MASCARA BRUSH

Abstract

Brush for applying a product, in particular a cosmetic product, to the eyelashes or eyebrows, comprising: a core (40) extending along a longitudinal axis and comprising two branches that are twisted together, bristles clamped between the branches of the core (40), the free end of the bristles defining an envelope surface (S), the envelope surface (S) having at least two ribs delimited by notches (30) formed by two longitudinally extending flanks, the two flanks of at least one notch comprising flat portions.

Claims

1-18. (canceled)

19. A brush for applying a cosmetic product to the eyelashes or eyebrows, comprising: a core extending along a longitudinal axis and comprising two branches that are twisted together; and bristles clamped between the branches of the core, the free end of the bristles defining an envelope surface, the envelope surface having at least two ribs delimited by notches formed by two longitudinally extending flanks, the two flanks of at least one notch comprising flat portions, the brush having, in cross section, a shape of a cross with four branches, the branches being formed by the ribs.

20. The brush according to claim 19, comprising four notches, the flanks of at least one notch forming between them an angle of between 70 and 110.

21. The brush according to claim 19, comprising four notches, the flanks of at least one notch forming between them an angle of between 80 to 100.

22. The brush according to claim 19, comprising four notches, the flanks of at least one notch forming between them substantially a right angle.

23. The brush according to claim 19, at least one notch having substantially a dihedral shape.

24. The brush according to claim 19, in which a ridge of at least one notch at the intersection between two flanks of the notch is situated at a non-zero distance from the core.

25. The brush according to claim 24, the distance being between 0.2 and 2.5 mm.

26. The brush according to claim 19, having in cross section a shape with axial symmetry with respect to the longitudinal axis.

27. The brush according to claim 19, in which the bristles extend longitudinally between a proximal end and a distal end of an applicator part, at least one notch being formed along more than half the length of the applicator part.

28. The brush according to claim 27, wherein at least one notch is formed from one of the ends to the other.

29. The brush according to claim 19, in which the envelope surface has a substantially frustoconical shape, the diameter of the envelope surface decreasing towards the distal end of the brush, at least along more than half the length of the applicator part of the brush.

30. The brush according to claim 29, in which the envelope surface has a substantially frustoconical shape, the diameter of the envelope surface decreasing towards the distal end of the brush along more than 9 tenths of the length of the applicator part of the brush.

31. The brush according to claim 19, in which the notches are identical to each other.

32. The brush according to claim 19, each notch having two flanks of substantially identical width and length.

33. The brush according to claim 22, in which the ridge of at least one notch extends substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the core.

34. The brush according to claim 19, in which the ribs have rounded summits at their free end.

35. The brush according to claim 19, the ribs being of the same radial dimension, for a given cross section of the brush.

36. The brush according to claim 19, in which the width of the ribs is between 1.5 mm and 4 mm.

37. A packaging and application device comprising: a container containing a cosmetic product to be applied to the eyelashes or eyebrows; and the brush according to claim 19.

38. The method for manufacturing the brush according to claim 19, comprising the steps of: producing a brush blank with a twisted core having a rectilinear longitudinal axis; and cutting out the bristles in such a way as to form the notches in order to obtain the brush, by milling.

39. The method according to claim 38, the milling being performed by moving a cutting tool parallel to the longitudinal axis of the core.

40. The method according to claim 38, comprising curving or bending the brush, after cutting.

41. A brush for applying a cosmetic product to the eyelashes or eyebrows, comprising: a core extending along a longitudinal axis and comprising two branches that are twisted together; and bristles clamped between the branches of the core, the free end of the bristles defining an envelope surface, the envelope surface having at least two ribs delimited by notches formed by two longitudinally extending flanks, the two flanks of at least one notch comprising flat portions, the width of the ribs being between 1.5 and 4 mm.

42. A brush for applying a cosmetic product to the eyelashes or eyebrows, comprising: a core extending along a longitudinal axis and comprising two branches that are twisted together; and bristles clamped between the branches of the core, the free end of the bristles defining an envelope surface, the envelope surface having at least two ribs delimited by notches formed by two longitudinally extending flanks, the two flanks of at least one notch comprising flat portions, the ribs being of the same radial dimension, for a given cross section of the brush.

Description

[0039] The invention will be better understood from reading the following detailed description of non-limiting illustrative embodiments thereof and from examining the appended drawing, in which:

[0040] FIG. 1 shows an example of a packaging and application device according to the invention, in schematic longitudinal section,

[0041] FIG. 2 is a side view of an example of a brush according to the invention.

[0042] FIG. 3 is a cross section along III-III in FIG. 2,

[0043] FIG. 4 is a cross section along IV-IV in FIG. 2,

[0044] FIG. 5 is a side view of an example of a blank used to manufacture the brush in FIG. 2,

[0045] FIG. 6 is a front view of the brush along VI in FIG. 5,

[0046] FIGS. 7 to 14 are views similar to FIG. 2 of variant embodiments of brushes, and

[0047] FIG. 15 is a schematic sectional view of another example of a brush according to the invention.

[0048] In the rest of the description, identical elements or elements having equivalent 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.

[0049] The packaging and application device 1 shown in FIG. 1 has a container 2 containing a product P to be applied to the eyelashes or eyebrows and an applicator 3 which, in the example in question, can be fixed removably to the container 2. The product P comprises for example one or more pigments, in particular an iron oxide. It is advantageously a mascara.

[0050] The applicator 3 has a stem 5 of longitudinal axis Y, which is provided at a distal end 5a with a brush 10 according to the invention, and is provided at the other end with a gripping member 11, which likewise forms 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 can be fixed to the container in some other way.

[0051] As is shown, the neck 14 is able to receive a wiping member 20 which, for example, is attached thereto. This wiping member 20 has a lip 26 defining a wiping orifice with a diameter adapted to that of the stem 5.

[0052] The brush 10 can 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 has a twisted metal core 40 formed by two branches which are twisted together and which between them grip bristles 41. The core 40 is fixed at one end in the corresponding seat of the stem 5 by a portion of the core that does not have bristles, it being possible for said portion to have a length of around 8 mm.

[0053] As is illustrated in FIG. 2, the free ends of the bristles 41 define an envelope surface S of the brush 10.

[0054] The brush 10 has at least two ribs 31 delimited by notches 30, which are visible in FIG. 3. These notches 30 are formed between two flanks 32 having plane portions, each of the notches having a dihedral shape and extending longitudinally. In the example illustrated, the brush 10 has four ribs 31 and four notches 30 so as to form, in cross section, a cross having four branches, with a substantially right angle between the directions in which two adjacent ribs 31 extend.

[0055] The bristles 41 extend longitudinally on the brush 10 between a proximal end 45 and a distal end 46 of the applicator part 12. As can be seen in FIG. 2, the notches 30 are formed in this example from one of the ends 45 of the applicator part as far as the other end 46, along the entire length 1 of the applicator part 12.

[0056] In this embodiment, the envelope surface S is inscribed in a cone, the diameter of the envelope surface S decreasing towards the distal end 46 along most of the length of the applicator part 12.

[0057] The portion 47 near the proximal end 45 is bevelled. Still in this example, it will be noted that the four notches 30 are identical, each of them comprising two flanks 32 of the same length which define a ridge 33 at their junction, parallel to the longitudinal axis Y of the brush. The ridge 33 is formed at a distance A from the core 40. The ribs 31 are of the same radial dimension h for a given cross section of the brush.

[0058] As can be seen in particular in FIG. 3, the ribs 31 have a rounded summit 35.

[0059] The dimensions of the brush can be as follows. The width w of the ribs 31 measured perpendicular to a radius between the flanks 32 can be between 1.5 and 5 mm. The distance Q between the distal end 46 and proximal end 45 can be between 20 and 32 mm. The distance A between the core 40 and the ridge 33 of the notch 30 is between 0.2 and 2.5 mm. The maximum diameter D of at least one cross section of the brush is, for example, between 6 and 11 mm. The minimum diameter d of at least one cross section of the brush is, for example, between 3 and 7 mm.

[0060] In the example illustrated, the core 40 has a rectilinear axis. It does not constitute a departure from the scope of the invention if the core is curved, as is illustrated in the example in FIG. 15.

[0061] The method for manufacturing the brush comprises the steps of producing a blank E having a frustoconical general shape, as is illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 6, then cutting out the bristles 41 so as to form the notches 33, in particular by milling, by moving a cutting tool parallel to the core 40.

[0062] The method can also comprise the step of curving or bending the brush 10, after the cutting step, so as to obtain a non-rectilinear brush, for example a curved brush as is illustrated in FIG. 15.

[0063] FIGS. 7 to 14 show different examples of shapes of an envelope surface, on which notches 30 can be formed in order to obtain a cross section in the shape of a cross with four branches.

[0064] The envelope surfaces in FIGS. 7 to 13 are symmetrical in revolution, if one disregards the notches.

[0065] In the example illustrated in FIG. 7, the envelope surface S, apart from the notches 30, is peanut-shaped. It has a diameter that passes through a minimum 60 between two bulging portions 62 and 64, one 62 being proximal and the other 64 distal.

[0066] In the example illustrated in FIG. 8, the envelope surface S, apart from the notches 30, is bomb-shaped. It has a diameter that passes through a maximum 70 close to the distal end 46 at a circle of greatest diameter. The body of the brush 10 is frustoconical, being connected at its base that is coincident with the circle of greatest diameter to the distal end part of the brush 10, of ogival shape.

[0067] In the example illustrated in FIG. 9, the envelope surface S, apart from the notches 30, is bi-conical. The envelope surface S is defined by two frustoconical portions 80 and 82 that are joined together by their base of greatest diameter.

[0068] In the example illustrated in FIG. 10, the envelope surface S, apart from the notches 30, is defined by three frustoconical portions 90, 92 and 94. The frustoconical portion 90 is situated at the proximal end and the portion 94 is situated at the distal end. The portion 92 extends between the two end portions 90 and 94 and is attached to the proximal portion 90 by its base of greatest diameter and to the distal portion 94 by its base of smallest diameter. The notches 30 extend along the entire length of the applicator part of the brush between the proximal end 45 and the distal end 46.

[0069] In the example illustrated in FIG. 11, the envelope surface S, apart from the notches 30, is in the form of an asymmetric peanut. It has a diameter that passes through a minimum 100 between two bulging portions, one 102 being proximal and the other 104 distal. This minimum is closer to the distal end 46 than to the proximal end 45. The bulging portions 102 and 104 have different greatest diameters, the greatest diameter of the portion 104 being smaller than the greatest diameter of the portion 102.

[0070] In the example illustrated in FIG. 12, the envelope surface S, apart from the notches 30, likewise has a bulging shape, and it has a diameter that passes through a maximum 110 situated substantially at the centre of the applicator part.

[0071] In the example illustrated in FIG. 13, the envelope surface S, apart from the notches 30, has the overall shape of a diabolo with two frustoconical end portions 120 and 122 that are connected by their bases of greatest diameter to two cylindrical portions 124 and 126, respectively, which are themselves connected together by a portion 128 that narrows towards the centre. This portion 128 has a minimum diameter 130 substantially at the centre of the part of the core carrying the bristles. The cylindrical portions 124 and 126 have different diameters. The distal cylindrical portion 126 has a smaller diameter than the proximal cylindrical portion 124.

[0072] The example in FIG. 14 differs from that of the preceding figures in that the envelope surface S is without axial symmetry. In this example, the envelope surface S has an angular sector 140 defined by bristles that are longer than the rest of the brush 10. This angular sector 140 extends along the entire length of the applicator part of the brush 10 and, in longitudinal section, can have a profile with a variable height with respect to the longitudinal axis Y, in particular a profile in the form of a dorsal fin. Within the angular sector 140, the radius of the envelope surface S can pass through a maximum 142 close to the proximal end 45. The angular sector 140 can extend about the axis Y by an angle of between 15 and 35. The rest of the envelope surface S, apart from the notches 30, can have a bulging shape symmetrical with respect to a median plane M. The notches 30 extend on the envelope surface from the proximal end 45 to the distal end 46, including on the angular sector 140.

[0073] The invention is not limited to the illustrative embodiments which have just been described, the characteristics of which may be combined with one another as parts of variants which are not illustrated.

[0074] The notches 30 can be formed along only part of the length of the brush.

[0075] The envelope surface can have another shape altogether.

[0076] The expression comprising a should be understood as being synonymous with comprising at least one.