Wire-core applicator having multi-material bristles

Abstract

A mascara brush having a centre made of at least two wire sections twisted together along a longitudinal axis of the wire core, and having a bristle covering made of plastic bristles formed by filaments, each of which bristles is held in a clamping manner between the two wire sections, and which bristles are formed with a wedge-shaped bristle tip or without a wedge-shaped bristle tip on their free ends. At least one portion of the bristles has a bristle coating made of a first softer material, and a bristle core that is joined to the bristle coating and made of a second harder material, and at least these bristles have a transverse cut, in the form of a simple wedge, on one side or on two sides, at least partially on their radially outward free ends, and comprise a wedge-shaped bristle tip having at least one cut surface forming a wedge.

Claims

1. A mascara brush, comprising: an inner core of at least two wire portions twisted together; and a bristle covering of bristles formed by filaments that are each held clamped between the at least two wire portions, the bristles having a wedge-shaped pointed portion at their free ends, wherein the wedge-shaped pointed portion is formed by two chisel faces that are concavely curved, and the bristles having a bristle jacket formed of a first, softer material and a bristle core, which is connected to the bristle jacket, formed of a second, harder material.

2. The mascara brush according to claim 1, wherein the first material and the second material are each a thermoplastic plastic.

3. The mascara brush according to claim 1, wherein the two materials are firmly bonded to each other by co-extrusion of a continuous thread, and the filaments are sections of one or more of such continuous threads.

4. The mascara brush according to claim 1, wherein the wedge-shaped pointed portion consists of two chisel faces or cut faces that extend obliquely to a longitudinal bristle axis (L), and are inclined relative to one another and intersect at a distal end of the filament.

5. The mascara brush according to claim 4, wherein the chisel faces or cut faces are substantially planar in themselves and two chisel faces or cut faces that are opposite to each other at the same bristle end are substantially of the same size.

6. The mascara brush according to claim 4, wherein a surface roughness of the chisel faces or cut faces is greater than a surface roughness of a non-beveled shaft region of the bristle or filament.

7. The mascara brush according to claim 1, wherein the wedge-shaped pointed portion or a cut face has a surface roughness (Rz) of between 0.2 μm and 6.3 μm.

8. The mascara brush according to claim 1, wherein the second material has an E modulus of ≥1300 N/mm.sup.2, the E modulus not exceeding 2700 N/mm.sup.2.

9. The mascara brush according to claim 1, wherein the first material has a Shore D hardness of ≤80.

10. The mascara brush according to claim 1, wherein a diameter of the filaments is ≥115 μm.

11. The mascara brush according to claim 1, wherein a wall thickness of the bristle jacket measured in a radial direction is between 15 μm and 100 μm.

12. The mascara brush according to claim 1, wherein at least a part of the bristles is produced by co-extrusion from a first plastic material and a second plastic material different from the first plastic material, wherein the two plastic materials differ with regard to a modulus of elasticity and/or a Shore D hardness, and wherein the first plastic material has a Shore D hardness≤80 and/or the second plastic material has a modulus of elasticity of at least 1300 N/mm.sup.2, and after a grinding process of the areas respectively consisting of one of the first and second plastic materials, namely the bristle core and the bristle jacket, with one and the same grinding disk, which is carried out for producing the respective cut face, different roughnesses are produced in an area of the bristle core and in an area of the bristle jacket that respectively have a surface roughness (Rz) between 0.2 μm and 6.3 μm.

13. A mascara brush, comprising: an inner core of at least two wire portions twisted together along a longitudinal wire core axis (LD); and a bristle covering of bristles of plastic formed by filaments that are each held clamped between the at least two wire portions and that are configured at their free ends with a wedge-shaped or without a wedge-shaped bristle tip, wherein at least a part of the bristles has a bristle jacket formed of a first, softer material and a bristle core, which is connected to the bristle jacket, formed of a second, harder material, and these bristles, at least partially, have at their radially outward free ends a unilateral or bilateral oblique cut like a simple wedge, and comprise a wedge-shaped bristle tip with at least one cut face forming a wedge in the form of a chisel face that is concavely curved.

14. A mascara brush, comprising: an inner core of at least two wire portions twisted together; and a bristle covering of bristles formed by filaments that are each held clamped between the at least two wire portions, the bristles having a wedge-shaped pointed portion at their free ends, and the bristles having a bristle jacket formed of a first, softer material and a bristle core, which is connected to the bristle jacket, formed of a second, harder material, wherein the bristle covering consists of bristles or filaments with a wedge-shaped pointed portion and of further bristles or filaments without a wedge-shaped pointed portion, and the bristles or filaments with a wedge-shaped pointed portion form a plurality of sectors of the bristle covering and the further filaments form a plurality of further sectors, the sectors and the further sectors following each other alternately in a circumferential direction.

15. The mascara brush according to claim 14, wherein the bristles or filaments with the wedge-shaped pointed portion are disposed in such a way, in the bristle covering that otherwise consists of further bristles or filaments, that the bristles or filaments with the wedge-shaped pointed portion form a track extending in a spiral shape on a circumferential enveloping surface of the bristle covering.

16. The mascara brush according to claim 15, wherein chisel faces of the bristles or filaments with a wedge-shaped pointed portion, neglecting their wedge angle, are orientated perpendicularly to an imaginary longitudinal axis of the spiral-shaped track.

17. The mascara brush according to claim 14, wherein the further bristles or filaments are made of the same material as the bristles or filaments with a wedge-shaped pointed portion.

18. A mascara brush, comprising: an inner core of at least two wire portions twisted together along a longitudinal wire core axis (LD); and a bristle covering of bristles of plastic formed by filaments that are each held clamped between the at least two wire portions and that are configured at their free ends with a wedge-shaped or without a wedge-shaped bristle tip, wherein at least a part of the bristles has a bristle jacket formed of a first, softer material and a bristle core, which is connected to the bristle jacket, formed of a second, harder material, and these bristles, at least partially, have at their radially outward free ends a unilateral or bilateral oblique cut like a simple wedge, and comprise a wedge-shaped bristle tip with at least one cut face forming a wedge, wherein the bristle covering has a plurality of areas, sectors or zones, which are orientated to extend, in a circumferential direction of the bristle covering, transversely to the longitudinal wire core axis (LD), or, in the circumferential direction of the bristle covering, spiral-shaped to the longitudinal wire core axis (LD), or, in a longitudinal direction of the bristle covering, alongside of the longitudinal wire core axis (LD), and which respectively comprise at least one bristle row consisting of a plurality of adjacent bristles that each have an identically configured bristle tip, or are formed by such a bristle row, and which, in the circumferential direction and/or in the longitudinal direction of the bristle covering, are respectively disposed adjacent to one area or sector or zone which comprises a plurality of bristles each having a differently configured bristle tip.

19. A mascara brush, comprising: an inner core of at least two wire portions twisted together along a longitudinal wire core axis (LD); and a bristle covering of bristles of plastic formed by filaments that are each held clamped between the at least two wire portions and that are configured at their free ends with a wedge-shaped or without a wedge-shaped bristle tip, wherein at least a part of the bristles has a bristle jacket formed of a first, softer material and a bristle core, which is connected to the bristle jacket, formed of a second, harder material, and these bristles, at least partially, have at their radially outward free ends a unilateral or bilateral oblique cut like a simple wedge, and comprise a wedge-shaped bristle tip with at least one cut face forming a wedge, wherein the bristle covering has a plurality of areas, sectors or zones, which are orientated to extend, in a circumferential direction of the bristle covering, transversely to the longitudinal wire core axis (LD), or, in the circumferential direction of the bristle covering, spiral-shaped to the longitudinal wire core axis (LD), or, in a longitudinal direction of the bristle covering, alongside of the longitudinal wire core axis (LD), and which respectively comprise at least one bristle row which consists of a plurality of adjacent bristles and whose adjacent bristles each have a differently configured bristle tip.

20. The mascara brush according to claim 19, wherein the plurality of areas, sectors or zones, in the circumferential direction, transversely or longitudinally to the longitudinal wire core axis (LD), sweep over a circumference or a partial area of the circumference of the bristle covering once.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 shows a bristle according to the invention in a side view of its chisel face.

(2) FIG. 2 shows the bristle according to FIG. 1, but in the direction of viewing marked in FIG. 1 by the arrow P.

(3) FIG. 2a shows an enlarged frontal view of the bristle according to FIG. 2.

(4) FIG. 3 shows an applicator equipped with the inventive bristles according to FIG. 1 when it is first put up against the curve of the eyelashes and enters it.

(5) FIG. 4 shows the applicator equipped with the inventive bristles according to FIG. 1 after it has almost finished combing/separating the curve of the eyelashes.

(6) FIG. 5 is a complete overview of a wire core applicator equipped with the bristles according to the invention.

(7) FIG. 6 shows a variant of the invention with alternately pointed and non-pointed bristles.

(8) FIG. 7 shows an enlarged detail from FIG. 6.

(9) FIG. 8 shows a section of the variant shown by FIG. 6, in a frontal view from the front.

(10) FIG. 9 shows a section of an alternative embodiment of the bristle variant shown in FIGS. 6 and 7.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(11) Generally, such an applicator as it is shown by FIG. 5 is produced by placing a plurality of, at first, mostly straight filaments between at least one wire clamp 11 with two straight wire portions 12, 13. Preferably, a portion of a continuously extruded fiber is referred to as a filament in the sense of the invention. Generally, the filaments are placed between the wire sections 12, 13 of the wire clamp 11 in such a way that they protrude to a substantially equal extent (preferably maximally +/−10%) on both sides of the wire clamp 11 or of its wire portions 12, 13.

(12) The wire portions 12, 13 are then twisted together, whereby the filaments are distributed and then firmly clamped between the wire portions. Generally, each filament forms two bristles 1. Thus, it is only “different sides of the same coin” that are addressed within the context of this description when the term “filament” is used at one time and the term “bristle” at another time.

(13) The problem underlying the invention can best be explained with reference to FIG. 3. FIG. 3 shows the typical condition of a curve of eyelashes. The individual eyelashes W are not naturally situated “one next to the other”, but individual eyelashes W extend in an oblique manner and overlap with one or more adjacent eyelashes.

(14) In contrast, FIG. 4 shows the ideal state after the treatment of the curve of eyelashes with a mascara applicator. The eyelashes W are combed and ideally orientated so as to lie next to one another almost parallel and extend slightly star-shaped, so that the free end of adjacent eyelashes W are slightly more distant from each other than the root areas of these eyelashes.

(15) In order to act upon the eyelashes shown by FIG. 3 with an applicator, one brings the applicator with its bristles 1 that are to be directly engaged with the eyelashes W up close to the eyelid, and then attempts to push the bristles 1 into the interspaces between adjacent eyelashes W. In this case, the longitudinal bristle axes L and the longitudinal axes of the eyelashes in this situation are approximately perpendicular to each other, as is shown in FIG. 3.

(16) Relatively thick bristles are rigid and do not buckle immediately if they come up against eyelashes and thus, resistance. However, it is found that an approximately straight bristle end face extending approximately perpendicularly to the longitudinal bristle axis L, as it is produced by simply “cutting off” a filament from a continuous thread, is disadvantageous—the more so, the thicker the bristle diameter is, i.e. the more rigid the bristle has been designed to be.

(17) The reason for this is relatively easily understood by referring to FIG. 3:

(18) During the attempt to push the bristle concerned between the eyelashes, the end face possibly impacts one or more eyelashes at an obtuse angle. In that case, the eyelashes are first lifted up instead of pushed to the side. Possibly, the separation result suffers as a consequence of this, because it is by no means certain that such an eyelash, which has first been lifted up, at the end snaps back to the side of the bristle on which it was actually to come to rest to achieve an optimum separation result.

(19) In this case, the bristles according to the invention are clearly at an advantage.

(20) FIGS. 1 and 2 show an exemplary embodiment of such bristles 1 according to the invention. As can best be seen with reference to FIG. 1, each of the bristles 1 according to the invention can be divided into two portions, i.e. the bristle shaft 2 and a wedge-shaped pointed portion 3. In the simplest case, the wedge-shaped pointed portion 3 can be formed by a single oblique cut through the bristle, and then looks like the obliquely cut end of a cut rose—a solution that is not shown here in the Figures.

(21) Ideally, the wedge-shaped pointed portion is formed by 2 chisel faces 4 that extend obliquely relative to one another and most frequently intersect at the free end of the bristle, or in any case come closest to each other there. Most frequently, the two chisel surfaces are in this case of equal size. In the area of the wedge-shaped pointed portion 3, this results in the shape shown by FIG. 2, which, so to speak, is roof-shaped.

(22) The structure of a bristle according to the invention consisting of a bristle core 5 made from a harder material or plastic and a bristle jacket 6 made from a softer material or plastic is easily recognizable at the chisel faces in whose area the bristle core is obliquely cut over a long distance, see FIG. 1.

(23) As can be seen, the bristle core 5 forms a free outer edge in the form of the chisel cutting edge 4a only along the ridge line of the free bristle end. On all other sides, the bristle core 5 nestles up everywhere against the bristle jacket 6 and is stabilized by it, despite the wedge-shaped pointed portion 3. It is also easily recognizable that the bristle core 5 is preserved for the predominant part and therefore retains its supporting function, despite the considerable material removal in the area of the wedge-shaped pointed portion 3. Thus, an even more strongly wedge-shaped pointed portion can be obtained with the usual methods, which in turn improves the separation effect.

(24) Preferably, the bristles 1 according to the invention are configured in such a way that the chisel faces 4 are inclined to the horizontal at an angle α≥800. Not only because of this, this results in very pronounced chisel faces 4, which preferably have such a length that they extend over at least ¼, better yet over at least ⅓ of the total length of a bristle—in the manner seen in FIG. 2, referring to the chisel face length MFL dimensioned therein, where the chisel faces 4 extend over more than 40% of the total length of the bristle.

(25) The filaments used within the context of the invention are preferably filaments from at least one continuously co-extruded thread. To produce such threads, two nozzles supplied with different plastic materials are disposed coaxially so that a continuous cylinder (the subsequent bristle core) and an, at first most frequently slit, tube (the subsequent bristle jacket) surrounding it are extruded synchronously, which are then glued or welded together. The extrusion results in a significant stretching/alignment of the plastic molecule chains, which is the reason why the thread produced in this way and therefore also the filaments cut from it have excellent application properties, above all an excellent bend recovery capacity.

(26) It must be noted that FIGS. 1 and 2 show an exemplary embodiment whose chisel faces 4 are substantially planar, i.e. level in itself, and most frequently also of the same size.

(27) Alternatively, the chisel faces are in some cases progressively concavely curved in the direction along the longitudinal axis L, so that the result is an area that is longer in the axial direction and in which the tip is slender.

(28) FIGS. 6, 7 and 8 illustrate a variant of the mascara brush 18 according to the invention, with an exceptionally advantageous application and separation action.

(29) As can be seen, the bristle covering in this case consists of bristles 1a with a wedge-shaped pointed portion that are formed by filaments, and of bristles 1b without a wedge-shaped pointed portion that are also formed from filaments.

(30) In this case, the bristle covering is configured in such a way that the bristles 1a with a wedge-shaped pointed portion form a sector 100 of the bristle covering 26 and the further bristles 1b form another sector 101. In the example illustrated by the Figures, the sectors 100 and the further sectors 101 follow each other alternately in the circumferential direction.

(31) The number of the sectors 100, 101 depends on the individual case of use and the rheological properties of the cosmetic used. Preferably, between 1 and 8 sectors and between 1 and 8 further sectors are provided.

(32) Alternatively, there is the option of the filaments with the wedge-shaped pointed portion being disposed in such a way, in the bristle covering that otherwise consists of further filaments, that they form a track extending in a spiral shape on the circumferential enveloping surface of the bristle covering, which is not shown here in the Figures.

(33) Ideally, the further filaments are made of the same material as the filaments with a wedge-shaped pointed portion.

(34) In another variant of the mascara applicator previously explained with reference to the Figures, which is also inventive and therefore claimed, the covering is configured in such a way that the chisel faces of the filaments with a wedge-shaped pointed portion, neglecting their wedge angle, are orientated perpendicularly to the course of the imaginary longitudinal axis of the spiral-shaped track.

(35) FIG. 9 illustrates a variant of the mascara brush according to the invention, with an exceptionally advantageous application and separation action.

(36) As can be seen, the bristle covering 26 in this case consists of bristles 1a, 1c with a wedge-shaped pointed portion that are formed by filaments, and of further bristles 1b without a wedge-shaped pointed portion that are also formed from filaments, with the bristles 1a, 1c only differing with regard to the orientation of their cut face 4. The cut face 4 of each of the bristles 1a points towards the brush end 16, and the cut face 4 of each of the bristles 1c points towards the brush tip 15.

(37) In this case, the bristle covering 26 is configured in such a way that the bristles 1a with the wedge-shaped pointed portion, of which several are disposed adjacent to each other in a bristle row 17, form a sector 100 of the bristle covering 26, the bristles 1c with the wedge-shaped pointed portion, of which several are disposed adjacent to each other in a bristle row 17′, form a sector 102 of the bristle covering 26, and the further bristles 1b, disposed in a bristle row 17″, form a further sector 101 of the bristle covering 26. In the example illustrated in FIG. 9, the sectors 100 and 102 and the further sector 101 follow each other alternately in the circumferential direction. The sector 102 is followed again by a sector 101. The sequence of sectors is continued until an arc of a circle of 360° is completed over the circumference of the bristle covering 26.

(38) The number of the sectors depends on the individual case of use and the rheological properties of the cosmetic used. Preferably, between 1 and 8 sectors 100, 102 and between 1 and 8 further sectors 101 are provided.

(39) Alternatively, there is the option of the filaments or bristles 1a, 1c with the wedge-shaped pointed portion being disposed in such a way, in the bristle covering 26 that otherwise consists of further filaments or bristles 1, 1b, that they form a track extending in a spiral shape on the circumferential enveloping surface of the bristle covering 26, which is not shown here in the Figures.

(40) Ideally, the further filaments or bristles 1b are made of the same material as the filaments or bristles 1a, 1c with a wedge-shaped pointed portion.

(41) In another variant of the mascara applicator previously explained with reference to the Figures, which is also inventive and therefore claimed, the covering is configured in such a way that the chisel faces of the filaments or bristles with a wedge-shaped pointed portion, neglecting their wedge angle, are orientated perpendicularly to the course of the imaginary longitudinal axis of the spiral-shaped track.

(42) While all the bristles 1a, 1b, 1c of a respective bristle row 17, 17, 17″ are identically configured with regard to the configuration of the bristle tip in the exemplary embodiment according to FIG. 9, a bristle row may of course also be formed of bristles that each have differently configured bristle tips. For example, it is possible that bristles 1a, 1b, 1c are formed next to one another and adjacently in a bristle row, which are disposed in a repeating pattern relative to each other, with the pattern forming a sector, an area or a zone. All logically possible combinations can be realized. Also, sectors, areas or zones may extend in a spiral shape over the circumference of the bristle covering 26 or be disposed, configured and orientated so as to extend in the longitudinal direction of the longitudinal wire core axis LD.