Patent Publication Number: US-7909044-B2

Title: Applicator device for applying a cosmetic and the use of such a device

Description:
The present invention relates to applicator devices for applying cosmetics, and to uses of such devices. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     More particularly, the invention relates to an applicator device for applying a cosmetic, the applicator device comprising:
         an elongate body adapted to be held in the hand;   an applicator head adapted to apply the cosmetic over a portion of the body of a user (in particular for making up keratinous fibers such as eyelashes, eyebrows, and hair);   a feed device adapted to feed the applicator head with cosmetic in solid form; and   a heater device adapted to heat at least the applicator head, thereby causing the cosmetic to melt.       

     Document WO-A-2006/057438 describes an example of such an applicator device, in which the feed device is separate from the body of the applicator device. That device suffers from the drawback of being complex, costly, and tedious to use. 
     OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     A particular object of the present invention is to mitigate those drawbacks. 
     To this end, according to the invention, an applicator device of the type in question wherein the feed device comprises a feed duct provided in the body of the applicator device and communicating with passageways that are provided in the applicator head and that open out to the outside; 
     and wherein the heater device is adapted to heat said feed duct at the applicator head. 
     By means of these features, the applicator device of the invention is simpler, less costly, and easier to use than the above-mentioned prior art device. 
     In various embodiments of the invention, it is optionally possible to use one or more of the following features:
         the heater device is adapted to heat said feed duct at the applicator head to a temperature lying in the range 35° C. to 80° C.;   the applicator device is adapted to apply mascara to the eyelashes of a user, and the heater device is adapted to heat said feed duct at the applicator head to a temperature lying in the range 40° C. to 60° C.;   the feed device comprises a thrust device adapted to push the solid cosmetic towards the applicator head inside the feed duct;   the thrust device comprises a spring disposed at the end of the feed duct that is remote from the applicator head;   the heater device comprises at least one resistive heater element;   the applicator head is provided with at least one row of teeth, the passageways in the applicator head opening out between the teeth;   the applicator device includes a control circuit having an actuating member and adapted to cause the heater device to operate for a predetermined time each time the actuator member is actuated;   said predetermined time lies in the range 30 seconds to 2 minutes;   the applicator device further comprises:
           a cap adapted to cover the applicator head when said applicator is not being used; and   a sensor adapted to detect the presence of the cap and then to prevent the heater device from operating;   
           the applicator device has solid cosmetic disposed in the feed duct, the cosmetic being in the form of at least one stick slidably engaged in the feed duct;   solid mascara is disposed in the feed duct; and   the feed duct is adapted to be opened in order to be refilled with cosmetic.       

     In addition, the invention further provides the use of an applicator device as defined above, for applying a solid cosmetic (in particular mascara) by causing it to melt. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Other characteristics and advantages of the invention appear from the following description of one of the embodiments thereof, given by way of non-limiting example, and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of an embodiment of an applicator device of the invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the applicator device of  FIG. 1 , without its protective cap; 
         FIG. 3  is a longitudinal section view of the applicator device of  FIG. 2 ; 
         FIG. 4  is a detail view of  FIG. 3  at the applicator head; and 
         FIG. 5  is an electrical circuit diagram of the heater system of the applicator device of  FIGS. 1 to 4 . 
     
    
    
     In the various figures, like references designate elements that are identical or similar. 
     MORE DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       FIG. 1  shows an applicator device  1  for applying a cosmetic, in particular mascara, which applicator device is shown in the stowage position. In this position, the applicator device  1  has a generally elongate shape, e.g. it is substantially cylindrical. The applicator device  1  has an elongate body  2  made, for example, of a plastics material, having rear portion  3  adapted to be held in the hand by a user, and forming the rear portion of the applicator device  1 . 
     In the example considered herein, said rear portion  3  of the body  2  can, in particular, being provided with a control button  5  and with two indicator lights  6 ,  7 . 
     The applicator device  1  also has a cap  4  which can be fitted over the body  2  when the applicator device is in the stowage position, thereby forming the front portion of said applicator device. 
     As shown in  FIG. 2 , the cap  4  can, for example, fit over a smaller-diameter portion  8  of the body  2 . Said smaller-diameter portion  8  is itself extended forwards by a rod  9  of diameter smaller than the diameter of said portion  8 , the rod  9  extending between a proximal end  9   a  in the vicinity of the above-mentioned portion  8  and a distal end  9   b  that is provided with an applicator head  10 . The applicator head  10  is adapted to apply the cosmetic to a portion of the body of the user, and, in particular, adapted to apply mascara on the eyelashes of a user. 
     The applicator head  10  is provided with one or more combs  11  (e.g. 3 combs  11  disposed at 120° relative to one another in the example shown herein), each of the combs  11  being constituted by one row of teeth  12  aligned in the longitudinal direction of the rod  9 . Naturally, the applicator head  10  could have a number of combs  11  that is different from 3, e.g. 1, 2, or 4 combs. An embodiment having two combs disposed at 180° relative to each other is particularly advantageous. 
     In a variant, the applicator head could optionally have flexible bristles in place of the teeth  12 . 
     The smaller-diameter portion  8  of the body  2  can further be provided with a sensor  8   a , e.g. merely a contactor, for a purpose that is explained below. 
     As shown in  FIGS. 3 and 4 , the rear portion  3  of the body  2  can be provided with an internal cavity  13  housing an electric battery  14  (or a plurality of electric batteries). The cavity  13  can be opened, e.g. by unscrewing or detaching a rear cover  15  that forms the rear end of the body  2 , so that it is possible to replace the battery(ies)  14 . 
     In a variant, the applicator device  1  could be provided with a connector making it possible to recharge the battery(ies)  14  without having to change them. 
     In addition, a central feed duct  16  is provided in the rod  9 , which central feed duct extends in the longitudinal direction of said rod  9 , and is extended into the inside of the applicator head  10 . 
     Said feed duct  16  communicates with passageways  17  in the form of channels, extending radially from the feed duct  16  and opening out to the outside of the applicator head  10  between the teeth  12  in each comb  11 . 
     At that end of the feed duct  16  that is situated remote from the applicator head  10 , a thrust device, e.g. a compression spring  18  acting on a pusher  19 , is housed in said feed duct  16 . The pusher  19  pushes a stick  20  of solid cosmetic away towards the applicator head  10 . 
     The cosmetic in question is formulated in a manner such that it is in solid form at 25° C. The cosmetic can have a melting point lying, for example, in the range 40° C. to 60° C., and in particular around 50° C. The solid consistency of the cosmetic at 25° C. is obtained by incorporating therein a sufficient quantity of wax, in a manner known to the person skilled in the art. 
     In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the solid cosmetic is mascara that can, for example, be prepared from the following compounds, whose concentration is expressed in percentage by weight of the final composition: 
     
       
         
           
               
               
               
             
               
                   
                   
               
             
            
               
                   
                 Hydrogenated vegetable oil (e.g. palm oil) 
                 40% to 50% 
               
               
                   
                 Caprylic/capric triglyceride 
                  5% to 10% 
               
               
                   
                 Polyethylene 
                 3% to 7% 
               
               
                   
                 Microcrystalline waxes 
                 1% to 5% 
               
               
                   
                 Talc 
                 1% to 5% 
               
               
                   
                 Glyceryl tripalmitate 
                 1% to 5% 
               
               
                   
                 Silicas 
                 0.5% to 1%   
               
               
                   
                 Pigments 
                 25% to 30% 
               
               
                   
                   
               
            
           
         
       
     
     The stick  20  of cosmetic can, for example, have a length of a few centimeters (in particular approximately in the range 4 cm to 8 cm) and a diameter of a few millimeters (in particular in the range 1 mm to 4 mm). Such a stick can, in particular, be obtained by an extrusion method. 
     In a variant, the stick  20  of cosmetic can be replaced by a succession of cylindrical segments of cosmetic aligned one behind another in the feed duct  16 , or indeed a series of solid beads of cosmetic aligned one behind another. 
     The feed duct  16  is adapted to be opened in a manner such that it is possible to replace the solid cosmetic that it contains. For example, the applicator head  10  can be screwed onto the end of the rod  9  so that the stick  20  of cosmetic can be inserted into the feed duct  16  from the distal end of said rod  9  when the applicator head  10  is unscrewed. 
     A resistive heater element  21  (a metal wire winding, a ceramic element, or some other element) is disposed in the applicator head  10 , and preferably in the immediate vicinity of the feed duct  16 , which resistive heater element is adapted to heat firstly the inside of the feed duct  16 , at the applicator head  10 , to a temperature lying, for example, in the range 35° C. to 80° C., and more particularly in the range 40° C. to 60° C. for mascara, so as to cause the cosmetic to melt. Melted by the heat given off, the cosmetic thus diffuses to the outside via the passageways  17  and is distributed between the teeth  12  of each comb  11  in uniform manner by capillary action. For example, the heater element  21  can surround the feed duct  16  in the applicator head  10 . 
     It should be noted that the resistive heater element heats not only the duct  16 , but also the entire applicator head  10 . Advantageously, the applicator head  10  can be made of a material that is a good heat conductor, e.g. a metal material or a plastics material that is filled with a metal material. 
     As shown in  FIG. 5 , the resistive heater element  21  is powered by the batteries  14  via a control circuit  22  (CC) and via conductors  23  that extend through the rod  9  (the conductors  23  can be connected to the resistive heater element  21  via electrical contacts provided at that end of the rod  9  that is screwed into the applicator head  10 ). 
     The control circuit  22  is an electronic circuit adapted to power the resistive heater element  21  from the battery  14  for a predetermined time when a user presses on the control button  5 . Said predetermined time can, for example, lie in the range 30 seconds to 2 minutes. The control circuit  22  can also optionally be adapted to switch on the indicator light  6 , which, for example, is constituted by a red light-emitting diode (LED), when it detects insufficient voltage across the terminals of the battery  14 , indicating that said battery is flat. 
     In the example shown in  FIG. 5 , the power supply circuit for powering the resistive heater element  21  from the control circuit  22  also includes:
         an LED, e.g. a green LED, constituting the above-mentioned indicator light  7 , which is switched on when the resistive heater element  21  is being heated; and   the above-mentioned contactor  8   a  which is adapted to open the power supply circuit for powering the resistive heater element  21  when said contactor is pushed radially inwards by the cap  4  fitted over portion  8  of the body  2 , and to close when the cap  4  is removed (the contactor  8   a  thus prevents the resistive heater element  21  from operating inadvertently, if the control button  5  is unintentionally pressed while the applicator device  1  is in the stowage position.       

     The above-described device operates as follows: when a user wishes to apply mascara to the eyelashes, the user removes the cap  4  and depresses the control button  5 , thereby triggering melting of the stick of mascara  20  in the internal duct at the applicator head  10 , so that the mascara, as melted in this way, passes through the passageways  17  and spreads over the teeth  12  of the combs  11  after a few seconds. 
     It should be noted that it is possible to connect the light indicator  7  directly to the control circuit  22  which causes it to flash for a few seconds after the button  5  has been actuated (while the cosmetic melts), and which then causes it to be on continuously for the remainder of the time for which the heater element  21  is heated. 
     By means of the cosmetic being heated, the user can thus apply the cosmetic in the form of a film that is uniform and thus that is of improved quality. For mascara, the user can obtain particularly fine and effective coating of the eyelashes. 
     The user can then use the applicator for applying, for example, mascara to the eyelashes. Once the user has finished using the applicator  1 , the user puts the cap  4  back in place, thereby automatically interrupting the power supply to the electric heater element  21  if the user ceases using the applicator after the above-mentioned predetermined operating time.