Cosmetic applicator

Abstract

To provide a user-friendly and easy-to-use cosmetic applicator equipped with a brush section having thin, tapered, plastic brush fibers each having a round cross section and a rounded tip, yet the brush as a whole having adequate stiffness, not too stiff nor too soft for applying a cosmetic without hurting facial skin. A cosmetic applicator has an applicator shaft 30 made of a first plastic resin, a brush section 40 made of a second plastic resin softer than the first plastic resin and securely fixed to the leading end of the applicator shaft 30 . The brush section has a base 42 securely fixed to the leading end of the applicator shaft 30 and a brush 44 consisting of a multiplicity of tapered thin brush fibers that are integrally molded with the base 42 to extend forward from the base 42 . Each brush fiber has a round cross section and a rounded tip. The brush includes thick stiff fibers 44 a mixed with thin soft fibers 44 b . The stiffness and softness of the brush fibers are optimized so as not to be too stiff nor too soft so that the applicator is handleable but not hurtful to lips and facial skin.

1 . A cosmetic applicator having:
 an applicator shaft made of a first plastic resin;   a brush section made of a second plastic resin softer than the first plastic resin and securely fixed to the leading end of the applicator shaft coaxially with the shaft, the brush section having a base securely and integrally connected to the leading end of the applicator shaft and a brush consisting of a multiplicity of tapered thin brush fibers that are integrally molded with the base to extend forward from the base, each brush fiber having a round cross section and a rounded tip, the applicator characterized in that:   the brush fibers are molded by a mold that comprises a fixed mold for molding the base and a multiplicity of stacking molds moveable in the axial direction of the shaft to and away from the fixed mold;   the brush fibers are disposed in horizontal rows which are horizontally separated at equal spaces such that the brush fibers are spaced apart at equal pitches in the respective rows but offset in the horizontal direction with respect to the neighboring brush fibers in the neighboring rows by a half pitch so that any two neighboring brush fibers are separated at equal spaces;   the brush fibers are molded by stacking molds which are each provided in the upper and/or lower stacking faces thereof with longitudinal narrow grooves adapted to form narrow cavities between the respective stacking split molds when the stacking molds are stacked together.   
     
     
         2 . The cosmetic applicator according to  claim 1 , wherein the brush of the brush section includes thick brush fibers and thin brush fibers mixed together. 
     
     
         3 . The cosmetic applicator according to  claim 2 , wherein the thick brush fibers and thin brush fibers are distributed at a substantially uniform density. 
     
     
         4 . The cosmetic applicator according to  claim 2 , wherein the thick brush fibers are arranged in an outer area of the brush surrounding the thin fibers arranged in an inner area of the brush. 
     
     
         5 . The cosmetic applicator according to  claim 2 , wherein the thick brush fibers are arranged in an outer area of the brush surrounding the thick brush fibers arranged in an inner area of the brush.