Patent Publication Number: US-9402455-B2

Title: Cosmetic product applicator and associated applicator assembly

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §119(a) to French Patent Application Serial Number 1256836, filed Jul. 16, 2012, entitled “COSMETIC PRODUCT APPLICATOR AND ASSOCIATED APPLICATOR ASSEMBLY”, the entirety of which is incorporated herein by reference. 
     DESCRIPTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The invention relates to a cosmetic product applicator and to an associated applicator assembly. 
     2. Prior Art 
     Applicator assemblies for cosmetic products, in particular for cosmetic products to be applied to the eyelashes, such as mascara, comprising a receptacle containing the cosmetic product and an applicator capable of being removably attached to the receptacle, are known. 
     The receptacle generally comprises a body, the body comprising walls which delimit a container which contains the cosmetic product, and a neck defining an opening through which the cosmetic product can be removed. 
     The applicator generally comprises a cap which is used as a handle and is capable of being attached to the neck, a rod extending from the cap and a brush attached to a free end of the rod. The brush comprises a core and a plurality of protrusions or bristles extending from the core. 
     When the cap is attached to the neck, the rod and the brush extend within the container. The brush is immersed in the cosmetic product contained in the container. 
     To use the applicator, the user detaches the cap from the neck and removes the applicator from the receptacle. The user combs the eyelashes with the brush, and this has the effect of coating the eyelashes with a film of cosmetic product. 
     In addition, during combing, the user uses the brush to shape the eyelashes, for example by curling them to make them appear longer. As the film of cosmetic product deposited on the eyelashes dries, it holds the eyelashes in the desired shape. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     A problem addressed by the invention is that of proposing an applicator for shaping the eyelashes more easily in order to give them the desired shape when applying the cosmetic product to the eyelashes. 
     This problem is solved within the context of the present invention by a cosmetic product applicator that includes a brush. The brush in turn includes a core having a longitudinal axis and one or more protrusions projecting from the core. The protrusions include at least one straight first protrusion having a longitudinal axis oriented in a first radial direction of the core, and at least one bent second protrusion. The bent second protrusion includes a base portion extending from the core and having a longitudinal axis oriented in a second radial direction of the core, and an end portion extending from the base portion and having a longitudinal axis parallel to the longitudinal axis of the first protrusion. 
     The words “radial direction of the core” mean that the longitudinal axis of the protrusion or of the protrusion portion is directed along a radius of the core, that is to say that the longitudinal axis of the protrusion or of the protrusion portion is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the core and intersects the longitudinal axis of the core. 
     In the proposed applicator, the arrangement of the straight first protrusion and of the bent second protrusion enables the brush to better catch the eyelashes during application, and as a result makes it possible to position the eyelashes using the brush, to give the eyelashes the desired shape. 
     The proposed applicator may further have the following features:
         the protrusions include at least one bent third protrusion comprising a base portion extending from the core and having a longitudinal axis oriented in a third radial direction of the core, and an end portion extending from the base portion and having a longitudinal axis parallel to the longitudinal axis of the first protrusion, the second and third protrusions being arranged on either side of the first protrusion,   the protrusions include a first row of straight protrusions, a second row of bent protrusions and a third row of bent protrusions, the second row and the third row being arranged on either side of the first row,   an angle of between 10° and 60°, preferably of between 20° and 25°, is formed between the axis of the base portion and the axis of the end portion of the bent protrusion or protrusions,   the core has a first end capable of being attached to an applicator rod, and a free second end, and includes an internal cavity and an end aperture which is located at the second end and communicating with the internal cavity,   the core includes an internal cavity and a wall surrounding the internal cavity, the wall including perforated regions having a series of openings made through the wall and communicating with the internal cavity,   the openings are diamond shaped and oriented such that a diagonal of a diamond is parallel to the longitudinal axis of the core,   the wall has solid regions which extend in a longitudinal direction of the core,   the protrusions have free ends which define an enveloping surface, the enveloping surface having a rounded part and a tapered part.       

     The invention also relates to an applicator assembly. The assembly includes a receptacle including a body which forms a container containing the cosmetic product, and an applicator, as defined above, capable of being attached to the receptacle, such that the brush is housed within the container. 
    
    
     
       PRESENTATION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Other features and advantages will become clearer from the following description, which is given merely by way of example, is non-limiting and must be read with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a schematic view of an applicator assembly according to an embodiment of the invention, 
         FIG. 2  is a schematic side view of a brush from a first side, 
         FIG. 3A  is a schematic top view of a brush, 
         FIG. 3B  is a detail view of  FIG. 3A , 
         FIG. 4  is a schematic side view of the brush from a second side, 
         FIG. 5A  is schematic longitudinal section of the brush along line A-A, and 
         FIG. 5B  is a detail view of  FIG. 5A . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF AN EMBODIMENT 
     Referring to  FIG. 1 , the shown applicator assembly  1  comprises a receptacle  2  containing a cosmetic product  3  and an applicator  4  capable of being removably attached to the receptacle  2 . 
     The receptacle  2  comprises a body  5  and a neck  6 . The body  5  has a general elongate shape and comprises walls delimiting a container  8  in which the cosmetic product is contained. The neck  6  comprises an external surface  9  having a thread. 
     The receptacle  2  also comprises a wiper ring  10 . The wiper ring  10  is positioned within the neck  6 . The wiper ring  10  has a general tubular shape. The wiper ring  10  comprises a cylindrical main portion  11  extending within the neck  6 , a shoulder  12  capable of resting on a rim  13  of the neck  6  to secure the wiper ring in the neck and a tapered portion  14  of which the diameter decreases towards the interior of the container  8 . 
     The applicator  4  comprises a handle  15 , a rod  16  and a brush  17 . 
     The handle  15  comprises an internal surface  18  having a thread. The thread of the handle  15  is capable of cooperating with the thread of the neck  6  so that the applicator  4  can be attached to the receptacle  2 . In this way, the handle  15  acts as a cap to sealingly close the receptacle  2 . 
     The rod  16  has an elongate cylindrical shape and comprises a first end  19  attached to the handle  15  and a second end  20  to which the brush  17  is attached. 
     The brush  17  is formed in one piece, for example by plastics injection moulding. 
     The brush  17  is formed in one piece by moulding an appropriate material selected (for example) from: a thermoplastic polyester elastomer such as Hytrel® marketed by DuPont, a thermoplastic polyurethane elastomer such as Pellethane® marketed by Dow, a mixture of thermoplastic materials such as T-BLEND® marketed by TSRC, primarily comprising poly(styrene-butadiene-styrene) (SBS) or poly(styrene-ethylene-butylene-styrene) (SEBS), a low-density polyethylene (LDPE) or an ethylene alpha-olefin copolymer such as Exact® marketed by ExxonMobil. 
     When the handle  15  is screwed onto the neck  6  of the receptacle  2 , the rod  16  and the brush  17  extend within the container  8 , the brush  17  being submerged in the cosmetic product. 
     In use, the user unscrews the handle  15  from the neck  6  and removes the applicator  4  from the receptacle  2 . During removal, the applicator  4  slides through the wiper ring  10 . Owing to the movement of the applicator  4  through the wiper ring  10 , the tapered portion  14  of the wiper ring  10  scrapes the excess cosmetic product from the rod  16  and the brush  17 . 
     As illustrated in  FIGS. 2 to 5B , the brush  17  comprises a core  21  having a general shape of a cylinder of revolution which has an axis of revolution X corresponding to a longitudinal direction of the brush  17 , and a plurality of elongate protrusions  22  in the form of bristles projecting from the core  21 . 
     The core  21  has a first end  23  capable of being attached to the applicator rod  16 , and a free second end  24 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 5A , the core  21  is hollow. More specifically, the core  21  comprises a longitudinal channel  25  arranged inside the core  21  and extending in the longitudinal direction X of the core  21  from the first end  23  to the second end  24 , and a cylindrical wall  26  surrounding the longitudinal channel  25 . The longitudinal channel  25  forms an internal cavity within the core  21 . The channel  25  opens into an end aperture  27  at the second end  24 . 
     The cylindrical wall  26  comprises perforated wall portions  28  to  30  and solid wall portions  31  to  33 , the solid wall portions  31  to  33  alternating with the perforated wall portions  28  to  30  about the axis X. More specifically, the wall  26  comprises three perforated wall portions  28  to  30  and three solid wall portions  31  to  33 . The solid walls  31  to  33  are arranged with an angle of separation of 120° therebetween. Likewise, the perforated walls  28  to  30  are arranged with an angle of separation of 120° therebetween. 
     Each perforated wall portion  28  to  30  has a series of openings  34  made through the wall  26  and communicating with the internal cavity  25 . The solid wall portions  31  to  33  do not have openings. 
     The openings  34  are diamond shaped and oriented such that a diagonal of a diamond is parallel to the longitudinal axis X of the core  21 , in the manner of a grid. The presence of the openings  34  and of the end aperture  27  communicating with the internal cavity  25  promotes a passage of the cosmetic product inside the brush  17 . 
     Each solid wall portion  31  to  33  has an elongate shape and extends parallel to the axis X. The solid wall portions  31  to  33  make it possible to stiffen the core  21 , and in particular to compensate for the flexibility of the perforated wall portions  28  to  30 . 
     The protrusions  22  are arranged in a plurality of longitudinal rows  34  to  48 , each row extending parallel to the axis X. 
     More specifically, the brush  17  comprises a plurality of rows of straight protrusions  34 ,  36 ,  38 ,  39 ,  41 ,  43 ,  44 ,  46  and  48  and a plurality of rows of bent protrusions  35 ,  37 ,  40 ,  42 ,  45  and  47 . 
     Each row of straight protrusions  34 ,  36 ,  38 ,  39 ,  41 ,  43 ,  44 ,  46  and  48  comprises a plurality of straight protrusions, each straight protrusion extending in a radial direction of the core. The protrusions in the same row thus extend in parallel and perpendicular to the axis X. 
     Each longitudinal row of bent protrusions comprises a plurality of bent protrusions  35 ,  37 ,  40 ,  42 ,  45  and  47 . 
     As illustrated in  FIG. 3A , the rows of protrusions are arranged so that two rows of bent protrusions are positioned on either side of a row of straight protrusions. 
     The brush  17  thus comprises three groups  52 ,  53  and  54  of rows of protrusions, each group  52 ,  53  and  54  being made up of two rows of bent protrusions ( 35 ,  37 ;  40 ,  42 ;  45 ,  47  respectively) and one row of straight protrusions ( 36 ;  41 ;  46  respectively) which is positioned between the two rows of bent protrusions. Each row of straight protrusions  36 ,  41 ,  46  in a group extends from a respective solid wall portion  31 ,  32 ,  33 . 
     The brush  17  also comprises three groups  55 ,  56  and  57  of rows of protrusions, each group being made up of two rows of adjacent straight protrusions ( 38 ,  39 ;  43 ,  44 ;  48 ,  34  respectively). Each row of straight protrusions in a group  55 ,  56 ,  57  extends from a respective perforated wall portion  28 ,  29 ,  30 . 
     The groups  52 ,  53  and  54  alternate with the groups  55 ,  56  and  57  around the core  21 . 
       FIG. 3B  shows, in greater detail, a group  54  made up of a row of straight protrusions  46  and two rows of bent protrusions  45  and  47  which are adjacent to the row of straight protrusions  46 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 3B , each straight protrusion  46  has a longitudinal axis x 1  oriented in a first radial direction of the core  21 . 
     Each bent protrusion  45 ,  47  has a straight base portion  49  extending from the core  21  and a straight end portion  50  extending from the base portion  49  in the extension of the base portion  49 . The base portion  49  is connected to the end portion by a bend  51 . 
     The base portion  49  of each bent protrusion  45 ,  47  has an axis x 2 , x 3  oriented in a radial direction of the core  21 . The end portion  50  of each bent protrusion  45 ,  47  has an axis x 4 , x 5  oriented in a direction parallel to the axis x 1  of the straight protrusions. 
     An angle α of between 10° and 60°, preferably of between 20° and 25°, is formed between the axis of the straight base portion  49  and the axis of the straight end portion  50 . 
     The rows of protrusions  35 ,  36 ,  37  and  40 ,  41 ,  42  are arranged identically to the rows of protrusions  45 ,  46 ,  47  shown in  FIG. 3B . 
     Since the bent protrusions  35 ,  40  and  45  are bent in a first direction, they enable the brush to catch the eyelashes when the user turns said brush about the axis X in a first direction of rotation A. Likewise, since the bent protrusions  37 ,  42 ,  47  are bent in a second direction, opposite to the first direction, they enable the brush to catch the eyelashes when the user turns said brush about the axis X in a second direction of rotation B, opposite to the first direction of rotation A. 
     Finally, referring to  FIG. 4 , the protrusions  22  have longitudinal dimensions which vary continuously along the axis X of the core  21 . In particular, the protrusions  22  have a longitudinal dimension which decrease continuously and then increase from the first end  23  to the second end  24  of the core  21 . 
     The protrusions  22  thus comprise free ends which define an enveloping surface E. The enveloping surface E is symmetrical in revolution about the axis X. The enveloping surface E has a rounded part E 1  at the point where the protrusions have maximum dimensions and a tapered part E 2  at the point where the protrusions have minimum dimensions. 
     In use, the brush  17  results in better coating of the eyelashes in the region E 1  in which the protrusions are the longest, whereas the brush  17  is loaded with more cosmetic product in the region in which the protrusions are the shortest. Since the protrusions are shorter in the region E 2 , the protrusions are subjected to a lesser degree of wiping as the brush passes through the wiper ring  10  of the applicator assembly.