APPLICATOR FOR APPLYING A PRODUCT TO KERATINOUS MATERIALS

Abstract

An applicator for applying a product to keratinous materials, in particular keratinous fibers, notably the eyelashes, the eyebrows and/or the capillary fibers. The applicator including an application member for applying the product on the keratinous materials, in particular the keratinous fibers, notably the eyelashes, the eyebrows and/or the capillary fibers, an a trough at least partially surrounding the application member, when the applicator is viewed in cross section, over an angular extent greater than 60.

Claims

1. An applicator for applying a product to keratinous materials, comprising: an application member for applying the product on the keratinous materials, and a trough at least partially surrounding the application member, when the applicator is viewed in cross section, over an angular extent greater than 60, the application member and the trough being configured in such a way that there is no sliding of the application member with respect to the trough.

2. The applicator as claimed in claim 1, in which the angular extent of the trough, when the applicator is viewed in cross section, is less than 320.

3. The applicator as claimed in claim 1, in which the trough has an outer surface free of any projecting relief.

4. The applicator as claimed in claim 1, in which the application member is at least partially compressed in the trough.

5. The applicator as claimed in claim 1, in which the trough extends over most of the length of the application member, when the applicator is viewed from the side.

6. The applicator as claimed in claim 1, in which the trough has two longitudinal edges which are in contact with the application member.

7. The applicator as claimed in claim 6, in which the longitudinal edges of the trough place pressure on the application member.

8. The applicator as claimed in claim 1, in which the trough has a snap-fastening tab at its proximal end, in order to allow it to be snap-fastened onto the rest of the applicator.

9. The applicator as claimed in claim 1, in which the application member has a brush, notably a brush having a core, which extends along a longitudinal axis, and bristles which are held by the core in a portion of the latter.

10. The applicator as claimed in claim 9, in which the bristles of the brush have free ends defining an envelope surface, the envelope surface having a shape chosen from the following list: cylindrical, non-cylindrical, peanut shape, kidney shape, rugby ball shape, truncated cone shape.

11. The applicator as claimed in claim 1, in which at least one longitudinal edge of the trough is non-rectilinear.

12. The applicator as claimed in claim 1, in which the application member comprises a block of porous material.

13. A packaging and application device, comprising: a container containing a product to be applied, an applicator as claimed in claim 1.

14. A method for making up the eyelashes or eyebrows, in which the application member of the applicator as claimed in claim 1 is used to apply the product to the eyelashes or the eyebrows, by orienting the application member toward the eyelashes or eyebrows and orienting the trough opposite thereto, toward the eyeball.

15. A method for assembling an applicator as claimed in claim 1, in which the application member is inserted into the trough.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the distal end of the application member is first of all inserted into the trough before inserting the proximal end of the application member into the trough.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0114] 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:

[0115] FIG. 1 shows an example of a packaging and application device according to the invention, in schematic and partial longitudinal section,

[0116] FIGS. 2a and 2b are schematic perspective views of an example of an application member according to the invention,

[0117] FIG. 3 is a view thereof along the arrow III,

[0118] FIGS. 4a and 4b are schematic perspective views of a variant embodiment,

[0119] FIG. 5 is a view thereof along the arrow V,

[0120] FIG. 6 is a view thereof along the arrow VI,

[0121] FIG. 7 is a schematic perspective view of a variant embodiment,

[0122] FIGS. 8a and 8b are views, similar to FIG. 6, of this variant embodiment in FIG. 7,

[0123] FIG. 9 is a sectional view on IX-IX,

[0124] FIGS. 10-12 are views thereof along the arrows X, XI, XII, respectively,

[0125] FIG. 13 is an enlarged view of an example of foam that can be used to produce an applicator according to the invention, and

[0126] FIG. 14 is a schematic view illustrating several blocks of foam with different PPI values and the method for measuring these values.

[0127] In the rest of the description, identical elements or elements having identical functions bear the same reference sign. Their description is not repeated for each of the figures, only the main differences between the embodiments being mentioned.

[0128] The packaging and application device 1 shown in FIG. 1 comprises a container 12, which contains a product P to be applied to the eyelashes or the eyebrows C, and an applicator 2 which, in the example in question, can be fixed removably to the container 12. The product P comprises, for example, one or more pigments, notably an iron oxide. It is for example a mascara.

[0129] The applicator 2 comprises a stem 5, of longitudinal axis Y, provided at a distal end 5a with an application member 3 and a trough 10 according to the invention and, at the other end, with a gripping member 11, which likewise forms a cap for closing the container 12 in a sealed manner. As can be seen notably in FIG. 1, said container 12 has 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 12 in a sealed manner. In a variant, the applicator may be fixed to the container in some other way.

[0130] The neck 14 may accommodate, as illustrated, a wiping member 20 which, for example, is inserted into the neck 14. This wiping member 20 comprises a lip 26 that defines a wiping orifice having a diameter adapted to that of the stem 5.

[0131] In the example described, the application member 3 is fixed, in a conventional manner, in a seat provided at the distal end Sa of the stem 5, which is advantageously made of a thermoplastic material.

[0132] The applicator 2 is shown in more detail in FIGS. 2a, 2b and 3. It has, on the one hand, the application member 3, which in this example is a brush with a core 40 extending along the longitudinal axis X and bristles 41 held by the core, the bristles 41 having free ends defining an envelope surface S, and, on the other hand, the trough 10 engaged on the brush.

[0133] The trough 10 surrounds the application member, when the applicator is viewed in cross section, over an angular extent y of the order of 180.

[0134] The trough is not intended to serve for applying the product. It has an outer surface which is smooth, being free of any relief.

[0135] It has the general shape of a portion of a cylinder, with an outer surface 15 convex to the outside and a concave inner surface 16. The convex surface is directed outward and the concave surface is directed toward the application member 3.

[0136] The trough has two longitudinal edges 17, which are in contact with the application member 3. In the example described, the two the two longitudinal edges 17 of the trough are rectilinear and parallel to each other and to the longitudinal core of the brush.

[0137] The longitudinal edges 17 of the trough place pressure on the application member, in such a way that there is local crushing of the application member along these longitudinal edges 17.

[0138] In the example described, the application member 3 is a brush comprising a twisted metal core 40 with a portion 43 carrying bristles 41. The core is fixed at a proximal end 40a in the corresponding seat of the stem 5 via a portion without bristles, which portion can have a length of the order of 8 mm. The portion 43 of the core bearing the bristles has a distal end 40b.

[0139] The core 40 is formed conventionally by two arms of a metal wire folded in a U-shape, the bristles 41 being held between the turns of the core 40 thus twisted. The diameter of the metal wire is, for example, between 0.1 and 1 mm. The diameter of the bristles is, for example, between 0.06 and 0.35 mm.

[0140] The free ends of the bristles 41 define an envelope surface S of the brush, which has a symmetry of revolution in the example described.

[0141] In the example described, the envelope surface S is free of any furrow or cutting in the bristles of the brush, notably under the trough 10.

[0142] The bristles 41 extend on the portion 43 of the core having a length L.sub.1 of the core of preferably between 25 mm and 35 mm, for example equal to 30 mm.

[0143] The trough extends over a length L.sub.2 slightly greater than the length L.sub.1 of the brush, when the applicator is viewed from the side, being equal to substantially 105% of Lt.

[0144] The presence of the trough makes it possible to force the orientation of certain bristles toward the outside and thus to simulate the presence of bristles that are longer than their real length, by virtue of their forced orientation. This therefore enables the formation, on the application member, of an application ridge 45 along the trough, which application ridge 45 can be used for the application and to promote the combing of the eyelashes, eyebrows and/or capillary fibers.

[0145] The bristles of the brush are crushed inside the trough and along the longitudinal edges 17. The portion of the application member disposed under the trough is compressed by the latter, and the rest of the application member extends freely to the outside, as illustrated. Such local deformation makes it possible to increase the density of the application member at the edges 17 of the trough and to decrease the product charge in this portion, whilst the product change is increased in the portion of the application member opposite the trough.

[0146] The envelope surface S of the brush is free of any furrow or cutting in the bristles, in particular any cutting that could prevent compression thereof under the trough.

[0147] The trough is solid, as illustrated, which is to say that it is free of orifices or through-holes, or in a variant it is openworked.

[0148] The trough 10 is additionally provided with a snap-fastening tab 18 at its proximal end in order to allow it to be snap-fastened onto the rest of the applicator, notably onto the core of the brush or onto the stem of the applicator.

[0149] Finally, the trough has an end portion 19 comprising a seat for receiving the distal end 40b of the application member 3.

[0150] As regards the manufacture of the applicator, the applicator is assembled in the following way. The distal end 40b of the application member is first of all inserted into the trough, more particularly into the seat formed in the end portion 19 of the latter, before the proximal end 40a of the application member is inserted into the snap-fastening tab 18 of the trough.

[0151] In a subsequent step, the assembled application member can be fixed to a stem of the applicator. Thus, the bristles of the application member are, if appropriate, crushed flat in the trough.

[0152] In order to mold the trough 10, use can be made of any thermoplastic material which is or is not relatively rigid, for example SEBS, a silicone, latex, a material having improved slip, butyl, EPDM, a nitrile, a thermoplastic elastomer, a polyester elastomer, a polyamide elastomer, a polyethylene elastomer or a vinyl elastomer, a polyolefin such as PE or PP, PVC, EVA, PS, SEBS, SIS, PET, POM, PU, SAM, PA or PMMA. It is also possible to use a ceramic, for example based on alumina, a resin, for example of the urea-formaldehyde type, and possibly a material containing graphite as filler. It is possible notably to use the materials known under the trade names Teflon, Hytrel, Caritlex, Alixine, Santoprene, Pebax and Pollobas, this list not being limiting. In one embodiment, the trough 10 is made of Hytrel.

[0153] In the example just described, the longitudinal edges of the trough 10 are rectilinear. If this is not the case, it does not of course represent a departure from the scope of the present invention.

[0154] In the example illustrated in FIGS. 4a to 6, the longitudinal edges of the trough are curved, more particularly concave toward the outside. Since the brush is cylindrical, an apparent width l of the application member is variable as one moves along the longitudinal axis. Thus, in the application member, a central portion is obtained which may make it possible to promote the loading of product, and end portions are obtained which may make it possible to promote makeup application at the corners of the eye.

[0155] In the example illustrated in FIGS. 7 to 12, the trough 10 is formed in one piece with a stem 5 of the applicator. The trough 10 has snap-fastening tabs 22 for fixing the application member 3, which in this example is a brush.

[0156] The stem 5 is additionally provided with other snap-fastening tabs 24 at its proximal end for joining it to a cap (not shown).

[0157] The invention is not limited to the examples which have just been described, the features of which can be combined with one another as parts of variants which are not illustrated.

[0158] The envelope surface S of the brush may have various general shapes, for example cylindrical, a diabolo shape, peanut shape or rugby ball shape, this list not being limiting.

[0159] The brush may comprise any bactericidal agent such as silver salts, copper salts, preservatives and at least one preservative for the product P.

[0160] The trough may furthermore comprise particles, for example a filler, in particular a compound which is magnetic, bacteriostatic or absorbs moisture, or else a compound intended to produce roughness on the surface of the trough or to help the eyelashes and/or eyebrows to slide. The trough may be flocked or may undergo any heat treatment or mechanical treatment.

[0161] When the application member is other than a brush, this does not of course represent a departure from the scope of the present invention. It may, for example, comprise a block of porous material. In this case, the application member may be without a core. The block of porous material can be crushed locally along the longitudinal edges and inside the trough. In this case for example, the longitudinal edges of the trough may be serrated rather than smooth.

[0162] In the example illustrated in FIG. 13, such a block of porous material is a cellular material such as a foam, in particular an open-pore polymer foam which on its outer surface has free strands 87 formed by all or part of the cells ridges that have been cut through by the machining of the foam.

[0163] As can be seen from FIG. 13, which is an enlarged view of an example of a foam 80 that can be used for producing the application member 3, the foam 80 is a cross-linked open-pore polymer foam, that is to say forming cells 84 that constitute reserves of products delimited from one another only by ridges 85. The free strands 87 are formed by ridges 85 that have been cut during the machining. The strands 87 serve to comb the eyelashes, eyebrows and/or capillary fibers, while the cells 84 form the reserves of product.

[0164] The length of the strands 87 is comprised between 0.1 mm and 4 mm, preferably between 0.5 mm and 2 mm, it being understood that, particularly because of the random nature of the positioning of the cells within the foam 80, the strands 87 have mutually different lengths.

[0165] In the example illustrated, the foam 80 used is a cross-linked polyurethane foam (PUR), the density of the foam 80 is approximately 30 kg/m.sup.3, and the number of cells 84 per unit length is approximately 30 PPI.