DEVICE FOR PACKAGING AND APPLYING A COSMETIC PRODUCT

Abstract

A device for packaging and applying a cosmetic product includes a brush applicator having a tuft of bristles at one end, and a container to which the brush applicator can be fastened, comprising a container intended to contain the product to be applied and a housing for receiving at least a part of the tuft of bristles of the brush, said housing communicating with the container via at least one opening, wherein, when the brush applicator is fastened to the container, only some of the bristles of the tuft of bristles are disposed in and/or next to the opening and directly exposed to the product coming from the container.

Claims

1. A device for packaging and applying a cosmetic product, comprising: a brush applicator comprising a tuft of bristles at one end, a container to which the brush applicator can be fastened, comprising a container intended to contain the product to be applied and a housing for receiving at least a part of the tuft of bristles of the brush, said housing communicating with the container via at least one opening, wherein, when the brush applicator is fastened to the container, only some of the bristles of the tuft of bristles are disposed in and/or next to the opening and directly exposed to the product coming from the container.

2. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the tuft of bristles is engaged in the opening and closes it off when the applicator is fastened to the container.

3. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein, when the brush applicator is fastened to the container, the tuft of bristles has a cross section which decreases over a distance d1, measured along the longitudinal axis of the tuft of bristles, from a point at which the section is at a maximum as far as the distal end of the tuft of bristles, the housing and the tuft of bristles being arranged such that the tuft of bristles is exposed to the product contained in the container, from the distal end of the tuft of bristles, over a distance d2 that is strictly inferior to d1.

4. The device as claimed in claim 3, wherein d2/(d1−d2)<½, better still d2/(d1−d2)<⅓, even better still d2/(d1−d2)<¼.

5. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the container has a hollow body that is open at one end and an insert attached to this body, the insert defining said housing.

6. The device as claimed in claim 5, wherein the insert comprises a mounting skirt to which the brush applicator is fastened.

7. The device as claimed in claim 5, which has a wall that extends at a nonzero distance from the body of the container and defines said opening.

8. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the tip of the tuft of bristles is engaged in the opening.

9. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein part of the tuft of bristles passes through the opening, preferably protruding therefrom.

10. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the ratio So/Sm between the section So of the opening and the maximum section Sm of the tuft of bristles when the applicator brush is fastened to the container is less than or equal to 1, better still less than or equal to ½, even better still less than or equal to ⅓, preferably less than or equal to ¼.

11. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the tuft of bristles comes into contact with the wall defining the housing above the opening.

12. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the tuft of bristles comes into contact with the wall defining the housing over a distance greater than or equal to L/4, where L denotes the visible length of the tuft of bristles.

13. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the tuft of bristles is constrained radially in the housing above the opening, preferably at a distance from the opening, measured along the longitudinal axis of the housing, that is greater than or equal to L/4, where L denotes the visible length of the tuft of bristles.

14. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the container comprises an agitation means for the product, preferably one or more balls, the product preferably being pulverulent.

15. A method for loading a brush applicator as defined in claim 1 with product, wherein the device is agitated axially with the brush applicator in position on the container so as to close it, and then the latter is held the right way up and the brush applicator is separated from the container.

16. A method for making up human keratin materials, wherein the brush applicator is loaded in accordance with the loading method defined in claim 15 and then the product is applied using the surface of the tuft of bristles that is not loaded with product to spread it and blend it over the zone treated.

Description

[0034] The invention may be understood better from reading the following detailed description of a nonlimiting illustrative embodiment thereof and from studying the appended drawing, in which:

[0035] FIG. 1 shows a schematic elevation view of an example of a packaging and application device according to the invention,

[0036] FIG. 2 is a partial and schematic axial section through the device in FIG. 1,

[0037] FIG. 3 shows the end, loaded with product, of the brush after the applicator has been withdrawn,

[0038] FIG. 4 is a front view along the arrow IV in FIG. 3, and

[0039] FIG. 5 shows the housing for receiving the brush, on its own and in part.

[0040] The packaging and application device 1 according to the invention that is shown in the figures comprises an applicator 10 and a container 20 to which the applicator 10 can be fastened when it is not in use, as illustrated in FIG. 1.

[0041] The container 20 contains a makeup product such as a foundation or an eyeshadow.

[0042] The applicator 10 comprises a handle 11 to which there is fastened an insert 12 that defines a housing 13 in which there is fixed a tuft of bristles 30 that extends axially along a longitudinal axis X. This axis is in this case coincident with the longitudinal axis of the applicator 10 and with the longitudinal axis of the container 20.

[0043] The tuft of bristles 30 can be fixed to the brush applicator by various means, for example by adhesive bonding, crimping, stapling, overmolding, pressing, among other possibilities. The bristles can preferably be welded so as to form a collar of melted plastic at the base of the tuft. The tuft is then joined to a cap by mechanical clamping. Furthermore, depending on the assembly method, the bristles can be inserted from the front of the brush or from the rear of the brush. An advantage of assembly from the rear is that it allows an even better increase in the density of the tuft of bristles by a funnel effect.

[0044] The bristles are natural or synthetic. The bristles may be constituted of at least one synthetic material, for example chosen from the following list: PA 6,12, polyester, Rilsan®, polyamide, polyether, polyamide block-ether, polyethylene, polytetrafluoroethylene, polyvinylidene fluoride, polyacetate, polyethylene terephthalate, Natrafil®, Hytrel®.

[0045] Their section can be circular, polygonal, oval or multilobe and their section can be solid or hollow.

[0046] The tuft of bristles 30 can comprise a single type of bristles or a mixture of bristles of different kinds.

[0047] The container 20 comprises a body 21 to which an insert 22 is fastened which defines the neck 23 of the container, in which the applicator brush is fitted when the container is closed, as illustrated in FIG. 2. The insert 22 comprises an annular sealing lip 24 which is pressed against the inner wall of the body 21, and a lip 25 that defines an opening 26 via which the internal space 28 of the container containing the product communicates with a housing 29 for receiving the tuft of bristles, defined by the insert 22 above the lip 25. The internal space 28 can also contain one or more mixing members, such as metal balls, for moving the product under the end of the brush by agitation of the assembly and also, if appropriate, for homogenizing the product contained in the space 28 before use.

[0048] When the applicator 10 is withdrawn from the container, the tuft of bristles 30 has an ogival shape with a total visible length L. The cross section of the tuft of bristles 30 is for example constant over a distance d3 between the distal end 40 of the insert 12 and a section 41 from which the cross section of the brush decreases as far as its free end 43, as can be seen in FIG. 3. The cross section of the brush decreases over a distance d1 that is inferior to L in the example in question. In a variant that is not illustrated, the section decreases along the entire length L. The section of the tuft of bristles 30 may be circular or not, for example oval or polygonal.

[0049] In accordance with the invention, the housing 29 in which the tuft of bristles 30 is received is produced such that only a part of the tuft of bristles 30 is exposed to the product contained in the space 28 when the container is shaken, so as to load the tuft of bristles 30 inhomogeneously with product. More particularly, the housing 29 is produced such that the tuft of bristles is loaded with product over a height d2 strictly inferior to d1, as illustrated in FIG. 3. When the brush applicator is in position on the container, the tuft of bristles 30 is engaged in the housing 29 and bears against the lip 25 such that only the end part of the tuft of bristles is engaged in the opening 26 and is thus directly exposed to the product in order to be loaded with a dash of product there.

[0050] The ratio So/Sm between the section So of the opening and the maximum section Sm of the tuft of bristles 30 when the applicator brush is fastened to the container may be less than or equal to 1, better still less than or equal to ½, even better still less than or equal to ⅓, preferably less than or equal to ¼.

[0051] The tuft of bristles 30 can come into contact with the wall and define the housing over a distance Z greater than or equal to L/4, where L denotes the visible length of the tuft of bristles.

[0052] The tuft of bristles 30 can be constrained radially in the housing 29 above the opening 26, preferably at a distance from the opening, measured along the longitudinal axis of the housing, that is greater than or equal to L/4, where L denotes the visible length of the tuft of bristles.

[0053] When the brush applicator is withdrawn from the container, the zone 50 loaded with product is thus situated at the center of the tuft of bristles 30 and takes up, in front view, a section So less than the maximum section Sm of the tuft of bristles 30, as can be seen in FIG. 4. This makes it possible to use the brush applicator to apply product in spots by virtue of the tip being well loaded with product, and then to use the bristles in the region 31 surrounding the end region 50 to blend the product and thus produce attractive shadings affording a soft-focus effect that makes it possible to reduce the visibility of the contour between the region to which the product has been applied and the surrounding skin.

[0054] Of course, the invention is not limited to the example which has just been described.

[0055] For example, it is possible to further modify the shape of the tuft of bristles of the brush applicator, for example to provide a tuft of bristles which is frustoconical toward its free end, hemispherical, with a single bevel or with a double bevel.

[0056] It is also possible to modify the position of the opening relative to the tuft of bristles in order to impregnate a different zone than the end of the tuft.

[0057] The product contained in the container is preferably pulverulent, and preferably is a dry powder. In a variant, the product has a liquid to semiliquid consistency. The product may contain a dispersion of pigments and/or fillers in an aqueous medium.

[0058] In variants, the tuft of bristles has a beveled shape. Preferably in this case, the opening can be offset slightly to the side of the end of the bevel.