WIPER WITH DIFFERENTLY ENDING WIPER BLADES

Abstract

The invention relates to a wiper for wiping a cosmetic applicator. The wiper has a holding section for fastening the wiper to a cosmetic reservoir. The wiper also has a number of wiper blades, which are each composed of a blade shaft that transitions distally into a wiper fin and the wiper has wiper fins that are situated different distances from the holding section.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to a wiper. Such a wiper is used to wipe excess cosmetic compound from an applicator that is dipped into the cosmetic compound and then pulled out of the cosmetic reservoir through the wiper in order to apply a particular quantity of the cosmetic, preferably without clumping. In particular, the invention relates to a wiper for applicators of mascara compound.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Numerous designs of applicators have been disclosed in the prior art. Mostly, these wipers are embodied in the form of sleeves or tubular elements that taper at one end, like a truncated cone in the broadest sense. The truncated cone-shaped section constitutes a wiper lip extending in the circumference direction, usually in a completely closed fashion or divided into closely spaced segments of a circle, for example as shown in FIG. 13.

In dimensioning such a wiper lip, a considerable amount of allowances must be made for the diameter of the shaft with which the actual applicator section, which is largely composed of a set of bristles, is connected to the applicator handle. Frequently, the mere use of applicators involves a trade-off. If the inner diameter of the wiper lip of such a wiper is comparatively large, then the wiper does not present an excessive resistance to the removal of the applicator, but leaves a very large amount of cosmetic compound in the set of bristles. But as soon as the inner diameter of the area enclosed by the wiper lip is made distinctly smaller than the diameter of the applicator shaft, the actual applicator section is wiped in a significantly more powerful way. At the same time, however, this significantly increases the resistance that must be overcome when the applicator is pulled out through the wiper.

In many cases, this trade-off results in the fact that in the design of the applicator, a particular diameter ratio must be maintained between the applicator shaft and the core of the applicator supporting the bristles, which limits the design possibilities.

In view of this, the object of the invention is to disclose a wiper in which the intensity of the wiping and resistance that the wiper presents to the withdrawal of the applicator on the one hand and the actual applicator section on the other are in a more favorable relationship to each other.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In order to attain this object, the invention includes a wiper for wiping a cosmetic applicator, having a holding section for fastening the wiper to a cosmetic reservoir, which features the fact that the wiper has a number of wiper blades, which are each composed of a blade shaft that transitions distally into a wiper fin, and the wiper has wiper fins, which are situated different distances from the holding section. According to the invention, most of the wiping action is no longer produced by a wiper lip in the form of an intrinsically closed circular ring or in the form of wiper segments arranged along a circular ring; in other words, a constriction or constrictions through which the applicator must be “squeezed” under a full load has/have been eliminated. Instead, when the applicator is pulled out through the wiper, the set of applicator bristles must first pass through the wiper section according to the invention, which is composed of a number of wiper segments that interact only locally with the set of applicator bristles and that are situated at different heights in the direction along the longitudinal axis L instead of all being situated at the same height. In other words, if one of the wiper sections known as such from the prior art with a circular wiper lip is also provided, which is entirely advantageous, then the set of applicator bristles reaches it only after the bristles have already been freed of at least part of the excess cosmetic compound. This has an effect on the wiping result that is positive on the whole.

In a preferred exemplary embodiment, wiper blades with short and long blade shafts alternate in the circumference direction so that the wiper fins of adjacent wiper blades, viewed in the direction of the longitudinal axis, are always situated in alternating fashion at a first, shorter distance and a second, longer distance from the holding section and preferably, one part of the wiper fins lie in a first common plane and the other part of the wiper fins lie in a second common plane.

Such an embodiment ensures that as the applicator is pulled out through the wiper, forces are exerted on the applicator section in a symmetrical fashion, thus assuring that even in applicators whose set of bristles is only composed of a core of very thin wires, the wiping result cannot be jeopardized either by the core being deformed or by the applicator flexing laterally out of the way.

In another alternative modification to be used, the blade shaft of each “erected” wiper blade situated after a preceding wiper blade in the circumference direction is longer than the blade shaft of the preceding blade, as a result of which the wiper fins are preferably arranged in different planes like the steps of a spiral staircase. An arrangement of this kind achieves a particularly effective wiping because such an arrangement of the wiper fins along a helix or spiral staircase line tends to “wring out” the set of applicator bristles. Such a wiper is particularly well-suited to applicators equipped with a set of bristles, especially those in which the set of bristles is anchored to a core that is sufficiently rigid to prevent them from locally flexing out of the way to an excessive degree.

Preferably, the wiper according to the invention for wiping a cosmetic applicator—having a holding section for fastening the wiper to a cosmetic reservoir—is embodied so that the wiper has a number of wiper blades, each of which is composed of a blade shaft that distally transitions into a wiper fin and the wiper fin is wider than the blade shaft. Such an embodiment makes it possible on the one hand, to provide narrow blade shafts, which—preferably in several directions—are more than just insignificantly flexible and thus constitute a sort of unidirectionally loaded leaf spring, which ensures that the set of applicator bristles sliding past the wiper fins can push them aside a certain distance in one or more directions and nevertheless, these wiper fins can be pressed against the applicator surface with a certain force that can be very sensitively adjusted through the dimensioning of the shaft cross section and/or the shaft length. As a result, the enlarged width of the wiper fins ensures that despite the relative delicateness of the blade shafts in the circumference direction, the set of applicator bristles is truly wiped across the entire circumference of the applicator surface.

Preferably, the wiper according to the invention for wiping a cosmetic applicator—having a holding section for fastening the wiper to a cosmetic reservoir—is embodied so that the wiper has a number of wiper blades, each of which is composed of a blade shaft that distally transitions into a wiper fin and the wiper fin is bent at right angles relative to the blade shaft. Such a bend at right angles can be embodied in the form of an abrupt angle or a rounded section with a very discernible curvature radius. In the broadest sense, such a bend at right angles is a region in which the direction in which the local center line M of the wiper blade extends changes more sharply at the place where the blade shaft transitions into the wiper fin than it does in the course of the blade shaft or the wiper fin.

Such a bend at right angles decouples the blade shaft—which largely performs a holding and spring function and at most, a secondary wiping function—from the wiper fin that carries out most of the wiping.

Preferably, the wiper fins, viewed as a whole, extend at least essentially at right angles to the longitudinal axis L of the wiper. In many cases, an almost perfect right angle is not required; it is instead sufficient for the wiper fins as a whole to extend at least essentially at an angle a relative to the longitudinal axis L of the wiper, where 75°≦α≦125° and preferably, 85°≦α≦115°.

In another modification, blade shafts directly adjacent to one another in the circumference direction are spaced apart from one another—for most of their length or preferably even for their entire length—by a distance equal to at least 0.5 times and preferably at least 0.75 times the maximum width of the relevant blade shafts in the circumference direction.

As a result, the interstices 16 between blade shafts situated adjacent to one another in the circumference direction are large enough that the blade shafts are able to flex unhindered even in the circumference direction, without coming to rest against one another in the circumference direction after even a slight flexing displacement and thus presenting a high resistance to a further displacement.

Preferably, at least some of the wiper fins and preferably, all of the wiper fins have a bevel oriented essentially in the circumference direction on their distal side surface. Such a bevel forces a large number of the bristles, when in contact with the wiper fin, to flex out of the way in the circumference direction for as long as possible, thus encouraging an effect that can be referred to as a “wringing out of the set of bristles.”

Preferably, the wiper fins are embodied and oriented so that the section of the center line of the wiper blade that they define does not intersect the longitudinal axis of the wiper, which allows the wiper blades to interact as favorably as possible with the set of applicator bristles.

Finally, it makes sense to select an embodiment in which the end surface of each of the wiper fins oriented radially inward toward the longitudinal axis of the wiper is concave, preferably so that all of the wiper fins, when viewed in the direction of the longitudinal axis and projected onto a single plane, combine to delimit an essentially circular inner diameter. As a result of this, the wiper fins, viewed in the circumference direction, come into contact with the set of bristles in a very uniform fashion, thus improving the wiping result.

In a favorable way, care is taken that the blade shafts of the wiper blades are more than just insignificantly flexible in the circumference direction, preferably so that under the influence of the forces exerted when the applicator is pulled out through the wiper, the wiper fins respectively attached to each of these wiper blades are able to flex out of the way by more than just 1/10 mm and even more ideally by more than just 3/10 mm in the circumference direction. The wipers known from the prior art, whose wiper lips, viewed altogether, come into contact with the set of bristles along a circular line, are sometimes divided into individual segments, which each resemble a section of the wall of a cone or the wall of a cylinder. These segments have a significant span in the circumference direction and are also curved in the circumference direction as a result of which they only have a very limited ability to flex out of the way in the circumference direction through elastic deformation, resulting in an “academically small” ability to flex out of the way. Blade shafts that are equipped with wiper fins as defined by the invention, however, must also be significantly more flexible in the circumference direction in order to ensure a satisfactory interaction of the wiper fins with the set of applicator bristles.

Preferably, for the above-mentioned reasons, care is taken that the blade shafts of the wiper blades are more than just insignificantly flexible in the radial direction (in relation to the longitudinal axis of the wiper), preferably so that under the influence of the forces exerted when the applicator is pulled out through the wiper, the wiper fins respectively attached to each of these wiper blades are able to flex out of the way by more than just 1/10 mm and even more ideally by more than just 3/10 mm in the radial direction.

In the vast majority of cases, the wiper has six, but preferably eight or ten, wiper blades that are preferably arranged distributed uniformly along the circumference of its holder section.

Finally, it makes sense to select an embodiment in which the end surface of each of the wiper fins oriented radially inward toward the longitudinal axis of the wiper is concave, preferably so that all of the wiper fins, when viewed in the direction of the longitudinal axis and projected onto a single plane, combine to delimit an essentially circular inner diameter.

Other advantages, effects, and potential embodiments of the wipers according to the invention and those of cosmetic products equipped with such wipers ensue from the following descriptions of exemplary embodiments that will be explained in conjunction with FIGS. 1 through 18.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1: is a perspective side view of a first exemplary embodiment of the wiper according to the invention, viewed from diagonally underneath.

FIG. 2: is a perspective side view of the first exemplary embodiment of the wiper according to the invention, shown more from the side.

FIG. 3: is a perspective side view of the first exemplary embodiment of the wiper according to the invention, shown in an isometric depiction.

FIG. 4: is a side view of the first exemplary embodiment of the wiper according to the invention, shown in a section along the longitudinal axis L of the wiper.

FIG. 5: is a top view of the first exemplary embodiment, viewed from the inside of the reservoir.

FIG. 6: is a top view of the first exemplary embodiment, viewed from the outside of the reservoir.

FIG. 7: is a perspective side view of a second exemplary embodiment of the wiper according to the invention, viewed from diagonally underneath.

FIG. 8: is a perspective side view of the second exemplary embodiment of the wiper according to the invention, shown more from the side.

FIG. 9: is a perspective side view of the second exemplary embodiment of the wiper according to the invention, shown in an isometric depiction.

FIG. 10: is a side view of the second exemplary embodiment of the wiper according to the invention, shown in a section along the longitudinal axis L of the wiper.

FIG. 11: is a top view of the second exemplary embodiment, viewed from the inside of the reservoir.

FIG. 12: is a top view of the second exemplary embodiment, viewed from the outside of the reservoir.

FIG. 13: is a perspective side view of a third exemplary embodiment of the wiper according to the invention, viewed from diagonally underneath.

FIG. 14: is a perspective side view of the third exemplary embodiment of the wiper according to the invention, shown more from the side.

FIG. 15: is a perspective side view of the third exemplary embodiment of the wiper according to the invention, shown in an isometric depiction.

FIG. 16: is a side view of the third exemplary embodiment of the wiper according to the invention, shown in a section along the longitudinal axis L of the wiper.

FIG. 17: is a top view of the third exemplary embodiment, viewed from the inside of the reservoir.

FIG. 18: is a top view of the third exemplary embodiment, viewed from the outside of the reservoir.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Before a description of the exemplary embodiments is given here, it should be noted that when the terms “distal” and “proximal” are used in the following, the distal end generally refers to the end oriented toward the interior of the reservoir while the proximal end refers to the end oriented toward the withdrawal opening of the reservoir.

FIGS. 1 through 6 show a first exemplary embodiment of the invention.

As is quite clear from FIG. 1, the component—referred to as a whole as the wiper 1—of the first exemplary embodiment is composed of a holding section 2 and a number of wiper blades 3, which are attached to the distal end of the holding section, i.e. the end oriented toward the inside of the reservoir, and together, constitute the actual wiping element of this wiper. When the wiper is used for mascara applicators, the outer diameter of this holding section is usually less than 10 mm. It follows from this that when used for mascara applicators, the wiper as a whole is very delicate.

The holding section 2 in this case is thus embodied in the preferred fashion as a tubular element, which means that it is inherently completely closed in the circumference direction and is used to mount the wiper 1 in the neck of the bottle that serves as a cosmetic reservoir in this case. For this purpose, the holding section 2 is preferably provided with a collar-like stop 4, which rests against an end surface of the bottle neck and thus limits the distance by which the wiper 1 can be inserted into the bottle neck. As is clear from the drawing, the holding section 2 is also equipped with at least one detent element 15 that engages in detent fashion with a corresponding detent element or a corresponding surface of the bottle neck.

The outer diameter of the holding section 2 is generally adapted to the inner diameter of the bottle neck provided to contain it in order to thus ensure a play-free seating of the wiper 1 in the radial direction as well. In this exemplary embodiment, the holding section 2 has an essentially constant inner diameter.

Ideally, at least 6 or better still, 8 to 10, wiper blades 3 are provided along the circumference; in the vast majority of cases, it does not make sense to provide more than 12 wiper blades. In individual cases, the invention can also be embodied with fewer wiper blades; tests have shown that in some cases, for example five wiper blades can be sufficient. That said, such a small number of them does not represent a preferred embodiment; it is instead a poorer embodiment, but one which should still be included within the scope of protection.

A conspicuous feature of the wiper blades is the fact that they have two different functional sections. Specifically, each wiper blade is composed of a blade shaft 4 that transitions distally into a wiper fin 5 which in any case, has a maximum width EUF in the circumference direction that is greater than the width EUS of the blade shaft in the circumference direction.

Preferably, the two functional sections 4, 5 are also delimited from each other by the fact that the direction in which the local center line M of the wiper blade extends changes more sharply where the blade shaft 4 is transitioning into the wiper fin 5 than it does in the course of the blade shaft or of the wiper fin. Preferably, the wiper fin 5 is bent at right angles relative to the blade shaft 4 in that the blade shaft transitions into the wiper fin with a radius that is preferably smaller than 3.5 times the depth of the blade shaft in the radial direction. Based on this embodiment, the transition between the blade shaft 4 and the wiper fin is quite rigid so that the transition does not function as a “hinge” around which the wiper fin rotates back and forth relative to the blade shaft through elastic deformation. Instead, each wiper blade is generally deformed as a whole.

In most cases, the wiper fin 5 viewed as a whole extends at least essentially at a right angle to the longitudinal axis L of the wiper, as shown in FIG. 4. In many cases, however, the effect achieved according to the invention can also be achieved if the wiper fin does not extend largely at a right angle, but instead extends at least essentially at an angle a relative to the longitudinal axis L of the wiper, where 75°≦α≦125° and preferably, 85°≦α≦115°.

Ideally, the wiper fin 5 has a bevel 6 oriented essentially in the circumference direction on its distal side surface 9, see FIG. 1. This bevel 6 is preferably designed so that bristles that come into contact with it are deflected in the circumference direction. In the ideal circumstance, this produces a certain “wringing out” of the bristles due to a bristle displacement in the circumference direction, although such a “wringing out” is not an absolute requirement.

In addition, the wiper fins 5 are preferably embodied and oriented so that the section of the center line M that they define does not intersect the longitudinal axis L of the wiper, but rather extends past it laterally, see FIG. 5.

As also shown best in FIG. 5, the radially inward end surface 7 of each of the wiper fins is concave, preferably so that all of the wiper fins, when viewed in the direction of the longitudinal axis L and projected onto a single plane, combine to delimit an essentially circular inner diameter 11.

The inner diameter 11 is naturally smaller than the outer diameter of the set of bristles on the applicator or of an “actual applicator surface” that corresponds to a set of bristles. Preferably, even in this exemplary embodiment, the inner diameter is even slightly smaller than the diameter of the shaft that attaches the applicator to its handle, ideally 5% smaller than it and better still, 10% smaller than it. In light of this fact, it is clear why the blade shafts are elastic in a way that allows them to bend to the necessary degree in the radially outward direction essentially without experiencing a permanent deformation.

A wiper edge 8 is formed between the end surface 7 oriented radially inward and the distal side surface 9 of each wiper fin.

The blade shafts 4 are embodied in the form of slats that are spaced apart from one another and fastened to the holding sleeve 2 or molded onto it. Blade shafts that are directly adjacent in the circumference direction are spaced apart from one another—for most of their length or preferably even for their entire length—by a distance A of at least 0.5 times and preferably at least 0.75 times the maximum width EUS of the relevant blade shafts in the circumference direction. The width of the base region in which the slats transition into the holding section 2 by forming a rounded or fluted shape, see FIG. 1, is not taken into consideration when determining the maximum width EUS.

This leaves a spacious interstice 16 between directly adjacent blades, which does not become clogged with cosmetic even after long use, generally also because the individual blades are always elastically deflected a little bit, thus preventing drying cosmetic compound from permanently sticking to the interstices 16. These interstices 16 permit a pressure compensation between the wiper prechamber 10 and the interior of the cosmetic reservoir so that when the applicator is pulled out through the wiper, no pumping effect occurs, which would be accompanied by buildup of vacuum in the cosmetic reservoir, whose seal would suddenly break, thus producing an undesirable “popping sound” and possibly even causing the cosmetic to spatter.

Preferably, this simultaneously ensures that even under the influence of an elastic deformation acting in the circumference direction, the individual wiper blades do not come to rest against one another laterally, thus constituting a very inelastic block, but instead, it is possible to deliberately establish their elasticity and thus the degree to which they move under the influence of the forces that the applicator produces relative to the wiper blades as it is being pulled out.

In this exemplary embodiment, each slat has a depth in the radial direction ER that is smaller than its width in the circumference direction EUS. As a result, each slat offers a greater resistance to a bending in the circumference direction than it does to a bending in the radially outward direction. Preferably, apart from local defects and preferably even without exception: EU≧1.3×ER. Ideally, EU≧1.6×ER.

It is particularly advantageous if the blade shafts have different lengths. In particular, FIG. 1 shows this quite well for the first exemplary embodiment. In this instance, wiper blades with short and long blade shafts alternate in the circumference direction so that the wiper fins of adjacent wiper blades are situated in different planes and viewed in the direction of the longitudinal axis, are situated different distances from the holding section 2. In this specific exemplary embodiment, one part of the wiper fins lie in a first common plane EB1 and the other part of the wiper fins lie in a second common plane EB2, which is closer to the holding section 2 than the first plane, viewed in the direction of the longitudinal axis L. In this case, between the wiper fins in the first plane and those in the second plane, there is enough space AB that the wiper fins in the one plane can deform elastically, at least during the withdrawal, without coming to rest against the wiper fins in the other plane.

This arrangement of the wiper fins in different planes means that as the applicator is being pulled out through the wiper, the wiper offers only a reduced resistance to the withdrawal, at the same time favorably influencing the contact between the wiper fins and the applicator or the set of applicator bristles and the pressing force that occurs there.

The wiper blades in this exemplary embodiment are dimensioned and situated so that they deform and move mostly in the radially outward direction as the applicator is being pulled out, whereas the deformation and movement that they are forced to execute in the circumference direction plays a secondary role.

FIGS. 7 through 12 show a second exemplary embodiment of the invention that is very similar to the first exemplary embodiment and therefore the above description of the first exemplary embodiment applies here in the same way, except for the following expressly stated differences.

The wiper fins 5 in this exemplary embodiment are bent at right angles relative to the blade shafts 4 associated with them in that each blade shaft transitions into the wiper fin with a radius that is preferably smaller than 0.75 times the depth of the blade shaft in the radial direction.

In this exemplary embodiment, blade shafts that are directly adjacent in the circumference direction are spaced apart from one another—for most of their length or preferably even for their entire length—by a distance A that corresponds to at least 3.5 times and preferably at least 4.5 times the maximum width EUS of the relevant blade shafts in the circumference direction. The width of the base region in which the slats transition into the holding section 2 with a rounding or fluting, see FIG. 1, is not taken into consideration when determining the maximum width EU.

In this exemplary embodiment, each slat has a depth in the radial direction ER that is greater than its width in the circumference direction EU. As a result, each slat presents a greater resistance to a bending in the radially outward direction than it does to a bending in the circumference direction. Preferably, apart from local defects and preferably even without exception: ER≧1.5×EU. Ideally, ER≧2×EU.

This different design results in the fact that in this exemplary embodiment, the wiper blades are dimensioned and situated so that they also significantly deform and move in the circumference direction as the applicator is being pulled out, by contrast with the wiper blades of the first exemplary embodiment.

FIGS. 13 through 18 show a third exemplary embodiment of the invention. The individual wiper blades of this exemplary embodiment, viewed each by themselves, correspond to those of the second exemplary embodiment and therefore the above description of the wiper blades of the second exemplary embodiment also applies to the wiper blades of the third exemplary embodiment.

The third exemplary embodiment differs from the second exemplary embodiment, however, in that the wiper blades are arranged in different planes in a different way than they are in the second exemplary embodiment. In this instance, the blade shaft of each “erected” wiper blade situated after a preceding wiper blade in the circumference direction is longer than the blade shaft of the preceding blade—until the longest blade is followed by the shortest blade, thus forming a ring of blades that is intrinsically closed in the circumference direction. In this way, the blade shafts and the wiper fins attached to them are arranged in a configuration reminiscent of a spiral staircase, particularly if the blade shafts become progressively longer by the same amount, which is preferable.

In this instance as well, a distance AB is provided between the blade fins so that the blade fins are able to elastically deform in an unhindered fashion in any plane, at least during the withdrawal, without coming to rest against the wiper fins in the next or preceding planes.

This step-like or “escalating” arrangement of wiper fins in various different planes ensures that as the applicator is pulled out through the wiper, the wiper presents only a significantly reduced resistance to the withdrawal since the applicator is not “clamped” between opposing sections of a wiper lip. In addition, during the withdrawal, the wiper tends to “wring out” the applicator, resulting in a particularly good wiping result. This “wringing out” tendency is promoted not least by the fact that each of the wiper fins has a surface oriented toward the inside of the reservoir, which surface is inclined toward the preceding fin that is supported on a shorter blade shaft.

In this exemplary embodiment, the holding section 2—as shown in FIG. 13—is preferably embodied so that it tapers in the direction toward the inside of the reservoir and has a circular wiper lip 13 that is intrinsically closed in the circumference direction. For this purpose, the holding section 2 is embodied as conical at its end oriented toward the inside of the reservoir. Preferably, this circular wiper lip 13 at the inner end of the conical section is embodied for the purpose of wiping the shaft of the applicator in order to free it as much as possible of any of the cosmetic that is adhering to it. This wiper lip 13 is dimensioned in a corresponding fashion. In this connection, the circular wiper lip and the holding section 2 preferably have no bypass opening, i.e. no path leading around the wiper lip for conveying air into the cosmetic reservoir.

Preferably, this circular wiper lip 13 is instead dimensioned so that it has a larger inner diameter than comparable wiper lips whose task is not only to wipe the applicator shaft but also the actual applicator element or set of applicator bristles. According to the invention, the size of the inner diameter is selected so that the circular wiper lip essentially wipes only the applicator shaft and does not exert any significant additional wiping action on the actual applicator element or set of applicator bristles. The latter is the case when the circular wiper lip is spaced far enough from the core of the applicator to which the bristles are fastened that the set of bristles—which have already been wiped in another way—permit enough air to flow into the cosmetic reservoir to essentially prevent the annoying “pop” and/or the spattering that occurs as a result of this.

Preferably, the applicator shaft in this exemplary embodiment is dimensioned so that when the applicator is inserted all the way into its storage position, it still protrudes inward past the circular wiper lip, thus completely sealing the cosmetic reservoir so that the stored cosmetic cannot escape past the wiper even if the cosmetic product is stored upside down at higher temperatures, which may inadvertently occur inside a purse.

Merely in order to clarify matters, it should be noted in closing that the invention also includes a wiper for wiping a cosmetic applicator, having a holding section for fastening the wiper to a cosmetic reservoir, said wiper having a number of wiper blades that are each composed of a blade shaft that distally transitions into a wiper fin, with the wiper fin being wider than the blade shaft and, likewise alternatively a wiper for wiping a cosmetic applicator, having a holding section for fastening the wiper to a cosmetic reservoir, said wiper having a number of wiper blades that are each composed of a blade shaft that distally transitions into a wiper fin, with the wiper fin 5 being bent at right angles relative to the blade shaft 4.

In a fourth exemplary embodiment not shown in the drawings, the wiper is injection molded out of two different plastics. It is thus possible to injection mold the holding section, which is only subject to very low mechanical stresses, out of a comparatively simple and inexpensive plastic onto which the wiper blades, which are subject to high stresses, are molded out of a different, higher grade and more elastic plastic.

Protection is also sought for the following embodiments:

A wiper for wiping a cosmetic applicator having a holding section for fastening the wiper to a cosmetic reservoir, characterized in that the wiper has a number of wiper blades that are each composed of a blade shaft that distally transitions into a wiper fin in which the wiper fin is wider than the blade shaft.

A wiper for wiping a cosmetic applicator having a holding section for fastening the wiper to a cosmetic reservoir, characterized in that the wiper has a number of wiper blades that are each composed of a blade shaft that distally transitions into a wiper fin, with the wiper fin being bent at right angles relative to the blade shaft.

Claims

1. A wiper (1) for wiping a cosmetic applicator, the wiper comprising:

a holding section for fastening the wiper to a cosmetic reservoir;

a plurality of wiper blades, each having a blade shaft that transitions distally into a wiper fin; and

a plurality of wiper fins that are situated different distances from the holding section.

2. The wiper as recited in claim 1, wherein the blade shafts of the wiper blades are more than just insignificantly flexible in a circumference direction, so that under an influence of forces exerted when the applicator is pulled out through the wiper, the wiper fins respectively attached to each of the wiper blades are able to flex out of the way by more than 1/10 mm in the circumference direction.

3. The wiper as recited in claim 1, wherein the blade shafts of the wiper blades are more than just insignificantly flexible in a radial direction, relative to a longitudinal axis of the wiper, so that under an influence of forces exerted when the applicator is pulled out through the wiper, the wiper fins respectively attached to each of the wiper blades are able to flex out of the way by more than 1/10 mm.

4. The wiper as recited in claim 1, wherein the wiper has six, eight or ten wiper blades that are arranged distributed uniformly along a circumference of the holder section.

5. The wiper as recited in claim 1, wherein wiper blades with short and long blade shafts alternate in a circumference direction so that the wiper fins of adjacent wiper blades, viewed in a direction of a longitudinal axis (L), are always situated in alternating fashion at a first, shorter distance and a second, longer distance from the holding section and one part of the wiper fins lie in a first common plane (EB1) and another part of the wiper fins lie in a second common plane (EB2).

6. The wiper as recited in claim 5, wherein the blade shaft of each erected wiper blade situated after a preceding wiper blade in the circumference direction is longer than the blade shaft of the preceding blade and the wiper fins are arranged in different planes like the steps of a spiral staircase.

7. A wiper for wiping a cosmetic applicator, the wiper comprising:

a holding section for fastening the wiper to a cosmetic reservoir;

a plurality of wiper blades, each having a blade shaft that distally transitions into a wiper fin and the wiper fin is wider than the blade shaft.

8. A wiper for wiping a cosmetic applicator, the wiper comprising:

a holding section for fastening the wiper to a cosmetic reservoir

a plurality of wiper blades, each having a blade shaft that distally transitions into a wiper fin and the wiper fin is cranked relative to the blade shaft.

9. The wiper as recited in claim 1, wherein the wiper fin, viewed as a whole, extends at least essentially at right angles to a longitudinal axis (L) of the wiper.

10. The wiper as recited in claim 1, wherein blade shafts directly adjacent to one another in a circumference direction are spaced apart from one another—for at least most of their length—by a distance equal to at least 0.5 times a maximum width (EUS) of relevant blade shafts in the circumference direction.

11. The wiper as recited in claim 1, wherein at least some of the wiper fins have a bevel oriented essentially in a circumference direction on their distal side surface.

12. The wiper as recited in claim 1, wherein the wiper fins are embodied and oriented so that a section of a center line (M) of the wiper blade that the wiper fins define does not intersect a longitudinal axis (L) of the wiper.

13. The wiper as recited in claim 1, wherein an end surface of the wiper fins oriented radially inward toward a longitudinal axis of the wiper is concave, so that all of the wiper fins, when viewed in a direction of the longitudinal axis (L), projected onto a single plane, combine to delimit an essentially circular clear inner diameter.

14. The wiper as recited in claim 7, wherein the blade shafts of the wiper blades are more than just insignificantly flexible in a circumference direction, so that under an influence of forces exerted when the applicator is pulled out through the wiper, the wiper fins respectively attached to each of the wiper blades are able to flex out of the way by more than 1/10 mm in the circumference direction.

15. The wiper as recited in claim 7, wherein the blade shafts of the wiper blades are more than just insignificantly flexible in a radial direction relative to a longitudinal axis of the wiper, so that under an influence of forces exerted when the applicator is pulled out through the wiper, the wiper fins respectively attached to each of the wiper blades are able to flex out of the way by more than 1/10 mm in the radial direction.

16. The wiper as recited in claim 7, wherein the wiper has six, eight or ten wiper blades that are arranged distributed uniformly along a circumference of the holder section.