Brushes with interchangeable heads

1. A head-switchable cosmetic applicator, comprising:

a head assembly including a ferrule having: (a) a first generally planar mating surface formed at least in part by a first magnetic element and (b) one of a recess or a projection; and

a handle including: (a) a second generally planar mating surface formed at least in part by a second magnetic element and (b) the other of the recess or the projection;

wherein the recess is non-magnetic and capable of receiving the projection;

wherein at least one of the first and second magnetic elements is a magnet, and the head assembly is releasably attachable to the handle by magnetic attraction between the first and second magnetic elements creating a pulling force between about 0.4 lbf to about 1.2 lbf when the head assembly and the handle are attached; and

wherein the part of the first generally planar mating surface formed by the first magnetic element and the part of the second generally planar mating surface formed by the second magnetic element are in flush alignment when the head assembly and the handle are attached; wherein the projection and the recess have longitudinal axes that align when the head assembly and the handle are attached, wherein one of the projection and the recess comprises at least one axially extending groove, and wherein the other of the projection and the recess comprises at least one protuberance positioned to engage in the at least one groove to restrain the head assembly from rotation relative to the handle about the aligned axes.

2. The head-switchable applicator according to claim 1 , wherein one of the first magnetic element or the second magnetic element is on the projection and the other of the first magnetic element or the second magnetic element is in the recess.

3. The head-switchable applicator according to claim 1 , wherein the first and second magnetic elements are both permanent magnets, and are oriented so as to attract one another when the handle and the head assembly are assembled together.

4. The head-switchable applicator according to claim 1 , further comprising at least one additional head assembly including a ferrule and a first magnetic element, and wherein the additional head assembly is releasably attachable to the handle by magnetic attraction between the first and second magnetic elements when the additional head assembly and the handle are attached.

5. The head-switchable applicator according to claim 1 , wherein the handle further comprises a third magnetic element to which a second head assembly including a ferrule and a fourth magnetic element is releasably attachable and the head assembly including the first magnetic element is not attachable.

6. The head-switchable applicator according to claim 5 , wherein one of the head assembly including the first magnetic element and the handle comprises a first recess, and the other of said head assembly and the handle comprises a first projection insertable into the first recess; wherein one of the second head assembly and the handle comprises a second recess, and the other of the second head assembly and the handle comprises a second projection insertable into the recess; wherein the first and second magnetic elements are on the first projection and in the first recess; and wherein the third and fourth magnetic elements are on the second projection and in the second recess.

7. A head-switchable cosmetic applicator, comprising:

a male component having: (a) a non-magnetic projection on a distal end of the male component and (b) a first magnetic element forming at least part of a distal-most generally planar surface of the male component; and

a female component having: (a) a non-magnetic recess adapted to receive the projection in a forward end of the female component to form a mated configuration with the male component and (b) a second magnetic element positioned to be in flush alignment with the first magnetic element in the mated configuration;

wherein one of the male component or the female component is a head assembly including a ferrule and the other of the male component or the female component is a handle; and

wherein at least one of the first and second magnetic elements is a magnet, and the head assembly is releasably attachable to the handle by magnetic attraction between the first and second magnetic elements creating a pulling force between about 0.4 lbf to about 1.2 lbf in the mated configuration; wherein one of the projection or the recess comprises one or more protuberances positioned circumferentially with respect to a longitudinal axis and spaced inwardly from the distal end of the projection or the open end of the recess, respectively; and

wherein the other of the projection or the recess comprises one or more grooves extending proximally from adjacent the distal end of the projection or from adjacent the open end of the recess, respectively,

the projection being insertable into the recess a first distance until the one or more protuberances meet a non-grooved portion of the open end of the recess or a non-grooved portion of the projection if the protuberances and grooves are not aligned, and being insertable farther into the recess upon rotation of one or both of the components until the one or more protuberances align with corresponding one or more grooves, the male and female components being restrained from rotating about the longitudinal axis relative to one another when the one or more protuberances engage the one or more grooves.

8. The head-switchable applicator according to claim 7 , wherein the distal-most generally planar surface is at the distal end of the projection and the second magnetic element is in the recess.

9. The head-switchable applicator according to claim 7 , further comprising at least one additional male component, wherein the male component is a head assembly including a ferrule, and wherein the additional male component is releasably attachable to the female component by magnetic attraction between the first and second magnetic elements in the mated configuration.

10. A cosmetic applicator assembly comprising a male component and a female component releasably attachable to one another, wherein:

said female component includes a first magnetic element and a recess defining an open end thereof, and the male component includes a second magnetic element and a projection defining a distal end, the projection being insertable into the recess; and

an applicator element positioned on the male component or the female component;

wherein the first and second magnetic elements are positioned so that they hold the female and male components releasably together when the projection is inserted into the recess;

wherein one of the projection or the recess comprises one or more protuberances positioned circumferentially with respect to a longitudinal axis and spaced inwardly from the distal end of the projection or the open end of the recess, respectively; and

wherein the other of the projection or the recess comprises one or more grooves extending proximally from adjacent the distal end of the projection or from adjacent the open end of the recess, respectively,

the projection being insertable into the recess a first distance until the one or more protuberances meet a non-grooved portion of the open end of the recess or a non-grooved portion of the projection if the protuberances and grooves are not aligned, and being insertable farther into the recess upon rotation of one or both of the components until the one or more protuberances align with corresponding one or more grooves, the male and female components being restrained from rotating about the longitudinal axis relative to one another when the one or more protuberances engage the one or more grooves;

wherein the pulling force between said first magnetic element and said second magnetic element when said arrangement of one or more protuberances is engaged by said arrangement of one or more grooves is between about 0.4 lbf to about 1.2 lbf.

11. The cosmetic applicator assembly according to claim 10 , wherein each of the one or more protuberances is a plurality of projecting dots dimensioned to be seated in one of said one or more grooves.

12. The cosmetic applicator assembly according to claim 11 , wherein each groove of said one or more grooves is tapered such that an open end width of a first end of said groove coinciding with said open end of the recess is greater than a second width of a second end of said groove.

13. The cosmetic applicator assembly according to claim 10 , wherein the pulling force between said first magnetic element and said second magnetic element when said arrangement of one or more protuberances is engaged by said arrangement of one or more grooves is between about 0.4 lbf to about 2.0 lbf.

14. The cosmetic applicator assembly according to claim 10 , wherein the male component is a handle including the projection and the female component is a brush head including the recess.

15. The cosmetic applicator assembly according to claim 10 , wherein the male component is a brush head including the projection and the female component is a handle including the recess.

16. A method of equipping a first component including a projection with a removable attachment including a recess, comprising the steps of:

inserting the projection into the recess;

after partially inserting the projection into the recess, aligning an arrangement of protuberances positioned circumferentially around a longitudinal axis of and spaced inwardly from an end of the projection or the recess with an arrangement of grooves formed in the recess or on the projection, said protuberances following said grooves to guide said projection to a non-rotational seated position within the recess; and

releasably maintaining said seated position by way of a pulling force in the range of about 0.4 lbf to about 1.2 lbf between a primary magnetic element in the recess and a secondary magnetic element associated with the projection.

17. The method of claim 16 , further comprising:

releasably maintaining said projection within said recess by said pulling force after said partial insertion and prior to aligning the protuberances with the grooves.