PROCESS FOR PRODUCING A COSMETIC ARTICLE

Abstract

The present invention relates to a process for producing a cosmetic article by printing using a laser printer comprising a heating unit and at least one cosmetic toner, the process comprising the steps consisting in: a) producing, with the printer, printing on a support with the aid of the cosmetic toner, b) heating the support coated with the printing with the aid of the heating unit to an operating temperature greater than or equal to 60 C., the cosmetic toner comprising a weight content of material that is fusible at the operating temperature of less than 10% relative to the total weight of the toner.

Claims

1. A process for producing a cosmetic article by printing using a laser printer comprising a heating unit and at least one cosmetic toner, the process comprising: a) producing, with the printer, printing on a support with the aid of the cosmetic toner, b) heating the support coated with the printing with the aid of the heating unit to an operating temperature greater than or equal to 60 C., the cosmetic toner comprising a weight content of material that is fusible at the operating temperature of less than 10% relative to the total weight of the toner.

2. The process as claimed in claim 1, wherein the support coated with the printing is heated to an operating temperature greater than or equal to 80 C.

3. The process as claimed in claim 2, wherein the support coated with the printing is heated to an operating temperature greater than or equal to 120 C.

4. The process as claimed in claim 1, wherein the heating step b) takes place at the same time as the printing step a) or after the printing step a).

5. The process claim 1, the heating unit being chosen from a toner fuser roller, a UV, visible or IR lamp, the emission spectrum being chosen in order to be absorbed by the toner or the support itself, and a combination thereof.

6. The process as claimed in claim 5, the heating unit comprising a toner fuser roller, made of aluminum, coated with a nonstick compound and heated from the inside by a halogen lamp.

7. The process as claimed in claim 1, the heating unit having a working temperature greater than or equal to 180 C.

8. The process as claimed in either claim 5, the heating unit comprising a toner fuser roller capable of occupying a position spaced apart from the support, the process comprising the step consisting in placing the toner fuser roller in the spaced-apart position before the printing step a).

9. The process as claimed in claim 1, the cosmetic toner comprising a weight content of material that is fusible at the operating temperature of less than 5% relative to the total weight of the toner.

10. The process as claimed in claim 1, the cosmetic toner not comprising any material that is fusible at the operating temperature.

11. The process as claimed in claim 1, the fusible material being chosen from waxes and fusible polymers or polymers that can be softened at a temperature below 120 C. and mixtures thereof.

12. The process as claimed in claim 1, the cosmetic toner comprising only compounds that have a melting temperature and/or glass transition temperature Tg above 120 C., selected from the group consisting of polycarbonates, polyvinylcaprolactams, polyetheretherketones, polyetherketones, polyaryletherketones, polyterephthalates, polysulfones and polyetherimides.

13. The process as claimed in claim 1, the cosmetic toner comprising at least one compound chosen from the group formed by at least one colorant, opacifying particles, anticaking particles, transparent particles, scattering white particles, and a mixture thereof.

14. The process as claimed in claim 1, the toner having no antibacterial agent.

15. The process as claimed in claim 1, the laser printer comprising a plurality of different cosmetic toners, the process consisting in carrying out steps a) and b) several times with the various toners, so as to produce several different printings on the support.

16. A process for cosmetically treating, or for making up, human keratin materials, comprising: producing, with the aid of the process as claimed in claim 1, a cosmetic article, applying, by transfer, the composition of the cosmetic article, by applying the support coated with composition to said keratin materials.

17. A process for cosmetically treating, or for making up, human keratin materials, comprising: producing, with the aid of the process as claimed in claim 1, a cosmetic article, removing, with the aid of an applicator, a portion of the cosmetic article, and applying it to the keratin materials.

Description

FIGURES

[0124] The invention may be better understood from reading the following detailed description of non-limiting exemplary embodiments thereof and from examining the appended drawing, in which:

[0125] FIG. 1 schematically illustrates an electrophotographic printing process that may be carried out within a laser printer, and

[0126] FIG. 2 represents an example of a support coated by printing with a cosmetic composition, in accordance with the process according to the invention.

[0127] An example of a laser printer that can be used in the process according to the invention is disclosed in application US 2006/0093943 A1.

[0128] As is known, a laser printer that uses an electrophotographic printing process comprises, as illustrated in FIG. 1, a drum 10 coated with a photoreceptor which is used to receive an electrostatic latent image, an element 12 for electrically charging the photoreceptor before the exposure thereof to the laser, an element 13 for developing the electrostatic latent image with a toner removed from a cartridge 14 and a cleaning element 15 for cleaning the drum after transfer of the developed image.

[0129] In FIG. 1, the following have not been represented: the laser imager that forms the electrostatic latent image on the drum or the mechanism which transfers the developed image onto an intermediate transfer element, for example a strip circulating in closed loop form, before contact of this intermediate element with a support such as a sheet of paper.

[0130] The electrostatic image is, as is widely known, created as a function of the areas where the laser has not irradiated the photoreceptor. The toner particles are selectively deposited on the drum, according to the distribution of the electrostatic charges, in order to reproduce the image to be obtained.

[0131] In one variant, the image is formed by magnetophotography, the photoreceptor and the toner being magnetic. Publications describe this process, for example application EP 2 090 935 A1 in paragraphs [0009] to [0014].

[0132] Preferably, the laser printer used operates electrophotographically, rather than magnetophotographically. Preferably also, the laser printer is a polychrome printer, rather than a monochrome printer.

[0133] A conventional laser printer also comprises a fuser or heating unit 16 comprising a heat roller and a means for controlling the temperature of this heat roller.

[0134] Within a printer for the implementation of the process according to the invention, the temperature of the fuser is preferably controlled, either by a hardware intervention, or by software means, in order to heat the printed support to a predetermined operating temperature, for example 60 C., 80 C. or 120 C.

[0135] The printing support may be of any suitable type and may in particular consist of a sheet material such as a paper or a plastic film.

[0136] Represented in FIG. 2 is a support 2 in the form of sheet material, on one face of which a pattern 4 has been printed electrophotographically using a laser printer according to the process in accordance with the invention.

[0137] The support may be, where appropriate, deformable and flexible so as to more readily match the relief of the keratin materials onto which the pattern must be transferred.

[0138] The support may be impermeable to water, in order to facilitate the transfer of the pattern after wetting of the surface onto which the pattern must be transferred.

[0139] The cosmetic toner(s) deposited by printing may be transferred by bringing them into contact with the area to be made up and pressing thereon.

[0140] The transfer may be carried out dry, without prior wetting of the area to be made up or of the printed pattern. As a variant, a transfer compound is applied to at least one of the pattern and of the area to be made up, for example an adhesive, with the view to facilitating the transfer and improving the hold of the composition transferred to the made-up area.

[0141] In one exemplary embodiment, the printing is performed directly onto a non-flat transfer surface of the support, corresponding for example to the outer surface of a roller. This roller is for example applied against the intermediate transfer element of the printer, and turns in contact therewith in order to receive the pattern. Next, the roller is moved onto the skin for the transfer.

[0142] In another embodiment, the cosmetic composition deposited by printing on the support is removed, for example with an applicator, such as a sponge, a brush, or other, or else with the finger, then applied to the area of the human keratin materials to be made up.

[0143] The pattern formed on the surface of the support may be of any type.

[0144] The process may comprise a step of choosing and/or making a pattern by a user and of transmitting, by means of a machine connected to the printer that performs the printing, information relating to this pattern.

[0145] The machine may be a computer, an advanced portable telephone, also known as a smartphone, or a tablet computer. The machine may be connected physically and/or by means of a data exchange network to said printer.

[0146] The toner or toners are deposited in the form of raster dots and/or of raster lines, so as to form a halftone image, for example a monochromatic or polychromatic image.

[0147] The pattern may reproduce the appearance of relief and/or color heterogeneities of the skin, for example freckles or a mole.

[0148] The pattern may be colored when observed under white light in the visible region (400 nm-800 nm). As a variant, the pattern is colorless under white light in the visible region, but appears colored when submitted to a chemical and/or energy stimulus, such as exposure to UV (365 nm-400 nm).

[0149] The printing may use only toners that correspond to primary colors. As a variant, the printing uses both toners of primary colors and at least one toner of non-primary color.

[0150] The printing may be monochromatic, but preferably it is carried out as three-color printing or as four-color printing.

[0151] The pattern obtained by printing may comprise several areas of different colors, for example according to a gradation. As a variant, the pattern obtained by printing is a flat tint.

[0152] Tests

[0153] An HP LaserJet Pro 400 M451 NW printer is used.

[0154] A cartridge of an HP LaserJet Pro Color M451NW printer is taken. After opening, the powder present in the cartridge is removed in order to replace it with the yellow cosmetic toner composed of the following mixture:

TABLE-US-00001 Yellow iron oxide (CI 77492) 40% Brilliant yellow FCF aluminum lake on alumina (42/58) 50% (CI 15985: 1 + CI 77002) Titanium oxide 5% Amorphous silica RN: 7631-86-9: 5%

[0155] A blue cosmetic toner is also produced, composed of the following mixture, that is placed in another cartridge of the printer:

TABLE-US-00002 Ultramarine blue (CI 77007) 90% Calcium carbonate 5% Amorphous silica RN: 7631-86-9: 5%

[0156] A red cosmetic toner is also produced, composed of the following mixture, that is placed in another cartridge of the printer:

TABLE-US-00003 Cochineal carmine aluminum lake (CI 75470) 90% Calcium carbonate 5% Amorphous silica RN: 7631-86-9: 5%

[0157] The percentages indicated are understood to mean by weight relative to the total weight of the composition forming the cosmetic toner. The toners have, in this example, no fusible material.

[0158] The toners are not disinfected and contain no antibacterial agent.

[0159] The printing is produced on a support formed by a sheet of transparent type for a laser printer using the process according to the invention, by heating the printed support to an operating temperature of 60 C. by controlling the temperature of the fuser.

[0160] The printed pattern is applied by transfer onto the skin just after printing. The sheet is placed on the skin with a pressure of 50 g per cm.sup.2 for 5 seconds. The sheet is then removed.

[0161] To complete the treatment, a composition containing a resin is sprayed on, at a distance of 30 cm. To do this, an Elnett brand hair lacquer is used. It is left at rest for 1 minute. The treatment is then complete.

[0162] In another example, a multicolor palette is produced on a computer. Then, the printer is used to carry out a deposition of powders according to the process in accordance with the invention. A support covered with various powders is obtained which can be used to make oneself up. In order to do this, a small brush is used to take powder having the desired color.