Cosmetic applicator or component thereof with special thread spindle drive

Abstract

A cosmetic applicator or assembly part for a cosmetic applicator, includes a thread spindle drive for moving a cosmetic mass lead relative to a lead housing tube accommodating the lead, wherein a thread is formed on an inner peripheral surface of the lead housing tube, and the thread interacts with a complementary thread of a lead holder, and the thread moves the lead holder together with the lead relative to the lead housing tube translationally when the lead holder is rotated, wherein said thread of the lead housing tube is not a continuous thread, but consists of a plurality of thread islands that are spaced apart from each other, each of the plurality of thread islands having thread projections extending by less than 121 in a circumferential direction and being shaped and arranged such that an outer thread of the lead holder always engages with at least one thread island.

Claims

1. A cosmetic applicator or assembly part for a cosmetic applicator, comprising: a thread spindle drive for moving a lead consisting of cosmetic mass relative to a lead housing tube accommodating the lead, wherein a thread is formed on an inner peripheral surface of the lead housing tube, and the thread interacts with a complementary thread of a lead holder holding the lead indirectly or directly, and the thread moves the lead holder together with the lead relative to the lead housing tube translationally when the lead holder is rotated relative to the lead housing tube, wherein said thread of the lead housing tube is not a continuous thread, but consists of a plurality of thread islands that are spaced apart from each other, each of the plurality of thread islands having thread projections extending by less than 121 in a circumferential direction and being shaped and arranged such that an outer thread of the lead holder always engages with at least one of the plurality of thread islands, the each of the plurality of thread islands consisting of at least two helically parallel adjacent thread projections which radially protrude inward beyond an inner surface of the lead housing tube.

2. The cosmetic applicator or assembly component for a cosmetic applicator according to claim 1, wherein the lead holder with the lead slides in a lead guide tube which is rotatable and predominantly spaced from the lead holder in the lead housing tube, wherein the lead guide tube is predominantly slotted and the lead holder is connected to a complementary thread section of the lead guide tube forming a slot.

3. The cosmetic applicator or assembly component for a cosmetic applicator according to claim 1, wherein a thread section of the lead holder is a cylindrical sleeve closed in the circumferential direction, which is only connected to an inner tube body of the lead holder via a longitudinal bridge, so that there is a C-shaped clearance between the inner tube body of the lead holder and the thread section, which is penetrated by the slotted lead guide tube.

4. The cosmetic applicator or assembly component for a cosmetic applicator according to claim 1, wherein the lead guide tube forms a coupling half at one end face, which is configured to be connected to another coupling half of a main part or parts of the cosmetic applicator or assembly component to transmit a feeding-inducing rotary motion through the main part or parts of the cosmetic applicator or assembly component.

5. The cosmetic applicator or assembly component for a cosmetic applicator according to claim 1, wherein the lead guide tube is rotatably mounted on the lead housing tube at two spaced-apart bearing locations, with a first bearing location in a region of a coupling half and a second bearing location in a region of a tapered tip with an outlet opening of the lead housing tube for the lead, which in a region behind the outlet opening forms a corresponding bearing shoulder on an inner peripheral surface of the outlet opening of the lead housing tube for the lead guide tube.

6. The cosmetic applicator or assembly component for a cosmetic applicator according to claim 5, wherein the first bearing in the region of the coupling half is achieved by a cylindrical flexible skirt, which partially extends over the coupling half and which expands sealingly into a circular counter bearing surface on the inner peripheral surface of the lead housing tube.

7. The cosmetic applicator or assembly component according to claim 1, wherein the assembly component is a cartridge.

8. The cosmetic applicator or assembly component according to claim 1, wherein the lead housing tube entirely or partially accommodates the lead.

9. The cosmetic applicator or assembly component according to claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of thread islands is spaced apart from each other by more than one thread groove.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 shows, in longitudinal section, a cartridge according to the invention, which can be screwed onto or inserted and locked onto a main part of a cosmetic applicator via its coupling 11a, similar to the lower part of a ballpoint pen.

(2) FIG. 2 shows the cartridge 5 of FIG. 1 with the lead casing tube depicted transparently.

(3) FIG. 3 shows a longitudinal section of the lead casing tube.

(4) FIG. 4 shows the lead guiding tube 21.

(5) FIG. 5 shows the precise, inventive structure of the lead base consisting of the inner and outer tubular bodies 24, 25, which are only in contact via the bridge 26 and otherwise float apart from each other.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(6) The exemplary embodiment depicted in FIGS. 1 to 5 embodies a cartridge for a refillable eyeliner, the main applicator part of which is not shown here.

(7) It can be clearly seen from FIG. 1 that the cartridge 1 has a lead casing tube 15, which here forms, for example, the outermost covering of the cartridge 1, providing the surface that the user grips with their hands when using the cartridge 1 or the corresponding eyeliner.

(8) In lead casing tube 15 is a lead guiding tube 21 arranged in a sliding and rotatable manner, but fixed in the direction of the longitudinal axis 19, avoiding translational movement capability. The first sliding bearing G1 of the lead casing tube 15 is arranged in the area of the lead tip behind the exit opening of the lead. The lead casing tube 15 forms an annular shoulder here, into which the front end of the lead guiding tube 21 is inserted and then held in a sliding and rotating manner. The second sliding bearing G2 of the lead casing tube forms the cylindrical or bell-shaped flexible skirt 27, which here overlaps the coupling half 11a to be explained in more detail and is spread into a circular counter bearing surface on the inner circumferential surface of the lead casing tube 15, sealingly.

(9) It is clearly visible that the lead guiding tube 21 has a predominantly straight longitudinal slot 22 along its length. The lead guiding tube 21 is provided on its side facing away from the application tip with the coupling half 11a, which is usually attached to it in one piece.

(10) The slotted lead guiding tube 21 interacts with a specially designed lead base 23. The lead base 23 essentially consists of two coaxially arranged but predominantly radially spaced tube bodies 24 and 25. The outer tube body 25 has the shape of a cylindrical sleeve with an outer thread and forms a thread section. It is connected to the actual lead holder, i.e., the inner tube body 24, only via a longitudinal bridge 26. In this way, there is a C-shaped clearance between the actual lead holder and its thread section, which is penetrated by the slotted lead guiding tube 21 in the assembled state. This can be seen in FIG. 1 compared to FIG. 5.

(11) Once this is understood, one can see how the feed mechanism works.

(12) Once the cartridge is mounted on the applicator main part, a rotational movement can be imparted to it from the applicator main part via its coupling half on the way through its own coupling half 11a. This causes the lead guiding tube 21 to rotate relative to the lead casing tube 15. In this way, the lead base 23 as a whole also rotates, along with the lead.

(13) As its exterior engages with the inner thread, which forms the first thread island Gi1 of the lead casing tube (FIG. 3), the lead base 23 screws forward, pushing the lead 16, which is anchored with it, forward. Even before the lead base 23 completely disengages with its outer thread from the first thread island Gi1, it reaches the second thread island Gi2 and soon screws only along this one. The process repeats with the other thread islands, including Gi3, Gi4, Gi5, Gi6, and Gi7.

(14) It is clearly visible from FIGS. 2 and 3 that the thread islands, formed from the thread projections 28 running parallel to each other in a thread shape, are positioned to form at least three rows (then 3120), ideally four rows of at least three thread islands each, whichpreferably either completely or substantially-form consecutive thread islands aligned in the direction of the longitudinal axis 19.