COSMETIC APPLICATOR WITH ADJACENT BRISTLES WHICH ARE CONNECTED TOGETHER BY FLAT ELEMENTS

Abstract

A cosmetic applicator, in particular in the form of a mascara applicator with a core which has a border consisting of fingers that protrude from the core, preferably in the form of bristles. The aim of the invention is to provide a solution for a cosmetic applicator which exhibits an increased material storage capability without substantially impairing the other relevant application properties. This is achieved in that the border has adjacent fingers which are connected together by a flat element that integrally adjoins the circumferential casing surface of both fingers and the core and has a thickness in a direction perpendicular to the main surfaces of the flat element, said thickness being lower than the maximum diameter of each of the bristles which are thus connected.

Claims

1. A cosmetics applicator, comprising: a core carrying a covering of fingers protruding therefrom, wherein the covering has adjacent fingers that are connected to each other by a flat element which in each case integrally adjoins a circumferential shell surface of both fingers and integrally adjoins the core, and the flat element has a thickness in a direction perpendicular to two main surfaces of the flat element, and the thickness of the flat element is smaller than a maximum diameter of each of the fingers that are connected to each other.

2. The cosmetics applicator according to claim 1, wherein a central longitudinal plane of each flat element is a plane in which a longitudinal applicator axis is also located.

3. The cosmetics applicator according to claim 1, wherein said thickness of the flat element is 50% of the maximum finger diameter at most.

4. The cosmetics applicator according to claim 1, wherein the thickness of the flat element decreases starting from the core towards a radially outward end of the flat element.

5. The cosmetics applicator according to claim 1, wherein a respective flat element has a maximum extent in a radial direction that is smaller than a maximum radial extent of the two fingers it connects, wherein the maximum radial extent of each flat element is between ½ and ¾ of the maximum radial extent of the two respective fingers.

6. The cosmetics applicator according to claim 1, wherein a radially outward free end face of the flat element is curved.

7. The cosmetics applicator according to claim 1, wherein the flat element is a membrane that can be deformed by forces acting in a circumferential direction.

8. The cosmetics applicator according to claim 7, wherein adjacent fingers keep the membrane that respectively connects them stretched.

9. The cosmetics applicator according to claim 1, the covering further comprising at least one row of fingers placed in alignment one behind another along a longitudinal applicator axis, which fingers are connected to each other by a flat element.

10. The cosmetics applicator according to claim 1, the covering further comprising at least one row of fingers, which are placed in a zigzag one behind the other to the left and the right next to an alignment line extending parallel to a longitudinal applicator axis, and which fingers are connected to each other by a flat element.

11. The cosmetics applicator according to claim 1, wherein the fingers have a radial extent gradually decreasing towards a distal end of the cosmetics applicator, with a radial extent of each flat element also decreasing towards the distal end of the cosmetics applicator.

12. The cosmetics applicator according to claim 1, wherein each flat element has a sloping free end face towards a distal end of the cosmetics applicator.

13. A method for manufacturing the cosmetics applicator according to claim 1, comprising: injection-molding the fingers and the flat element together to the core, wherein the flat element is injection-molded in the shape of a film that extends in each case between two immediately adjacent fingers and is kept stretched by the fingers.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0022] FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a first exemplary embodiment in an oblique view from above.

[0023] FIG. 2 shows a lateral view according to FIG. 1.

[0024] FIG. 3 shows the applicator according to FIG. 1 head-on from the front.

[0025] FIG. 4 shows a second exemplary embodiment that is closely based on the first exemplary embodiment, in a lateral view.

[0026] FIG. 5 shows the exemplary embodiment according to FIG. 4 head-on from the front.

[0027] FIG. 6 shows a third exemplary embodiment in an oblique perspective view from above.

[0028] FIG. 7 shows the exemplary embodiment according to FIG. 6 head-on from the front.

[0029] FIG. 8 shows a side view of the exemplary embodiment according to FIG. 6.

[0030] FIG. 9 shows a side view of a fourth exemplary embodiment.

[0031] FIG. 10 shows the exemplary embodiment according to FIG. 9 head-on from the front.

[0032] FIG. 11 shows a close-up view of a bristle.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0033] The terms “distal end” and “proximal end” refer to the proximal end 9 facing towards the handle/stem and the distal end 10 of the cosmetics applicator 1 that faces away from the handle/stem.

[0034] Preferably, the entire part, or at least the predominant part of the fingers 4 is configured in the form of bristles. A bristle is understood to be a rod-like structure whose length Lg is at least 5 times greater than its maximum diameter Dmax above the region that is possibly rounded in a pronounced manner, with which the bristle transitions into the core 2 of the cosmetics applicator 1. In this regard, reference may be made to FIG. 11.

[0035] A bristle or a finger 4 preferably has a circular cross section, or a cross section that is at least substantially circular except for tolerance variations. However, an oval or elliptical and a plum-like cross section is also conceivable. Preferably, a bristle or a finger 4 is characterized in that it tapers from its base towards its outermost free end. Particularly preferably, the shell forming the circumference of a bristle or of a finger 4 is therefore conical, with a cone shell angle α of preferably between 1° and 3°.

[0036] A bristle or a finger 4 is typically characterized by its high level of flexibility in the direction perpendicular to the longitudinal bristle axis BL. In most cases it is useful if a bristle or a finger 4 is so flexible that its free end is capable, under the influence of the forces occurring as intended during, application, of being displaced in an elastic-reversible manner by an amount AL in the direction perpendicular to the longitudinal bristle axis BL which corresponds to at least three times, better at least four times, the maximum finger diameter Dmax, as this is shown in FIG. 1.

[0037] FIG. 1 gives the best overview over an embodiment of a cosmetics applicator 1 according to the invention. As can be seen, the cosmetics applicator 1 has a core 2. The core 2 preferably has a coupling portion 3 that serves for coupling the cosmetics applicator 1 to a stem or handle that is not shown here. The predominant part of the core 2 functions as a finger carrier, i.e. it is covered with fingers 4 or bristles that, as a rule, protrude from it in the radial direction. Most frequently, the fingers 4 or bristles are produced jointly and integrally with the core by injection molding. Seen microscopically, injection molding provides the fingers 4 or bristles with special properties, because injection molding achieves a certain alignment of the plastic molecules in the direction parallel to the longitudinal axis of the fingers 4 or bristles that can only be achieved in this manner by injection molding. In addition, injection molding results in the fingers 4 or bristles transitioning into the core 2 without any gaps, which, in the case of long-term use of the cosmetics applicator 1, is exceedingly advantageous with regard to hygienic aspects.

[0038] The fingers 4 or bristles are preferably placed in rows, at least in the direction parallel to the longitudinal applicator axis L of the cosmetics applicator 1. Adjacent fingers 4 placed in such a row preferably keep a distance from each other that corresponds to 2 times to 3.5 times the maximum finger diameter Dmax.

[0039] The special feature of the cosmetics applicators 1 according to the invention is that the covering has immediately adjacent fingers 4 that are connected to each other by a flat element 5 which adjoins, in each case locally and integrally, the circumferential shell surface of the respectively adjacent fingers 4 that are connected to each other by means of a flat element 5. This flat element 5 has a thickness D in the direction perpendicular to its two main surfaces 6 that is smaller than the maximum diameter of each of the two fingers 4 connected in this manner.

[0040] What is meant here can be seen very well in FIG. 1. As a rule, the diameter of the fingers 4 is greater everywhere than the thickness D of the flat elements 5. In this way, a finger fringe is produced that is continuous in the longitudinal direction. In this case, the contour of the individual fingers 4 is clearly apparent everywhere, which is why the finger fringe is reminiscent of the dorsal fin of a fish or of a fence, between whose fencing posts a covering is provided, it is also easy to see in FIG. 1 or FIG. 2 that the flat elements 5 transition integrally into the core 2 at their radially inward ends and are thus integrally connected to the core 2. In contrast, the radially outward end of the flat elements 5, as can be seen, in each case forms a free end flux 8. In this exemplary embodiment, the free end face 8 is preferably concavely curved. Alternatively, however, a V-shaped design of this free end face 8, for example, is also conceivable.

[0041] It is also easy to see that each flat element 5 has a maximum extent in the radial direction which is smaller than the maximum extent of the two fingers 4 it connects. This means that the fingers 4 continue radially above the flat elements 5 and there form a part that is free on all sides and that is unimpededly flexible in all directions.

[0042] As the figures show only to a limited extent, each of the flat elements 5 is a membrane, i.e, an element that is incapable of transmitting any perceptible bending moments and only tensile forces or at least greater tensile forces than compressive forces. Thus, such a membrane is a flexible element which can be deformed to a more than just insubstantial extent by circumferentially acting forces, i.e. undergo a deformation in the range from 1 mm and more instead of only every deformation in the 1/100 mm range that virtually every rigid body exhibits under the influence of externally acting forces.

[0043] In many cases, it is beneficial to configure the flexible flat elements 5 in the shape of a plastic film, with a thickness of no more than 3/10 mm, and better of no more than 2/10 millimeters.

[0044] Due to this, it can be said that two immediately adjacent fingers 4 keep the flat element 5 stretched that is located between them and attached to them, similar to the way two fencing posts keep a fence covering stretched between them. Where bristles are used instead of teeth of a comb, the special feature is that the “fencing posts” are also flexible. This results in the possibility of bending the entire bristle fringe at least partially in the circumferential direction under the influence of the forces arising during the application as intended. In contrast, the bristle fringe puts up a significantly greater resistance against the bending of the individual bristles in the direction of the longitudinal axis than is observed when tilting back individual bristles, which are similarly placed and dimensioned but not connected to each other by a flat element 5. Due to the bend recovery capacity of the bristles, however, the bristle fringe returns into its initial position after some time, once the load on it has been relieved.

[0045] The flat elements 5 are manufactured by being jointly injection-molded with the core 2 and the fingers 4, most frequently in a single shot. Alternatively, the procedure may be that, in a second step, the fingers 4 and the flat elements 5 are injection-molded subsequently onto a core 2 that was injection-molded first.

[0046] It can be seen particularly well in FIGS. 1 and 2 that the fingers 4 have a gradually decreasing radial extent towards the distal end of the cosmetics applicator 1, i.e., the fingers become shorter and shorter towards the distal end. In this case, the radial extent of the flat elements preferably also decreases.

[0047] Taking a close look, it can be seen, particularly in FIG. 2, that the flat elements 5 have a free end face that slopes as a whole (irrespective of its, for example, concave curvature) towards the distal end 10 of the cosmetics applicator 1, i.e. a flat element 5 extends further radially outwards on the side on which it is connected to a longer finger 4 than on its other side, with which it is connected to a shorter finger 4.

[0048] FIGS. 4 and 5 show a second exemplary embodiment, which is a modification of the first exemplary embodiment and is therefore very similar to it. Due to this, the statements made above with respect to the first exemplary embodiment equally apply to this second exemplary embodiment unless the differences described below clearly lead to a different conclusion.

[0049] In this case, another difference that is preferably to be realized is that the fingers 4 in this case do not have a circular cross section, but an elliptical or even a substantially rectangular cross section. In this case, the cross section is orientated in such a way that the long semiaxis of the ellipsis is orientated parallel to the longitudinal applicator axis L, or that the long lateral edge of the rectangle is orientated parallel to the longitudinal applicator axis L. In this way, the bristle or finger fringe puts up an even greater resistance against a tilting back of the bristles or fingers 4 in the direction parallel to the longitudinal axis than in the first embodiment. The rigidity of the bristles or fingers 4 in this direction and their connection to each other by means of the flat elements 5 are thus combined in their effects.

[0050] Another difference is that the finger covering is in this case configured in a barrel-shaped manner on the whole. That means that each row of fingers 4 that stand one behind the other in alignment in the direction parallel to the longitudinal applicator axis L starts at the proximal end 9 of the cosmetics applicator 1 with a short finger 4, then the finger length increases gradually until it reaches a maximum; later, it gradually decreases again towards the distal end 10 of the cosmetics applicator 1. Preferably, the radial extent of the flat elements 5 between two adjacent fingers 4 increases or decreases with the length of the fingers 4, as can be seen from FIG. 4.

[0051] However, also in this embodiment, the flat elements 5 are generally configured as a membrane or plastic film and also behave in the way already described above for the first embodiment.

[0052] Also in this case, it applies that the maximum extent of each finger 4 in the circumferential direction is greater than the maximum thickness of the membrane or of the flat element 5, wherein the extent of each finger 4 in the circumferential direction is also in this case preferably greater everywhere than the thickness of the membrane or of the flat element 5, so that the fingers 4 are clearly apparent also in this case,

[0053] FIGS. 5 to 8 show another alternative third embodiment.

[0054] In this case, the fingers 4 are configured as preferably radially outwardly tapering tabs, i.e. as structures that have, in the direction of the longitudinal applicator axis L, an extent in the area of their base that is greater by at least the factor three than in the circumferential direction of the cosmetics applicator 1. Furthermore, all of the tabs that stand one behind the other in a row in the direction of the longitudinal applicator axis L advantageously have a common base area that protrudes in a strip-like manner from the core 2 of the cosmetics applicator 1. While these tabs are still rather flexible in the circumferential direction, they are dearly more rigid in the direction parallel to the longitudinal applicator axis L, already in and of themselves, than the fingers 4 or bristles of the two above-described exemplary embodiments. However, the above statements continue to apply to the flat elements 5 that connect these tabs in the same manner as the fingers 4 in the two above-described exemplary embodiments. The flat elements 5 are generally configured as a membrane or plastic film that again behaves in the way already described above for the first embodiment.

[0055] However, particularly if such a tab-shaped or tab-like configuration of the fingers 4 connected to each other by a flat element 5 is selected, as is the case in this third embodiment, it is particularly beneficial if the covering consists not only of such fingers 4, but additionally also of further fingers 4* in the shape of bristles in the above-defined sense, which are mostly disposed in rows. Of course, this modification also applies to the two above-described exemplary embodiments. Such a modification is only of slightly less use (but not useless) in those exemplary embodiments.

[0056] Another configuration option, which basically also applies to all exemplary embodiment but is of significant use particularly in the case of this third exemplary embodiment, is the wave-shaped configuration of the individual fingers 4 as it can best be seen in FIG. 6. For this purpose, the length of the fingers 4 standing one behind the other in alignment along the longitudinal applicator axis L is varied in such a way that they become alternately shorter and longer, so that the result is a wave. The local load of cosmetic mass, in particular mascara mass, is thus varied. The troughs of the waves are wiped off to a greater extent and thus freed to a greater extent from the cosmetic mass, in particular mascara mass, with which they are originally loaded, than the peaks of the waves, i.e. the areas in which the fingers 4 have a greater, in particular a relatively great length. This becomes evident particularly if tab-like fingers 4 are used, as in this case, that are additionally stabilized by flat elements 5 that connect them to each other.

[0057] FIGS. 9 to 10 show a last alternative fourth embodiment. In this exemplary embodiment, the fingers 4 are again configured as radially outwardly tapering tabs, but now in a more extreme way than in the preceding third embodiment. In this case, the tabs have, in the direction of the longitudinal applicator axis L, an extent in the area of their base that is greater by at least the factor 5 than in the circumferential direction of the cosmetics applicator 1. Also in this case, all of the tabs that stand one behind the other in a row in the direction of the longitudinal applicator axis L preferably have a common base area that protrudes in a strip-like manner from the core 2 of the cosmetics applicator 1.

[0058] However, also in this case, the above statements continue to apply to the flat elements 5 that connect the tabs in the same manner as the fingers 4 in all of the above-described exemplary embodiments, in particular the statements regarding the first exemplary embodiment. Also in this case, the flat elements 5 are generally configured as a membrane or plastic film that again behaves in the way already described above.

[0059] Finally, it must be noted that independent protection is also sought for a method for manufacturing an applicator with a covering of fingers injection-molded to a core 2, in which, together with the fingers, a film is injection-molded that extends in each case between two immediately adjacent fingers and is kept stretched by the fingers.