Applicator for applying a cosmetic product to keratinous materials

Abstract

The present invention relates to an applicator (10) of cosmetic product (P) for keratinous substances, particularly keratinous fibres, notably the eyelashes, the eyebrows, and/or the capillary fibres, comprising: —a core (40) that extends along a longitudinal axis (X), —at least one block (46) of porous material (47), —projecting elements (48) extending from the core (40) and at least partially passing through the porous material (47).

Claims

1. Applicator of cosmetic product for keratinous substances, comprising: a core that extends along a longitudinal axis, at least one block of cellular porous material, and projecting elements extending from the core and at least partially passing through the cellular porous material by penetrating the cells of the cellular porous material.

2. The applicator according to claim 1, wherein the core is at least partially made of a polymer material by injection moulding.

3. The applicator according to claim 2, in which at least part of the projecting elements is produced in polymer material.

4. The applicator according to claim 1, in which the core comprises two arms twisted together, and at least part of the projecting elements forming fibres gripped between the arms.

5. The applicator according to claim 1, wherein the porous material surrounds the core in cross section over at least an angular extent comprised between 45° and 360°.

6. The applicator according to claim 1, wherein the core forms a support, the porous material at least partially covering one face of the core.

7. The applicator according to claim 1, further comprising additional projecting elements that do not pass through the porous material.

8. The applicator according to claim 1, wherein the height (h) of the projecting elements, measured from the core, is greater than or equal to the thickness, measured from the core, of the said at least one block of porous material.

9. The applicator according to claim 1, wherein the height of the projecting elements, measured from the core, is between 1 mm and 10 mm.

10. The applicator according to claim 1, wherein the thickness measured from the core of the said at least one block of porous material is between 0.5 mm and 8 mm.

11. The applicator according to claim 1, wherein the porous material is selected from polymer foams with open porosity or with semi-open porosity, or polymer foams with closed porosity.

12. The applicator according to claim 11, wherein the polymer foam is selected from cross-linked polymer foams, cross-linked polyether, cross-linked polyester or cross-linked polyethylene.

13. The applicator according to claim 12, wherein the number of foam cells per unit length (PPI) that make up the porous material is between 10 and 80 PPI.

14. The applicator according to claim 1, wherein the density of the porous material is between 15 kg/m.sup.3 and 60 kg/m.sup.3.

15. The applicator according to claim 1, wherein the block of porous material is attached to the core.

16. The applicator according to claim 15, wherein the way in which the block of porous material is attached to the core is selected from bonding, welding, overmoulding and mechanical fastening.

17. The applicator according to claim 1, wherein the porous material is attached by a core having a distal portion onto which the block of porous material is slipped, the distal portion being connected to a proximal portion of the core by an articulation, the distal portion then being folded back onto the proximal portion, complementary reliefs holding the distal portion on the proximal portion, the rear part of the distal portion being provided with the projecting elements.

18. The applicator according to claim 1, further comprising a stem, the core being attached to the stem.

19. A device for packaging and applying a cosmetic product to the eyelashes and/or eyebrows and/or capillary fibres, comprising: an applicator according to claim 1, and a container containing the cosmetic product to be applied.

20. The device according to claim 19, the applicator comprising a stem, the core being attached to the stem, the stem of the applicator being secured to a cap that closes the container.

21. The device according to claim 20, wherein the container comprises a wiping member for wiping at least the projecting elements and/or the porous material when the applicator is withdrawn from the container.

22. The applicator according to claim 3, wherein at least part of the projecting elements is produced in polymer material by injection moulding with the core.

23. The applicator according to claim 9, wherein the height of the projecting elements, measured from the core, is between 2 mm and 6 mm.

24. The applicator according claim 1, wherein the thickness (e) measured from the core of the said at least one block of porous material is between 1 mm and 5 mm.

25. The applicator according to claim 1, wherein the number of foam cells per unit length (PPI) that make up the porous material is between 20 and 50 PPI.

26. The applicator according to claim 1, wherein the number of foam cells per unit length (PPI) that make up the porous material is approximately equal to 30 PPI.

27. The applicator according to claim 1, wherein the density of the porous material is between 20 kg/m.sup.3 and 40 kg/m.sup.3.

28. The applicator according to claim 1, wherein the density of the porous material is equal to approximately 30 kg/m.sup.3.

29. An applicator of cosmetic product for keratinous substances, particularly keratinous fibres, notably the eyelashes, the eyebrows, and/or the capillary fibres, comprising: a core that extends along a longitudinal axis, at least one block of porous material, projecting elements extending from the core and at least partially passing through the porous material, in which the porous material is attached by means of a core having a distal portion onto which the block of porous material is slipped, the distal portion being connected to a proximal portion of the core by an articulation, the distal portion then being folded back onto the proximal portion, complementary reliefs holding the distal portion on the proximal portion, the rear part of the distal portion being provided with the projecting elements.

30. The applicator according to claim 29, in which the articulation is a film hinge.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

(1) The invention may be understood better from reading the following detailed description of nonlimiting exemplary embodiments thereof and from studying the appended drawing, in which:

(2) FIG. 1 depicts an example of a packaging and application device according to the invention, in schematic longitudinal section,

(3) FIG. 2 is a schematic side view of the applicator of FIG. 1, viewed in isolation,

(4) FIG. 3 is a view of the applicator of FIG. 2, from above,

(5) FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of one example of foam that can be used as porous material for the applicator according to the invention,

(6) FIG. 5 is a schematic view illustrating several blocks of foams exhibiting different PPI values and the method for measuring these values,

(7) FIG. 6 schematically depicts, in a side view, another example of an applicator according to the invention,

(8) FIG. 7 schematically depicts, in a side view, another example of an applicator according to the invention,

(9) FIG. 8 schematically depicts, in a side view, another example of an applicator according to the invention,

(10) FIG. 9 is view in cross section on IX of FIG. 8,

(11) FIG. 10 is a schematic side view of another example of an applicator according to the invention prior to the attachment of the block of porous material to the rest of the applicator,

(12) FIG. 11 is a schematic view from above, in the direction of arrow XI of the example of FIG. 10, and

(13) FIG. 12 is a schematic side view of the applicator of FIGS. 10 and 11 after the block of porous material has been attached to the rest of the applicator, and the applicator finalized.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

(14) In the rest of the description, identical elements or elements having equivalent functions bear the same reference signs. Their description is not repeated for each of the figures, only the main differences between the embodiments being highlighted.

(15) The packaging and application device 1 depicted in FIG. 1 comprises a container 2 containing a product P to be applied to the eyelashes or the eyebrows and an applicator system 3 which may, in the example in question, be attached removably to the container 2. The product P comprises, for example, one or more pigments, notably an iron oxide. It is preferably a mascara.

(16) The applicator system 3 comprises, in this example, a stem 5 of longitudinal axis Y, which stem 5 is provided at a distal end 5a with an applicator 10 according to the invention and at the other end with a gripping member 11, which also forms a cap for closing the container 2 in a sealed manner. As can be seen notably in FIG. 1, said container comprises a body 13 provided at the top with a threaded neck 14 onto which the gripping member 11 can be screwed in order to close the container 2 in a sealed manner. As an alternative, the applicator system may be attached to the container in some other way.

(17) As is shown, the neck 14 is able to receive a wiping member 20 which, for example, is attached therein. This wiping member 20 has a lip 26 defining a wiping orifice with a diameter suited to that of the stem 5.

(18) The applicator 10 may be attached, in a conventional manner, in a housing provided at the distal end 5a of the stem 5, which stem is advantageously made of a thermoplastic material.

(19) The applicator 10, in this example, comprises a core 40 extending along a longitudinal axis X. The proximal end part 41 of the core 40 is connected to the stem 5 and has an inflection 44 in the central part. Thus, this proximal end part 41 extends on one side 42 to the end of a rectilinear part of the core 40 and, on an opposite other side 43, is connected to the stem 5 parallel to the longitudinal axis Y. The longitudinal axis X forms two angles of inflection in the proximal end part 41.

(20) The applicator 10 also comprises a block 46 of a porous material 47 and projecting elements 48 extending from the core 40 and at least partially, and in this example fully, passing through the porous material 47.

(21) The core 40 in this example forms a support approximately 3 mm thick, and has a face 45 that receives the projecting elements 48. The core 40 has a face 52 opposite to the face 45, that is smooth, not provided with projecting elements. The core 40 is made of thermoplastic polymer by injection moulding with the projecting elements 48 formed of teeth. The projecting elements 48 are thus connected by their base to the face 45 of the core. The projecting elements 48 are uniformly arranged, in parallel rows, and are all identical to one another.

(22) The block 46 of porous material 47 has a substantially rectangular parallelepipedal shape. The block 46 of porous material 47 is attached to the core 40, in this example by welding, particularly by ultrasonic welding. As an alternative or in addition, provision may be made for the block 46 of porous material 47 to be attached to the core 40 by bonding.

(23) The height h of the projecting elements 48 measured from the core 40 is, in this example, approximately 3 mm thick, namely substantially equal to twice the thickness e of the block 46 of porous material 47 which in this example measures approximately 1.5 mm. The applicator 10 therefore comprises an application element 30 for the cosmetic product P, which is formed by the projecting elements 48 and the porous material 47.

(24) Thus, by virtue of the invention, it is possible to have an applicator with projecting elements 48 which are relatively long, and therefore flexible, capable of gently and effectively combing through the eyelashes or eyebrows, while at the same time enjoying a product reserve formed by the porous material 47 a short distance away from the free end 51 of the projecting elements 48.

(25) FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of one example of foam that can be used as porous material 47. This porous material 47 in this instance is cellular, formed of a cross-linked polymer foam with open porosity, which means to say that forms polyhedral or spherical cells 49 constituting product reserves delimited from one another only by edge corners 50. It would not constitute a departure from the scope of the invention if the block 46 of porous material 47 were made of a foam with closed porosity or semi-open porosity, or from another porous material, such as fibrous materials formed for example of interlacings of cotton or of felt, amongst others.

(26) In the example illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 3, the porous material 47 is a cellular material made of a cross-linked thermoplastic polymer foam with open porosity, notably cross-linked polyurethane (PUR). The density of the cellular material is approximately 30 kg/m.sup.3 and the number of cells 49 per unit length is approximately 30 PPI.

(27) By way of example, use may alternatively be made of a black-coloured polyester polyurethane foam with a density (in accordance with standard ISO 1855) of 29 kg/m.sup.3 (+ or −3 kg/m.sup.3). By way of example, the PPI value of such a material may be 20 PPI. In this case, the load-bearing capacity (in accordance with standard ISO 3386/1) is 3.7 kPa (+ or −1), the elongation at break (in accordance with standard ISO 1798) is greater than 120% and the tensile strength (in accordance with standard ISO 1798) is greater than 80 kPa. The PPI value may be 30 PPI. In this case, the load-bearing capacity (in accordance with standard ISO 3386/1) is 3.7 kPa (+ or −1), the elongation at break (in accordance with standard ISO 1798) is greater than 150% and the tensile strength (in accordance with standard ISO 1798) is greater than 95 kPa. The PPI value may even be equal to 45 PPI. In this case, the load-bearing capacity (in accordance with standard ISO 3386/1) is 3.8 kPa (+ or −1), the elongation at break (in accordance with standard ISO 1798) is greater than 180% and the tensile strength (in accordance with standard ISO 1798) is greater than 100 kPa. The PPI value may even be equal to 60 PPI. In this case, the load-bearing capacity (in accordance with standard ISO 3386/1) is 4.2 kPa (+ or −1), the elongation at break (in accordance with standard ISO 1798) is greater than 200% and the tensile strength (in accordance with standard ISO 1798) is greater than 140 kPa. The PPI value may also be 80 PPI. In this case, the load-bearing capacity (in accordance with standard ISO 3386/1) is 4.2 kPa (+ or −1), the elongation at break (in accordance with standard ISO 1798) is greater than 230% and the tensile strength (in accordance with standard ISO 1798) is greater than 170 kPa. Of course, intermediate PPI values are possible.

(28) FIG. 6 depicts another example of an applicator 10 according to the invention, comprising a core 40 formed of two metal arms twisted together entrapping projecting elements 48 formed of fibres 55. The core 40 therefore forms a rod completely surrounded in cross section by projecting elements 48 in a proximal first zone 56. A distal second zone 57, positioned next to the proximal first zone 56, also comprises additional projecting elements 58 likewise formed of fibres trapped between the twisted metal arms of the core 40. In the proximal first zone 56, the applicator 10 comprises the block 46 of porous material 47 completely surrounding the core in cross section and having a thickness substantially equal to the height of the fibres 55. The application element 30 of the applicator 10 in this example is formed by the projecting elements 48, the porous material 47 and the additional projecting elements 58. The shape of the application element 30 in this example is ovoid. In this example too, the longitudinal axis X of the core 40 is rectilinear.

(29) The exterior surface 60 of the application element 30 may have various shapes. The exterior surface may, for example, exhibit an overall shape selected from the group consisting of a cylindrical shape, an ogive shape, an ovoid shape, a rugby-ball shape, a frustoconical shape, a conical shape, a biconical shape, a peanut shape, a diabolo shape, a shape exhibiting axial symmetry, a shape with no axial symmetry, a shape with reliefs, notably notches, grooves, ribs, slots, and any combination of these shapes.

(30) The applicator 10 depicted in FIG. 7 illustrates the possibility of the longitudinal axis X being curved. Moreover, in this example with a core 40 produced by injection moulding of thermoplastic polymer, the projecting elements 48 are arranged in groups 71 rather than being equidistant from one another. The core 40 forms end stops 72 and 73 at the proximal and distal ends respectively.

(31) The applicator in FIG. 7, like the one in FIGS. 1 to 3, may be classified as comb.

(32) In the example of FIGS. 8 and 9, the core 40 is likewise produced by injection moulding of thermoplastic polymer with the projecting elements 48, but in the form of a circular brush, the projecting elements 48 completely surrounding the core 40 in cross section, as can be seen in FIG. 9. The block 46 of porous material 47 also completely surrounds the core 40 in cross section.

(33) In the embodiment of FIGS. 10 to 12, the block 46 of porous material 47, notably when this is a foam, is attached by means of a core 40 that has a distal portion 80. The block 46 of porous material 47 is slipped, as illustrated by the two parallel arrows, onto this distal portion 80 via a longitudinal through-opening 81 which is substantially central in the block 46 in this embodiment, or directly through the block 46 of porous material 47. The distal portion 80 is connected to a proximal portion 82 of the core 40 by an articulation 83, in this example a film hinge. The distal portion 80 is then folded back onto the proximal portion 82, as illustrated by the curved arrow, complementary reliefs 84 and 85 present respectively on the distal portion 80 and on the proximal portion 82 holding the distal portion 80 on the proximal portion 82. In the example illustrated, the reliefs 84 present on the distal portion 80 are orifices, three of them, which complement projecting reliefs 85 of the proximal portion 82. The reliefs 85 at their free end have a bead allowing them to be fixed in the orifices in such a way as to secure the distal portion 80 to the proximal portion 82, trapping part of the block 46 of porous material 47, as illustrated in FIG. 12. The rear or back of the distal portion 80 is provided with the projecting elements 48 which project out of the block 46 of porous material, notably of foam.