Wiper for container of cosmetic product

Abstract

A wiper for a container of cosmetic product, the wiper including a substantially tubular body including at least one wiping portion of which a free interior surface defines a wiping passage through which an application member can pass in a wiping direction, the wiping portion is made of a thermoplastic elastomer having a hardness less than 70 Shore 00, preferably less than 45 or 50 Shore 00.

Claims

1. A wiper for a container of cosmetic product, said wiper comprising a substantially tubular body comprising at least one wiping portion of which a free interior surface defines a wiping passage through which an application member can pass in a wiping direction, wherein the wiping portion is made of a thermoplastic elastomer having a hardness less than 50 Shore 00.

2. The wiper as claimed in claim 1, wherein the thermoplastic elastomer has a hardness less than 30 Shore 00.

3. The wiper as claimed in claim 1, wherein the wiping portion, in the absence of deformation caused by the passage of the application member, has a tubular shape, the wiping passage having a circular cross section.

4. The wiper as claimed in claim 3, wherein a length of the wiping passage, in the direction of wiping, is greater than or equal to a diameter of the wiping passage.

5. The wiper as claimed in claim 3, wherein a thickness of the wiping portion, in a direction perpendicular to the direction of wiping and over at least most of a length of the wiping passage, is greater than or equal to half a diameter of the wiping passage.

6. The wiper as claimed in claim 1, wherein the wiping passage has at least one of a frustoconically shaped application member insertion orifice and an extraction orifice for the application member.

7. The wiper as claimed in claim 1, wherein the wiper comprises a catching portion said catching portion being produced as one piece with the wiping portion, by molding or injection molding, or from a different material by two-shot injection molding.

8. The wiper as claimed in claim 1, wherein the wiper has no catching portion.

9. The wiper as claimed in claim 1, wherein the wiping portion comprises an external surface having an at least partially peripheral bulge.

10. The wiper as claimed in claim 9, wherein the bulge is situated at one end of the wiping portion when considered in the direction of wiping.

11. The wiper as claimed in claim 1, wherein the wiping portion comprises at least one additional passage that forms a vent, configured to allow a communication of air between an interior first space of a reservoir situated on one side of the wiping portion and a second space situated on an opposite side of the wiping portion.

12. A device for packaging and applying a a cosmetic product comprising a body that forms a reservoir intended to contain the cosmetic product to be applied and a free edge of which delimits an opening able to allow at least the extraction of an application member from inside the reservoir, the opening being equipped with a wiper as claimed in claim 1.

13. The device as claimed in claim 12, wherein the opening is situated at an end of a neck, the wiper being arranged at least partially inside the neck, and, via a catching portion, able to collaborate with retaining means complementing said catching portion.

14. The device as claimed in claim 12, wherein the wiping portion is situated after the neck inside the reservoir, said wiping portion having an upper surface that comes into contact with an internal surface of a shoulder of the neck.

15. The device as claimed in claim 12, wherein the wiper has no catching portion and is arranged in a wiper holder having at least one perforated lower wall, the wiping portion being spaced away, over a majority of a length of the wiping passage, from a lateral wall of the wiper holder or of the reservoir.

Description

(1) The present invention will be better understood in light of the following detailed description with reference to the appended drawing in which:

(2) FIG. 1 is a schematic depiction, in longitudinal cross section, of a first packaging and application assembly equipped with a wiper according to the invention not provided with a catching portion.

(3) FIG. 2 is a schematic depiction, in longitudinal cross section, of an alternative form of embodiment of the wiper of FIG. 1.

(4) FIG. 3 is a schematic depiction, in longitudinal cross section, of a second packaging and application assembly equipped with a wiper according to the invention having a catching portion.

(5) FIGS. 4 and 5 illustrate alternative forms of embodiment of a wiper according to the invention.

(6) FIGS. 6 and 7 are photos of a wiper obtained with a block wiper made respectively from a foam with a hardness of 20 Shore A and from a thermoplastic elastomer with a hardness of 17 Shore 00.

(7) Unless specified otherwise, the wiper configurations are given at rest, namely in the absence of deformation caused by the passage of the application member during an extraction and/or insertion movement.

(8) Moreover, the directions are given with respect to the orientation of the wiper as fitted in the packaging and application device. Thus, top and bottom directions are to be understood as meaning, respectively, intended to be oriented toward a product distribution opening and intended to be oriented toward a bottom of the reservoir situated at the opposite end to the pickup/distribution opening.

(9) FIG. 1 shows a packaging and application assembly 1 comprising a body forming a reservoir 10 which is intended to contain the cosmetic product P to be applied and a free edge 11 of which delimits an opening 12. More specifically, the opening 12 is situated at one end of a neck 13 of the reservoir 10.

(10) As will be described below, for assembly purposes, the neck 13 is produced in the form of a band 10a attached to a main part 10b of the reservoir 10, notably by snap-fastening, clip-fastening or screw-fastening.

(11) The reservoir 10 is equipped with a detachable closure member 14 designed to close the opening 12 of said reservoir 10 in a removable manner. In this case, the closure member 14 is in the form of a cap that is able to engage with the neck 13, notably by screw-fastening.

(12) According to the embodiment depicted, the cap 14 can be screwed on and for this purpose comprises an internal screw thread 14a able to engage with an external screw thread belonging to the neck 13a. Quite obviously, other ways of closure may be envisioned, for example a closure of magnetic type.

(13) The packaging and application assembly 1 comprises an applicator 20 having a stem 21 that has a first end connected to the closure member 14 and a second end connected to an application member 22.

(14) The closure member 14 forms a member for grasping the applicator 20.

(15) The application member 22 comprises an elongate main body bearing a set of protruding application elements. The application elements between them define a plurality of spaces for loading and applying the cosmetic product P.

(16) In this particular instance, the application member 22 is a mascara applicator.

(17) Although illustrated by an application member 22 made from a molded thermoplastic elastomer, the present application is clearly not restricted thereto and the application member 22 may, particularly for mascara, be an application member of the “fibers” type or “twisted core” type formed by the helical winding or twisting together of two branches of a metal wire forming a core around tufts of bristles extending radially out from the metal wire. The application member 22 may also be a hybrid or compound application member.

(18) Furthermore, the application member 22 is not restricted to a mascara applicator and may be any applicator suited to the cosmetic product contained in the reservoir.

(19) By way of the closure member 14, the applicator 20 is able to move between a first position, known as the pick-up position, in which said applicator member 22 is situated inside the reservoir 10 and is able to be brought at least partially into contact with the cosmetic product P, and a second position, known as the application position, in which the applicator member 22 can be brought into contact with a part of the human body to which makeup is to be applied.

(20) According to the present application, the reservoir 10 is equipped with a wiping member 50 that is disposed close to the opening 12 and is able to wipe at least the applicator member 22 of the applicator 20 as said applicator 20 is withdrawn.

(21) According to the embodiment, the wiper 50 is disposed inside the reservoir 10 at an entry of the neck 13.

(22) The wiper 50 comprises a substantially tubular body comprising at least one wiping portion 51 of which a free internal surface defines a wiping passage 52 through which the application member 22 is able to pass in a wiping direction.

(23) The wiping direction corresponds substantially to a longitudinal direction of the neck 13 and of the reservoir 10.

(24) More particularly, the wiper 50 has no catching portion and comprises only the wiping portion 51 which takes the form of a block of thermoplastic elastomer.

(25) According to the present application, the thermoplastic elastomer has a hardness less than 70 Shore 00, preferably less than 45-50 Shore 00.

(26) In this particular instance, the thermoplastic elastomer has a hardness less than 30 Shore 00, preferably less than 20 Shore 00.

(27) The thermoplastic elastomer is a TPS or TPES, preferably a SEBS. The thermoplastic material used may also belong to the TPE gel family, making it possible to obtain a very low hardness.

(28) As indicated previously, the thermoplastic material may be a single thermoplastic elastomer or a mixture of thermoplastic elastomers the mix of which possesses the target hardness property.

(29) By way of example of materials that can be used, mention may be made of the PolyOne® materials marketed under the references GLS 454-115 (18 Shore 00) and GLS 458-083 (20 Shore A).

(30) Advantageously, the material used may be a blend representing, for example, 70/30 by weight or 50/50 by weight, depending on the materials used, of thermoplastic elastomers having different degrees of hardness. The use of a blend in order to obtain the desired hardness can notably make it possible to reduce the total cost of the material by using a high proportion of a harder but less expensive material or vice-versa.

(31) By virtue of the use of a thermoplastic elastomer, the wiper can be produced simply using an injection molding method and makes it possible to avoid any later cutting step, unlike the use of a block of foam.

(32) To all intents and purposes it is also possible to add to the TPE material fillers exhibiting certain specific functionalities and, for example, a bactericidal function (a filler of zinc, active charcoal, silver or copper for example).

(33) The wiper 50 has a wiping portion 51 of cylindrical shape.

(34) The wiping passage 52 has a length in the wiping direction that is greater than or equal to a diameter of the wiping passage 52.

(35) Thus, the length of the wiping passage 52 may conventionally be around 5 to 6 mm.

(36) As indicated hereinabove, the diameter of the wiping passage 52 is determined so that it is smaller than the maximum diameter of the application member 22.

(37) For preference, the diameter of the wiping passage 52 is smaller than the minimum diameter of the application member 22, so that it is able to wipe the entirety of the application member 22.

(38) Thus, the diameter of the wiping passage 52 may conventionally be less than 5 mm.

(39) For preference also, the diameter of the wiping passage 52 is substantially equal to or even slightly smaller than the diameter of the stem 21, so as to be able also to wipe the stem 21 as the applicator is being extracted.

(40) Such a feature makes it possible to achieve effective sealing at the stem 21 between said stem 21 and the wiping portion. Advantageously, efforts will be made to ensure that the clamping, which means to say the difference between the diameter of the wiping passage and the diameter of the stem 21 is at least 0.1 mm, preferably at least 0.2 mm.

(41) Thus the diameter of the wiping passage 52 may conventionally be less than or equal to 2 mm.

(42) The thickness of the wiping portion 51, in a direction perpendicular to the direction of wiping, is greater than or equal to half the diameter of the wiping passage 52, in this particular instance around 0.75 times the diameter of the wiping passage 52.

(43) Thus, the thickness of the wiping portion may conventionally be between 2 and 6 mm.

(44) The wiper 50 is arranged inside the reservoir 10 at the base of the neck 13 in a wiper holder 17 in the form of a basket caught on a rim of the reservoir 10 before the band 10a that forms the neck 13 is put in place.

(45) The wiper holder 17 has a central orifice 17a that coincides with the wiping passage 52 so as to allow the application member 22 to pass through.

(46) As explained above, the dimension of the orifice may be adjusted according to the desired retention of the wiping portion and, in particular, the desired flexural deformation as the application member passes.

(47) Thus, the wiping portion 51 is comprised between a lower shoulder of the neck 13 and the wiper holder 17, an upper surface of said wiping portion 51 coming into contact with an internal surface of a shoulder of the neck.

(48) In general, the retaining zone for the wiping portion 51, here by way of the shoulder of the neck 13 and the lower surface of the wiper holder 17, may be adapted according to the flexural deformation desired as the application member passes.

(49) Specifically, in the case of a retention zone extending substantially over the entire thickness of the wiping portion, the latter will be blocked in terms of bending as the application member passes. It is possible to reduce the length of this retention zone in such a way as to permit greater or lesser amounts of flexural deformation.

(50) FIG. 2 depicts an alternative form 55 of the wiper 50 comprising, independently of one another, a wiping passage 52 exhibiting an upper insertion orifice 53 of frustoconical cross section and a peripheral bulge 54 situated at a lower end of the wiping portion.

(51) Optionally, the lower orifice may also have a frustoconical cross section.

(52) The presence of a peripheral bulge 54 allows, when the wiper 50 is in place in the wiper holder 17, it to be correctly positioned in said wiper holder 17 while at the same time keeping the wiping portion 51 spaced away from a lateral wall of the wiper holder 17 or of the reservoir 10, as appropriate.

(53) The presence of such a clearance to a lateral wall makes it possible to improve the initial deformation of the wiping portion 51 as the application member 22 passes before said wiping portion is compressed against the lateral wall of the wiper holder 17 or of the reservoir which supports it.

(54) According to one embodiment, the height of the peripheral bulge 54 is less than or equal to 20% of the height of the wiping portion. Thus, in the case of a wiper of a height of 6 mm, the height of the peripheral bulge 54 may be around 1 mm.

(55) The thickness of the peripheral bulge 54 will be dependent on the desired delay on compression and the desired elongation work. For example, the thickness of the peripheral bulge may be less than or equal to 20% of the thickness of the wiping portion 51, (excluding the thickness of the bulge 54). For preference, the thickness of the peripheral bulge will be less than 15%. Thus, for a wiping portion having a thickness of around 5 mm, the thickness of the peripheral bulge will be around 0.5 mm.

(56) FIG. 3 shows a packaging and distribution assembly 100 differing from the assembly 1 essentially in that it is equipped with a wiper 150 which, in addition to a wiping portion 151 as described earlier, has a catching portion 152.

(57) Thus, the wiper 150 is not held in a wiper holder 17 but is attached directly to the neck 13 via its catching portion 152.

(58) The catching portion 152 is produced as one piece with the wiping portion 151.

(59) The catching portion 152 may be produced after the manner of the catching portions of conventional lip-type wipers.

(60) The catching portion 152 may be made from the same material as the wiping portion or preferably from a more rigid thermoplastic elastomer (conventionally having a hardness in excess of 20 Shore A), making it easier to catch and retain. The use of a different material can be achieved by a two-shot injection molding or an overmolding method.

(61) In addition it will be noted that the wiping portion 151 also comprises an additional passage that forms a vent 155, configured to permit a communication of air between a first interior space of a reservoir situated on one side of the wiping portion and a second space situated on an opposite side of the wiping portion. The vent 155 extends substantially in a direction transverse to the wiping axis, notably a radial direction.

(62) The presence of the vent 155 makes it possible to avoid any phenomenon of overpressure or of depression (piston effect) as the application member 22 is introduced or extracted through said wiping portion 152.

(63) FIG. 4 shows a packaging and distribution assembly 200 differing from the assembly 1 essentially in that it is equipped with a wiper 250 which has a wiping portion 251 and a catching portion 252.

(64) The wiping portion 251 is similar to the wiping portion 51 except that it comprises a frustoconical upper orifice 53 similar to that of the wiper 55.

(65) Moreover, the wiping portion 251 is also supported in a wiper holder 17.

(66) The catching portion 252 is produced as one piece with the band 10b that forms the neck 13.

(67) Thus, the wiper 150 is not held in a wiper holder 17 but is attached directly to the neck 13 via its catching portion 152.

(68) For preference, the wiping portion is made from a material that has enough rigidity to ensure that the assembly is held firmly on the reservoir 10. The wiper 250 may notably be produced using a two-shot injection molding or an overmolding method. Where appropriate, it will be advantageous to provide zones in relief making it possible to increase the mechanical attachment between the materials (cf., for example, EP 2 574 252).

(69) Depending on the rigidity of the material used to make the catching portion, it is also conceivable to overmold it on the neck 13.

(70) FIG. 5 shows a band 310b forming a neck 13 and intended to be attached to a corresponding main part of a reservoir of a packaging and distribution assembly.

(71) The neck 13 is equipped with a wiper 350 according to the present application comprising a wiping portion 351 similar to the wiping portion 251, and a catching portion 252 configured to collaborate with the neck 13 and hold the wiper 350 in place.

(72) In order to do this, the wiping portion 252 has a upper peripheral radial rim 253 and a lower peripheral radial rim 254, the rims 253 and 204 coming into engagement respectively with the free edge 11 of the neck 13 and with an internal lower shoulder of that same neck 13.

(73) As before, depending on the hardness of the material used, it is possible to overmold the catching portion on the neck 13, the neck then providing the mechanical integrity.

(74) FIGS. 6 and 7 are photos showing the result of wiping performed by a foam block wiper according to the prior art (FIG. 6) and using a block wiper comprising of wiping portion produced from a TPE with a hardness of 18 Shore 00.

(75) The difference in wiping precision is clearly visible.