COSMETIC APPLICATOR HAVING FIBRES

Abstract

A device for packaging and applying a makeup product, having a reservoir containing the makeup product to be applied, and an applicator for applying the makeup product, having an applicator member, carried by the stem, having a plurality of fibres, the fibres having a plurality of portions, at least two portions of which are made of different materials, and the fibres not having, in cross section, an articulated zone defined by one of the portions, the portions made of different materials each defining a part of the outer perimeter p of the fibre in section, or one of the portions made of different materials entirely surrounding the other in section and having at least one region that narrows towards the outside.

Claims

1.-14. (canceled)

15. A device for packaging and applying a makeup product, having: a reservoir containing the makeup product to be applied, and an applicator for applying the makeup product, having: an applicator member, carried by the stem, having a plurality of fibres, the fibres having a plurality of portions, at least two portions of which are made of different materials, and the fibres not having, in cross section, an articulated zone defined by one of the portions, (i) the portions made of different materials each defining a part of the outer perimeter p of the fibre in section, or (ii) one of the portions made of different materials entirely surrounding the other in section and having at least one region that narrows towards the outside.

16. The device according to claim 15, wherein each fibre has between 2 and 8 of said portions.

17. The device according to claim 15, wherein each fibre has between 2 and 8 portions made of different materials.

18. The device according to claim 15, wherein the portions are co-extruded.

19. The device according to claim 15, wherein the portions have a constant section and extend longitudinally along the entire length of the fibre.

20. The device according to claim 19, wherein the portions are continuous along the entire length of the fibre.

21. The device according to claim 15, wherein said portions made of different materials have a difference of at least 10 units on the same Shore hardness scale.

22. The device according to claim 21, wherein said portions made of different materials have a difference of at least 20 units.

23. The device according to claim 15, wherein said portions each occupy, in cross section, between 20% and 80% of the section formed by the joining of this portion to an adjacent portion made of a different material.

24. The device according to claim 23, wherein said portions each occupy, in cross section, between 30% and 70% of the section formed by the joining of this portion to an adjacent portion made of a different material.

25. The device according to claim 23, wherein said portions each occupy, in cross section, between 40% and 60% of the section formed by the joining of this portion to an adjacent portion made of a different material.

26. The device according to claim 15, wherein two of said portions made of different materials are separated, in cross section, by a contact line with a length greater than or equal to 1/16 of the perimeter of the area formed by the joining of these portions.

27. The device according to claim 26, wherein two of said portions made of different materials are separated, in cross section, by a contact line with a length greater than or equal to ⅛ of the perimeter of the area formed by the joining of these portions.

28. The device according to claim 15, wherein each fibre has a shape factor L/e less than or equal to 5, the shape factor L/e being defined in section by the ratio of the greatest length L of the fibre to the greatest dimension e of the fibre in a direction perpendicular to that of the greatest length L.

29. The device according to claim 28, wherein each fibre has a shape factor L/e less than or equal to 4.

30. The device according to claim 15, wherein the fibres have, in cross section, a region that narrows towards the outside.

31. The device according to claim 15, wherein at least two separated portions are made of one and the same material.

32. The device according to claim 15, wherein the applicator has a core formed by a metal strand folded on itself and twisted, the fibres being clamped between the strands of the core.

33. A makeup method comprising the step of applying a makeup product to human keratin materials with the packaging and application device according to claim 15.

34. A method for manufacturing a device according to claim 15, comprising the step of heating the applicator member so as to bring about the deformation of the fibres.

Description

[0047] The invention may be better understood from reading the following detailed description of non-limiting illustrative embodiments thereof and from examining the appended drawing, in which:

[0048] FIG. 1 schematically shows an example of a packaging and application device,

[0049] FIGS. 2 to 16 illustrate variants of fibres in cross section, and

[0050] FIG. 17 is an elevation view of another example of an applicator.

[0051] The packaging and application device 1 shown in FIG. 1 has a container 2 containing a makeup product P to be applied, in particular to the eyelashes or the eyebrows, for example mascara, and an applicator 3 having a stem 4 of longitudinal axis X, provided at one end 4a with an applicator member 5 and at the opposite end with a gripping member 6 that likewise serves to close the container 2. The latter has a neck 7 which is externally threaded so as to allow the gripping member 6 to be screwed on.

[0052] A wiping member 8 is fixed inside the neck 7 in order to wipe the stem 4 and the applicator member 5 as they are withdrawn from the container 2. This wiping member 8 has a flexible lip 9 that defines a, for example circular, wiping orifice, the diameter of which corresponds more or less to that of the stem 4.

[0053] Of course, the invention is not limited to the use of a particular wiping member and further wiping members can be used, for example a wiping member with a wavy lip and/or having one or more slits.

[0054] In the example illustrated, the stem 4 is rectilinear but it could be curved without departing from the scope of the present invention.

[0055] In the example in question, the applicator member 5 has a twisted core 10 formed in a conventional manner by two metal strands that are twisted together, in particular two strands made of one and the same metal wire folded on itself. This core 10 is fixed at one end in a housing in the stem 4, being for example force-fitted into this housing.

[0056] The applicator member 5 has fibres 11 which are held in a clamped manner between the twisted metal strands of the core 10.

[0057] As can be seen in particular in FIG. 2, these fibres 11 each have at least two portions 13 and 15 made of different materials.

[0058] The portions 13 and 15 are preferably made of a plastics material, preferably of a thermoplastic material, in particular polyamide (PA), elastomer, polybutadiene terephthalate (PBT), rubber, or mixtures thereof, in particular a mixture of PA, PBT and rubber or elastomer and PA.

[0059] Preferably, the fibres 11 are formed by co-extrusion.

[0060] The greatest width L of the fibre 11 in section, in this case the diameter, may be between 0.1 and 0.3 mm.

[0061] In the example in FIG. 2, the fibre 11 has a circular shape in section and the portions 13 and 15 are each in the form of a semicircle and define half of the fibre 11 in section. The shape factor L/e is in this case equal to 1.

[0062] In section, the line of contact S.sub.35 between the portions 13 and 15 has a size greater than ⅛ of the perimeter p of the area formed by the two portions 13 and 15, corresponding in this case to the total perimeter of the fibre 11. The ratio S.sub.35/p is in this case equal to 1/π.

[0063] The example in FIG. 3 differs from the one in FIG. 2 in that it has four distinct sectors 13a, 13b, 15a and 15b made of two different materials, each forming a portion within the meaning of the invention and each occupying a quarter of the section of the fibre 11. The diametrically opposed portions 13a and 13b are made of a first material, and the likewise diametrically opposed portions 15a and 15b are made of a second material. The ratio S.sub.35/p is in this case equal to 1/(π+2), p being the perimeter of the area formed by two adjacent portions, in this case corresponding to the perimeter of a half-fibre 11.

[0064] The example in FIG. 4 differs from the one in FIG. 3 in that the fibre has two diametrically opposed portions 13a and 13b made of one and the same first material, and two portions 15 and 17 made of respective second and third materials, the portions 13a, 13b, 15a and 15b each occupying a quarter of the section of the fibre 11.

[0065] The example in FIG. 5 differs from the one in FIG. 2 in that the fibre 11 has three portions 13, 15 and 17 made of different materials. The portion 13 has a section which is twice that of the two other portions 15 and 17 that each occupy a quarter of the section of the fibre 11. The ratios S.sub.35/p.sub.35 and S.sub.37/p.sub.37 are equal to 1/(3π/2+2) and the ratio S.sub.57/p.sub.57 is equal to 1/(π+2), p.sub.35 being the perimeter of the area formed by the pair of adjacent portions 13 and 15, p.sub.37 being the perimeter of the area formed by the pair of adjacent portions 13 and 17, and p.sub.57 being the perimeter of the area formed by the pair of adjacent portions 15 and 17.

[0066] The example in FIG. 6 differs from the one in FIG. 3 in that the fibre 11 has four portions 13, 15, 17 and 19 made of four respective different materials that each occupy a quarter of the fibre 11.

[0067] The example in FIG. 7 differs from the one in FIG. 6 in that the four portions 13, 15, 17 and 19 occupy sectors of the fibre 11 with different sizes. The contact lines S.sub.35, S.sub.57, S.sub.79 and S.sub.39 are in this case identical lengths that are equal to the radius of the cross section of the fibre 11. The ratios S.sub.ij/p.sub.ij are different for each pair of adjacent portions made of different materials but are each less than or equal to 1/16, better still ⅛, p.sub.ij being the perimeter of the area formed by the pair of adjacent portions 1i and 1j.

[0068] FIG. 8 illustrates a fibre 11 having a section in the shape of a droplet (tear) having a first portion 13 made of a first material, having a circular section forming the round part of the droplet, and a second portion 15 made of a second material, having a substantially triangular shape in section, forming the point of the droplet. The shape factor L/e is less than 2. In section, the line of contact S.sub.35 between the portions 13 and 15 has a size greater than ⅛ of the total perimeter p of the fibre 11.

[0069] FIG. 9 shows a fibre 11, the section of which is in the form of nested discs, having two portions 13 and 15 made of different materials. The portion 13 forms a large circle and the portion 15 forms a small circle nested in the portion 13. The shape factor L/e is less than 2. In section, the line of contact S.sub.35 between the portions 13 and 15 has a size greater than ⅛ of the total perimeter p of the fibre 11.

[0070] In the example illustrated in FIG. 10, the fibre 11 is in the overall shape of a § in section, the fibre 11 narrowing towards the top, terminating at a point oriented towards the right, and narrowing towards the bottom, terminating in a point oriented towards the left. The first portion 13 forms the central part and top of the § and the portion 15 forms the bottom part of the §. The shape factor L/e is less than 4. The external contour of the fibre 11 may be symmetric with respect to its central axis. In section, the line of contact S.sub.35 between the portions 13 and 15 has a size greater than ⅛ of the total perimeter p of the fibre 11.

[0071] The example in FIG. 11 differs from the one in FIG. 10 in that the first portion 13 has a circular shape in section and forms the core of the §. The second portion 15 covers all of the first portion 13 and gives the fibre 11 its § shape in section. The fibre is symmetric with respect to its central axis.

[0072] FIG. 12 shows a fibre 11 in which the first portion 13 has a circular shape. The second portion 15 covers all of the first portion 13 in section and forms points 21 diametrically away from one another relative to the central axis of the fibre 11. The shape ratio L/e is less than 3. The fibre 11 is symmetric with respect to its central axis. In section, the line of contact S.sub.35 between the portions 13 and 15 has a size greater than ⅛ of the total perimeter p of the fibre 11.

[0073] The example in FIG. 13 differs from those in the preceding figures in that the fibre 11 has three portions 13, 15a and 15b made of two different materials. The portion 13, of circular section, is made of a first material and the portions 15a and 15b are made of a second material, each being substantially in the form of an isosceles triangle in section. The portion 13 forms the centre of the fibre 11 and the portions 15a and 15b face away from one another relative to the central axis of the fibre 11, their bases 23 being in contact with the portion 13. In section, the contact line S.sub.35a between the portions 13 and 15a has a size greater than ⅛ of the perimeter pa of the section formed by the portions 13 and 15a, and the contact line S.sub.35b between the portions 13 and 15b has a size greater than ⅛ of the perimeter p.sub.b of the section formed by the portions 13 and 15b.

[0074] The example in FIG. 14 differs from the one in FIG. 4 in that the fibre 11 is Y-shaped and has three portions 13, 15 and 17 made of three different materials that each occupy a third of the fibre 11 in section. Each portion 13, 15 and 17 can form one arm of the Y. In a variant, each portion can form a V extending on two arms of the Y. Preferably, the legs of the Y form an angle α equal to 120° between one another, but this does not have to be the case. The contact lines S.sub.35, S.sub.37 and S.sub.57 have a size greater than 1/16 of the respective parameters P.sub.35, P.sub.37 and P.sub.57. The ratio L/e is less than 2.

[0075] The example in FIG. 15 differs from the one in FIG. 14 in that the fibre has two portions 13 and 14 made of two different materials. The first portion 13 forms an arm of the Y and the second portion 15 forms two arms of the Y. In a variant, the first portion 13 may be V-shaped and the second portion 15 Y-shaped.

[0076] FIG. 16 illustrates a fibre 11 in section in the form of a double blade having two portions 13 and 15 made of two different materials. The first portion 13 has a circular shape and defines the core of the fibre 11, the second portion 15 surrounds the first portion with a central part in the form of a circle and has ends in the form of blades. The ends narrow and are each connected in section to the central part by a straight line 30 and a curve 32 that is concave towards the outside. The concave curve 32 has a radius of curvature R less than or equal to the radius of the central part of the second portion.

[0077] In a variant, the fibres may be hollow.

[0078] FIG. 16 illustrates an applicator having a stem 4 of longitudinal axis X, provided at one end 4a with an applicator member 5 and at the opposite end with a gripping member 6, the applicator member 5 being formed by a bundle of substantially parallel fibres 11 according to the invention.

[0079] The invention is not limited to the exemplary embodiments which have just been described, and the characteristics of the various examples can be combined with one another within variants that are not illustrated.

[0080] For example, the brush can be subjected to a hot air blower in order to cause at least some of the fibres to deform. The fibres can also be brought into contact with a hot surface. The exposure to a heating means can cause the fibres to curve, on account of the presence of the portions made of different materials.

[0081] The expression “having a” should be understood as being synonymous with “comprising at least one”, unless specified to the contrary.