Protected transport of an applicator

Abstract

A method for transporting cosmetic applicator units, which are not assembled with their cosmetic receptacles, in bulk form to a destination at which they are assembled with the associated cosmetic receptacles so that the respective wiper associated with the cosmetic applicator, before the stowing of the cosmetic applicator unit, is slid at least partially over the bristle set of the applicator part so that it at least partially contains the bristle set and remains there for the duration of the transport and/or remains in this position during storage; a plurality of cosmetic applicator units that are protected in this way are stowed together in a container and then transported to their destination and/or are stored until ready for further use.

Claims

1. A method for assembling, storing and/or transporting cosmetic applicators, wipers, and cosmetic receptacles, the method comprising the steps of: associating a wiper with a cosmetic applicator, wherein the cosmetic applicator has a handle, a wand attached to the handle, and a bristle set attached to the wand extending radially from the longitudinal axis of the cosmetic applicator, and the wiper has a wiper lip, a protective section, and a collar; sliding the wiper at least partially over the bristle set of the cosmetic applicator to form a cosmetic applicator unit having the bristle set at least partially contained by the protective section of the wiper, wherein the inner cross-section of the protective section of the wiper tapers with the outer diameter of the bristle set along the longitudinal axis; stowing the cosmetic applicator unit with a plurality of cosmetic applicator units in a container for storage and/or transport until assembly; associating the cosmetic applicator unit with a cosmetic receptacle, wherein the cosmetic receptacle has a neck forming an opening, the neck configured to lock in the wiper and to couple to the handle of the cosmetic applicator; aligning the wiper with the opening of the cosmetic receptacle; sliding the wand of the cosmetic applicator through the wiper until the collar of the wiper contacts the handle of the cosmetic applicator; and coupling the neck of the cosmetic receptacle to the handle of the cosmetic applicator, thereby locking the wiper within the neck of the cosmetic receptacle.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the inner cross-section of the protective section of the wiper is dimensioned to contain the bristle set of the cosmetic applicator without leaving behind significant, irreversible deformations in the bristle set when the bristle set is slid through the wiper.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the protective section of the wiper, viewed in the insertion direction, is situated behind the wiper lip of the wiper, wherein the wiper lip rests with an elastic pre-stressing force against the wand of the cosmetic applicator to form a frictional, non-positive attachment therebetween after the wiper is slid over the bristle set of the cosmetic applicator to form the cosmetic applicator unit, and wherein the protective section overlaps the bristle set such that the cosmetic applicator unit rests on the handle at one end and on the wiper at the other end when the cosmetic applicator unit is placed on a flat surface.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the inner cross-section of the protective section of the wiper is dimensioned to produce no friction or only a slight friction between the bristle set and the inner surface of the protective section in the configuration of the cosmetic applicator unit.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the inner cross-section of the protective section of the wiper is dimensioned to produce friction between the bristle set and the inner surface of the protective section, such that the wiper is held securely against the bristle set in the configuration of the cosmetic applicator unit.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the material of the wiper and the material of the bristle set are selected so that for the duration of storage and/or transport, no harmful diffusion from the wiper into the bristle set takes place despite direct, long-lasting contact between the wiper and the bristle set.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of transporting the plurality of cosmetic applicator units to a location for assembly with one or more cosmetic receptacles.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the handle has a thread for screwing onto the cosmetic receptacle.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of feeding the plurality of cosmetic applicator units into a vibratory feeder to dispense at least one series of identically oriented cosmetic applicator units, before the step of associating the applicator unit with the cosmetic receptacle.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of moving the cosmetic applicator unit via a chute or tube to the cosmetic receptacle that the cosmetic applicator unit is associated with, wherein the alignment of the wiper with the opening of the cosmetic receptacle occurs via a pre-centering of the cosmetic applicator unit by the chute or tube.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein a conveying airflow in the chute or tube assists in moving the cosmetic applicator unit through the chute or tube.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 shows a first exemplary embodiment of an applicator, which in this case is embodied in the form of a wire core applicator, in a sectional view along the longitudinal axis and is protruding into a wiper.

(2) FIG. 2 shows a second exemplary embodiment of an applicator that is equipped with injection-molded bristles and is protected by a differently embodied wiper, in a sectional view along the longitudinal axis.

(3) FIG. 3 shows a perspective view of the exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 2.

(4) Before explaining the disclosed embodiment of the present invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of the particular arrangement shown, since the invention is capable of other embodiments. Exemplary embodiments are illustrated in referenced figures of the drawings. It is intended that the embodiments and figures disclosed herein are to be considered illustrative rather than limiting. Also, the terminology used herein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(5) FIG. 1 shows a very enlarged view of a cosmetic applicator in the form of a mascara applicator. This is because basically, it is particularly preferable for the invention to be used in mascara applicators.

(6) In this case, the applicator is embodied in the form of a so-called wire core applicator composed of at least two wires 3, which are twisted together and clamp the bristles 2 between themselves so that the bristles have an orderly, generally helix-like structure. In FIG. 1, it is quite clear that the inner diameter of the wiper 4 is matched to the outer diameter of the bristle set of the applicator 1.

(7) As a rule, the applicator is connected via a wand that is not shown here to a handle or a cap, which is likewise not shown in the drawing here and thus together with the wand and the handle/cap. In some rather rare cases, the wand is omitted so that the cosmetic applicator is composed of only the handle/cap and the actual applicator. Most often, the handle simultaneously constitutes a cap for closing the cosmetic receptacle in a sealed fashion.

(8) The wiper 4 has a protective section SCH whose inner diameter is dimensioned so that the bristle set of the applicator 1 can be slid into the protective section without suffering a permanent deformation.

(9) It is advantageous, but not necessarily required, for the protective section SCH in turn to be divided into two separate sections, namely one section with the length LK and another section with the length LF.

(10) Over the length LK, the inner diameter of the wiper is preferably selected so that it rubs the bristles of the applicator as the latter is inserted so that the applicator is held in the wiper with frictional, nonpositive engagement along the length LK of this section.

(11) The part of the protective section that has the length LF, on the other hand, is advantageously embodied so that it has an inner diameter, which is large enough that the bristles of the bristle set do not positively engage with this section or do not positively engage with it to any appreciable degree so that the bristles that are situated in this section with the length LF are not deformed or are only deformed to a minimal degree.

(12) Naturally, the above-described is merely an advantageous embodiment. Theoretically, it is naturally also possible for the protective section to engage with the bristle set in a frictional, non-positive way over its entire length—which in this case would be the entire length LK (while LF became zero)—in order to produce a particularly secure connection between the wiper and the bristle set.

(13) Toward the distal end of the applicator (i.e. toward the end of the applicator oriented toward the handle), it is adjoined by an additional section of the wiper, which has the length LÜ and is referred to as the transition section. This transition section preferably has a conical progression of its outer diameter so as to facilitate insertion of the applicator into the neck of the bottle. And finally, the distal end of the wiper forms a section with the length LA, which is the actual wiping section.

(14) Preferably, this section is particularly flexible at the length LA. This can be achieved, for example, in that the wall thickness decreases here in the way shown in the drawing. Alternatively, this can also be achieved in that in this case, for example, a soft elastic wiper lip is injection molded onto the wiper that is otherwise composed of a harder plastic.

(15) In order to provide a protective section SCH that is long enough, the wipers according to the invention are preferably embodied as longer than the wipers that are known from the prior art. Preferably, the wipers according to the invention are embodied as long enough that the protective section makes up at least 40% or better still at least 60% of the length of the wiper in the direction of the longitudinal axis L.

(16) As is clearly visible in FIG. 1, the wiper in this case is equipped with a collar-like section at its proximal end. The collar-like section serves to support it against a corresponding surface of the handle, not shown here, of the applicator. By means of this surface contact, the applicator can drive the wiper into the neck of the bottle.

(17) In order to secure the applicator in the bottle neck, the applicator is preferably provided with a corresponding detent element. In the present case, this detent element is embodied in the form of a preferably continuous annular protrusion 5. In principle, however, it is conversely also possible for the detent element to also be embodied as an annular groove in the wiper, into which a corresponding ring or a plurality of ring-like elements of the bottle neck protrudes.

(18) FIG. 2 likewise shows a cosmetic applicator embodied in the form of a mascara applicator. By contrast with the first exemplary embodiment, however, this mascara applicator is equipped with bristles that are injection-molded and are therefore particularly delicate.

(19) It is particularly clear from FIG. 2 that the inner diameter of the wiper 4 is matched to the outer diameter of the bristle set of the applicator 1.

(20) As a rule, the applicator is embodied by means of a wand 7 with a handle 8 and thus together with the wand and the handle.

(21) As shown here, the handle 8 most often simultaneously constitutes a cap for closing the cosmetic receptacle in a sealed fashion.

(22) The wiper 4 has a protective section SCH whose inner diameter is dimensioned so that the bristle set of the applicator 1 can be inserted into the protective section without suffering a permanent deformation. Ideally, the dimensions are even selected so that the protective section does not press against bristles or at least does not do so to any appreciable degree.

(23) FIGS. 2 and 3 show a wiper with a protective section SCH that has been kept quite short, but as clearly shown in FIG. 2, still fulfills its protective function. As is clear from the drawing, the cosmetic applicator unit, when it is placed on a flat surface F, rests on the flat surface with its handle at one end and with the wiper at the other. The bristle set itself does not come into contact with the flat surface and thus even when the applicator unit is stored in this position for an extended period of time, it cannot suffer any damage in the form of local “pressure points” or the like. Furthermore, such a configuration offers a not insignificant protection against two wipers, which come to rest directly against each other in the bulk pile, becoming interlocked with each other's bristles so intensively that they can no longer easily be separated—because it is quite rare for two applicators, when their longitudinal axes are oriented essentially parallel to each other, to really come to rest against each other with only their bristle sets. But in such an orientation, as soon as even a part of the bristle set of the one applicator comes to rest against the outer circumference surface of the wiper of the other applicator, the bristle sets can no longer come close enough to each other that an excessive “interlocking with each other” can be expected.

(24) The wipers that are used for an exemplary embodiment like this are preferably also embodied to be long enough that the protective section SCH makes up at least 40% or better still at least 60% of the length of the wiper in the direction of the longitudinal axis L so that the bristle set is optimally protected, even from identical applicator units in the bulk pile resting on top of the bristle set.

(25) It should also be noted that the wiper of the second exemplary embodiment can naturally also be used with the twisted wire core brush and vice versa. Particularly with applicators that have delicate injection-molded bristles, however, it is clearly preferable to use wipers of the kind shown in FIGS. 2 and 3.

(26) After being transported in bulk form, the cosmetic applicator units are vibrated in vibratory feeder where they come to rest in a jumble. With the aid of corresponding baffles, the vibratory feeder brings the cosmetic applicator units, which are each protected from interlocking with each other by the wipers used according to the invention, into a trough so that they are correctly oriented one after the other—without requiring intervention by the machine operator who is usually actively involved in separating from one another cosmetic applicator units whose bristle sets have become hooked/caught in each other as a result of being transported in bulk so that they can no longer be separated from each other by vibration alone. In this way, the cosmetic applicator units arrive, correctly aligned one after the other, at chutes via which they slide into the neck of the receptacle, optionally assisted by a conveying air flow (vacuum tube principle) so that the wiper is pre-centered in the neck of the receptacle—for which it is particularly advantageous if the wiper is embodied as conical or tapered at its end that subsequently ends up inside the receptacle. For this reason, the sorting/separating of the cosmetic applicator units supplied in bulk form is not an arbitrary addition, but can instead optionally be an essential additional component of the method according to the invention.

(27) The applicators can be attached by means of detent grooves and detent projections as shown in FIG. 1 or even by means of hooks, so to speak, that are optionally provided only in some locations and that engage behind the end of the receptacle neck, as shown in FIG. 2.

(28) While a number of exemplary aspects and embodiments have been discussed above, those of skill in the art will recognize certain modifications, permutations, additions and sub-combinations therefore. It is therefore intended that the following appended claims hereinafter introduced are interpreted to include all such modifications, permutations, additions and sub-combinations are within their true spirit and scope. Each apparatus embodiment described herein has numerous equivalents.

(29) The terms and expressions which have been employed are used as terms of description and not of limitation, and there is no intention in the use of such terms and expressions of excluding any equivalents of the features shown and described or portions thereof, but it is recognized that various modifications are possible within the scope of the invention claimed. Thus, it should be understood that although the present invention has been specifically disclosed by preferred embodiments and optional features, modification and variation of the concepts herein disclosed may be resorted to by those skilled in the art, and that such modifications and variations are considered to be within the scope of this invention as defined by the appended claims. In general the terms and phrases used herein have their art-recognized meaning, which can be found by reference to standard texts, journal references and contexts known to those skilled in the art. The above definitions are provided to clarify their specific use in the context of the invention.

REFERENCE NUMERAL LIST

(30) 1 applicator 2 brush 3 wire core 4 wiper 5 detent element of the wiper 6 collar of the wiper 7 wand 8 handle/cap Sch protective section LG entire length of the wiper LK section of the wiper over which the wiper engages with the bristle set in a frictional, nonpositive fashion LF length of the section over which the protective section does not come into contact with the bristles 2—or does not come into contact with them to any significant degree LÜ length of the wedge-shaped or conical transition section to facilitate insertion of the wiper into the neck of the bottle LA actual wiper section L longitudinal axis of the wiper and simultaneously the longitudinal axis of the applicator AL