BRUSH FOR APPLYING A PRODUCT TO THE EYELASHES AND/OR EYEBROWS

Abstract

The present invention relates to a brush for applying a product to the eyelashes and/or eyebrows, including a core, in particular a twisted core, that extends along a longitudinal axis, and bristles that are held by the core in a portion of the core bearing the bristles. The bristles having free ends that define an envelope surface, the envelope surface having at least one facet and at least one groove, the groove extending along at least half the length of the portion of the core bearing the bristles, and the envelope surface being configured such that at least one facet and at least one angular sector with a contour of circular overall shape in section are successively encountered on moving around the longitudinal axis of the brush, this angular sector comprising at least the groove, said groove having outer edges situated on the contour of circular overall shape of the angular sector.

Claims

1. A brush for applying a product to the eyelashes and/or eyebrows, comprising: a core, that extends along a longitudinal axis, and bristles that are held by the core in a portion of the core bearing the bristles, the bristles having free ends that define an envelope surface, the envelope surface having at least one facet and at least one groove, the groove extending along at least half the length of the portion of the core bearing the bristles, and the envelope surface being configured such that at least one facet and at least one angular sector with a contour of circular overall shape in section are successively encountered on moving around the longitudinal axis of the brush, this angular sector comprising at least the groove, said groove having outer edges situated on the contour of circular overall shape of the angular sector.

2. The brush as claimed in claim 1, wherein the envelope surface (S) has a cylindrical overall shape.

3. The brush as claimed in claim 1, which comprises at least two grooves extending along at least half the length of the portion of the core bearing the bristles, each of the two grooves having two outer edges situated on the contour of circular overall shape in section of the angular sector.

4. The brush as claimed in claim 1, which comprises at least two facets.

5. The brush as claimed in claim 1, wherein the envelope surface has, on moving around the longitudinal axis X of the core, an alternation of facets and angular sectors with a contour of circular overall shape in section comprising at least one groove.

6. The brush as claimed in claim 1, which comprises an angular sector with a contour of circular overall shape in section comprising a single groove.

7. The brush as claimed in claim 1, which comprises a single facet between two consecutive grooves.

8. The brush as claimed in claim 1, all of the angular sectors with a contour of circular overall shape in section of the brush each comprising at least one groove.

9. The brush as claimed in claim 1, wherein the two outer edges of a groove are spaced apart from one another by a distance of between 0.2 mm and 5 mm.

10. The brush as claimed in claim 1, wherein, as seen from the longitudinal axis of the core in cross section, a facet extends around the axis over an angular extent of less than 120.

11. The brush as claimed in claim 1, wherein a facet is may be flat or convex.

12. The brush as claimed in claim 1, the envelope surfaced having at least two grooves, the two grooves extending along at least half the length of the portion of the core bearing the bristles, the envelope surface being able to be configured such that at least one facet and at least one angular sector with a contour of circular overall shape in section are successively encountered on moving around the longitudinal axis X of the brush, this angular sector having at least one of the two grooves, or own both grooves, at least one of the grooves having outer edges situated on the contour of circular overall shape of the angular sector.

13. The brush as claimed in claim 1, the core comprising a distal end which is situated on the longitudinal axis of a stem to which the core is attached.

14. The brush as claimed in claim 1, the core having a proximal end intended to be fixed to a stem.

15. A packaging and application device comprising a container containing a product to be applied, and a brush as claimed in claim 1.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0082] The invention may be understood better from reading the following detailed description of nonlimiting illustrative embodiments thereof and from studying the appended drawing, in which:

[0083] FIG. 1 shows an example of a packaging and application device according to the invention, in schematic and partial longitudinal section,

[0084] FIG. 2 is a cross section of an example of a brush according to the invention, and

[0085] FIGS. 3a to 3d are views similar to FIG. 2 of variant embodiments.

[0086] In the rest of the description, identical elements or elements having identical functions bear the same reference signs. Their description is not repeated for each of the figures, only the main differences between the embodiments being mentioned.

[0087] The packaging and application device 1 shown in FIG. 1 comprises a container 2 containing a product P to be applied to the eyelashes or eyebrows and an applicator 3 which may be fixed removably to the container 2 in the example in question. The product P comprises, for example, one or more pigments, in particular an iron oxide. It is, for example, a mascara.

[0088] The applicator 3 comprises a stem 5, of longitudinal axis Y, which is provided at a distal end 5a with a brush 10 according to the invention and at the other end with a gripping member 11, which likewise constitutes a cap for closing the container 2 in a sealed manner. As can be seen in particular in FIG. 1, the latter has a body 13 which is provided at the top with a threaded neck 14 onto which the gripping member 11 can be screwed in order to close the container 2 in a sealed manner. In a variant, the applicator may be fixed to the container in some other way.

[0089] The neck 14 may accommodate, as illustrated, a wiping member 20 which is for example 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.

[0090] The brush 10 may be fixed, in a conventional manner, in a seat provided at the distal end 5a of the stem 5, which is advantageously made of a thermoplastic material. The brush 10 comprises a twisted metal core 40 comprising a portion 43 bearing bristles 41. The core is fixed at a proximal end 40a in the corresponding seat of the stem 5, via a portion without bristles that may have a length of around 8 mm. The portion 43 of the core bearing the bristles has a free distal end 40b.

[0091] As illustrated in FIG. 2, the free ends of the bristles 41 define an envelope surface S of the brush 10. The bristles 41 extend along a length L of the core of preferably between 25 mm and 35 mm, for example equal to 30 mm.

[0092] 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. 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.

[0093] The maximum radius of the envelope surface S, corresponding to the radius of the smallest cylinder of revolution in which the brush is inscribed, is between 3 mm and 6 mm, for example 4.5 mm.

[0094] The core 40 of the brush 10 is rectilinear in the example in question, extending along a rectilinear longitudinal axis X. In a variant, it is curved.

[0095] As illustrated in FIG. 2, the envelope surface S comprises a facet 60 which extends, as illustrated, parallel to the longitudinal axis X of the core.

[0096] The envelope surface S also has two grooves 70, the latter extending along at least half the length of the portion of the core bearing the bristles. The two grooves 70 are made in a sector 80 of the envelope surface S which has an external contour of circular overall shape in cross section, that is to say circular apart from the grooves 70.

[0097] Thus, at least one facet 60 and at least one sector 80 comprising the two abovementioned grooves 70 are encountered on moving around the longitudinal axis X of the brush.

[0098] The grooves 70 have two outer edges 71 and 72 that belong to the circular contour of the envelope surface S in the sector 80.

[0099] In this example, the sector 80 comprises two grooves 70. Thus, the brush comprises a single facet between two consecutive grooves. The facet 60 extends about the axis X over an angular extent of around 120, and the sector 80 extends about the axis X over an angular extent of around 240. The two grooves 70 are disposed substantially at 90 to one another.

[0100] In the variant embodiment illustrated in FIG. 3a, the two grooves 70 are disposed substantially at 180 to one another, and the brush comprises two facets 60 disposed on either side of the longitudinal axis X of the core, which are symmetrical to one another, with respect to a plane containing the longitudinal axis X of the core. The brush 10 comprises two sectors 80 which are likewise disposed on either side of the longitudinal axis X of the core and which are symmetrical to one another, with respect to a plane containing the longitudinal axis X of the core, each one comprising a groove 70.

[0101] In the variant embodiment illustrated in FIG. 3b, the brush 10 comprises three facets 60, which form a triangle when the brush is viewed in cross section. Between two consecutive facets 60, the brush comprises a sector 80 comprising a groove 70, such that the brush has a total of three angular sectors 80 and three grooves 70 distributed regularly around the core. In the example in question, the three facets 60 extend longitudinally and are flat, each extending in a plane parallel to the longitudinal axis X of the core.

[0102] In the variant embodiment illustrated in FIG. 3c, the brush 10 comprises four grooves 70 that are distributed regularly around the core and disposed substantially at 90 to one another, and two facets 60. Thus, the brush 10 comprises two sectors 80 that each comprise two grooves 70.

[0103] In the example in FIG. 3d, the brush 10 likewise comprises four grooves 70 that are distributed regularly around the core and disposed substantially at 90 to one another, but with three facets 60. Thus, the brush 10 comprises a single sector 80 comprising two grooves 70, and two sectors 80 that each comprise a groove 70.

[0104] Of course, further combinations of grooves and facets are possible without departing from the scope of the present invention. Generally, the envelope surface can comprise a different number of facets and grooves and it is possible for the latter not to be identical to one another and/or distributed regularly around the core 40.

[0105] The ends 40a and 40b of the envelope surface S may be chamfered. This can make it easier for the brush 3 to pass through the wiping member 20. The chamfer at the distal end and the chamfer at the proximal end may be different. The chamfer at the distal end may, in particular, be less inclined than that at the proximal end. In a variant, it is possible for the brush not to have such end chamfers.

[0106] The invention is not limited to the exemplary embodiments which have just been described, the characteristics of which may be combined with one another as parts of variants which are not illustrated.