APPLICATOR DEVICE FOR APPLYING A FLUID OR PASTE PRODUCT TO KERATIN FIBRES

Abstract

The application relates to an applicator device for applying a fluid and/or paste product to keratin fibres, including a core and a plurality of protuberances connected directly or indirectly to the core, these protuberances being arranged along a surface, the shape of which corresponds to the surface defined by the keratin fibres intended to receive said product.

Claims

1. An applicator device for applying a fluid and/or paste product to keratin fibers, including a core and a plurality of protuberances connected directly or indirectly to the core, the protuberances being arranged along a surface the shape of which corresponds to the surface defined by the keratin fibers intended to receive said product.

2. The applicator device as claimed in claim 1 including at least one flexible arch connected at at least one of its ends to the core, the flexible arch supporting a plurality of the protuberances.

3. The applicator device as claimed in claim 2 including two flexible arches disposed on respective opposite sides of the core.

4. The applicator device as claimed in claim 1 including at least one groove formed in the core and extending along a length of the core.

5. The applicator device as claimed in claim 4 in which at least some of the protuberances are disposed at the edge of the groove.

6. The applicator device as claimed in claim 1 made in one piece by injection molding a plastic material.

7. The applicator device as claimed in claim 6 in which said plastic material includes portions of different hardness.

8. The applicator device as claimed in claim 6, wherein the applicator device includes at least one flexible arch connected at at least one of its ends to the core, this flexible arch supporting a plurality of the protuberances, wherein the at least one flexible arch and the protuberances have a hardness lower than that of the core.

Description

[0016] Other features and advantages of the invention will emerge from a reading of the following description with reference to the appended figures, which depict:

[0017] FIG. 1: a perspective view of an applicator device in accordance with the invention,

[0018] FIG. 2: another perspective view of this applicator device represented in a simplified manner without the protuberances and showing a distribution surface for some of these protuberances,

[0019] FIG. 3: a side view of the applicator device from FIG. 1,

[0020] FIG. 4: another side view of this applicator device, the latter having pivoted about its longitudinal axis relative to the FIG. 3 view,

[0021] FIG. 5: a perspective view of a typical protuberance of this applicator device,

[0022] FIG. 6: a perspective view in cross section of this applicator device,

[0023] FIG. 7: a view analogous to that of FIG. 6 as seen from a slightly different angle,

[0024] FIG. 8: four perspective views of the eye the eyelashes of a person and,

[0025] FIG. 9: a perspective view of one side of the applicator device showing in particular the spatial arrangement of the protuberances of this applicator device.

[0026] For greater clarity identical or similar elements are identified by identical or similar reference signs in all the figures.

[0027] Refer more particularly now to FIGS. 1, 3 and 4.

[0028] As can be seen in these figures the applicator device in accordance with the invention includes a core 1 extending substantially along a longitudinal axis XX and intended to be connected to a handle for holding it not represented in these figures.

[0029] On this core 1 are disposed directly or indirectly a plurality of protuberances 3 extending in a globally radial direction relative to this core.

[0030] As can be seen in FIG. 2 in particular, at least two flexible arches 5a, 5b extending substantially in the longitudinal direction XX are preferably connected at each of their ends to the core 1 and disposed on respective opposite sides of this core 1, that is to say in a substantially diametrically opposite manner.

[0031] Longitudinal grooves 7a, 7b may also be formed in the core 1.

[0032] The protuberances 3, possibly taking the form of bristles or teeth of elongate general shape as represented in FIG. 5, can have a localized shape particularly suited to the nature of the particular product to be applied.

[0033] In the particular example represented in FIG. 5 it can therefore be seen that at least some of the protuberances of the applicator device in accordance with the invention have a shape that decreases in size from their base 9 intended to be connected to the core to their free end 11 and a substantially plane face 13.

[0034] Of course, this shape example is in no way limiting on the invention and it can be seen in FIG. 9 in particular that other protuberances 3b can for example feature a concave zone 17 over their length.

[0035] The presence of protuberances of different shapes disposed in different zones of the applicator device makes it possible to use this applicator device in various ways to apply the product in zones of the body that may have different geometries: it then suffices to modify the orientation of the applicator device by causing it to pivot about its longitudinal axis XX to switch from one mode of applying the product to another and/or from one zone of the body to another.

[0036] To be more specific, as can be seen in FIGS. 3, 7 and 9 in particular the protuberances 3 of the same row may be disposed in a quincunx arrangement relative to one another and when these protuberances 3 include a substantially plane face 13 these faces may be part of a common joining surface.

[0037] When this applicator device includes arches 5a, 5b some of the protuberances 3a are disposed along these arches, as can be seen in FIGS. 1, 3, 6, 7 and 9 in particular.

[0038] When the applicator device includes grooves 7a, 7b some of the protuberances 3b may be disposed along these grooves with their base 9 originating inside these grooves, as can be seen in FIGS. 6 and 9 in particular.

[0039] The other protuberances 3c may be connected directly to the core 1, as can be seen in FIGS. 1, 3, 6, 7, 9 in particular.

[0040] The applicator device in accordance with the invention is made in one piece from plastic material(s), preferably by injection moldingalthough of course any other method of manufactureand in particular additive manufacturecan also be envisaged.

[0041] Plastic materials having different hardnesses (measured for example on the Shore scale) may be chosen for the different portions of the applicator and in particular for the core 1 on the one hand (relatively high hardness) and for the arches 5a, 5b and the protuberances 3a, 3b, 3c on the other hand (relatively low hardness).

[0042] When the applicator device in accordance with the invention is made by injection molding the joining surfaces along which protuberances 3 extend correspond to the joining surfaces of the mold.

[0043] In accordance with one feature of the invention at least some of these protuberances 3 and in particular the protuberances 3a fixed to the arches 5a, 5b in the example represented are spatially arranged in a specific manner: these protuberances are in effect arranged along a surface the shape of which corresponds to the surface defined by the keratin fibers intended to receive the fluid and/or paste cosmetic product with which the applicator device is charged.

[0044] For example when the keratin fibers in question are the eyelashes 21 and an eye 23 as can be seen in FIG. 8 these eyelashes 21 therefore define a three-dimensional surface S and their free ends define the edge B of this surface.

[0045] Similarly, as can be seen in FIG. 9 in particular at least some protuberances 3a of the protuberances 3 are disposed inside a surface S the shape of which corresponds to the surface S of these eyelashes 21 and the edge B of which, defined by the free ends of the protuberances 3a, defines a curve analogous to that of the edge B of the eyelashes 21.

[0046] When it is indicated here that the protuberances 3a are disposed inside a surface S, this means that the mean axes of these protuberances corresponding substantially to their longitudinal axes of inertia define a geometrical locus that can be approximated by this surface S.

[0047] In particular this surface S may correspond to a joining surface when the applicator device in accordance with the invention is made by injection molding.

[0048] As is clear from the foregoing description, the applicator device in accordance with the invention, which may be a mascara brush for example, enables application of a product, in particular a fluid and/or paste cosmetic product, to keratin fibers such as the eyelashes 21 in a particularly homogeneous manner and in a single pass.

[0049] In fact, the perfect correspondence of the surface S and of the edge B defined by the protuberances, in particular the protuberances 3a with the surface S and the edge B defined by the eyelashes 21, enables these protuberances 3a to correspond perfectly with these eyelashes 21 upon bringing the applicator device into contact with these eyelashes.

[0050] This perfect correspondence enables the product situated along the protuberances 3 and where applicable inside the grooves 7a, 7b to be applied in a perfectly distributed manner and once only to each of the eyelashes 21: this results in a particularly simple and effective application gesture.

[0051] Naturally the invention is described above by way of example. It is understood that the person skilled in the art is in a position to produce variants of the invention without this departing from the scope of the invention.