Cosmetic applicator

Abstract

Disclosed is an applicator for applying a cosmetic product to the eyelashes or eyebrows, including: a stem extending along a longitudinal axis; an applicator member located at a distal end of the stem, that includes: a core extending along a longitudinal axis, bristles connected to the core, defining an envelope surface, the applicator member having a proximal part and a distal part; the envelope surface having a notch with a profile, as seen in longitudinal section, that is not symmetrical with respect to any plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the core; and the envelope surface having, in the proximal part, a variable cross section that decreases in size towards the distal part, the largest transverse dimension of the envelope surface in the distal part being smaller than the largest transverse dimension of the envelope surface in the proximal part.

Claims

1. Applicator for applying a cosmetic product to the eyelashes or eyebrows, comprising: a stem extending along a longitudinal axis, and an applicator member located at a distal end of the stem, comprising: a core extending along a longitudinal axis, and bristles connected to the core, defining an envelope surface, the applicator member having a proximal part and a distal part, wherein: the envelope surface has a notch with a profile, as seen in longitudinal section, that is not symmetrical with respect to any plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the core, the envelope surface has, in the proximal part, a variable cross section that decreases in size towards the distal part, the largest transverse dimension of the envelope surface in the distal part being smaller than the largest transverse dimension of the envelope surface in the proximal part, and the profile of the notch has only two points of inflection and a bottom of the notch is at a tangent oriented approximately parallel to the longitudinal axis of the core, the two points of inflection being located respectively on either side of the bottom of the notch.

2. The applicator according to claim 1, the longitudinal axis of the core having a non-constant curvature along the entire portion carrying the bristles.

3. The applicator according to claim 1, the largest transverse dimension of the envelope surface being located in the first half of the length of the applicator member, starting from the proximal end of the portion carrying the bristles.

4. The applicator according to claim 1, the core being rectilinear in the proximal part.

5. The applicator according to claim 1, the core changing direction by at least 30 in the distal part.

6. The applicator according to claim 1, the core being folded on itself.

7. The applicator according to claim 1, the core being at least partly made of a flexible material.

8. The applicator according to claim 1, the core of the applicator member being twisted.

9. The applicator according to claim 1, the bristles of the applicator member being moulded as one piece with the core.

10. The applicator according to claim 1, the envelope surface having a cross section which decreases continuously towards the distal part from the location at which the cross section is at a maximum.

11. The applicator according to claim 1, the distal end of the core being located on the same side as the notch, in relation to a plane containing the longitudinal axis of the stem.

12. The applicator according to claim 1, the distance of the distal end of the core from the longitudinal axis of the stem being less than or equal to the greatest distance between the free end of a bristle and the longitudinal axis of the stem along the proximal part.

13. The applicator according to claim 1, the core extending along a rectilinear longitudinal axis.

14. The applicator according to claim 1, the bottom of the notch being closer to the distal end of the core than to the proximal end.

15. Device for the application of a cosmetic product to the eyelashes or eyebrows, comprising: a container containing the product, the applicator as defined in claim 1.

16. Method for making up the eyelashes or eyebrows, in which a product is applied to the eyelashes or eyebrows with the aid of the applicator as defined in claim 1.

17. The applicator according to claim 4, wherein the core has an axis coincident with the longitudinal axis of the stem.

18. The applicator according to claim 5, wherein the core changes direction by at least 45.

19. The applicator according to claim 5, wherein the core changes direction by at least 60.

20. The applicator according to claim 7, wherein the core is made entirely of a flexible material.

21. The device according to claim 15, wherein the container is equipped with a wiping member.

Description

(1) The present invention may be better understood from reading the following detailed description of non-limiting implementation examples thereof, and with reference to the attached drawing, in which:

(2) FIG. 1 is a schematic view, in partial longitudinal section, of an exemplary packaging and application device produced in accordance with the invention,

(3) FIG. 2 shows the applicator member of the device from FIG. 1 on its own,

(4) FIG. 3 is a cross section along III-III in FIG. 2,

(5) FIGS. 4 and 5 are views similar to FIG. 3 of variant examples of applicator members,

(6) FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIG. 2 of a variant applicator member according to the invention,

(7) FIG. 7 is a cross section along VII-VII of the applicator member in FIG. 6,

(8) FIGS. 8A and 8B are views similar to FIG. 6 of variant applicator members according to the invention,

(9) FIGS. 9A and 9B illustrate the use of an applicator according to the invention, and

(10) FIGS. 10A and 10B illustrate a way of producing an applicator member according to the invention.

(11) The packaging and application device 1 shown in FIG. 1 has a container 2 containing a cosmetic product P, for example mascara, and an applicator 3 which may, as illustrated, be fixed to the container 2 in order to close the latter when not in use.

(12) The applicator 3 has a stem 4 which is connected at a proximal end to a gripping member 6 which also forms a member for closing the container 2 in a sealed manner.

(13) The stem 4 is connected at its distal end to an applicator member 5, also called a brush, which will be described in detail below.

(14) The container 2 may comprise, as illustrated, a body 2a, provided with a threaded neck 7, in which there is fixed a wiping member 8 suitable for wiping the stem 4 and also the applicator member 5 when the latter is removed from the container 2.

(15) The wiping member 8 may be of any type, connected to the container or moulded in one piece therewith. The wiping orifice may be defined by a wiping lip 9 having a rim which is or is not circular. The wiping lip may have a conical or undulating shape and/or have radial or tangential slots. The wiping lip 9 defines for example an orifice having a circular section and a diameter slightly greater than that of the stem 4. The wiping member 8 may also be adjustable. Alternatively, the neck 7 of the container 2 may be attached.

(16) In the example illustrated, the stem 4 has a rectilinear longitudinal axis X, but if the stem 4 is not rectilinear, this does not depart from the scope of the present invention. The stem 4 may optionally have a narrowing, not illustrated, which is positioned at the wiping member 8 when the container 2 is closed. The stem 4 may have a flexible part at its distal end.

(17) The product P is intended to be applied to the eyelashes and/or eyebrows. It may comprise iron oxide, among other pigments, and an aqueous or organic solvent, depending on the formulation.

(18) The applicator member 5 has been schematically illustrated on its own in FIG. 2.

(19) Said applicator member 5 has a core 11 extending along a longitudinal axis Y and a proximal part 10 and a distal part 20. In the example described, the core 11 has a non-constant curvature over the entire portion carrying the bristles 12.

(20) The applicator member 5 has bristles 12 connected to the core 11, the free end of said bristles 12 defining an envelope surface E which has a notch 22, the profile of which, as seen in longitudinal section as in the plane of FIG. 2, is not symmetrical with respect to any plane P.sub.p perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the core.

(21) The distal part 20 may correspond, as illustrated, to a region of the applicator member 5 that extends from the distal end 21 of the core 11 to the bottom of the notch 22, that is to say, in the example described, to the location where the curvature of the core changes noticeably, the core changing for example from rectilinear, with an axis coincident with the longitudinal axis of the stem, to curved. The distal part 20 may represent less than half or less than a third of the length of the applicator member 5, measured parallel to the longitudinal axis of the core.

(22) In the example in FIGS. 1 to 5, the core 11 is a twisted core. In variants, which are described in detail below, the core is moulded.

(23) When the core 11 is twisted, use can be made of numerous types of different bristles 12 without departing from the scope of the present invention. Use can be made of bristles made of one of the following thermoplastic materials: polyester, polyamide, in particular Nylon 6/6, Nylon 6/12, polyolefin, etc.

(24) The bristles 12 may or may not have the same nature, regardless of the way in which the applicator member 5 is produced.

(25) The envelope surface E has, as illustrated, a variable cross section in the proximal part 10 of the applicator member 5, said cross section passing through a maximum and being able to decrease in size towards the distal part 20 from the location where the section is at a maximum, as can be seen in FIG. 2 in particular.

(26) The largest transverse dimension D.sub.d of the envelope surface E in the distal part 20 is in particular always less than the largest transverse dimension D.sub.p of the envelope surface E in the proximal part 10, as is illustrated in FIG. 2. The largest transverse dimension D.sub.d of the envelope surface E in the distal part 20 is for example less than or equal to 8 mm and greater than or equal to 4 mm, and the largest transverse dimension D.sub.p of the envelope surface E in the proximal part 10 is for example greater than or equal to 6 mm and less than or equal to 12 mm.

(27) The largest transverse dimension of the envelope surface E is measured between two points that are diametrically opposite and are located at the same longitudinal position on the longitudinal axis Y of the core 11, in a plane P.sub.p perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the core.

(28) The largest transverse dimension of the envelope surface E may be located, as illustrated, in the first half of the length of the applicator member 5, starting from the proximal end 13 of the portion carrying the bristles 12.

(29) The envelope surface E may have, as illustrated, a cross section which decreases continuously towards the distal part 20 starting from the cross-sectional maximum of the proximal part.

(30) The cross section of the envelope surface E may have a circular shape, as illustrated in FIG. 3. Alternatively, the cross section of the envelope surface E may be polygonal, for example triangular as in the example in FIG. 4.

(31) In a variant in FIG. 5, the core 11 is not centred. The centre of mass of the section does not coincide with the longitudinal axis of the core. Bristles 12 are thus shorter on one side of the core than on the other.

(32) On account of the manufacture of the applicator member 5, in the case of a curved core 11, the longitudinal axis of each bristle 12 starting from the core is approximately perpendicular to the longitudinal axis Y, as is illustrated in FIG. 2. As a result, the bristles located on the side opposite the notch are spaced further apart from one another, allowing better separation of the eyelashes and greater precision on application.

(33) The longitudinal axis Y of the core 11 is, in the example illustrated, rectilinear in the proximal part 10.

(34) The core 11 undergoes a change of orientation by an angle of at least 30, preferably at least 45, preferably at least 60, and more preferably at least 90 between the part of rectilinear axis and the distal end 21. When the angle is greater than 90, the core 11 is folded on itself, forming a hook.

(35) The distal end 21 of the core 11 is located on the same side as the notch formed by the curvature of the core in the distal part 20. Throughout the distal part, the core can be located on the same side of a plane P.sub.l containing the longitudinal axis X of the stem 4 and perpendicular to the plane of FIG. 2.

(36) The bottom of the notch 22 may have no bristles 12, as is illustrated in FIG. 6.

(37) When the core 11 is twisted, the desired shape can be given to the applicator member 5, starting from a blank where the core is rectilinear and the envelope surface E is a cylinder of revolution, said blank being machined to give the envelope surface a variable section and to form the cross-sectional maximum of the proximal part 10. Next, the core 11 is twisted to give it the desired curve.

(38) In implementation variants of the invention, the applicator member 5 is produced with bristles 12 moulded in one piece with the core 11, as illustrated in FIGS. 6 and 7. The applicator member 5 may be moulded with its final shape and a non-rectilinear core.

(39) The applicator member 5 may be hollow moulded from a flexible material in order to receive an insert 30 that makes it possible to keep the core 11 in the curved configuration, as illustrated in FIGS. 10A and 10B. The insert can be made of plastics material or of metal, and be initially rectilinear and curved after its insertion. The insert can also be introduced with a curved configuration. In this case, the insert is produced for example from an elastically deformable material such as spring steel, for example, so as to be able to straighten at least partially during insertion, the insert returning to its initial curved shape after insertion.

(40) In a variant illustrated in FIG. 8A, the core 11 extends along a rectilinear longitudinal axis Y. The applicator member is moulded in one piece with the bristles.

(41) The notch 22 is obtained by virtue of the variable length of the bristles 12. The latter are for example all perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the core. The latter can have an approximately constant section, for example a circular section having the same diameter.

(42) In the variant illustrated in FIG. 8B, the core is rectilinear and twisted and the bristles are machined to form the notch 22. The machining can be carried out on a blank having an envelope surface in the form of a cylinder of revolution.

(43) The profile obtained can have only two points of inflection 22a and 22b and the bottom can be at a tangent oriented approximately parallel to the longitudinal axis of the core. The two points of inflection 22a and 22b are located respectively on either side of the bottom 22.

(44) In such a brush having a twisted core, the length of the part carrying the bristles is for example between 22 and 26 mm, and the largest transverse dimension D.sub.p is for example between 8 and 12 mm and is for example 10 mm.

(45) The tangent T which bounds the notch 22 on the outside is for example parallel to the rectilinear longitudinal axis of the core.

(46) The use of an applicator member according to the invention will now be described with reference to FIGS. 9A and 9B, although the following description is valid for the other examples illustrated.

(47) The notch 22 in the applicator member 5 is wiped less by the wiping member 8 at the outlet from the container 2 than the rest of the applicator member, and thus proves to be more loaded with product P.

(48) The notch 22 in the applicator member is brought into contact with the top eyelashes C.sub.h, and product P is thus applied extensively thereto. Next, the back 23 of the applicator member opposite the notch 22 can be used to separate the eyelashes to which product has thus been applied, as is illustrated for the bottom eyelashes C.sub.b in FIG. 9B.

(49) The invention is not limited to the examples that have just been described. The features of these examples can be combined as parts of variants which are not illustrated.

(50) Whether they are attached to the core 11 or moulded in one piece therewith, the bristles 12 can comprise a material having bacteriostatic properties and/or a material that promotes slip and/or a magnetic material.

(51) When the bristles 12 are moulded in one piece with the core 11, they can be made from the same material as or a different material from that of the core.

(52) The applicator can be heated and/or subject to vibrations during use.

(53) The profile of the bottom of the notch, when viewed in cross section perpendicularly to the longitudinal axis of the core, can be flat or concave towards the outside or convex towards the outside.

(54) The expression comprising a should be understood as being synonymous with comprising at least one, unless specified to the contrary.