Patent Application
20190274411
The invention relates to an applicator or cosmetic applicator according to the preamble to claim 1.
Many embodiments of such applicators are known.
In the present case, the object of the invention is to create an applicator that allows a particularly good treatment of the region of the skin area between the eyebrow and the border of the eyelashes.
This object is attained with the features of claim 1.
An applicator or cosmetic applicator for applying a cosmetic to the skin is proposed, having an applicator device, a handle, and preferably a wand that connects the applicator device and the handle to each other.
The applicator according to the invention features the fact that the applicator device is an applicator blade that is generally oriented perpendicular to the wand and has two main surfaces.
In this case, the wand or wand attachment protrudes from the proximal main surface, i.e. the one oriented toward the handle of the applicator blade.
The distal main surface of the applicator blade, i.e. the one oriented away from the handle, defines a plane. In the unstressed state, i.e. the one that involves no influence by the forces that occur during the application, this plane encloses an acute angle of at least 35° with the longitudinal axis L of the wand or wand attachment. In the overwhelming number of cases, the distal main surface is flocked.
The applicator blade protrudes beyond the wand or wand attachment in a freely projecting fashion on at least three sides or better still, four sides.
The distance by which the applicator blade protrudes beyond the wand or wand attachment on three sides (e.g. left, right, and to the front with the tip) or four sides usually protrudes on each side by ⅓ the diameter of the wand attachment or much better still, by at least ½ the diameter. This means that the applicator blade protrudes beyond the wand or wand attachment on at least three sides not just by “a little,” but instead by a significant amount.
Preferably, the applicator blade, measured in the unflocked state, is embodied as thin-walled. Ideally, in its region protruding beyond the wand attachment or wand, it has a thickness of at most 0.7 mm or better still, at most 0.5 mm, measured perpendicular to the plane that is defined by the distal main surface of the applicator blade.
With the aid of the measures mentioned above, it is possible to vary the resilience of the applicator blade over a broad range. With such an applicator, it is thus possible for the first time to produce an applicator blade that has a significantly more noticeable inherent flexibility under the influence of the forces that occur during the application. In this case, the inherent flexibility is preferably set so that in the place where it protrudes beyond the wand or wand attachment, the edge of the applicator blade can in any case be displaced by more than 1.5 mm under the influence of the forces that occur during the application solely due to the intrinsic deformation of the applicator blade.
The lateral edges of the applicator blade are no longer perceived as an edge that cuts into the skin during the application, but rather as a resilient surface, which, during the application, fits snugly against the part of the skin that is being treated.
In this way, the distal main surface provides a large application surface. First, a large quantity of cosmetic can be stored on this surface, which can then be effectively applied to the part of the skin that is to be treated.
It has turned out to be particularly advantageous not only if the applicator blade is embodied to be intrinsically flexible, but also if it is simultaneously secured to the wand or wand attachment with the interposition of a hinge. The term “hinge” here is understood from a functional standpoint. The term refers to a device that permits a pivoting of the entire applicator blade under the influence of the forces that occur during proper application—in the sense that at least in some places, the edge of the distal main surface is displaced by more than 1 mm due to the pivoting of the applicator blade as a whole.
It has turned out to be particularly feasible if the applicator blade is connected to the wand or wand attachment by an intermediate piece, which is entirely or partly composed of a softer plastic than the adjacent wand or wand attachment (and preferably also the applicator blade). This makes it possible for the entire applicator blade to be pivoted as a unit or decisively promotes this ability.
Another particularly preferred embodiment provides that the applicator blade has at least one tip. A “tip” is understood to be a region of the applicator blade at which two narrow sides of the applicator blade meet and, viewed in the circumference direction, transition into each other with a rounding whose curvature radius is less than 3 mm. Ideally, the two sides of the applicator blade meet by transitioning into each other so as to form an edge.
Such a tip makes it possible not only to use the cosmetic applicator in an efficient application over a large area, but also to draw very fine lines or perform an application only in points.
Ideally, the tip is embodied at the place where the plane defined by the applicator blade has the greatest angle to the longitudinal axis L of the wand or wand attachment. In this way, the tip is embodied at the place where the rim of the applicator blade is situated the greatest distance from the wand or wand attachment. This facilitates precise work with the tip since in this way, even slight rotating movements of the wand around its longitudinal axis produce a large pivoting movement and since the view of the tip is not obstructed by the wand or wand shoulder situated farther away from it.
In an approach that has turned out to be particularly advantageous, the applicator blade is produced out of a preferably flexible plastic and is designed so that as it passes through a stripper, the applicator blade can fold or bend over by at least 70° at its edges and after passing through the stripper, can then immediately once again resume its original position that it has in the unstressed state.
Alternatively, however, it is also possible to design the applicator blade to be hard and nonflexible so that when the applicator blade passes through it, the stripper is deformed more than the applicator.
In many cases, such an embodiment is the only thing that makes the applicator according to the invention practically usable in the first place. This is because it permits a stripper to be provided, which frees the wand attachment or wand of the cosmetic that is adhering to it. In this case, there is no danger of the applicator blade, with its regions that protrude laterally beyond the wand or wand attachment, getting caught on the stripper lip because these regions are indeed embodied—preferably through an appropriate choice of the material and an appropriate thickness—so that they collapse when the stripper lip acts on them.
Other effects, advantages, and possible embodiments of the invention ensue from the following description of the various embodiments and their variation possibilities, taken in conjunction with the drawings.
Purpose of the Cosmetic Applicators According to the Invention
By and large, the cosmetic applicator according to the invention usually looks like the depiction in
All of the embodiments that are described below can have such a cosmetic applicator.
The wand 50, however, does not have to be embodied of one piece as shown in
This case is depicted by
In this case, the applicator device is embodied as an applicator blade 2. The applicator blade 2, i.e. the plate of which it is composed, has a distal main surface 3 and a proximal main surface 4 as well as a narrow side surface 8. As is apparent, the free surface area of the side surface is smaller than the free surface area of the distal main surface 3 by at least a factor of 3 or better still, by at least a factor of 8.
The distal main surface 3 is available for use as a free, unhindered surface that can be entirely brought into contact with the part of the skin to be treated for the application of the cosmetic. The distal main surface 3 is ideally flocked—which is not graphically depicted here. A flocked surface is able to store significantly more compound than a smooth plastic surface. For particular applications, though, it can also be embodied as an unflocked application-ready plastic surface. For particular applications, it is particularly advantageous for the proximal main surface and the wand attachment to also be flocked.
The proximal main surface 4 is not available for the application of the cosmetic. The wand attachment 5 extends from it, usually at a position that is spaced apart from its edge on all sides, such that the applicator blade 2 protrudes from the wand attachment 5 on at least three sides and preferably all the way around, i.e. on four sides. The amount by which the applicator blade 2 protrudes beyond the wand attachment 5 preferably corresponds to at least one third or better still, at least half the diameter of the wand attachment 5. The wand attachment 5 can be an integral component of the applicator, i.e. connected to it in one piece and made of the same material as it.
The region in which the wand attachment 5 is connected to the applicator blade is generally asymmetrical to the proximal main surface of the applicator blade. This means that the applicator blade protrudes farther from the wand attachment on at least one side than it does on the diametrically opposite side.
The applicator blade 2 in this case is embodied as a flat or essentially flat plate, see
The greatest dimension LP of this flat plate in the direction parallel to its distal main surface 3 is preferably between 7 mm and 14 mm. The width B of the plate perpendicular thereto is preferably between 5 mm and 9 mm. The thickness D of the applicator blade in the direction perpendicular to the main surface and outside the wand attachment is preferably between 0.2 mm and 0.7 mm, also see
As is clearly apparent from
In particular,
As is clear from a comparison of
Preferably, at the place where it forms the tip 7, the flank 8 of the applicator blade 2 has the greatest distance from the longitudinal axis L of the wand.
In this exemplary embodiment, the applicator blade 2 is composed of a harder plastic material. A first wand section 5a composed of a softer plastic material is injection molded onto the applicator blade 2. This first wand section transitions into a second wand section 5b that is coupled to it by means of a coupling 6 or that is injection molded onto it. The second wand section in turn is made of a harder plastic. In order to provide the molded-on wand section 5a with the necessary holding force, it can be useful for the applicator blade to have one or more recesses that are filled by the plastic compound of the first wand section as the latter is being injection molded so that a form-fitting anchoring is also achieved.
In this way, the first wand section 5a constitutes an articulation around which the applicator blade 2 can pivot, and thus when applying makeup, can execute a movement of the kind shown in
This second exemplary embodiment also differs from the first in that the applicator blade 2, the wand section 5a, and thus also the wand as a whole, protrude not just on three sides, but on four sides, as has already been mentioned in connection with the first exemplary embodiment. This is because here, the applicator blade also protrudes out from the wand at the place where the plane of its distal main surface encloses the smallest acute angle with the longitudinal axis L of the wand, as is particularly apparent in
Statements above regarding the first and second exemplary embodiments also apply to this third exemplary embodiment, provided that nothing to the contrary is indicated by the explanations below.
The only difference between the second exemplary embodiment and this third one is that in this third exemplary embodiment, the applicator blade 2 and the wand section 5a have been produced in one piece from one and the same material.
Another difference here is that the wand attachment transitions into the applicator blade at precisely the place where its diameter increases. As is clearly shown in
In this case, the distal main surface 3 is not intrinsically flat, but instead protrudes outward in a convex fashion. It is then embodied in the form of a pillow.
Even if the distal main surface is not flat but convex, it can still define an imaginary plane, which encloses an angle with the longitudinal axis L of the wand. This plane is the plane that can be defined by the section of the applicator blade when its cross-section is at its maximum, as shown in
The same analogously applies to the variants that are conceivable in other special cases in which the distal main surface is embodied as recessed in concave fashion.
The reinforcing rib 9 connects the wand section 5a to the proximal main surface of the applicator blade 2. The reinforcing rib is preferably provided on the side on which the applicator blade 2 protrudes the farthest beyond the wand section 5a. In this case, the reinforcing rib 9 is positioned mostly in a plane in which the angle between the plane—which is defined by the distal main surface 3—and the longitudinal axis L of the wand is at its greatest. In a manner that is not shown in the drawings but is useful for some applications, a plurality of reinforcing ribs can be provided, which connect the wand attachment and the applicator blade in different non-parallel planes and thus support the applicator blade in different locations, e.g. at the 9 o'clock position, the 12 o'clock position, and the 3 o'clock position, if the single tip of the applicator blade is at the 12 o'clock position.
In this way, the reinforcing rib 9 provides the applicator blade 2 with optimal support. The lateral edges of the applicator blade 2 remain flexible so that they exhibit a comfortable application behavior. This design merely prevents the region between the wand section 5a and the tip 7 of the applicator blade 2, which protrudes beyond the wand section 5 by a large distance, from being excessively bent and therefore flexing too early, before it is possible to exert the pressure that is necessary for the efficient application of cosmetic.
As has been touched upon above, it is particularly advantageous if the applicator blade 2 is connected to the wand section by means of an articulation. The articulation can be embodied in various ways. This constitutes a further variation possibility for the exemplary embodiments described at the beginning.
A first possibility has already been mentioned in connection with
In this case, the applicator blade is injection molded out of a harder plastic and a first wand section 5a is injection molded onto the applicator blade out of the same plastic. Between this first wand section 5a and a third wand section 5c there is a second wand section 5b composed of a softer plastic, whereas the third wand section 5c is likewise composed of a hard plastic. In this way, the second wand section 5b constitutes the necessary articulation and enables the mobility of the applicator blade 2.
In this case, the first wand section 5a and the third wand section 5c can have an internal connection or “core,” for example a film hinge, which is flexible and which is encased by the softer plastic compound of the second wand section. This simplifies the manufacturing significantly since the applicator blade, the first wand section, and the third wand section do not have to be produced as separate parts that must then be joined together with the aid of the plastic compound of the second wand section 5b; instead, a one-piece production is possible from the outset.
An alternative to this that can also be used for all of the exemplary embodiments is shown in
Here once again, a first wand section 5a is injection molded directly onto the applicator blade 2. It is followed by a second wand section 5b. The latter has a plurality of constrictions 10 and is adjoined by a third wand section 5c. Because of the constrictions, the second wand section 5b in this case constitutes an articulation. This is true even if both the applicator blade 2 and the first through third wand sections 5a through 5c are all composed of the same plastic material and have been preferably produced by integral injection molding.
The articulation according to
An even more effective bending is permitted by the articulation alternatively shown in
The difference lies in the embodiment of the applicator blade 2. The applicator blade 2 in this case is embodied as rhomboid and has a total of four tips 11 through 14. The tips can be used to work in different ways because they are not all symmetrical. The applicator blade exhibits the same application behavior only in the region of the tips 12 and 14, which are formed by the side surfaces 8 that meet each other at an obtuse angle. The two other tips at which the side surfaces 8 preferably meet each other at an acute angle exhibit a different application behavior.
This is because the tip 11 is situated on the side of the wand at which the plane in which the applicator blade 2 lies encloses an obtuse angle with the longitudinal axis L of the wand, while the other tip 13 is situated on the side at which the plane in which the applicator blade 2 lies encloses an acute angle with the longitudinal axis L of the wand.
The only difference here is that the applicator blade 2 does not have only one tip or four tips, but instead has three.
The sides 8 that each form a tip are preferably curved outward in convex fashion.
Ideally, one of the three tips is situated on the side on which the plane defined by the distal main surface 3 of the applicator blade 2 encloses the greatest angle relative to the longitudinal axis L of the applicator wand.
In this instance, the applicator can have a wand 5, which transitions, for example, into a cap 21 for a receptacle 22.
The cap can be screwed or pressed against the dispensing opening of the receptacle 22 in a sealed fashion.
The compound that is kept stored in the receptacle 22 is dispensed via the internal supply line 23 to the distal main surface 3 of the applicator—for example by squeezing the receptacle 22 or by squeezing a cylinder/plunger piston with or without a built-in mixer. This means that the applicator does not have to be dipped and it is instead possible to continuously dispense new compound from the receptacle to the applicator even though the latter remains in constant contact with the surface onto which the compound is to be applied.
As is apparent from the drawing, the internal supply line passes all the way through the applicator, i.e. the internal supply line 23 has a first opening 24 at the receptacle end and a second opening 25 at essentially the opposite end on the distal main surface 3. The flow therefore passes through the internal supply line 23 in one direction from opening to opening.
In order to improve the distribution of the compound that is dispensed at the distal main surface 3 via the opening 25, it can be useful to provide the distal main surface with a so-called profiling, see
This is understood to be comprised by recessed regions 26, preferably in the form of channels that are open at a circumference end and through which the flow passes in one direction under the influence of a pressure difference, said channels being embedded in the surface of the distal main surface 3. Via these channels, the compound that is dispensed via the opening 25 can be conveyed farther, parallel to the distal main surface 3 and into the surrounding regions of the distal main surface 3 before traveling into the gap between the surface regions of the distal main surface 3 situated next to the channels and the surface region to which the application is to be made and then undergo the actual application process, i.e. for example be worked into the surface that is to be treated.
Preferably, these recessed regions 26 are arranged in a star shape; they then consequently extend in different directions away from the opening 25 and toward the edge of the distal main surface 3. The recessed regions can be embodied as actual channels, with a channel bottom and two longitudinal channel side walls that are preferably oriented essentially (possibly +/−25°) perpendicular to the distal main surface 3, and a channel end that is open in the direction toward the opening 25. The other channel end at the outer edge of the distal main surface 3 can either be open, as shown in
It should also absolutely be noted that this variant is not necessarily limited to the applicator design according to
It should also be noted that it is advantageous, but not absolutely necessary, for the distal main surface 3 to be connected to the receptacle via a one-piece wand 5. Instead, the internal supply line 23 can also open out at the coupling piece of the coupling 6 that is molded onto the applicator in order—once the play is mounted, to then communicate with an internal supply line on its interior.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 202016102947.3 | Jun 2016 | DE | national |
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/EP2017/063524 | 6/2/2017 | WO | 00 |
