different lashes.

1 . A molded brush assembly comprising:
 a core of oval cross-section having a major axis and a minor axis;   a plurality of radially outwardly fingers extending from two sides of said oval core along the major axis of said core, said fingers each having a distal end, and fingers located in a central part of said major axis of said core having a length, and fingers located in upper and lower parts of said major axis of said core have an incrementally shorter length than the length of the fingers located in a central part of said major axis of said core such that the distal ends of said fingers define a brush perimeter of generally circular cross-section, said fingers being at an angle of no more than 45 degrees relative to the minor axis;   a core distal end with fingers having an incrementally shorter length than the length of the fingers located in a central part of said major axis of said core;   a core proximal end with fingers having an incrementally shorter length than the length of the fingers located in a central part of said major axis of said core;   said fingers being generally conical with rounded tips.   
   
   
       2 . The molded brush assembly of  claim 1 , wherein said molded brush assembly is integrally molded as a single unit. 
   
   
       3 . The molded brush assembly of  claim 1 , wherein said molded brush assembly comprises a central rod unit and a sleeve located on said central rod unit, said sleeve having said fingers associated therewith. 
   
   
       4 . The molded brush assembly of  claim 3 , wherein said core comprises said central rod unit and said sleeve has a body, and said central rod unit and said sleeve body have oval cross-sections. 
   
   
       5 . The molded brush assembly of  claim 3 , wherein said central rod unit has a circular cross-section, and said sleeve has a body having an oval cross-section. 
   
   
       6 . The molded brush assembly of  claim 1 , said fingers being at an angle of no more than 30 degrees relative to the minor axis. 
   
   
       7 . The molded brush assembly of  claim 7 , said fingers being generally aligned with or near to alignment with the minor axis, and extend at an angle of no more than 15 degrees relative to the minor axis. 
   
   
       8 . The molded brush assembly of  claim 1 , said two sides of said oval core being provided with different layouts of the molded fingers to provide different functions. 
   
   
       9 . A molded brush assembly comprising:
 a core of oval cross-section having a major axis and a minor axis and two sides;   a plurality of radially outwardly fingers extending from at least one side of said oval core along said major axis.   
   
   
       10 . The molded brush assembly of  claim 9 , wherein said molded brush assembly is integrally molded as a single unit. 
   
   
       11 . The molded brush assembly of  claim 9 , wherein said molded brush assembly comprises a central rod unit and a sleeve located on said central rod unit, said sleeve having said fingers associated therewith. 
   
   
       12 . The molded brush assembly of  claim 11 , wherein said core comprises said central rod unit and said sleeve has a body, and said central rod unit and said sleeve body have oval cross-sections. 
   
   
       13 . The molded brush assembly of  claim 11 , wherein said central rod unit has a circular cross-section, and said sleeve has a body having an oval cross-section. 
   
   
       14 . The molded brush assembly of  claim 9 , said fingers each having a distal end, said fingers being positioned and having a length such that said distal ends of said fingers define a brush perimeter of at least a partial circular cross-section. 
   
   
       15 . The molded brush assembly of  claim 14 , wherein fingers located in a central part of said major axis of said core have a length, and fingers located in upper and lower parts of said major axis of said oval core have an incrementally shorter length than the length of the fingers located in a central part of said major axis of said core, such that the tips of said fingers define said brush perimeter of at least partial circular cross-section. 
   
   
       16 . The molded brush assembly of  claim 15 , wherein said molded brush assembly has a distal end with fingers having an incrementally shorter length than the length of the fingers located in a central part of said major axis of said core. 
   
   
       17 . The molded brush assembly of  claim 15 , wherein said molded brush assembly has a proximal end with fingers having an incrementally shorter length than the length of the fingers located in a central part of said major axis of said core. 
   
   
       18 . The molded brush assembly of  claim 9 , wherein said fingers are generally conical with rounded tips. 
   
   
       19 . The molded brush assembly of  claim 9 , said fingers being at an angle of no more than 45 degrees relative to the minor axis. 
   
   
       20 . The molded brush assembly of  claim 9 , said fingers being at an angle of no more than 30 degrees relative to the minor axis. 
   
   
       21 . The molded brush assembly of  claim 20 , said fingers being generally aligned with or near to alignment with the minor axis, and extend at an angle of no more than 15 degrees relative to the minor axis. 
   
   
       22 . The molded brush assembly of  claim 9 , said fingers extending generally perpendicularly to a surface of said one side of said oval core. 
   
   
       23 . The molded brush assembly of  claim 9 , said two sides of said oval core being provided with different layouts of the molded fingers to provide different functions. 
   
   
       24 . The molded brush assembly of  claim 23 , where one of said two sides of said oval core is provided with a plurality of fingers and the other of said two sides of said oval core is provided with a plurality of fingers arranged in one or more rows to form a comb. 
   
   
       25 . The molded brush assembly of  claim 9 , wherein none of said fingers extend from sides of said oval core along the minor axis of said core. 
   
   
       26 . The molded brush assembly of  claim 9 , wherein some of said fingers extend from sides of said oval core along the minor axis of said core. 
   
   
       27 . A molded brush assembly comprising:
 a core of oval cross-section having a major axis and a minor axis and two sides;   a plurality of radially outwardly fingers extending from said two sides of said oval core along said major axis.   
   
   
       28 . The molded brush assembly of  claim 27 , said fingers each having a distal end, said fingers being positioned and having a length such that said distal ends of said fingers define a brush perimeter of at generally circular cross-section. 
   
   
       29 . The molded brush assembly of  claim 28 , wherein fingers located in a central part of said major axis of said core have a length, and fingers located in upper and lower parts of said major axis of said oval core have an incrementally shorter length than the length of the fingers located in a central part of said major axis of said core, such that the tips of said fingers define said brush perimeter of generally circular cross-section. 
   
   
       30 . The molded brush assembly of  claim 27 , wherein said molded brush assembly has a distal end with fingers having an incrementally shorter length than the length of the fingers located in a central part of said major axis of said core. 
   
   
       31 . The molded brush assembly of  claim 30 , wherein said molded brush assembly has a proximal end with fingers having an incrementally shorter length than the length of the fingers located in a central part of said major axis of said core. 
   
   
       32 . The molded brush assembly of  claim 27 , wherein said fingers are generally conical with rounded tips. 
   
   
       33 . The molded brush assembly of  claim 27 , said fingers being at an angle of no more than 45 degrees relative to the minor axis. 
   
   
       34 . The molded brush assembly of  claim 33 , said fingers being at an angle of no more than 30 degrees relative to the minor axis. 
   
   
       35 . The molded brush assembly of  claim 34 , said fingers being generally aligned with or near to alignment with the minor axis, and extend at an angle of no more than 15 degrees relative to the minor axis. 
   
   
       36 . The molded brush assembly of  claim 35 , said fingers extending generally perpendicularly to a surface of said one side of said oval core. 
   
   
       37 . The molded brush assembly of  claim 27 , wherein none of said fingers extend from sides of said oval core along the minor axis of said core. 
   
   
       38 . The molded brush assembly of  claim 27 , wherein some of said fingers extend from sides of said oval core along the minor axis of said core. 
   
   
       39 . The molded brush assembly of  claim 27 , wherein said molded brush assembly is integrally molded as a single unit. 
   
   
       40 . The molded brush assembly of  claim 27 , wherein said molded brush assembly comprises a central rod unit and a sleeve located on said central rod unit, said sleeve having said fingers associated therewith. 
   
   
       41 . A molded brush assembly comprising:
 a core of oval cross-section having a major axis and a minor axis;   a plurality of radially outwardly fingers extending from at least one side of said oval core along said major axis, said fingers being generally perpendicular to a surface of said at least one side of said oval core.   
   
   
       42 . The molded brush assembly of  claim 41 , wherein fingers located in a central part of said major axis of said core have a length, and fingers located in upper and lower parts of said major axis of said oval core have an incrementally shorter length than the length of the fingers located in a central part of said major axis of said core, such that the tips of said fingers define said brush perimeter of generally circular cross-section. 
   
   
       43 . The molded brush assembly of  claim 41 , said oval core having two sides provided with different layouts of the molded fingers to provide different functions. 
   
   
       44 . The molded brush assembly of  claim 41 , wherein said molded brush assembly is integrally molded as a single unit. 
   
   
       45 . The molded brush assembly of  claim 44 , wherein said molded brush assembly comprises a central rod unit and a sleeve located on said central rod unit, said sleeve having said fingers associated therewith.