Cosmetic product applicator, typically a brush
The applicator includes a) a lower part for manually gripping the applicator, b) a central part for resiliently straining the applicator under a manual constraint, c) an upper part bearing an application material and d) an application material anchored to the upper part wherein: 1) the lower and central parts have mean visible cross-sections, denoted respectively SA and SB such that the relative deviation ER1=|SA−SB|/SA is less than 0.1, 2) the lower and central parts form a first longitudinal component having an axial direction and a first shape factor L/D between 3 and 7, L and D denoting respectively the largest axial length of and the largest diameter of the first component perpendicular to the axial direction.
The invention relates to the field of cosmetic product applicators, particularly brushes intended to apply to the face a solid product in a divided state such as a powder, or again pencil brushes intended to apply to the nails a liquid product such as a nail varnish.
PRIOR ARTNumerous applicators are already known such as brushes intended to apply a make-up powder to the face, mascara brushes intended to apply mascara to the eyelashes, pencil brushes intended to apply nail varnish.
These applicators may or may not engage with a dispenser of said cosmetic product.
Generally, these applicators, typically longitudinal, include a first part forming manual gripping means, a second intermediate part integral with said first part at one end, and at the other end, acting as a support for an application material, and a third part forming said application material.
These applicators may include a second flexible part, as is known for example in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,509,540 and 6,341,912.
PROBLEMS POSEDIn many cases, known applicators on the one hand allow only a single method of manually gripping said applicator, with the result that these applicators allow only one type of effect to be obtained on the medium.
On the other hand, they do not therefore allow the way of using the applicator to be modulated or controlled manually, with the result that there is a need for applicators that allow great sensitivity and great delicacy in applying said product to said medium to be obtained.
DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTIONAccording to the invention, the applicator of a product, typically a brush intended to apply a cosmetic product such as a make-up powder to a medium such as the skin, includes a) a so-called lower part forming a typically rigid means of manually gripping said applicator, b) a so-called central part, anchored to said lower part by its lower end, forming a means of resiliently straining said applicator under a manual constraint, c) a typically rigid so-called upper part bearing an application material, said upper part being anchored to said central part at its upper end, and d) said application material anchored to said upper part, and is characterised in that:
1) said lower and central parts have mean visible cross-sections, denoted respectively SA and SB such that the relative deviation ER1=|SA−SB|/SA is less than 0.1,
2) said lower and central parts form a first longitudinal component having an axial direction, said first component having a first shape factor L/D between 3 and 7, L and D denoting respectively the largest axial dimension or axial length of said first component, and the largest dimension or diameter of said first component perpendicular to said axial direction.
The term “visible cross-section” is used for that cross-section which is formed by the most peripheral radial parts which alone can be grabbed manually and thus form a grip surface. Geometrically speaking, this is the casing surface, typically cylindrical, parallel to said axial direction, which embodies either said lower part in the case of the cross-section SA, or said central part in the case of the cross-section SB.
A “mean cross-section” is considered when the gripping surface of said lower or central part is not straight but includes a withdrawn part or a raised part.
This applicator resolves the problems posed since it allows said applicator to be gripped manually over the whole length L of said first component, including therefore over said central part, which allows said manual constraint to be modulated or controlled manually, if necessary, and thus provides great sensitivity and great delicacy in applying said product to said medium, such as the face.
DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES
In
In said lower part (2) has been shown, in the form of circles in dotted lines, said cross-sections SA and SB, of said lower part (2) and of said central part (3) respectively.
In
In
In
In
In this figure, said lower (2), central (3) and upper (4) parts have one and the same diameter.
In
The cavity (20) has been closed up at its lower end by an auxiliary applicator (1″).
The cross-section of said lower (2), central (3) and upper (4) parts has been shown in dotted lines, above said lower part (2).
According to the invention, said central (3) and upper (4) parts may have mean visible cross-sections, denoted SB and SC respectively such that the relative deviation ER2=|SB−SC|/SB is less than 0.1, in such a way that said lower (2), central (3) and upper (4) parts of said applicator (1,1′) form a second longitudinal component (7) of length L′ and of shape factor L′/D>L/D.
As shown in the figures, the applicators of the invention are longitudinal applicators, with a relatively high shape factor L/D or L′/D, as shown in
As shown for example in
According to the invention, and as shown in
As shown in
But, in the situation in
According to one embodiment of the invention, and as shown for example in
Said first material may be constituted by or include a plastic material, typically a non-elastomeric thermoplastic material, and said second material may be constituted by or include an elastomer.
However, as shown in
Typically, said lower (2) and central (3) parts may have one and the same cross-section, and form a first typically cylindrical component (6), which is advantageous for easy manual gripping, and to obtain different application effects depending on whether the gripping fingers are farther from or nearer to said upper part (4).
According to one variant of the invention, shown for example in
According to another variant shown in
According to another variant shown in
According to another variant shown in
According to another variant shown in
According to the variant shown in
As shown in
As shown in
But, as shown in
In an applicator (1) according to the invention, and as shown in most of the figures:
a) said application material (5) may include a material absorbent of said cosmetic product, and typically a plurality of bristles (50) typically parallel and orientated along said axial direction (60), and,
b) said upper part (4) may form a double sleeve (4′), with a first portion (40) for anchoring to said central part, and with a second portion (41) for anchoring to said plurality of bristles (50), so as to form a brush (1′) or a pencil brush (1″).
Typically, said lower (2), central (3) and upper (4) parts may have a round or oval or polygonal external transverse cross-section, typically constant over said length L or L′.
However, said lower (2) central (3) and upper (4) parts may have a flattened external transverse cross-section with a thickness e such that D/e is between 2 and 6, so as to form a two-dimensional applicator able to be housed in a dispenser of said cosmetic product.
According to another variant of the invention, said minimum material cross-section SBm may be a rectangular cross-section of length l and width l′ with a shape factor l/l′ between 2 and 4, in such a way that said applicator (1; 1′, 1″) has two distinct levels of resistance to bending depending on whether said bending constraint is exerted parallel to the direction of said length l or said width l′.
As shown in
Another purpose of the invention is constituted by a process of manufacturing an applicator according to the invention, wherein said component cast in one piece (8) can be formed typically by injection moulding in sequence of said first and second materials.
The applicator in
According to another embodiment of this process, and as shown in
Brushes (1,1′) according to
To do this, on the one hand said first longitudinal components (6) constituted by said lower (2) and central (3) parts were manufactured.
On the other hand said upper parts (4) fitted with said application material (5) were manufactured or supplied.
Said longitudinal components (6) were then assembled, by being snapped on or by bonding, with said upper parts, fitted with said application material (5) so as to form said applicators (1,1′).
Said first longitudinal components (6) constituted by said lower (2) and central (3) parts were formed with the materials listed in the following table, as far as said lower (2) and central (3) parts were concerned:
Claims
1. Applicator (1, 1′, 1″) of a product, typically a brush (1′) intended to apply a cosmetic product such as a make-up powder to a medium (9) such as the skin, including a) a so-called lower part (2) forming a typically rigid means of manually gripping said applicator, b) a so-called central part (3), anchored to said lower part (2) by its lower end (30), forming a means of resiliently straining said applicator under a manual constraint, c) a typically rigid so-called upper part (4), bearing an application material (5), said upper part (4) being anchored to said central part (3) at its upper end (31), and d) said application material (5) anchored by its base (51) to said upper part (4), is characterised in that:
- 1) said lower (2) and central (3) parts have mean visible cross-sections, denoted respectively SA and SB such that the relative deviation ER1=|SA−SB|/SA is less than 0.1,
- 2) said lower (2) and central (3) parts form a first longitudinal component (6) having an axial direction (60), said first component (6) having a first shape factor L/D between 3 and 7, L and D denoting respectively the largest axial dimension or axial length of said first component (6), and the largest dimension or diameter of said first component (6) perpendicular to said axial direction (60),
- so as to allow said applicator (1) to be gripped manually over the whole length L of said first component (6) and to modulate or control manually, if necessary, said manual constraint, and so to ensure great sensitivity and great delicacy in the application of said product to said medium (9).
2. Applicator according to claim 1 wherein said central (3) and upper (4) parts have mean visible cross-sections, denoted SB and SC respectively such that the relative deviation ER2=|SB−SC|/SB is less than 0.1, in such a way that said lower (2), central (3) and upper (4) parts of said applicator (1,1′) form a second longitudinal component (7) of length L′ and of shape factor L′/D>L/D.
3. Applicator according to claim 1 wherein said central part (3) forming said means of resiliently straining said applicator under a manual constraint, includes a material chosen by its nature and/or cross-section, in such a way that said central part (3) is able to strain when said manual constraint is exerted typically during said application of said product to said medium (9), then is able to resume its initial shape as soon as said manual constraint ceases.
4. Applicator according to claim 1 wherein said strain includes bending.
5. Applicator according to claim 1 wherein said strain includes axial compression.
6. Applicator according to claim 1 any wherein said lower (2) and central (3) parts include or are formed of different materials, a first and a second material respectively, said second material having mechanical characteristics, typically bending and compression moduli lower than the bending or compression moduli of said first material.
7. Applicator according to claim 6 wherein said first material is constituted by or includes a plastic material, typically a non-elastomeric thermoplastic material, and wherein said second material is constituted by or includes an elastomer.
8. Applicator according to claim 1 wherein said lower (2) and central (3) parts include or are formed of one and the same material, typically an elastomer or a polymer mixture including an elastomer.
9. Applicator according to claim 1 wherein said lower (2) and central (3) parts have one and the same cross-section, and form a typically cylindrical first component (6).
10. Applicator according to claim 1 wherein said central part (3) has, over all or part of its axial length, a minimum material cross-section SBm, typically less than 0.5.SA, selected to obtain said strain under manual constraint.
11. Applicator according to claim 10 wherein said central part (3) includes a plurality of N axial or helical threads (32), each thread (32) having a cross-section of material SF, such that SBm is equal to N.SF, with N typically between 2 and 6.
12. Applicator according to claim 10 wherein said central part has an axial profile in the shape of a bobbin (33), the minimum cross-section of said bobbin (33) being SBm.
13. Applicator according to claim 10 wherein said central part (3) has an axial succession or alternation (34) of full parts (34) and typically annular hollowed-out annular parts (341), said hollowed-out parts (341) having said material cross-section SBm.
14. Applicator according to claim 10 wherein said central part (3) forms or includes a helical spring (35), either of metal, or of a plastic material forming a helix of external diameter DH typically close to D.
15. Applicator according to claim 10 wherein said central part (3) forms a telescopic system (36) with a central rod (360) able to penetrate into an axial cavity (20) formed in said lower part (2) and a helical spring (361), either of metal, or of a plastic material, surrounding said central rod (360).
16. Applicator according to claim 1 wherein said lower (2) and central (3) parts form a moulded component cast in one piece (8).
17. Applicator according to claim 16 wherein said moulded component cast in one piece is a hollow component, typically of elastomer, and preferably of silicon resin.
18. Applicator according to claim 1 wherein, said lower (2) and central (3) parts form distinct components anchored by an assembly means (61) typically by being snapped on, by bonding or by welding.
19. Applicator according to claim 1 wherein a) said application material (5) includes a material absorbent of said cosmetic product, and typically a plurality of bristles (50), typically parallel and orientated along said axial direction (60), b) said upper part (4) forms a double sleeve (4′), with a first portion (40) for anchoring to said central part, and with a second portion (41) for anchoring to said plurality of bristles (50), so as to form a brush (1′) or a pencil brush (1″).
20. Applicator according to claim 1 wherein said lower (2), central (3) and upper (4) parts have a round or oval or polygonal external transverse cross-section, typically constant over said length L or L′.
21. Applicator according to claim 1 wherein said lower (2) central (3) and upper (4) parts have a flattened external transverse cross-section with a thickness e such that D/e is between 2 and 6, so as the form a two-dimensional applicator able to be housed in a dispenser of said cosmetic product.
22. Applicator according to claim 1 wherein said minimum material cross-section SBm is a rectangular cross-section of length l and width l′ with a shape factor l/l′ between 2 and 4, in such a way that said applicator (1, 1′, 1″) has two distinct levels of resistance to bending depending on whether said bending constraint is exerted parallel to the direction of said length l or said width l′.
23. Applicator according to claim 1 wherein said lower part (2) includes a locking means (21), typically a sliding bush (21′), so as to prevent, if need be, said central part (3) from undergoing said strain under said manual constraint.
24. Process of manufacturing an applicator according to claim 7 wherein said component cast in one piece (8) is formed typically by injection moulding in sequence of said first and second materials.
25. Process of manufacturing an applicator according to claim 7 wherein said component cast in one piece (8) is formed typically by simultaneous injection moulding of said first and second materials, A and B, with pre-set profiles of concentration CA and CB along said length L of said component cast in one piece, said profile CA relating to said first material and said profile CB relating to said second material, in such a way that said component cast in one piece typically has a minimum resistance to bending in said central part.
Type: Application
Filed: Apr 4, 2005
Publication Date: May 4, 2006
Inventor: Robert Petit (Cluny)
Application Number: 11/097,214
International Classification: A46B 7/06 (20060101); A46B 5/00 (20060101);